Aria the Natural #9: Those Honest Stars…

 The gondola is an icon of Venice. Those in the 20th century are built to a uniform standard: 10.8m long, 700kg, made from 280 piece of 8 types of wood, and all painted black. There is a blade-like ferro on the prow and a curled risso on the stern. The undines of Neo-Venezia are allowed to have more elaborate gondolas. Primas helm full-size white boats while the apprentices practice on smaller black ones. The risso has evolved from floral ironwork to a tall double-spiral. Instead of just a blade, ferros have many shapes, such as Aika’s lantern.

The aesthetic of a gondola has a practical side to it. Their flat bottoms allow them to navigate the Venetian lagoon. The ferro and risso are made of metal to protect the boat in a collision. They are built asymmetrical so they can be steered with one oar. The forcola is shaped to allow eight different maneuvers. Each feature was added to the gondola by boat builders with the insight and imagination to do what was necessary. What we see today was the result of facing challenges with the attitude of what is possible, and not bemoaning the impossible.

 This is the lesson that Alicia teaches to Akari. There are infinite discoveries waiting to be made in the universe. There is always something new to learn, someone unfamiliar to meet, or paths untrodden that you can venture on. (Didn’t we learn this when Alicia was excited to be the first to walk into a snow-covered lane?) Even today, gondola builders continue to innovate: the size of the risso is having to be reduced to account for the rising sea level. What will the Venice of the future look like? Perhaps one day there will be robotic self-rowing gondolas.

After a few months without celebrating any notable birthdays, there are three this week. Last Monday the 18th was the birthday of Akeno Watanabe (Albert Pitt) and Chinami Nishimura (President Aria). Tomorrow, the 22nd, is Junko Minagawa (Akira E. Ferrari).

Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday so I’ll be visiting family on Thursday. But I’ll make time for Aria the Natural #14: That Newest Memory…

Aria the Animation #2: On That Special Day…

Inclement weather can interfere with the normal flow of human activity. A sudden storm, heat wave, or flood makes travel difficult. But there are things that can’t wait for the air to clear. Food, medicine, and important business must be seen to even when it is inconvenient. We don’t get to choose how we interact with nature. It’s a relationship not unlike that of a family member. A parent or sibling may be difficult to deal with at times, but you never have the option to stop being related to them. You just do your best to endure the storm and hope that the sun will eventually break through the clouds.

Aika is treated respectfully, but it’s a limited respect. She can rely on other people in Himeya only as far as it’s convenient. The polite smiles she receives are like a storefront that shutters its windows when the rain comes. We never see anyone from Aika’s family (who must all be very busy conducting the business of the company). So when Akira rolls in like a thunderhead, it’s without any polite formalities.

Akira’s strictness interferes with Aika’s normally easygoing and impulsive attitude. But if she’s to become an undine, Aika knows that she can’t ignore her or choose to only listen to the kind things she says. After all, Aika is just as strict to the people around her, Akari in particular. She’s not so foolish to think Akira is being mean for no reason, and is self-conscious enough to know when she’s at fault. The arguments they have are a natural part of their relationship. It’s because Akira will fight with her that makes her family to Aika. 

Next week’s episode is Aria the Natural #9: Those Honest Stars…

Aria the Natural #6: The Smile Reflected In that Mirror…

It’s another sleepover at Orange Planet for Akari. This time, Alice isn’t embarrassed for her friends to be wearing their own uniforms. She’s much more comfortable around them than before, but just as uncomfortable with the other undines in her own company. Of course she’s shy, but it’s compounded by being younger than her classmates while also more advanced than them.

So Alice suffers from being “alone in the crowd,” and Orange Planet is a very large crowd. She probably wishes that she could be in the more prestigious Himeya, or receiving personal attention from Alicia at Aria Company. Either one would be easier for her to manage. Easier, however, is not better. She’d still be the same timid Alice no matter where she was being taught. For the sake of her growth, she needs to be made uncomfortable and learn to overcome her shyness. That makes Orange Planet ideal for her, where she is forced to interact with many girls her own age.

It’s also the perfect place for Athena, who frequently depends on the support of others to make up for her mistakes. Orange Planet provides a large social safety net to fall back on. She repays the company with her sensitivity to other peoples’ feelings. Athena speaks little and sees much, so she understands Alice’s anxiety without needing to be told. It must look like magic to have someone read your mind that way, and even more impressive because of her usual hands-off teaching style.

Well, this episode felt a little short. So I’ll add in another one of the Aria the Origination picture dramas. This is one I should’ve watched right after That Guardian Of Aqua, Picture Drama #6: Akatsukin-chan.

Of course, this is a play on Little Red Riding Hood, or “Akazukin” in Japan. That Akatsuki’s personality is more like the wolf is an irony not lost on anyone. And everything is resolved thanks to Goddess Alicia. Ara-ara.

The next episode is Aria the Animation #3: With That Transparent Young Girl…, here on Orange Planet Thursdays.