*This is my first review
*I will be writing this review on all 3 parts of Aria and will be summarized individually, the score overall is on the series in its entirety
This series was number of firsts for me, first true slice of life I have watched, first anime in which the focus was on a female protagonist through its entirety while also including introspective reflection, and the first piece of media that I truly appreciated for its episodic nature.
Before watching I had high expectations of what I thought Aria was going to be brought on by the high rating, glowing recommendations, and the relative obscurity
...
of such a highly acclaimed series. All of these expectations were more than met, but that is not to say Aria is without its flaws. Aria in its entirely really is a masterpiece and its flaws may not be objectively true and dependent on the viewer, it is important to note this both while watching Aria and while reading this review.
Aria the Animation - To be expected, this season served to introduce you both to the endearing characters and the setting of Neo-Venezia as well as Aqua. This part happens to contain two of my favorite episodes of the Aria series as well as two of my least favorite(both of these for reasons similar to filler and boredom). Most of my criticism is left on the atmosphere that Aria the Animation seemingly fails to develop, the atmosphere feels almost sterile or stagnant as there seems to be little that happens out of the ordinary and very little mystery about the environment. The world itself seems a tad small and contained which ultimately brings about a "boring" feel to the first iteration.
The art is also weaker than the next, which is to be expected as it is the most outdated but it is still brilliantly animated.
As mentioned before the story is mostly introductory and little is revealed about what makes Aria so great until the latter half and maybe even until Aria the Natural. Nevertheless the first taste of things to come is experienced through the endearing and well-established characters going about their day to day life. As well the always entertainingly beautiful and relaxing storyline of Aria is prevalent but maybe not as dynamic or evident as in later iterations.
The music is really top notch, this may be the one area that might not have been improved on by later adaptations.
Really what Aria the Animation fails to do is being as strong as its successors, which doesn't really take away from the experience on its own especially since the series is an episodic one. At the very least it serves as important step into understanding and enjoying Aria as a whole.
Aria the Natural - The true embodiment of Aria's spirit in my opinion, all the things that make the series great are found here. The mysteries and fantasy of Neo-Venezia and Aqua being discovered and represented beautifully in all aspects is truly a pleasing experience to behold. I would also like to note that the slice of life component is most dutifully found here. This is by far the more relaxing of the three, and may I stress that I say relaxing not boring, the story here is surprisingly engaging even though that is something I have personally struggled with when watching episodic series is my inability to become invested episode to episode, I had no trouble doing so with Aria the Natural. This due in part to the stagnancy that I had mentioned earlier being shattered by the introduction of menace or negativity in a way that does not contradict the flow and feeling of the series overall. Because of this you come to appreciate the magnificent nature of each episode even more.
As I have previously mentioned, Aria the Natural improves(maybe even dramatically so)on everything that Aria the Animation brought to the table as well as representing the soul of the Aria series almost poetically.
Aria the Origination - While Aria the Natural represents the soul of Aria, Aria the Origination undoubtedly represents the heart. "No embarassing remarks allowed!" I know but let me explain, I would go so far as to say that Aria the Origination changes everything about the Aria series while also preserving it. That may be confusing but really it maintains everything that makes Aria great while introducing drama and conflict while progressing less episodically and more as a series. Also the emphasis is placed less on the setting of Neo-Venezia and more so on the characters and their development, this is done in a surprisingly superb fashion by introducing an entirely new aspect to Aria while still tailoring to its original greatness.
The characters and their stories are elegantly weaved together while staying respective to their individual development, development so surprisingly good that you would almost wonder when the characters changed so much. This thought however will probably never cross your mind since this is done so in a matter that is natural and stays true to characters you were originally introduced to.
The drama that comes with the conclusion of the series is magnificent and touching. By the end you will realize all the wonderful lessons you were inadvertently being taught throughout the series and this makes it that much more meaningful and timeless. Aria is truly an experience in which you will enjoy, be enlightened, and have your the boundaries of your imagination stretch, ideas that all pieces of media striving to become a masterpiece should fulfill.
Story - 9
While the story is brilliant, there are some episodes that continue the flow, but may fail to truly captivate the viewer, nearly episode is at the very least entertaining
Art - 10
There's not much that can be said about the art, it is incredible and stunning and an easy selling point for the anime
Sound - 8
The OST suits the setting perfectly, and in Aria the Origination it suited the more touching and dramatic moments in their feelings of wonder, change, and simplicity
Character - 10
I would be hard pressed to choose a character in which I didn't like, as well as the character that I liked most. All of the characters are endearing and charming, and play their role radiantly in the story.
Enjoyment - 10
The different elements of Aria, are all enjoyable, but more specifically the enjoyment lies in the slice of life component as it gives you the feeling of beauty and relaxation
Overall - 10
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Aug 21, 2013
Aria the Origination
(Anime)
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*This is my first review
*I will be writing this review on all 3 parts of Aria and will be summarized individually, the score overall is on the series in its entirety This series was number of firsts for me, first true slice of life I have watched, first anime in which the focus was on a female protagonist through its entirety while also including introspective reflection, and the first piece of media that I truly appreciated for its episodic nature. Before watching I had high expectations of what I thought Aria was going to be brought on by the high rating, glowing recommendations, and the relative obscurity ... |
