Aria the Natural #23: That Sea, Love, and Heart…

When you hire an Aria Company undine, you get more than just a gondolier and guide. She’s a photographer, concierge, decorator, and emcee. During your tour you may be treated to an picnic with pastries baked by your host. If you’re lucky enough to be joined by an Orange Planet gondola, there will be an song.

Allen Saunders said, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” A tour by Aria Company could be described as the vacation you have when you make other plans.

Next week’s episode: Aria the Animation #9: That Star-like Fairy…

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 #8: The Day Of Festa Del Bòcolo…

Traditions are said to be a way of connecting with the past. But really, it’s more about connecting with the people around you. You’re celebrating your common heritage and the feelings you share. The story of the dying soldier’s wish may not even be true. That’s not the point. When you see red roses spread throughout the city, you realize that you are surrounded by like-minded people. The tradition is a visible sign of the community you live in.

The affinity for traditions on Aqua goes as far as recreating the annual flooding of Neo Venezia. On a terraformed planet where the weather is regulated, what good is it to allow a city to be inundated by the tide? In Venice, the acqua alta is a minor nuisance that can even be dangerous. (It is also not particularly impressive, as the high tide only persists for an hour or so.) But because it was a characteristic of the city on Manhome, the architects of Neo Venezia insisted on maintaining the tradition.

The down-side to traditional events is when they become too common. What meaning does a rose have if everyone receives one? Giving a present out of a sense of obligation is not without meaning. Athena smiled most warmly at Alice’s rose. But that is because Alice herself has a special relationship with Athena. The rose was just a way of communicating their appreciation for each other. The meaning of the exchange was more than just the rose, and more than any of the other roses Athena received. If those special feelings could be given a form, what would it look like? It would have the significance of the tradition, but uniquely so. Such as giving not a rose blossom, but a gemstone in the shape of a rose.

Next week I will be watching Aria the Origination #5.5: That Little Secret Place… Also known as the season 3 OVA.

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.