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Oct 15, 2007 3:41 AM
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Oct 2007
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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...

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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.
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Oct 15, 2007 6:17 AM
#2

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Jan 2007
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I have 2 favorite episodes. The first is indeed episode 11 of the first series. You summed it up quite well. The other being, i believe ep2 of Natural

Oct 15, 2007 9:11 AM
#3

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Apr 2007
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Episode 11 of the first series. Symphony insert is win.

And episode 20 or 21 of the second. I'm too lazy to go look it up. Fox can take care of that for me.
Oct 15, 2007 3:25 PM
#4

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Apr 2007
96
The kurupipi is wise :v

Uh yeah, Episode 11 of the ANIMATION is my first and foremost favourite of the series, such a beautiful episode, from Athena's singing, to the parting at the bridge D:

And the episode Kurupipi above me was referring to is episode 20 of the NATURAL, the episode in which the ghost/spirit thing tries to take Akari with her, and they run thru the graveyard, before Cait Sith comes to the rescue, and I second that choice, I loved that episode...

But I loved all the episodes, there isn't a single bad one D:
FoxOct 15, 2007 7:38 PM
Jan 1, 2008 7:28 AM
#5

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Dec 2007
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I have to vote for ep 11 of Animation too. Watching Athena sail gracefully face-first into a bridge was... special. and as for her singing... I need to find a copy of that.

Also the episode of the Natural, where President Aria ends up in the alternate universe and Akari is being called sideburns, instead of pigtails...
Gremlin's World - School Daze - The Comedies III
Jan 2, 2008 4:54 PM
#6

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Dec 2007
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My two favorite episodes were probably Ep 2 and Ep 13 of the Natural. I liked Ep 2 because of the mood of the treasure hunt and the ... well, wonderfulness... of what is implied when they see the marks from all the prior placements of the box. I liked Ep 13 almost entirely because of Athena's line about...



Beautifully touching. :)
Jan 8, 2008 7:21 PM
#7

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Dec 2007
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Ep 11 of Aria the Animation was great. I pretty much loved every single episode of Natural, but the Gondola eps were pretty moving to me.

I think above all though, Aria the OVA was my absolute favorite. It moved me to tears :(
Jan 8, 2008 7:31 PM
#8

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Nov 2007
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i liked episode 1 and 13 of animation...cuz ai-chan was there XD
Jan 11, 2008 2:44 PM
#9

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Jan 2008
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Off the top of my head, I don't remember what episode it is, but I believe its near the end of ARIA the NATURAL.

It's the episode of the woman in the Black Veil. The episode was so chilling, but it's definitely my favorite. Then again I love any of them that involve Cait Sith (I'm a big cat lover btw) ;)
Jan 15, 2008 2:50 AM

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Oct 2007
79
The above mentioned episodes are indeed nice ...

I like all episodes of Aria ... so i do not have a specific favorite lol ... each episode is special in their own way ^_^ ... Anyway, here are some notable episodes asides from the ones already mentioned ... (placed in the spoiler tag just in case ^_^)

HydronPrimeJan 15, 2008 2:54 AM
Jan 21, 2008 1:02 PM
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Oct 2007
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Episode 11 of The Animation, and Eps 14-15 of The Natural. There was much crying for Akari's gondola.
Feb 3, 2008 5:20 PM

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Nov 2007
169
My favorite episode is ep3 of Aria The Animation ... why ? ... Because Alice-chan !!! :3
I don't know how many times I've watched that episode (maybe more than 20 times) but I always enjoy it ! Alice-chan ftw ... :D
Feb 3, 2008 10:09 PM
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Nov 2007
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I'm having a very hard time picking as I love them all, But I think episode 11 will do. I love the song in this one and I'm looking for the sound track for this series now. ^_^
Mar 17, 2008 3:05 PM

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Feb 2008
5563
my favorites atm are episodes 5 and 9 of origination, but there are plenty of others that i absolutely love.
Apr 9, 2008 4:53 AM

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Dec 2007
22
Best episode is when Aika

Apr 9, 2008 8:11 AM

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Feb 2008
206
I love all the episodes featuring Athena.

Gender-bending episode was great as well.
May 5, 2008 6:26 AM

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Mar 2008
1275
i love episode 2 on aria the natural (at the moment) of the treasure hunt. truely amazing - sooo funny.


and also in the first season aria the animation, the one about the undeliverable letter (or something like that) as that was really really touching. shed a few tears :P

and also in origination, ep 10 al-kun <3!! and of course the last one - when u see her older <3

but all the episodes are truely amazing. it always amazes me how they can make soo many good episodes out of the slice of life on mars ;D

ah dear ive used amazing 4 times but thats what it is!
sugarplumfairyMay 12, 2008 3:49 AM
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Oct 23, 2008 1:14 PM
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Aug 2008
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Episode 9 of Origination, hands down.
Nov 9, 2008 10:51 AM

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Nov 2007
272
The episode of Aria The Natural when Alice is trying to avoid walking in the sun is my favourite episode.
Nov 9, 2008 12:53 PM
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Apr 2008
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Let's see...

Ep 2 of Natural - Fun episode what -really- is just like an actual guide through Neo-Venezia.
Ep 6 of Natural - Having the same personality and problems as Alice, this episode was -really- helpful for me. One of the episodes that helped me most in my "healing".
Ep 13 of Natural - It's just fun and cute. And reminds me how fun is being childish and doing simple things.

Obviously Ep 9 and 13 of Origination.

And...

Obviously every other episodes as well.
Nov 9, 2008 7:15 PM

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Dec 2007
377
My favourite episode of all time was the ending of Origination. Deserves full marks for that alone.

Close runner-ups are the treasure hunt episode in Natural, the good bye gondola episode in Natural, Alice's promotion in Origination, and the Al x Aika moment in Origination.

However, the best insert song moment came from, indeedm the popular Animation epi 11, with hte excellent Symphony, which is still my ring tone, btw.
Nov 11, 2008 1:44 AM

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Nov 2007
576
Every episode.

Nov 25, 2008 6:51 PM

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Nov 2008
4
Aria the Origination (Ep 6)


Aria the Origination (Ep 7)
Dec 4, 2008 7:03 AM
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Doesn't this episode 11th of ATA, make you guys shed manly tears / feminine tears? Well it sure has potential to do so.



Oh well, seems I wasn't the first one.
chocolatematterDec 4, 2008 7:15 AM
Dec 5, 2008 12:09 AM
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Aug 2008
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That's my favorite episode of the first series for sure. I still think Alice's promotion is the best episode of the series though.
Jan 8, 2010 1:34 PM

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Jan 2009
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Alice promotion #1

Final Origination ep for the departure and timeskip #2

Animation 13 for the reappearance of Ai #3

Natural 25 for another reappearence of Ai and everyone just enjoying themselves #4
I'm just a big visual novel fan but have also watched quite a bit of anime and played a bunch of games. Avatar is Mashiro from Making*Lovers and Kotori from Rewrite.
Feb 21, 2010 6:32 AM
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Dec 2007
679
I've only watched Aria The Animation so far, but I must say that ep 11 was one of the most beautiful anime episodes I have ever seen :D
Feb 22, 2010 12:26 PM

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Jul 2009
404
Last 2 minutes of the last ep of Aria The Origination, I re-watched those 2 minutes like 10 times.
ʕ • ᴥ • ʔ
Apr 11, 2010 2:07 PM

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I'm quite queer right now, but I think my favourite episode was the last 15 minutes of episode 9 in Aria the Natural. It's near the middle of the entire series and enhances the relationship between Akari and the company like any other episode, yet at the same time it shows that when Alicia does leave it would make a difference with the "company" (people with Akari) that would be in the company.

Candles... Plus, it's one of the few episodes with it's own Music theme to it/ in the middle of the episode. Much like "Just for you" in the last episode of Animation, or some of the Cat Sith scenes I can remember; along with Origination's ending episode scene's theme. Basically, I think the musical entrance proves an important moment among important moments in Aria episodes. Improving both mood and scenery of the scene in the episode.

Plus, despite Natural having a severe budget cut, I think it was the main part of the series that absorbs the audience into the world of Neo-Venezia and gets forces them to get somewhat emotionally attached to the series as a whole. Without The Natural Series (or some of the events from the Manga related to the natural series), I don't think ending of the Manga or the Origination would have had enough of an impact on the viewers. Though, that's just my opinion.
zerokillApr 11, 2010 2:17 PM
Apr 13, 2010 4:06 AM

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superangelo128 said:
Alice promotion #1
This became my most favorite episode, to date. I still have 4 epsiodes and an OVA yet...but I've been forwards that the OVA will make anyone cry (unless you have no heart).
What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Aug 27, 2010 2:12 AM

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the last episode of Aria The Origination,it was great!!


Sep 4, 2010 7:47 AM

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Animation Ep. 6 - Alice play rock, paper, scissor by herself, also it show Athena's clumsiness. but still, it's a touching story for Alice and Athena.
Animation Ep. 11 - The 2 water fairies reunion.
Animation Ep. 12 - When Akari travels back in time.

Natural Ep. 13 - When Alice says that it's okay for Athena to help her.

Arietta - The last part, when Akari and Alicia went to Campanile

Origination Ep. 6 - Alice is curious about Alicia doesn't get mad on Akari. Somwhat this episode is funny and touching.
Origination Ep. 8 - Athena pretends to have an amnesia and remembers everything except Alice.
Origination Ep. 9 - Alice's Prima exam.
Origination Ep. 11 - Alice get sad because she became more busy and don't have a time to spend with Akari and Aika.
Origination Ep. 12 - Akari's Prima Exam
Origination Ep 13 - This entire episode is very touching. Really made me cry.
Nov 19, 2010 3:14 PM

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120
Origination Episode 9. My favorite episode in any anime ever.
Origination Episode 5 really hit me personally though.
Feb 25, 2011 5:59 PM

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963
If to choose 5 most favorite episode for each season:

Animation
1. (Ep.03) With That Transparent Young Girl
2. (Ep.09) That Starlike Fairy
3. (Ep.07) Doing That Wonderful Job
4. (Ep.11) Those Orange Days
5. (Ep.12) That Soft Wish

Natural (Need extra for this season)
1. (Ep.02) Looking For That Treasure
2. (Ep.19) That Crybaby (First part)
3. (Ep.03) The Night Of the Meteor Shower
4. (Ep.14) That Newest Memory
5. (Ep.10) That Heartwarming Town And Its People
6. (Ep.20) That Shadowless Invitation
7. (Ep.25) The Fruits Of That Encounter
8. (Ep.26) That White, Kind City
9. (Ep.23) That Sea, Love, and Heart

Extra: Aria the OVA: Arietta

Origination
1. (Ep.04) Those Who Aim for Tomorrow
2. (Ep.07) In That Gently Passing Time
3. (Ep.11) Those Ever-Changing Days
4. (Ep.09) Surrounded by That Orange Wind
5. (Ep.02) That Smiling Customer


Most most favorite goes to (drum~~): 1 Those Who Aim for Tomorrow
.
Dec 18, 2013 10:23 AM

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Jun 2008
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elena_san said:
the last episode of Aria The Origination,it was great!!
The last scene of an older Akira almost made me cry because she so beautiful.
What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Feb 13, 2014 1:27 PM
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87
Alice's Prima Exam.
Feb 18, 2014 12:25 AM

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Dec 2011
276
Really damn old post, but Origination episode 9 was easily my favourite.
Feb 18, 2014 7:24 AM

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Seeing Alice happy always calls a smile from somewhere deep within.

Regardless, my personal favorite is the last episode. Not because of Alicia parting, or future Akari. I liked the sense of how it seemed as the world had suddenly stopped. Akari not being sure if what she feels is happiness or sorrow, the parting words shared between the Aria company undines, acceptance that those slow days of happiness have come to an end, yet also the future that still holds many possibilities. It is a feeling I can relate to, even if my days aren't as happy as in Aria. That slow time you take for granted, it can end so suddenly and it won't come back. Yes, that time it is truly something to value with all your life, just like Akari does.
Aug 5, 2015 4:35 PM
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I love each and every one of them, but if I have to choose, I'll go with Origination episode 2 with Amaranthe-san. The moment they arrive in this atrium with that majestic full-blooming fucking tree was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
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