News

New Aria Anime Briefly Listed For September Screening

According to the site, the new anime, titled Aria the Avvenire (Aria the Arrived), will be once again directed by Junichi Satō (Kaleido Star, Prétear, Sailor Moon), and will also feature the return of Reiko Yoshida (Tokyo Mew Mew, Bakuman.), who will handle scripts. The new animation's format has not been specified, although the teaser website listed that an event screening of the anime will occur on September 26. The anime is being produced as part of the larger "Ao no Curtain Call" (Blue Curtain Call) project, which celebrates 10 years since the broadcast of the first Aria anime. "All television series" will also receive a Blu-ray Box release in Japan as part of the same project.

The first anime series, Aria the Animation, was animated at studio Hal Film Maker, and later inspired two more television series in 2006 and 2008, as well as an original video anime in 2007. All three series and the OVA starred Erino Hazuki as the protagonist Akari, Junko Minagawa (The Prince of Tennis' Ryoma, Shakugan no Shana III's Khamsin) as Akira, Ryō Hirohashi (Kaleido Star's Sora, Working!!'s Aoi) as Alice, Kaori Mizuhashi (Kaleido Star's Rosetta, The Fruit of Grisaia's Michiru) as Ai, and Chiwa Saito (Yona of the Dawn's Yona, Rosario + Vampire Capu2's Kokoa) as Aika, among others. Late voice actress Tomoko Kawakami (Shaman King's Pirika and Mina, Revolutionary Girl Utena's Utena) also starred in the anime as Athena.

Right Stuf has licensed the three television series as well as the OVA in North America. ADV Manga released the first three of 12 total volumes of the original Aria manga series in North America, then Tokyopop released the first six volumes. Tokyopop also released the two-volume Aqua prequel manga in North America.

[Via Hachima Kikō, 0takomu]