hi, this might be a little forward of me, seeing as how i just joined the club, but in anticipation of the recently announced third installation - aria the origination - i wanted to see if anyone was keen in renewing interest in this amazing franchise. maybe we can get the ball rolling with a discussion on favourite aria episodes...
SPOILERS
|
|
|
|
|
hands down, my favourite is episode 11 of aria the animation. this was the episode where the three trainees found out that their mentors used to train together everyday when they were still singles. athena's hilarious dorkiness in the flashbacks (their first meeting & subsequent daily practices), followed by her ethereal singing performance, was a wonderful setup to one of the most poignant sequence of scenes ever.
while the three primas remain in aria company to reminisce and catch up, akari walks aika & alice out to the street. they part before a bridge and eloquent music starts up, singing of irreplaceable connections. as akari watches the two cross the bridge & disappear from her sight, her expressive eyes widen and water in a sudden sense of bereavement. almost against her will, akari stumbles after them, running to the apex of the bridge, panting & staring at the backs of the departing duo. after a pregnant moment, she cries out their names in anguish. aika & alice stop in their tracks & turn around in alarm, dumbfounded by the sight of akari, merely a few steps away but calling out to them at the top of her lungs. as akari continues to stupidly wave at them & shout out assertions of meeting the next day & forlornly wishes them a good night's rest, aika recovers from her shock (& bout of sentimentality) and yells back chastisements in her characteristic brusque manner, while alice deadpans that they're both really loud.
as the music gently swells, we see akari standing outdoors on aria company's balcony, peeking through the window and thinking to herself that the three used to talk like this when they were singles. the song crescendos just the three primas lit by firelight are revealed. the impact of this scene, the stirring music coupled with the image of the three sitting on the floor, cradling their cups of hot cocoa, chatting & laughing in an atmosphere of intimate camaraderie, was indescribably bittersweet.
as akari stares out into the sea & narrates the ending of her email to ai-chan, we hear the little girl say in a small slightly pensive voice that she has an urge to meet up with akari. it was the perfect end to a perfect episode, a wistful melancholic gem in this idyllic show. |