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Nov 18, 2021 7:28 AM
#1

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Nov 2011
129685
Kukuru felt more pressure than usual and she also had that strange underwater dream.

Taking on a new project is never easy and Kukuru feels the expectations. Not going to lie, the episode felt kinda tense but they made it feel as real as possible. Kukuru has really come a long way up to this point in her life and career.

Nov 18, 2021 8:15 AM
#2

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Apr 2010
9845
Kukuru is struggling and clearly having a hard team, the question is wether she is in the wrong place or overthinking things.
The leader of the section might be harsh as well but people like him aren't unusual to encounter when working however it does seem that he is trying to teach her something and he did notice her change in behaviour.
Kukuru herself might be part of the problem as well, let's just hope things will improve for her.
Nov 18, 2021 9:00 AM
#3

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Apr 2014
3782
Farewell, Gamagama 😢

It was a very bad day for Kukuru. But, that was just one day for her which was not unusual for working life. Keep fighting and make a great comeback.
About the new zone, could it be a dolphin? Because Dolphin is an animal that still missing from Tingara. I think I haven't seen any dolphins there.
何それ?意味分かんない
Nov 18, 2021 9:02 AM
#4
🍅 Tomato 🍅

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Feb 2020
108671
Bye bye, Gama Gama. :´(

Poor Kukuru is having a rough time. I hope everything will turn out well in the end.



SerafosMay 28, 2024 9:24 PM
Nov 18, 2021 9:09 AM
#5

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Oct 2017
28196
Welp this was quite depressing, felt really bad for Kukuru. Nothing went well for her and she's even lost her roots with Gama Gama's demolition. How will she be able to stand up again now?
Nov 18, 2021 9:37 AM
#6

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Apr 2016
18818
You know ... for all the shit that Kukuru has been through, through out the series, you would expect from her to grow a little. I must be honest here but she hasn't changed a bit since the first episode. Fuuka, meanwhile not "just now" turning, but already fully turned into a very capable supporting person for even other characters in this show (like we saw last week).

Im questioning why is this new project on Kukuru's shoulders when shes strugling with basic working stuff. "She never grows", yeah, thats the thing ... Now, saying all that, her turning point probably starts from now onwards.
Nov 18, 2021 10:15 AM
#7

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Jul 2017
15475
The new area project of Tingarla, and I'd not be surprised if Assistant Director Suwa is just hemorrhaging Kukuru to his pleasure of being a stressed-out understudy.

Swagernator said:
You know...for all the shit that Kukuru has been through, through out the series, you would expect from her to grow a little. I must be honest here but she hasn't changed a bit since the first episode.
Character "temperaments" I suppose. But it's pretty spot-on.

Kukuru's fascination with the sea and the dream of being an attendant just is left the same, and she really NEVER grew out of that dream. Not good if she's gonna be this way until the very end.

The case of the lone bottlenose dolphin that was somehow distanced away from its pod, thankfully Gramps and the others are keeping watch on it to monitor future developments. But the news that Gama Gama Aquarium is going to be demolished, it's a life cycle on land as well as at sea.

Making excuses to see the dolphin while on break at work, her "calling" as an attendant is there, but the management organization sure is getting crude with different ideas of viewing work and results. It's the issue of perspective, and as the episode title suggests, Kukuru's the Lost Plankton.

Honestly though, now I really DO understand why Suwa gruels her a lot to get used to the corporate life and put off her "ideal" dream, that's probably for the best in his view, and seemingly so that Karin also thinks the same way. For the easy-going Chief Garandоu, he's OK with Kukuru seeing the dolphin, but not when it gets in the way of work. Even Gramps also agrees so with his conversation with Director Akira that Kukuru should step out of her bubble being trapped in an aquarium.

The bespoke wedding meeting with Kukuru and Suwa accompanying her, she's still not as adept and flexible enough. To make matters worse, Kukuru mixing up the welfare of the fish as priority opposed to the wedding, she can no longer go from place to place. Add the complete demolition of Gama Gama Aquarium, and Kukuru's in a spot where she needs to decide what's best for her.

Hope that we'll see Kukuru's turning point soon.
Nov 18, 2021 10:17 AM
#8
Shingster

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Jun 2015
4494
Though tough the new area project sure is giving Kukuru a lot to deal with it also does well in showing just how much is needed to run even a small area. Opportunities like this are excellent ways to learn. The lost dolphin though was an interesting development for the narrative while being pretty cute. The presentation was a good one though the considerations for the fish meant that the potential for expansion for the wedding company was limited. At the end of the day the focus should be on the guests and not the fish. Without both Gama Gama and her role as an attendant looks like Kukuru is feeling lost despite having her friends to support her. Hopefully she's be able to realize that aquariums are not simply animal shelters but also places that rely upon humans to support them by providing knowledge and enjoyment.
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Nov 18, 2021 10:19 AM
#9

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Mar 2018
116
classic toxic work environment, i hope they dont just do a cop out and make her into a 'successful' corporate slave like japan wants, really hope they conclude this properly and compassionately.
Nov 18, 2021 10:42 AM

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Feb 2019
10156
I like the way Kukuru’s depression and anxiety is handled. One of the best depictions I’ve seen in anime
Nov 18, 2021 11:09 AM

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May 2009
518
Why are people complaining about Kukuru "not growing"??

The way I see it, she's being pushed away from her dream by force. We know for a fact that her dream is not some idealistic bullshit that will starve her to death, we see plenty of characters living off her dream just fine, so there's no need to push her away from that.

Why must growing must mean to "outgrow your dreams"??

I can see the point of the characters pushing her away, she probably has talent to be more than just an attendant, but none of them have even taken the time to talk to her about it, why is it they are pushing her so hard. If anyone had taken any time to talk about this, she'd probably be a lot more motivated, instead of suffering a job she doesn't want just because it's the only way for her to keep close to her beloved marine animals.

It makes perfect sense for her to push back. It makes sense for her to "not grow". She doesn't see any reason to. Her dream is a perfectly viable option for a living. Why must she do something else she doesn't have any motivation or attachment for, why must she cater to those she doesn't care about in detriment of those she loves without an apparent reason?? She's trying her best to ride it for the completely wrong reason, she's not trying to learn more, she's just putting up with it, and she'll never "grow" the way things are going. It'd be way too unrealistic for her to actually "grow" from this.
Nov 18, 2021 11:19 AM

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Jul 2011
2255
With all this corporate slave mindset over Kukuru, I wonder if her salary is good enough. She is basically the second highest position in that office, to get flooded with work. Feels more like bullying than testing.

If my prediction is right, this weeding planning happen, can be horrible, even as success.
I was hit with this probability of one of Kuuya bullies be the one to get married, or be involved in the planning.
Nov 18, 2021 11:31 AM

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Mar 2011
9988
Kukuru is just out of school, so is about 18/19. She is still incredibly young and inexperienced, of course she hasn't yet become a fully functioning adult?

Add on to that, is that she is in a terrible working environment which does absolutely nothing to teach her. The assistant director is straight up a terrible manager, I would loathe him if I had to work under him.

Shit things he has done:

1) When she first came, he did nothing to teach her or instruct her about anything, other than tell her to read several thousand pages of documents.
2) Actively set her up into confrontation with other departments by telling her to ignore their concerns because what they wanted was paramount.
3) Keeps assigning her large projects beyond her experience, and not reviewing them himself at any point, assisting her in any way, and then just criticising them when there are inevitable issues.
4) Keeps assigning her more work than she can clearly handle.
5) Shows no fucking respect for her as a person.
6) Only ever gives negative feedback.

For the wedding proposal, he clearly only read it on the way to the fucking client, and then proceeded to just let Kukuru fail because what? It'd be a good learning experience? How about you check it beforehand and let her know of some of the obvious questions that are going to be asked so she's better prepared. Like, it even reflects badly on him.

People have said that is maliciously doing this to Kukuru, but he's not, he's just shit. He'll ask her to do something because he wants it done, without consideration about whether she has the ability to do it, whether she has the support to do so, and then let's it play out without taking any responsibility.

The biggest problem I have is that the show doesn't seem to portray him as being as absolutely at fault as he is, but I guess that's just a reflection of the Japanese work culture.

Don't get me wrong, managers who are shit like him are incredibly common, I don't fault them for the believability, but I cannot understand anyone who blames Kukuru for this when she's set up for failure.
InfiniteNov 18, 2021 11:36 AM
Nov 18, 2021 11:47 AM

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Jul 2014
1928
Damn, please have mercy on poor Kukuru.
Nov 18, 2021 12:27 PM

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Mar 2009
231
I know exactly how it feels to be mentally exhausted and have dreams of being underwater. I hope Kukuru finds strength, she may be naive but she is trying her best.
Nov 18, 2021 12:53 PM

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1086
Infinite said:
Kukuru is just out of school, so is about 18/19. She is still incredibly young and inexperienced, of course she hasn't yet become a fully functioning adult?

Add on to that, is that she is in a terrible working environment which does absolutely nothing to teach her. The assistant director is straight up a terrible manager, I would loathe him if I had to work under him.

Shit things he has done:

1) When she first came, he did nothing to teach her or instruct her about anything, other than tell her to read several thousand pages of documents.
2) Actively set her up into confrontation with other departments by telling her to ignore their concerns because what they wanted was paramount.
3) Keeps assigning her large projects beyond her experience, and not reviewing them himself at any point, assisting her in any way, and then just criticising them when there are inevitable issues.
4) Keeps assigning her more work than she can clearly handle.
5) Shows no fucking respect for her as a person.
6) Only ever gives negative feedback.

For the wedding proposal, he clearly only read it on the way to the fucking client, and then proceeded to just let Kukuru fail because what? It'd be a good learning experience? How about you check it beforehand and let her know of some of the obvious questions that are going to be asked so she's better prepared. Like, it even reflects badly on him.

People have said that is maliciously doing this to Kukuru, but he's not, he's just shit. He'll ask her to do something because he wants it done, without consideration about whether she has the ability to do it, whether she has the support to do so, and then let's it play out without taking any responsibility.

The biggest problem I have is that the show doesn't seem to portray him as being as absolutely at fault as he is, but I guess that's just a reflection of the Japanese work culture.

Don't get me wrong, managers who are shit like him are incredibly common, I don't fault them for the believability, but I cannot understand anyone who blames Kukuru for this when she's set up for failure.


To play the devil's advocate here, her manager is not at fault. Is he too stern? Sure, but he's not wrong in pushing Kukuru hard. Kukuru already worked in this field and as a manager no less, so she should have enough work experience to know an aquarium works. She is not a total rookie to be taught everything from square one, but as seen in her time in Tingarla, she doesn't take her work seriously because it's not what she wanted.

She's skips her assignments to inject herself in other member's business, overlooks the fine details in said assignments, she slacks off a lot resulting in many delayed projects, makes a lot of mistakes because she doesn't think that far when she's in a creative position, and she still won't accept her position and insists on being a handler despite it not what she's assigned for.

Any manager would be irritated by an irresponsible employee like her. He gave her many chances to prove herself be she kept messing things up that at this point I feel it'd be a matter of time until she gets laid off for not getting her shit together.
REJECT ANIMU - EMBRACE TOKU
Nov 18, 2021 1:07 PM

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Apr 2019
31
Okay, now I get how it ends.

Kukuru gets fed up with wageslaving and quits Tingarla in a dramatic, over the top mental breakdown before leaving the building.
Fuuka abandons her shift against her superiors' order to chase after Kukuru since everything is not okay.
When Fuuka catches up with Kukuru, Kukuru's facing away from her.
After monologing for a bit she turns around, she confesses her love to Fuuka and asks Fuuka to quit Tingarla with her.
Fuuka reciprocate Kukuru's love, but declines quitting Tingarla. Fuuka thinks nothing of it because she lives next to Kukuru anyways.
Kukuru runs away.
After having never seen Kukuru for days at home or at work, Fuuka gets nervous.
One day though, Kukuru shows up at the front door of Tingarla donning a chuuni cloak and a mask that conceals her face and distorts her voice, piloting a giant mecha, and demands people to side with Gama Gama or be killed along with Tingarla.
Fuuka doesn't side with Kukuru.

Ends on a season 2 cliffhanger.
Nov 18, 2021 1:28 PM

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Apr 2016
571
In fairness to the assistant director, he was surprisingly not harsh at all when he talked out to Kukuru about the failed proposal. Well, he did notice how demotivated Kukuru's response was (as compared to her usual response to him) when he assigned her to make the presentation. So, I can "at least" give him credit for that.

footmasterNov 18, 2021 1:35 PM
Nov 18, 2021 1:31 PM
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Oct 2019
3
the_joe said:
Okay, now I get how it ends.

Kukuru gets fed up with wageslaving and quits Tingarla in a dramatic, over the top mental breakdown before leaving the building.
Fuuka abandons her shift against her superiors' order to chase after Kukuru since everything is not okay.
When Fuuka catches up with Kukuru, Kukuru's facing away from her.
After monologing for a bit she turns around, she confesses her love to Fuuka and asks Fuuka to quit Tingarla with her.
Fuuka reciprocate Kukuru's love, but declines quitting Tingarla. Fuuka thinks nothing of it because she lives next to Kukuru anyways.
Kukuru runs away.
After having never seen Kukuru for days at home or at work, Fuuka gets nervous.
One day though, Kukuru shows up at the front door of Tingarla donning a chuuni cloak and a mask that conceals her face and distorts her voice, piloting a giant mecha, and demands people to side with Gama Gama or be killed along with Tingarla.
Fuuka doesn't side with Kukuru.

Ends on a season 2 cliffhanger.

Man, I sure hope for this...
Nov 18, 2021 2:00 PM

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Apr 2015
2619
This was really rough to watch... All I can say right now is, get Kukuru away from that office, she does not belong there! Let her be with the Animals!!!
Nov 18, 2021 2:10 PM

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Feb 2014
4104
I felt really bad for Kukuru throughout this entire episode. Seeing her becoming more distant and confined to her more depressive state was handled really well and it certainly hit home really hard when she took a taxi back to her old spiritual home, Gama Gama, to be greeted by nothing but a site of demolished rubble. No way she can drop back to her old comfort zone now that it has gone forever. =(

The contrast between the freedom to do something you want and the reality of working hard towards mundane target after target was shown well here as well, especially with the small clash of opinions between the assistant director and Garandou, the latter who is far more laid back and easy going compared to his stuck-up counterpart. However, I will offer praise to the assistant director for the way he handled the failed attempt to do a deal with a company to promote a wedding venue in the upcoming new section of Tingarla. He noted Kukuru was struggling and was straight to the point with her without the usual harshness when speaking about the failed proposal.

As for Kukuru herself, she's obviously at rock bottom now mentally and emotionally, given the role she's not the best at. It can go two ways here about what she can try and do in order to bounce back here. While there's no denying that she has grown as a character since the move from Gama Gama and how she's still great at helping others with her charisma and pure stubborn determination, as shown many times already, I feel that she herself hasn't grown enough. On the other hand, being in a role that's way out of her comfort zone, although which has helped her broaden her horizons and knowledge of how an aquarium operates, has left her losing that spark, that part of her personality that we saw from her during the time when Gama Gama was still running.

To put it more simply, she's lost the enjoyment of working almost altogether and how, in this episode, she felt she regrets turning down Garandou's offer to get up close to the dolphin and missing the chance to see Airi again for the first time in ages.

It's going to take a combination of help from her friends and colleagues, as well as Kukuru herself, to jump start her motivation and get herself back firing on all cylinders. I do look forward to the next episode, to see what happens next and how it'll be handled. I miss seeing Kukuru acting all bubbly and upbeat from the bottom of her heart. Seeing her the way she is now is downright sad...
Nov 18, 2021 2:14 PM
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Mar 2021
196
It's nice seeing our girl grow up. Tense but necessary episode.
Nov 18, 2021 2:38 PM
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Mar 2015
13824
It is hard balancing work and what you really want to do
Nov 18, 2021 2:53 PM

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Dec 2020
1024
That must be really hard for kukuru that gama gama is demolished but i hope that we get the dolphin in the new area of the aquarium.

I think the anime has handle it good the situation from kukuru and her work, i hope that she grow up after that.
P O S I T I V E V I B E Sシ


Nov 18, 2021 3:23 PM

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Mar 2011
9988
SHINOBI-03 said:
Infinite said:
Kukuru is just out of school, so is about 18/19. She is still incredibly young and inexperienced, of course she hasn't yet become a fully functioning adult?

Add on to that, is that she is in a terrible working environment which does absolutely nothing to teach her. The assistant director is straight up a terrible manager, I would loathe him if I had to work under him.

Shit things he has done:

1) When she first came, he did nothing to teach her or instruct her about anything, other than tell her to read several thousand pages of documents.
2) Actively set her up into confrontation with other departments by telling her to ignore their concerns because what they wanted was paramount.
3) Keeps assigning her large projects beyond her experience, and not reviewing them himself at any point, assisting her in any way, and then just criticising them when there are inevitable issues.
4) Keeps assigning her more work than she can clearly handle.
5) Shows no fucking respect for her as a person.
6) Only ever gives negative feedback.

For the wedding proposal, he clearly only read it on the way to the fucking client, and then proceeded to just let Kukuru fail because what? It'd be a good learning experience? How about you check it beforehand and let her know of some of the obvious questions that are going to be asked so she's better prepared. Like, it even reflects badly on him.

People have said that is maliciously doing this to Kukuru, but he's not, he's just shit. He'll ask her to do something because he wants it done, without consideration about whether she has the ability to do it, whether she has the support to do so, and then let's it play out without taking any responsibility.

The biggest problem I have is that the show doesn't seem to portray him as being as absolutely at fault as he is, but I guess that's just a reflection of the Japanese work culture.

Don't get me wrong, managers who are shit like him are incredibly common, I don't fault them for the believability, but I cannot understand anyone who blames Kukuru for this when she's set up for failure.


To play the devil's advocate here, her manager is not at fault. Is he too stern? Sure, but he's not wrong in pushing Kukuru hard. Kukuru already worked in this field and as a manager no less, so she should have enough work experience to know an aquarium works. She is not a total rookie to be taught everything from square one, but as seen in her time in Tingarla, she doesn't take her work seriously because it's not what she wanted.

She's skips her assignments to inject herself in other member's business, overlooks the fine details in said assignments, she slacks off a lot resulting in many delayed projects, makes a lot of mistakes because she doesn't think that far when she's in a creative position, and she still won't accept her position and insists on being a handler despite it not what she's assigned for.

Any manager would be irritated by an irresponsible employee like her. He gave her many chances to prove herself be she kept messing things up that at this point I feel it'd be a matter of time until she gets laid off for not getting her shit together.

That is a bold take, and also one I disagree with a lot.

Firstly, just because a job is in the same business doesn't mean it's in the same field. That's like saying a McDonald's server has relevant experience to work at their legal department. Marketing is not the same as being an attendant. Yes, technically speaking she was the "acting director", but the vast majority of the role she was performing with those of an attendant. Additionally, it's not like she has been hired into a director level position, she's been hired into an entry level marketing job. It was made clear by her at the start that she has no marketing experience, and the manager of Tingarla was aware of this and proceeded to make her one anyway.

If she was working as an attendant as she wanted, then she wouldn't be having these issues because she would have a bunch of relevant experience to the role, and you would expect her to be performing much better because of it.

I'm not saying that Kukuru is a perfect or guiltless, because she's obviously not, but is she actually slacking? Yeh, during work hours she has sometimes not been doing her work, but she's been working several hours of overtime every day from the looks of things. Even with her "slacking", she's probably worked more than her contracted work hours (although I'm sure she'd still be considered a slacker in the Japanese Wage Slave work ethic).

Expecting Kukuru to be perfect is stupid, and a good manager would be there to cover them and help them improve. Why is he not reviewing her projects so he can give useful feedback and make her aware of the sorts of things she needs to think about? Why is she just told to do things and then left to sink or swim? He could easily have expedited her learning by looking at her work to identify her weaknesses and taking her through the steps to improve, or to at least make her aware of her shortcomings.

You could argue that it's not the acting director's fault for all of this, but the director who decided to fuck around and put Kukuru in a role she had no experience in, but anyone who thinks that Kukuru is performing worse than what should be expected of her given her circumstances has either never held a job themselves, or has a Stockholm syndrome for the toxic work culture that she's in.
InfiniteNov 18, 2021 3:31 PM
Nov 18, 2021 3:32 PM

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1298
Luck is not on Kukuru's side this time :/ Clearly her passion belongs to the Aquatic Life, not in Marketing. But hey, at least she's trying her best even if she can't get that closer with the animals due to her busy schedule anymore. I would love to see her brighten up soon! Nice episode by the way. Seeing a dolphin in this episode made me a big smile (I love Dolphins) =^w^= Also R.I.P Gama Gama Aquarium...
PurpleGirl203Nov 18, 2021 3:36 PM

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Nov 18, 2021 3:41 PM

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This is no time to be mucking around, worrying about side projects or things that aren't even in your control, just do your goddamn assigned work like a normal, capable and responsible human being. It has been shown that she is perfectly fine in this position when her mindset has been focused. Hell, I'm sure her work mates would help her out if she asked, even if the manager isn't exactly a good mentor.

I hate the way they're going with this story wise, trying to emotionally manipulate into pitying Kukuru because she missed the chance to swim with the Dolphin or she missed the chance to see Gamma Gamma one last time, oh GIVE ME A BREAK! This clown needs a serious reality check and to get her shit together. Life is difficult, get over yourself. Find ways of how to balance work and your passions instead of simply not giving a shit.
Nov 18, 2021 4:15 PM

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2805
Overworked and dead on the instead? Just the classic toxic Japanese work environment with an awful boss. Are they really gonna go the work slave = good route? Hope not, but at this point could go either way.
Nov 18, 2021 4:58 PM
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562326
Fuuka is striving through the aquarium, Gama Gama destroyed left me surprised now it looks like it's going to be hard to recover Gama Gama.
Nov 18, 2021 5:14 PM

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Seems like the whole aquarium wedding proposal was doomed to fail from the start, with the way Suwa acts during and after the interview I can't help but feel like he's doing it purposefully for Kukuru to learn a lesson.

What other events can they do that doesn't disturb the marine life much I wonder
Nov 18, 2021 5:15 PM

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139
dang, that was actually pretty sad. proud of kukuru for her presentation, even if it didn't go well in the end. is she thinking about quitting? i don't blame her honestly.
Nov 18, 2021 5:34 PM

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5539
the_joe said:
Okay, now I get how it ends.

Kukuru gets fed up with wageslaving and quits Tingarla in a dramatic, over the top mental breakdown before leaving the building.
Fuuka abandons her shift against her superiors' order to chase after Kukuru since everything is not okay.
When Fuuka catches up with Kukuru, Kukuru's facing away from her.
After monologing for a bit she turns around, she confesses her love to Fuuka and asks Fuuka to quit Tingarla with her.
Fuuka reciprocate Kukuru's love, but declines quitting Tingarla. Fuuka thinks nothing of it because she lives next to Kukuru anyways.
Kukuru runs away.
After having never seen Kukuru for days at home or at work, Fuuka gets nervous.
One day though, Kukuru shows up at the front door of Tingarla donning a chuuni cloak and a mask that conceals her face and distorts her voice, piloting a giant mecha, and demands people to side with Gama Gama or be killed along with Tingarla.
Fuuka doesn't side with Kukuru.
Ends on a season 2 cliffhanger.


literally less than a 0% chance of even 1 of those things happening
Nov 18, 2021 6:30 PM

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May 2021
3628
This episode was kind of powerful, I liked how it contrasted the character of Kukuru by building a progressive reality hit to her naive perspective and using the dolphin as a medium to present the topics. I think that the words of her grandfather and the conversation with the wedding girl summarize pretty well where they are going to with this, there is no way to be complete without a more universal perspective.
The manager is still an ass (He is both too careless and cruel at the same time), and it surprises me that they didn't do any call out about his behavior yet (Feels like he is power tripping hard by making her fail and letting himself be in the right), he is obviously the only antagonist but I would expect something other than existing for his character, hope that they develop it further with a compromise or the character would feel like just an imposition to move forward quickly



Nov 18, 2021 6:40 PM

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Jan 2010
194
As others have said, I hope this doesn't go the way of celebrating/romanticizing a corpo slave route where Kukuru manages to just accept working in such an awful working environment. But since this is an anime targeted towards Japanese audiences, I wouldn't be surprised if it does go this route.

Or if it tries to send the message that "tough love" is always right, even if it mentally breaks you in the process.
I can also sorta agree with the comments that Kukuru has hardly grown as a character. She's been made to suffer throughout this whole show, but it feels like she hasn't really learned much from her hardships.
It also doesn't help that the only character that actually is there to support her are Fuuka( who was hardly present in this ep) and Kai. Everyone else just nags at her like she's always at fault. her shitty boss who overloads her with work did nothing to support or guide her in her failed attempt for the wedding planning. It's just frustrating to watch.


But honestly I've been pretty underwhelmed with the second cour of this anime. It's basically become "Workplace Drama" the anime. And I'm just not feeling it. I really think this anime should have ended after the 12th episode
Nov 18, 2021 7:03 PM
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Nov 2020
409
This episode seems to provide a glimpse of the work culture in Japan, where working overtime is the norm (and expected). That one chief guy was really shady in asking Kukuru to attend to that dolphin on her own free time ...I'm now wondering if there's an aquarium workers union actually exists out there lol.

I personally feel bad for Kukuru in her current work situation, especially that feeling of being "trapped" since a lot of people have high hopes for her.

Due to the collective Japanese spirit of a deep sense of responsibility for the common/shared goal, I doubt Kukuru abruptly quit (as implied by the ending) ...she probably called out sick unless that's not really a thing in corporate Japan.
Nov 18, 2021 7:16 PM

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242
It's becoming more apparent that the first half is all about Fuuka's character progression while the second half is about Kukuru's.

This anime is going to end with Kukuru growing up and realizing that managing an aquarium is not just about loving sea life alone, but also the business aspect. I believe Kukuru is assigned to the marketing department at the request of her grandpa because he knows how naive Kukuru is towards the real world. It is a harsh reality slap but is well needed if she really wants to manage/open an aquarium in the future.
Truth is absolute but human perception of truth is always relative.
Nov 18, 2021 7:29 PM

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Jul 2019
4521
GakutoDeathGlare said:
This is no time to be mucking around, worrying about side projects or things that aren't even in your control, just do your goddamn assigned work like a normal, capable and responsible human being. It has been shown that she is perfectly fine in this position when her mindset has been focused. Hell, I'm sure her work mates would help her out if she asked, even if the manager isn't exactly a good mentor.

I hate the way they're going with this story wise, trying to emotionally manipulate into pitying Kukuru because she missed the chance to swim with the Dolphin or she missed the chance to see Gamma Gamma one last time, oh GIVE ME A BREAK! This clown needs a serious reality check and to get her shit together. Life is difficult, get over yourself. Find ways of how to balance work and your passions instead of simply not giving a shit.


I agree with your sentiment on this particular instance. I guess all I'm hoping is that this series will show her growth by acknowledging it. I, too sincerely hopes this series shows that not everything in life can be kept in place and that she needs to move on.

Thus, I would say it's still too early to dismiss it based off of this single episode.




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Nov 18, 2021 9:19 PM

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13719
feel so sorry for Kukuru on her hard times! it's like Fuuka but Fuuka's hard times was already on the past...hope for Kukuru not to get Jealous because Fuuka is going strong on her passion on what she love to do...but not in the case of Kukuru...i hope we don't get to overly dramatic on this one if ever something big happens in the future for this series...lolz
4/5.


Nov 18, 2021 9:25 PM

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Aug 2020
2645
Oh no, Kukuru didn't go to work the next day. Working really is rough, sometimes you lost your way and you'll just have the thought of why you were working again. Many people can relate to the scenes while watching this episode. Kukuru fighting! Don't give up, I hope for sure next episode is a happy one.


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Nov 18, 2021 11:36 PM
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Ayy, as expected its not an easy job cycle for Kukuru, dealing with all of those heavy workloads, considering she also honest being still not used to the 'behind-the-desk' job. Though, its already late to sighing the situation, Kukuru. You get used to it fast or just quit. Environment was just so harsh to the point poor Kukuru couldn't handle it well. Even her grandpa also had a high expectations that wanting her to grown up more than she could chew. Unfortunately, after a final try, focusing all her shits together; her work still not getting a good sign, even missed a chance dive with the dolphin, to meet Airi, and even visited Gama-gama for the last time. Looks like Kukuru might be going into the latter choice. Someone need to find and do something to prevent more worst coming to her already. Or not....
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Nov 19, 2021 1:42 AM
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May 2019
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This is a tough episode to watch, but I love how this show has transitioned into issues of young adulthood in a work sense instead of a romance sense. Very rare in anime I have come across. My girl needs a win though. I just felt bad for her the whole episode. I also agree with a comment that stated her dream is incredibly attainable and therefore shouldn’t be looked down upon to chase it.
Nov 19, 2021 2:20 AM

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Oct 2013
451
Great episode! Best way to end imo would be some sort of compromise: Kukuru learns some realism but without becoming a corporate slave with no dreams.
Nov 19, 2021 2:37 AM
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Oct 2021
6
I hope they take suwa to task. I gave him a chance and he deficated on my heart(mentally of course)
Nov 19, 2021 6:48 AM

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Jul 2017
53
PaulNamida said:
Why are people complaining about Kukuru "not growing"??

The way I see it, she's being pushed away from her dream by force. We know for a fact that her dream is not some idealistic bullshit that will starve her to death, we see plenty of characters living off her dream just fine, so there's no need to push her away from that.

Why must growing must mean to "outgrow your dreams"??

I can see the point of the characters pushing her away, she probably has talent to be more than just an attendant, but none of them have even taken the time to talk to her about it, why is it they are pushing her so hard. If anyone had taken any time to talk about this, she'd probably be a lot more motivated, instead of suffering a job she doesn't want just because it's the only way for her to keep close to her beloved marine animals.

It makes perfect sense for her to push back. It makes sense for her to "not grow". She doesn't see any reason to. Her dream is a perfectly viable option for a living. Why must she do something else she doesn't have any motivation or attachment for, why must she cater to those she doesn't care about in detriment of those she loves without an apparent reason?? She's trying her best to ride it for the completely wrong reason, she's not trying to learn more, she's just putting up with it, and she'll never "grow" the way things are going. It'd be way too unrealistic for her to actually "grow" from this.


Finally someone says this. She's doing a job she doensn't like at the same time she sees all her friends doing what was her dream job and she still stays strong. She's continuously working extra hours to get all her tasks done, without any help from her boss...

I dont get how Karin can tell Kukuru to focus on her work for once. I mean I get she's trying to tell her that instead of dreaming about another job, she could just find things she like in her current job, but man, she's non stop working...

About the presentation, yeah she came badly prepared (but c'mon the boss cant even say anything?), but she had the right mentality in some way. The guests are the priority, but the fish are just as much, she can't risk the safety of the animals, since an aquarium is also a conservation place. If she has to do too much compromises, then the best idea is to cancel the plan, since it isn't even essential to the economic sustainability of the aquarium. We'll see in the next episode
Nov 19, 2021 9:03 AM

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Oct 2016
4510
As a just recently employed man after graduating college, this just got more relatable lmao. Not that my work environment is as bad as this, mine is actually pretty good, but it's much more easier to imagine how it's like.

Great episode! Fucking painful though as fuck though. Just a bunch of L's for Kukuru this episode. Kukuru waiting for lunch break to hit and leaving immediately was really relatable though lmao.

They're definitely expecting a lot from Kukuru, I am sure it's not their intention to break her or anything, they just want her to adapt, but it is a bit too much though, the work that she's doing. Kukuru definitely needs to grow, but she should have at least a bare minimum amount of guidance. Not being able to see Airi-chan and then Gama Gama one last time because of work is a big oof though. Really looking forward to the next episode.
Nov 19, 2021 9:28 AM

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Oct 2010
251
I do not know if that kind of work relationships are normal for Japan but the rest of the world goes through 'invest into people' paradigm shift.
Calling someone 'Plankton' might be a good idea for military drills where discipline is the only virtue.
And worst idea if you want to get capable, independent, confident person able to tackle problems in most non-traditional ways.
Is he trying to make her 'stronger'?
Can we then drop him in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to see if he capable of going through great challenge of swimming back to the shore? And say 'life is meant to be hard' if he drowns?
He is a bad lead. He may get business results but other ways can do better and do not break people in a process.
Nov 19, 2021 9:43 AM

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Feb 2019
2662
Goodbye, Gama-Gama. Pretty sad to see it in ruins like that :(

And this was quite a depressing episode. It was sad to see Kukuru's eyes being dead like that. Her voice that's usually full of passion was just... flat.

I can't wait to see more.
Nov 19, 2021 9:52 AM

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May 2015
3237
It's so painful to watch, Kukuru being lost and not enjoying her work at all. I hope she'll find the motivation again.
Nov 19, 2021 11:26 AM

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Feb 2016
133
geptor said:
I do not know if that kind of work relationships are normal for Japan but the rest of the world goes through 'invest into people' paradigm shift.
Calling someone 'Plankton' might be a good idea for military drills where discipline is the only virtue.
And worst idea if you want to get capable, independent, confident person able to tackle problems in most non-traditional ways.
Is he trying to make her 'stronger'?
Can we then drop him in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to see if he capable of going through great challenge of swimming back to the shore? And say 'life is meant to be hard' if he drowns?
He is a bad lead. He may get business results but other ways can do better and do not break people in a process.


This.

He has no right whatsoever to give her, and just her, a devaluing nickname. He's expecting a lot of her, but gives no support, no praise, no positive feedback. He should be replaced by that other guy, then moved to cleaning duty. If he's capable of that kind responsibility, that is.

I've been in Kukuru's situation kind of, once, when I was in my 20's. I endured it for three month, hated every day, and then I found another employer in the same business who was so positive and nice that I stayed there for over three years. So I didn't have to end up loathing the whole particular line of business. Just that particular company. And I "grew" just fine, in the positive work climate!
Nov 19, 2021 12:28 PM

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Nov 2011
4005
Geez, felt slight anxiety attacks watching this, office work sucks.

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