Aria the Natural #2: Looking For That Treasure…

April 25th is the birthday of Tomoko Kawakami, the voice of Athena Glory. In interviews, she would compare her own clumsiness to Athena’s and suggest that Junichi Satō gave her the role because of it. Tomoko described working on Aria as being in a family. She felt that the spirit of the show was to appreciate your friends and the love you receive from them. Happiness comes when you open your heart to the people you encounter in your life.

The treasure hunt in this week’s episode is a lesson in not taking anything for granted. Wonderful things happen all around us every day, we just have to be open to the experience. And when you reach the end of your adventure, the treasure that awaits isn’t a pot of gold, but your memories of the journey.

The experience doesn’t even need to be extraordinary. Akari and company weren’t travelling to very exotic places, but merely wandering the streets of Neo Venezia. Even though they had been to those places before, this time they were looking for excitement and were able to see the city in a way that seemed new. Or there is the café owner. He spends his time in Piazza San Marco just watching people pass by. The most adventurous part of his day is when he has to walk a few yards to the east as the shadow from the bell tower moves. Sipping on milk coffee doesn’t sound exciting, but by being receptive to the uniqueness of life, the café owner is able to find his own treasure.

When it was over, Alice returned the clues to their hiding places. The most satisfying part of the journey was being able to share it with others. The treasure hunt is a silent tradition of the city. Its value isn’t limited to one person’s experience, but began long ago and will continue as long as there are people to find it. Alicia seemed to understand this. Had she once discovered the treasure map herself? Isn’t it odd how Aria, though it looked like he was just being playful, was able to find the hidden staircase.

We may not always have a map, in fact we rarely do. In life, we have to find our own way without the benefit of clues telling us where to go. But if we treat life as an adventure, it can be just as rewarding. And then we can pass the treasure on to the next generation.

Tomoko reached the end of her treasure hunt on June 9, 2011.

The next clue leads to Aria the Origination #9: Surrounded by That Orange Wind…