So I've watched ARIA season 1 ("The Animation") on DVD and it's just as good as I remembered it.  But tonight, I was rewatching the outstanding Episode 9 of season 3 ("The Origination"), when something struck me... something that made me smile and applaud (metaphorically, of course) the staff and writers of the series all over again.

Episode three of the first series is when we're first introduced to Alice, the Pair from Orange Planet.  She's something of a prodigy at the gondola, yet still in school.  In the episode, it's revealed that, in fact, she was featured in "Undine Magazine", what I figure is the People of Neo-Venezia. 

As Alice walks to school, she is approached by two admirers who'd like an autograph:

She turns them down, saying (in effect) "I haven't done anything yet."  A sensible attitude, but it kinda crushes the spirit of the two girls.

Jump now to episode 9 of season three.  Alice has just gone through her school's graduation ceremony, and is in the process of leaving the school grounds.  Before she does, however, she's approached...

...by the same two girls!  This time, one of them asks for a button off her jacket, and Alice agrees.

The first time I watched it, I thought it was nice, but I didn't catch the link back to the beginning of the show.  Now, though, I'm just impressed as all get-out by either the forethought put into ARIA, or the memories of the creative staff (whichever you'd prefer).

It's a little thing, but hugely important in showing the development of Alice's character over time...  and it's the little things that count.

(incidentally, the two screencaps show what can be done with a halfway decent budget, too...)

Posted by: Wonderduck at 11:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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