Aria the Animation - Episode 11:Those Orange Days...

For another super exciting analysis.

Now gather around the fire kids.

Akari is terrified.

Whoa, bombshell.

Alice, Akari, and Aika finish with their combined training but when they go inside Aria Company, they find Alicia along with Athena and Akira. The three trainee undines find it strange since they never see their mentors together. Athena finds out that the three trainees do combined practice together and she starts laughing uncontrollably. Alicia explains that this is because they used to do combined training together when they were singles too.

Tsundere

When did Aika change her hair color?

Alicia tells of how she got to meet Akira. Alicia used to be the only apprentice in Aria Company like Akari is right now. Akira noticed this and made excuses to hang out with Alicia when they were young. Athena says that Akira made excuses because she was shy. Alice agrees and says that Aika is just like Akira.

No...

My reaction when I first saw the worm straw.

Yes.

Alicia moves on to talk about when she met Athena with Akira. They were talking about the rumored genius undine in Orange Planet when Athena hits them on her gondola. Akira notices that Athena is from Orange Planet so she invites her to lunch and tries to get information about the rumored undine from Orange Planet. Athena doesn't know about it and the three of them end up hanging out together after.

Look both ways.

Silly Athena.

More shenanigans.

I agree.

The three of them practice together from then on. Compared to the guiding skills and maneuvering techniques of Alicia and Akira, Athena was much worse. Alice comments on how it seems that Athena was always dopey.

Surprise guys!

I like her song.

*clapping

Akira continues the story and tells of when they practiced their canzone. They played rock-paper-scissors to figure out who has to sing first and Athena loses. While Athena is singing, people who are nearby and other gondoliers stop to listen. Athena finishes singing and the people who were listening break out in applause. Akira finally realizes that Athena was the rumored undine and gets mad.

Way to bring down the mood.

Alice speaks up and says that one day when they become primas like their mentors, they won't be able to see each other any more. Athena agrees with Alice but she tells her that at least she enjoys life now. All three of the mentors agree that even though the past together was fun, they can still enjoy the present just as much.

Strange...

Symphony by Yui Makino

Saddest scene I've seen so far.

Oh, nevermind.

Akari walks with Alice and Aika and sees them off. When they leave Akari's sight, Akari realizes that she misses them already and chases after them to tell them that she will see them tomorrow.

I cried anyways.

When Akari gets back, she watches the mentors and thinks that they must have talked like this when they were singles.

Analysis:

Alicia, Athena, and Akira are reminded of their time as singles together when they are with their students, Akari, Alice, and Aika. The mentors and their students are very similar in more than ways than one. Each student reflects the personality of their mentor a little and they also spend their time together similarly. The relationship between the mentors now also represents the relationship that their students will have with each other in the future, a distant relationship together.

This episode reminds us just how harsh reality is through the emotions of Akari, Aika, and Alice. All of them are depressed to find out that they will eventually drift away from each other even though they are such good friends now. They only have now to enjoy their time together and when that time is over, they have to move forward no matter what. This is the harsh reality.

The theme this episode is to live in the present. Even though most of the episode is spent in the flashback of Alicia, Akira, and Athena's time together, all of them agree that they are able to enjoy their current situations as well. They were sad when they drifted apart from each other but they met new people and discovered new things. All of the mentors were able to realize that even if the past together was fun, they can enjoy the present just as much. Change can be painful but it can also bring new happiness. Akari says in the end that things that "are precious because they change," are just as precious as things that don't change.

This episode is called "Those Orange Days" because the days that the undines spend together are fun and warm like the color orange.