Aria the Natural #16: Parting With That Gondola…

The word used for “fate” is 縁. One of its meanings is the bond between two people, as in 縁結び, marriage. An undine is married to her gondola. This is an emotional change in Akari’s life. Like when she graduated from pair to single, and when she will one day become a prima. She spends her last day with the gondola remembering the important events of her past.

Akari’s backward rowing technique is a shock to Alicia. Her way of gently correcting Akari is evident as it was in That Wonderful Extracurricular Lesson. Before coming to Aqua, Akari practiced in rowboats on Manhome. She had never actually seen a gondola in action. How could someone like that become an apprentice at Aria Company?

She reminisces about meeting Akatsuki, who was (and still is) too poor to afford a ride from a prima. As a self-professed fan of Alicia, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he was Akari’s first customer. How excited must he have been to learn that his idol had taken an apprentice? Now he can finally ride in a gondola with Alicia, even if it’s a black one.

As she remembers meeting Alice, eating fresh baked potatoes with Ai, helping the mailman, and other experiences, she prepares herself to move on to a new gondola. Alicia also watches and thinks about Akari’s next stage in life. The bumps and scratches on the gondola represent Akari’s inexperience that is being left in the past. Now she can navigate even the most difficult canals in Neo Venezia with confidence. Alicia isn’t just seeing Akari get a new gondola, she’s seeing her future as a full-fledged prima. But not yet. The mysterious customer said to go to the fork in the canal. When he got there, though, he asked to keep going. Akari could have taken that other route, but she’ll stay on this path for just a little longer.

While looking it up in the dictionary, I also saw the phrase 縁の下の力持ち, a person who does a thankless task. What a description of the poor gondola who had to be Akari’s training partner.

This Sunday is the birthday of Kozue Amano. None of this would be possible without her. And though the book has been closed on Aria, she’s still working her magic (this time under the water) with Amanchu!. I also was remiss for forgetting Eri Kawai’s birthday on May 8th. She provided many of the wonderful music for Aria as well as being the singing voice for Athena.

The next episode is Aria the Natural #20: That Shadowless Invitation…