Welp, after finishing the Origination I can safely say that getting to the magnificent ending of the Origination wasn't just worth it, the journey to this point was absolutely brilliant.
To begin with, the Origination heavily relies on you having watched the previous seasons to properly connect with the characters. Watched as a standalone, many of the great moments will go right over your head, so I HEAVILY recommend that you go watch the previous seasons. By the time you get to the Origination you'll be begging for the series to not end :P
But to the meat of the review, what exactly makes Aria: The Origination so great?
Origination offers a markedly different approach to its episodes, as they are much more focused on the development of the characters rather than exploring the nooks and crannies of Neo Venezia. Back stories are explored, questions about motivations are answered and progress is made as the three girls approach their final destination. While I can't go into too much detail without spoilers, I will say that despite being only 13 episodes, and having a lot of development, none of it ever feels rushed. Much of the development begins and ends in a single episode, yet it feels very natural in the way that the story flows. After every episode you'll gain new insights into each character, but you never feel like it was just shoehorned in there to cop for some cheap emotional response.
As for the story itself, the way the Origination handles the final stretch of the girls' journeys is nothing short of excellent. The hints in the earlier series about moving on, growing up and taking on the responsibility of a professional job all start to come together to tell a beautifully subtle coming of age story. With this in mind, it doesn't come as too much of a surprise that the Origination veers towards a more bittersweet ending, although more towards the sweeter side of things. The story truly does come full circle, and the closure given to all the characters is very satisfying.
The Art in the Origination is excellent as usual, with the added benefit of it finally being full screen. Characters are as crisply designed as ever and the backgrounds of Neo Venezia look just as good, if not better, than before.
The real highlight of the aesthetics in the Origination, however, has got to be the sound design. Very much on par with the previous seasons, the soundtrack never fails at delivering the ultimate immersion into Neo Venezia. The light guitar plucking, the beautiful singing and the various usage of string instruments really gives off a 'Venetian' vibe and the soothing melodies helps set the atmosphere well. The OPs and EDs are notable as well, with the ED being particularly appropriate (thematically speaking). A slow march, with a very upbeat, optimistic melody, the ED, I daresay, perfectly embodies the Origination, reflecting the girls' final stages of becoming professional Undines.
Aria the Origination is the Magnum Opus of the Aria series. Burdened with the expectations of satisfyingly sending off the three girls we have come to know and love, it not only rises to the occasion, but goes above and beyond, delivering an anime experience that I'm sure I will not be forgetting anytime soon. This is SoL, and anime in general, at its absolute finest.
