As a preface, I score my series out of 10.
As such, this anime receives a 100 (10/10) score from me in this review.
This series seems to be a point of contention for many people. Some greatly preferring the second half of the series, and others preferring the first half. Though I feel that without these two cours of the story being told side by side, Aquatope would lack the same impact/value.
The tagline for this series is an apt descript for what you can come to expect from the contents of this anime. The first half depicting a magical and passionate world full of life, mysteries, and dreams. In many ways this portion of the series follows a traditional slice of life format; barring, of course, its phenomenal animation, art, designs, and vibrant characters that already set it apart from the rest.
As a contrast to this, the second half of the anime loses much of this life; or at least for its beginning portion. Though while many appears to have interpreted this to be to the detriment of the anime, I found that it perfectly illustrated the heart wrenching struggle of the characters to once again find the magic and beauty in life despite the shattering of their dreams.
In many ways, each half of this anime targets the recovery of one of the main heroine duo to find a new purpose for living. The first half focusing on Fuka Miyazawa, an ex-idol from Tokyo who made an effort to run away from the problems and stresses of her life to find something new. The second then focuses on the girl who introduced Fuka to that new life; Kukuru Misakino. A girl so passionate and headstrong that seeing the shattering or her dream and her depressive state following it feels heart wrenching as the viewer.
With a cast of loveable and dynamic characters, I feel as if a series like Aquatope is only as good to the viewer as their ability to really appreciate and empathize with the characters within it. For me, I was able to recognize the struggles of the characters and really grow attached to them. Even the side characters in the anime are full of life and feel distinct, many of whom carry their own burdens and struggles that we must see through as the episodes continue on. It is common to feel as if a series, regardless of the medium, is slow or poor as a result of the characters you have come to love being forced through extended periods of pain or turmoil. Though when you start to feel this same pain and wish deeply for the characters to break free from the shackles that are trapping them, oftentimes feeling as pained by the events are they are, I find that this demonstrates a fantastic ability of the writers for a series to capture the hearts of their audience.
The second half of the series was fairly sudden to begin, though I believe this was intentional. With each half of the anime primarily focusing on the dreams (or lack thereof) of one of the girls, the second began just as suddenly for Fuka as the second did for Kukuru. Fuka ran away on a whim on a juvenile attempt to escape the pressures of her life. It's no secret that the idol industry both in and out of Japan is one of the most brutal for the minds of its workforce. Though above all else, Fuka had no direction. At the middle turning point of the anime, Kukuru was forced into this same situation; a direct parallel to that of Kukuru, though not by choice.
After her move, Fuka began to grow attached to Kukuru for having been the first she really met in this new phase of her life. Though more than that, Kukuru and her bubbly personality was more than happy to try to show Fuka the mystery and fascinating nature of the ocean and its inhabitants. By sharing this passion with Fuka, Kukuru was able to begin the ex-idol on her journey to finding a new dream. However, it is not until the very last episode of the anime that both of these girls solidify themselves on the new dreams that they've come to discover.
Maybe one of the greatest strengths of this anime is its ability to showcase the emotion and passion behind the main theme of the series; aquatics and aquariums. For me, this has been a growing passion of mine as well. Though with no ability to really capitalize on it due to how landlocked and rural the area I live in is, I can't help but feel frustrated. Seeing these characters live out dreams that aren't that dissimilar to my own is heartwarming, and seeing their struggles with it fill me with uncertainty and dread about whether I am following the right path myself. I'm finishing up schooling for marketing at the time of this review. Living in the US, that means having invested the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in loans into my education. This definitely leads to many, including myself, feeling trapped in their paths in life. In my case as well, I feel like due to my location I'm unable to capitalize on this uncertain dream of working with marine life. Coupled with the fear of leaving behind all I've known in life by moving to take that big leap and risk, I sympathize on a personal level with this anime which left me conflicting and thinking about my own dreams.
While I haven't found an answer to my own turmoil yet, the personal connection that this anime was able to make with me on multiple levels is something I won't forget. Being an original anime is both a blessing and a curse; one on hand a series is able to fulfill an entire story from beginning to end without issues, though on the other there is nothing more to explore of a story once you finish it. With the story of Fuka and Kukuru coming to a close, or maybe more accurately just beginning anew, this series leaves me feeling melancholic and empty. Not because the journey was disappointing, but because it has ended and I am left to think of how best to continue my own journey in life.
Aquatope, I feel, handles the depiction of the anxiety and depression which comes from the shattering of the characters' dreams, most apparently those of Kukuru, very realistically. Though with my splurging over the anime mostly done, I did want to address some apparent misconceptions that I seem to see pop up fairly often.
A common point of discontent seems to be a perceived lack of direction for the second half of the anime. Though I feel that this is less a matter of the lack of direction for the anime itself, and instead is a matter of how lost the characters (in this portion that would mostly refer to Kukuru) feel. Trying new things, struggling to find the path for themselves, experimenting with their life. I found no issue with the linear depiction of the story we were told, and felt like the way that the second half of the series was displayed only served to add to the experience and immersion for me. There is no lack of direction in this anime, just a lack of viewers being explicitly told how to interpret the scenes laid out before them. I find it to be a great shame when many masterfully written series are thrashed from those that treat it as something much more shallow and thereby do not think to explore deeper. That is no disrespect to any who feel this way, and is more-so an issue of the expectations that most anime have set for people in my eyes.
Otherwise, many seem to complain about the lack of explanation behind a certain spirit/yokai we see around the course of the anime. This was mentioned briefly within Aquatope, and I can't totally fault people for not picking up on it. Though I can, however, fault them for not doing the due diligence of investigating the issue before claiming it as a fault of the series. This is a Kijimuna, a spirit from Okinawan mythos which is known to play tricks on humans or at times carrying them over seas. This is the implied source of the supernatural experiences that some visitors would undergo at Gama Gama and later at Tingarla. These experiences, as well, are implied to not have bene tied to Gama Gama as a location but instead to the people and their emotions.
Gama Gama brought out dreams, excitement, fascination, and life in its attendants. While our main cast lacked those same emotions at Tingarla, we see a glimpse of them reclaiming this sense of wonder in their lives in the final episode.
For as much praise as I will give it, I will admit that I don't think this anime is for everyone. Though I hope that those that have continued to read through to the end of this review who have not already seen the anime will consider jumping in and experiencing this journey for themselves. Going into things with tailored expectations and an open mind, I hope you're able to embrace the refreshing experience that is The Aquatope on White Sand.
Through the shattered dreams of Kukuru and Fuka comes the beginning of a new journey not just for the characters themselves, but for myself as a viewer as I am also inspired to take a closer look at the path I am on in life.