Moé Moé Rabu

Aika starts saying that the summer mornings are good and she will be practising with the other girls as usual today. Going down a canal Aika is already correcting the things that Akari and Alice are doing wrong. As Aika passes Alice, Alice points out that a bit of Aika’s hair is sticking out. Looking at her reflection Aika tries to fix her hair and ends up sneezing. The two girls thinking that she has a cold, Aika says that it is her short hair which makes her a bit cold. Later that evening, Akira is taking Aika’s temperature and sees that she has a summer cold and tells her to rest. She also says that if she wants anything to eat ask and that she’ll call Akari and Alice that she won’t be practising with them tomorrow. As Akira leaves, Aika wonders if the other two girls will be ok with practise. Lying in bed Aika is reading a few books and took her temperature but then starts whining about being bored and that she can’t sleep since she’s been sleeping a lot. After a little more whining she wants to eat pudding. She starts wondering if she’ll get yelled at by Akira if she went out for a bit, but she decides to sneak out anyway.

Aika starts walking around town visitng the marketplace and finds a cute hairpin. Having bought the hairpin, Aika feels like she is at a resort and that having a cold isn’t such a bad thing. Eating gelato by the canal, Aika spots Akira coming towards her in her gondola and hides behind the table. After a little wondering around town, Aika comes across the wharf and see Alice and Akari. But she drops her gelato and runs off. Later on Akari and Alice are visiting Aika but Aika tells them to go home, but even then, Alice decides to open the door anyway. What they see is Aika sitting on her bed crying. Alice thinks Aika is crying about her hair but Aika says she is wrong. Aika says that it is the puddings fault, but Alice and Akari don’t understand her. Aika explains how she snuck out and went around town, but eventually saw the two girls and sees that she isn’t there with them. At the time, she had a feeling that its a special place for her, but she isn’t there. Thus having these feelings, she ran home. Lying on her bed, Aika wants to go back to her special place and she was crying before she realised she was crying. After hearing that, Akari says that she understands Aika’s feelings but Alice is clueless. Feeling better, Aika says she feels stupid for crying. Thanking the girls for the gifts she tells them they can go home. Akari acts surprised but Aika says that she wants to sleep and not have the girls catch Aika’s cold. But Alice suggest they eat the pudding they brought for her and Akari says it includes cream. Aika says she’ll eat it so the two girls stay. So eating the pudding together, Aika says that she is happy to be with the two girls and says that having a cold isn’t such a bad thing.

The next day Aika is feeling better from her cold and will be practising as usual with Akari and Alice. Worried about how her hair looks she realises this and says that she this is not allowed. After dressing, Aika has dressed up President Hime as well. Although going a bit spaced out she realises she is worrying again. Walking with Akari and Alice and seeing their faces, Aika sighs. On the gondola, Aika sees that Alice’s face is scary and her voice is too quiet. As for Akari she is being the usual spaced out person and sees something interesting, but Aika holds her back. Having a break Aika sees her reflection in the water and checks her hair. Akari sees Aika’s new hairpins and mentions that they are cute whilst Alice agrees and says that they suit her. Blushing at these comments, Aika says its her turn at rowing. Whilst rowing, she realises she is worried about her hair again and says that she has to stop worrying. Passing under a bridge, they met Alicia who comments on Aika’s hairpin. Once she leaves Aika starts weeping.

Off the gondola, the girls are in sitting near a set of stairs and Aika explains that it is the hairpin’s fault, but the two girls don’t understand. Aika explains that since having short hair, she hasn’t show it to Al yet and is worried about what he thinks of it, so the two girls suggest that Aika should go see Al. At the entrance to the underground elevator, Aika heads off by herself but comes back nervously to tell the two to keep practising, but Alice just tells her to go. Heading down the elevator, Aika starts wondering what Al would think of her short hair. Whilst looking for Al, Aika finds Al’s grandfather Apa instead. Apa didn’t recognise Aika at first since she has short hair and Aika asks where Al is. Apa says that he is out eating lunch, but Aika interupts him when he asks if she wants to see him. Leaving the pudding she brought with her as a gift Aika takes her leave. Back on the elevator, Aika wonders why she came in the first place and she feels like an idiot. Reaching the top Aika decides to not go back to the surface but walk around the underground city. Aika starts wondering what she wants to hear from Al about her hair as she is wandering around. After being tired from walking, Aika stops to rest and looks up the stairs and sees Al walking towards her. Suprised to see her Al asks what she is doing here but Aika starts rambling from nervousness. Al then finally notices Aika’s hair and says that it looks good on her, which gets Aika thinking about how she was feeling today but she is happy none the less. With that she says that she is heading home. Just as she walks past, Al tells Aika that the hairpin she is wearing is cute. This makes Aika even more happier and she starts walking off again, but Al says that he’ll walk with her. Aika starts thinking that this small hairpin might have been magical, but Aika realises she is thinking like Akari and says that embarassing lines are not allowed.

Preview:

Ok well this week’s episode was a bit harder for me to translate in a few parts, so forgive me if I’m wrong. Well another Aika focused episode. Not one, but two episodes! I find it better to have these two episodes after last week’s as it shows continuation, which is rare in ARIA. Also Aika was the narrator for these two eps which gives it a different feel to the usual episodes which revolve around Akari. Now if only there was an Alice one.

The first episode is from the Special Navigation chapter of AQUA Volume 2. I only bought the two AQUA volumes last Sunday, so it’s a good thing I read it before this episode or I would’ve had no idea where it came from. The second episodes is Navigation 35 from Volume 7. Some slight changes in the order of events, but they were suited since the episode is in Aika’s perspective rather than Akari’s. Animation quality was great this week especially background. I wanted to see more of the Underground City of the Gnomes but even in the manga there isn’t that much scenary. Oh and I finally figured out the insert song from last week and this weeks. Kami to hairpin to watashi is the name (which is also the title of Navigation 35). Though I’m not sure on the artists just yet. Still waiting for the ending single to Smile Again.

Next week’s preview absolutely baffles me. Looks like I’ll have to wait till next week.