Aqua is one of those manga that is very calming and relaxing to read, and could be categorized as "slice-of-life", as the story is mostly just Akari living her life and trying to become a full-fledged undine.

Story 10/10

Though too much isn't going on in the plot, and may I say action-lovers would be quite let down, Aqua gives a very charming story. The pace is very slow, and allows you to really get into the world of Aqua. Aqua is the planet Mars after terraforming, and the city we mostly see is nearly a repicla of Venice. Akari, our main character and narrator of the series, finds things in life that could be boring to others quite fascinating, which is illustrated often in the series by the pace and the nostalgic feeling. Love the simple things in life, is the message, perhaps.

Art 10/10

This is one of the major points of Aqua. The art is simply beautiful. Each panel is illustrated with such detail, and movements are so fluid. I love the setting, this Venice-type city on a planet covered in water, and it's illustrated so amazingly that one could feel so much for it. The characters are nicely drawn, but it is the backgrounds in this story that shine.

Character 9/10

There is no character in this series that I dislike. Though there aren't many main characters, the ones the story mainly centers around are Akari, the ever-optomistic and eager undine apprentice; Alicia, Akari's mentor and a talented undine, the most popular in the entire city; Aika the blunt and orderly undine of a rival company and friend to Alicia and Akari; and then President Aria, who is, obviously, the president of Aria company. He's not exactly your typical president though, considering he is a cat. He is a Mars cat, intelligent as a human but unable to speak, and is the company's mascot. Each character is well-developed throught, though it is short.

Enjoyment 9/10

It is very enjoyable of a series. I had heard of it, so I decided to buy it partially on a whim, though usually I'm a fan of slow-pacing slice-of-life series. This was something amazing to find, though. It's a beautiful manga and highly reccomended. Now I'm eager to start on Aria, Aqua's sequal.