The story of Aria: the Origination is once again focused on the three main protagonists, Akira, Aika and Alice, their main goal being becoming excellent prima Undines, the highest rank of the profession. Audiences are presented as well with the soothing and lively town of Neo-Venezia. However, there is an actual change which makes it different from its prequels, and that is that it now has an actual goal in mind, in addition to better character development, enhancing the overall experience of the show.
What may struck audiences at first is the fact that the first few episodes follow in nearly the same fashion as Aria: the Animation, which may cast some doubt in the validity of its popularity. This is however gently refuted as story progresses and builds up, viewers contemplating better woven episodes, in addition to observing an improved pacing as well as fluidity of its events. Not to mention that these are of great importance to the events to come, that will expose audiences to happiness and humor, in addition to tension and tear jerking moments filled with both sadness and joy.
Moving on to its cast of characters, these are much the same as the previous installments, being Akari, Aika and Alice its main focus. Thanks to the prequels, their relationships are intricate and believable, whilst experiencing further character development, in addition to its ultimate goal, becoming full-time undines. The peaceful and soothing atmosphere surrounding the city is conveyed through ita characters, which is normally is presented with a smile. However, viewers will soon come to realize that there is much more to it than just hapiness, being Akari and Alicia of Aria Company great examples. Through their respective personalities (both being the optimistic type) it greatly enhances the overall atmosphere of the city, with their intelligent analogies or actions to prove different points.
Naturally, not everyone is as optimistic as the they are; there is Aika, the hardworking and energetic girl truggling to keep up to the her friends, in which through her character the hardships are relaid to the viewer. Then there is Alice, the genius of the trio who is quite interesting, as she seems realistic through numerous actions she undertakes, be it kicking a stone to home, or just being very curious in general. What however came as surprise is the development of its supporting cast, albeit small, which enhanced the experience of the show greatly. Audiences get to know the Aria president and grandma better, in addition to exposing the foundation of Aria Company.
It will come to no surprise that the art style of the series remained the same, including the character designs. However, there is certain improvements made on the backgrounds, being in some cases very detailed with a brilliant use of colors, making it appear at first glance as a real picture. As for the animation, it remained well executed with suitable facial expressions when the situation required it.
Concerning the music score, its compositions remain to a similar style of the previous seasons, yet with improvements, correctly using different pieces depending on the situation. The voice actors performed their roles masterfully, correctly representing each different personality magnificently, as well as conveying the different emotions. Openings and endings remain with the beautiful vocals presented, suitable for the anime.
Aria: the Origination was overall a fantastic and bittersweet conclusion to the Aria series with its wonderful characters and town of Neo Venezia, in addition to the animation and soundtrack used. I personally would consider this series the pinnacle of slice of life, especially when taking into account the simplicity of it - or complexity concerning its characters. Despite all the positive things I mentioned, I would also like to mention some issues audiences may come across in the series as a whole.
First of all, the extremely positive nature of the anime may seem a drawback for those who are in search of realism in the genre. This mainly concerns times when the story experiences tonal shifts to more dramatic ones, as these are too far apart from each other, thus feeling disjointed from the story. The characters themselves might be an issue as well, as these seem to be overly optimistic at first glance, hardships not being that great of an issue. Some of the catch phrases of the different characters may seem to some as annoying and monotonal as well. Other thing I might want to point out is the fact when watching the series distracted, it can become boring. I personally found these not to be an issue, as it set out what it meant to, and splendidly it did.
Viewers might find themselves asking if sitting through the numerous episodes of the series is worth their time, and I can wholeheartedly recommend any fan of slice of life to do so; after all, the Aria series is truly a heartwarming and relaxing tale which showcases how wonderful life can be.
Thank you for reading.
