Aria (Read 147 times)

[Aeon]

aria is a manga series, adapted to anime, that i've been watching recently. before really saying anything else i should out myself as a novice to the series and thank lazulum for bringing it up some time ago because, while i've been getting through it slowly, it's a really interesting if for no other reason in that it's pretty different from most anime i've watched before, and i'll get to why in a bit. oh yeah, and my knowledge only goes up to about halfway through aria: the natural, so i might get a few things wrong

aria follows akari mizunashi, an optimistic gondolier who lives in neo-venezia, which is a city built in the midst of a grand ocean on a terraformed planet named aqua. as the name would suggest, there is a lot of water, which is a main part of the aesthetic of the series. there aren't any major conflicts or plot points that remain outstanding for a lengthy time, and each episode is just one of the more notable daily experiences of ms. mizunashi. not to say they dont build on each other, and each episode is like a piece of the puzzle that is understanding how neo-venezia works

if a terraformed planet wasn't enough to tip you off, there are a lot of sci-fi elements. very little of it actually comes into play in akari's adventures (so far for me) aside from the planet she lives on but it's pretty interesting since a lot of the details are in like background elements, things people talk about casually, or one-off mentions. figuring out the state of their tech and what is going on to keep aqua livable is kinda like hunting down secret dialogue in a game

one thing in particular i think is crazy cool is that there is no opening video to go along with the opening song in the aria anime. the songs are calm, and play well alongside the start of each episode. i don't think it would work for every anime, but it does so very well for aria. if i were to be a tiny bit artsy about it, i would say that it really goes well with the day-to-day type of story aria has. kinda like the unintrusive sunrise of each morning you can silently appreciate while doing whatever else you need to, the song plays while the episode starts up. well, maybe they just needed more time to fit the episode in. that's a good thing, too

oh yeah, and so far (almost) everybody's name starts with an a. there is likely no deeper meaning, but i gotta respect the consistency.

linky (anime)

[lazulum]

I meant to bring this up during the last LR vidcon session, completely let it slip my mind. Already a top competitor for my favorite thread despite it just getting off the ground.

Aeon
> there aren't any major conflicts or plot points that remain outstanding for a lengthy time, and each episode is just one of the more notable daily experiences of ms. mizunashi. not to say they dont build on each other, and each episode is like a piece of the puzzle that is understanding how neo-venezia works

You have quite a knack for summarizing some of the core points of things, couldn't have framed things better myself.

That is one of the many things I adore about the property, it always feels to be a living, breathing world. Every location in the background feels as if it's an actual location, with an interior, patrons, workers, etc. As you go through the series many places become familiar and you can remember a scene that took place there, or characters mentioning it while practicing tours, etc. Not to mention the small cultures, artifacts, customs, etc. I could go on for a while haha

A lot of my favorite moments are the ones you could say the least happens, where the Akari, Aika, and Alice just take turns practicing giving tours to each other (when they're two-gloved especially).
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[The Sci-Fi Part]

That's another part about the sci-fi that I quite like, it again feels embedded very naturally. It's difficult to not make the sci-fi elements either too in your face, or a central element to the narrative, but here it's just a normal and often subtle part in the world. The very first episode you're kind of reminded that it's sci-fi when a large space ship flies overhead creating a current that the still unskilled Akari has trouble using her oar to manage.
(Or for the manga, page 32, where there's a transition page and it's Akari just appreciating the weather and there's some space ships visible in the sky)
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[About the music]

Yeah the OST has a few different beats but all are very tranquil and quite nice. The guitar bits are unmistakably inspired by the legendary Francisco Tarrega. If you listen to his stuff after watching Aria you'll see the resemblance immediately.

An "unintrusive sunrise" is a fantastic way to describe the openings.
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I have noticed the 'a' naming scheme haha
I actually don't know why that is.

There are a few exceptions to the rule (and then they have last names that begin with an 'a'), plus the cats if you count them haha

[Aeon]

about detail in neo-venezia:

neo-venezia is way bigger than i had thought of it as at the start. from an overhead view, areas are kind of hard to distinguish but there are a couple key landmarks like the big church and orange company that are useful to give a sense of where stuff is, so i've been figuring out the landscape like that.
one thing that is funny is that the trivia akari and co. spout during some of their tours with customers are actually pretty relevant to the place as a whole and give a clearer picture to the culture of the place, even though them talking during tours is often entirely irrelevant to whatever happenings are going on that episode. in an episode i just saw yesterday, akari pointed out a particular flower pattern that was emblazoned on some of the architecture that had some significance, but now i can kinda see it everywhere after she mentioned it.

about sci-fi:

i think i remember that part, yeah. manga one sounds neat too. very interesting how technology is at such a point yet traditional transportation and entertainment is still very big in neo-venezia. i guess it would be optimal for everybody to fly around on something like that dude woody (oh hey one of the rare non-a names) has but the continued employment of a varied and not-so-technologically dependent setup is probably one most people there appreciate. oh yeah, and a couple things mention earth being super polluted. akari isn't burning fossil fuels to move people around, so that's probably part of it.

oh yeah, and in addition to the sci-fi i've noticed there's some ~magic~. only usable by cats as far as i know, the most powerful beings. unfortunately it seems akari is a bit too wrapped up in her day job to start studying the thing that can only vaguely be considered a cat that is president aria. himeya's and even orange company's presidents are so much more cat looking but aria alone is an absolute enigma. he's also immortal from what i can tell, and he isn't the only cat that is. i do hope he is having fun in gensokyo or whatever secret places cats alone have access to.

about the music:

just looked up and listened to some of his stuff, and yeah i can see the connection. without the other stuff going on in the aria soundtrack and just the guitar it sounds a bit somber, although i suppose that's just because of the strong comparison. almost thought some of his stuff at points would transition into some of the leitmotifs in aria. thats what i get for being able to mentally link any two songs together after how much siivagunner i've listened to.

also,

Mar 28, 2021 4:46:58 GMT Aeon said:

kinda like the unintrusive sunrise of each morning you can silently appreciate while doing whatever else you need to,

i have realized i have learned nothing and this is the exact kinda thing that would get akari a scolding from aika the cringe police. she lies around every corner, ears everywhere to make sure nobody says anything cheesy. be careful everyone

[lazulum]

Yeah the floating island, Aria company, and a good few other landmarks I still remember to this day despite not having read or watched Aria for a lot longer than I'd like.

I really quite like the little episodes where they're roaming around and find new places as well. I bicycle around Tokyo and I've found many small and nice places that I have been to which are in obscure areas. I may post some pictures here someday.

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[Sci-Fi]
Yeah Earth is noted as being hyper-technological but as you mention, polluted and lacking the kind of culture on Aqua. The mindset resonates with me quite a lot, I am happy to forgo some luxury or convenience for the type of culture in Aqua. In Japan I have a deep appreciation for aesthetics and simpler things, I've attended Rakugo, hope to attend Azumaodori and Shinpa one of these days. I suppose that's just one of the many things that makes the world seem a lot more organic and lifelike, the subtle refrainment exercised, there is a discussion in Japan about how robots running hotels would eradicate "omotenashi" which no one would want.

Yeah the magic develops into a little local mythos that adds to the backdrop of Neo Venezia, it's a nice little addition. I won't spoil much about some of the ways it's used, but there is an episode or two that use it quite well for a great setup and pay off I think. Are you still on the first season?

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[Music]
Silvagunner, I remember seeing that name on jetsetradio.live
One of the channels has his stuff, never dropped by it though, may give it a look

Yeah the sountrack I would describe as serene, although removed from context it could sound a little somber. I feel a bit like downloading and listening to it while I roam around Tokyo completing my business. The more I age and the more my life changes I find myself still quite fond of Aria but for evolving reasons I think.
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Haha!
「恥ずかしい台詞は禁止！」
That's a line I remember fondly now that you mention it.
Aika is there to police that cringe and reign Akari in a little otherwise she'd fly off and break the sappy line quota far too much haha