Aria the Origination #10: The Excitement on That Moon-Gazing Night…

Close friends are often said to be able to read each other’s minds. That may be an exaggeration, but it’s true that when you understand someone well, you can communicate indirectly. When Akari and Aika are caught spying on Alice, she says she doesn’t like being watched while she works. However, she also asks for their opinions about her demeanor. The unspoken message being that she’s happy her friends care about her so much.

When Akari suggests they have a moon-gazing party, she doesn’t need to say that it’s to celebrate Alice’s first day as a prima. And when Aika teases Alice about the dango, she’s really telling her to cheer up. These tacit conversations are how friends share feelings that are too embarrassing to say out loud. If Aika can barely mention wanting to see Al without stammering in front of Alice and Akari, how could she possible say it to his face?

So those two talk in a maze of indirection and shadowed allusions. But this night Aika learns an encouraging secret about Al. No, not that he’s perhaps the only gnome to ever be afraid of the dark. What Al tells her, by metaphor, is that he’s just as nervous about their relationship as she is. The two of them are not separate bodies floating in space, uncertain if they’ll draw closer or drift apart. Rather, they’re trapped in a well of love, both feeling the same fear but also happy to be together.

What a delightfully romantic episode. Even President Aria and President Hime were feeling it. Another sentimental episode next week as I’ll be watching Aria the Natural #25: The Fruits Of That Encounter… And to kick-off the second half of my year on Aqua, I’ll also watch Aria the Origination picture drama #5: Alice’s Ghost Story.

Aria the Natural #19: That Crybaby…/That Young Girl’s Heart…

In the language of flowers, the sunflower signifies pride. The bold color and large head stand above all other flowers. But have you seen a sunflower in the shade? Without the bright light of the sun, its head sags and petals curl in. Pride is easily injured.

Aika’s forceful personality comes out when she’s with Akari and Alice. Left alone, however, her self-discipline slips as she sneaks out to play. That’s when she wilts like a sunflower and begins to doubt herself. She says that others depend on her, but it’s really Aika who depends on them for her confidence.

Akari and Alice are very dependable friends. What Aika didn’t consider was the lasting effect of her encouragement. The other girls are able to do well because they don’t want to disappoint Aika. They know that Aika tries the hardest and that motivates them. Pride can be a weakness but also a strength. For Akari, she wants to improve as an undine so Aika will be proud of her. The best kind of confidence comes from what you can do to help other people, and that’s something worth taking pride in.

And the best kind of friends are those who bring you pudding. (With whipped cream on top.)

Aika’s fragile pride is weakest when it comes to Al. Akari is motivated by wanting to look good in front of Aika, and so Aika tries to look good in front of Al. The influence of Akira brings out a masculinity in her usual behavior. But at heart, she’s a young girl who wants the man she loves to tell her she’s beautiful.

This encounter shows that Al and Aika have grown closer since the night of the meteor shower. There was a time when Al seemed oblivious to Aika’s feelings. But he doesn’t mince words about what he thinks of her new hairstyle. (A bit too enthusiastic, I thought.) Al understands Aika, he knows that compliments make her happy and will give her as many as she desires.

The episode for next week is Aria the Natural #6: The Smile Reflected In That Mirror…

Edit: Something I forgot to mention. This week, you can watch Aria the Animation on YouTube.

Aria the Natural #3: The Night Of The Meteor Shower…

Where else but Aria does a discussion of astrophysics turn into a love story? The metaphor is effective, though. Gravity is a mysterious thing that’s readily apparent everywhere in the universe, but difficult to explain in detail. It’s a force that is easily counteracted, but impossible to ignore. So as Al and Aika talk about the effects of gravity on Aqua, you wonder if they are still referring to attraction between planetary bodies.

Aika spends much of the evening looking not up at the sky, but at Al, and also inside her own heart. Of course she loves him, but she can’t explain why. Because she’s easily embarrassed and often hides behind a strict demeanor, to say this directly to Al is out of the question. The meteor shower gives her a chance to share her thoughts, and maybe get him to understand her feelings. It doesn’t seem, at first, that Al knows what she means. Men tend to interpret words literally. If you say you want to hear about meteors, he’ll talk to you about meteors. But Al is pretty smart, so he tells Aika that not all meteors burn up in the atmosphere. Sometimes they reach the surface after all.

Of course, as much as Aika tries to hide her emotions, she doesn’t realize how obvious she is to others. She insists that saying embarrassing things is forbidden, but the most embarrassing line of the night was said by her. (“Once you become enchanted by Aqua, it’s over. It draws you in and burns you out.”) It’s good that she has Akari to show her how to set her worries aside and sing a silly tune, even if the path she’s walking is pitch black.

What a nice coincidence to get such a romantic story on Valentine’s Day.

Next week will be Aria the Origination #6: That Wonderful Extracurricular Lesson…

Bonus Aika-being-cute picture just ’cuz.