Shiroi Suna no Aquatope
Studio: P.A. Works
Genre: Slice-of-life, Comedy
Hello my friends.
Welcome to another entry of my blog.
I have been busy all these days, but luckily, I was able to make a plan to bring you some new blog entries. I know I could not bring you a new entry per day this week, so that is why I am trying to do as many entries in August as possible (Most likely 12 or more).
Having said that, I bring you…
But before I continue, I want to ask you the typical question to all of you:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, especially after such a rough week for me.
Anyway, without any more delays, I want to go with The Aquatope on White Sand.
PREMISE
The Aquatope on White Sand, Or Shiroi Suna No Aquatope (白い砂のアクアトープ), is an original anime series produced by P.A. Works, also best known for making the highly-popular Working girl trilogy (Hanasaki Iroha, Sakura Quest, and Shirobako), the last one reviewed by me some time ago. The story focused on Fuuka Miyazawa, an idol who recently gave up her dream in favour for one of her colleagues and decided to move from Tokyo to Okinawa for starting a new life; once there, she meets a high-school student, called Kukuru Misakino, the Deputy Director of the Gamagama Aquarium, who is very close to shutting down due to its lack of interest and obsolete equipment. Both girls create a friendship, after Fuuka is hired to work on Gamagama and helps Kukuru to make her dream come true.
Shiroi Suna no Aquatope was released on July 9, and as of August 20th, it has released seven episodes. And it has very talented seiyuus on the main leads, including Miku Ito as Kukuru (The Quintessential Quintuplets, Adachi and Shimamura), Rikako Alda as Fuuka (Riko Sakurauchi, from Love Live Sunshine!), and Lynn, as Karin Kudaka. For those who do not know, Lynn is a very experienced voice in anime industry, and some of her roles include Sakura Yamauchi, from I want to Eat Your Pancreas, Mafuyu from We Never Learn, and Princess Hibana, from Fire Force.
According from what I read in Myanimelist.com, Shirou Suna no Aquatope has 24 episodes, and it is directed by Toshiya Shinohara, who also worked in series like Amagami SS, Gurren Lagann, Fushigi Yugi, and it is basically a legend on the anime business.
Finally, Shirou Suna no Aquatope is available at Crunchyroll for viewers outside Japan, while Muse Communication looks after its distribution all over Southeast Asia.
I wish I could be longer. I guess I am used to give dates and trivia due to many of my reviewed anime are based on light novels and manga. So, I will share with all of you a picture, telling how beautiful the attention to detail is:
STORY
I really enjoyed watching Shiroi Suna no Aquatope. It is a pretty delightful slice-of-life, feel-good anime.
Nonetheless, I was also very disappointed. Why? Let me put another picture.
Then I thought. Two cute girls holding their hands, looking cutesy at her eyes, being closest of the friends. Something came to my mind…
Ok. Just kidding.
I want to point out that I love sea. Despite being raised in Bogota, and somehow Melbourne, I visited the beach a lot, and the tropics of Colombia as well. And I loved them… San Andrés, Providencia, Santa Marta, Medellín; and a time in Brazil. And it is not just the sun and the sea; it is also the beauty of the fresh air, the calmness of the moment, the identity of the Nature, in all its greatest glory. And you get an amazing view of the word.
Put that with a story that takes its time to introduces the characters, the plot, and I mean from episode one. We get to see what both Fuuka and Kukuru are going through, their dreams, their anxieties, and a bit of the sadness of Fuuka after moving from Tokyo. And then, after a very fateful encounter, Fuuka sees the beauty of the Gamagama Aquarium and of the ocean.
Furthermore, we have the same polished animation from Shirobako. Especially in the frame I previously showed you…
If you pay attention, you will see the nail polish on Fuuka’s hands.
As well as the lightning in the scene. And this is only a sample; trust me when I saw that animation proves its amazing work on episode 2, when Fuuka starts working on the aquarium; definitely it is not as beautifully crafted as in both Finding Nemo and Finding Dory (something that even critics of the sequel must admit), but it is pretty enjoyable. Even if you don’t like the story, you will love the animation.
On the other hand, Shirou Suna no Aquatope might share a problem with Shirobako! – the rhythm and pacing can be very slow, and many animegoers might get frustrated. Obviously this is not Jujutsu Kaisen or Tensei Slime, but if you have two free hours, binge some episodes.
In other words, if you like Sakura Quest, Shirobako!, and Hanasaki Iroha, you will love… Yeah! You get the idea!
But what about the…
CHARACTERS
Shirou Suna no Aquatope has really wonderful characters.
Aside from Fuuka and Kukuru, we have Tsukimi, Kukuru’s childhood friend who owns a restaurant; Karin Kudaka, the tourist worker who made the encounter between Fuuka and Kukuru possible; Kuya, another acquaintance from Fuuka who is very shy and likes alcohol; Kai, another childhood friend from Kukuru, and the latter’s grandfather, who is the actual Director of Gamagama Aquarium.
But definitely the ones that really get the soul of the anime are Fuuka and Kukuru. They are practically the two sides of a coin. Fuuka gives up her dream for someone else, and Kukuru fights for something that is important for her – her dream and legacy.
In other words, both girls represent our struggles with dreams and reality. We want to achieve what we really want despite the uncertainty of the future, and we simply can’t let anything throw it away. Personally this is why I admire Fuuka in a way.
Not everyone will give up a dream, and not everyone has that kind of courage. And that’s why I consider both Fuuka and Kukuru the best characters of Shirou Suna no Aquatope.
CONCLUSION
I think Shiroi Suna no Aquatope is one of the best anime of summer 2021 (or winter in the case of Australia). I definitely that is not for everyone, but if you like to relax and enjoy some good animated landscapes, this is the anime for you, especially if you like the Working Girl Trilogy from P.A. Works. So yeah, go to Crunchyroll and see it by yourself.
But before I finish, I want to leave the same message that I left on my Bokutachi no Remake! review, especially because I am talking to counsellors from BeyondBlue in Australia.
Here you go…
YOUR EFFORT IS WORTHY. YOU ARE WORTHY
Look. I understand that sometimes we feel that we made the bad choices in life. That perhaps we could live our life in a different manner. Personally I don’t regret my life choices. Nonetheless, I felt that many things in my life could’ve been better, both professionally and sentimentally. And the pandemic is not doing making things easier.
Just remember. YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!!!!
INDEED WE MUST HELP OTHERS AND PRACTICE MATESHIP. BUT I REALISE THAT MATESHIP ALSO INCLUDES OURSELVES.
So… If no one has told you this before, I do it now… YOU ARE WORTH LIVING, YOUR EFFORTS ARE WORTHY.
So… look after yourself. Fight for your happiness; for your life, and don’t let anyone make you feel like trash. Always remember, we all deserve happiness, and live your life with the greatest of joys, and the most beautiful peace of mind.
Nothing should overshadow your happiness. If no one told you this before, I tell you.
Find your happiness, and your path is worth living for.
Remember that… always.
Thank you for stepping by.
Jainituos Presents 