The Aquatope on White Sand

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The Aquatope on White Sand
Aquatope of White Sand.png
白い砂のアクアトープ
(Shiroi Suna no Akuatōpu)
Anime television series
Directed byToshiya Shinohara
Written byYūko Kakihara
Music byYoshiaki Dewa
StudioP.A. Works
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkTokyo MX, BS Fuji, AT-X, MBS, RBC
Original run July 9, 2021 – present
Episodes24 (List of episodes)
Wikipe-tan face.svg Anime and manga portal

The Aquatope on White Sand (白い砂のアクアトープ, Shiroi Suna no Akuatōpu) is an anime television series produced by P.A. Works. The series premiered in July 2021.

Plot[]

Set in Nanjō, Okinawa,[1] Aquatope on White Sand tells the story of 18-year-old girl Kukuru Misakino who is chasing her dream by working at an aquarium threatened with closure, and Fūka Miyazawa, a former idol from Tokyo who has given up on her dream and escaped to Okinawa.

Characters[]

Kukuru Misakino (海咲野くくる, Misakino Kukuru)
Voiced by: Miku Itō[2]
A high school student who works at Gamagama Aquarium as its Director Deputy. She is determined to save the aquarium via means of creativity and hard work. Her love for sea creatures knows no bound.
Fūka Miyazawa (宮沢風花, Miyazawa Fūka)
Voiced by: Rikako Aida[2]
A former idol who has given up on her dream for another member and escaped to Okinawa. Her former fame troubled her, as was her decision of sacrificing her idol career, but Gama Gama quickly became her safe haven and her new-found passion.
Tsukimi Teruya (照屋月美, Teruya Tsukimi)
Voiced by: Azumi Waki[3]
Kukuru's childhood friend. She's helping her mother with running her local diner. She is nicknamed "Udon-chan" because her name is also a type of an udon, Tsukimi Udon.
Karin Kudaka (久高夏凛, Kudaka Karin)
Voiced by: Lynn[3]
An office lady who is working on helping the city increase its tourists. She is close to Kukuru, and quickly warmed up to Fūka after their first encounter.
Kai Nakamura (仲村櫂, Nakamura Kai)
Voiced by: Shimba Tsuchiya[4]
Kukuru's childhood friend. He's helping his father with his fishman job.
Kūya Yakamashi (屋嘉間志空也, Yakamashi Kūya)
Voiced by: Yōhei Azakami[4]
A worker at Gamagama Aquarium. Cold and aloof, though hard at work - and sometimes hardly working - and are often more energetic when alcohol is involved.
Ojii (おじい, Ojī)
Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka[4]
The director of Gamagama Aquarium and Kukuru's grandfather. When he took over Gamagama, he never knew what to do with the place. While intending to let go of the aquarium, he is also considering letting Kukuru taking her chances at reviving the place.
Chiyu Haebaru (南風原知夢, Haebaru Chiyu)
Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa[5]
A staff from Tingaara Aquarium, an aquarium that is scheduled to open in the center city. She was assigned to train at Gamagama Aquarium. Being a young adult struggling on landing a job, she thinks that training at Gamagama Aquarium doesn't actually train anything, remaining ignorant of the most important things, so she decided to move to other move to other place as it "doesn't actually train her," which enrages Kukuru. Noted for her appearance and initial professional impression.

Production and release[]

The Aquatope on White Sand was announced on January 15, 2021. The series is directed by Toshiya Shinohara and written by Yūko Kakihara, and features character designs by U35 and Yuki Akiyama, and music by Yoshiaki Dewa. It premiered on July 9, 2021 on Tokyo MX and other channels.[2][4][a] The first opening theme, "Tayutae, Nanairo" (たゆたえ、七色, lit. "Sway, Seven Colors"), is performed by Arcana Project,[7] while the first ending theme, "Tsukiumi no Yurikago" (月海の揺り籠, lit. "Moon Ocean's Cradle"), is performed by Mia Regina.[3] Arcana Project also performs the second opening theme "Tomedonai Shiosai ni Bokutachi wa Nani o Utau darō ka" (とめどない潮騒に僕たちは何を歌うだろうか), while Risa Aizawa from Dempagumi.inc performs the second ending theme "Shingetsu no Da Capo" (新月のダ・カーポ).[5] Crunchyroll licensed the series outside of Asia.[8] Muse Communication licensed the series in South and Southeast Asia.[9] The series will run for 24 episodes.[10]

Episode list[]

No.Title [11][b]Directed by [c]Written by [c]Storyboarded by [c]Original air date [13][a]
1"The Tropical Fish Ran Away"
Transcription: "Nettaigyo, Nigeta" (Japanese: 熱帯魚、逃げた)		Yasuo FujiiYūko KakiharaToshiya ShinoharaJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
Fūka Miyazawa retires from her job as an idol, leaving her dreams and aspirations behind, and escapes to Okinawa. She sleeps the night at a beach and wakes up without her hat, and disoriented. Meanwhile, Kukuru Misakino goes to summer school, and later to the Gamagama Aquarium. Fūka, thanks to help from Karin Kudaka, gets to the same aquarium, and after an out-of-body experience, she meets Kukuru, who gives her a tour.
2"Getting Wet Is Part Of the Job"
Transcription: "Nureru no mo Shigoto no Uchi" (Japanese: 濡れるのも仕事のうち)		Tomoaki ŌtaYūko KakiharaMasahiro AndōJuly 16, 2021 (2021-07-16)
Fūka pleads with Kukuru to work at the aquarium and she provisionally agrees after Fūka says she'll do anything, but needs to ask her grandparents if its ok. They agree and she begins living with Kukuru and her grandparents. While Fūka talks on the phone, Kukuru goes to a local bar when she talks to Karin and Tsukimi Teruya, and they agree to help her bring more people to the aquarium so it can stay open. The next day, Fūka goes into work for the first time, meeting Kūya Yakamashi, a worker at the aquarium. Fūka messes up badly, leading Kukuru to tell her what she did wrong, but she is able to make it up to her, and later both open up to each other.
3"Life Begins In the Ocean"
Transcription: "Inochi wa, Umi Kara" (Japanese: いのちは、海から)		Tetsuo IchimuraYūko KakiharaTetsuo IchimuraJuly 23, 2021 (2021-07-23)
Fūka begins helping Kukuru's grandparents and continues working at the aquarium, with Kai Nakamura beginning to work at the aquarium. Thanks to help from Kukuru, Fūka becomes better at working at the aquarium. Later, Kai tells Fūka the family story of Kukuru and how she became interested in aquariums. Karin grumbles about not getting any interest in aquarium. They also all help the staff veterinarian, Doctor Takeshita, on maternity leave, whose water breaks after she comes to check on one of the penguins, having an out-of-body experience like Fūka had earlier. She later gives birth while Fūka and Kukuru head back to the aquarium.
4"Tropical Fish In Boots"
Transcription: "Nagagutsu o Haita Nettaigyo" (Japanese: 長靴をはいた熱帯魚)		Yuriko AbeMisuzu ChibaTensai OkamuraJuly 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
Fūka helps out at the aquarium to prepare for an event, while Tsukimi and Karin begin asking questions about Fūka's past. She works alongside other employees and serves as a greeter, using the knowledge of sea creatures she has learned in the past day. She is caught off guard when some visitors point her out as a failed idol and try to take her picture. While she is saved by a fellow employee, she commiserates with Kukuru, who tries to apologize. This is rejected by Fūka and both connect with each other more deeply than before. In a post-credits scene, Fūka and Kukuru go to the aquarium, and Fūka sees an unexpected visitor which surprises her.
5"Mother Arrives"
Transcription: "Haha no Raihō" (Japanese: 母の来訪)		Osamu HonmaYūko KakiharaTensai OkamuraAugust 6, 2021 (2021-08-06)
Fūka's mom, at the door of the aquarium, wants to see her daughter. Kukuru provides a distraction so Fūka can run away and escape. She walked to the local diner, where Tsukimi cooks her a lunch. Tsukimi's mom, the same person who Fūka saw at the beginning of the series, begins to drive her to another town where she can start anew. But, Fūka has a change of heart and wants to go back to the town of Nanjō, specifically to the aquarium. She gets back there, and ultimately, with the support of Kukuru, tells her mom that she doesn't want to leave. Her mom agrees on the provision she return home in September for the new school term, which she agrees with. In a post-credits scene, Fūka and Kukuru go to the aquarium on Kukuru's motorbike.
6"Sweets Rhapsody"
Transcription: "Suītsu Rapusodi" (Japanese: スイーツラプソディ)		Yasuyuki ŌishiMisuzu ChibaToshiya ShinoharaAugust 13, 2021 (2021-08-13)
Kukuru, realizing the aquarium is still in trouble, struggles to come up with ideas for how to draw in visitors. When Fūka proposes that they sell cold sweets to visitors, Kukuru agrees with the idea. She enlists the help of Tsukimi, who is fine with the idea as it will add more dishes she can cook to her repertoire. The next day, Tsukimi comes to them with seven ideas for deserts to sell, but due to their limited budget, she narrows it down to one idea: having an ice cream stand near the front door. While they go a shop to sample ice cream, Karin informs them that getting a permit for selling ice cream is hard to get, leading Tsukimi to research making shaved ice instead after a suggestion from her mom. In a post-credits scene, Kukuru and Fūka thank Tsukimi for creating the shaved ice, which was very successful.
7"Ice Cream Toast"
Transcription: "Aisu de Kanpai" (Japanese: アイスで乾杯)		Mitsutaka NoshitaniYūko KakiharaMasahiro AndōAugust 20, 2021 (2021-08-20)
Kukuru tells the staff that they far surpassed their goal for visitors in August so far, with Fūka noting the rise of followers on social media. Kukuru's grandfather tells her and the staff to take a break, noting that breaks for employees is important. They go on a day of relaxation on Komaka Island, while Kukuru is disappointed, as she wants to work, she agrees to have fun with everyone else, even looking at a nearby coral reef with a snorkel. Kai's sister later hangs out with Fūka, and Kukuru talks to Tsukimi, saying she has always wanted siblings, starting to think of Fūka like her older sister. Kukuru overhears her grandfather talking to Kūya about getting a new job and it makes her depressed, but Fūka cheers her up. Later, Rui and Kūya race each other on the beach, Kūya and Kai sit on the beach talking, while the others enjoy what's left of the food from the barbecue, with Karin telling how Kūya got to where he is now. In the final scene, Kai expresses his worry that Kukuru won't be able to process the closing of Gama Gama.
8"crab crisis"Yasuo FujiiMisuzu ChibaTetsuo IchimuraAugust 27, 2021 (2021-08-27)
Kukuru learns they can have a traveling aquarium and is excited. Later she tells her fellow employees when they ask about the marine life they are bringing along that crabs are banned where they are going. Kukuru, Fūka, and their co-worker, Umi, present some marine life from the aquarium at a local general clinic, meeting Karin and Kinjou. Later, it turns out that a crab got into the glass aquarium, and Fūka worries about it. Kukuru is disappointed in Karin for mentioning the closing of the aquarium, with the opening of a new aquarium, but later connects with Umi who came up with the idea for the traveling aquarium, who visits a person, Airi, he saw at the aquarium and had many requests for him. Kai notices that a crab is missing but dismisses it with the fact he is tired. The kids come to the aquarium presentation and Kinjou is freaked out when the crab crawls on her, but Airi helps and feels that Umi fulfilled his promise to her. Despite the crab coming to the clinic, Kinjou declines to file a complaint because of how happy the aquarium made the children. In a post-credits scene, Haebaru Chiyu from a local aquarium, Tingaara, has come to train there, with Kukuru visibly annoyed.
9"Cinderella, the Spy"
Transcription: "Shikaku no Shinderera" (Japanese: 刺客のシンデレラ)		Akira TakamuraYūko KakiharaMasahiro AndōSeptember 3, 2021 (2021-09-03)
Haebaru Chiyu, brought in by Ojii, has come to the aquarium to train, with her presence annoying Kukuru. Later, Umi, Kai, and Kūya discuss Chiyu's arrival with suspicion. Kukuru is assigned to train Chiyu, who agrees to help her and learns on the job, while Kukuru refuses to learn from her, considering her the "enemy," annoyed with Ojii. It is revealed that Chiyu was sent to Gama Gama to learn from the "legendary aquarium keeper," Ojii, and reports back to her bosses that Gama Gama is in disarray. As time goes on, she continues to annoy Kukuru more. That night, Kukuru's grandmother encourages her to have a little compassion for Chiyu and Fūka encourages Kukuru to have a better attitude the following day. Kukuru reveals that she wishes she had an older sister, and Fūka asks that they hold hands while they sleep, which Kukuru initially rejects, but later accepts. The following day, Kukuru is annoyed when Chiyu wants to learn from Ojii rather than Kukuru, something which Kukuru agrees with. The tour Chiyu gets from Ojii is different than she expected, and she feels that the whole experience is a waste of time. When she tells Kukuru this, she defends Ojii's actions, and Chiyu ends up insulting Kukuru, calling her unskilled. Later, Kukuru goes off on a trip on her motorcycle, Fūka gets a call from her friend, Ruka. In a post-credits scene, Kukuru arrives at the construction site for the Tingaara aquarium.
10"Abandoned Illusions"
Transcription: "Okizari no Maboroshi" (Japanese: 置き去りの幻)		Noriyoshi SasakiYuka YamadaJong HeoSeptember 10, 2021 (2021-09-10)
Kai remembers back to when he first met Kukuru, as a little kid, and thinks of what he can tell Kukuru to get her out of her funk. Kai gets up very early in the morning to go on a fishing boat, and bikes to work at Gama Gama. Kukuru is determined to find one solution to save the aquarium, and tells Fūka they should go to a fortune teller for good luck, which she agrees with, but is worried about her. Fūka remembers her phone call the previous night with Ruka, who tries to convince her to take a part in a movie by a young director, and she tells her that she'll think about it, with the deadline to reply being the end of summer break. They go to the fortune teller and she gives Kukuru the same advice she gave Fūka when she arrived in Okinawa. Fūka admits to Kukuru that she also saw an illusion in the aquarium, and she is encouraged by her friends to share this on the aquarium's official Penstagram account, until Karin calls it "uncertain." Later, Fūka tells Kukuru about the movie role she is being offered and it upsets Kukuru. The following day, Karin and others working at the aquarium are unsure about the claim of "miracles" at Gama Gama, Kai's sister visits Gama Gama with a boy she likes, Rui, and she tells Fūka she wishes she could stay forever. Kukuru tries to figure out a way to make the illusions appear, Ojii learns about the Penstagram post, and Kukuru enlists the help of Kai. Kukuru expresses her feelings about Fūka possibly leaving, Kai notices that she is troubled, and Ojii tells her that the social media post was not necessary. Fūka reflects on her experiences with Kukuru. Kai sees an illusion, lies to Kukuru and says he didn't see it, and Kukuru agrees it won't draw in visitors.
11"At the End of the Siege"
Transcription: "Rōjō no Hate" (Japanese: 籠城の果て)		Yuriko AbeMisuzu ChibaYoshiyuki AsaiSeptember 17, 2021 (2021-09-17)
12"Our Sea Never Ends"
Transcription: "Watashitachi no Umi wa Owaranai" (Japanese: 私たちの海は終わらない)		TBATBATBASeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
13"The Sea's Faraway Tingaara"
Transcription: "Umi no Haruka na Tingāra" (Japanese: 海の遥かなティンガーラ)		TBATBATBAOctober 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
14"Penguin Chaser"
Transcription: "Pengin Cheisā" (Japanese: ペンギンチェイサー)		TBATBATBAOctober 8, 2021 (2021-10-08)

Reception[]

Reviews of the series have been positive. David Lynn of Collider, described the series as ringing true, in the case of Fuuka, to "the feeling of being lost and trying to find something" to attach yourself to, and praised Kukuru as acting as Fuuka's foil, saying she represents "the feeling of pursuing a vague future you want but can't completely define." He concluded that the show captures the "feeling of being between stages of life, lost but searching."[14] Mercedez Clewis, reviewing the show's first two episodes, wrote on Anime News Network that she enjoyed the episodes, believing that the show can deliver on its combination of various elements, and saying she has "high hopes for this series", and thought that the show has "the potential to be one of the most beautiful new series this season."[15] She also argued that she considered the series to be "yuri-coded". In reviews of episodes 3-5, Clewis praised the magical realism of the series, how it "captures living in a rural part of Japan," is optimistic, the well-done story, and reads the cast as having "bits of queerness."[16][17][18]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Tokyo MX listed the series premiere at 24:00 on July 8, 2021, which is at midnight on July 9.[6]
  2. ^ All English titles are taken from Crunchyroll.[12]
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References[]

  1. ^ "P.A.WORKS新作アニメ「白い砂のアクアトープ」7月から、伊藤美来・逢田梨香子出演". Natalie.mu. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "P.A Works Reveals Aquatrope of White Sand Original Anime for July". Anime News Network. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 6, 2021). "Aquatope of White Sand Anime Reveals Promo Video, More Cast, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 14, 2021). "P.A. Works' Aquatope of White Sand Anime Unveils More Cast, July 8 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "P.A. Works' Aquatope of White Sand Anime Casts Yui Ishikawa, Reveals 2nd Opening/Ending Themes". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  6. ^ "On'ea & Sutorīmingu｜Terebi Anime "Shiroi Suna no Akuatōpu"" OnAir&Streaming｜TVアニメ『白い砂のアクアトープ』 [OnAir & Streaming｜TV Anime "Aquatope of White Sand"]. aquatope-anime.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Harding, Daryl. "Cool Down With The aquatope on white sand Creditless Opening Theme". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  8. ^ Cardine, Kyle (June 22, 2021). "Crunchyroll Announces Summer 2021 Anime Lineup!". Crunchyroll. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "【JULY DISTRIBUTION ANNOUNCEMENT】 《The Aquatope on White Sand》 This is not a YouTube upload announcement! A refreshing summer Anime about aquariums is coming up! I want to swim among fishes too~ The visuals looks beautiful already!!". Facebook. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Blu-ray｜TVアニメ『白い砂のアクアトープ』". aquatope-anime.com (in Japanese). Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "Sutōrī｜Terebi Anime "Shiroi Suna no Akuatōpu"" Story｜TVアニメ『白い砂のアクアトープ』 [Story｜TV Anime "Aquatope of White Sand"]. aquatope-anime.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "The aquatope on white sand - Watch on Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "Hōsō Jōhō｜Shiroi Suna no Akuatōpu｜Anime｜Tōkyō Emu Ekkusu" 放送情報｜白い砂のアクアトープ｜アニメ｜TOKYO MX [Broadcast Information｜Aquatope of White Sand｜Anime｜Tokyo MX]. Tokyo MX (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Lynn, David (July 31, 2021). "The 4 Best New Anime Shows to Watch This Summer". Collider. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021.
  15. ^ Clewis, Mercedez (July 20, 2021). "The aquatope on white sand--Episodes 1-2 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  16. ^ Clewis, Mercedez (July 23, 2021). "The aquatope on white sand--Episode 3 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Clewis, Mercedez (July 30, 2021). "The aquatope on white sand--Episode 4 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  18. ^ Clewis, Mercedez (August 7, 2021). "The aquatope on white sand--Episode 5 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.

External links[]

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