The planet Aqua has been terraformed, and part of it turned into a watery paradise called Neo-Venezia where companies of undines (gondoliers) ply their trade. One such company is ARIA Company, where Akari Mizunashi is in training.

ARIA The Animation is a slice-of-life series which tells the story of three trainee undines from different companies who meet up and become friends. There are no overarching plot threads or really startling developments, which should in theory make this one of the most boring shows ever.

Instead, it feels relaxing; the characters are pleasant, the music is nice, and the plots of the various episodes are usually amusing or heartwarming. The show somehow manages to project an aura of calm and restfulness without actually being dull and boring.

At the time of writing, ARIA The Animation has not been licensed for the United States and has been fansubbed by CrystalNova. Please support the anime industry in your territory by purchasing this title on DVD when it becomes available.