Anime about high school kids that function as “armed detectives.” The titular Aria is yet another twintailed tsundere played by Rie Kugimiya *groan*. The twist in the tale is the protagonist Kinji, who goes into super-powered mode when he’s sexually aroused. Feel free to roll your eyes at this point.
I read some of the manga and volumes 1-2 of the Hidan no Aria (Aria the Scarlet Ammo) light novels
I almost liked it for that, mainly it felt like a direct look into Kinji’s head. In the anime I can’t even tell when he’s out of Hysteria Mode until he explicitly says so. Plus in a novel/manga you can imagine that he’s faster and sharper in Hysteria Mode, but when you actually get to see him move in the anime, he doesn’t seem any different at all. It’s like the horrible singing in Beck all over again.
So anyway, the anime condenses three novels into 12 episodes, which makes each arc feel very rushed. I was initially curious about what would happen next for Kinji and co, but Tvtropes was kind enough to spoil all future plots, including who the real leader of the IU is. They also revealed that the story doesn’t end when the IU is defeated but is instead dragged on by having the splintered IU members come back for revenge. That’s another 10 volumes of “XYZ showed me her boobs, which turned me on so much that I went into Hysteria mode.” Enough already, it’s embarrassing. Next series, please!
