Aria the Animation #13 & #12: That White Morning…/That Soft Wish…

The year ends with a surprise visit from a friend. Ai is excited to meet the people she had read about in Akari’s letters. Her tour of Neo-Venezia even includes a visit to one of the mysterious alleys that’s hidden to most people where they meet a ghost from the past. The cat that appeared as a human had asked Akari to deliver a letter for her. She also had to receive the message, because it’s original had died long ago. But it still had meaning to her as someone living in the world they created. Each year that goes by is a page in a letter written for future generations to read.

Akari wrote her so Ai would understand how much she loved Neo-Venezia. Because Ai will become an apprentice undine herself one day, and follow in Akari’s footsteps, it’s as if she’s been reading her own future. Unlike the messages of history, Ai is able to meet the people who are preparing her place in the city. The people of the past are separated by time. But by the magic of Aqua, Akari is allowed to cross an unpassable bridge.

Alicia tells her that the bridge used to be a place people visit out of nostalgia. There are prettier landmarks in Neo-Venezia. Why would a visitor want to see a run-down bridge? A covered bridge doesn’t fit the image of Venice. What it provides is a reminder of the ambition of the people who built Neo-Venezia. The excitement Akiko feels is in seeing the young children who are watching the city be born. It also comes from the patience of the older settlers. They won’t live to see their creation fulfilled, but are happy knowing that the next generation will take what they started and carry it for a time before passing to their grand-children.

The story of Aqua is the story of Aria Company. What Grandma began was continued by Alicia who leaves it in Akari’s care. Even Ai, having learned from Akari’s letters, will think of the child Aqua as she takes her place in this continuing saga. And if we turn the pages backward to before there was an Aqua then it must have started when someone on planet Earth looked to the sky and thought, “What letter can I write for future generations to read?”

Or perhaps she just said, “Happy New Year.” It means the same thing.

This is the last week in my year of Aria. The experiment to watch the series out-of-order was not as successful as I thought it might be. I admit to forcing this week’s two episodes to be the last. But Aria is enjoyable no matter how you approach it. This way I could see contrast between the earlier and later episodes, and also the similarities or when an event had been set-up by something that happened earlier.

The staff and cast of Aria have reason to be proud. Although there will not be any more Aria, Kozue Amano continues to write the charming and uplifting manga Amanchu!. Satou Junichi has gone on to direct many other “healing” anime such as Tamayura. (A story I describe as being about Akari’s great-great-great-great grandmother.) It seems to me that everywhere I look I hear Chiwa Saitou’s voice. And who cannot help but think of Alicia whenever Sayaka Oohara laughs?

But most of all I remember Tomoko Kawakami and Eri Kawai. The time we’ve been given can be taken from us easier than we’d like. As you turn the calendar to a new year, do your best to treat every day as wonderful encounter.

Thank you for reading.

Aria the Natural #17: After That Rainy Night…

The long, cold nights of winter are a time of introspection. Families around the world gather for large meals, gift giving, and celebrations of the year past. Akari’s new gondola is stronger and prettier. The boat itself is easily replaced and not worth having an attachment to. Where her affection comes from is her past experiences with the gondola. It reminds of things she’s learned, enjoyed, or was frustrated by. She shares those memories with Alicia who relates her own adventures with the gondola. Their similar memories let Akari feel more closely connected to the people around her. Festive gatherings and hearty meals keep us from feeling cold in the winter. And so sharing her memories keeps Akari from feeling alone in Neo-Venezia.

Aria the Origination Picture Drama #7

Prima Akari is having some not unexpected growing pains as the new head of Aria Company. Grandma urges her to visit Alicia. Akari doesn’t want Alicia to worry about her. What she hasn’t realized is that Alicia is going to be concerned regardless. After four years together, she wants to know how her former apprentice is doing even if it isn’t all good news. Akari doesn’t have to be ashamed to ask for advice because she won’t be an apprentice asking her teacher but asking as a friend.

For the final week of the year I’ll watch Aria the Animation #12 & #13: That Soft Wish… / That White Morning…. Have a merry Christmas!

Aria the Animation #1: That Wonderful Miracle…

Leaving Manhome by herself must have been inconvenient for Akari. But it was necessary to achieve her dream of becoming an undine. Ai’s childish mind dislikes inconveniences and is annoyed when she can’t do what she wants. Or she becomes jealous instead of sharing the happiness of her sister’s trip to Neo-Venezia. So she forces her way onto Akari’s gondola then complains about it.

Ai is acting selfishly, but simply saying “no” to her and forcing her to do things she doesn’t like will increase her bitterness. Akari and Aika treat Ai as a friend so they can give her something nice to associate with the “inconvenient” gondola. In this way they server their customer not by giving her what she wants but what she needs. The memories Ai takes from her first visit to Neo-Venezia are a result of Akari’s cheerfulness. The mails they’ll write to each other will help them both grow.

The theme of this episode was turning unpleasant things into pleasant things. Much like the dry and barren Mars was transformed into Aqua. The planet now has its own environment and lifestyle that isn’t as convenient as the mature world of Manhome. Just as Akari’s new life is more difficult than if she had never left. We each have to set comforts aside so we can create a new world just for ourselves.

Just two more weeks left. Next week I’ll watch Aria the Natural #17: After That Rainy Night… and also the last Aria the Origination picture drama. That leaves two more episodes to end the year with.

Aria the Origination #12: Embraced by That Blue Sea and Wind…

Why are Akari and Aika friends? They couldn’t be more different. Akari’s cheerful optimism clashes with Aika’s emotional outbursts. Aika was born on Aqua and is supported by a wealthy family. Akari left Manhome to pursue an uncertain future by herself. Although they have both chosen to become undines, even their career paths are opposites. Himeya has grown large enough to open branch offices, of which Aika will begin her professional life as the manager of.

When Alicia asked Akari what kind of prima she would be, Akari turned her gondola to home. Akari wants to preserve the Aria Company that Grandma envisioned. While Aika is growing and evolving Himeya (to compete with Orange Planet), Aria Company will remain the same as it was under Alicia.

Yet despite these opposing and contradictory viewpoints, they’re the closest of friends who support and encourage each other. So much that the proud Aika feels guilty for having become a prima before Akari. She recognizes that Akari deserved to be the first to be promoted. Even Alice must have realized it. Speaking of Alice, isn’t it unfair that she was able to skip the narrow canal that other primas are tested with?

As I enter the final month of the year, I bid a happy birthday to Sayaka Oohara on Friday the 6th. Next week’s episode is Aria the Animation #1: That Wonderful Miracle…

Aria the Natural #14: That Newest Memory…

When you wake earlier than you typically do, you see a slightly different world. The air is cooler, the light comes faintly from the east (or the last dim light of a setting moon). It’s a good time for Akari to practice how to navigate using the palinas. Although the oceans of Aqua also have modern electronic navigation bouys, the classic wooden poles are part of the city’s heritage. And they still work even when there’s no electricity.

The palinas help for travelling on the water. Akari’s idea to paint a palina sends her on a journey through the past of Aria Company. The photographs, writings, and stories passed on by word of mouth are guideposts as she explores the world. The palina she paints will act as a reminder of Akari’s role in their history.

A popular theory of Aria is that it is the story of Aria Company as told by Ai. Akari speaks directly to the audience when she says that future apprentices will be able to meet her and Alicia by looking at the palina.

A very late post because I spent most of the week on holiday. I’ll get back on schedule with Aria the Origination #12: Embraced by That Blue Sea and Wind…

Aria the Natural #9: Those Honest Stars…

 The gondola is an icon of Venice. Those in the 20th century are built to a uniform standard: 10.8m long, 700kg, made from 280 piece of 8 types of wood, and all painted black. There is a blade-like ferro on the prow and a curled risso on the stern. The undines of Neo-Venezia are allowed to have more elaborate gondolas. Primas helm full-size white boats while the apprentices practice on smaller black ones. The risso has evolved from floral ironwork to a tall double-spiral. Instead of just a blade, ferros have many shapes, such as Aika’s lantern.

The aesthetic of a gondola has a practical side to it. Their flat bottoms allow them to navigate the Venetian lagoon. The ferro and risso are made of metal to protect the boat in a collision. They are built asymmetrical so they can be steered with one oar. The forcola is shaped to allow eight different maneuvers. Each feature was added to the gondola by boat builders with the insight and imagination to do what was necessary. What we see today was the result of facing challenges with the attitude of what is possible, and not bemoaning the impossible.

 This is the lesson that Alicia teaches to Akari. There are infinite discoveries waiting to be made in the universe. There is always something new to learn, someone unfamiliar to meet, or paths untrodden that you can venture on. (Didn’t we learn this when Alicia was excited to be the first to walk into a snow-covered lane?) Even today, gondola builders continue to innovate: the size of the risso is having to be reduced to account for the rising sea level. What will the Venice of the future look like? Perhaps one day there will be robotic self-rowing gondolas.

After a few months without celebrating any notable birthdays, there are three this week. Last Monday the 18th was the birthday of Akeno Watanabe (Albert Pitt) and Chinami Nishimura (President Aria). Tomorrow, the 22nd, is Junko Minagawa (Akira E. Ferrari).

Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday so I’ll be visiting family on Thursday. But I’ll make time for Aria the Natural #14: That Newest Memory…

Aria the Animation #2: On That Special Day…

Inclement weather can interfere with the normal flow of human activity. A sudden storm, heat wave, or flood makes travel difficult. But there are things that can’t wait for the air to clear. Food, medicine, and important business must be seen to even when it is inconvenient. We don’t get to choose how we interact with nature. It’s a relationship not unlike that of a family member. A parent or sibling may be difficult to deal with at times, but you never have the option to stop being related to them. You just do your best to endure the storm and hope that the sun will eventually break through the clouds.

Aika is treated respectfully, but it’s a limited respect. She can rely on other people in Himeya only as far as it’s convenient. The polite smiles she receives are like a storefront that shutters its windows when the rain comes. We never see anyone from Aika’s family (who must all be very busy conducting the business of the company). So when Akira rolls in like a thunderhead, it’s without any polite formalities.

Akira’s strictness interferes with Aika’s normally easygoing and impulsive attitude. But if she’s to become an undine, Aika knows that she can’t ignore her or choose to only listen to the kind things she says. After all, Aika is just as strict to the people around her, Akari in particular. She’s not so foolish to think Akira is being mean for no reason, and is self-conscious enough to know when she’s at fault. The arguments they have are a natural part of their relationship. It’s because Akira will fight with her that makes her family to Aika. 

Next week’s episode is Aria the Natural #9: Those Honest Stars…

Aria the Natural #7: To The Kingdom Of Cats…

Akari has been in the Kingdom of Cats before, but this time she comes uninvited. The hidden world is protected not by a door but by a fairy trick that causes the intruder to become trapped in a labyrinth. It’s only when she promises not to venture further that President Aria points her in the direction of the exit.

As Aika and Akari circled through the abandoned relics of Neo-Venezia, we saw that the Kingdom of Cats is that of the past. Cait Sith, a creature out of ancient legends, is the guardian of memories. The cats remember when humans forget about the first settlers of Aqua, or the engineers who made the planet habitable. But like the changing seasons, we must leave those things behind. If you wander too far into the world of the past, you risk becoming pixy led by your memories and regrets. President Aria encourages Akari to stay in the present, to keep moving forward, and to put on new clothes as she looks to the future, not the past.

This is the last of the Cait Sith episodes. Who would have thought that Alice’s bragging about becoming a Prima would turn out to be true? Next week is Aria the Animation #2: On That Special Day…

Aria the Natural #26: That White, Kind City… & Aria the Animation #10: That Warm Holiday…

Alicia is using her zen teaching technique again. Akari is thinking about her hopes and dreams, so Alicia begins making a snowball. She doesn’t say, “I want to make a snowman,” or even “I want to make a big ball.” All she does is add a little more snow, then a little more, and keeps trying to grow it one step at a time. Eventually it becomes larger because of her own patient effort and also by the kindness of people she meets.

That snowman was the result of a community working together, supporting each other, and can accomplishing something that a single person couldn’t do. But someone had to start the snowball rolling. If Alicia hadn’t stopped at that courtyard, the people who lived there would have remained inside their houses. Her arrival caused the neighborhood to gather for an afternoon party.

Humans don’t get to hibernate during the winter, even though we sometimes wish to. On pleasant days people will find ways to enjoy the weather, such as building a snowman. Other days it’s better to avoid the cold by seeking out a natural hot bath. Harsh weather also drives us to consider practical matters. When a storm threatens, people congregate at markets to buy the food they’ll need in the coming days. Much like the aphids who sense the impending snowfall and seek out a tree for their wintering egg.

The desire for warmth and light is the motivation for having festivals during the winter. Today is Halloween, the start of the cold season. At mid-winter we will celebrate Christmas. And when the nights begin to shorten and Spring nears, there is Carnival.

Next week’s episode is Aria the Natural #7: To The Kingdom Of Cats…

Aria the Natural #1: That Encounter At The Carnevale…

The fairy standing in the doorway holds up his hand. Behind him, Akari can see figures moving about as jasmine petals drift in the warm breeze. It’s a world off-limits to her. That morning, she was looking through a different doorway and seeing a different vision. “I’m a member of Aria Company today,” Ai proudly proclaimed as Alicia served her breakfast. One day she’ll be able to say that while wearing the gloves of an apprentice as Akari stands in Alicia’s place. This is their future, but like the kingdom of the cats they can only look through the doorway.

The Carnival, as is well known, is the time leading up to the Lenten fast. Carnival-goers spend two weeks indulging in food, wine, and each other to prepare themselves for the month and a half they will have to go without. The first Carnivals of Venice were held to celebrate the victory over Aquileia in 1162. The patriarch Ulrich II was made to give 12 pigs and a bull as tribute. This may be why during the 17th century the city would host a running of the bulls during Carnival. Thankfully, this is a tradition that has not been carried into modern times.

Putting on a mask is like becoming a different person. It gives you the courage to try things you might not normally do. As her friends gathered together, we saw Akari standing back and looking at them as an outsider. We learned in The Center Of That Large Circle that she has the habit of excluding herself that way. The invitation from Cait Sith was to become part of the Carnival celebration; run through the streets of Neo-Venetia, singing and dancing. He is urging Akari to see herself as part of the city, and part of the group of friends who surround her.

Ai is the only human other than Akari to have seen Cait Sith. Why did he allow her into this hidden side of Neo-Venezia? Cuteness needs no excuse.

Because I want to finish watching all the episodes this year, I’m doubling-up next week. Aria the Natural #26: That White, Kind City… and Aria the Animation #10: That Warm Holiday…

Aria the Natural #15: The Center Of That Large Circle…

Akari feels left out as these old friends share a story from their past. She should learn from the young Akatsuki that friendship doesn’t care if you look cool or if you fall flat on your face. The important thing is daring to try. Akari took that leap when she left Manhome for Aqua. Without realizing it, she’s become part of many new memories. Some day she and her friends will reminisce about these days when she was a single, and maybe there will be a young apprentice listening to them and feeling left out of their stories.

The story created from our memories is one that never ends. There are many chapters, with many surprises along the way. For Akatsuki, they boy he met on that playground was just a memory. Who would have guessed that he, who was really a she, would appear back in his life many years later? This surprising turn of events might not have happened if Akari had not been sitting alone that afternoon. An ordinary moment in time became a surprising new chapter of many peoples’ lives. This story of friends who met once and parted ways only to meet again later on is something Akari should keep in mind when she becomes a prima. Her time as an apprentice will end, but no one knows what will happen later, or when someone you thought was just a memory will enter into your life again.

With this light-hearted episode, I’ll watch another Aria the Origination picture drama #3: Aiming for that Glorious Victory.

Aika gets Akari and Alice to play “the beautiful game.” For her to decide this in just one day makes me think that she got the idea from reading a manga. It’s cute how the uniform has the three company colors in it.

This leaves one more picture drama, and 12 more episodes for the last 10 weeks of the year. The next one will be Aria the Natural #1: That Encounter At The Carnevale…

Aria the Natural #11: That Precious Sparkle…

Brand identity is the key to building a steady business. Being a prima of Aria Company is an exclusive permission that gains Alicia many admirers, such as Akatsuki. “Snow White” is a title unique to her that can’t be imitated. Someone who wanted a tour from Alicia would not be happy if Akari took her place. But this is the position the artisans of Murano Island are in. Their glass can’t be said to be the same as the classical Murano glass.

Even so, Akari reminds Anton that he’s a part of a unique city with its own life and culture. It may be only a reflection of the true Venice, but Neo-Venezia is not lacking attractiveness. People come to the city to experience it as it is right now. So they will also appreciate the new Murano glass because of his craftsmanship, and that of the maestro. In the same way, Akari will gain her followers for being who she is and not merely Alicia’s apprentice. Even someone like Akatsuki could be a fan.

Anime glass horses

Real Murano horse

In the present day, real Murano glass is suffering the opposite problem. Counterfeiters thrive on the demand for cheaper and more readily available alternatives. As long as glass has been made in Venice, there have been imitation Venetian-style glass makers. Alicia hints at this when she mentions the ban on emigration from Murano. The law was never very effective. But restricting glass foundries to the island was also done to keep the large furnaces away from the fragile wooden buildings of Venice. However, smaller furnaces for beads were allowed to remain. So Akari was wrong that all the beads for the New Year festival were from Murano.

Next week’s episode is Aria the Natural #15: In the Center Of That Large Circle…

Aria the Origination #13: To That New Beginning…

Akari has a question about the account book for Aria Company, but when she turns around, Alicia isn’t there. She’s retired now, and Akari is alone. This time, it’s not a dream. The sadness of having to say goodbye is mixed with the joy of a hopeful future. Akari now feels that she is a person Alicia can rely on.

Then Alicia confesses that she is already relying on Akari. When a mentor teaches an apprentice, or a parent to a child, the student will necessarily take on some of her instructor’s personality. Akari was afraid to let go of Alicia because Alicia didn’t want to be alone.

Akari was never at risk of feeling lonely. Now that she’s a prima, her days are full of customers, talking with other undines and business owners, and the many friends she’s made in Neo-Venezia. Alicia, although newlywed and working full time in the Gondola Association, still goes out of her way to drop by Aria Company. In time, she’ll visit less often. But then Akari will be busy teaching her own apprentice. That young pair will grow up under the influence of Akari’s personality, as Akari had grown under Alicia’s.

That concludes three weeks all about Alicia. Next week is a lighter episode, Aria the Natural #11: That Precious Sparkle…

Aria the OVA: Arietta

Akari is again feeling anxious about her future. Not an uncertain future, but one that she knows what’s to come. She see’s it as a big change in her life and is worried that she isn’t ready. Alicia shares her own worries and shows that Akari is closer to her than she realizes.

Akari’s loneliness is easily cured by the many people she encounters during the day. Not only her close friends, but the other people who work and live in Neo-Venezia, and the customers who come to visit. One day Akari will have Aria Company to herself, but she won’t be alone. Just as Akira and Athena were there to support Alicia after Grandma left.

Alicia then, as Akari is now, felt the next stage of her life as a looming presence. She hesitated to move on because it seemed too big for her to handle. She needed to look at her life from a different perspective, one that made her problems appear smaller. Like the view from the top of the Campanile. Seeing the city from that height put her worries in perspective. For Akari, she didn’t need to see it but just hearing the quiet pulsing of Neo-Venezia at night was enough to put her at ease.

We’ll see just how at ease Akari is next week when I watch Aria the Origination #13: To That New Beginning… The very last episode of Aria.

Aria the Animation #11: Those Orange Days…

Winter in Neo Venezia is the slow season for tourism. It gives the undines a chance to get together and chat. The apprentices hear stories about the past and learn the importance of living in the present.

Which is quite a trick since we’re watching a story set in the future. It leads to a question about the world of Aria, and of other futuristic stories, and that is where are the futurists of the future? The stories told about people living in on other planets, or traveling through space, or building fantastic populated by robots and flying cars… do the people in these stories read science-fiction?

This apparent blind-spot in futurism reveals a truth about the stories. Although set in the future, they are not meant to describe the future. The storyteller places herself in a world separated from us by time, then turns her gaze back at us. The story she tells us is about our time and our lives as seen by someone in the future.

While Akari hears a story about the past, we see a story about the future. But the message is the same, that the most important time is right now.

Next week’s episode is Aria the OVA: Arietta.

Aria the Natural #12: Chasing That Mirage…/The Light From That Nightshine Chime…

Akari’s attitude can be attributed to making time for relaxation. If she’s busy during the day, she’ll just take her tea at night. The environment of Aqua is well suited to her lifestyle. The sea is always calm and the weather usually pleasant.

The Summer midday sun may drive you indoors. Typical for her, Akari finds herself in a cat café. No, not like that. She has a tendency to stumble into the supernatural without meaning to. But was this an accident? Or was the door left open for her? Cait Sith will never say.

The weather here has been very warm, even though Summer is over. Next week’s episode is Aria the Animation #11: Those Orange Days…

Aria the Origination #11: Those Ever-Changing Days…

We've seen enough of Aika fretting over things. Now it's Akira’s turn. Following Alice’s promotion, she expects Aika to be jealous. Although she appears happy, how does she really feel? Aika’s positive attitude surprises Akira and convinces her that she’s is ready to be a prima.

The final test for an apprentice is facing her greatest weakness. For Alice, this is her self-doubt. Even as a prima, Alice still hesitates and gets lost in thought. But she doesn’t let her worries control her, and with some help from a meddlesome roommate, she’s reminded that she doesn’t have to do everything by herself. Aika’s greatest weakness has been her emotions. Now that she has shown that she can keep her feelings in balance, Akira is relieved to be able to call her “Rosen Queen.”

Next I will be watching Aria the Natural #12: Chasing That Mirage…/The Light From That Nightshine Chime…, and I may even watch it on Thursday this time.

P.S. Did you see the cameo by Anzu, one of the undines from the traghetto?