ARIA The NATURAL
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Episodes (26)
1 / 2
EP 1Ai and Akari encounter Casanova during Neo-Venezia's Carnevale festival events.
Apr 2, 2006Ai visits Akari at Aria Company for Neo-Venezia's Carnevale, where they observe President Aria departing alone before the festivities begin. On the first day, the pair meets Casanova, the masked master of ceremonies named after the historical figure. Later, on Ai's final day on Aqua, they spot one of Casanova's attendants while speaking with Aika and Alice. After chasing the attendant, Akari and Ai become separated from their friends and confront Casanova, who briefly invites them to join his cheering procession. He then stops them, giving each a jasmine flower and revealing that President Aria is his attendant and that he is Cait Sith, the legendary king of Aqua's cats. When Aika and Alice eventually locate them, they claim Casanova is a fairy.
EP 2Aika, Akari, and Alice follow a note to find a treasure in Neo-Venezia.
Apr 9, 2006On an early spring day, Aika, Akari, and Alice discover a box containing a note during rowing practice. This leads to a treasure hunt across Neo-Venezia, starting at Caffe; Florian on Piazza San Marco. There, Akari speaks with a customer who claims expertise in enjoying the square. They wait for the Campanile’s shadow to shift before finding the next clue. The final clue points to a scenic hillside view, described as a treasure in the heart. Upon returning the clues for others to find, they notice previous marks. Back at the Piazza, Alicia reveals the man is the cafe owner, greeting Akari as an Expert in Happiness. Akari emails about the day, and Ai responds that Neo-Venezia is a large treasure chest.
EP 3Akari, Aika, and Alice plan to watch a meteor shower with Al the gnome.
Apr 16, 2006Upon learning of an upcoming meteor shower, Akari, Aika, and Alice arrange to view the event together. During their outing, they encounter Al, a gnome and underground gravity regulator for Aqua, who is shopping on the surface and invites them to lunch. A shy Aika accepts and asks him to join their viewing plans. Alice declines the evening invitation, leaving Akari, Aika, and Al. Avoiding the crowded and bright Piazza San Marco, the trio navigates narrow streets, with Akari reciting a chant from Casanova's procession for courage. They eventually reach the roof of a Himeya Company office building, which offers a clear view of the night sky and the falling meteors. While Akari looks for another spot, Aika realizes she is alone with Al and becomes flustered, jokingly blaming him for attracting the meteors. On the walk home, Al notes that some meteors survive atmospheric entry to reach the ground.
EP 4A Heart Colored Like Neo-Venezia Explores the Value of Handwritten Letters
Apr 23, 2006Mr. Mailman borrows Akari and her gondola for a day to complete his rounds while his own vessel is repaired. They collect mail from canal-side postboxes in the morning and deliver it after lunch. During the journey, they assist a boy in personally delivering a letter to his former teacher at her wedding, apologizing for past bad behavior caused by her departure. Mr. Mailman explains that Neo-Venezians prefer the inconvenience of mail because handwritten letters carry the sender's heart, becoming treasures and links between the past and present. Akari agrees that letters are like Neo-Venezia, allowing one to touch the creators' hearts. Mr. Mailman tells her she has been painted with the color of Neo-Venezia. The next morning, Akari is moved by his handwritten thank-you note.
EP 5Exploring an Inari Shrine and Cherry Tree Picnic on Two Islands
Apr 30, 2006In the first part, Alicia brings Akari to an island featuring a Japanese Inari shrine reproduction. After purchasing inari sushi, Akari receives a warning about fox spirits. Separated from Alicia during a sunshower, she encounters a fox spirit wedding procession. When a spirit extends a hand, Akari offers her sushi in fear, causing them to depart. The second part sees Alicia and Akari on a picnic to find signs of spring on another island. They walk through a forest and follow an old railway, but take a wrong turn at a fork. Before turning back, they discover an abandoned rail-car under a large blooming cherry tree. While admiring the scene, Alicia shares a story about the value of mistakes in serendipity.
EP 6Alice Reflects on Her Fears and Decides to Attend the Party
May 7, 2006Athena observes Alice isolating herself after leaving Orange Planet. Akari and Aika visit their dorm late, prompting Athena to invite them to stay. Alice notices Athena’s unusual clumsiness and attributes it to happiness over Alice’s social interactions. Although Akari urges her to accept a party invitation, Alice declines, believing other Pairs envy her talent as a younger undine. Athena explains that others act like mirrors, reflecting Alice’s own fear of rejection rather than genuine jealousy. After witnessing Maa’s determined effort to reach President Aria’s belly, Alice resolves to smile more and attend the gathering.
EP 7Akari and friends follow President Aria to a forbidden cat kingdom.
May 14, 2006Akari, Alice, and Aika observe President Aria navigating a restricted channel during practice but retreat when Alice must attend school. That evening, Akari expresses hesitation to Alicia, who references the Manhome legend of an inaccessible feline kingdom. This memory recalls Cait Sith’s earlier intervention during Carnevale. The following day, while Alice trains with new acquaintances from the Orange Planet party, Akari and Aika spot President Aria again and pursue him past the gate. They become trapped in a flooded, circular labyrinth surrounded by watching cats. Akari apologizes for intruding, prompting President Aria to guide them out. As they depart, she observes the building filled with cats, including a bowing Cait Sith.
EP 8Akari and Akatsuki navigate Neo-Venezia's Festa del Bocolo flooding to deliver roses to Alicia.
May 21, 2006During Neo-Venezia's annual flooding, Akari recognizes the Festa del Bocolo, where women receive red roses. Akatsuki buys numerous roses for Alicia, believing a single bloom cannot convey his infinite love, and asks Akari for help carrying them. They encounter Aika, who also intends to give a rose to Alicia. A saleswoman explains the tragic Manhome legend behind the festival, prompting Akari to reflect on enduring love. Aika meets Al, who gifts her an uncut red gemstone called the Eye of the Rose. Akatsuki and Akari eventually find Alicia, but Akatsuki becomes too nervous to present the flowers. Alicia assumes he gave them to Akari and leaves them alone. Akatsuki chases after her, accidentally spilling the roses. Akari describes the floating blooms as his feelings reaching Alicia. In gratitude for her assistance, Akatsuki gives Akari her first Bocolo rose.
EP 9Akari and Alicia explore Neo-Venezia's hidden wonders and find beauty in starlight
May 28, 2006Akari leads a city tour as an undine under Alicia's supervision, where clients discover an unknown flower garden. Afterwards, three trainees search for secret wonders in Neo-Venezia, with Aika and Alice competing to reveal unknown sites. During a planned maintenance blackout, Akari's fear of darkness prompts Alicia to light candles at Aria Company, creating a unique atmosphere and offering to share Akari's room. Despairing over her limited knowledge, Akari receives comfort from Alicia, who shares her own past ignorance as a Single. A flashback shows Akino advising her on finding hidden wonders. They witness the unexpected beauty of starlight through skylights, realizing places reveal different beauties at different times. Alicia expresses joy at having new wonders to discover, and Akari agrees.
EP 10Aika and Alice observe Akari's friendly interactions with locals and strangers on a vaporetto.
Jun 4, 2006Aika and Alice notice Akari greeting many Neo-Venezians during practice, finding it mysterious that an immigrant knows more locals than they do. They secretly follow her on a vaporetto to see how she makes friends easily, watching her chat with passengers. Missing their stop, they backtrack and hear President Aria’s voice, leading them to see Akari enjoying a street puppet performance with a mysterious man. Both girls recall watching this show as children. Alice concludes that Akari’s ability stems from her natural kindness and finding joy in nearly everything, explaining her ease in connecting with others.
EP 11Akari transports glassware and defends Neo-Venezian craftsmanship against tourist prejudice.
Jun 11, 2006Akatsuki’s older brother assigns Akari her first commission to transport glassware by gondola. At the workshop, she overhears a tourist dismissing Neo-Venezian glass as inferior to Venetian products. The supervising apprentice initially refuses her help but later apologizes, explaining his frustration over people judging the craft solely by tradition broken when Venice sank. Akari argues that Neo-Venezia is a unique, living city cherished for its own identity, not a fake imitation. She insists the glass is beautiful and genuine. Upon delivery, Akatsuki’s brother jokes that the apprentice has become Akari’s fan and thus a rival to Akatsuki.
EP 12Akari encounters a magical cafe and participates in the Aqua nightshine windchime ritual
Jun 18, 2006During a hot summer day, Akari follows President Aria into a hidden cafe for cats, only to find it vanishes into a boarded-up building upon her exit. Later, she purchases a noctilucent nightshine windchime, a summer specialty of Aqua. For a month, she carries the glowing chime everywhere and hosts tea parties with President Aria in her gondola at night. When the light begins to fade, Alicia and Akari follow Neo-Venezian tradition by rowing into the bay to let the clapper drop into the water. As the chime dies, it leaves behind a rare tear-shaped crystal, causing Akari to begin crying.
EP 13Alice's Shadow Walking Challenge and Athena's Supportive Allyship
Jun 25, 2006Alice blames bad luck on failing a personal challenge, prompting Akari to call her behavior childish yet cute. She then attempts to walk home stepping only on shadows, nearly succeeding before Athena’s distracting song from her gondola causes her to stumble. The next day, Alice repeats the attempt and encounters Athena, who catches her after she trips over Maa. Alice initially bans assistance, declaring it her own battle, but misses a jump near Orange Planet. Athena suddenly provides a shadow for her to step on, explaining she is an ally like in a video game. Alice accepts this help, completing the walk. Akari notes Athena’s song is light-hearted, leading Alice to realize Athena cheered her up previously and has been her ally all along.
- 14EP 14
Akari designs a palina using archival sketches and Grandma Akino's history.
Jul 2, 2006Akari asks Alicia why Aria Company lacks a distinctive palina, prompting her to design one. While searching archives for inspiration, she finds sketches by one of Grandma Akino’s first employees, which were never executed due to undecided company colors. Akino visits the city on business and shares this history. Akari creates a design in blue and white, reflecting the sea, sky, and current uniforms, and paints it herself. Alicia remarks that one day, as a Prima, Akari will view the palina with a junior employee, symbolizing her current self. Akari counters that Alicia and the original designer are also part of the palina. Ai notes this implies reading an old email allows someone to meet them as they were at that time.
- 15EP 15
Akari reflects on friendship while Akatsuki shares a childhood story with Akira and Al.
Jul 9, 2006On a hot midsummer day, Akari eats lunch alone until Akira, Akatsuki, and Al join her. Akatsuki argues with Akira, prompting Al to recount a childhood memory involving Akatsuki, Woody, and two new children. In the flashback, the group excludes the newcomers until one boy outjumps Akatsuki on a swing, leading to a slide race that Akatsuki loses. Back in the present, Alicia reveals she was one of those children, alongside Akira. Akari observes how the four friends’ lives intersect within the large circle of Aqua, feeling excluded due to her recent arrival in Neo-Venezia. Akira reassures her that she is already at the center of their friend group. The episode concludes with Athena rowing past and various characters meeting by chance.
- 16EP 16
Akari bids farewell to her gondola through a tour of shared memories before a spiritual encounter.
Jul 16, 2006During a routine inspection, Akari and Alicia learn that Akari's gondola is too worn for tourist service and must be sold as a freight hauler. Although Akari requests to keep it for training, she is advised that the gondola prefers daily use over infrequent employment. Following Alicia's suggestion, Akari embarks on a farewell tour to locations holding special memories, including taking Akatsuki as her first paying customer and meeting Alice. The journey concludes with her retracing the route of her promotion test to Single from before the series began. While descending a canal lock on her return, Akari falls asleep and dreams that the gondola's spirit appears, stating that their meeting was fate. Upon returning to Aria Company, she recalls the first time she rowed the gondola.
- 17EP 17
Alicia and Akari share a gondola picnic and memories of their training days.
Jul 23, 2006Alicia and Akari enjoy a picnic dinner on a worn training gondola, prompting flashbacks of Alicia’s first lesson with Grandma Akino and their shared cleaning experiences. Aika, Akira, Alice, and Athena join for a party, where Akari’s photo reminds Athena of a similar image taken when Alicia was promoted to Prima and exchanged her black gondola for a white one. Later, Akari remains in the gondola as rain falls and falls asleep, only for the gondola’s spirit to cover her with an umbrella. Days later, while rowing her new gondola back to Aria Company, Akari is surprised to see her old one fully loaded. Ai reassures her that her new gondola will bring many fresh experiences.
- 18EP 18
Aika's Hair Burns and She Decides to Be Herself
Jul 30, 2006Aika attends a barbecue with a new hairstyle, pleased by Alicia's praise, but her hair catches fire. After Akira extinguishes the flames, Aika flees in distress. At the Himeya Company, Akari and Alice trim her damaged hair while Aika reveals she grew it to match Alicia's length and become like her. Akira overhears and states it is impossible for her to become an undine like Alicia. He stops her from running away again, explaining that impersonating others is futile and she should instead aim to be the best undine in Neo-Venezia by being herself. The following day, Aika cuts her hair very short to express her confident new self.
- 19EP 19
Aika battles illness and insecurity while her friends reassure her of her place in the group.
Aug 6, 2006A week after cutting her hair, Aika catches a cold and remains in her room. Worried that Akari and Alice are slacking off during practice without her, she feels restless by the third day. She sneaks out of Himeya Company to buy pudding, cute hairpins, and gelato. Seeing Akari and Alice practicing, she returns to her room. When Akari and Alice visit to bring her pudding, they find her crying because she feels the world is moving on without her, and they reassure her that she still has a place with them. Two days later, Aika returns to practice but is distracted by the urge to show off her new haircut and hairpins to Al, though the thought embarrasses her. With encouragement from Akari and Alice, she visits Al, who likes the change.
- 20EP 20
Akari encounters a mysterious black-clad figure near Piazza San Marco during a summer heatwave.
Aug 13, 2006Amidst a summer heatwave, Akari waits for Alice near Piazza San Marco while Aika recounts a Manhome ghost story about a Venetian woman executed and denied burial at Isola di San Michele. That evening, a lady in black requests a ride to Neo-Venezia’s replica of the cemetery, which Akari accepts. As they cross the bay, dozens of cats watch from rooftops. Upon arrival, the lady drags Akari into the cemetery, claiming she wishes to keep her friend forever. Her veil falls, revealing an empty dress, and Cait Sith appears behind it. The dress flees, and Cait Sith embraces Akari before she wakes at Aria Company holding a rose petal. Alice reveals the story was invented on Aqua, heightening the fear.
- 21EP 21
Akari receives a paw-print ticket and meets Cait Sith on the midnight train.
Aug 20, 2006Akari is awakened at 2:00 AM by a distant train despite Neo-Venezia's railway being closed. She shares her belief that it is the train from Night on the Galactic Railroad with Aika and Alice. President Aria observes Akari rereading the novel and delivers a ticket sealed with Cait Sith's giant paw-print that night. Although Akari initially hesitates to see Cait Sith again, Alicia encourages her to seize the opportunity to connect with Aqua's spirit. At night, Aria leads Akari to invisible tracks where cats board a train. Akari gives her ticket to a kitten and recognizes the disguised conductor as Cait Sith. She thanks him for saving her in the cemetery and they embrace. He stamps her forehead like a ticket, removes his cap, and the train departs, leaving the mark visible the next morning.
- 22EP 22
President Aria encounters a parallel world while Akatsuki recalls his childhood as Aqua's protector
Aug 27, 2006In the first segment, Akari speculates that the stairs lead to a parallel dimension. President Aria enters and discovers a reality where everyone is of the opposite sex. Distressed by this change, he flees back to the Aria Company to return home. There, male Alicia attempts to cheer him up by tossing him, and female Woody tries helping with an air-cycle but drops him. He eventually wakes up back in his original world. The second segment features Akatsuki sharing a flashback with Alicia and Akari about his younger brother. As a child, the brother pretended to be an artificial human serving as the protector of Aqua. When teased by an alien impersonator, Akatsuki fled in fear until his mother comforted him with a cape, confirming his artificial identity. In the present, Akatsuki reacts with shock upon learning what his brother has done.
- 23EP 23
Alicia and Akari assist a couple recreating the Marriage of the Sea ceremony in Neo-Venezia.
Sep 3, 2006Near the end of summer, Alicia and Akari guide an older couple celebrating their anniversary. The husband declines a visit to Piazza San Marco, asking his wife to meet him at the harbor later. Akari, Aika, and Alice encounter him arguing with a man refusing to rent a bucintoro boat for the Marriage of the Sea ceremony, which the mayor performs in Neo-Venezia. Akari offers her gondola as a substitute, and the trainees decorate it. Aika secures a volunteer band. Alicia, Akira, and Athena’s customers watch as the ceremony begins. Since the husband forgot the ring, they use one purchased by the wife that afternoon. The wife calls the recreation clumsy but thanks her husband, asking him to love her forever when it ends.
- 24EP 24
Undines of Tomorrow: Rainy Day Study and Workplace Realities
Sep 10, 2006Akari and Alice join Aika for group study in her room instead of gondola practice on a rainy day. Akira greets them while two colleagues watch, leading Aika to believe her skills are being recognized. After the trainees daydream about becoming Primas, Akira assigns paperwork. Aika overhears the colleagues badmouthing Akira as stuck-up due to her status as one of the Three Great Water Fairies. Upset, she shares this with Akari and Alice. Akira explains that backbiting is inevitable in the competitive undine world and advises accepting both good and bad experiences without taking them for granted. She opens the shutters to reveal the rain has stopped. The trainees resolve to grow stronger to achieve their goals as Primas.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many episodes does ARIA The NATURAL have?
- ARIA The NATURAL has 26 episodes.
- When did ARIA The NATURAL come out?
- ARIA The NATURAL came out in 2006.
- Which studio made ARIA The NATURAL?
- ARIA The NATURAL was produced by Hal Film Maker.
- Who directed ARIA The NATURAL?
- ARIA The NATURAL was directed by Junichi Satou.
- Is ARIA The NATURAL finished?
- Current status of ARIA The NATURAL: Finished.