I would recommend reading the two previous reviews before checking out this one, but at last, we made it to Aria the Origination. The conclusion of the Aria series and a large part of why I decided to watch Aria in general. Granted, a Discord server I'm on has the majority of the users there raving about it, which is a part of the reason, but I was really excited to see how this series would come to a close and why it was so beloved. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Animation and I loved Natural, but Origination is such an emotionally charged conclusion that it transcends most anime for me. I haven't connected with an anime quite like this since Sangatsu no Lion. It really is a thing of beauty. Now with that said, let's get started!
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Aria the Origination

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The improved animation quality from Arietta remains the same here, with Origination doing away with the 4:3 aspect ratio and makes it fullscreen. Also, Origination does make the real to life impression of Venice even more impressive with beautiful scenery and backgrounds. Episode 2 of Origination is probably the best example of this, with beautiful flowers and a Wisteria tree as well that was hidden away from the rest of the city. While exploring Neo-Venenzia isn't the main focus of the season like it was in Natural, it still gives the impression that Origination is a beautiful way to conclude the series.

One thing worth mentioning is that Cait Sith and the other supernatural elements of the last season are not present in this season at all, opting instead to focus on ending the character arcs of the Aria series. While I do adore the conclusions of the characters, I do kind of wish that we at least mentioned Cait Sith one more time. He is brought up in Avvenire, but it would have been nice to mention him. Regardless, this season is more about the main trio ending their character arcs and becoming Prima Undines once and for all.

At first glance, Origination seems like it's business as usual, starting off by focusing on Akari herself. We are reintroduced to the cast, like Akari is with Aika and Alice for practice, Akatsuki studying with AL for his promotion exam, Woody doing his usual job of delivering packages, and all the mentors and the students meeting up in the Aria company to eat together. The students talk about good moments with their mentors during the festival while they were giving tours to customers, like Alicia with her soothing words to the customers, Akira saving an idiot customer from falling into the water, and Athena making goofy faces to make a crying baby laugh. The episode concludes with the mentors telling them that they still have a long way to go and tell them not to be complacent with your skills and continue to improve. It's a nice way to bring focus on the fact that the end is soon enough.

There are some interesting episodes to start off with, like the second episode where a lady requests a ride with Akari as the tour guide, or one where Akari inspires a chocolate salesman. Episode 4 was a particularly good episode where at the request of Alicia, Akari decides to work for the traghetto. It's where two singles use a single gondola as a ferry to transports a bunch of luggage and people across the city. Akari meets some other singles like Ayumi from Himeya and Atora and Anzu from Orange Planet. Anzu is a little depressed because she failed her promotion exam once again, and we hear from Atora that becoming a Prima Undine via a promotion exam is significantly harder than becoming a single. Atora and Anzu both have the same instructor, and she's apparently a very strict woman. Ayumi on the other hand is uninterested in becoming a Prima Undine and wants to continue working in the traghetto to get to know the people there better. By the end of the episode, the others admire Akari's skills as she was able to work on the traghetto immediately, and Atora and Anzu both reflect on what they can do as far as becoming a Prima Undine.

Where this season really begins to shine is episode 5, which primarily focuses on Aika and Akira. It starts off normally with the three singles all practicing when summer returns to Aqua. They all go get lunch after once again witnessing Athena's incredible singing and Alicia's graceful sulling. During lunch, they all reflect on how talented they are, or as to how Alice puts it: "Those two were bestowed with natural talent. They're natural geniuses, don't you think?". This unintentionally forces Aika to reflect on how Akira potentially felt when compared to her friends, and makes her afraid of her own inadequacies. Akira explains that she was also somewhat depressed over how inadequate she felt compared to her amazingly talented friends, but by the end was inspired to make herself become a prodigy. It explores the idea that while natural talent and skills can certainly get you far in life, hard work can also achieve talent in and of itself. That even without some incredible skill unique to you, you can still prevail through hard work and patience.

Episode 6 is more about how Alicia goes about teaching. It does show how Alicia goes for a more gentle approach when it comes to teaching and how she is that guiding hand to lead rather than someone who would just tell you got it wrong. It's nice to get an episode focusing on Alicia's perspective. Episode 7 is simply a beautiful episode through and through. When Alicia and Akari meet up with an old friend of Alicia, who also used to be apart of the Aria company but retired due to getting married, and Grandma who also happens to be in the area. When Grandma was younger and was a Prima Undine, she stumbles upon a cat. This next part is difficult to explain without spoilers, so I'll just put a spoiler tag here for this part only:

The strongest part of the season and the entire show would have to be the second half. These last 6 episodes in particular is such an emotionally satisfying end for all of the characters in the show. Remember in the Natural review where I mentioned how Alice doesn’t get quite as much focus as Akari and Aika as far as character arcs are concerned? This time, Alice is the focus of at least three episodes of the season, and I’d argue episode 9 is the best in the entire show because of this. Originally, Alice was more shy and less willing to talk than her two friends, but these episodes are where she fully understands and talks about her feelings regarding her clumsy mentor Athena, or how when Athena and Alice are together, she explains how you’re able to convey your emotions into song and how others would be able to understand those feelings as well. Or how Alice would have a hard time hanging out with her friends due to story related reasons. Alice truly becomes her own in these three episodes, and grows from that shy and timid girl we met in the beginning.

Sadly, Aika doesn’t get as much focus as Akari or Alice does in this season. One could argue that thanks to Natural and the two episodes in this season focusing on Aika, as well as her conclusion at the beginning of episode 11 of this season that she already had a complete arc, but it would have been nice to have just one last episode focusing solely on her, but the last two episodes focus on Akari and Alicia’s relationship and rapping up their relationship on a neat little bow. Bringing Akari’s efforts to become a Prima to an end and also looking towards the future regarding the Aria company. Alicia and Akari’s reconciliation towards the end of the show really pulls at one’s heartstrings. It reinforces the main theme of this season, and that would be change. How change can be great, or sad, but regardless, one must move forward, even if they’re afraid of change.
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Aria the Origination: Picture Drama
Picture Drama is a 7 episode mini series with different individual stories. I believe the reason why it’s called Picture Drama is because it literally has no animation, and it just has the characters talking. I don’t have too much to say aside from it being a decently enjoyable time waster. Each episode is only seven minutes long, and my favorite one of the bunch would probably be the last one focusing on Akari and Grandma. It explores on Akari’s worries after the end of Origination and how Grandma tells her that it’s ok to express your anxieties and worries to the people you care about, including Alicia. Most of Picture Drama is either a nice relaxing little episode like the pajama episode, or can be surprisingly funny like episode 4, which plays out like some kind of weird ass war thing between the three companies, with Akatsuki as the narrator. It’s just a nice, quick watch.

Aria the Avvenire

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Last but not least, we have Aria the Avvenire! Taking place a few years after Origination, it presents the three main girls now being successful Undine's and teaching their own students. One thing that you'll notice immediately is the animation has gotten even better than before. It's genuinely movie quality stuffed into 3 24 minute episodes. Everything I said about Origination animation wise is improved ten fold and everything looks so crisp and beautiful. Especially the backgrounds, which are honestly wallpaper worthy.

Aside from that, it primarily focuses on Akari's student, who is a single and I won't say who because it's a neat surprise. Beyond that, it also focuses on some past elements, like Cait Sith making one last appearance, and how the students of our original trio are very much alike their mentors, which could be said about our original cast. The final episode is a touching conclusion to the series, with the new trio setting up a party with all of the other girls. Akari even points out that saying good bye is sad, but that sadness reflects on how much you love that person, almost reflecting on the fact that this is the end of Aria (Well, the movie will come out next year, but the point still stands.)

If there’s one way I would describe Aria the Origination, I would call it an emotionally cathartic end to such a lovely series. Everything about it is so soothing but is still filled with so many legitimate life lessons that anyone can take from it. It’s the pinnacle of a slice of life, and one that I would recommend to anyone.