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Episode 1 bundled with the Blu-ray Box of Aria the Animation.
, Akira takes Akari, Aika, and Alice out int … Akira takes Akari, Aika, and Alice out into the canals for training, where she is critical of their performances. Partway through the morning, she picks up a honeymoon couple for a gondola tour, with the younger undines observing. The couple, especially the woman, is impressed by Akira's professional demeanor and ask they be allowed to observe the afternoon training. The couple finds that Akira is a harsher trainer than guide. When Alicia brings them a mid-afternoon snack, the woman recognizes her as another of the Three Great Water Fairies. At the end of the afternoon, Akira purposely entraps the trainees in a maze of canals formed by the rising tide and several low-lying bridges. After failing separately to find a way out, they work together: Alice notices a current running through an abandoned building, which they follow, Akari rowing and Aika navigating with a lantern. Akira treats them all to pizza, refusing to scold the trainees for their failure as they are already feeling remorseful.re as they are already feeling remorseful.
, When Alice graduates from middle school, s … When Alice graduates from middle school, she's happy that she can now spend more time practicing with Aika and Akari. Athena invites Alice on a picnic on a canal through the countryside outside Neo-Venezia, and has Alice treat her as a customer. Athena praises Alice's skills as an undine, and Alice responds that she is training with an excellent mentor. As they pass through a lock, Alice is startled when an undine wishes her good luck. While waiting for the lock to fill, Alice tells Athena that she's confident in all of her undine skills except singing canzone, and Athena tells her conveying a love for singing is more important than any technical skill. When they reach the Hill of Hope, the destination of the Single promotion exam, Akari, Aika, the owners of Orange Planet, and a representative from the Gondola Association are waiting for them. After an exam on canzone, Athena takes off both of Alice's gloves, promoting her straight from Pair to Prima , and gives her the title Orange Princess., and gives her the title Orange Princess.
, A week before Festa del Redentore, marking … A week before Festa del Redentore, marking the start of autumn, Akari worries because she hasn't received any e-mail from Ai for a while. Akira, Alicia, and Athena give the trainees the assignment of hosting a Redentore houseboat, including all of the planning and decorating, as a way of practicing their entertainment skills. Alice quickly designs invitations, which makes Akari and Aika more enthusiastic about the task. Akari invites Ai, despite not hearing whether she will visit Aqua for Redentore as once planned. The three work hard through the week, and the night of the festival, all the guests arrive but Ai, who still hasn't responded. Just as the boat is pulling away, Ai arrives at the dock, saying she hadn't replied because she wanted to surprise Akari. Their dinner is a success, and after the table is cleared away, the conversation lapses into a silence that Akari calls peaceful, shortly before the midnight fireworks. In the end, the guests toast their hosts in thanks for bringing them together.osts in thanks for bringing them together.
, Two weeks after Alice's promotion to Prima … Two weeks after Alice's promotion to Prima, Akira hears some Himeya Singles gossip about how Aika, the heir to the company, is handling "losing" to a competitor. Akira worries over whether Aika is holding up, but has difficulty talking about it with her until Aika mentions she was present at Alice's promotion. Aika assures Akira she's been motivated by the competition and asks to be trained hard. Akira sets the date for Aika's Prima exam in a month, and says she won't forgive her if she, as the company's future queen, fails. Meanwhile, Alice is settling into her working life as an undine, but has little free time. She realizes it's been several days since she last saw Akari and Aika, at the moon-gazing, but can think of no excuse to call her friends, although she misses them and is lonely. When Akari and Aika pay a surprise visit with a pizza, Akari tells Alice that being a friend is reason enough.lice that being a friend is reason enough.
, During the annual flooding of Neo-Venezia, … During the annual flooding of Neo-Venezia, when the city comes to a standstill, Akari is caught out in a rainshower and shelters in Aika's room at Himeya Company. While there, Akari sees the other employees are deferential to Aika, the heir to the company. When Aika's strict mentor, Akira, chastises Aika for slacking off despite the flood, they fight and Aika leaves to stay the night with Akari at Aria Company. Aika describes in a flashback her first meeting with Alicia, and how Alicia inspired her to become an undine . The next morning, Akira arrives to demand that Aika return home, and the trainees learn that their mentors have been friends and rivals since childhood. Akira set Akari and Aika to a gondola race to determine where Aika will stay, but partway through, Aika scraps the race because she plans to return, as she admires Akira for being the only one at Himeya Company to stand up to her. After they return with Akira's favorite walnut bread as an apology, Akari realizes Aika and her mentor are good friends despite their squabbling, and hopes she and Alicia will become friends like that. and Alicia will become friends like that.
, In the first half of a two-part episode, a … In the first half of a two-part episode, after Akari suggests that between the stairs might be a gate to a parallel world, President Aria squeezes through and finds himself in world where the other characters are of the opposite sex. When he realizes what has happened, he begins crying and runs back to Aria Company to try to return home through the stairs. The male Alicia finds him there and tries tossing him in the air to cheer him up, then the female Woody takes him up in her air-cycle, but drops him. When President Aria comes to, he is back home. In the second half, Arata tells Alicia and Akari a story, seen in a flashback, about his younger brother as a boy, when he pretended to be an artificial human who was the "protector of Aqua". When his brother teases him by pretending to have been replaced by an evil alien, Akatsuki runs away in fear, and is calmed by his mother bringing him his superhero cape and identifying him as artificial. In the present, when Akatsuki finds out what his brother has done, he goes into shock. his brother has done, he goes into shock.
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, While Akari spends the night with Alice at … While Akari spends the night with Alice at Orange Planet, Alice says she is punishing her left hand because it is "useless" compared to her right. Alice introduces Akari to her kitten, Maa-kun, hidden in her wardrobe because pets are forbidden in company dorms, and then Athena, her mentor and roommate, the third of the so-called Three Great Water Fairies, whom Alice considers uselessly clumsy. Akari notices that Athena supports Alice in ways her student doesn't notice, and during the night, when Maa-kun starts crying his meows are covered up by Athena getting up to sing. Akari tells Alice that maybe left hands are not so useless, and the next day, Alice notices that her left hand does do some things, such as hold down notebooks while she writes. When she comes home from school, however, Maa-kun is gone from her room. She and Akari search for him, but do not find him until Athena sings a song to draw him out. Athena, who knew about the kitten all along, tells Alice that she has gotten Maa-kun named Orange Company's president, to replace their recently deceased president.replace their recently deceased president.
, As Akari wades through the streets during … As Akari wades through the streets during Neo-Venezia's annual flooding, she realizes it's Festa del Bòcolo, the day women receive a single red rose from admirers. She meets Akatsuki, who is buying as many roses as he can for Alicia, because just one won't express his "infinite" love, and needs Akari's help carrying them. When they run into Aika, she also has a rose for Alicia and runs ahead to give hers first. When a saleswoman tells Akari the origin of Bòcolo in a tragic Manhome legend about a knight and his lady, Akari comments that the knight's love lives on in roses. Aika fails to find Alicia but meets Al, who gives her an uncut red gemstone called "Eye of the Rose", which he says will look good on her when polished. Akatsuki and Akari finally meet Alicia, but he is too nervous to present Alicia his roses before she assumes he had given them to Akari, and leaves them alone together. As Akatsuki flounders after Alicia, he spills the roses, and Akari describes them as his feelings spreading out across the water, saying they will reach Alicia as they drift on the current. For helping him, Akatsuki gives Akari her first Bòcolo rose.katsuki gives Akari her first Bòcolo rose.
, Aika and Alice tell Akari about Grandma Ak … Aika and Alice tell Akari about Grandma Akino, once the best undine of Neo-Venezia and founder of Aria Company. When Aika complains she feels her training is in a rut, that she is not getting closer to her goal of becoming the best undine on Aqua, Alicia suggests the three trainees visit Grandma, now in retirement in the countryside. When they arrive, Aika respectfully asks Grandma for her guidance. When Grandma asks for help with domestic chores, Aika interprets them as training tasks: that collecting chestnuts is an exercise in picking out customers in a crowd, that digging up sweet potatoes is an exercise in handling fragile baggage. In both cases, Alice and Akari each gather more than Aika. That night, when the girls go outside to admire the bright stars, Grandma tells them the secret to becoming a good undine is to enjoy every moment, and that if they have fun being in a gondola, she can teach them nothing. When they see shooting stars, the trainees make wishes that they become great undines.ake wishes that they become great undines.
, An older woman, Amarantha, requests a tour … An older woman, Amarantha, requests a tour from Akari, who stays up late planning her route. At next morning's practice, Aika suggests the commission is suspicious, and Alice speculates it's an inspector from the Gondola Association. When Amarantha arrives, she requests Akari show her the Neo-Venezia that only she can. Aika and Alice follow them secretly. Akari takes Amarantha to a spot where a statue appears to cradle the floating climate-control island, and the woman shows her an even better vantage where two statues seem to hold it up together. Throughout the tour, Amarantha is shown knowing more about the city than Akari, and when Akari ends it by taking her to an abandoned monastery garden that ran wild after the water rose, Amarantha has Akari go through a door that leads to another flooded courtyard covered by a wisteria in bloom. Akari is disappointed to learn that Amarantha already knew everything she's been shown, but Amarantha thanks her for a tour that showed the Neo-Venezia she loves. Aika and Alice are discovered, and Alicia tells the trainees that Amarantha likes to test Singles, and once tested herself, Akira, and Athena as Singles.ted herself, Akira, and Athena as Singles.
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, Alice tells Aika and Akari that she's havi … Alice tells Aika and Akari that she's having bad luck that day because she failed yesterday's personal challenge, which Akari calls childish and cute. The next day she sets the challenge of walking home from school stepping only on shadows, and she almost makes it before failing. Athena happens to see this from her gondola and sings a song that distracts Alice. The following day, Alice attempts the same challenge, and this time meets Athena on the way. When Athena catches Alice from tripping over Maa, Alice makes a new rule banning assistance from others, saying "this is my battle", and starts over. In crossing the last stretch outside Orange Planet, Alice misses a jump but Athena suddenly provides her with a shadow. When asked why, Athena says she's an ally of Alice, like an ally character in a video game. Alice makes another rule that Athena is allowed to help, and walks the rest of the way in her shadow. Akari describes the song that Athena sings as making one "light-hearted," and Alice realizes Athena had sung it the previous day to cheer her up and that Athena has been her ally all along.d that Athena has been her ally all along.
, During a study session, Akari learns that … During a study session, Akari learns that the interior decor of Caffè Florian was transported entire from Venice, and mentions she's never been inside despite knowing the owner. They visit during a break, and spot a candy-seller's cart in the Piazza San Marco. When a boy trips and drops his candy, the seller gives him a replacement bottle, but Akari still feels sorry for the chocolates spilled on the ground. Inside the cafe, Akari is impressed by the art. Some time later, Akari sees the candy-seller looking at the renovations to the Ca' d'Oro, and is disappointed he hasn't been selling since that first day. One morning Akari meets him outside the Piazza cafe, where he begins selling again, and he thanks her for her chance remark about the spilled chocolate, which reminded him of how he once wanted to give his customers joy, and says that after wandering the city's sights he figured out better packaging for his sweets. He treats her to a latte, and Akari realizes that Caffè Florian's art contains their creators' feelings, just like his chocolates, and the latter bring just as much beauty to the Neo-Venezia.ng just as much beauty to the Neo-Venezia.
, During a summer heatwave, Akari sees a lad … During a summer heatwave, Akari sees a lady in a black dress and veil near Piazza San Marco. While waiting for Alice, Aika tells Akari a Manhome ghost story about an executed Venetian woman who spirited away gondoliers who rowed her to the cemetery of Isola di San Michele, where she was refused burial, with the conclusion that she has been seen in Neo-Venezia. That evening, the lady in black politely asks Akari for a ride to Neo-Venezia's recreation of San Michele, and Akari agrees to take her as a friend. As they cross the bay, they are watched by dozens of cats from the rooftops. When they arrive, the lady drags Akari into the cemetery, saying she wants to keep her "friend" with her forever. Her veil blows off, revealing an empty dress, and in a gust of wind Cait Sith appears behind her. The dress runs away, and Cait Sith embraces Akari, who then she wakes up at Aria Company holding a rose petal from the cemetery. The next day, Alice explains that the ghost story is not from Manhome but was invented on Aqua—which makes the black lady even more scary.hich makes the black lady even more scary.
, During practice, Aika sees Akari chat easi … During practice, Aika sees Akari chat easily with many acquaintances and Alice row with her exceptional skill, then watches Athena's singing make passers-by stop to listen and Alicia gracefully catch a hat blown by the wind. Alice calls their mentors' talents the sorts one can only be born with, which disturbs Aika. While helping Akira clean her room, Aika finds a photo of Akira as a Single with Athena and Alicia as Primas, and demands to know how she could smile despite being promoted last. Akira says that of course it was hard having such talented friends, and tells a story, shown in a flashback: After Athena's promotion, while worrying about being left behind, Akira unsuccessfully searches a clover bed for a four-leaf clover with the help a child who turns out to be Aika. The child then says if there's nothing there, you have to make up for it your own way and adds a rose petal to a three-leaf clover to make four leaves, and Akira concludes she has to make up for her talent through hard work. In the present, Akira gives Aika the clover keepsake as a good-luck charm for becoming a Prima, and Aika returns to practice with renewed determination.ns to practice with renewed determination.
, As Akari eats lunch alone on a hot midsumm … As Akari eats lunch alone on a hot midsummer day, she is joined by Akira, then Akatsuki, and then Al. As Akatsuki bickers with Akira, Al claims he was always hotheaded like that, and tells a story about Akatsuki, Woody, and himself when they all were boys, shown in a flashback: one time in a playground, they don't let two new kids play with them, but when one jumps off a swing further than Akatsuki can, he challenges that kid to a slide race, during which Akatsuki crashes and concedes defeat. Back in the present, Alicia says it brings back memories, and reveals the two kids were Akira and herself. Akari says that it's nice, the way the lives of the other four circle around and meet again, inside the large circle that is Aqua, and that she feels left out because she's been in Neo-Venezia for only a short time. Akira reassures Akari that she's already inside their circle of friends, at the center. As the episode ends, Athena is shown rowing by, then several other characters meet in a series of chance encounters.ers meet in a series of chance encounters.
, When Ai visits Akari for Neo-Venezia's Car … When Ai visits Akari for Neo-Venezia's Carnevale, she helps out at Aria Company. Before the festival starts, she sees President Aria leave by himself, and Akari tells her he'll be gone for the duration. On the first day of celebrations, Akari and Ai meet Casanova, the mysterious masked master of ceremonies of the Carnevale named after the historical figure. Later, on Ai's last day on Aqua, while talking with Aika and Alice they spot one of Casanova's attendants. They chase after him but Akari and Ai get separated from the others. Eventually they confront Casanova, who invites them to join his cheering procession for a while. When he eventually stops them from following any further, he gives them each a jasmine flower before revealing that President Aria is one of his attendants, and that he is Cait Sith, the legendary king of Aqua's cats. When Aika and Alice finally find Akari and Ai, they claim that Casanova is a fairy.d Ai, they claim that Casanova is a fairy.
, On a rainy day, Akari and Alice visit Aika … On a rainy day, Akari and Alice visit Aika's room for a group study instead of gondola practice. When Akira greets them, they are watched by two of Akira's colleagues, and Aika takes this as a one more sign her improving skills are being noticed within the company. The trainees study for a while, but when they start dreaming about what titles they will take as Primas, Akira gives them paperwork to sort. When Aika returns the completed paperwork, she eavesdrops on the same colleagues and learns they aren't talking about her but badmouthing Akira, saying she's stuck-up because she's one of the Three Great Water Fairies. She returns to her room, upset, and tells Akari and Alice. Akira overhears her and tells them that backbiting is inevitable in the competitive world of undines, and must be accepted as another part of the job. When Aika complains that it's frustrating, Akira says that for some reason, people always remember the one bad thing that happens amid all the good, and you need to take neither for granted. She opens the window shutters and reveals that it has stopped raining. The trainees conclude they must grow stronger to become Primas. they must grow stronger to become Primas.
, During their first practice after Carneval … During their first practice after Carnevale, Alice speculates that Akari and Aika will take the Prima exam soon, but Akari is uncertain as she doubts her own skills after watching Alicia. Alicia receives a package of jam from satisfied Carnevale customers and invites Akira, Athena, Aika, and Alice to tea to share it. In a flashback, Akari tells the others how Alicia impressed the customers by accurately predicting when snow would start falling. In flashbacks, Aika describes how Akira saved a dancing customer from falling out of the gondola, and Alice how Athena stopped a toddler's tantrum by making funny faces. The three trainees admit they have a long way to go as undines, and their mentors tell them they themselves have more to learn, saying that if you're ever satisfied with your performance, you will never improve—the best thing to do is cherish the fact that there's more to learn and have fun along the way. On the balcony afterward, the trainees recall that this last was Grandma Akino's advice, and from inside their mentors watch them and conclude that their students will be wonderful undines, like none seen before in Neo-Venezia.nes, like none seen before in Neo-Venezia.
, Akari tells Aika that practice has gotten … Akari tells Aika that practice has gotten lonely without Alice, and Aika apologizes that she can't practice either anymore: she's been promoted to Prima, with the title Rosen Queen, and will be managing a new Himeya Company branch office. When Akari tells Alicia, she wonders why Aika cried over this, and in response Alicia sets Akari's Prima exam for the next day. That night, Akari is too nervous to sleep and practices rowing until very late. In the morning it's raining, but Akari asks that the exam not be postponed, and by afternoon it has cleared enough to hold it. As Akari guides Alicia through the city, a number of friends greet her, and Akatsuki and Woody cheer her on from the Rialto Bridge. Alicia directs Akari down a very narrow, difficult channel, which she successfully negotiates, then gives Akari the choice of their final destination, which will determine what kind of Prima she'll be. Akari takes her to Aria Company, where Alicia thanks Akari for coming into her life and takes off Akari's glove, promoting her to Prima with the title Aquamarine, then says she has something important to tell her.s she has something important to tell her.
, Akatsuki's older brother gives Akari her f … Akatsuki's older brother gives Akari her first commission, hiring her to transport some glassware by gondola. At the glassmaker's workshop, she overhears a tourist disparaging Neo-Venezian glassware as an inferior copy of Venetian glass—just as Neo-Venezia is an imitation Venice. The apprentice glassmaker supervising the cargo rudely refuses to let Akari help carry it. As Akari rows she tells him the glass is beautiful and admires how it sparkles in many colors. The apprentice complains that some people judge purely on the basis of tradition, which for glassmakers was broken between the sinking of Venice and the building of Neo-Venezia. He apologises for his behavior, saying he's upset because people have been dismissing his master's glassware as imitations and fakes, although his master works so hard. Akari tells him she doesn't believe anything is fake, and while Neo-Venezia may look like Venice, the process of building it was different, as are the people who live in it, which makes it a living city to be cherished for itself. When they deliver the cargo, Akatsuki's brother accuses the apprentice of becoming Akari's fan, and so a rival of Akatsuki.g Akari's fan, and so a rival of Akatsuki.
, Akari, Aika, and Alice return to Aria Comp … Akari, Aika, and Alice return to Aria Company after practice to find their three mentors talking, and learn they once also did combined training but have seldom all met together since becoming Primas . In flashbacks, their mentors tell the story of how Alicia and Akira as Singles hear of Orange Planet's new prodigy; when they meet a Single from Orange Planet named Athena, Akira asks about this unknown rival, but Athena is unable to answer her. They invite her to train with them, and soon realize that Athena is neither as graceful a rower as Alicia nor as adept a guide as Akira. However, when they practice singing one day, Athena's voice is so beautiful that passersby stop and applaud, and Akira realizes Athena had been the prodigy all along. In the present, Alice realizes that her trio will also break up after they become Primas, and Alicia tells her that it is important to enjoy the present and not regret what has been—or will be—lost. When Akari escorts Aika and Alice home, she begins to cry after they part ways.e, she begins to cry after they part ways.
, When Aika berates Akari for not taking pra … When Aika berates Akari for not taking practice seriously, saying at this rate Alicia will scold her, Akari says Alicia has never scolded her, nor even gotten angry. This startles Alice and to learn why she begins stalking Alicia—inventing lame excuses when she gets caught—but can't figure it out. After a week, Alice meets Alicia at a cafe and at Alicia's prompting asks her directly. In response, Alicia asks President Aria to give a candy to a girl at another table, and they watch him get distracted by sparrows and the waiter before finally succeeding, for which Alicia praises him. She then has him deliver another candy to another customer and praises him for being even faster. Alicia explains that criticizing people makes them fear making mistakes, and so she prefers encouragement over correction. She then says that if President Aria had continued making mistakes, she would have reflected on how she was instructing him wrong, and that teaching and being taught are very much alike.hing and being taught are very much alike.
, Alice tells Akari and Aika she won't be at … Alice tells Akari and Aika she won't be at practice tomorrow because she invited Athena on a picnic. That night Alice makes elaborate preparations, but in the morning Athena leaves for work at dawn without speaking with her. When Athena finally returns, in her disappointment Alice snaps at her then accidentally rips the invitation, and in the ensuing fuss Athena slips and falls. Alice calls Akari and Alicia for help in a panic, and when they arrive, they learn that Athena has amnesia from hitting her head and cannot remember anyone around her. As they talk, her memories slowly come back, starting with President Aria and Alicia. To further jog her memories, they take her to familiar places, and by the end of the day she remembers everyone but Alice. When Athena asks what she was to Alice, the latter breaks down in tears, and Alicia makes Athena reveal she'd been faking amnesia to find out how Alice feels about her.sia to find out how Alice feels about her.
, Akari and Aika secretly observe Alice duri … Akari and Aika secretly observe Alice during her first day as a Prima, and when Alice asks how she was, Aika says she looked as stiff as a toy robot. To cheer Alice up, Akari invites her over for autumn moon-gazing. That night, Akari introduces her friends to Japanese Tsukimi customs, and Alice thanks her for helping her relax. When Al runs late, Alice teases Aika about inviting him, and Aika goes off flustered to find him. After they meet, Aika falls into a dry well, and when Al tries to pull her up he is pulled down instead, trapping them both. They are found by Maa, whom they send back to Alice for help. While waiting for rescue, they talk about Aqua's two moons, gravitation, and attraction, and it becomes apparent they are both attracted to each other. Akari and Alice eventually rescue them, and as they walk back to Aria Company, Al takes Aika's hand.ack to Aria Company, Al takes Aika's hand.
, Continuing the previous episode, that even … Continuing the previous episode, that evening, Alicia and Akari eat a picnic dinner on the worn-out training gondola. Alicia tells Akari this was also her first gondola at Aria Company, and a flashback shows her as a Pair colliding with a bridge during her first lesson with Grandma Akino. Another series of flashbacks shows Alicia and Akari as Pairs each learning how to clean the gondola. Aika, Akira, Alice, and Athena join them for a "Thank You, Gondola-san party". Akari's photo of the three trainees with the gondola reminds Athena of a similar one of the three mentors, and a flashback shows it being taken on Alicia's promotion to Prima, when she had to give the black training gondola up for a Prima's white gondola. After the party, Akari stays in the gondola late into the night even after it starts to rain, and when she falls asleep, the spirit of the gondola puts an umbrella over her. A few days later, as Akari rows her replacement gondola back to Aria Company, she is startled when she passes her old one carrying a full load. Ai tells Akari that she'll have many new experiences with her new gondola.many new experiences with her new gondola.
, In the first half of a two-part episode, A … In the first half of a two-part episode, Alicia takes Akari to an island to visit a reproduction of a Japanese Inari shrine. When Akari buys some inari sushi, the saleswoman warns that if she meets any fox spirits, not to go with them. After getting separated from Alicia during a sunshower, Akari meets a wedding procession of fox spirits, and one holds out his hand to her. Frightened, she gives him her inari sushi, and they leave her. In the second half, Alicia takes Akari on a picnic to look for spring at a special place she knows on another island. After walking through a forest, they follow an old railway, but at a fork in the line they chose the wrong way. Just as they are about to turn back, they find an abandoned rail-car beneath a large blooming cherry tree. While they admire it, Alicia tells a story about the importance of making mistakes in serendipity.ortance of making mistakes in serendipity.
, To get more gondola practice while Alicia … To get more gondola practice while Alicia is busy, Akari works on the traghetto ferry for the first time. One of the three Singles she's teamed with, Atora, gives her a candy to calm her nerves and says she can observe from the shore for a while. Another, Anzu, is gloomy and Atora tells Akari it's because she recently failed the Prima exam yet again. Anzu says that while she's depressed at the moment, she hasn't given up, and Akari tells her she thinks Alicia hasn't tested her yet because of her own lack of skill. When Akari takes a turn rowing, the other three realize she's actually very good, capable of balancing the traghetto with its standing passengers on her own. At the end of the day, they praise her rowing ability and tell her she'll be a Prima soon. Atora tells Anzu they all should be Primas and criticizes their examiner at Orange Planet as too strict. After talking about how discouraging it was to fail the exam six months ago, with the encouragement of the others, Atora agrees to take the exam again.hers, Atora agrees to take the exam again.
, During practice, Aika and Alice watch Akar … During practice, Aika and Alice watch Akari exchange friendly greetings with several people. Alice comments that Akari seems to know more Neo-Venezians than they do, although they are locals and Akari is an immigrant, which she finds "mysterious". Aika and Alice decide to secretly watch Akari as she runs errands to find out how she makes friends so easily. The follow her onto the vaporetto ferry and watch her chat with fellow passengers, conversing easily although they just met. Because they are hiding, the two miss Akari's stop but see her disembark with a mysterious man. After they backtrack on another vaporetto, they follow President Aria's voice to find he and Akari enjoying the man's street puppet performance, which Aika and Alice both remember watching as children. Alice concludes that Akari's mysterious ability comes from her taking joy in nearly everything and being naturally nice to everyone.hing and being naturally nice to everyone.
, During a routine inspection, Akari and Ali … During a routine inspection, Akari and Alicia are told that Akari's gondola is too worn-out for tourist service and should be sold as a freight hauler. When Akari asks to keep it just for training, she's told that the gondola would be happier if it were used daily instead of infrequently. At Alicia's suggestion, Akari takes the gondola on a "Goodbye, Gondola-san tour" of places where she has special memories it was involved in, shown in a series of flashbacks, including taking Akatsuki as her first paying customer and meeting Alice, ending with her retracing the route of her test for promotion to Single from before the series began. While descending a canal lock on her return, she falls asleep and dreams the spirit of the gondola appears and says it was fate that brought them together. As she returns to Aria Company, she is reminded of the first time she rowed the gondola.d of the first time she rowed the gondola.
, In the first half of a two-part episode, A … In the first half of a two-part episode, Akari and Alicia give the Aria Company building a late-summer spring-cleaning. President Aria is eager to help, but only ends up getting in the way. Depressed, he runs away, and Alicia and Akari interpret his note not to look for him as his staying out of their way. As a result, they don't miss him until dinner-time, when he returns because he is hungry and lonely and has no other place to go. In the second half, President Aria emulates his favorite cat superhero from a comic book by dressing in a mask and cape. He tries to help and impress others anonymously, but everyone recognizes him despite his best efforts to hide his identity. After many tribulations he successfully returns a stuffed animal a girl dropped and returns home feeling like a success.d and returns home feeling like a success.
, During rowing practice on the first warm d … During rowing practice on the first warm day of early spring, Aika, Akari, and Alice find a box in the base of a statue. Inside it is a note that sends them on a treasure hunt through the streets of Neo-Venezia. One clue leads them to Caffè Florian on Piazza San Marco that's the Venetian cafe where cafe latte was supposedly invented, where Akari chats with a customer who calls himself an expert at enjoying the Piazza. After the shadow from the Campanile has moved far enough the three can find their next clue, he prays they discover a wonderful treasure. Their final clue leads them to a beautiful hillside view of Neo-Venezia, described as a "treasure in your heart". When they return the clues, so others can find this treasure for themselves, they notice marks indicating they are not the first to do so. Back at the Piazza, Alicia introduces the man as the cafe's owner, and he greets Akari as an "Expert in Happiness." In response to Akari's e-mail about the day, Ai calls Neo-Venezia a big treasure chest.Ai calls Neo-Venezia a big treasure chest.
, When Akari asks Alicia why Aria Company do … When Akari asks Alicia why Aria Company doesn't have a distinctive palina, or pole for hitching boats, Alicia doesn't know and suggests that Akari design one. Looking for inspiration, Akari searches the company archives and finds sketches for a palina design. Grandma Akino visits while in the city on business and tells her the sketch was made by one of her first employees, and was never executed because the company colors hadn't been decided. Akari comes up with a design in blue and white, based on the old design and current company uniforms, and paints it herself. As they admire the new palina, Alicia says that one day, after she retires, Akari as a Prima will one day look at it with a junior employee of her own—at which time the palina will represent Akari as she is now. Akari replies that, no, Alicia is also part of the palina, and the original designer is as well. Ai writes that this means reading an old e-mail of theirs would let someone meet the two of them as they were at that time.the two of them as they were at that time.
, Near the end of summer, Alicia gives a to … Near the end of summer, Alicia gives a tour to an older couple celebrating their wedding anniversary. The husband turns down his wife's suggestion of visiting Piazza San Marco after lunch and orders her to meet him at the harbor later in the afternoon. Later, Akari, Aika, and Alice meet him having an argument with a man who won't rent him the bucintoro boat for the "Marriage of the Sea" ceremony , which his wife has long wished to see. Akari offers to help the couple, using her gondola as a substitute, and the three trainees decorate it to the best of their abilities. Aika finds a volunteer band to play the music, and as they start the ceremony, Alicia, Akira, and Athena's customers ask to watch. Because the husband forgets to bring the ring, they use one bought by the wife that afternoon. During the ceremony, the wife calls their recreation clumsy but thanks her husband for the gesture, and when the ceremony is over she asks him to love her forever. is over she asks him to love her forever.
, When Akari and Alicia collect firewood for … When Akari and Alicia collect firewood for the winter, Akari meets the first snow bugs of the season, and one stays with her as they return to the city. When Alicia learns Akari has never been to a hot spring, she invites the three trainees to one on their next day off. As Mr. Mailman and Akari watch smoke rise from the city's chimneys at sunset, he compliments her on the hair bow she gave her snow bug, and that night Alicia lights their fireplace. When Alicia takes the trainees to the hot spring, Akari is startled to learn that it is communal bathing but enjoys the waters. That evening, when she feels guilty for not practicing, Alicia tells her hot springs help one through winter. Akari agrees, saying that cute snow bugs, sunsets, and fireplaces also make one like winter. Returning to the baths, Alicia takes them to a secret corner where the water runs outside into the ocean. Akira and Athena join the party for the night, and as the first snow falls, the snow bugs leave the city for the forest, Akari's included.the city for the forest, Akari's included.
, On the first snowy day of winter, Akari as … On the first snowy day of winter, Akari asks Aika and Alice during a break in practice what, as children, they wanted to be like when they grew up, but they come to no conclusions. Later, as Alicia and Akari go for a walk through the snow-bound city, Akari asks Alicia what she wanted to be like when she grew up. Alicia stops to think, then begins rolling a snowball. With the help of several passers-by in succession, it grows to be almost as large as they are tall, and their helpers thank them for the fun. They end up in a dead-end square, where the residents start a second snowball, then a third to make a complete snowman, which they all decorate together. As they walk home, Alicia finally answers Akari's question by saying that when she was a child, she noticed that when you start rolling a snowball, someone always helps, leaving everyone satisfied and happy—and decided that she wanted to be an adult who helps people be satisfied and happy in other ways. Back home, when Alicia asks what Akari wanted to be, she says a fairy, and Alicia replies she will be one soon., and Alicia replies she will be one soon.
, When Alice leaves Orange Planet, Athena no … When Alice leaves Orange Planet, Athena notices she doesn't stay with the other Pairs but goes off alone. After practice Akari and Aika visit Alice and Athena's dorm room, and when it becomes late without their noticing, Athena invites them to stay the night. That evening, Alice notices that Athena is more clumsy than usual and accuses her of being happy, and Athena says it's because Alice seems to be having fun with her friends. Alice receives an invitation to a party with other Pairs, but turns it down despite Akari's urging because she thinks they're jealous of her talent as a younger undine. Athena tells her that people are like mirrors, and that they reflect her fear of being rejected, which she sees as envy. After watching Maa go to great effort to climb onto a bed to bite President Aria's belly, Alice resolves to try to smile more and attend the party.to try to smile more and attend the party.
, While training in a strait with difficult … While training in a strait with difficult currents, Akari and Aika witness the impressive rowing skills of a younger girl, Alice. She bluntly refuses their attempts at friendship but is troubled by Akari's sincere smile. The next day, after Alice turns down schoolmates' request for her autograph on a magazine article about her, a classmate tells Alice she should at least have smiled. That afternoon, Akari meets Akatsuki, an apprentice salamander , who asks to be given a city tour as a "friend" as she practices. As Alice passes them, she interprets Akatsuki's teasing of Akari as harassment, but after Akari explains she invites Alice along. Alice remains fascinated by Akari's smile, and after she finally smiles herself says she understands the secret of Akari's smile. At the end of the day, Akatsuki invites the two on a tour of the floating weather station where he lives, and the two girls are impressed by the sunset view.wo girls are impressed by the sunset view.
, When Akari learns there will be a meteor s … When Akari learns there will be a meteor shower that night, she, Aika, and Alice make plans to watch it. As they do so, they meet Al, a gnome on a shopping trip to the planet's surface, who invites them to lunch. In return a blushing Aika invites him to join them that night. That evening, Alice bows out, leaving just Aika, Al, and Akari. Because Piazza San Marco is too crowded and bright, they search through the narrow streets for a better view. For courage through the darker passages, Akari repeats her chant from Casanova's procession. Eventually, Aika takes them onto the roof of a Himeya Company office building, with an unobstructed panorama of the night-time city and the meteors. When Akari searches the rooftops for another vantage, Aika realizes she's alone with Al and gets flustered, and blames him as a gravity regulator for attracting all the meteors that burn up in the atmosphere. As they walk home, Al reminds Aika that some meteors don't burn up but survive to reach the surface. burn up but survive to reach the surface.
, During practice, Akari, Alice, and Aika se … During practice, Akari, Alice, and Aika see President Aria traveling in his own boat, and follow him to a channel that's usually gated off before stopping because Alice has to leave for school. That evening, Akari tells Alicia she had a feeling they shouldn't have followed him further. Alicia mentions the Manhome legend of a kingdom of the cats, which humans can't enter, which reminds Akari of how Cait Sith stopped her and Ai during the Carnevale. The next day, while Alice practices with two Pairs she met at the Orange Planet party, Akari and Aika see President Aria again and follow him, and this time continue past the gate. They end up in a labyrinth of flooded buildings that has them traveling in circles while being watched by cats. When Akari apologizes for trying to enter their domain, President Aria appears and shows them the way out. As they leave, Akari looks back and sees the building filled with cats, including Cait Sith, who bows to her.ats, including Cait Sith, who bows to her.
, President Aria leads Akari to a square wit … President Aria leads Akari to a square with many cats, where she meets a girl wearing a belled collar who gives her a letter to deliver. In the morning, Mr. Mailman tells Akari the envelope contains an out-of-date format of video card but promises to locate the address for her. During gondola practice, Aria leads Akari to a canal she doesn't recognize, where the girl tells her the letter is important because it can "overcome time and space" and deliver messages to the heart, before being called inside a house as Ami. Mr. Mailman tells Akari that the address is of an abandoned terraforming base out in the middle of the Adriatic. Woody, a sylph , takes Akari on his sky-cycle to the base, where they find only a cemetery is above water now. They locate the gravestone of the letter's recipient and Akari plays the letter to it. The video is from a woman writing to her husband while he was away working on the terraforming of Mars, now called Aqua, and Akari recognizes in the woman's background the place she met Ami the second time.und the place she met Ami the second time.
, On a snowy day, Akari visits Neo-Venezia's … On a snowy day, Akari visits Neo-Venezia's oldest bridge, outside the current city. As Akari crosses it, cats appear, and on the other side the snow is mostly melted, the sky clear, and the canal dry. She meets a woman, Akiko, who does not recognize her uniform or know what an undine is. Akiko invites Akari home for tea, in a neighborhood Akari doesn't recognize. Akiko and Akari both attribute their ignorance about the other's life to being new immigrants, but when Akari sees the memory card in Akiko's camera is the same format as the letter delivered in episode 4, she realizes she has traveled in time to before Neo-Venezia was built. Back at the canal, people gather to witness the arrival of water, a result of the terraforming—an event one watcher calls a sign that Aqua has finally accepted the colonists. When Akari says goodbye, Akiko, who has realized where Akari is from by her anachronistic comments, says cats are a link between past and future, and bids farewell to her future, and when Akari crosses the bridge she is back in the snow of her own time.e she is back in the snow of her own time.
, Mr. Mailman borrows Akari and her gondola … Mr. Mailman borrows Akari and her gondola for a day so he can complete his rounds while his gondola is repaired. In the morning, they collect mail from canal-side postboxes, then after lunch deliver the mail—and along the way help a boy deliver in person a letter to his former teacher at her wedding, apologizing for behaving badly to her because he was upset over her leaving. At the end of the day, Mr. Mailman explains that Neo-Venezians prefer the inconvenience of mail because a letter, being not as quickly written as e-mail, can carry the sender's heart, and so can become a treasure, and furthermore it can be a link between the past and present. Akari says that letters are like Neo-Venezia, in that you can touch the creators' hearts through them, and Mr. Mailman tells her that she has been painted with "the color of Neo-Venezia". The next morning, Akari is moved when she receives his hand-written thank-you note. receives his hand-written thank-you note.
, The next morning, Aika, Alice, and Akatsuk … The next morning, Aika, Alice, and Akatsuki demand to know whether the news about Alicia is true, and Akari says yes, Alicia is retiring to get married and work for the Gondola Association. Alicia had delayed this until Akari became a Prima, and Akari blames herself for not becoming more reliable before now. Aika and Alice worry about Akari, but she says she'll be fine. The next several days are busy, as Alicia hands the running of Aria Company over to Akari. When Akari eventually breaks down crying, Alicia admits that Akari has long had the skills to be a Prima but she'd delayed the exam because she didn't want to leave Akari. Mr. Mailman, now retired himself, hires Akari for a tour, during which he offers to refer customers to her. At Alicia's retirement ceremony, all the undines of the city participate. The following morning, Akari sees Aria Company filled with memories of Alicia and her friends, then opens the reception-area shutter to let in her new beginning. In an afterword, Akari tells Ai what happens to the other characters—including Athena becoming an opera singer, leaving Akira the undisputed top Prima—ending with Ai's first morning as a new Pair for Aria Company.st morning as a new Pair for Aria Company.
, On her day off, Akari goes for a walk with … On her day off, Akari goes for a walk with President Aria through a residential neighborhood of Neo-Venezia. After lunch in a cafe, as they head back toward the Piazza, they are spotted by Akatsuki, who follows them to greet Akari. After losing track of her several times, he finally sees her on a balcony of the Basilica di San Marco. As he runs into the Basilica after her, he's spotted by Aika and Alice. On the balcony, Akari is pleased that no one has discovered her secret place. After some searching, Akatsuki finds the inconspicuous staircase up to the balcony. Akari tells him she comes to meet a man who always stares over the Piazza at the sea, watching the ever-changing world: a bust on the balustrade. Akatsuki promises to keep the place just their secret, but they are interrupted by Aika and Alice, who followed him up. Akari decides that this has become everyone's secret place.t this has become everyone's secret place.
, In the first half of a two-part episode, a … In the first half of a two-part episode, a week after cutting her hair, Aika catches a cold. While laid up in her room, she worries whether Akari and Alice will slack off practicing without her. On the third day, bored and restless, she sneaks out of Himeya Company to get some pudding. She buys some cute hairpins at a market stall and eats some gelato, but when she sees Akari and Alice at practice, she runs back to her room. When Akari and Alice a visit a short time later to bring her pudding, they find her crying because the world was going on without her, and they reassure her that she still has a place with them. In the second half, two days later, Aika returns to practice but spends the day distracted by the urge to show off her new haircut and hairpins to Al, although the thought of doing so embarrasses her without understanding why. With Akari and Alice's encouragement, she visits Al, who likes the change.ment, she visits Al, who likes the change.
, Akari receives an anonymous invitation to … Akari receives an anonymous invitation to Neverland, with directions that send her to an island in the Adriatic. On the island, she gets lost but meets Aika and Alice following similar messages. Together, they find a secluded cove where they meet Alicia and Akira, who with Alice's mentor Athena sent the invitations, although the latter is missing. The three younger undines spend the morning in special training, which includes rowing unstable logs instead of gondolas to practice balancing. After lunch, the five spend the afternoon in relaxed swimming, which Akari especially enjoys as the oceans on Manhome cannot be swam in. When Akari loses a hair ribbon, she remembers a time she lost another hair tie while swimming when she was little. That night, while the others are asleep in a tent, Akari tells Alicia that when she was young she used to believe in Neverland, and that this beautiful bay on a human-created world must be another Neverland. Alicia tells Akari that important feelings are never forgotten, only buried, and after Akari thanks her she finds her lost hair ribbon in the water.e finds her lost hair ribbon in the water.
, Aika arrives at a barbecue party with a be … Aika arrives at a barbecue party with a beautiful new hairstyle, and when Alicia praises it, she is greatly pleased as it represents, she tells Akari, a "new me". A little later her hair catches fire from a grill, and after Akira puts it out Aika runs away to cry. At home at Himeya Company, as Akari and Alice help trim away her damaged hair, Aika says she'd been growing it as long as Alicia's hair in order to become more like Alicia, but now it's impossible. Akira overhears this and says yes, it's impossible for her to become an undine like Alicia. Aika tries to run away again, but Akira stops her and explains that it's impossible to impersonate someone else, and she should simply aim to become the best undine in Neo-Venezia by being herself. The next day, Aika cuts her hair very short to express her confident new self.y short to express her confident new self.
, For New Year's, Akari goes with Alicia to … For New Year's, Akari goes with Alicia to Piazza San Marco, where she meets Ai who is making a surprise visit. Ai meets several of Akari's friends, including Akatsuki and his brother, Woody, Aika, Akira, Grandma Akino, Alice, and Athena, all of whom she has only known from their correspondence, but embarrasses Akari by disclosing personal gossip she had included. When President Aria runs off into the crowd, Ai and Akari give chase, following his footprints through the snow. They reach an old canal and see on the other side the snow-free buildings of Akiko's time and several cats, including Ami . When a bell rings, the city of their own time appears, and they interpret the vision as Aqua's acceptance of Ai. They return to the Piazza, where Aria has already come back, in time for the midnight celebrations and stay until sunrise. As Akari and Alicia row home, they wish each other a happy new year, and Akari silently wishes all residents of the "beautiful planet", past and present, a new year filled with happiness.present, a new year filled with happiness.
, When Akari gives a city tour as an undine … When Akari gives a city tour as an undine under Alicia's supervision, her clients discover a flower garden she hadn't known about. After the tour, the three trainees search for more secret wonders of Neo-Venezia, during which Aika and Alice compete to show a wonder the other doesn't know. During that night's planned maintenance blackout, because Akari is afraid of the dark, Alicia sets out candles at Aria Company, turning it into "another world", and offers to sleep in Akari's room. When Akari despairs about how little she knows and of ever reaching Alicia's level as an undine, Alicia tells a story of her own ignorance of the city when she was a Single, and a flashback shows Akino comforting her with advice on how to find hidden wonders in things held closely. When they retire for the night, they discover the unsuspected beauty of starlight through the skylights in Akari's room, showing that a place can show different beauties at different times. Alicia says she is glad there she will always have new wonders to discover, and Akari agrees.new wonders to discover, and Akari agrees.
, A young girl, Ai, arrives at Aria Company … A young girl, Ai, arrives at Aria Company and demands that Akari give her a gondola tour of the city of Neo-Venezia. When Akari protests that, as a Single , she is not allowed to guide customers without a supervisor, Ai insists she be taken as a "friend" instead of a "customer," and Akari gives in. As they tour Neo-Venezia, Ai tells Akari she does not like it because of its inconveniences, to which Akari replies that the slow pace is exactly what she likes about Aqua. After meeting Akari's friend Aika for gondola practice and lunch, the older girls learn that Ai was predisposed to dislike Neo-Venezia because of her older sister's gushing after her honeymoon, which included a tour from Alicia. When President Aria, the company president and mascot, falls overboard and drifts out into the bay, Akari rows after him but he is saved instead by Alicia. At the end of the day, Ai has come to like Neo-Venezia through Akari and Aika, and asks to become Akari's penpal. That evening, Akari tells her mentor, Alicia, that it is a miracle to like something you had previously disliked.ike something you had previously disliked.
, Episode 3 bundled with the Blu-ray Box of Aria the Animation.
, In the first half of a two-part episode, o … In the first half of a two-part episode, on a summer day hot enough to see mirages on the ocean, Akari goes shopping in the afternoon. Through the heatwaves, she sees the street suddenly empty of people and thinks she has wandered into a dream. She follows President Aria into a cool cafe where only iced milk is served, because it's a refuge for the city's cats where humans usually cannot go. When Akari leaves, she sees Cait Sith tip his hat to her, and then the cafe turns into a boarded-up building and the people return. In the second half, Akari buys a nightshine windchime, a summer specialty of Aqua with a noctilucent clapper. For the month its glow lasts, she takes it everywhere with her, and at night holds tea parties with President Aria in her gondola, using it as their light. When it begins flickering out, Alicia and Akari follow Neo-Venezian custom and row out into bay to let the clapper drop into the water when it dies. When Akari's does so, it leaves behind a rare tear-shaped crystal, and Akari begins crying.r-shaped crystal, and Akari begins crying.
, After Akari dreams she's a Prima in charge … After Akari dreams she's a Prima in charge of Aria Company after Alicia's departure, nervously coaching Ai as a new Pair as well as another Single, she spends the day pensive. That evening, Alicia tells her about being a new Prima herself, shown in a flashback: After Grandma Akino retires, Alicia initially doesn't have the confidence to teach another undine, even after Akira has taken on Aika as a Pair. One evening Akira takes Alicia up the Campanile to see the view at sunset, and tells her this wonder is something undines must pass on to not only customers but the next generation of undines. Alicia agrees and hires a new Pair from Manhome—Akari. In the present, Akari asks how Alicia came to choose her, but Alicia says that's a secret. At Alicia's suggestion, that night they go to the Campanile after visiting hours. As they climb the tower, they hold hands, and Alicia thanks Akari for being the sort of student who shows her teacher new wonders, and for giving her confidence. As they look down at the lights of the nighttime city, Akari decides to treasure her remaining time with Alicia.o treasure her remaining time with Alicia.
, Episode 2 bundled with the Blu-ray Box of Aria the Animation.
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