Watch Aria the OVA: Arietta For Free

Excellent but underrated film

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

As this OVA episode opens with Akari wondering why she isn't wearing her glove; then Ai appears… it looks as though Akari is now a prima and she isn't sure she is ready… it turns out to be a dream but gets her wondering about how she will cope when she really does become a Prima. She talks to Alicia about this concerns and is told that she too had just the same worries during her training. Later we learn a bit about how Alicia came to take Akari as a student.In many ways this is just another episode in the series; it is certainly unlikely to appeal to anybody who isn't already a fan… but if you are a fan you'll definitely want to watch it. The pace is as gentle as always with most of the main cast appearing. It was nice to see hints at what is to come as Akari wonders what life will be like for her when she becomes a prima and ultimately take on a student of her own. The way Alicia explains what she went through was charming and a good way of hinting what it might be like for Akari. As one would expect it is impressive to look at with plenty of lovely backgrounds and a likable cast. Overall a welcome extra episode for fans of the series.These comments are based on watching this OVA in Japanese with English subtitles.