WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Aquatope on White Sand, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Things are coming to a close with The Aquatope on White Sand, with only five episodes currently remaining. While there's still plenty of time to binge this beautiful slice-of-life anime from P.A. Works, for those who might have forgotten a name or two, here's a rundown of the characters' growth and major questions heading into the finale.
Kukuru Misakino entered the show as the headstrong acting director of Gama Gama Aquarium, determined to use her one month of summer vacation to prevent Gama Gama from closing. Orphaned at a young age, the aquarium was one of the only places Kukuru felt close to her parents. Meanwhile, Fuuka Miyazawa was a young idol who quit the scene before she could be fired. A random vacation poster landed her at Gama Gama Aquarium, where Kukuru hired her as summer help.
The two managed to bond despite their vastly different lives, and Fuuka took on Kukuru's dream as her own, convincing herself that helping someone else fulfill their dream was as good as fulfilling yours. However, saving Gama Gama would prove impossible. The building was coming apart and a typhoon put the lives of the animals at risk. Kukuru eventually joined Fuuka in the realization that not all dreams can come true, no matter how hard you try.
After a brief time jump in which the main characters finished high school, Kukuru went to work at the new Tingaara Aquarium and was placed in PR and marketing, far from her expectations of working daily with animals. However, for anyone looking in from the outside, it's obvious how Kukuru's passion for aquariums and experience as acting director will lead to the most benefits for Tingaara as a whole, and it's time for Kukuru to mature a little and realize that her personal desires can't guide her actions. She recently learned that she will be responsible for the opening of a whole new area of the aquarium, but she still wants to be an attendant instead.
Fuuka joined Kukuru shortly after by taking on a job with the penguins at Tingaara and moving in right next door to Kukuru. The two are constant companions and provide unfailing comfort and support. In fact, it's a wonder they haven't had a falling out, but there's no sign of conflict on the horizon. Fuuka was reunited with her old idol teammate in Episode 19, where she was forced to face her idol past once more. In the end, she gave her red high heels to her teammate as a symbol of passing on her hopes and truly giving up the idol dream. Fuuka is happy to tend penguins and holds no regrets over leaving her old life behind.
Kukuru and Fuuka were hardly the only characters invested in Gama Gama, and most of them also moved to Tingaara. Kai Nakura is Kukuru's friend from a young age who harbors feelings for her. He's always willing to help Kukuru out, but she mostly uses him to let out physical aggression, punching at his palms until she exhausts her anger, with no sign of romantic reciprocation. Kuuya Yakamashi is a young man who, like Kukuru, used Gama Gama as an escape. When he was bullied out of high school, the aquarium became the place he belonged. Karin Kudaka and Tsukimi Teruya, who had worked in tourism and a family-owned restaurant respectively, are now happy with their new jobs and the opportunities to work with or near their friends.
There are also new characters at Tingaara Aquarium who have added a lot to the notion of growing up and settling for a non-glamorous but happy life. Chiyu Haebaru had shown up briefly before Gama Gama closed to learn from the director, but his style of running the aquarium clashed with her own ideals, and her relationship with Kukuru certainly didn't help. She left Gama Gama early but turned up again as the head of the penguin exhibit at Tingaara, meaning that she is Fuuka's immediate superior. While Chiyu was once again set up as an antagonist, it was later revealed that she was also a single mother, significantly changing the point of view. With her personal life out in the open, Chiyu is doing much better now that her coworkers understand her schedule limitations.
While this lesson has been learned now by most characters, college student Akari Maeda who works in marketing alongside Kukuru has realized that even though the people around her are living their dream jobs, that doesn't mean everything is perfect for them. The workplace can be stressful, with drama, due dates and late nights. However, all the characters have entered a new and more mature stage of their life where they are learning to transition into taking on more responsibilities for their own wellbeing, their friends and their work.
There are now some big questions heading toward the final episodes. Even though Kukuru and Fuuka haven't been belligerent, could they possibly have a falling out? Will Kukuru give up on her desire to be an attendant and realize her potential in PR and marketing? Will Kai ever admit his feelings to Kukuru, and if so, how will that change the group's dynamic? Most of all, can this new aquarium become the home that Gama Gama once was? Can Tingaara ever replace the magic they found there, or will that forever be a thing of the past?
The final few episodes will hopefully answer these questions and wrap up a slice-of-life title that has been focused on the reality of growing up and creating a life surrounded by people who genuinely care about one another. It may not be glamorous, but it speaks to many people out there in the real world, and the conclusion of this series has the potential to be both tear-jerking and heartwarming as it grabs at the reality of the audience's own daily lives.
