neko's thinkbox

Ah, breaking Rule 7 is so harsh… waiting a week for the next episode… rawr I need moar ARIA T_T So, I caught up to episode 6, time to write a mid-season review (including the OVA ~Arietta~).

However, it took me a while to finish this entry, and I would have blamed my procrastinating/gaming habits if only I wouldn’t idle in front of my screen, not knowing what to write at all. As of lately, I hesitate too much to write something down that I would delete anyway because it sounds wrong, so I spend extra time to think about how to put the sentence. You can imagine that I become annoyed after a while, and then start doing useless things like playing Audiosurf or Pangya (btw, Season 4 owns badly).

But I digress. Anyway, enjoy reading this review… Or should I say, a collection of melancholic feelings?

Ever since I finished the OVA, Arietta, I felt a bit torn between the many different feelings it gave me. I felt happy, yet sad. Happy, because it’s yet another episode of ARIA that soothed my addiction, that refilled my imagination with new, beautiful images of Neo-Venezia and of our heroines. Sad, because it suddenly became crystal clear that this happiness would not last forever. And this premonition is somewhat confirmed in ARIA The Origination.

So many times has the hint been given in the first episodes. Episode one, our six girls meet up at the Aria Company for an afternoon lunch; while Akari, Aika and Alice promise to become greater than the Three Water Fairies, Alicia, Akira and Athena already predict their early promotion. Second episode, a full job for Akari, she can show how much she already has improved, and she earns lots of praises. Episode four, Akari spends her day rowing a Traghetto like a pro, and all they’re talking about is the Prima exam. The fifth episode features Aika’s sadness after discovering that neither she nor Akira have a special talent, unlike all the others, and that she has to work harder in order to become a Prima.

Well, it is unavoidable that Akari will not remain a Single (as in her Undine rank, silly) much longer anymore – after all, it’s been 46 episodes (and counting) full of practice sessions and of anticipation for the “graduation”, to becoming a Prima Undine. Which is essentially a good thing, because that was Akari’s (and everyone else’s) goal from the first day on, and this achievement would most likely be a beautiful moment in this series. However, it is also a big hint towards an imminent end after this event. And the end of Origination will most likely also be the end of the ARIA series. While I do not really understand why Akari fears that Alicia might go away soon after she becomes a Prima Undine (Alicia is still, what, 21 years old? Much too young to retire, no?), I do equally share her anxiety of parting.

Of course, I am not just talking about Akari, but everyone else as well, especially Aika and Akira, and I am really growing fond of Akira after episode 5. Well, her different hairstyle sure makes her look more beautiful (I think everyone else needs a new hairstyle as well), but it is rather her character that has become much more appealing to me. She has always been the character with the most natural behavior (her temper is awesome), but it surprised me (as well as Aika) that the usually strong-willed Akira had to accept defeat against her rivals. She showed a quite sensitive side of hers… And I like it! Rawr.

Man. I do sound exaggeratedly reluctant to seeing ARIA end. Perhaps I shouldn’t think like that! Many people might say that this series has lasted for too long, and it only might have been a huge filler anyway. Others might say that ARIA had better to finish on a high note than to drown in mediocrity.
Indeed, everything has to come to an end, but… despite that huge number of episodes, it does strongly feel like it is still too soon to end (and I am not the only one feeling like this). Also, would Akari’s promotion alone be the climax of this whole series? For the sake of equality, I can imagine Aika being promoted at the same time as well, but then, what about Alice? Mumumu…

In the end, however, I will always be happy. Perhaps not as happy as I would have been after another dozen of ARIA episodes, but still… I will be sure to fully enjoy the last couple of episodes. Who knows, a surprise might await us until then!
Episode 7 aired a few days ago, so I’ll watch that right now. Perhaps I might help out HnK with translation in the next few episodes, seems like they are having some minor problems (and StarCreator plays pangya as well, so… ;P)

P.S.: By the way, I know I could always read the manga to know what is going to happen, but that is just cheap spoiling myself. I will read the manga AFTER ARIA ends.
P.S.2: I also noticed that the design has changed slightly from Natural to Arietta, but I couldn’t be assed all this time to actually research about it, nor to write about it.
P.S.3: Athena should change her register. I wonder why her customers aren’t getting tired of hearing the same 2 songs over and over again. Also, in an intelligible language? Italian, perhaps? D: Baka Athena

P.S.4: Not available yet, perhaps in 2012.