Aria the Benedizione · review
A very fitting conclusion to send-off the series with, and I was at emotional peace at the end of the movie. Unlike the previous movie and (what I remember of) the original series, this movie only focuses on the development of 2 characters and has a good bit of a story going on, so it is not exactly like the usual casual slice-of-life in previous entries. Animation was crisp and the background scenery in the city was gorgeous as always. Soundtrack fit the animation perfectly and was very relaxing, while the ending was a nostalgic new version of the original series' opening. Overall, I verysatisfied with the movie overall, and I felt the hour went by really quickly. Some very minor criticisms: This movie focuses mainly on 2 Himeya girls, Akira and Aika, and their relationship over the years. The other undine girls make their appearances in the movie, but don't get much screentime at all. If you have a favorite who's not Akira or Aika, you might be disappointed that the series ends with this story arc. Also, there was a TON OF YURI in this movie, so if you are turned off by that, you might not like it. Finally, I personally still have trouble getting into the new Shoujo manga-like art style of these new ones and much prefer the original 2005-style animation, but this is entirely just personal preference. All these were very minor issues for me and barely affected my enjoyment, so overall, a solid 8/10.