Disclaimer: This review is about all 3 seasons of Aria. The scores correspond to the franchise as a whole.
There seems to be a prevalent idea among reviewers of this anime that Aria is an anime about nothing. In fact, sothis said in her recommendation for Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou that Aria was a show about “absolutely nothing” and said you'd like it if you like “series where nothing happens.” I will respectfully say to the owner of this website that I cannot possibly disagree more.
Aria is not an anime about nothing. No one would put effort into creating a piece of entertainment if it were about nothing. Aria is about the little things in life that often go overlooked, in particular, the small things in life that make it worth living and, taken together, can help us find happiness. The author of the series said in her own words “I wrote this Aqua to let you all find that small "happiness" and to make you think. After you've read my work, if there are people who were able to find that "happiness", it would make me the happiest person out there.” In my opinion, there's no better way to summarize the franchise than that.
Figure 1: Let's begin
The idea that Aria is about nothing comes from the structure of the anime and its genre of storytelling. The anime is mostly episodic, in which each episode deals with a new challenge facing our main characters. Usually they aren't monumental challenges; often they're frivolous things such as treasure hunts or stargazing, things that are done by ordinary kids on ordinary days. The idea of an anime about ordinary things isn't particularly unique either (see: Nichijou, literally “my ordinary life”). What sets Aria apart is that it isn't really a comedy (such as Nichijou or Lucky Star) or a drama (such as Clannad or Kanon). It's really just a portrayal of life without an overarching narrative. In a way, it's like K-on or So-Ra-No-Wo-To, but with a much different setting and different character archetypes.
The combination of the setting and the storytelling is really what sets this anime apart. Aria takes place in a nearly utopian future on Mars which has been terraformed to become a replica of the city of Venice, Italy. On the one hand, this setting allows the anime to show the beauty of the city and a nostalgic look at a simpler life. On the other hand, setting the anime in the future on another planet allows for a fresh start, the building of a society without having to worry about what already exists on earth. The way the animation portrays this setting is timeless. The lighter, almost watercolor-esque tones may not be as good as the ones in the manga, but they compliment the setting in its own right. The vast sweeping landscapes when they show full shots of the city are the definition of “scenery porn.”
Figure 2: Scenery porn
Of course, you can create the perfect setting, but the anime wouldn't be worth watching without a strong set of core characters. Aria delivers with not just one, but two of my all time favorite sets of anime trios. The first trio is the main cast, Akari, Aika, and Alice, the friend, the hardworker, and the genius. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and therefore face different challenges on their quest to becoming Primas, masters of their tour guide trade. The second trio are their mentors, Alicia, Aikira, and Athena, the mother figure, the strict teacher, and the ditz with a heart of gold. Each character provides their own perspective on how a problem should be faced, but in the end what the characters, and the viewer, learn are valuable life lessons that go beyond the specific skills they need to learn for their work. The anime can be Aesopic at times in this regard, but usually its mature about it (not as many preachy “Dear Princess Celestia” speeches).
Finally, what makes this anime work is the overall mood it sets when you watch it. This is an anime that should be used to treat high blood pressure and hypertension because it is just that relaxing. When I watch it it's like listening to one of those meditation music tracks where your heart rate slows down and you feel like you're wrapped in a warm blanket of calmness. The music underscores this mood, which was composed with the intention of conveying abstract ideas rather than specific plot points. Therefore the music works well with the anime or on its own and has created one of my all time favorite original soundtracks.
Figure 3: Seriously, even if you don't end up watching the anime give the soundtack a listen
I'd recommend that everyone watch this anime. Yes, everyone. I don't care if all you watch are Michael Bay action movies; this anime will change your perspective on life. The optimistic worldview of this anime will make even the greatest cynic rethink whether or not the world is truly doomed. After all, if someone can dream that humanity can reach these heights, then the only thing left is having people actually do it! I'm not audacious enough to say everyone will like the anime, but at the very least it'll lower your stress level while you're watching it and maybe extend your life by a few minutes as a result.
“The fact that there’s many things you don’t know yet means there’s still many wonders out there!” ~Alicia Florence!
Screenshots
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