Negative Positive Angler Episode 3 — Loan and Hound Sharks

Negative Positive Angler episode 3 paints a grim picture of Hiro’s life. This episode gave us some insights into Hiro’s past, but the information was scant. We learn he failed to get into his college of choice, and his current debt is due to risky investments. Yet, we didn’t see anything about his younger years that could shed light on his state of mind and accompanying actions. All we really gain from what we see is that Hiro has a gambling addiction.

Negative Positive Angler Episode 3: The Story Progresses

A gambling addiction itself is already detrimental, but when coupled with depression, it exasperates a variety of issues. Gambling becomes addictive because of how stimulating it can be when you win. People start to chase that pleasurable feeling. A depressed person is more likely to be reckless, and it is easier for them to fall into addictions that give them a rush. But since you lose more than you win, gambling usually makes depressed individuals worse.

Knowing his subscription to life is set to expire, Hiro ignored the consequences that came with gambling and borrowing money. After all, why worry about tomorrow when you know you don’t have one. But those consequences catch up to him when loan sharks find him as he’s trying to catch a hound shark so he can win a million yen. When he runs from them, Takaai runs with him, and once he catches Hiro, Takaai pulls the biggest MVP I’ve seen in anime. Not only does he give Hiro a home, but he also helps him pay his debts.

The Fishing Corner

Fishing takes a back seat in Negative Positive Angler episode 3, but we can gain a few angling tidbits from this episode; the main one is the importance of gear. When Takaai sees Hiro fishing for hound sharks with a cheap rod, he remarks that gear isn’t all that matters. However, when Hiro hooks a ray, he suddenly panics at the thought of the rod breaking. This leads one to believe that price equals performance, but it’s way more nuanced than that.

I believe Takaai was more worried about the action of the rod than he was about its cost performance. Choosing the wrong type of rod action will definately result in a snapped fishing rod. But a cheap rod with the right action will last you a long time if it’s from a reputable manufacturer, the same can be said for reels.

For example, my Maxcatch Spartan reel costs half of what my Orvis Mirage does. Both of these have been excellent fly fishing companions over the past few years. My Eagleclaw medium-heavy Surf Beast spinning combo was less than $80. Yet it has been as reliable as my $250 Penn Spinfisher Spinning combo, with the only noticeable difference being that the Spinfisher has a more forgiving drag system. Because of that, I’d advise new anglers to focus more on reviews and action than on price and brand prestige.

I wish the reason for Takaai’s worry about the rod breaking would have been explained more. But given the situation, its omission is easily forgivable. What was difficult to overlook is that there was no explanation of fishing leaders. Shark fishing would have been the perfect opportunity to talk about the use of fishing leaders and their importance.

While this omission may have occurred because the episode focused more on Hiro, it is still unfortunate. Banded hound sharks (Triakis scyllium) may be on the smaller side when it comes to sharks, but they still possess sharp teeth that will cut through fishing lines easily. Here is where fishing leaders are a must. Leaders consist of a more durable line or wire that connects to your main line and helps prevent fish from biting through.

Tournaments and Challenges

For those unfamiliar with the sport fishing world, it often comes as a surprise that it’s quite a lucrative endeavor. One can earn a comfortable standard of living by fishing professionally and competing in tournaments and challenges. The monetary prizes for some of these events often exceed thousands of dollars. Cash prizes in some tournaments even exceed the millions. For example, the 2006 Brisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin tournament had $4,165,960 in monetary prizes.

Fishing challenges, while less common, can also have decent monetary prizes, as seen in Negative Positive Angler Episode 3. But unlike tournaments, luck is the determining factor. Where fishing tournaments focus on the heaviest, largest, or most fish caught, challenges focus on who catches the first fish or who catches a certain type of fish. While understanding fish and their habitat helps exponentially; luck is the determining factor here. But at the end of the day, the same can be true for angling as a whole.

Word to the wise, always be mindful of your footing when you’re fishing. A fish can and will pull you into the water, and if your fishing line gets caught on your leg or clothing, you will drown. So be mindful of what’s around you and where you are.

Screenshots: Crunchyroll
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