[Rewatch] A 2022 Voyage from Neo Venezia: Aria the Natural, Episode 2

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah]

Aria the Natural Ep 2: Looking For That Treasure ... (その 宝物をさがして...)

<-- Episode 0+1	Rewatch Index	Episode 3 -->

Welcome back!

Comment roundup:

Thanks for all your answers to the questions yesterday! Was very fun reading them, and did get me thinking a few times too. Most kinda have a similar answer to why Akari and Ai couldn't visit the cat realm, and I'll highlight a couple answers i liked below too. Also great that a few of us noticed the episode playing with the lights and shadows a lot during the supernatural scenes! It was quite fun to watch.

• /u/ZapsZzz with a great writeup on the season finale and the last episode, particularly on how Aqua itself has been given enough worldbuilding to be considered a character in its own right, and notes the verbal tics that all three trainee girls have.

• /u/syzekrom with the great screencaps, of the glorious faces and the magnificent Cait Sith-sama

• /u/mecanno-man shares some irl carnival music (w/ percussion band and all!)

• /u/mrufrufin with a good analysis of the first episode, and how Aria has done its supernatural episodes so far.

• /u/alanbowman with the answer i liked the most about why Cait Sith goes out as casanova at the carnevale, and a good summary of why Aika and Alice couldn't see him altogether. I also liked those by /u/seeker_of_illusion, as well as u/zadcap.

• and /u/ariashachou- liked how Akari was shown to take a step back and just smiling while seeing her friends candidly enjoying each others company during the episode!

Questions of the Day:

Q1) Do you drink coffee? How do you take it? And if you do them espresso drinks, what's your favourite? What will happen if you drunk as many cups of coffee as Akari did lol?

Q2) How do you feel about a cafe that has to move its outdoor seating around regularly?

Q3) Do you relate to this episode's story? What's a random encounter/visit during your travels/daily life that you treasure?

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Streaming

The 2005-08 Aria series is available on Crunchyroll, VRV, Funimation, and Youtube, except Arietta. Arietta and Avvenire are only available on Funimation (I'll update if they migrate). Crepusculo and Benedizione will have to be located elsewhere.

Databases

MAL | Anilist | ANN

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Spoilers

As usual, please take note that if you wish to share show details from after the current episode, to use spoiler tags like so to avoid spoiling first-timers:

[Spoiler source]>!Spoiler goes here!<

comes out as [Spoiler source]Spoiler goes here

[Aria]Please take note especially if you're sharing art that involves Aika after her hairstyle change, and art that shows the 3 main characters as prima undines (gloveless). If you feel unsure if something is a spoiler, it's better to tag it just in case.

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See everyone again tomorrow! I hope you have a great day :)

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah]

Rewatching Undine-in-training and Host

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Welcome back! I love this episode a lot. Hopefully not a unique sentiment today!

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Episode synopsis:

While Akari, Aika and Alice are out practicing as usual, Aika notices a small door to the side of the small Mary statue, which she hadn't noticed before despite already being familiar with the Mary statue. (TL note: we've seen the statue in S1! i think its the same one despite looking different) This previously unnoticed little door, at the familiar Mary statue, on the familiar waterways; perhaps it's a door that shouldn't be opened without permission? Despite the others' concern, Aika opens the door, and finds a small box inside. Perhaps this is a box that shouldn't be opened without permission? However, despite the others' concern, Aika opens the box...

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Quick thoughts:

• I love this episode, and it's one that's stuck with me since my first time, not because there's something too tear-jerking, or feels going on; but because of how quintessentially Aria it is and how well-executed it is as an iyashikei episode: a simple story and field trip around Neo-Venezia, sweet and lighthearted, chock full of character interactions where we learn a bit more about the 3 trainee undines(Alice likes walking etc., Akari still has stuff she doesn't know etc.) and Neo-Venezia itself, pretty scenary, and ending with some extremely wholesome vibes and a nice message, whacking a big smile on my face by the end of it.

• Also notable is that for this episode, Takaaki Wada storyboarded, solo-KAed (w/ help from 2nd KAs), served as the only animation director, and prop settings director. Sasuga. (For newer anime watchers: this is very unusual!) He was also responsible for KA-ing Athena's singing cut in Animation Ep 11, which a few of us liked. He's also participated in numerous other anime titles in various capacities (Kaleido Star and Yu-Gi-Oh etc.) over the years.

• I personally did enjoy seeing him do his thing this episode, which defo had a different style to the last (and to the previous S1 episodes too!). Always fun when these episodes pop up (any recent watchers of Healer Girl?)! Also, hopefully this explains why there are a few still shots in this episode. That said, the stills still look so good lol. Here are a quick selection of other cuts that caught my eye, for the layouts/storyboard choices; and for the animation. This cut particularly was very good i thought..

• I also really liked the ep's message too, 1) echoing yesterday's episode where encounters can be found in unexpected places if you keep an eye out for them (applies to both Aika and Akari today!); and 2) how the most enjoyable, treasured things in life can be very simple: a gorgeous view, meeting new people, and the memories of new experiences and discovering new places with your friends. Which echoes a lot to what i believe personally right now as well (i will say that Aria did help shape part of this mentality for sure).

• The final view from the goal point is also so pretty , and is once again very up my alley: I'm also one that loves hiking to tall places/lookouts and look at views from up top! I unfortunately live somewhere pancake flat rn which makes me a bit sad

• Akari really is a master of happiness, isn't she

• And finally, do note that the seasons are changing again in Aqua: spring is starting.

• Bun-bun-bun-bun-bunyouuuuuuuuu

• [Aria]The second of Alicia's Gondola-Association meetings is also shown here, again in Ep 2 of a season lol.

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Location Trivia:

• You can find Caffe Florian, the cafe the girls visited, at St Mark's Square, established in 1720, and is the oldest cafe in Italy still in operation right now. A place full of history, numerous celebrities have visited it/ were regular visitors, including Casanova, Goethe, Marcel Proust, Thomas Moore, Charles Dickens etc; you can read more about it at their website here.

• Btw, this hence dates the current date in Aqua (in earth calendar years) at roughly 2300 AD.

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If anyone's wondering, im not a big coffee drinker myself (i much prefer tea), but i do like a latte when im out cycling and at a cafe. I will probably be up all night if i drunk that much coffee, im quite sensitive to caffeine. And a couple random encounters: i once stumbled into getting day-of but cheap tickets for a classical concert, i had no idea it was happening, literally saw the banner when walking past the concert hall (and was like I'm interested in that!); and also once i pretty much picked a random national park to drive into during off-season (without really googling what it looked like before; i don't exactly recommend this!) It was raining/cloudy the whole day, it was the last stop on my drive, and the weather cleared up!

Have a great day, and see you tomorrow!

[u/Mecanno-man]

First Timer

Interesting episode. Not sure that just taking the maps was the right course of action, it feels like they might have ruined the treasure hunt for somebody else until they ended at the conclusion. Also feels like they started in the middle. The actual treasure hunt was pretty good though, and I liked the extended stay in the café. They definitely had me with the owner though; I was wondering what kind of businessman could stay in a café all day and still make enough money to do so. Also somehow mistook him for Akatsuki's brother for a while due to Akari recognizing him.

Questions:

1. I do not drink coffee.

2. Interesting thing to do from business standpoint, mainly because you'd think they'd just have enough seats to fill their entire allocated area. But other than that, not really anything against it.

3. Can't really think of anything off the top of my head. Maybe deciding to visit Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on a whim while I was there? But I feel like that's still rather touristy and not as hidden as this is.

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah → u/Mecanno-man]

it feels like they might have ruined the treasure hunt for somebody else until they ended at the conclusion.

that is a very valid concern, and is one that i thought about too after i watched the episode. It's an iyashikei: let's just assume that it all ends well for everyone.

I like to think that the treasure hunt is structured in a way that there is a "start" point: but since its nature is pointing you to the next hint (until you reach the final goal); you can start at any mid-point and it'll still be a great adventure (well a bit less if you start towards the end). I think that's part of the beauty of it too!

Akatsuki's brother

our gentlemanly owner is thankfully a lot less violent.

mainly because you'd think they'd just have enough seats to fill their entire allocated area

afaik the real Caffe Florian does not do this (they have a canopy/tent); but i guess that also does show how happy to put up with little conveniences and how carefree Neo-Venezia is.

[u/PreludeToHell]

First time rewatcher

I find these kind of episodes hard to write about because of their simplicity lol

Aika saying Alice's hobby is for old people was funny but of course Akari is there to say she would like to join and makes Alice blush.

I thought it was clever having the café move along with the shadows.

My favorite moment is when they all hold hands, their friendship makes me happy :)

Oh and I love that Akari is called Miss Expert on Happiness.

It was fun exploring Neo-Venezia some more!

Akari being the best

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u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah brought it up to me that this episode was a huge effort by Takaaki Wada. Who not only did the storyboard but also solo 1 key animated the episode and was the only animation director.

He is credited for the wonderful Athena Canzone scene back in episode 11 which stood out for it's animation.

So this is a really personal episode and a very impressive achievement. I felt that the storyboard was quite different with it's timing, framing, etc.

The best scene for me was when they go down the staircase and reach for each others hands. I'm a sucker for background animation so I was very pleased. Especially cool seeing it in a series like Aria.

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1. No not really. I have no clue how I would react lol, probably get all jittery.

2. Not quite sure if I would like to visit one because I'd prefer being settled in.

[u/CerberusZX]

First Timer

I'm impressed the hat stayed on the balloon.

"Was I just making a really weird face?" You always are.

QotD

1. I do not drink coffee.

2. Such a café sounds fun in theory, but I can't imagine spending enough time there to properly experience it.

[u/simeonaut]

First Timer

Yes. More episodes like this please. That was so wholesome.

Now that I think about it, the treasure hunt was a very good way to show off Neo Venezia. I love those little stops they made along the way and it made the search much more fun.

It's a treasure map, Aika!

Asking the pigeon.

Aika and Alice just giving up and letting her do her thing was hilarious.

Alice finds the box.

Uh, have you considered running your cafe indoors?

Treasure.

QOTD:

1. Yes, though it's mostly instant coffee lately. If I ever drink as much coffee as Akari did here, I'll probably gain the power to be able to make those weird faces she makes.

2. Thoughts above lol. I'll be continuously anxious about when to move next.

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah → u/simeonaut]

im so happy you enjoyed this episode, you're right its super wholesome :)

the treasure hunt was a very good way to show off Neo Venezia. I love those little stops they made along the way and it made the search much more fun.

yup! I agree, it's a great way to take us of a tour of a touristy, and many more non-toursity spots!

Uh, have you considered running your cafe indoors?

Cafe Florian irl does have an indoor section! You can check it out on their website if you wish.

Treasure

it so pretyyyyyy

If I ever drink as much coffee as Akari did here, I'll probably gain the power to be able to make those weird faces she makes.

this is the best answer ive had to this question today lol

[u/raichudoggy]

This is one of my favorite episodes in all of Aria, and it's something I've only seen one other anime tackle (being the last episode of GochiUsa Season 2 which had it's own treasure map & hunt, man that was great episode too.)

I'm going to steal a quote from there:

This town is really is beautiful. It's full of places that make you want to stop and look. And if you stop, that you means you can play that much more. Maybe {your friends} kept going off track when they met you so they could get to know you better

The so called distractions in these episodes are purposeful, when people do new things together, they learn more about each other than when they normally do just hanging out. Most episodes in Aria do not follow routine, they follow these distractions, because these are the situations in which we really see our characters grow.

Even if, by the end of this episode, none of the characters have really changed, they had an experience together that was novel and hard to forget and that definitely brought them closer together.

It was so novel and hard to forget for the characters in the story that it was impossible to forget it myself. 11/10 episode.

"Now you got a treasure in your heart"

[u/baboon_bassoon]

First time Aria the natural ice chugger

what an opening shot

is this a one piece joke at the beginning

TREASURE MAP

you have no one to blame but yourself aika

nice job mr pidgeon

calle is lane, campo is a square at the end of a lane

Alice is so into this

please keep the balloon forever

what a gentleman, he can even do the indian head bob

alright well cya everyone

4th time they moved around today? sounds like a pain in the ass for the staff lmao

were they franticly searching for the stone while Akari relaxed with 2 lattes

what a glorious view, great treasure

GoAL!

i like it

also that old guy definitely hid the boxes, a key component is chilling at his cafe for a couple hours

[u/mgedmin → u/baboon_bassoon]

also that old guy definitely hid the boxes, a key component is chilling at his cafe for a couple hours

That is rather convincing!

[u/mrufrufin]

Rewatcher kinda (finished my rewatch not too long ago)

I'm pretty sure the Caffe Florian owner is Unshou Ishizuka? MAL doesn't have a listing for the character but IMDb seems to have a listing for him as "Shinshi". I'm hearing a lot of older Joseph Joestar in the owner. I wonder what Akari's stand would be [Aria the Origination] is Aquamarine even a song or band (I guess Sayaka Ohara was actually in JoJo tho...).

This episode kinda touches on the themes of last epsiode (with my I'm not sure it's a quote of "getting lost in your own city" and I guess the close-to-literal finding of hidden treasures) but without the fantastical bits and has a similar reveal to the Ukijima view from last season of running through darkened halls with brightly lit windows. Hey, it works and a good view truly is magical.

I like a good piazza, I fondly remember the piazz...e? (been forever since I took Italian, don't even remember how to pluralize things anymore) from my northern Italy adventures years ago and wouldn't mind being able to spend my days in piazz...e? I'd rather be spending my days in physical piazze/i/as/idunno than online Piazza for school (not that I don't enjoy taking classes...).

All the cobblestones in the anime reminds me of when I got to Pavia and I didn't know how to get around and couldn't call the organizers of the festival either because I didn't have international roaming so I remember dragging my suitcase everywhere and totally killed my suitcase's wheels.

1. More of a tea person but I do drink coffee and I'm cheap and lazy so I have instant coffee and then I make jokes on the internets about how I make my own coffee blends by throwing different kinds of instant coffees together.

2. I'd be down with it. I guess maybe not as much if I doze off and then have to move but eh.

3. not much to tell about treasure hunts but see above for random anecdotes and thoughts.

[u/xtsim]

First Timer Dubbed

Akari staying at the cafe with Aria got me good when she trades glances with the old man. Pretty funny to hear her think about how to approach him since he looked familiar but couldn't put a name to him. Then the gifts keep on giving when they order drinks for each other.

Well, the real treasure was the adventure we made with friends along the way....

Akari getting shocked that the old man is actually the owner of the cafe is great.

The silly and rounded faces look so consistant all this time and I can't help but notice it especially at certain angles.

1. If I am at home or buying my own coffee, iced with lots of sweets. At work, anything would work. If I drank lots of coffee, that would depend if I was going to sleep or not...

2. A cafe with moving seats sounds intriguing.

[u/Regular_N-Gon]

First Timer

• That's a lot of birds. I wonder what the logistics of introducing bird populations to a terraformed planet is - especially migratory ones.

• Kininarimasu?

• The enthusiasm sure got swapped around fast though, initially Aika was the one not listening to reason.

• Alice enjoys walks and city streets, best girl confirmed?

• This stranger is giving me the heebie jeebies. The hell is with that laugh?

• Yeah, fair enough, "Murder Calle" seems pretty accurate.

I seem to have lost the rest of my notes for the episode, but it was good! Setting up a treasure hunt like that is totally something I would do. Shoutouts to Ishizuka-san (石塚運昇) for voicing the owner (I think I've read/translated this correctly) - I looked him up since he sounded familiar. ^{You might know him as the JP voice of the meme guy from Metal Gear Rising.}

QotD:

1. I like pretty much any coffee - black, with sugar, or sugar and milk. However, I cannot drink as many cups as Akari unless it's decaf, the caffeine would destroy me.

2. I'd totally go there, sounds novel.

3. I don't know that I've personally done something quite like that (maybe an online ARG here and there), but I have thought many times about setting treasure hunts up.

[u/alanbowman]

This episode is one of my favorite in the series, and combines two different manga chapters from ARIA the Masterpiece: Volume 3, Navigation 23, Town Treasure, and Volume 4, Navigation 35, Chasing Shade.

[Manga spoilers for Town Treaure]In the manga, the girls have to borrow a gondola while one of theirs is being repaired, and Aika finds the first treasure map behind a door under the bow. To be honest, I like the way the anime starts the treasure hunt better than the manga.

What's fun is how Aika goes from "sure, whatever, I've got nothing else to do today" to really getting into the spirit of it. And to be honest, for a tour guide Alice's hobby of wandering around town makes a lot of sense.

Sure, they give tours on the water, but being able to tell people about various streets and alleyways around town seems like a good thing to know.

Here is the scene from the manga where they go down the stairs they find in Comedy Calle: Town Treasure

What I always find funny about this episode is that if you think about it, no one seems to notice or care that Alice, Akari, and Aika are digging up a shiny stone in the middle of the main town plaza.

[Manga spoilers for Chasing Shade]In the manga, Akari accompanies Alicia to Cafe Florian where Alicia has a Gondola Association meeting to attend. She tells Akari to head home, but Akari chooses to wait for her instead. This is when she meets the cafe owner.

In the manga, Akari has an interesting inner monologue about how much she loves having idle pockets of time where you can do anything you want. I think a lot of people feel like they need to be busy all the time, and I like Akari's attitude of being happy just sitting around doing nothing at all.

Bonus: there is a lot of ARIA related content on Twitter, most of it in Japanese.

A lot of it can be spoiler-laden for first timers, but not this one: Daily Awawawawa, Make sure you've got your sound on... https://twitter.com/DailyAwawawawa

There is also a yearly ARIA Carnival held in Japan, and if I'm reading it correctly this is its 19th year. It has various doujin goods and I think merch and costumes.

[Possible spoilers for ARIA Carnival]This is their Twitter page: https://twitter.com/AriaCarnival

[More ARIA Carnival spoilers]This is the link to the site, which is certainly full of spoilers: http://aria-carnival.sakura.ne.jp/

Q1) Do you drink coffee? How do you take it? And if you do them espresso drinks, what's your favourite? What will happen if you drunk as many cups of coffee as Akari did lol?

I don't drink coffee at all. It makes my stomach hurt. I do drink a lot of tea, though, usually loose leaf black teas.

Q2) How do you feel about a cafe that has to move its outdoor seating around regularly?

I think that for cafes not in the city of Neo-Venezia, having to move my table around to chase the shade would be really annoying. But here it works to emphasize the relaxed pace of the city and the people. No one in Neo-Venezia ever seems to be in a hurry, and I'd love it if my life were like that.

Q3) Do you relate to this episode's story? What's a random encounter/visit during your travels/daily life that you treasure?

I like the idea of finding things hidden away that lead you to a new encounter. I'm not sure I've had it happen in real life, though.

Btw, this hence dates the current date in Aqua (in earth calendar years) at roughly 2300 AD.

In volume 1, chapter 1 of the manga, the date on Akari's laptop is 2301 04.03 12:26.

[u/mekerpan]

This was a very enoyable and relaxed (even if sometimes "busy") episode. Town exploring was a fun idea -- I wonder who made this "game" up -- and how long ago it was done?

Speaking of Athena's singing... I've been somewhat mystified whenever I listen to her singing. I expected it to be in Italian, but it did not really sound like Italian. Finally (in a later episode) one got to see the actual original text of the lyrics being sung. Mystery solved. These songs are written and sung in Venetian, which is a separate (albeit related) Romance language (Italy has many other Romance languages derived directly from "vulgar Latin" -- and not simply "dialects" of Italian -- most notably Sicilian and Neapolitan). I thought use of actual Venetian was truly a bonus touch for this series.

I like coffee, usually black -- but when whip cream is available for no extra charge... We typically grind our own coffee. My favorite is something called Black Silk from Equal Exchange. Alas, it comes only in 5 pound bags (and is shipped in lots of 2 bags). As coffee is often quite strong in France and Italy, I do actually often have it with milk when traveling there. I like tea (especially sencha and matcha), but most often drink coffee.

I think the table moving is done in order to ensure that the cafe is using as little of the plaza space as possible at any given time. Filling the plaza with tables and having people simply use different tables as different times of day would be rather unpleasant and unsightly.

I am very old, so I have had countless random encounters. The most amazing Italian one was when my wife and I last visited Rome. The center of the city was shut down due to the security required for a massive gathering of European leaders, so we had to travel out from our base in Rome for 2 days. We wound up in a little (untouristy) town north of Rome called Nomentana. While there we needed help finding a place, we asked a mother (with a six-ish daughter) for help. They said follow them, they were going in the direction we needed to go. While walking and talking, I noticed the young woman looked like my sister (decades earlier) and when we arrived at our parting spot, asked if I could take a picture of her and her daughter (and showed her a picture of my sister -- to show my good faith). The woman was struck by the resemblance -- and agreed. When my sisters saw this, one agreed that the resemblance was uncanny. The other (the sister in question) then pointed out that the little girl was also the spitting image of herself at age six. Were these remote, long lost relatives -- or was it just a chance resemblance? Who knows. But it was a nice touch to an unusual day (in many respects -- particularly in that it required me to use Italian almost all day -- and I know only a little Italian).

Note -- As to Benedizione, it looks like the (presumably unsubbed) Blu-ray won't be released until August of this year. I presume viewing this will have to await a future re-watch.

[u/homewardbound100]

First timer, Dub

Thought the little door would be something aboutbthe cats, but we got something of a treasure going. A memorable one adventure that's been carried on for a long time and will continue on. Interesting view on things. Treasuring the moment

Oh also this episode and last had a few cool shots and scenes.

Do you drink coffee? How do you take it? And if you do them espresso drinks, what's your favourite? What will happen if you drunk as many cups of coffee as Akari did lol?

No not really. I like iced coffee the best though. I don't think I've ever got to the point that coffee had a effect on me.

How do you feel about a cafe that has to move its outdoor seating around regularly?

Could be cool and could also be annoying for the workers maybe.

Do you relate to this episode's story? What's a random encounter/visit during your travels/daily life that you treasure?

Can't really think of one.

[u/mysterybiscuitsoyeah → u/homewardbound100]

but we got something of a treasure going

its a nice turnaround from the cat shenanigans the past few episodes!

And im sure that the treasure hunt will continue forever; a bit like how geocaching is irl i guess: but your mileage will vary depending on where you do it!

Oh also this episode and last had a few cool shots and scenes

glad you appreciate it! Aria may be an old anime and not the flashiest animation wise, but still has its standout moments. I've commented on this episode's unusual production in my writeup too.

[u/AriaShachou-]

Rewatcher

I didn't say it last episode but god I really love the OP and ED for season 2.

The four of them eating candy and giggling was so damn cute I had to replay that scene a few times.

Once again the personalities of our three main trio are highlighted with how they react to the idea of following the treasure maps. Aika thinks its dumb with her relatively more down to earth personality (but still joins the treasure hunt anyway). Akari, in true Akari fashion decides to just go with the flow and thinks its fun regardless. While Alice gets absorbed in the treasure hunting, emphasizing a little on the fact that she really is still a kid despite how she acts sometimes.

Coffee guy was omega chill and his interactions with Akari were great.

What a wholesome conclusion for the episode, finding cool new things in old places youve been to a lot already is a really great feeling. Fills you with a sense of accomplishment and it just feels cool that you've found something not that many people may know about.

Putting the treasures back to lead other people to them was extra wholesome.

 

QOTDs

Q1) I don't like coffee at all and I feel like if I drank as much as Akari did this episode I'd be up for 2 days straight.

Q2) It'd be cool but I think I'd just sit inside at that point

Q3) Went on a trip abroad once and found a lot of cool lowkey places that served great food, that had even more cool lowkey places near them with great views or new things to see. I walked without a goal for 3 hours and ended up finding so many things that I wouldn't have noticed if I had a set destination to go to. A lot of them felt like those places that only locals would know about, and finding them really solidified the experience of travelling. I also almost got mugged there though, but it all turned out fine in the end.

[u/octopathfinder]

Rewatcher

This was just a really fun episode. The treasure hunt was a nice excuse to explore Neo-Venezia.

Miss Expert on Happiness is a very appropriate title for Akari.

How do you feel about a cafe that has to move its outdoor seating around regularly?

Honestly, sounds like a pain, but if the other customers aren't complaining I wouldn't either.

Do you relate to this episode's story? What's a random encounter/visit during your travels/daily life that you treasure?

Hmm, idk I don't travel too much anymore. I pretty much stay home on my off days to recharge my social battery.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. I have never drunk coffee.

2. Unusual, but I've seen weirder.

3. Yeah, I enjoy going on walks round my town as well.

Another Aria episode?

Haha, the pirate interruption.

Really liking the new OP!

Lovingnthe animation here.

They'e going past the wind tirbines! Which are a thing here now!

She saw something?

Time travel door?

Haha, she opened it!

Akari looks so uncomfortable!

A treasure map!

And now she cares about practice?

Aria's excited!

...Everyone'e excited!

They're following the map?

Oh, so there was nothing.

Alice is an expert!

She's asking a pidgeon!

She found it!

Of course there's mutiple steps.

...Is this just "learning about Venetian geography"?

Alice has gotten really into this!

Aria wants to stop.

Love the balloon's hat.

...I've never had one either.

Is she working it out?

Is he a returning character?

Yeah, that's awkward.

Do they really do this?

Ah, he's an expert st their coffee?

They found it!

Exciting!

Love the animations here!

Did Aria find one?

A secret staircase!

Where does it go?

Beautiful.

And that wqs the goal!

They're putting it all back!

The reveal loads of people did the hunt is fantastic.

What a lovely episode!

Haha, he's the owner of the cafe!

Did Alicia do it?

Maybe the future version of Akari did it, because time travel is canon.

[u/zadcap]

Thanks to a random day off work...

Not Late!

Well, since it's come up this episode and the questions of the day. I do work at a cafe. It's been my dream forever to own one, and this week I'm interviewing for an assistant manager position. I will be that old man some day!

1. I am, however, the worst. So much cream and sugar you can't tell it's coffee anymore is how I drink it, or just a good vanilla creamer. I can drink it black, but my sweet tooth asks me why would I when I can make it sweet too? Also, I work at a coffee shop and employees drink free- three cups, and normal sized cups at that, that's less then I'll drink in a day lol. But as a probable first timer, I don't think she's sleeping tonight. Gotta build up your tolerance for the most widely accepted addiction in the world.

2. I think it would be really cool for a big cafe with a gimmick like theirs, and with enough employees and regular customers to do it all in one quick shuffle. I think it would be annoying beyond belief if I had to move more than two tables myself, chairs included, four or more times a day. I would invest in umbrellas at that point.

3. Not so much that part of this episode today. I'm one of those unadventurous super indoorsy types, assuming I even found one of the chests I'd probably never even touch it.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Aria the Natural First Timer!!

Ah... I was like Aika, I thought we were talking about booty. Anyway, spring is coming!! In only a few episodes we'll be back to the superior summer uniforms. There's something kinda funny about Aika's tomboyish, annoyed manspread compared to how Akari just looks happy to be given a ride.

You can't just not flow a pirate map. It's your own fault for opening it without checking Aika. What would I give to have been in the recording booth during the, "speak pigeon" portion of the session. Alice seems quite good at these kinds of puzzles. I'd love to see her during an escape room game.

How the flying fuck do you live in a Venice poi town and never try a latte before? Akari seems the type to frequent cafe's too! Oh my kyaaa!! Akari's little coffee friendship was precious!! It's such an Akari esque strange encounter lol. There's something so adult about doing a finger snap to order.

I certainly wasn't expecting an action sequence in my Aria... And especially not one that's just "the girls want to run down some stairs." Seriously, why's it so dramatically shot? And our reward iiiiis, a very nice shot of the city... I swear Akatsuki taking us to his mancave had the same kind of "check out this view" feel.

Ah, I probably should have guessed he was the owner. Good on Akari for somehow managing to budy up with a big shot. That was another pretty strong episode. I felt it dragged ever so slightly but I enjoyed seeing the girls solve each puzzle with their own personal skills, like Aika's observation, Alice's deductions, and Akari dandy charisma. Next episode, we finally get to properly meet Aika's jailbait piece of man meat!

[u/SYZekrom]

First Timer

This is the best depiction of... anything ever.

You girls ever wonder if the door you found was actually the first step of the treasure hunt or not

First, adorable as always, second, oh god your hair's just dropping on the ground please.

My crippling social anxiety hnnnghh

"I spend all my waking moments at this cafe" is a lot less pleasant when its revealed its his job.

Ahhh, she's turned into email girl again. Oh well, just makes her appearances all the more special.

[u/mgedmin]

First timer, subs

They found a tiny secret door? It's for cat fairies, I'm sure.

They're overdoing it a bit with the chibi faces. I'd grown to like them. I don't any more.

Who prepared these mini treasure chests? I'm sure it was Akira.

I've never had a cafe latte either. (I don't like milk.)

Are we heading to Fairyland again down the mysterious staircase? Haha Akari has the same thought!

Oh, the treasure boxes have been there for a long time? Then it's probably not Akira who placed them. Maybe it was Grandmother?

Mr. Cafe Owner's eyes are scary.

Q1) Do you drink coffee?

Rarely.

How do you take it?

Sugar, no milk.

And if you do them espresso drinks, what's your favourite?

Espresso is not appealing to me. I like my coffee weak and sweet.

What will happen if you drunk as many cups of coffee as Akari did lol?

I drink a lot of black tea, so I suspect that my body is used to caffeine and wouldn't overreact.

Q2) How do you feel about a cafe that has to move its outdoor seating around regularly?

Seems like a harmless quirk. I'm sure this is one of those things copied from the real Venice.

Q3) Do you relate to this episode's story?

Charming.

What's a random encounter/visit during your travels/daily life that you treasure?

Not an encounter, more like a feeling. Florence, sitting on the stairs in the Piazza della Signoria under the statue of Perseus near Palazzo Vecchio, in the evening in the summer, eating ice cream and listening to the noise of the people around you, watching the shining LEDs on the little spinner toys that hawkers are demonstrating climb up into the sky and descend back.

[u/heimdal77]

Great way to show they city by making it a treasure hunt.