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REVIEW: Aria The Natural Sub.DVD Boxset 2




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Otaking09



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 637
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:08 am Reply with quote
Isn't this review a little late?

Are they writing it now, so fans won't complain if they do Origination first?

No offense to Carlo, but this review seemed a little half-@$$ed...

I haven't personally seen the show yet (or any of the series for that matter), but I know a descriptive review when I see one, and I wasn't feeling it...

I know, I know, I probably couldn't write any better and all that. But as a fan of Junichi Sato, whose one of my favorite directors, and as a fan of slice-of-life anime, I back this review 100%...

If you guys really didn't want to do it, you didn't have too! Like another rant of fan complaints resembling those from certain Shelf Life forums, are gonna influence your decisions any more or less...
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:26 am Reply with quote
I cannot for the life of me figure out what you're complaining about and frankly most of your post doesn't make any sense.

Right Stuf sent a bunch of stuff in we hadn't reviewed so we're reviewing it. It's late, but better late than never.
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John Casey



Joined: 31 May 2009
Posts: 1853
Location: In My Angry Center
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:29 am Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
I cannot for the life of me figure out what you're complaining about and frankly most of your post doesn't make any sense.

Right Stuf sent a bunch of stuff in we hadn't reviewed so we're reviewing it. It's late, but better late than never.

Do they just send stuff randomly? Or do you make a specific item-to-editor list?
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Otaking09



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 637
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:38 am Reply with quote
Don't take it to heart Zac, it's just, when I was reading the Shin-chan review and saw this review pop out, I chuckled.

But in the end you got a point; better late than never.

What I was complaining about was how quick this one seemed to written after Origination was recently announced. Seemed a little "cover-all-bases".

And the review was a little short, and his grades didn't match his desriptions. I mean, the first half's music was rated A+ and this, an B+? A little weird...
Like I said: I wasn't feeling it. the feeling when someone describes something so well, that you just HAVE to see it or else...

...thought I made myself pretty clear, but then again, you just probably got finished looking over it before submitting. So the last thing you expected was Otaking09 complaining over something that seemed spot-on.

No need to be defensive, it was a good review, it just imbalanced the other half.
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Quark



Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 710
Location: British Columbia, Canada
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:24 am Reply with quote
This show has been dubbed 'Waking Coma' in our house, because of it's leisurely pace. I can't find anyone else who will watch this show with me because it's just too mellow.
Myself, I absolutely adore it, but like Carl said, it's impossible to watch too much of this show in one sitting. It took me ten months just to watch the first season, and I've yet to start on the second season. But that in itself isn't a bad thing - it's fun to have a show where you can just watch a few episodes here and there, and completely enjoy them, and just watch them at your leisure.

Oh yeah, and President Aria is one of the most strangely adorable things I've ever seen in anime.
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:49 am Reply with quote
Magical: there's just no other single word to describe the entirety of this beautiful series--aside from 'beautiful' itself.

Quote:
In addition, the occasional ventures into the supernatural feel strangely out of character: the urban-legend horror episode and Akari's "Galaxy Express" encounter with Cait Sith don't really connect with what Aria is all about—even if it does involve the same environs and characters


I recognize this series as a fantasy, so along with all its other mystical elements those episodes weren't out of place for me, at least.

Quote:
If there is one plot hole to be pointed out in a series that doesn't really have a plot, it is this: Don't these girls ever do any actual work?


Off-camera, I would think so. Just because we get more focus on the characters' general lives doesn't mean their jobs on the sides don't exist after all!


Last edited by pachy_boy on Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:50 am; edited 2 times in total
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PetrifiedJello



Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 3782
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:14 am Reply with quote
Quark wrote:
...it's impossible to watch too much of this show in one sitting.

I guess I can be the rare minority against "impossible" then. I must be some freak because I marathon this series every time I watch it.

I was surprised how fast this series delivered its 13 episodes with its slow-paced story telling. I was excited to learn Natural had 26 episodes of this gorgeous series, and yep... marathon-ed those too.
Sadly, Origination will have only 13 again, but they'll go too quick for me. Worse, that's it after this (as far as I'm aware).

Interestingly enough, the descriptions Carl used for the artwork (despite the faults) is what I believe made these things speed by. It's like you're on vacation, taking in the views, and before you know it, you're heading home again.

I do recall spending an extreme amount of time appreciating the art. Now that's impossible to ignore and it becomes apparent when you can spot the flaws almost instantly.

Looking forward to March's release of Origination so I can do the impossible once again.
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Northlander



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 901
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:39 pm Reply with quote
The Origination box will have 14 episodes, because it'll include the OAV, Arietta.
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Craeyst Raygal



Joined: 30 Apr 2002
Posts: 1383
Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT.
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:41 pm Reply with quote
I'm kind of glad to see that I'm not the only one using Aria as a "palette cleaner" for my new anime hunger. It's one of the few genuinely new shows that I've watched and felt was refreshing to see.

I won't lie. It would be nice to see something happen in terms of expanding on the characters. But, seeing as I'm an Oh! My Goddess fan, I don't think I can legitimately make that complaint.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:07 pm Reply with quote
Craeyst Raygal wrote:
I'm kind of glad to see that I'm not the only one using Aria as a "palette cleaner" for my new anime hunger. It's one of the few genuinely new shows that I've watched and felt was refreshing to see.

I won't lie. It would be nice to see something happen in terms of expanding on the characters. But, seeing as I'm an Oh! My Goddess fan, I don't think I can legitimately make that complaint.


Indeed there are a lot of similarities. It's a slow paced show with, mostly relaxing characters who are laid back. It's fine me with if they don't accomplish a single thing during an episode, as long as it was nice. Aria should really only be watched one episode at a time, and when you're stressed out or want to be more tired than you already are. Hidamari Sketch and Sketchbook are much along the same lines as that.
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Gewürtztraminer



Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 1028
Location: Texas - Its like whole other country.
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:25 pm Reply with quote
For me, I disagree on the one episode at a time label. Give me as much quality at a time as I can handle.

One downside to the half season dub sets and the similar two disc disc 13 episode sub sets....
If the material is not outstanding, 7 or 6 episodes is a chore to get through via rental. Thank god for 1.5x replay.
If something is even pretty bad, a 3 episode disc is no problem to get through, but 7 episodes.... Ugh.

Thankfully, Aria is none of these, I can watch and rewatch as much of this as they put out. The City of Neo Vencia and the Planet Aqua are as equal or greater of characters as the Undines in training. Right now, all available episodes are on a once a month rewatch schedule, despite my huge backlog of purchased but unwatched anime, as well as the rentless Netflix queue.

A previous poster mentioned it as well, for me it is pure Magic. I am happy to visit anytime, and for as many episodes as needed to get my fix.

Now back to plowing through Romeo X Juliet, Nabari No Ou, and Heroic Age. Speed set back at 1.5x.
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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 12:49 pm Reply with quote
Carl wrote:
...it appears that Akari would rather cling to her old friends instead of making new ones. In addition, the occasional ventures into the supernatural feel strangely out of character: the urban-legend horror episode and Akari's "Galaxy Express" encounter with Cait Sith don't really connect with what Aria is all about—even if it does involve the same environs and characters.


Huh, I actually thought it was a very good thing that Aria the Natural began focusing more on the core characters, since I like them so much; also, isn't that how most people really are? We pick up a few friends over the course of our lives that matter more than any of the others, and those are the ones we stick with.

But yeah, the Cait Sith episodes are somewhat extraneous, I find; although I did quite enjoy the urban legend one.

Quote:
Yet this relaxed lifestyle is clearly doing her a lot more good than being a 21st-century-style workaholic.


I assume that Akari and most other visitors to Mars/Aqua come from a lot of wealth.
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zrdb





PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 1:38 pm Reply with quote
"This show has been dubbed 'Waking Coma' in our house, because of it's leisurely pace. I can't find anyone else who will watch this show with me because it's just too mellow.
Myself, I absolutely adore it, but like Carl said, it's impossible to watch too much of this show in one sitting. It took me ten months just to watch the first season, and I've yet to start on the second season." Really? I had absolutely no problem "mainlineing" Aria The Natural and Aria The Origination in a few days-I found the final (concluding) episode of Origination very satisfying, most of the loose ends were neatly tied up-the passing of the torch to the next generation was excellent. Aria is a "slice of life" series-but a superbly done one.
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Proximately



Joined: 06 Jun 2009
Posts: 14
Location: Maybe I'll tell you one day ;-) .
PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:53 pm Reply with quote
I truly enjoyed this in about two sittings. And I would love a Blu-Ray version to keep for the stressed occassions. Wonderful series!
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reddrake



Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:10 am Reply with quote
I agree that too much Aria at one time would be a bad thing. This is a series I really enjoy watching an episode or two after I have had a bad day. The slow pace and relaxing atmosphere seems to always lend itself well to fixing a bad mood. The music is great and it fits well with the series. It's a series I can count on for nothing terrible to happen in , and that's ok... it's part of the charm.
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