A N I M E / O T A K U : PART 2

Aria the Natural

Other Title:

Aria The Natural

Synonyms:

Aria 2

Type:

TV

Aired:

April 3, 2006 to September 25, 2006

Source:

Manga

Genres:

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Shounen, Slice of Life

Synopsis:

Akari Mizunashi continues her training to become a Prima Undine (a professional tour guide gondolier) along with her friends Aika and Alice in the peaceful city of Neo Venezia. Despite the fact that these three girls are from competing companies, they are constantly together, learning more about how to become better tour guides and more about the mysteries of Neo Venezia.

As the group continues to meet interesting and unforgettable people through their daily routines, they will also come closer to the secrets that make the enigmatic and ever beautiful city of Neo Venezia so warm and alive.

Welcome back to Neo Venezia: the city where miracles can be created by hand.

Characters and Voice Actors:

- Main:

Alice "Kohai-chan, Orange Princess" Caroll

Birth place and date: Aqua, September 1

Height: 145 cm

Age: 14

Blood type: B

A girl introduced in volume 3, Alice is a trainee for Orange Planet, a company who currently holds the first place in the water guide business. She first appears as a very standoffish, snotty young girl; however, exposure to Akari's mood begins to lighten her up as the series progresses. This does not stop her from telling the other girls to be quiet when they argue, however.

She is just a trainee when Akari and Aika are apprentices, but is already showing a talent for rowing that might surpass both of them (in fact, this is the reason why she was scouted by Orange Planet despite her age). Despite this (and the fact that Akari and Aika are from rival businesses), she often joins the two in joint practice sessions, and she sincerely enjoys their company.

Alice speaks in a very deadpan manner, and tends to use the word dekkai (でっかい - meaning "huge") often in the course of speaking. Aika also commonly addresses her as "Kohai-chan" (後輩ちゃん - or "junior" said in a friendly manner).

Spoiler:

Of the three girls, Alice is actually the first to become a prima, efficiently sidestepping the single/journeyman status and earning herself the nickname "Orange Princess" (as seen above.) Alice not becoming a single might be because she was going to school, and because Orange Planet didn't want to burden her with the addition of potentially being able to take on customers when accompanied by a Prima, as she arguably had the talent to become a single even before she met Akari and Aika. (Since the single test is basically rowing up the canal to the Hill of Hope.

- Hirohashi, Ryou (Japanese)

- Di Pisa, Loretta (Italian)

- Yeo, Min Jeong (Korean)

Akira E. "Crimson Rose" Ferrari

Status: Prima

Birth date and place: Aqua, July 29