Shiroi Suna no Aquatope

Spoiler Warning: When it comes to bringing in nostalgia, this anime has done a perfect job of giving me that feeling. Shiroi Suna no Aquatope was a touching yet beautiful summer anime I've watched during that season. Not only did it bring back memories of watching "Nagi no Asukara," my first official anime, but it made me interested in aquariums more than ever. Combining the typical slice-of-life genre with a tidbit of the supernatural, the two works well together and it made me intrigued to watch more. With that, here is what this anime did right and what it missed during the twenty-four episodes. The plot hada different feel when it came to the events throughout the episodes, and not because it's an anime about aquariums. The central theme that is common during the first half is dreams. The portrayal of those dreams by the characters felt realistic in terms of what they wanted to accomplish. Even though their ambition towards achieving their goals was motivating, but setting unrealistic stands for some of them is impossible to make them come true. That portrayal of dreams was done perfectly, and it sets up the tone towards the second half of the anime. The second half felt slow at times, but the aspect of getting settled in a new area was fun to watch. Character development is a general theme in this anime as it gives the two protagonists the chance to realize what they want to in life and improve in their work environment. Even though I loved the aquarium illusion surrealism during the first half, it felt odd that it rarely showed up in the second half until the final two episodes. Although some may say those illusions need a better explanation, the answer to that is simple. A specific character created them, acting as an island deity. The story for this anime contained two parts with the two-cour episodes, and it was intriguing to watch. It starts with a former idol going to Okinawa and meets an aquarium-loving girl who allows her to work in a run-down aquarium. From there, it features that idol getting used to working in the aquarium named Gama Gama, while figuring out her new goal there. At the same time, the aquarium will close soon, but the other girl wants to keep it alive. Despite their efforts, she realizes that all things must come to an end, and soon, Gama Gama closes for good. The second half focuses on everyone getting adjusted to Tingarla, while the two girls continue their character development. Overall, the first story was breathtaking and motivating, and it was a strong start for the anime. The second half was slow at first, but it was still enjoyable for the two girls to realize their new purpose in their work environment. The ending finished brilliantly, which anime originals barely do until this year. I love how diverse the cast of characters are in this series. Their design was a great combination of realism, yet they fit well in their personalities. The two girls, Kukuru and Fuuka, had great chemistry together. Even though this anime isn't in the yuri genre, their support for each other was endearing to watch. Both of their character development fits in well with each of the cours. Fuuka's story was the first half. Even though her dream as an idol ended, her realization of her new goal she developed ties in with supporting Kukuru with her ambition. Looks aside, she's my favorite character in the series. For Kukuru, she was more relatable in her work environment in the second half. Her development might've been rough, but towards the end, it paid off as it showed her change from a naive aquarium lover to a full-fledged working young woman. The other characters were great, but some were dislikeable at first. However, the anime explained their backstories, and it redeemed them in my eyes. On a separate note, that being with the red hair is called a Kijimuna, who is the reason why those illusions were there in the first place. In short, the characters, their personalities, and backstories were perfect and realistic. The animation for the aquariums was beautiful as it felt like it was a real-life aquarium. The CGI used for the fish is an example of CGI done well, and it makes sense as animating all the fish in 2D would've been difficult. Combined with the realistic character design, the magic surrealism was animated beautifully, bringing aquariums to life throughout the series. Outside of the aquarium environment, the animation for the rest of the work was generic and nothing special. In terms of everything combined, the visuals for this series were breathtaking yet simple during certain moments in this anime. The music was the second best part of the anime. The soundtrack gave off a rural island-like vibe, eventually transitioning into a more modern-like sound during the two halves of the series. The openings by Arcana Project sound incredible, as both of those songs describe the tone for the first and second half of the anime, which fits them perfectly. Both of the ending songs have a majestic vibe, with sounds like it takes place underwater, fitting in with the aquarium theme had. All of the songs sound beautiful, and it's also the first time I've ever listened to Arcana Project, and I've become a big fan of their music. Overall, Shiroi Suna no Aquatope is one of PA Works' best anime to date yet. Everything about this anime is done perfectly, from the characters to the animation. The pacing was smooth, and nothing was done wrong with it despite no source material. It inspires you to go to an aquarium in real life and to realize your dream throughout your life. This anime has done a perfect job in portraying those aspects. By understanding how everything in this anime functions, then this original anime is a masterpiece in my eyes. I recommend this anime if you enjoyed watching Nagi no Asukara, and you'll not be disappointed.

The sea has always delivered us many beautiful stories, so when I discovered another water-related anime was in production, I couldn´t resist. Another original anime, hopping into the trend of gorgeously animated series with great story that studios have been lately try to make up with huge results. And let me tell you giving this one a try was, in two words, worth it. Shiroi Suna no Aquatope is a great series that tells the story of Kukuru, the main character and a character I personally like a lot, who is trying to save her family´s aquarium from shutting down and be demolished. In the wayshe meets Fuuka, another great girl who is escaping fame and trying to leave peacefully for a while. Fuuka starts working at the aquarium as a trial, and as they meet many new and local people and unveil secrets, the girls start building a special relationship and growing up, surrounded by mysterious underwater visions that magical aquarium has. Fortunately, the good points of this anime are many. The main core of an anime is its story. Aquatope is a series that makes you embrace a constant rollercoaster (ironic). You sympathize with the charming characters, feel what happens to them and want them to succeed at all time. Whether it be Kukuru, Fuuka, Kai, Teruya, Kuuya, Umi or any of their friends, you will never feel an empty character. Their relatonships are very great and diverse, and no character is left out of them. And with those relationships you will experiment a great story marked by the constant message of not giving up, helping each other, teaming up and fighting for what or who you want or like. For me it´s not another anime that will just go by like nothing, but another anime that marks their viewers with the experience and inspires them to chase their dreams. The first thing that catches your eye are the incredibly stunning visuals it has. Clear blue skies, deep blue waters and light charming sand combine with the entire pallet to bring the series a colorful and both vibrating and darkening style. This beautiful display combines with great character design and detailed animal and wildlife modeling, making this series one of the most catching of 2021. Another incredibly stunning point are the sound display. One of the things that made me start watching it is its beautiful first opening. Arcana Project brought up a nice, emotive and at the same time enthusiastic song that prepares you for the adventure. As well, the second opening also does it by changing the tempo to a constantly high one. And when the songs combine with the stunning visuals, you get two great OPs. The rest of the soundtrack during the episodes are also fine and fairly good implemented. There are, of course, some other things that drag this anime down. Many of the things surrounding this world, like the illusions, their goal or even that spirit that appears since episode 1 (anime version enano bostero) does not seem to have a lot or any explanation at all. Lots of things seemed to be rushed up even though they had 24 episodes to develop those things. The series was nice and very charming, but without those, it leaves a bitter sensation at the end. Apart, despite I said the OPs were amazing, the EDs are exactly the opposite. Lame pacing, unintelligible lyrics and lack of nice animation make the endings something skippable and, the first one, one of the worst I have ever heard. The Aquatope on White Sand is a nice and amazing adventure you won´t regret seeing. The magic of its characters will amaze you, and its story makes inspiration flow. Original anime are growing day after day, and their quality is getting better and better. And this one definitively proves the point. Story: 8/10 Art: 9/10 Sound: 9/10 Character: 8/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall: 8.5/10 → 9/10 Should I watch it? Yes, if you are prepared to have fun and enjoy.

They're back again. After taking a half year break, Shiroi Suna no Aquatope (aka The Aquatope on White Sand) aired as one of the key projects celebrating PA Works' rich body of accomplishments. Or can it be called that? After all, P.A. Works can be a hit or miss sometimes based on their track record. But one thing is for sure, P.A. Works is no stranger in the anime industry. They've produced memorable adaptations and original works all the way back in 2008. Founded since 2000, you can bet that the studio brings their wealth of experience again to Shiroi Suna no Aquatope. Let me prefaceand say that if you're a familiar fan of P.A. Works, then you can easily tell the show dives into a slice of life story with coming of age themes. There's a bucket list to check off and of course, cute girls is among them. Shiroi Suna no Aquatope is yet, much more about cute girls doing cute things. It's about characters following their dreams and making a difference in their world. It all starts when an eighteen year old Fuka Miyazawa escapes to Okinawa and meets Kukuru Misakino, a high student with a passion for aquatic life. It doesn't take long for the two to become friends and she develops her own passion and finding her place at the Gama Gama Aquarium. With slice of life stories like this, we have to realize and set expectations clearly. The show tells a realistic story that depicts how characters live. P.A Works is known for both their realism and fantasy naturalism. But for this anime, they decided to go with realism by telling their story, and focusing on the cast with their dreams. To the surprise of no one, Kukuru and Fuka represents characters that met by fate. The director obviously set up this show for the two main cast to meet through chance and added the texture of chasing a dream as part of the plot. Watching this anime made me realize how quickly Kukuru and Fuka became close together from the very start. Despite coming from different backgrounds, it's obvious the show wanted to see how both characters develop as a pair and individually. And let's just say, both characters learn a lot from each other. What's more important is how much the two characters affect each other in their own way. With Fuka's support, Kukuru discovers herself and continues to follow her dream regardless of any obstacles in her own. Similarly, Kukuru is able to show Fuka that there's a life outside of being an idol and that becoming part of the aquarium gives her new opportunities. That's what life is about, seeking opportunities, and following dreams. With a total set of 24 episodes, the anime is structured in two parts with the first half taking place at the Gama Gama Aquarium. After certain circumstances, we get the second half of the story taking place at the Tingaara Aquarium. Despite the change in setting, the anime still retains its themes and knows no boundary about its love of aquatic life. From taking care of dolphins, nursing sea turtles, to cosplaying to attract an audience, every episode has its passion. To be honest, the anime does have its subtle yuri-tones but the relationship between Fuka and Kukuru eclipses so much more than that. One thing I want to mention about Shiroi Suna no Aquatope is that while Kukuru and Fuka are the two characters that stand out the most, the rest of the cast seems to be here and there adapting their roles in the most safe way possible. What I mean is, the majority of the cast are introduced as who they are but receive little development overall. This is especially true in the second half of the show when the Tingaara Aquarium is introduced. Characters such as Karin, Chiyu, Kuuya, among others only get some involvement with the plot. After the first half of the show, it seems they are very much overshadowed by Fuka and Kukuru. Now, I don't know how the plot was created from behind the scenes but it became obvious that the director wanted to shift its attention entirely on the two main leads. It's just a shame that there's an overemphasis on Fuka and Kukuru than almost anything else. But, don't let that distract from the gorgeous chereography and high quality stellar visuals. P.A. Works and their talent of crafting lustrious visuals is once again present in their latest work. It rewards fans with stunning quality of the aquarium waters to natural look of the outdoors. It remains that way throughout the series as there are no episodes with noticable drop in quality .Character designs are also decorated with simple yet mature look for its cast. Human emotions are protrayed with realistic expressions and every episode has its share of its behaviors. From a technical perspective, this is a breathtaking representation of classic P.A. Works anime and you're in for a treat. If there's an answer to making a solid slice of life anime this year, then it's P.A. Works. From this original TV anime of 24 episodes, we see what their talent bought to us. And with Shiroi Suna no Aquatope, the show proved itself to be a simple yet effective story. It gave us a story that matters, a story that we can find ourselves relatable to, and a story that we can all share about following dreams.

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