ARIA 2
Akari writes an e-mail(?) to Ai-chan then goes downstairs and is surprised to find water inside. It's almost summer so the water level has risen in Neo-Venice (or Neo-Venezia, whatever ;) -- a phenomenon called aqua alta. Everybody pretty much stays inside and takes it easy while it's happening. After a bit of a nap Akari wakes up to find a reply from Ai-chan. Ai-chan was really happy to hear all that's going on from Akari. Even though it might be cloudy outside it's bright and sunny in Ai-chan's heart..
恥ずかしいセリフ禁止！
hazukashii serifu kinshi!
...is what Aika would say if she heard that, but anyways ;) Alicia's out for the day so Akari decides to do something different since things are a bit different than normal and goes walking around town even though the streets are covered in water, pulling President Aria behind her in a small boat. She was going to head to a store to buy more food for President Aria, but she's kinda lost and it starts raining so they have to take shelter. Happens they're right next to where Aika works, Himeya. President Aria rather likes the cat (that actually looks like a cat) there, President Hime. Aika spots them and invites them inside... while President Aria drools all over President Hime's food (that's not how you win favor with the ladies, my man) Aika gives a pop quiz to Akari. Why are the cats with aquamarine eyes made the presidents of the companies that the Undines work for? Because aquarmarine would be the color of the goddess who is said to keep those on boats safe. But the fun stops when Akira comes in demanding that Aika stop goofing off and practice or something. And after Akira says some not quite nice stuff about Alicia, Aika says she's going to Aria Company and never coming back...
Aika makes some fried rice for everyone for dinner as Alicia comes back, then before going to sleep tells Akari about how she met Alicia. A few years back when she was feeling down Alicia saw her and invited her to ride her gondola. Alicia redid her hair, making Aika feel that much better and ever since she's been Alicia love all the way. In the morning Akari and Aika wake to find someone they'd rather not see outside... Akira's there to retrieve Aika. Aika doesn't feel like going back to somebody like her... Alicia's much better. Alicia's constant "araara~" pisses Akira off... it's always been that way. Alicia wanted to be an Undine after Akira said she wanted to and then Alicia became one before she did... Alica's response? Araara~
あらあら禁止！
araara kinshi!
Akira says so and so kinshi (prohibited) every time Alicia giggles or says araara. I've heard that line before somewhere... Akira says Aika and Akari will have a little race -- if Aika wins she gets to do what she wants and go to Aria Company, otherwise she comes back. Aika and Akari get on their gondolas and start their "race" while Alicia and Akira have some tea. Rather than racing, Aika and Akari take a bit of a detour.. and it seems Aika likes Akira more than she's been letting on. As Aika and Akari pass by a square with a big tree in the middle of it and realize that they never realized how beautiful it looks. Akari compares Akira's to aqua alta -- just like the tide rises and falls from time to time you'll see a different part of Akira every now and then.
恥ずかしいセリフ禁止！
hazukashii serifu kinshi!
And so Aika says her usual phrase -- Akari points out that her saying kinshi all the time is just like Akira. Alicia says much the same thing as Aika and Akari arrive back at Aria Company. Akira's not too happy... but Aika bought back some of her favorite bread so "Safe!" ;) And so we get today's lesson from Akari: When you look at things differently than you usually do, you might see something important that you never noticed before.
Such a feel good show, ain't it? Was smiling there at the end ;) It can make you sleepy as Garten says, but in a good way to me -- not because it's boring, but because it's sooooooo relaxing (and then some). And it's pretty funny as well -- love the kawaii deformed characters and President Aria's antics and
Looks like we'll be meeting yet another new character next time. I'm really enjoying things so far in ARIA so I'm looking forward to another relaxing episode. Yes, there's no story and no big happenings or anything because that AIN'T THE POINT (excuse me for the caps here) of ARIA as I mentioned last time. So sit back, relax, and enjoy life along with Akari ;)
Aqua Alta in Aqua is just amazing...
I'm not sure about Aria manga, if there's Aqua Alta again in the manga, but, I like the Aqua Alta in Aqua manga better.
Erm, not entirely sure what you mean by if there's Aqua Alta again in the manga. I am not sure what do you mean by Aqua manga really, as there are Aqua Knight, Aqua House etc. Anyway, there is Aqua Alta in the Aria manga, although like the first episode, this is a mixture of two seperate chapters in the manga into one episode. The Aqua Alta episode went quite differently from this one with Akari getting a phone call from Akatsuki-san after Aishia left.
I highly recommend trying the manga as its the anime is a different take on stories in the manga.
Kraine: painsama is referring to AQUA, the two-volume prequel manga to ARIA that ran in Square Enix's magazine (before the Mag Garden split-off). I've never managed to read it, but there's a different Aqua Alta story in AQUA.
Oh, the prequel manga? I don't quite remember that one really. Thing is, in the normal manga, Akari first experience Aqua Alta then, because she was just as surprised as in the anime, that water flooded into the company, that much I remember. Unfortunately, I don't have my manga with me in Australia so I can't do any references.
The prequel anime introduces Akari, Aika, Alicia, and Akatsuki. It also explained how Akari raised from two gloves to a single glove. It's scanlated, look on the 'net for it.
No, I have the books back home in Singapore, I just cannot reference something thats not with me right now. I know about the two gloves to single glove part. I'm just saying I don't remember whether Aqua Alta was in the prequel books.
I've been reading ADV's release of the Aria manga and wasn't familiar with the events in the first 2 episodes of the Aria anime. I just checked out the Aqua manga and lo and behold. Aria anime ep1 matches Aqua manga ch2, Aria anime ep2 matches Aqua manga ch3. There are differences of course. There's no Ai-chan in Aqua so far, but Alicia scooping up President Aria is though. It's not a close match as in Aria ep1 you see Akatsuki (the guy on the phone) whereas he's introduced in chapter 6 of Aqua.
Aria just kicks ass. I can't wait for the references to the many different cultures, Al the gravity master, Akatsuki the flame master, and Woody the airship delivery man. If this series keeps us this pace in introducing a new character every time I am hooked. And go buy the manga people.
Actually I don't think they call them gravity master and flame master. Think of it in terms of old mythical lore where there are spirits and elementals. Akatsuki belongs to a group of people who keeps the "hot pan" hot and thus represent Fire of the four elements (the translation loosely translate to something like that). Al on the other hand governs the gravity generating stablizing device, and represent the element of Earth. Incidentally, Undine represent the element of Water. There are Four jobs on Aqua which correspond to the four elements (which is the western element lore, asian ones are more along five elements of fire, earth, water, wood and metal). The last job, I'll leave you to find that out.
Ai-chan is not in Aria manga nor in Aqua, the time line in Aria manga is slightly different in that they started in Autumn rather than Spring/Summer in the anime. Ai-chan is a character that replaced an old man who was in the manga. Basically that chapter went along the same as in the first episode, with the old man actually being lost (he refused to admit it and said his daughter and her fiance were the ones who were lost). Alica was with her training and with an instructor on board, a trainee undine is allowed to ferry passengers. The Aqua Alta episode in the manga also went differently from the one in the anime. :) Akatsuki also first appeared during the Aqua Alta episode IIRC, that or when Akari was training alone and Akatsuki just made her ferry him around saying trainees are cheaper right? :D
Overall though, I still like this anime a lot.
When did Al (Albert Pitt ^^) come out in the manga. I went to a japanese bookstore last weekend and pick up this volume 7 of Aria (the only one available), so I'm curious when he appeared in the manga, and why and when Aika-chan started to like him instead of "trapped" with her (one-sided) shoujo-ai with Alicia-san.
Fortunately, I have ADV version handy, so...
Akatsuki the Salamander shows up in chapter 3. He's waiting in front of the Bridge of Sighs for his Aniki (his actual brother, or his senior salamander?) and Akari's waiting for Aika.
Al the Gnome appears in volume 2, chapter 8.
And Aqua Alta happens way out in volume 3. The Aqua Alta in the anime appears to be the Aqua version, so she's surprised, but in Aria the Manga, it's her second one, so she's very excited.
I can't wait for the animation to reach America. I want to see this too.
Claude