Aria the Natutral S2 Pt2 Review

4 star gentle gondoliering in New Venezia.

Aria the Natural is a sci-fi Japanese animation, the sequel to the series Aria the Animation. It is adapted from the manga series Aqua and Aria by Kozue Amano and produced by studio Hal Film Maker. Directed by Jun’ichi Satō, the second half of the series is presented here with both English dub and Japanese with subtitles, courtesy of MVM Entertainment.

“Precious time you spend with those precious to you. I’ll be able to revisit this dear moment, even in the distant, distant future.”

Aria the Natural is set on the fictional planet of Aqua, which is in fact a terraformed Mars. Continuing on from the end of part one, it tells us the story of Akari (Veronica Taylor – Dragon Ball Super, Sailor Moon) a young girl from Manhome (Earth) who has travelled to Aqua to learn to be an Undine, or trainee gondolier. When Venice was submerged on Manhome, it was recreated on Aqua in an attempt to recapture its wonder, a city of canals known as Neo-Venezia.

The girls continue their training and explorations of the city while facing all sorts of trials along the way. These include a hair disaster and crisis of confidence for Aika (Jessica Calvello – Excel Saga), the loss of Akari’s beloved gondola, a scary ghost story on Piatta San Marco and a wedding anniversary celebration.

Together, they move towards their ultimate goal, becoming an Undine.

“If you have an encounter, there’ll always come a day that you have to say goodbye, right? That’s something beyond our control though.”

The second half of this very enjoyable series is every bit as good as the first and it also gives a bit more of a sense of direction, as the girls continue to settle into their training. As before, it is recommended that you watch the first two parts before this one, or you won’t understand who anyone is.

The beautiful animation and excellent soundtrack highlight the magical nature of Aqua and it’s inhabitants and add very nicely to the laid back atmosphere. Don’t come to this expecting action, there isn’t any and neither is there an ongoing story, this is a true slice-of-life anime, gloriously uplifting and well worth a relaxing watch. Roll on Season 3!

“Meat here, meat there, meat everywhere. A meat chant? I want to join in too!”

Aria the Natural S2 Pt2 is available to buy now on Blu-ray.