Ranked #376

Aria the Natural Special

Aria the Natural Special. A simple five minute episode that looks like it was meant to remind you of the characters and their jobs before you jump into Aria the Natural (Note that at the time of this writing I have not watched Aria the Natural, only Aria the Animation). As such, there won't be much for me to say about this. You could say there are spoilers in this if you consider a summary of five minutes spoiling something, so be warned. Also, this is my first review submitted to MAL.

(The current synopsis doesn't summarize anything, so I'll do that here)
Story: Since this is more like a re-introduction to the Aria world, there isn't exactly a story. It starts off with Akari explaining the planet of Aqua (formerly Mars) and how it came to be as it is. She then goes to introduce herself, her friends Alice and Aika, and their jobs as Undines, people who row tourists around the town of Neo-Venezia in canoe-like boats called Gondolas. They're cleaning their Gondolas when they look out on the water to see the three Great Water Fairies, Athena, Alicia, and Akira, who are also the three friends seniors, rowing their Gondolas together. It isn't much, but it's the kind of happy, heart-warming moment that you come to expect from the Aria series.

Art: The art is exactly the same as it was in Aria the Animation as far as I can tell, and that's good. The characters are uniquely crafted and cute, the town is very well-designed, and the animations work well with the characters.

Sound: Sound, as always in this series, is very well done. The music is enjoyable and fitting, and you can always hear the sound of the ocean in the background. Given that Aqua is over 90% water, this is a very nice touch and adds a lot to the atmosphere.

Character: The characters are still the same lovable Undines you grow to love in the Aria world. Akari, the one who lazes around a bit more than Aika would like her to and always makes "embarassing" remarks. Aika, the serious one who's always looking up to Alicia, and Alice, the quiet girl. The other three only get a quick shot in this rowing their gondolas.

Enjoyment: It's hard to give a five minute episode a high enjoyment rating since there just isn't much to do with that short amount of time. Basically, if you like the Aria series, watch this. It'll give you another quick helping of the characters and places you love.

Overall: It fits well into the Aria world. It's well-worth watching, but make sure you're familiar with the Aria world first or you will be bored. read more