It was always going to hurt when Kukuru went back to her work again, but The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22 was at least gentle with ripping the band-aid clean off. There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s get right to the review!
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22 Overview
The Aquatope on White Sand is the latest anime by the Anime Studio P.A. Works, previously known for producing critically and commercially acclaimed anime like Angel Beats and Another. Toshiya Shinohara directs the series, a director whose career so far has been intrinsically linked with P.A. works, having previously directed Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara and Nagi no Asu kara for the studio. It is an original series by P.A. works, which means it is not based on a previously existing property, such as a Manga or a Light Novel.
If you want to know how I felt about the twenty-first episode of the season, or if you want to catch up on it, check out my review of it here. In original Japanese, this episode is also known as Shiroi Suna no Aquatope Episode 22.
– The Aquatope of White Sand Episode 22 Review does not contain spoilers –
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22- The Review
If I were to think really hard about how this series is going to end right now, I’m not sure if I’d be able to come up with an ending. In most situations, that would be a good thing, indicating many possible directions that the story could feasibly go into in the remaining 4 episodes that are left. However, This isn’t a good sign for this show, as Aquatope Episode 22 proved handily. Aquatope doesn’t have a predictable ending because what else is there to show?
The show has already tried several different ways to achieve a great ending. The mid-season ending was phenomenal, but the show continued after that. The show tried showing our characters going their separate ways and starting new lives and only stuck to that plotline for about 15 minutes before abandoning it. Aquatope doesn’t have a direction anymore, and it just does whatever the hell it wants that is somewhat cohesive with the rest of the story.
The plot has been limping along for quite a while now, and every new episode can be a huge hit or miss in terms of quality based on what small things happen in them. When the story doesn’t have a singular path towards the end, it can create a lot of problems with the pacing and consistency of individual episodes. What made the last episode so good and the latest one so mediocre is because there was no clear direction for this one to go to.
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We all knew Kukuru would go back some time, so it happening in The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22 was no surprise. Her final straw before running away was the wedding project, so it only makes sense that it was the first thing that she took care of when she came back. It was slightly exhausting to watch her getting hyped up for another go at a job that she hated so much, and I would have preferred it had she quit, but it is what it is.
The show also throws the most predictable wrench out there for Kukuru to wonder if the job that she had always dreamed about and wanted so dearly was even worth it, and the ending to this plotline is already apparent to anyone with more than two brain cells. There is something deeper brewing with the stuck dolphin and the parallels with s certain character in the show, although I’m not quite sure which one it is yet. If I had to guess, the ending would be related to the dolphin and the magical tribal kid from the original Gama-Gama.
Overall, The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22 was a perfectly fine episode if a little too convenient at times, but the uncertainty only rises as the series comes to its end. So many characters with so many storylines that are yet to be addressed, and the ones it did address are nowhere near their ends. I guess time will tell if the showrunners were able to slot in a satisfying ending.
Verdict
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 22 was sweet, predictable, and slightly disappointing in its execution. While all sense of rhyme and reason hasn’t been lost just yet, there is a lot of work to be done that remains.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!