Aria the Animation (Season 1) was a great introduction to the unique setting of Neo Venezia and the general flow of the series: A relaxing, wholesome slice of life where the main character, Akari Mizunashi, learns to become a better gondola tour guide while also exploring the world driven by her natural curiosity.

Aria the Natural is a natural next step for the series. As a season 2, it's twice as long as season 1, allowing the show to experiment more while still keeping the episodic, wholesome vibe of getting to know various minor characters and the world of Neo Venezia.

What I personally like more about Aria the Natural compared to season 1 is its higher emphasis on character development. Even though I liked Aika and Alice in season 1, they only got small glimpses of depth.

Season 2 is where both Aika and Alice really get to shine as characters, with the animation feeling less like it’s just Akari’s show. Aika's journey of learning to be herself and not just copy Alicia was a nice, touching arc. It was also refreshing to see more of her role as the serious yet normal member of the trio, especially since Akari can be a bit air-headed and Alice isn’t naturally social.

Similarly, Alice’s development as an antisocial genius was perfect. While she’s a natural at gondola rowing, being better than both Akari and Aika, her social skills need a lot of work, especially with her mentor, Athena. Alice gets a bunch of great episodes that showcase her slowly growing development into a prima, just like the rest of the trio.

Akari, of course, is still the same—optimistic, curious, and genuinely happy-go-lucky. She just wants to get to know the world and other people, which naturally draws people to her, both in and out of the universe.

I mentioned earlier that Aria the Natural starts to get a bit more experimental, and unfortunately, that’s where I think this season falters compared to the more focused seasons 1 and 3.

For every chill, relaxing, awesome episode like in season 1, which focuses on the trio’s development, there are just as many boring, random supernatural episodes that don’t really go anywhere.

My personal least favorite aspect of the whole Aria series is the “Cait Sith” arc. I thought this whole mystery—if you can even call it that—led to a boring conclusion and gave off weird implications about the relationship between this character and Akari. I feel like these episodes could’ve been removed, and Aria the Natural would have been a lot better for it.

It sucks because these episodes are easily my least favorite, but Aria the Natural still has a lot of great stuff going for it. So while I do enjoy the season overall, I can’t help but consider it a step down compared to seasons 1 and 3.