ARIA The BENEDIZIONE Premieres December 3, Receives New Trailer and Visual

The ARIA The BENEDIZIONE movie is set to premiere on December 3, with the film also receiving a new trailer and visual. The trailer offers a glimpse at protagonist Aika’s internal struggle and her relationship with her mentor Akira, while the visual displays the movie’s large cast.

First announced on March 5, ARIA The BENEDIZIONE will be the conclusion to the Ao no Curtain Call trilogy (Blue Curtain Call trilogy). The trilogy includes the 2015 ARIA The AVVENIRE OVA and the ARIA The CREPUSCOLO movie, which premiered on the same day as ARIA The BENEDIZIONE‘s announcement.

The returning staff from ARIA The CREPUSCOLO includes Junichi Satō as chief director and scriptwriter, Takahiro Natori as director, Yōko Itō as character designer and chief animation director, Studio UNI’s Sachiko Kigasawa as art director, Miho Kimura as color designer, Hidenori Manaka as photography director, and Choro Club feat. Senoo as music composer. J.C.Staff is the animation production studio.

Meanwhile, the cast includes Chiwa Saitō as Aika S. Granzchesta, Junko Minagawa as Akira E. Ferrari, Mai Nakahara as Azusa B. McLaren, Erino Hazuki as Akari Mizunashi, Sayaka Ōhara as Alicia Florence, and Kaori Mizuhashi as Ai Aino.

Other cast members include Chinami Nishimura as President Aria Pokoteng, Ryō Hirohashi as Alice Carroll, Rina Satō as Athena Glory, Ai Kayano as Anya Dostoyevskaya, Hirofumi Nojima as Akatsuki Izumo, Akeno Watanabe as Albert Pitt, Akiko Hiramatsu as Airi S. Granzchesta, and Sumi Shimamoto as Asuka R. Baggio.

ARIA The BENEDIZIONE’s story takes place during a long winter in Neo-Venezia. Ai, Azusa, and Anya visit an Undine museum while following a seemingly different-than-usual Akira. At the museum, the trio meet its museum director Asuka, who is also a legendary veteran Undine. 

Akira and Asuka are both successors to a gondola that has been passed down since the founding of the Himeya Company. However, Akira reveals that Aika, who is expected to be the next in line to the gondola, does not seem interested in the role. 

The Ao no Curtain Call trilogy is inspired by Kozue Amano’s sci-fi slice-of-life manga series ARIA, which ran from 2002 to 2008. The manga received an anime adaptation titled ARIA The ANIMATION in 2005, followed by ARIA The NATURAL in 2006, ARIA the OVA: ~ARRIETTA~ in 2007, and ARIA The ORIGINATION in 2008.

Source: ARIA website