Aria the Origination #5.5: That Little Secret Place…

As Akari explores the back-roads of Neo Venezia, she remarks on how the city is changing. Some are large changes, like the renovation of Caffè Florian. Other changes happen quickly and quietly, such as a street blossoming into a field of laundry on a sunny day. But while noticing these things about the city, she becomes aware of how much of it remains the same. The excitement of an evolving landscape is best seen against the backdrop of reassuring permanence.

Cities are not built for their own sake, but to house people and give them a place to reside, work, and enjoy their lives. Even if Akari notices how the scenery of Neo Venezia is the same as always, she can’t ignore a significant change in the city. What she sees may be the same as when she first arrived on Aqua, but Akari herself is not the same. The buildings and ocean may be the same, but the one doing the looking has grown over the years. It’s her unique experiences, along with everyone else’s, that are the heartbeat of this living city.

Akari asks the silent watcher on the balcony what it is that he sees. It’s not just at the unchanging vista of Piazza San Marco with the ocean beyond. He also sees the growing and thriving people who make up Neo Venezia. He’s looking at Akari.

The food featured in this episode is chitarra pasta and polenta, a cornmeal porridge. I can’t imagine what kind of sauce was used on that polenta. Myself, I enjoy a creamy spoonbread with lots of butter.

Birthday wishes this Saturday to Yuuji Ueda, the voice of Ayanokouji Udo the 51^st, better known as Woody. Next week, if I remember on time, I’ll watch Aria the Origination #10: The Excitement on That Moon-Gazing Night…

Aria the Animation #3: With That Transparent Young Girl…

Everyone knows that oil and water don’t mix. Hydrophobic compounds disrupt water’s hydrogen bonds. Entropy driven ordering then causes the disparate molecules to separate. Alice has a difficult time forming bonds with other people. When she’s around them, her social awkwardness is uncomfortable. It’s easier for her to practice rowing on her own, walk to school on her own, eat lunch on her own, etc.

Add an emulsifier, however, and you can mix oil in water. Egg yolk in Hollandaise sauce keeps it from separating. Alice would not have spoken to Akari if Akatsuki were not there. Normally, she’d be too self-conscious about socializing with Akari. But by being an irritant, he took the pressure off of her. She only thought about him and why Akari was being nice to such a rude person. Without realizing it, she was laughing and speaking casually with Akari. The oil and water had become friends.

Even a prodigy has things she needs to learn. Alice won’t be a Prima if she remains overly concerned with decorum. Akari already knows this as can be seen in her interaction with Akatsuki. She doesn’t worry about embarrassing herself, but neither does she worry about her customers behaving poorly towards her. She keeps smiling and finds a way to turn any situation into a positive experience. For Akatsuki, who’s angry because he’s broke and bored, she reminds him of why he became a salamander. Akari doesn’t know it now, but later she’ll hear the story of his dream to be the “protector of Aqua.”

Speaking of Akatsuki, April 16 is the birthday of Hirofumi Nojima.

Next week’s episode is Aria the Natural #2: Looking For That Treasure…