Shiroi Suna no Aquatope | E18 and E19: What’s left to look forward to?

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What’s interesting about episodes eighteen and nineteen is that they are extremely fast-paced episodes, especially when you compare them to the first half of the anime. I knew that this was going to eventually happen, especially with a twenty-four-episode anime. Any story regardless of what it is seems to take it slower in the first half and gradually picks up steam towards the end. Think of it almost like a lawnmower, we started off at turtle speed now we’re moving at rabbit speed.

So what did I think about both episodes? To be honest, I don’t know. Over the past few episodes, I’ve been questioning this anime as a whole. Like what is the purpose of Shiroi Suna no Aquatope, what is the story trying to tell? In the first half of the anime, that message was clear, to save the Gama Gama. However, ever since everyone moved to the Tingaara I feel like we’ve sort of lost our way in that I don’t know if there’s a story being told at this point.

The question then becomes what’s left to look forward to?

If everyone is relatively content or enjoying their time at the Tingaara then what’s left? I mean Kukuru still isn’t an attendant which is something she still wants to be but has yet to be given the opportunity. I guess there’s that, but I don’t think they’ll dedicate the remaining few episodes for that. I’m sure they’ll find a way to fill it with something else, but what is that? What is there left to fulfill?

There were efforts made to make each episode contain its own little storylines, like Akari Maeda’s dilemma in episode seventeen. Maeda’s situation was that she wasn’t really passionate about anything but was working in a place where everyone around her was passionate about marine life and everything that goes with working at an aquarium. But eventually, within the episode, she became more and more interested and by the end of the episode, it would seem as though she too is now very fascinated with marine life.

Then there’s episode eighteen where Fuuka’s past temporarily comes back in the form of Ruka. Similar to how Fuuka was at the start of the anime, Ruka too started to get more and more hate. Oh and let’s not also forget that while that is also happening Ruka lived life knowing that the reason why their company pushed Fuuka out was because of her. So Ruka was living with guilt and also shouldered her own as well as Fuuka’s dream of becoming an idol. However, this is quickly cleared up because Fuuka being the person that she is, reaffirmed that this was where she wanted to be and that’s she’s having fun. Fuuka made sure that Ruka knew that she wasn’t the reason for Fuuka leaving and that she (Fuuka) will always have her back and will continue to support Ruka’s dream.

Don’t get me wrong, these are nice mini stories but that’s all it is. What’s the bigger picture now? Is Shiroi Suna no Aquatope going to become an anime full of side stories? I’m not sure if that’s something I’ll end up watching. Overall, episodes seventeen and eighteen were okay episodes, but it leaves me wondering if there’s something to look forward to anymore.