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In the morning, Alicia’s customers are an elderly couple and Akari is going along with them. Whilst going down a canal, the elderly wife suggests they have lunch at San Marco but the elderly husband says that the wife can go by herself as he has other things to do first. The wife agrees which makes Akari a bit worried. As they pass under the Bridge of Sighs, Akari decides to take a picture for the couple as a service. Looking through the view scope, Akari notices that the husband’s ears are red. Alicia asks her what is wrong but Akari replies nothing and takes the picture. Later on Akari is with Aika and Alice. Whilst talking about the elderly couple, the girls hear a loud voice. Akari realises it is the elderly husband’s voice and the girls head to the direction of the voice. Looking through a shop window, the girls see the husband yelling at the shopkeeper. Walking in, Akari asks him what the problem is but the husband says it is none of their business and walks out saying he cancelling. The girls then ask the shopkeeper what the problem was and he said that the husband wanted the gondola to row out to sea for a wedding. The girls are surprised and say that it is impossible in that gondola. At that Alice and Aika discuss about a wedding ritual used in Venezia on Man-Home. Hearing about the tradition used on Neo-Venezia, Akari thinks its wonderful and makes an embarrassing comment, which Aika strikes back with her usual “hazukashii serifu kinshi”.
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Later on we see a group of men apologising to the husband to which he replied its ok. Turning around he sees the girls standing there. Walking off Akari asks him about the group of men, which was a band, and Alice says that they are always practising during lunch. Aika mentions about a gondola and music and asks that the husband isn’t doing a wedding at sea. The husband stops and the girls notice that his ears are red. He explains that he wanted to do the wedding at sea for his wife. At that Akari suggest that the husband use her gondola. The husband refuses politely but Akari says it’s not alright, which the husband asks why. Akari explains that she loves Neo-Venezia and wants others to come to love it and make wonderful memories. Back at Aria Company, the girls are decorating Akari’s gondola whilst the husband sits inside poking Aria’s flabby belly whilst he is asleep. Alicia comes inside and excuses herself as the husbands ears go red. Standing up and looking at the girls working, the husband asks Alicia why they are going so far to help him. Alicia replies that it is for it is for him and his wife and at that the husband’s ears go red again. With that Alicia excuses herself as she has an afternoon booking and the husband looks out towards the girls again.
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Elsewhere, the elderly wife is browsing through a glass shop and notices something. Back at Aria Company, the girls just finished decorating the gondola. Alice asks what the thing on the bow of the gondola is and Aika replies it’s an oriental decoration. Akari notices the husband looking at the gondola and she asks him what he thinks of it. Without saying a word, he gets on the gondola and looks around as his ears go red. Aika now mentions that they need music and they’ll be complete for the wedding. Thinking for a bit Aika has an idea but the husband says that its time to go as he looked at his watch. Later on in the afternoon, Akari and the husband meet up with the wife and she is surprised to see the gondola asking what this is. The husband replies that it’s a wedding in the sea. At that Alicia arrives with a pair of customers and they want to view the wedding. But it isn’t just Alicia, Akira and Athena who also arrive in their gondolas along with customers who want to view the wedding as well. Aika and Alice arrive as well with the band that was talking to the husband earlier. With everyone present they all head off to the sea.
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With the music playing, Alice is with Aika who is recording the whole ceremony. On Akari’s gondola, the husband looks at his wife and his ears go red. Looking through his pockets, he can’t seem to find what he is looking for. While still looking, the wife gives her husband a ring saying that she found it earlier. After a little talking about Neo-Venezia, the sea and wedding, it is time to start the ceremony. As usual, Akari makes an embarrassing comment and Aika notices, but she lets it go as this is a special occasion. The husband starts by making the vows and the wife follows. After that the husband then throws the ring into the sea. With that the wife comments to her husband to love her as always which he replies of course. Everyone gives their congratulations and clap for the elderly couple. The next day Akari shows pictures of the wedding ceremony to Aria and finishes off with her letter to Ai.
Preview:
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Impressions
This is the first original episode of ARIA made for the anime and it was good. Unless by chance it is a more recent chapter that is beyond Volume 9 which I have not read. Either way this episode still has the ARIA feel to it but this time in the form of a wedding. Well with an elderly couple it is more of a retaking vows type of ceremony and I found it quite romantic. Though I didn’t quite understand the explanation of the ceremony at the start but the general outline is that you ride out to the sea to have the ceremony and you throw a ring into the sea to conclude.
Animation was solid this week, except for a few times especially the faces. What also got my attention was the musicians that appeared. Oddly enough they look like Choro Club, the musicians behind the soundtrack for ARIA The Animation and ARIA The Natural.
Choro Club in Anime
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Choro Club in Real Life
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Though the person in the 1st screen shot is most likely an anime character since Choro Club is a 3 man band. The song played throughout the ceremony is a remix version of “Itsuka Kita Machi”, where the original is on the ARIA The Natural Original Soundtrack ~due~. If you want to know more about Choro Club visit their website.
Next week it looks like to be another anime made episode (I don’t like calling any ARIA episodes fillers) titled “Sono ashita no undine ni..” which could be translated to “To tomorrow’s Undine..”. Either way Aika looks uber cute in that preview shot.
There was a sound of accordion in the music so they must have gotten someone to fill in. My question is how they can not use the greatest musical asset in Aqua: Athena? All of her singing performance in Aria ‘eventually’ became very solid, so why not use it? ( Some of the songs was not exposed or developed fully the first time it aired, but have always received another chance in later episode that was to up to my standards: Decent singing, good variations in melody, rhythm, and tempo, with the song itself having the theme properly exposed, develope, and conclude. )