"Aria" Animation

The Aria animation was very fascinating to watch, mostly because of the animation itself. It was somewhat uncomfortable to watch because of the movements of the dolls. The movements weren’t smooth, they felt more like cutting movements, for example, Aria’s hair flying from the wind. To me, this animation is all about mixing imagination with reality. As an audience, we’re aware of the fact that these are dolls, and we know that they are non-living, but it is because of the animation that we are able to look past that fact, and actually invest in the characters, as well as the story. 

One part of the story that stuck out to me the most was the way they chose to show time passing from when the Sailor left to Aria getting pregnant and the child growing up, Those are all just visual elements showing us through the pregnancy that it has been 9 months, and by the child growing up, we know that there have been several years. Showing this time capsule shows how committed Aria was to the sailor, that even though she has been waiting for years, she is still standing on that hilltop, embracing his return. 

It wasn't until the end of the film that I noticed the opera music in the background. It blended really well with the story and followed the arc of a love story and then ending with heartbreak. As mentioned earlier, imagination and reality seem to be a theme in this animation, especially the ending. Aria runs through what looks like a studio and starts to tear herself a part. It reminds the audience that we're just watching a show, but it also signifies Aria's pain and how she felt like the was living a lie.