It’s forever been on my list (usually as [name_u]Ari[/name_u] [name_m]Emrys[/name_m]) - sometimes it feels too plain for me, but other times I adore it’s sweet simplicity. I’m after comments on it specifically in regard to it being the full first name, not a nickname.
I love love love [name_u]Ari[/name_u]! It’s my sweet kitty’s name, so I’m a bit biased. It means ‘lion’ in Hebrew, so it seemed like a nice name for a cat. However! It’s also adorable & handsome for a human. It’s so friendly & charming. And a little quirky. It’s simple & recognizable, yet not over done.
It feels very nickname-y to me, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing ([name_u]Kit[/name_u] is nickname-y and I love it!). [name_u]Ari[/name_u] isn’t my favourite though, I think because I view it as quite feminine
[name_u]Ari[/name_u] could definitely work as a full first name. Like you said, it is simple and sweet, but to me it has something fun and adventurous about it. I like it!