...because it made me upset that I will never live in Neo-Venezia or become an undine.
With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Aria. I would consider it among my favourite anime. My reason for this verdict is how this series manages to maintain a cheerful yet relaxing mood throughout. Watching Aria never feels like a chore, even though nothing happens. You shouldn't try to rush through Aria because it's an anime to be truly enjoyed.
The setting of Aqua is absolutely beautiful, with great backgrounds and a design that was clearly thought about carefully. The characters themselves always look beautiful and I particularly love their uniform design.
Aria is well-supported throughout with a fantastic soundtrack that perfectly sets a relaxing mood. The music is absolutely gorgeous and a highlight of the series, including the beautiful opening and ending.
Overall, Aria is an excellent series for anyone who wants to enjoy a gentle and calming experience. I would recommend watching it as a way to escape from the stress of daily life.
P.S.: I love Akari. <3 (show less)

I never thought that it was possible to mix the genres science-fiction and slice-of-life but this show proved me wrong. Its a very intresting world they inhabit which I am looking forward to seeing explored more in the sequels. The way they told you the backstory of the world was pretty clever, in that it didn´t feel forced or unnatural. It has a very calm and soothing tone overall, and the characters just enhances this feeling of bliss. The characters themselves are fairly enjoyable despite their tendency for repetitive one-liners. When it comes to the animation it shows some fairly impressive backgrounds every now and then, but the character models are a bit uninspiring. One thing I do have to give them credit for though, is that in a show with a main cast of only females, they have stayed clear of any fanservice(even in the hot springs episode, where it would have been very easy to take that route), which keeps it clean and enjoyable for all ages and not just the older(read hornier) folks. Overall a decent anime for when you just want to feel all warm and cozy inside :) Now I can only hope that the sequels improve in quality. (show less)

The best thing about "Aria the Animation" is how relaxed and happy I am after watching an episode. This rather slowpaced anime makes you forget your worries and go with the flow. Most episodes also have some kind of moral which usually is a good leason to make life more enjoyable.

The story is pretty original. It's science-fiction but it feels more like fantasy or even history.
The conversations aren't especially funny (what I'm usually looking for) but soothing.
This series does look a bit old but don't let that hold you back.

Aria wasn't one of those animes which made me want to see the next episode as soon as possible. There wasn't much suspense or even connection between the episodes but one episode was always enough to change my mood. (show less)