Aria the Animation - Episode 12:That Gentle Wish...

I can see the episode 12 analysis.

On a day of heavy snow, Alicia closes up Aria Company and Akari takes this chance to go see the oldest bridge in Neo-Venezia.

Oh snap!

When Akari gets to the bridge, President Aria goes on ahead through the bridge. As Akari walks through the bridge, multiple cats appear inside of the bridge but she doesn't care much for it. President Aria is waiting at the end of the bridge when Akari finally catches up. The snow is all gone and the sky is clear unlike before.

Typical glasses girl.

Akari walks a little but notices a person having trouble setting up a camera. The two talk for a little while and the lady doesn't seem familiar with Aria Company or the customs that Akari is familiar with.  Akari introduces herself and the lady does the same, saying that her name is Akiko and then she invites Akari over for tea.

It's a trap!

What if it's rainy?

At Akiko's home, Akiko introduces her cat, Pete, and starts to make tea. While they talk, Akiko seems very similar to Akari and they make embarrassing remarks to each other. Akari and Akiko go to hang out on the veranda that Akiko built herself to have tea. 

Cabbage patch kids.

That's absurd.

Akiko picks some cabbage to make snacks and mentions that she has to pump water. Akari is confused about this but ignores it. Akiko tells Akari that she is relieved that she doesn't have to go and get water after today. Akari is even more confused at this but dismisses it as something that she has not learned yet since she is still new to Aqua.

Why am I looking at the sky?

Ara ara.

Not really.

As Akiko and Akari have snacks together, Akari talks about Aria Company but Akiko gets confused since there's no such company or any waterways for a company like that. Akari comments on how the snow on this side of the bridge is all gone but Akiko says that there shouldn't be any snow anywhere since Ukijima is fluctuating right now.

Where did we hear that from?

Akiko starts to set up her camera and Akari notices that she is using a data card. She remembers that data cards were only used long ago and that no one uses them now. Akari finally realizes that this Aqua isn't the one that she is used to.

Took you long enough.

Akiko and Akari are walking to the bridge to watch the waterways fill up but on the way, Akari begins to notice differences here that support the theory that she is in the past. Akari recalls a similar moment when she met Ami.

Familiar faces...

At the bridge, Akari discovers that Akiko is a teacher and Akiko introduces Akari to her students.

...everywhere.

While everyone waits for the water to come, Akari overhears some people arguing whether the water will come or not. Akari assures them that the water will come and tells them that Aqua will become a planet covered in oceans. This prediction surprises Akiko.

Aqua.

So beautiful.

I'm glad I watched you come to Aqua.

Akiko and Akari talk about how Aqua is a planet made by people and how it contains their feelings in it, which will definitely make it successful. Soon after, the water comes and fills up the waterway. Everyone celebrates the success and Akari realizes that this is the beginning of all the things that will happen here.

Learn something new everyday.

Clever.

Akari and President Aria say goodbye to Akiko and Pete. As they are saying their goodbyes, Akiko mentions that cats are the link between the past and the present and says her final goodbye to Akari, calling her, her avvenire.

What an adventure.

You don't know the half of it.

Akari and President Aria return to their own time and Akari remembers that avvenire means future in Italian before returning home. At Aria Company, Alicia welcomes Akari back and Akari immediately embraces Alicia.

Analysis:

In this episode, Akari meets Akiko, who has a similar personality to Akari. It takes a long time for Akari and Akiko to realize that they are from different times due to many misunderstandings. Akari realizes this first due to Akiko using an old type of data card, which she called new. Akiko notices when Akari predicts what Aqua will look like and when Akari is right about the water coming.

When Akari gets back to Aria Company, she embraces Alicia tightly. Akari does this because she is sad about losing a friend that she had just made. Akari is grateful that Alicia is her friend and gives her a long hug. Alicia receives Akari's feelings even without her saying.

The theme this episode is hope and miracles. The people of Aqua gather to wait for their waterways to fill with water, which is hinted to have happened many times before without success. Akari tells them to have hope and believe that Aqua will become great one day because of all the people working hard to make that happen. This is a reference to episodes 4 and 1. All of the people working to make Aqua a better place is trying their best to make their own miracle. Akari doesn't want these people to lose hope because she knows that their hopes and dreams will come true in the future.

This episode is called "That Gentle Wish" because the people of the past Aqua wish that this planet's conditions would become gentler so that a lot of people will come to live here and let the planet flourish.