ARIA The ANIMATION
13 Episodes76%FALL 2005FINISHED
Drift peacefully into Neo Venezia, a city on the planet Aqua (formerly known as Mars). By the 24th century, humans have found a way to colonize the previously uninhabitable planet. As futuristic as that sounds, Neo Venezia is still teeming with rustic beauty; gondolas on wide canals and waterways are the main mode of transportation. The city itself is a faithful replication of Manhome's (the planet formerly known as Earth) Venice.
To make sure that residents and tourists alike get the most from Neo Venezia's many wonders, companies offering guided tours via gondola were formed, one of which is named Aria Company.
This is the workplace of Akari Mizunashi, a free spirited teenager from Manhome who is now a novice Undine (the title given to tour guides). Join Akari as she becomes intimately acquainted with other Undine, tourists, Neo Venezia's residents, and even the city itself, learning many valuable life lessons along the way, such as the wonderful truth that there are such things as manmade miracles.
13 Episodes Total
EP 1
That Wonderful Miracle...
Akari Mizunashi, at the age of 15, has left everything behind to travel to Aqua, a sparkling planet covered in water. More than anything, Akari wants to be an "undine" - a female gondolier who navigates the canals of the Aquan city of Neo-Venezia. As she begins her training with the prestigious Aria Company, will she be up to the challenges that await her on the path to achieve her dream?
EP 2
On That Special Day...
One morning, Akari wakes up to find the entire city flooded with water! It's the Acqua Alta, a once-a-year phenomenon where the water levels rise, causing all of Neo-Venezia to shut down for a day. But while most people spend the day relaxing, Aika's mentor Akira is as strict as ever, and yells at her to get back to training. Aika has just the solution to get her mentor off her back: she's running away to the Aria Company!
EP 3
With That Transparent Young Girl...
While training in a particularly tough stretch of water, Akari and Aika meet girl from Orange Planet who seems to be having no trouble at all. Her name is Alice, and she's famous for being one of the youngest - yet most talented - Undines in Neo Venezia. There's just one problem... she never seems to smile. What could she learn from a day spent with the unlikely pair of Akari and Akatsuki?
EP 4
That Undeliverable Letter...
Akari and President Aria are wandering through the marketplace one evening, when President Aria suddenly leads Akari to a plaza she's never seen before. There, a little girl with a bell around her neck gives Akari a letter, and asks her to deliver it. It seems very important. But if Akari's going to have any chance of keeping her promise, she'll have to enlist the help of flying messengers known as Sylphs!
EP 5
To That Island Which Shouldn`t Exist...
When Akari was little, she was certain that Neverland was a real place. As she grew up, she understood that it was fantasy... But now, she's received a mysterious, hand-written invitation to visit Neverland for herself! What awaits her as she follows her map toward a quiet, deserted island?
EP 6
That Which You Want to Protect...
Alice is in a pretty bad mood. Her dorm doesn't allow pets but she's secretly taking care of a kitten; her mentor Athena is an absolute klutz; and to top it all off, she has decided that her left hand isn't as skilled as her right hand, and is therefore useless. Though Alice certainly does have a strange set of problems, and they all seem separate from each other, she's certain to discover that the answers to each all are connected.
EP 7
Doing That Wonderful Job...
Akari, Aika and Alice are scheduled for a full day of training with Akira, and what's more, two customers will be along for the ride. They're a couple on their honeymoon; but while the wife loves Undines and riding on gondolas, the husband thinks being an Undine is simple work, and couldn't really care less about the whole thing. It's up to Akira to teach everyone what it means to be an Undine - Undines-in-training included!
EP 8
That Melancholy President... / That Cool Hero...
It's a double dose of President Aria! In "That Melancholy President...", it's cleaning time for the Aria Company, and President Aria wants to help out and lead by example for his company. Yet he can't seem to do anything right, and only gets in the way. He's so sad about it, that he's determined to run away... but where will he go? And in "That Cool Hero...", we get to see President Aria's cute crime-fighting alter-ego: Nyan-Nyan-Puu!
EP 9
That Star-like Fairy...
Fall has arrived in Neo-Venezia and the girls have switched into their winter uniforms. And yet, Aika feels so unmotivated... She wants to do more than just go through the motions of everyday practice. She wants to really sharpen her skills, and become as good as the legendary Great Water Fairy, the greatest Undine of all time! So the three of them are sent to go visit this legendary lady in her house out in the country... but she's nothing like what the girls expect.
EP 10
That Warm Holiday...
Winter has come - the mornings are crisp and cold, and it's hard to get out from under the covers to go practice sculling. So as a special treat, Alicia suggests that they visit a hot spring! Akari's never seen one before so she's excited to go, and all the others decide to join in as well.
EP 11
Those Orange Days...
On one bleak winter day, when the clouds are thick and the snow is gently falling, the girls finish their sculling practice to find that Alicia, Aika and Athena are all together at the Aria Company, sitting around the fire. Over cups of hot cocoa, they discuss their younger days, and how it was that they all came to be friends.
EP 12
That Soft Wish...
Aria Company has no bookings on a snowy day, so Akari and President Aria visit the oldest bridge in Neo-Venezia. When they reach the other side of the decrepit covered bridge, the snow is gone, and the women she meets on the other side has no idea what an undine is. Together they wait for the terraformers to send water under the bridge for the first time.
EP 13
That White Morning...
It's time to ring in the new year, and everyone in Neo-Venezia has come together to celebrate! Even little Ai has come back from Manhome to take part in the winter festival. But as people gather and memories are shared, President Aria suddenly wanders off. Akari and Ai attempt to track him down, but what they find is a mysterious New Year's gift from Aqua itself.
