Dreams of the Quill

I was half expecting Amaranth to ask for Akari’s right hand, and then remove her glove.

I love how seemingly dissimilar situations in completely different shows can take the same line or idea and execute it awesomely in two completely different ways. In Clannad, we had the heart-felt rooftop scene with Sunohara’s “it’s all about the passion in your heart” followed by Tomoya’s “You say good things sometimes!” In ARIA the Origination, we get the touching revelation under the wisteria that yes, Amaranth has seen all these places before, but, as she says, “what’s important is that your heart was in showing them to me.”

The former scene is amazing for its comedic value, the latter for its “wonderful” value.

Ever since I started watching ARIA, I’ve thought that Akari’s “wonderful mode”ǃ�her ability to derive joy from anything and everything and to find the goodness in the worldǃ�was something to envy, and maybe even to emulate. I would enter an imitation mode at times, mainly to bug people, and that was wrong. It’s only recently, since the end of November really, that I found my own “wonderful mode.” And since I found it, I’ve not stopped living within it. It’s not a matter of deliberately turning it on anymore. I don’t do it to bug people by saying things like, “this shit you dislike isn’t actually all that bad in my humble opinionǃ�I think it’s great!” I don’t do it.

It happens.

And it will continue to happen, I imagine, because ARIA is fast replacing AIR as the show that’s been most influential in shaping my world view. More importantly, its effects are tangible. I’ve been happy, happier than I’ve ever been before. Even as I learn more and more of the horrors of the world (hurray AP U.S. Government), I’m coming to love it more and more. There are fewer and fewer people I dislike personally, and none I hate. I’m liking more foods. I’m having more fun in interaction.

Anyway, ARIA the Origination continues to amaze. Yes, amaze. It’s exceeding expectations. It’s stunningly beautiful (after the low-budget season two…) and it continues to rock my world in the way its predecessor seasons did (“My, what wonderful friends you have there!” “Yes, very :)”). I’ll try to post on it every week, though don’t expect caps or summaries. My somewhat-lame “this is ARIA and this is how it affects my life” is all you’re gonna get. Though… I might be giving too much love to Akari here, what with my worship of her technique. I’ll focus on Alice or Aika next week. They’re also great, after all.

Let’s be together on Aqua again next time.