Moé Moé Rabu

Alice, Aika and Akari are practicing together as usual. Akari notes in her letter to Ai, that despite it being summer, they are practicing so they can become Primas. With Alice at the oar, they come to a difficult section of the canal. Alice shows Aika and Akari her skills at handling a gondola but when they come to an intersection Alice calls out that she is passing by. Though her voice was not loud enough she manages to prevent the gondola from crashing. Aika notes that her voice was not loud enough but Alice doesn’t take note as she has a special rule placed on herself.

The next day we see Alice outside the front of her school. The special rule for herself today is to get home by stepping on the shadows only. As she is jumping onto shadows, she lands on the shadow of an elderly man with half her foot not in the shadow, but she decides that this is an exception. She then comes around a large pathway with no shadows, until an airship passes by, saying that it was luck that it passed by. Coming across a courtyard, Alice starts jumping between shadows and on the last jump she landed with only one foot on the shadow. Knowing this Alice has given up and starts walking normally.

Athena is rowing her gondola down a canal and notices Alice walking across a bridge looking depressed, thus Athena starts singing a new canzone. Upon hearing Athena singing Alice rushes back to Orange Planet. The next day, Alice is at the front of her school and decides to do the same rule again. Akari and Aika are practicing together and Akari notices Alice jumping as she is crossing the bridge. As they pass under the bridge Akari thinks it was her imagination. Alice eventually meets up with Athena, where Athena mentions that her afternoon job was cancelled and she was wondering what Alice was doing. Alice replies she does the same thing she always does. Athena also notes that Alice is happy at the moment, but Alice denies it.

With the two walking along and Alice still going by her rule. President Maa sees Alice jumping and decides to join her. This causes Alice to stumble and to miss the shadow. But Athena grabbed Alice’s arm to prevent her from doing so. Alice isn’t happy about Athena helping her and notes that part of the self rule is that no one is allowed to help her. Athena says that she never heard of such rule but Alice says that she just decided then as this is her fight. The two come across the same huge pathway that has no shadow but Alice is determined to get across. Athena walks out and tells Alice to use her shadow, but Alice tells Athena to not interfere, walks off and says not to follow her. With Athena left standing alone, Akari and Aika who are still practicing notice her.

With Alice walking by herself she wonders why people are trying to help her. Eventually she goes back to the same spot and sees that it looks easy and thinks that it makes her look foolish. Alice then thinks back to when Athena offered her shadow and what she said about Alice being happy. She finally reaches the last long stretch until she gets to Orange Planet, but notices the very few shadows and spacing between them. Suddenly Akari calls out to Alice where Alice notices that Aika and Athena are with her as well. Akari says that they meet up with Athena suggest that Alice join them for practice. Alice tells them to not interfere as this is the last part, which in turn she makes a running start. Upon jumping across Alice is about to miss landing on the shadow, but Athena moved the gondola towards her and had Alice land on her shadow. Alice starts asking why Athena did such a thing, and Athena says she is a supporter, like in a game. Upon hearing this Alice makes a new rule where she does not mind if Athena can help her. Thus the two start moving along with Alice walking on Athena shadow with Athena singing her cazone. Alice thinks back to when she heard Athena singing the other day and wonders if she was singing it for her sake. Here Alice realises that Athena is a really important supporter to her.

Akari notes in her letter to Ai that she doesn’t know what happened between Athena and Alice, but they both look happy. Ai says that she understand a bit and notes that Alice and Athena are a good pair. Ai thinks she should try the shadow rule and wonders if Akari would come to Man-Home to support her.

Preview:

Ahhh, an Alice episode. I’m not sure what chapter this is from as I have only read upto the 6th Volume, but I’m sure its one of the latter chapters. Quality in animation is good, especially at the start with Alice controlling the gondola, and continues on throughout the episode. At the start I believe that it shows just how stubborn Alice can be not only towards her peers, but also to herself. But as Athena is by her side, Alice realises the importance of having the people around her supporting her. It kind of reinforces that idea from episode 6 of ARIA The Animation where Athena has always been by Alice’s side supporting her. But with the shadow rule it kind of shows also how much of a child that Alice can still be, but because of that stubborness it also shows how much of an adult she can be as well.

Finally Athena sings a different cazone to Barcarolle. This cazone is called Kokkoro is is part of the ARIA The Natural OST. I was hoping there would be more but given that there is only 13 more eps I doubt that very much.