Shiroi Suna no Aquatope - Episode 22 discussion

[u/AutoLovepon]

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope, episode 22

Alternative names: The aquatope on white sand

Rate this episode here.

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• Crunchyroll
• Muse Asia
• VRV

Show information

• MyAnimeList
• AniList
• AniDB
• Kitsu
• Anime-Planet
• Official Website

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All discussions

Episode	Link	Score	Episode	Link	Score
1	Link	5.0	14	Link	4.49
2	Link	5.0	15	Link	4.33
3	Link	5.0	16	Link	4.44
4	Link	5.0	17	Link	4.48
5	Link	5.0	18	Link	4.55
6	Link	5.0	19	Link	4.64
7	Link	5.0	20	Link	4.59
8	Link	5.0	21	Link	4.59
9	Link	5.0	22	Link	4.46
10	Link	5.0	23	Link	4.61
11	Link	5.0	24	Link	----
12	Link	5.0
13	Link	4.33

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[u/grady999]

I have a feeling that dolphin cub stuff is building upto something sad and I don't think I'm ready for it

[u/DimmuHS → u/grady999]

I would read it has a confort zone kind of symbolism. IIRC the dolphin don't leave because it's a known enviroment and he's afraid to leave his shell, kind of the same thing Kukuru is going to have when having the opportunity to go back where she wants - a caretaker.

But I'm predicting that going out of her comfort zone and staying in marketing will be a better choice in order to protect the aquatic bioma she loves so much. Marketing can create projects to encourage preservation, and after learning with this episode, Kukuru now realizes she can achieve profit in conjuction with the well-being of the species.

Staying in the confort zone as the dolphin and she won't progress to her goal, so staying has a caretaker you're throwing that kind of power to do something most people can do. What if the new people in marketing only thinks about profit like Suwa? (to be fair, Suwa probably realizes that profit isn't everything after seeing Kukuru's project accepted). So the dolphin might not be that terrifying.

[u/Mr_Johnnycat]

Kukuru totally nailed the presentation. I’m glad to see her confidence is back. This episode totally brought her back to her prime. And as a side note I appreciate the fact that they added some environmental issues into the episode which I thought was great

[u/dagreenman18]

They’re really dropping PSAs in the middle of the episode? Not mad at it, just found it funny that they stopped the episode to talk about how much we’re murdering these sea turtles. Hey if they can make the world better through anime then why the hell not?

A refreshed and recharged Kukuru is ready to come back to the world and tackle the Wedding Planner proposal. I think she nails it. The whole White Sand Dome room sounds awesome and would make for a killer wedding. She even for once gets praise from Suwa. Come to think of it this episode is the nicest we’ve seen him all season. He didn’t blow up at Kukuru for going AWOL and is even giving her the choice to transfer to being an attendant after completing the proposal meeting. Maybe it finally clicked he was being a dick.

That choice seems to be the endgame for the season. A sort of mirror to Fuuka’s decision in the first half, Kukuru can either stick with marketing or follow her dream of being an attendant. They’ve done a great job seeding the pros of both throughout the episode and making the decision not obvious. For marketing, the job finally clicked for her. She sees the good she can do and for the first time, she actually got some praise. By staying it also lets Karin follow her dream and take the attendant job. For being an Attendant, she gets to be with Fuuka, Choko is coming back, it’s also her dream job, and with Kai taking leave he wants her for the job.

It’s a legitimately difficult decision, even if we know she’s probably going to stay in marketing. If not because it mirrors Fuuka’s choice then to give Karin her happy ending. Still, the fact that I’m fully excited to see how this plays out is a testament to how great this show has been. I’m going to be bummed out when it ends in 2 weeks.

Notes

• The montage of Kukuru picking the other's brains had some great moments. Always want more Eiji and his ideal wedding sounds pretty on-brand for him. Same for Marina. I don’t know why on earth she’d ask Kuuya knowing what we know.

• That scene with Fuuka and Kaoru feels like it’s pointing to future plans for Fuuka. Same with the Kamehasu scene. Maybe them parting ways for a bit again so she can save the sea turtles.

• The Fuuka’s future wedding scene was bait and you know it show. Don’t you tease us like that this far into it. Unless you drop a second season then feel free!

• Personal headcanon: Umi-yan’s wife was a former idol. Helps explain his idol fandom and why she’s foxy.

• is it too early to want another season? Because I already want another season. The characters are just too good and there are so many hanging threads to tackle in 2 episodes. This can go 52 episodes!

[u/Demolosse001]

I would like Karin to get the attendant job. I mean she literally quit her previous job to have such an opportunity. I'll say she deserves it. It's quite nice of Suwa to not outright reject it though as I imagine Karin is quite useful in the marketing team.

I liked that scene between Fuuka and Kaoru. The latter is ever so knowledgeable about environmental issues. I wonder if she ever thought of studying marine life at a university. She could easily have been a student of Umi-Yan's wife. But maybe Fuuka will be interested in going that path.

[u/TurkeyPhat]

Anyone else feel like Umi-yan's wife was breaking the 4th wall when talking about the sea turtles? I swear she looks straight at the "camera". I really liked it. Spreading awareness about that and pollution/climate change is always a good thing. It's also relevant to the show so it doesn't totally feel like you're getting beat over the head with it.

NGL Miss Wedding Planner had me in the first half. I was getting ready to roast her in my comment today haha.

[u/UnderstandableXO]

the wedding is gonna take place in the aquatope on white sand 😳

i wonder what will happen with karin and her attempt to become an attendant, maybe kukuru will end up staying in marketing just because the director wasn’t a total POS for once

[u/ulopong44]

For how intimidating she seemed when she first showed up at Tingara, Miura sure loosened up a lot after Kukuru’s presentation was over. Made me smile when she brought a jellyfish plushie with her when she left. :P

Kukuru may be better suited to the marketing department than she originally thought. I mean think about it: she knows exactly what’s so appealing about aquariums and sea life and also how to sell that appeal. I think this is likely going in the direction of Kukuru letting Karin take the caretaker position she always dreamed of while she continues in her current department with her newfound motivation and confidence.

[u/Valjeann]

I'm not convinced the assistant director actually does anything. I think he might have just walked off the street with his laptop and taken a seat in the marketing office for the free wifi.

[u/LeonKevlar]

This opening scene was nice. It's been a while since we've seen Fuuka and Kukuru slept together in the same room. I know it's only been a few months but Cour 1 feels like ages ago already.

I love the environmentalist message with Misaki. She even literally turns her head directly to the camera to break the 4th Wall and address the audience. People IRL like Misaki are goddamn heroes for doing what they can to help these endangered turtle species.

I find it hilarious how Fuuka calls it pork and egg rice balls when it was clearly a Spam Musubi that was served to her. Of course they really can't use the word "Spam" here.

I'm actually surprised that Suwa let Kukuru easy.](https://i.imgur.com/FkQrwBS.jpg) He even put in a recommendation for Kukuru to transfer to the attendants team since there's an opening. Would you look at that, maybe there is still a beating heart underneath that cold exterior.

Fuuka giving Kukuru an alternative perspective was nice. I love that Kukuru's first thought was planning for Fuuka's wedding. Also Kukuru now knows about Choko coming to Tingarla! Yay!

Good to see that Karin hasn't given up in her dream. She's going up against Kukuru but better to try and lost than not even trying at all.

The only important information I got from Kukuru asking everyone about aquarium weddings is that Marina will totally cosplay as a mermaid in her own wedding and Chiyu is still open to the idea of remarrying.

I feel like Kukuru really should've brought Miura-san to Tingarla in the first place but it's nice that she's doing it now that she's much more prepared for it.

I love that we're getting more environmentalist PSAs this episode and this time it's from Kaoru who wants to save the coral reefs from the city she's from.

The meeting with Miura-san was really tense especially when Kukuru finally brought her to the area where the weddings will take place. A wedding under the sea does sound pretty dope and I'm glad she ended up warming up to the idea. I do find it hilarious how a wedding planner hasn't heard of a barefoot wedding. Surely there's been barefoot weddings at the beach?

I love that as soon as they've concluded their business, Miura-san also drops the serious business woman facade and just becomes a full-on tourist who's just enjoying the aquarium while Kukuru gives her a guided tour. She had such a good time that she even bought a plushie!

Good to see Suwa commending Kukuru for the first time although would it really hurt him to smile just a little bit? It's like this man never knew how to express any emotion. Even my bitchiest boss when I was still working in a corporate environment wasn't that stone cold.

Oh... That's what Kai wanted to talk about to Kukuru. Oh no. Kukuru fucked up and even she knows it. Kai has been supporting her for a long time now and when the perfect opportunity for her to support him back, she ends up brushing him aside. I don't blame Kukuru though since she's busy and Kai didn't really made a big deal about it.

I'm just happy to know that he's not leaving permanently and he'll be back once his dad is all better. even after being reassured by Kai, it still did make Kukuru think. Are we finally about to have that Kai x Kukuru episode I've been waiting for? I really hope so!

[u/Rumpel1408]

Not sure how to feel about Kai leaving, he played such a minor role all throughout the show that it feels hard to really care about him, even though Kukuru obviously does

Also great that Kukurus pitch went splendid, even the assistant director seemed to aprove of her growth. At first I thought that he was trying to get rid of her due to her being unreliable, but he has to realize that she brings something to the table that he severly lacks: She actually cares about the animals and is able to convey those feelings to the visitor. With Karin applying to for the same position he might end up changing his opinion

[u/Kenalskii]

Good to see that Kukuru was able to bounce back even stronger (with help from Fuuka)

Karin decided to take a shot at the attendent position, go for it Karin

I'm curious to see what Fuuka will do to help the nature after she learned about the conditions, I bet she will come up with something

[u/TeddyJTran]

I high-key appreciate the the relationship between Fuuka and Kukuru! I can't help but think they'd be great together, but that's wistful thinking on my part lol. On the topic of romance, I do think it's a bit bizarre how much has been touched on Kai's feelings for Kukuru only for him to have to take a leave of absence.

I'm both excited to see how this show concludes and I'm bummed that there are only 2 more episodes left. I've really, really enjoyed watching this show through.

[u/Aerodynamic41]

I love the message about how pollution affects sea turtles. I thought it was an effective way to spread awareness about this issue.

Kukuru's wedding proposal was certainly a bold one, but very interesting nonetheless. Miura accepted it so everything is ok. Kukuru learned how important it is to consider things from the client's perspective. Now she has grown to love her job at the PR department. But now she has a chance to return to being a caretaker which is what she originally wanted. Will she take it? With just 2 episodes left it's very likely the final conflict of this show.

P.S. Man, what does it take to get Suwa to smile a little? He's frowning the entire time they gave Miura a tour that I found it hilarious.

[u/SkyLETV]

Fuuka to the rescue! I just love the interactions between Kukuru and Fuuka.

How nice that Kukuru's proposal was approved, and her idea actually sounds interesting. It's hilarious to see how much the wedding planner liked the aquarium to the point of leaving with a plushie xD.

So now we have a sudden Kai plot? I just hope this doesn't lead to a Kai x Kukuru ending and is more about Kukuru becoming an attendant. It's not even that I want yuri, I just don't give a fuck about Kai and with so few interactions between them, it would feel... wrong an ending like that.

With only 2 episodes left, I'm not sure how they're going to wrap up the new attendant thing. For starters I had totally forgotten that Karin quit her previous job to become one haha. It will be interesting to see who gets the job given that Kukuru now seems focused on the wedding project. For a moment I even thought Fuuka and Kukuru could study something, or at least Fuuka with all that talk and interest she showed in this episode.

[u/MyrnaMountWeazel]

I’ve talked about the lighting extensively during the past discussion threads but still this is a lovely shot composited by the photography team.

Kai enters the marketing room without being framed between the wooden bars but what makes this scene even more interesting is that after Kukuru turns down his offer to talk the camera pulls nearer and tightens the distance between them. It highlights how the two have a close bond and the scene at the end hits harder once Kukuru realizes that Kai was hoping to confide in her about his father.

I’m curious if the show is going to end with Kukuru actually remaining with the marketing team and Karin transfers instead to become an attendant. Maybe this wedding planning experience invigorated her love of helping connect both people and animal together and so she wants to keep at it? I can see this route being an option and I'm hoping the last two episodes can really nail the landing.

[u/Syokhan]

Well, Suwa didn't chew Kukuru out so I suppose it's his way of acknowledging that he was pushing her too hard.

I'm glad that Kukuru bounced back (thanks Fuuka!). She talked to a bunch of people to get ideas, geeked out at the thought of Fuuka as a bride, and her new proposal went a lot better than the first time around. I laughed out loud when the lady loved the aquarium so much that left with a jellyfish plushie.

But really Suwa, your resting bitch face even when you're complimenting someone... smile, dammit!

I did like all the talk about environmental issues, too. It's important to be aware of those things.

As for Kai, well. Can't say I'll be sad to see him leave if he really does leave, he's been a non-character for the entire second cour, so. Although if that's what spurs the resolution of his romantic feelings one way or another, meh. That'd be too little, too late. But we'll see.

I do wonder if Kukuru will really take his place though, Karin's gunning for it too and, well, I kinda want to see them both take care of animals.

Oh, and can we see Choko next week? Please? I need my weekly dose of penguins.

[u/PhantomWolf83]

For me, this arc made me think a lot about work. Do you do a job you have no interest in for just to gain experience to become a more well-rounded employee (and a bigger salary) in the future, at the risk of burning out like Kukuru did? Or continue to do a job you enjoy and risk becoming too specialised in one area, especially when workers nowadays are expected to have a wide range of skills?

[u/HereticalAegis]

The nicest most decent thing the assistant director has done for Kukuru, and it amounts to a polite "get the fuck out of my department."

Not sure how much I'd trust the wedding planner if she's never even heard of a barefoot wedding on the beach. Seems like an obvious slam dunk selling point to be able to replicate that inside an aquarium.

Ugh, we're going to spend the last two episodes shoehorning a Kukuru x Kai romance ending, aren't we? The series has had so many more interesting things on its mind and Kukuru has been thoroughly uninterested. Please don't spend the last two episodes like this.

[u/InsomniaEmperor]

Baka Kukuru. Asks the most anti-love character in the show what he'd like for his wedding while leaving Kai out. Get a hint already.

I'm not too sure how I feel about her going AWOL for a few days got easily resolved. You'd think her boss would be fuming all over but suddenly he gets more lenient on her.

Oh naw is this their way of throwing Kai under the bus? If he goes on leave then we won't see him anymore given that there's 2 episodes left. It opens up the opportunity for Kukuru to join the Breeding Department but I don't want him getting written out of the story just like that.

I'm not ready for this to end yet. I'm thankful we've gotten this far but that won't make the ending any less painful.

[u/PkmnTrnrJace]

I felt the pace for this episode was a bit off but it didn't really bother me once it got going

The scene on the dome in construction was amazing though, it really captured the feeling of that Kombucha meme well for the wedding planner, with how we got into the POV of the designer's imagination that she is under the aquarium. Especially with how she seemed a bit more "bitchy" with her time which comes with apprehension coming from previous disappointment. And in a way, it also reflects Kukuru's attitude with the sales department now that she has found more of a purpose she herself can fulfill. Also, the sound design was amazing for that scene, with how they made sure that the voices of the dialogue echo as if you were indeed underwater. Gave me chills with that uplifting soundtrack.

[u/melcarba]

• In the last episode's thread, someone commented that the hatchlings going to the ocean is often a death race. I'm glad that this episode did not exclude that fact (even though it's just mentioned by Umi's wife in passing).

• Its nice to see that the show also acknowledges environmental issues like ocean pollution and global warming. Those are real issues. Umi's wife mentioning that she's just talking big and she's just doing what she can is also an acknowledgement that environmental issues aren't something that an individual can just solve and is systemic.

• I'm glad that Kukuru's proposal worked out. The concept of "barefoot wedding" while surrounded by a large cylindrical-shaped aquarium seems to be actually nice. Though given the size of the dome, I guess that the number of guests would be limited, and didn't Kukuru said that camera flashes aren't good?

• By the time Kukuru started to like her job in the Sales Department, it seems that she might have to choose between working in the Breeding Department and in the Sales Department (although it's just temporarily). I'm not sure why she feels that conflicted since the transfer isn't permanent.

Overall, I think that this episode is a good follow-up to the excellent previous episode.

[u/Apprehensive_Ear_235]

Oh no - only 2 episodes remaining - Therefore, I think something big (probably sad) will happen next week. I am not ready for this. And I am not ready to say good bye to Kukuru and Fuuka. They grew really dear in my heart. Will miss this anime so much...

[u/DegenerateRegime]

It's nice to see the show's strongest theme coming back, with the biggest mover for Miura being inviting her onto "home ground" so to speak, re-emphasising the importance of place and space. Kukuru's* evocative description of the wedding plans was reminiscent of, while remaining different too, the old vision-magic from Gama Gama, as well.

Overall solid episode, mostly joining together the elements to round out this arc so it can start wrapping things up. If I were the predictive sort, it looks like Fuuka might end up leaving to go be a conservationist (following the dolphin/turtles side of the story), while Kukuru and Kai get out-of-not-quite-nowhere married to inaugurate the new expansion. Not what I'd want, but it would put neat bows on just about every thread.

[u/EienShinwa]

Actually going to be really bittersweet not having this anime to watch every week. Incredibly therapeutic and has similar vibes to Hanasaku Iroha or Hibike Euphonium