Negative Positive Angler Episode 12 — The Last Cast

Negative Positive Angler episode 12 aired last week, and with it, Hiro’s story concluded. While I gave the show lots of praise for its strong start, I can’t help but feel disappointed by its lackluster ending. Maybe I let my expectations get ahead of me, but this show wasn’t what I imagined.

Negative Positive Angler Episode 12 — Synopsis

As Hiro and Takaaki unwillingly fish together, there’s so much tension in the air that it’s probably what Phil Collins felt. But despite their irritability with each other, the two ease into a softer stance as the night progresses. Later, when Hiro manages to land a “ranker” sea bass, that acts as a catalyst to kick a long overdue conversation into motion. That openness follows the pair into the night as the two vent long-held regrets, fears, and troubles. It’s at this point we learn that Hiro has decided to tackle (fishy pun) his disease and is moving back home to do so.

There are no heartfelt goodbyes or teary moments during Hiro’s departure. The last interaction we see between Hiro and someone from the Everymart crew is his goodbye to Hana. Before they part she hands him a lure, and the credits roll in. It’s only after that we find out that Hiro seemingly beat his illness and is still a part of the Everymart fishing crew.

Random Thoughts

I’ve mentioned it before, but this is the first time I’ve personally noticed it. Making a slice-of-life show about a particular hobby is way more difficult than it seems. Before this, the only fishing shows I watched as they were airing were Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater and Slow Loop. While I had a few gripes with them, they did a fine job conveying what they were trying to convey. Slow Loop in particular gets my praise.

I can’t describe how content I was when I saw people in the global fly-fishing community who didn’t even know what anime was praise the show so highly. I remember seeing fly shops in Colorado, Montana, Buenos Aires, and Moscow share screenshots of the show. Hell, I saw catch-and-release NGOs share Hiyori’s speech on catch-and-release fishing. However, neither of the two focused on a protagonist with serious demons. So, when Negative Positive Angler opened with a suicide attempt, as someone who’s been there, I was enthralled. I thought something really special was coming our way. And while I enjoyed the show, it wasn’t what it could have been.

One can’t deny that many anglers are drawn to fishing due to the sense of belonging and community. But, only focusing on that takes away from fishing itself. Why do I say that? When framed that way, it’s the power of friendship that saves Hiro; fishing only acts as support. I was really hoping it would be the other way around. Because the way it was handled made it feel like anything could have been placed in fishing’s place.

The Fishing Aspect

I know that a show has to keep things easily understandable for newcomers. But I’ll repeat that failing to properly explain gear is a huge disservice. We went through the whole show without a solid explanation of rod action, line types, and reel types is lamentable. I keep bringing up this particular issue because anime is a globally consumed medium. It’s never good to generalize, but a $60 starting fishing combo for someone in the US or the UK isn’t an insurmountable expense. That same $60 combo for someone in Thailand, Vietnam, Albania, or Morocco is an investment. And if they go and buy based solely on what the anime shows them, it’s not ideal.

That’s not to say it’s all bad; there was a lot of helpful information in the show. The little tidbits about fishing in bad weather, lure retrieval, and fishing a few days after a big bite were all things new anglers should engrave in their souls. Negative Positive Angler finale, much like the rest of the show, did a positive enough job to superficially invest people in angling; of that, one can be assured.

Negative Positive Angler Final Thoughts

Would I recommend this show? Definitely. Just because something is lacking doesn’t mean it’s bad. If you’re as emotionally invested in the premise as I was, you might feel let down. If you’re looking for deep introspection in the face of terminal illness, you won’t find that here. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable fishing-with-friends show, you’ve reached the promised land. As always, thank you for reading these reviews.

Screenshots: Crunchyroll
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