Episode 6 – Passive Angler

I had been eagerly anticipating this episode of Ice and she did not disappoint. In addition to having some of the best character designs in the show (both full and gremlin versions), Ace gives Tsunehiro a chance to reflect on his own biases and come to the conclusion that his life is not what he thought it was. Destined. In that sense, it’s another immediate, feel-good step in Hiro’s journey to recovery. However, the multiple layers of this episode flesh out its message, so let’s pretend we’re fishing for sea bream and throw our proverbial fishing gear to the bottom of the sea.

The emotional thread of this episode may be the strongest yet Passive Angler. I think that’s because it sneaks up on you. The first part of the episode sticks to the fish-out-of-water comedy inherent in Hiro’s situation, amplified by the vast differences between Ace’s character and his. It’s the kind of light-hearted fun we’ve come to expect from this story. Suddenly, however, as the sun sets, Ace is reminded of her home in Thailand, and Hiro looks to her for guidance in navigating his waning days. Later, at a surprise party, the emotional weight of his newfound community hits Hiro like a typhoon.

The animation enhances both moments with exquisite visual direction. In this first example, the warm colors do a lot of the nostalgic job, but the shadows also deserve a mention. The lines of the fence cover his face and body, symbolizing the depression that still prevents Hiro from fully opening up to Ace. He is his own prisoner. A similar image reappeared when Hiro saw scenes from his previous meals in high school and college. He was isolated in all of this, but what shocked me most was his imprisonment within the glass walls of the coffee shop, and his lonely back trapped in the shadow cast by the bright light of the computer screen. The transition from that scene to the soft lights and smiles at the welcome party is the most touching cut in the entire episode. Many props to the show director and storyboard artist In Miurawho has collaborated with Yutaka Uemara on numerous occasions before (including The Legend of Evil Tanyaand thus one of Ace’s cosplays).

Let’s focus more on Ice himself. She is outgoing, driven, talkative and stylish. In other words, she’s everything Hiro isn’t, and that scares him. I don’t think it’s surprising that Hiro doesn’t recognize her outside of work, since she’s the kind of person he simply can’t see himself interacting with. It’s not that he doesn’t like her, it’s that he doesn’t like her. He just felt out of his depth. It’s fitting, then, that they eventually forge a friendship through fishing on the bottom of the sea, or, more accurately, they find it in seasickness. It was at that moment that Hiro saw that Ace was just like him. She hasn’t figured it all out yet. He didn’t need to use honorifics in front of her. What drives her is the same thing that drives him, and by getting to know her better, Hiro can also get to know himself better. This is the nature of human society.

This is why it is important to the narrative that Ace and her brother Arua are Thai. Hiro panics when a customer comes in and starts speaking Chinese, and is horrified when Ace reveals she speaks at least three languages. He’s not paranoid, but he seems unable to understand cultural differences at first. He sneered at the coriander in Estee’s padded rice noodles. When she mentioned sea bream, he thought she was talking about her home country (“sea bream,” pronounced “tai,” is Japanese for the red snapper they catch). However, the more time he spent with her, the more he understood her completely. He wolfed down the cilantro and discovered it wasn’t that bad.

It’s not all about macros, though. Anime is often culturally homogeneous, so it’s nice to see a show that takes multiculturalism seriously as a good and enriching thing. Ace and Arua are not outsiders; He is a student and she is a model lover otaku Stuff. They’re just people going their own way. Or rather, they’re no more outsiders than the other weirdos who work at Everymart. Everyone brings their own color to the team. Arua is the mean cook, while Ice is the intuitive friend who knows when it’s time to get together. Every gang needs members like her. In fact, she may have been aware of the pain of rejection in Hiro’s eyes because she knew it all too well herself, which is what prompted her to plan his surprise party behind the scenes. Subtle character flourishes like this are what make this series some of the best material of the season/year, if you ask me.

Bing is not just a funny face Sailor Moon Meatballs on her head – she proved it Passive Anglerenterprising spirit. It’s a message that always hits home, but it hits particularly hard in a week when America once again votes in unison with jingoism and racism. I needed this silly fishing anime to remind me that people can be kind and open-minded.

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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.