© NEGAPOSI-ANGLER PROJECT
Another week passes, and another woman drags Hiro further into fishing hell. This time, it was Kozue’s turn to hold Hiro’s hand as she guided him into the expensive world of sporting goods retail. Passive Angler It’s settled into a comfortable rhythm now, so there aren’t too many surprises in this episode – although I’d say there’s at least one big one. Regardless, a good character drama doesn’t need surprises to make a lasting impression, and the writing continues to navigate the waters of human experience with a refreshing sense of ease.
Kozue does a great job in his current role as the focal point. She’s a familiar archetype: the kind of person who radiates kindness in a completely genuine way and can make friends with just about anyone. In other words, she is the polar opposite of the flighty, brooding Hiro. And, being the gifted social savant that he is, Hiro naturally interprets her kindness as flirtation. In the first part of the episode, he thinks she’s approaching him, and the anime does some clever work with this believable misunderstanding. There’s nothing out of place about Hiro’s feelings about those butterflies, but the narrative also shows the audience how he’s responsible for his delusions. The best example is his reaction to Kozue’s sincere educational tidbits about gear and its cost. She’s helpful, but Hiro sees this as an opportunity to “become a man” by investing his entire paycheck into a hobby he’s barely scratching the surface of.
I like Gao Ming because he is both a figurative and a literal embodiment of Hiro’s conscience. If we interpret the story at face value, Gao Ming is the nicest man in the universe; he paid off the debt of a complete stranger and Let him move into his own apartment. However, Negative Posey Angler It’s a story of second chances, with Gao Ming embodying the good side of humanity that Hiro overlooked when we first met him. However, “good” doesn’t mean “weak” and Gao Ming, whether real or imagined, must remain steadfast to Hiro in order to break his self-destructive habits. Spending your wages on fishing tackle is a bit more responsible than putting your money into a pinball machine—it will at least allow you to eat delicious fish—but it’s not exactly normal adult behavior. Hiro still has a long way to go and needs rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation and treatment are also rarely linear. Going back to the fishing metaphor, fishing is not as simple as casting a line, catching a big bass, and repeating. It takes luck and perseverance, and everyone does it differently for different reasons. For example, Kozue admits to Hiro that she finds fishing extremely disgusting. This episode does this by showing without hesitation how disgusting bait can be, and Kozue has mastered the art of detachment. It’s a funny scene, but also poignant. Life is full of nasty and uncomfortable things, but we navigate those parts because the good times are worth it. It can be the thrill of a big catch. It can be the comfort of a continued hobby. Or it could be the tranquility of spending time with your wife.
Yes, Ozu likes flowers! It’s nice to look casual Negative Posey Angler Bringing it up—so casually that Hiro ignored it. After all, he does spend a good portion of the time thinking she’s getting to him, but her language and behavior around Hana are unmistakably lesbian. Hana doesn’t seem to reciprocate (though they’re definitely close friends), so it’s too early to say whether this will be fuel for future drama or just a little yuri. But regardless, it gives Kozue more depth and makes her a more interesting character.
That’s not the only expression of queer romance discovered this week, either. Their conversation leads Gao Ming to let Hiro hold his fishing rod while Hiro plays with the ball. Phallic symbolism aside, their conversation is far more intimate than Hiro’s other interactions. Takaaki spoke volumes about what made him fall in love with fishing—and how his quest to be the best he could be in the eyes of others turned into something more personal and fulfilling. I love the subtext of this show. Gao Ming’s brother could very well be a tragic figure, telling people of his current kindness to Hong, but the work uses no words to express this. It’s all wrapped up in Takaaki’s small gesture of passing on something precious to him.
Hiro has grown up a bit too. Both of his large purchases of fishing supplies were irresponsible, but they were different types of irresponsibility. At first, he thought the more expensive gear was a flexible one. While he was trying to impress Kozue, he also saw expensive fishing reels as a shortcut to mastering his fishing skills. However, at the end of the episode, there’s a subtle shift. He sees equipment not as a quick fix, but as a means through which he can continue Go fishing. After prompting from Takaaki and Kozue, he realized that he now had a passion for the hobby, and he wanted better gear as an extension of it. That doesn’t mean it’s a wise decision, but it means Hiro accepts what he can expect. He has plans for the future. He decided to embrace a life not weighed down by debt or a cancer diagnosis. He’s taking a chance and casting his rod into the big, unknown ocean because that’s what he wants to do.
grade:
Passive Angler Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Steve is online twitter While it lasts. The fish are certainly not afraid of him. You can also see him talking about trash and treasure in Anime of the Week.
