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Aria the Origination - 07

It is not that common for sequels to surpass its predecessors, and Aria the Origination is doing it. But more importantly, Aria the Origination seems gets better and better with each episode.

Okay, well, that last sentence was not 100% true (that candy seller episode was kind of weak), but with each episode of this season of Aria, it really seems like a new pinnacle is reached. I thought the first couple episode were awesome, but then we get we get the traghetto episode. I thought that was a great episode, but then we see the Akira and Aika flashback. That was probably one of the best Aria episodes ever and one has to think, “it cannot get any better than this.” But after seeing Alice ask Alicia to scold her, we see how Aria Company was first formed. Ranking how memorableness of an episode is completely subjective, but it is hard to deny that as Aria the Origination has progressed is has not had any lulls and has continued to impress big time.

One aspect of Aria that has always impressed me has how it makes you feel like you are part of the story. Although we the audience are watching the daily lives of these undines, the story and setting are so wholesome and engaging that you feel like you are part of it all. It is almost like you could travel to Venice, Italy and find Aria Company out on the water. Up until this point, Aria Company’s past had always been pretty much a mystery. We know there was at least 1 other undine other than Alicia and Grandma (recall the Palina episode) and we knew that Grandma was part of Himeya when she left to form Aria Company with the good President. Until now, all the details were up in the air. Even though Grandma has been an influential, unfortunately she is still a minor character with little back story. Enter episode 7. Learning about the Aria Company’s history and founding enhances its importance in the series and out appreciation for it.

I liked how they used Aria Company’s anniversary gathering as a means to show Grandma’s story, instead of just presenting it separately. Anna herself is quite likable even if she is just a one-time character. She gives us a fresh perspective of Aria Company outside of Grandma, Alicia, and Akari. She also gives us a glimpse of life after being an Prima undine, something that we will eventually encounter. Anna provides a more direct and recent link to Aria Company’s past, in the fact that she was Alicia’s senpai. There very well may have been other undines that Grandma mentored, but Anna represents a those who came before Alicia and definitely adds some depth to the company itself.

Granda’s story is actually quite simple and really no different from stories you hear about people breaking away from larger companies and starting new, smaller scale ones. However, it was Aria-sachou’s influence on Grandma’s desire to slow things down. Good choice of songs too, having Arai Akino’s Torikago no Yume play during that sequence. I still do not completely understand what he was watching/waiting for, but regardless it got Grandma going. Both of their desires to slow life down and enjoy every bit of the world fully really come out in the story in general. Akari really is the epitome of what they set out to do, and all of Aria Company’s undines seem to carry on that slower paced mentality.

Sooner than later, Akari will be the one running Aria Company and carrying on its traditions. I cannot wait to see that. But here is a glimpse into the future (Manga spoilers, so click at your own risk).