An intruder? A spy? Even worse, a hater? Who has invaded Gama-Gama, and what are her intentions? Let’s find out in The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 review!
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 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 before. 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 eighth episode of the season, or if you want to catch up on it, check out my review of it here. This episode is also known in original Japanese as Shiroi Suna no Aquatope Episode 9.
– The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 Review does not contain spoilers –
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 Review- The Plot and Characters
Yeah, we are mixing it up a bit here. What of it? I’ve chosen The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 to talk about something that I have been thinking about for quite a while now. Let us talk about the most important character in The Aquatope on White Sand. It isn’t Kukuru or Fuuka, or even Kukuru’s grandpa, as some people might think. It is the aquarium itself, the lovely Gama-Gama.
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Gama-Gama is intrinsically linked to every other character in the show. The show’s main plot is based on trying to save it from shutting down, which is featured in every episode. It even has a soul, magical powers, or something of that ilk that makes people see their greatest desires or the love of their lives. It has a quality that makes people fall in love with it at first sight, and most people in the town consider it a part of their lives. Gama-Gama is an essential character in the show.
So when somebody comes up who doesn’t understand the power or value Gama-Gama holds for most people in the town, they are hated. The same can be said about Chiyu Haebara, a city girl forced to intern at Gama-Gama. If we stop and think about it for a second, she isn’t as much at fault as she might first appear to be. She was thrust into a position she didn’t want to be in, to a person who wasn’t what Chiyu expected and was being trained by someone she thought was beneath her experience and knowledge.
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Kukuru also gave her the cold shoulder at first, and things only got worse from there. Chiyu didn’t appreciate Gama-Gama’s magic because she was impatient and too eager for such a slow and remote place. She just wasn’t a good fit, which she let everyone know quite ruthlessly. If anything, she and Kukuru were equally at fault throughout the episode. Kukuru was childish, immature, and needlessly competitive, while Chiyu was impatient, snarky, and snobbish towards Kukuru just because she is young.
In this way, The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 was very interesting and explored some very deep topics. The dynamic between Kukuru and Fuuka got strengthened even more, and the show put some faults in Kukuru’s character on display through Chiyu. Chiyu is a great character, even if she is somewhat of a jerk, and I hope she comes back for some additional episodes later on.
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 Review- The Art and Music
The animation department took a bit of an easy workday with The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9. The episode didn’t need the beautiful imagery and scenery of the previous episodes, so their absence wasn’t really of much concern. The animation of the episode was perfectly fine if nothing special. The fishes still looked beautiful, and the water just as magical.
The music, on the other hand, was astounding. Some parts of The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 required some nuance in the moments, provided splendidly by the music. The new tracks that played during this episode were phenomenal pieces of music, and I would love to hear them reused in future episodes of the show. There has to be a trick to this, how do P.A. Works manage to keep everything this good week after week?
Verdict
The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9 introduced a great new character and gave us some fantastic character development. The show is blossoming into a mighty fine flower in this Summer 2021 field of ours, and I can’t be happier about it.
If you liked this review of The Aquatope on White Sand Episode 9, you will also enjoy our review of the next episode in the series, available right here!