© NEGAPOSI-ANGLER PROJECT
I was eagerly waiting for the Ice episode and she did not disappoint. In addition to having the best character design on the show (both in full and gremlin form), Ice also gives Tsunehiro a chance to reflect on his biases and concludes that his life not as predetermined as he thought. In that sense, this is another simple and pleasant step on Hiro's recovery journey. However, this episode has many layers that add to its message, so let's act like we're fishing for sea bream and drop our proverbial line to the bottom of the ocean.
The emotional content of this episode is perhaps the strongest to date in Negative Positive Angler. I think it's because it sneaks up on you. The first stretch of the episode sticks closely to the fish-out-of-water comedy inherent in Hiro's situation and is emphasized by how different Ice's personality is from his. It's the kind of fun and fishy fun we've come to expect from this story. However, suddenly it's sunset and Ice reminisces about her home in Thailand while Hiro looks to her for guidance through his old days. Then, at the surprise party, the emotional weight of his newfound community crashes down on Hiro with the intensity of a storm.
The anime enhances both of those moments with exquisite visual direction. In the first example, the warm color palette brings more of a nostalgic feeling, but the dark shadows are also worth mentioning. Covering his face and body, the lines symbolize the depression that still prevents Hiro from fully opening up to Ice. He is his own prisoner. The same image returns when Hiro sees his previous meals in high school and college. He is isolated in all of that, but what struck me most was the scene of his imprisonment within the glass walls of the cafe and the image of his lonely back trapped in the darkness caused by the glare of the computer screen. The transition from that scene to the soft lighting and smiles at his welcome party is the most affecting edit in the entire episode. Many props to episode director and scriptwriter Kei Miura, who has worked with Yutaka Uemara several times before (including Saga of Tanya the Evil, hence one of Ice's cosplays).
Let's focus more on Ice himself. She is outgoing, active, talkative and fashionable. In other words, she is everything Hiro is not, and that scares him. I don't think it's surprising that Hiro doesn't recognize her outside of work, because she's the kind of person he simply can't see himself interacting with. It wasn't that he didn't like her; he just feels out of his depth. So it's fitting that they end up bonding over deep-sea fishing, or more accurately, that they find camaraderie in the midst of seasickness. That was the moment Hiro realized Ice was just another person like him. She doesn't understand everything. He doesn't need to use honorifics with her. She is motivated by the same motivations that motivated him, and through better understanding her, Hiro can also understand himself better. That is the nature of human society.
That's why the story that Ice and her brother Arua are Thai is important. When a customer walks in and starts speaking Chinese, Hiro falls into a panic, and when Ice reveals that she speaks at least three languages, Hiro feels scared. He wasn't blind, but at first the cultural differences seemed insurmountable to him. He turned up his nose at the cilantro in Ice's pad thai. He assumed she was talking about her hometown when she mentioned sea bream (鯛, pronounced “tai,” which is the Japanese word for the red sea bream they go fishing for). However, after spending more time with her, he gradually understands her better. He wrapped that cilantro and discovered it wasn't so bad.
However, it's not all about Hiro. Anime can often be culturally homogenous, so it's nice to see a show that seriously grapples with multiculturalism as a good and enriching thing. Ice and Arua are not outsiders; he's a student and she's a model who loves otaku things. They are simply people finding their way. Or rather, they are not outsiders compared to the rest of the eccentrics working at Everymart. Everyone brings their own color to the group. Arua is a terrible cook, and Ice is an intuitive friend when it comes to throwing a party. Every gang needs a member like her. In fact, she may have recognized the pain of exclusion in Hiro's eyes because she knows it all too well herself, and that's what prompted her to plan his surprise party. It's backstage. If you ask me, such subtle character development is what makes this series the best material of the season/year.
Ice isn't just a funny face with Sailor Moon meatballs on her head—she's proof of that. Negative Angler's Positive Positive. It's a message that gets across all the time, but it's especially powerful in a week when America once again voted in favor of chauvinism and racism. I needed this silly fishing cartoon to remind me that people can be kind and open-minded.
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Negative Positive Angler is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Steve is on Twitter while it lasted. Fish are certainly not afraid of him. You can also see him chatting about trash and treasure on This Week in Anime.
