It figures I wait two months and when I finally give up, they release it a few days later.
They must have done it on purpose... >_>
It figures I wait two months and when I finally give up, they release it a few days later.
They must have done it on purpose... >_>
Behold you heretics of little faith!
Origination Episode 1 - CrystalNova
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I prefer HnK's translation and I always have. "totally" instead of "really" for Alice's trademark phrase flows a lot better, and it also has the proper feeling and emphasis. But, CrystalNova always has better visual quality from non-dvd releases.
Do I sense a little bit more confidence in Alice's voice? Could it be character development, or is Clannad's Kyou seeping into my Alice-chan?
All in all, I'm very happy to have my ARIA back.
[HnK] Aria -The Origination- Eps 4
Now, you and I are both quite fond of ARIA. There are many episodes I like more than others, particularly ones where Alice and Aika follow Akari by some means of transportation in the city. Then they always try to be stealthy and fail.
However, this episode floored me. Not just in terms of its always-gentle feel, or how much I needed ARIA after a really shitty commute today. Even visually, this episode was also superior in many ways.
[comment containing spoilers follows below]
No, this episode was probably the most advancing in terms of overall plot...in all of ARIA. In the past, we've only been exposed to Aika, Alice, and Akari. They also happen to be direct pupils of the three Water Fairies. So, unbeknownst to the viewers, we've been given a fairly skewed version of where the three of them stand. Akari has frequently mentioned in the Arietta OVA, the end of -the Natural- and the first few episodes of Origination that she's nowhere near ready to become a Prima. Everyone around her disagrees (except Alicia, patiently teaching her) and the viewers sort of leave it to Akari's lack of confidence, and believe her for the most part.
However, in this episode, we get a much better look at where Akari stands in the overall community of Undines. Three new Undines are introduced to us, Atora, Ayumi, and Anzu. We find out early on that Anzu has recently failed her test, again. Later, Atora also failed at once. Ayumi really doesn't care, and that's just fine.
So what does this mean? Akari is finally compared to two Undines who are apparently right below the level of being Prima. These two Undines are very skilled with the traghetto, since they have spent their time since failing the Prima exam practicing or running the traghetto. We finally have a baseline that we can compare Akari to.
The result? Akari masters the traghetto almost instantly. It's reportedly harder to row, and requires more skill, so two people row it. On her very first time, Anzu doesn't even need to help Akari. At all. You can even watch the scene and see that Anzu's oar never dips into the water.
This tells us only one thing. Akari is either being held to a very high standard (as expected by someone taught by Akira-sama), or the only thing holding her back is her own lack of self-confidence. Akari is already at the level of a Prima for both Orange Planet and possibly Himeya. Maybe even beyond.
That leaves me with only one conclusion. Not that it wasn't too obvious from early on, but this all but confirms it to me. If Aika and Akari are the same level, and Alice is rapidly catching up to them (she just hasn't taken the Single promotion test that she will easily pass at this point), the three of them are purposefully and specifically being trained up to the level of succeeding or surpassing their three teachers.
[spoiler content ends]
That, and the art was really phenomenal in this episode. When they focussed on any of the faces of three Undines introduced, it really looked better than we've ever seen in ARIA. Often better than many other series. Atora especially.
EDIT: Four screencaps of what I'm referring to.
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/4167/zatorarn7.png
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5084/zayumimu1.png
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/8535/zatora2kf4.png
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7...ndatorafa7.png
Last edited by Ryllharu; Fri, 02-08-2008 at 07:23 PM.
I've decided to wait for CrystalNova's relesases, so who knows when I'll get all the way up to the fourth episode. Maybe in a couple of months.
This wait was a bit on the long side, but oh well:
Episode 2 - CrystalNova
I'm completely late to the party, so which one should I start with first? Natural or Animation?
The Animation. Then Natural. Then the OVA Arietta, then this new third season currently airing.
Get CrystalNova's subs. Either use their own tracker or Boxtorrents. Both seem to have a decent amount of seeders.
Worry not, Spoiler Free (including edits and episode number)
Holy. Shit.
That is all.
(I know you only watch the CrystalNova, and I will forever contest that HnK is just as good in everything but the most minor of visual quality due to the difference in their raws and encoding, but this episode required commenting)
This season ends at 13 episodes by the way, and judging from how far we've come and the final episode title, this will likely be the final season. Sad but true.
EDIT: Now that I've had a couple minutes, I can assess what happened. I vaguely knew that something big happened in the eleventh volume of the manga, but I held out and never learned what it was.
I can honestly say I've never been shocked by an episode of anime before. Yes, not even some of the things in Code Geass moved me in quite this manner. But here I am, furiously typing, as my heart beats out of control. Chest feels a bit tight, hands a bit shaky, and I'm still mulling it all over.
Just...wow.
Last edited by Ryllharu; Mon, 03-17-2008 at 08:20 PM.
Ho... Jolly good. I'll comment on that in... October? When CrystalNova is finally that far.
Truth to be told, I don't know how long I can keep this up. As avid a supported of CN as I am, this is getting ridiculous even for me. One of these days I just might snap and go for other choices. A series loses something when you watch the episodes a month or more apart and hardly remember what happened in the previous ep.
Something about this show makes me sleepy. Thats not a bad thing per se. Like most people have said already, its got a nice relaxing pace to it. Great for winding down the day. Problem is, I can't watch more than two at a time before wanting to doze off.
I should finish Natural later this week.
Hmm... Maybe I'll give CN another chance:
Episode 3 - CrystalNova
Episode 4 - CrystalNova
Well, that's up to you.
Reference my own comments made to episode 4 as a reminder to you, as it was easily the best episode of the season for me until very recently.
http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread...&postcount=100
Yeah, I couldn't agree more with your conclusions. Those three must be getting special training for special purposes, yet likewise it could be reasoned their Prima test would then be especially hard as well. Naturally for Akari it makes perfect sense since Aria Company doesn't really have any extra employees yet has a very high standard of service and reputation to uphold. I can't anymore really remember if Aika had special circumstances but I seem to recall she wasn't just one of the girls in the company.Originally Posted by Ryllharu
Aika is the heiress to Himeya. Her family founded it, back when Mars became Aqua and Venice was moved there. She said in a much earlier episode (can't remember which season, Natural has a lot of flashbacks), that she would have joined Aria Company to be with Alicia, her greatest idol, but as the heiress she's stuck in Himeya.
...or it might be just in the manga, not 100% sure which.
Ah. I think she said that in the anime as well. I was suspecting that was the case but my spongiform memory being what it is, I decided not to write it here as a fact lest it be a false memory and my reputation be gone forever...
HnK released episode 10 after a long wait of exams and such, but I can't really post the torrent because of this horrible news.
ARIA Licensed
This has been confirmed as ALL three seasons. The first release will be in September, so the series will be a long way in finishing (even assuming CrystalNova doesn't drop it).
HnK has summarily dropped the series, as most honorable subbers would, two episodes before the finale.
But there is a slight silver lining. Distributor Right Stuf and its Nozomi Entertainment production arm will be releasing the first series as a whole box set. No dub, and all 13 episodes released all at once. The other two seasons will be released in a similar manner.
Seeing how Yakhobian, CrystalNova's translator, is stuck in Japan (that is, studies there or something) and seemingly unable to translate anything over there, I decided it's a vain effort to wait for them. However, getting HnK's subs now isn't anymore as easy as it was. Some of them I managed to get with torrents from Isohunt (their own tracker doesn't distribute them anymore, nor their irc channel, I think, according to the channel topic, at least). I'm missing eps 5 and 8, and it looks like I'll need to find some random third party bot hosting them if I want them..
You can get the last three episodes from BSS, and a new group Aquamarine picked up the last two, but the translation obviously never went through QC. BSS gives the same quality work they did with Gurren Lagann, so grab theirs. I'll make an edit to this post or reply when I've seen them all.
If you're having a lot of trouble getting 5 and 8, I'll see what I can do to help, though the upload my ISP provides is really bad.
Just finished watching this series. I'm mostly happy with the way it ended and without giving any spoilers I sort of expected that last scene. The thing with Alicia was kind of a shock though.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the series on a whole as a way to relax and mellow out.
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