ARIA The NATURAL 1
Continuing from where we left off at the end of the first season, it's time for Carnival in Neo Venice, so many people from Earth are coming to visit, including... yup, Ai-chan :) Ai-chan is spending the day at Aria Company helping out Akari, even dressed in an Aria Company uniform. kawaisu~ For some reason, President Aria left earlier in the day -- apparently all the cats in town leave about this time to do something. There's the old legend about cats gathering with the king of cats, Cait Sith. Ai-chan'd like to meet him sometime...
Ai-chan and Akari go out and meet Aika. President Hime seems to be out as well. They all go to a stand selling Carnival masks, and Ai-chan looks for one she'd like. Akira then shows up wearing a mask, scaring Ai-chan a bit. Athena then shows up, wearing a mask upside down. Dekkai upside down as Alice says ;) Alicia chooses a cute cat mask for Ai-chan. Athena pets her like a cat. Momiko! Akatsuki and Woody show up. Akatsuki and Aika don't exactly get along too well... A cheer comes from the crowd nearby as a large person wearing a mask and cape passes by with little creatures in masks and black outfits playing instruments. It's apparently Cassanova, and the rumor is that the same person has been playing him for 100 years, but no one has been able to find out who he really is.
Alice, Aika, Akari, and Ai-chan sit around a table for a drink. They're pretty lucky to have seen Cassanova on the first day. Ai-chan's going to be going back home to Earth the next day... Ai-chan and Akari see one of the little guys that was with Cassanova peek out from behind a bush nearby. It's gone when they all go to look, but they spot it again and start chasing it. Along the way Ai-chan and Akari get separated from the group and seem to be lost. They hear music and follow it.... and there, right in front of them is Cassanova. One of the little guys offers them some instruments, seemingly inviting them to play along. They play and dance and sing along until they reach a corner, where Cassanova stops. Cassanova takes their instruments and gives them each a flower. One of the little guys pulls on Akari, seeming to say that they can't go any further. Turns out that it's President Aria. So that's what he was doing... As they look back, they see Cassanova with his mask removed -- it's Cait Sith.
Akari and Ai-chan sit on a bench, amazed at what they were able to see. Al-kun notices them there as Alicia, Alice, and Aika, who were looking for Akari and Ai-chan, walk up. Alicia notices the jasmine flowers they got -- Akari says they got them from Cassanova. Aika can't believe it -- everybody wants to know who Cassanova really is. Of course they can't quite believe the answer that they get ;) Akari's happy that she was able to find something new that day.
It's so nice to have ARIA back. I can't help but feel good after watching. Hazukashii serifu kinshi! ;) This time was taken pretty much straight from one of the chapters of the manga that has more a fushigi feel, though with some alterations to fit Ai-chan and the other characters in there. Quite happy to see Ai-chan again, looking cute as usual. Hopefully we won't have to wait until the last episode to see her again like last time ;) Al-kun showed up there towards the end -- hopefully we'll see the chapter about the Gnomes make it in this time.
The one worry I have is that the animation quality will suffer since Hal Film Maker has a pretty busy schedule this season, but hopefully that won't happen. Other than that, pretty much nothing's changed from the first season so I'll be looking forward to spending some wonderful time on Aqua with Akari and friends every week. Dekkai tanoshimi as Alice would say. (◎ω◎) puinyuu~!
Very nice 1st episode of The Natural, I'd say.
The part in which Akari and Ai follow Cassanova doesn't feel awkward at all, though in the original manga only Akari follows Cassanova. Very nice Manga to Anime adaptation.