Anime tends to thrive on being as loud and boisterous as possible, regardless of the genre. Shonen series like Naruto, Fairy Tail, and Sword Art Online thrive on constant, hot-blooded energy. Even quirky romcoms or slice of life comedies like Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Nichijou, and Azumanga Daioh thrive on delivering wild and hyperactive energy that plays into the comedy and style of the show. Every now and then, though, an anime comes along that bucks these trends and delivers a quiet, calm, quaint experience. When talking about slow and serene series like these, it’s impossible not to mention Aria. This unassuming anime series invites viewers to peacefully drift along the waves of a futuristic Italian town and simply soak in the gorgeous, soothing atmosphere. It’s the 15th anniversary of the first season of the series, and to celebrate, a brand new film sequel is slated to arrive in Japan next spring.
Titled Aria the Crepusculo, the new 15th-anniversary theatrical film sequel once again brings us to the peaceful town of Neo Venezia, with plenty of familiar faces coming back as well. Ryou Hirohashi and Ai Kayano return to the franchise as Alice Carroll and Anya Dostoyevskaya. Athena Glor, meanwhile, will be voiced by Rina Satou following the passing of her original voice actress Tomoko Kawakami.
Plenty of staff members from the Aria franchise are also set to return to work on the new film. Junichi Sato, the director of all previous anime adaptations of the Kozue Amano Aria manga, returns as chief director and scriptwriter. He’s joined at J.C. Staff by new director Takahiro Natori, who previously served as an episode director and storyboarder on Aria. Yoko Ito, the artist behind Amanchu! and Skate-Leading Stars, is the character designer and chief animation director for the film. Music composers Choro Club and Takeshi Senoo also return to compose more music for the latest entry in the series. Shochiku will be producing the film alongside distributor Shochiku ODS Jigyō-shitsu.
The original 2005 Aria the Animation anime was distributed in English by Right Stuf’s Nozomi Entertainment label, and it describes the show as follows:
Akari Mizunashi, at the age of 15, has left everything behind to travel to a sparkling planet covered in water, Aqua, formerly known as Mars. By the 24th century, humans have found a way to colonize the formerly uninhabitable planet.
More than anything, Akari wants to be an “undine” — a female gondolier who navigates the canals of the Aquan city of Neo-Venezia. The city itself is a faithful replication of Manhome’s (Earth) city of Venice. To make sure that residents and tourists alike get the most from Neo-Venezia’s many wonders, companies offering guided tours via gondola were formed, one of which is named Aria Company.
As she begins her training with the prestigious Aria Company, will she be up to the challenges that await her on the path to achieve her dream?
While J.C. Staff is animating the new Aria film, studio Hal Film Maker animated the original 2005 series. That first season went on to inspire two follow up seasons, Aria the Natural in 2006 and Aria the Origination in 2008. A pair of OVA sequels were also produced in the form of Aria the OVA ~Arietta~ in 2007 and Aria the Avvenire in 2015.
Source: Anime News Network
