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(The) aquatope on white sand (TV).


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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 4:36 am Reply with quote


(The) aquatope on white sand (TV)

Genres: drama, slice of life

Plot Summary: A "girl-meets-girl" ensemble youth drama set in Nanjō City, Okinawa, Aquatope of White Sand tells the story of Fuuka Miyazawa, a former idol who gives up on her dreams in Tokyo and moves to Okinawa, and Kukuru Misakino, a high school girl who serves as the acting director of the Gamagama Aquarium. Kukuru invites Fuuka to work at the aquarium, but the aquarium is in a financial crisis and is on the verge of shutting down.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:26 pm Reply with quote
1:

OKINAWA TOURISM PROMO VID!

Sorry, just wanted to get that off my chest. But of course, I'm not that petty to think that this show is just about promoting Okinawa; it's definitely more than that.

I'm getting strong Nagi no Asukara vibes from this show. And IRODUKU: The World in Colors. And even Sakura Quest. Pfft, basically all the past P.A. Works productions. Especially Nagi no Asukara, since it's directed by the same guy. Figures.

I find Fuuka's experience wholly amusing. Got outshined by a junior in a girl band and left. Feels lost and experiences her first existential crisis. Doesn't return home because the last thing she wants is a cheering-up party. Instead, literally runs away in the opposite direction and head down to Okinawa. Gets an epiphany. Wanders around, lost. Finds an aquarium. Gets another epiphany. Finds her new calling.

Familiar setup of a girl finding her north star and her serendipitous discovery of her new calling in the form of an aquarium in Okinawa, of all places. Her meeting with the fortune teller was cute, not because of how the teller exploited Fuuka's naivete with simple observation, but how Fuuka pulls out a "NO U" card on her (maybe because of her naivete).

I'm definitely sticking around for this one. It's the perfect summer show; it's literally made for the summer season. Just the right kind of feel-good show I need.
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bonbonsrus



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 1537
Location: Michigan, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 11:22 pm Reply with quote
I definitely loved this opener. Right from the very beginning, the music, the still scenes... before we even saw a character seemed to pull me into the setting. I found the whole thing slightly magical, even when simple plain stuff was happening as there was enough whimsy mixed in throughout this show that is never let me forget the unseen world wanting to peek through, the magic waiting in the periphery that seemed to scatter if you have it full attention.

I have no idea if the rest of this show will be able to feel as beautiful and immersive as this did as it feels like we're just starting to get to the body of the story, but I'm sure going to find out!
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:23 pm Reply with quote
2:

Aww this show's pretty. Like Aquaman pretty.

I was sure from the get-go that Fuuka feeding the penguins will go awry, so no surprises that it did. She got reprimanded about looking out for the animals, although I thought it was a little harsh. Kukuru mentioned how she forgot to mention that nail polish is a no-no in aquarium work, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the only thing she forgot to teach Fuuka.

But hey, the story is clear: the aquarium isn't exactly Chiraumi, and it's going bust but Kukuru wants to keep it alive. Familiar story, amarite. She has a dream, and Fuuka had one once so with the power of besties 4 eva, they will strive to realize their dream once and for all. That tiny, red-headed god is going to help with it, I'm sure.

I was amused by two things: 1) penguin going straight for Fuuka's cheeks, and 2) Kuuya's transformation with the help of alcohol. Alcohol changes people.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:56 pm Reply with quote
3:

Kai is the friendzone guy, isn't he?
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15572
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:19 am Reply with quote
So, the episode implied that Kukuru's mother passed away while pregnant? Which makes it extra tragic.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 4:48 am Reply with quote
DuskyPredator wrote:
So, the episode implied that Kukuru's mother passed away while pregnant? Which makes it extra tragic.

Not sure what this means yet. She dreamt about her parents, so I assumed they were alive when she was around. Her mom passed away with a baby brother/sister that Kukuru never had? What about the dad?

I am pretty sure that the red-haired deity is going to help Kukuru reunite with them. Definitely a water-themed reunion, too.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11580
PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 4:53 am Reply with quote
^ It did? I thought they just said both parents died.

The convo during the baby scene was pretty Rolling Eyes .

"Is the baby asleep?" Nope, he ded.

"I'll never forget this birth thanks to you two!" The pain and stretch marks and having the baby around to remind me just wouldn't have been enough, had it all gone uneventfully.

Yeah, I think Kai is the only character I actually like so far. He the only one who's the least bit grounded, and he's friendly and a good guy to boot.
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4829
PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2021 7:59 pm Reply with quote
Watched two eps. It's kinda a nice show...I find shows with lots of aquatic imagery super-relaxing and soothing. The visuals feel a little underwhelming for P.A. Works though? But maybe I'm comparing it to NagiAsu too much...

...poor Fuuka getting attacked by the penguins. Birds are so terrifying. Shocked Laughing Honestly, Kukuru should have taught her things like 'don't get too close to the beaks or they'll bite you!' Fuuka is totally inexperienced and the birds were too aggressive. It's not her fault at all.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 11:13 pm Reply with quote
4:

This is one of those shows that I can't expound much because, well, it is what it is. But I will comment something about Fuuka, especially on the idea of passion. The people around her question her motive for being here, since she's not having emotionally invested in marine life. Truth be told, she isn't; we don't even get the hint that she's been remotely interested in them throughout her life.

So yes, it comes down to that familiar question: if you're not passionate about something, why do it? It stems from the conventional (but debatable) wisdom of how you should "follow your passion". This wisdom is problematic, and many people have debunked it. Work and dedication actually comes before passion; in fact, they claim that passion is a product of work and dedication. That's what Fuuka has learned for herself: working at the aquarium is just an escapism for her (not passion), but she gradually learns to enjoy the work. This is an example of how "follow your passion" isn't true, at least not always.

Is anyone surprised that Fuuka's mom finally shows herself?
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:57 pm Reply with quote
5:

Kukuru: "Fuuka, your mom said she's taking you back home!"
Fuuka: "Oh no, what do I do!?"
Kukuru: "Run away!"

Me: "...really? We're doing this again?"

Fine, I get it. Fuuka running away is just a plot device to remove Fuuka away from the actual purpose of the episode: to let the mom explore Okinawa and the aquarium, and understand why Fuuka wants to stay here. She's not the villain because she's never meant to be one. In fact, this show doesn't plan to have one; it's so wholesome that to have one seems unnecessary.

And I saw that. Yeah, I did. Kukuru's mom's altar. That's the crux of the whole show. We're getting to the bottom of it sooner and later. And I should've said this earlier: what's the deal with the heels carved into the stone at the start of the ED? Gut feeling says it has something to do with Kukuru's mom.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:32 am Reply with quote
6:

Pentagram? Isn't TikTok all the rage now? Jkjk, IG's still relevant.

The woman Kukuru saw in her dream? I bet it's the same person on the altar shown in the previous episode. Her older sister (who also died)? Maybe. Jeez, what the hell happened to Kukuru's family.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15572
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 3:15 am Reply with quote
I wasn't expecting to have Kukuru have a vision of her parents so early, but also kind of good. Although, who was the other girl? The one that turned into her own reflection? I was wondering if it could have been the hypothetical sister she never had, but I don't know what she would be shown as the same age she is now.

It did kind of hit me that maybe this is some part of why she has wanted to hang onto the aquarium, due to something that could connect her to her family that have passed away. And maybe wonder if she really has to come to terms with things.
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Yttrbio



Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Posts: 3670
PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:34 am Reply with quote
I figured it could be her older self. The pregnant lady saw a vision of the future, too.
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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 958
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2021 10:54 pm Reply with quote
7:

Man, I didn't think Kuuya's story would be as bad as that. Just when I thought Kuuya's a mirror reflection of me, he reveals his bad experience with cliques.

Bruh. SAME.
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