Houkago Teibou Nisshi

Time for another season of cute girls doing cute things. What’s the theme for this season gonna be? Fishing. Wait. What? Say that again? Yes, fishing. You mean that boring, time wasting activity that old men do as pastime?! Hahaha! Don’t kill me. I suppose fishing isn’t one of the very exciting and trendy activities there is in the world and that’s why Houkago Teibou Nisshi is this season’s theme to help bring some enlightenment and awareness about the wonders of fishing! I think so. That’s why they use a bunch of cute high school girls as their main characters, right?! I mean, really. High school girls having such great enthusiasm in fishing? Sounds a like a fairytale… Okay, there may be such in the real world but I believe it’s rare.

Initially, I didn’t want to watch this series because you know, fishing. Boring. Yeah, you know me. High school slapstick ecchi romance harem comedy is always my style forever. So yeah, sorry fishing girls, gonna pass you up on this one. And then… The damn Corona virus hit. Lots of animes of the season got postponed. Oh well. Maybe this is fate. I’m fated to watch this series after all. And so I put it on my watch list. Only for this series too to get the postponed treatment after 3 episodes!!! Oh sh*t! You mean now I’ve got to play the waiting game just like fishing if I want to really finish the dozen episodes?! Oh man… Gotta be patient… It’s a fishing theme after all…

Episode 1
Hina Tsurugi just moved to the small seaside town. As she takes a stroll, she tries to enjoy the new environment. Too bad the sea bug had to freak her out. Later, she thought she saw somebody having stroke. She tries to rush to her aid but falls flat on her face. Turns out that Yuuki Kuroiwa is just preparing to fish and her line is all tangled up. As Hina is good in handicraft, she is able to untie it. Kuroiwa then invites her to try fishing. After a while, Hina pulls up an octopus. She is frozen in fear as the octopus is stuck on her leg. Kuroiwa gets this devilish idea. Please join her fishing club if she wants this octopus off her leg. Better make a decision quick before this turns into tentacle rape! And so Hina is forced to say yes. But it is too much for Hina to handle when Kuroiwa kills the octopus since she’s going to make sashimi out of it. She wakes up in the clubroom but once again faints when she sees her cooking the octopus. After the opening ceremony at Umino High School, Hina intends to reject the application but can’t bring herself to do it. Outside the clubroom, Natsumi Hodaka is glad to see Hina and hugs her. Who this girl?! Don’t remember her? Natsumi refreshes her memory during their childhood days. Yeah, she was way tanned those days. Hina is introduced to the other member, the taciturn Makoto Oono who is not only physically big but also big with those ‘twin peaks’. With Kuroiwa joining in, the Teibou girls introduce each other. Yes, the quartet just make up the entire fishing club. Hina finally gets the courage to decline the application. Kuroiwa is cool with it but please try fishing out once, okay? Hina may regret it since she said yes too soon. And so we see Hina’s official fishing debut. Being a noob at fishing, of course you’re going to hear her complain as she is taught how to mix the chum and bait as well as the stinky fish smell. But once she gets the hang of it, Hina looks like a natural in fishing out those small fish. And she catches a bunch of them. Then they fry and eat their catch. Yum. At the end of the day, Kuroiwa asks how it was. It was fun. And definitely we all know this has been the hook, line and sinker when Hina says she wants to stay here a little longer. Yeah. Welcome to Teibou. Hina might spoke too soon because that sea bug once again freaks her out. So she changed her mind and wants to quit?! Not so fast!

Episode 2
Hina’s mom is surprised Hina caught lots of fish. What about the handicrafts club she wanted to join? Oh well… It just happened. Whatever makes her happy. Even dad remembers during his time Teibou already existed. Probably the same time when the school was established. He remembers lots of weirdoes in it. Yeah, Hina can relate. We all know Hina isn’t the athletic type so she sucks during the physical tests. Then she realizes the clubroom is far away from the school and that she has to cycle quite a distance. The young ones enter the clubroom only to see Kuroiwa lazing around. What excuse of today’s physical tests she said? Before Hina starts to have disappointment over this club president, Kuroiwa gives Hina a few tangled reels to untangle. This is the club’s tradition for newbies to join. You bet Hina is all excited to do it. Also, Natsumi teaches her how to disassemble the reel so as to clean and maintain the inside. When Oono arrives, she puts a stop to Kuroiwa’s dastardly plans. There is no such tradition. Kuroiwa was just lazy and trying to use Hina to untangle her mess. To appease the situation, Kuroiwa gives Hina her own rod and reel. Wow. But sorry, none for you, Natsumi. Hina gets her first fishing lesson from Oono. She tries to cast but the hook ends up on Natsumi’s skirt! Is this your fishing cliché moment?! Because Oono’s technical terms explanation is confusing the hell out of the newbie, Kuroiwa explains and demonstrates it in an easier way. Yeah, shockingly she can sound this reliable. There seems to be some sort of conspiracy because each time Hina casts her line, it somehow finds its way to Natsumi! Does she have some sort of homing device?! Does Hina have a grudge on Natsumi?! It might sound silly but the seniors borrow a buoy, draw Natsumi’s face on it to make it Hina’s target. And what do you know? Hina can actually cast straight now! Unbelievable. Then they continue fishing until sunset. Natsumi thinks she has got a sea bass although it got away. The seniors think big fish might scare away Hina so to be considerate, they claim it might be a small fish. They return home and everyone is dead tired. Natsumi has the last laugh as she shows Hina a scary picture of a frilled shark instead of a flathead.

Episode 3
Hina does research on the flathead since the Teibou girls will be fishing for one tomorrow. They load up their trolley with all the necessary tools to head for the sandy beach as that is where the flatheads usually are instead of the rocky base where their clubroom is situated. There, Hina gets more lessons on the hooks as well as how to tie the line for her rod. Hina starts to get traumatized thinking if the flathead will be a big one. The rest assure to only worry about catching it first. And of course, with her weak physical, there’s no way she could catch a big one, right? Isn’t that assuring? So as they wait for the elusive flathead, it seems all Hina ever picks up are just seaweed and trash. Not making any headway, Kuroiwa gives her some advice on how to fish since fish aren’t as dumb as you think. So make the bait less lifeless and make it move in a more irregular way. Time for Hina to close her eyes and use her imagination to catch the flathead. All is going well and will she reel it in finally? Nope. Just another seaweed. Thank goodness she’s a bad loser so she’s not giving up. Oh Hina, you cursing the flathead? And then finally when a catch puts up a real struggle, it is confirmed that it is a flathead. Hina does all she can to reel it in. Could have fallen into the water had Oono not catch her. Is there a pun to this? Hina managed to reel the flathead in after it tires out from the struggle. Everyone praises her for a good catch but Hina starts crying because she was scared over the whole ordeal. Yeah, everyone probably so confused that they laugh it off. You guys, this is serious! But the ordeal isn’t over for Hina yet. Since she caught it, she must fillet it. Since she is too scared, Kuroiwa allows Oono to do it on her behalf. However she must kill it. Oh sh*t. Hurry up. Don’t prolong the fish’s suffering. Can this weakling do it? Or are they going to starve tonight? Well, we didn’t see how she do it but she did it. Because now they all have a great meal. Say your thanks to the great catch of the day! It’s all worth it when we see Hina’s pleasant face tasting the delicious fish. They thought of honouring her by giving her a flathead’s head soup. WTF this ugly mothef*cker?! Yeah, this only scares the sh*t out of her. Oh well. Enough trauma for today.

Episode 4
When Hina mentions she doesn’t have a hat or jacket, Kuroiwa shows off hers. Because it is such lame fashion, Hina won’t be caught dead in wearing one even if Kuroiwa wants to give it to her. So you bet the Teibou girls are going to accompany Hina to town to shop for a set. Wow. Such variety. Spoiled for choices. But they’re all too expensive! Welcome to the real world and capitalism! Then she spots a cute jacket that is just slightly cheaper. If she gets this, she won’t have enough for the hat. So the rest tell her to buy just the jacket and get the hat next time. On their way home as Hina thanks them for accompanying her, they then hand her a hat which Natsumi bought just for her. How nice. Until Natsumi mentions that she bought it in hopes Hina won’t leave the club! That sure ruined their mood. The seniors are smart enough to at least lie they truly meant it as Hina’s present. Natsumi dug her own grave… We see Kuroiwa explaining and showing Hina the bait and line needed to catch a squid. Natsumi demonstrates and she thought she got it on her first try. Turns out her line snapped. As they patiently fish the whole day, no squid turning up. But right before they head back, they spot one. The juniors try to bait it but apparently this squid is smart. Or they’re just not good enough to trick it into taking their bait. Hence Oono shows it to them how it’s done and voila! She’s got the squid. Be careful not to get too close or its ink will splatter all over. Oops, too late for Hina. But hey, didn’t the jacket served its purpose? Okay, okay, luckily it is washable. With the catch, the girls are going to have squid sashimi. But they have to kill it first, right? Yeah, thankfully it is Oono’s catch so she kills it. And such a delicious fresh squid sashimi they have. Mmm…

Episode 5
Hina is happy the stain on her jacket is finally washed off. With the low tide, Kuroiwa takes her girls to go catch some clams. Hey, not fishing but still technically part of fishing. Geddit? Natsumi tries to be funny and rub her hands all over Hina. Hence begins one of the slowest and weirdest chase through the mud. Suddenly they both get stuck. Kuroiwa won’t help them since they didn’t listen to her so she warns them to get out fast or else the tide comes back in and they have to call a helicopter to pull them out! Yikes! After lots of panic and falling into the mud, they somehow manage to get out. Hina realizes at first the mud felt yucky but she is now starting to like its feel. Hina then catches the biggest clam ever. This sure certifies her as a lucky fisher. Then as they head back to grill their catch, Kuroiwa hears a certain sound and has everyone pack things up and just bum around. Entering the clubroom is their advisor, Sayaka Kotani. She thinks the girls are hiding something and because Oono is a bad liar, eventually the clams she is hiding is busted. Now Sayaka wants to eat them. The juniors doesn’t see what’s wrong and invite her to join. Bad move. Because Sayaka now calls off work and gets her supplies of beers! Yes, she is obsessed with beer and is only here because she has no money and can get her snacks for free! Kuroiwa has the juniors take responsibility as they are forced to serve her. Damn, Sayaka so drunk. This is like a horror movie! Hope Hina doesn’t get traumatized and think of leaving the club… Oono finishes cooking them and in no time Sayaka eats them all! OMFG… True to her drunken demeanour, Sayaka starts crying and wants to kiss and marry?! Ah, I see. She’s still single… After she falls asleep, only then the Teibou girls get to eat what has remain of their catch. Hina has the honour to eat that giant clam of hers. However she stalls too long as Sayaka gets up and devours it in 1 big mouthful!!! OMFG… Then she leaves like as though this is her father’s house. Thanks for the free food. Hina close to tears. Let it go, girl. Hope she doesn’t get traumatized (again) and think of leaving the club (again).

Episode 6
Once again, Sayaka barges into the club to beg (demand is more like it) that she wants to eat horse mackerels. Yes, it’s that time again when she is broke and is not showing the slightest remorse that she needs to secure tonight’s dinner. After all that bugging, Kuroiwa relents but it seems Hina has that bad feeling since she is looking with her with those foxy eyes. First they head to Takohigeya to get the supplies. I think he is Natsumi’s grandpa or something since he knows her quite well. Once done, they head off fishing and they manage to get a great haul of around 300 of them. Of course here is the part that Hina dreads. She is going to have to gut them. Oono demonstrates and to a newbie, tearing out fish guts looks like a horror move. So in between screaming and freaking out, she better hurry if they want to eat those horse mackerels. More freaking out when Natsumi helps Hina’s hands to tear them! And then Hina psychos herself to make the fish look like stuffed handicraft dolls. Yeah. Just dismantle and take those parts out. Hey, she might look like an automated zombie but at least she is no longer freaking out. On another day, Hina’s parents plead to Hina to catch more horse mackerels for them since they’re hooked on it. More work for Hina but since they praise her a lot, I guess she’s going to prove it to them. She heads down to Takohigeya to get supplies herself before doing the fishing alone (she suddenly realizing how heavy the stuffs are. Better be thankful to Oono). To her shock, none of the fish take the bait. This happens a few more times until Natsumi calls her to find out she is fishing alone. In that instant, Natsumi arrives. Yeah, her house is just nearby. Got bored playing video games with her brother, eh? WHAT DO YOU MEAN FISHING > VIDEO GAMES???!!! Anyway, Natsumi could clearly tell Hina used the wrong and bigger hook size as well as a more rigid rod, the reason why she couldn’t catch any. Hina doubts Natsumi’s advice but when she tries it out, it works! Now you believe? Natsumi remains humble since Hina is an amateur. One day she’ll get better. But of course it’s good to have fun too. Hina returns home but is dead tired from dragging her haul.

Episode 7
Hina found a weird bait from her grandpa’s fishing toolbox. So she asks Oono about it and she happily explains all she knows that it is a special bait for rock fishing. Certain fish like scorpionfish love hanging out in the crevices of rocks and this is where this special bait comes in. You bet the Teibou girls are going rock fishing next. Since they have to do rock fishing at rocky places, safety first so please put on a life jacket. Hina is disheartened when she learns the usual bait is worms. WORMS! But thankfully they can used sliced squid today. Phew. Hina couldn’t catch any so Oono’s advice to catch at places where many often overlooked, especially gaps near the pier. Instantly she snags one! As she has trouble taking the bait off, Natsumi shows-cum-teases her in doing so. Need to hold the mouth. Here comes the usual trauma again. With Hina struggling, Natsumi relishes the priceless facial expressions she puts on. That’s one for the album. In the aftermath, the girls learn Oono is always wearing a life jacket because of an unfortunate incident whereby she accidentally fell into the sea. Luckily her dad saved her. Ever since, she is always wearing one but unfortunately because of that she can’t swim. On another day, Hina is suspicious of studying at Natsumi’s place but the latter is actually a smart girl so Hina is going to be under her guidance. At her place, Hina is surprised to see Natsumi in glasses. Looking smart, right? Natsumi’s mom is glad to see Hina, though Hina doesn’t remember her much. It’s that moment where all kids just feel their parents just want to embarrass them in front of their friends… The duo study, get some lunch and then return to more studying. Hina also shows Natsumi handicrafts she made from her fishing lessons. Quite creative. Then they watch a video of some guy fishing using yarn bait. It makes them interested to try it out.

Episode 8
With the rainy season, it’ll be dangerous to fish at sea. Natsumi and Hina are shocked to hear from Kuroiwa that they do have a clubroom inside the school compound. Turns out she was just trolling them and the ‘clubroom’ is actually just borrowing Sayaka’s infirmary. With some of their fishing gear here, the young ones are glad to hear that they will be going to fish for freshwater prawns. If you’re interested, they talk briefly about it and the kind of bait that is designed specifically to catch it. It’s payback time as Kuroiwa raids Sayaka’s fridge to take some food as bait for the prawns. Whine and b*tch all you want! But I guess they have to give her their share of catch later. First, they head to the store to get a fishing licence. Apparently certainly rivers are off limits. No casual fishing as it is observed by the fisherman’s union. So once they get that in order, it’s prawn catching time. Under the bridge, Hina is devastated as her bait gets easily broken. Kuroiwa shows her the tricks and ropes of this patient game. Hina returns to her fishing but the same thing happens over and over again. So this is what frustration feels like. Of course she doesn’t give up and with more advice from Kuroiwa, finally Hina nails it. Too bad she keeps bragging in-your-face to the prawn that it breaks loose from its bait. Next time don’t fool around. Now that Hina properly catches one, she has to touch it with her hands to put it in the box. Squishy… As the rain picks up, they call it a day as Kuroiwa calls Sayaka to come pick them up. Initially she refuses but after hearing they will share some prawns with her, she’ll be right there now! Though, they can’t eat it today and must at least wait till tomorrow so as the dirt within them is filtered out. Hina and Oono ‘host’ a cooking show with the prawns as the stars. Ironically it is Oono who is doing most of the cooking. I guess Hina still can’t stomach killing those prawns and cooking them alive! As they enjoy their food, Kuroiwa tries to get sneaky and get Sayaka to help sponsor yearly permits. However when she talks about getting beer too, she drops the subject and the girls quickly hope to finish their food and go home. Yeah, nothing comes good from a drunkard!

Episode 9
Today the school has CPR practice sessions. Hina sucks at it. But the next one is the swimming practice with their clothes on. This is the big one that Oono dreads. But don’t worry. Sayaka will guide the Teibou girls. She has the necessary skills to train them so don’t be afraid, especially you, Oono. Easier said than done. After having Kuroiwa demonstrate how to relax and float in the water with clothes, Oono is still a scaredy cat. Seeing her clinging on to Kuroiwa reminds me of Shaggy holding up Scooby Doo… Kuroiwa tries to convince her that her big busts are good floatation devices! But I don’t think that’s going to cut it. Even with a bottle float, Oono is still scared and almost crushes it. Sayaka then introduces some floatable belt. Basically if you drop into the water, like an airbag, it will pop up into a floatation device. Oono summons up her courage to jump into the water. The belt works. Too bad she had to jump ON Sayaka! KO! I think Oono’s fear of the water is reduced a little. The belt looks like fun so the rest put it on and jump in too. But again ON Sayaka?! Triple KO! However the Teibou girls will be paying dearly because Sayaka only had budget enough for just 1 tank and since the trio used it, better pay her back 3 times! Later as the girls fish by the pier, Hina being clumsy as usual drops her fish. A heron swoops nearby. Hina lost the stare down as the heron steals her catch. Oh, going to be rivals with the bird now? As explained, herons usually wait nearby humans to steal their catch. Then another clumsy move has Hina letting the same heron steal her catch again. Grrr! However upon closer look, she realizes the heron has several toes missing and somebody’s line is stuck on its other leg. Kuroiwa explains irresponsible fishing has led to many such birds becoming victims. With that, they all lost their mood to fish and head home while picking up trash. Hina searches online and is shocked to see the kind of stories on this. Yeah, it’s like looking at war time articles, eh? You bet she can’t sleep and is going to do something about it. In short, she needs the help of her Teibou girls to help catch the heron and get the line off. Yeah, just need to put her mind at ease. Kuroiwa already got the permit to catch wild birds and necessary equipment so they’re good to go. The rest hide nearby while Hina plays the bait. I don’t think the heron cares about her bad acting but it fell for the trick. The rest catch it as Hina quickly removes the line before releasing it. Happy ending. Next day, Hina’s rivalry with the heron resumes since the heron is back and has that anticipated look on its face that Hina might feed it something. Yeah, the bird is the smart one.

Episode 10
So… Hina is bored fishing the same fish? Wanna fish something different? Looks like Kuroiwa has an idea but look at that foxy looks in her eyes… You better be prepared, Hina. You asked for it. And so our girls try bobber fishing. Basically it is fishing without a reel and it is usually a very long rod and line. As usual, some basic lessons about it and since they only have 2 such rods, the seniors let the juniors gain some experience. Because of the variety of fish that Hina fished out, cue for Oono to give basic explanation about its species and its colours like the wrasse or sea bream. And the most ‘hated’ fish in such bobber fishing is the puffer fish because it has teeth sharp enough to snap your line and even when you catch it, it’s not like you have the expertise to take out its poison, right? At the end of the day when they seemingly didn’t catch anything, before Hina could pack up, Kuroiwa gives her a longer rod for her to cast it deeper at the bottom. Something bites Hina’s line and seeing how much she struggles and finally pulling it out, it is a big horse mackerel. Apparently Kuroiwa was waiting for this moment since it is the time when it usually comes out to feed. So waiting it the entire day has paid off. Heh. I would have just arrive at this hour and fish it out… In the aftermath, Oono has to carry Hina back to the clubroom since she got woozy from the tension of trying to put the fish out of the misery. Yeah, she snapped its neck and lots of blood oozed out. Hey, at least she didn’t faint. So it’s a big improvement. With their big haul of horse mackerels, they plan to make sashimi out of it. As usual, Oono and Hina guide us in doing so but of course, Oono doing most of the presentation and the part that needs to cut and clean out the guts still horrifies Hina. Oh dear. It’s her turn. Time to psycho herself… Ah damn, didn’t go well… Part of the plan is to dry the rest overnight so they can eat them tomorrow. Just when they talk about not letting Sayaka know about this, here she comes!!! BUSTED! OMFG! WHY YOU JINXED IT???!!! Looks like the taxwoman is here… Next day, you think the Teibou girls coming in early to get a head start is a good idea? Why, Sayaka too comes in early for she thinks they might get a jump on her!!! She’s going to get her share still! This time she has brought a box of drinks. Though, most of them are beer. Also, she created her own little smoker to smoke some meat. Wow. You mean Sayaka is a hunter?! I never would have guessed… Time to dig in and enjoy the sashimi.

Episode 11
Hina catches a spiney. Natsumi thinks she should throw it back since it is poisonous and it stinks. After doing so, it is much to Kuroiwa’s dismay. Of course, lesson time from Oono on how to remove its spines and the likes. After surviving that ‘horror cutting’ lessons, now you can see why this spiney isn’t as bad as you think. Yeah, don’t judge a fish by its scales! Back home when Hina’s parents made tempura for dinner like how they used to when grandpa was around, this makes Hina interested in wanting to catch some whiting. Telling this to her Teibou girls, they put up a strange reaction. Hina thinks it is time to be assertive here so when they bring her to Takohigeya to get the bait, now Hina is squirming in fear. Yeah, live ragworms as bait!!! HORROR!!! Eventually Takohigeya tells her there is an artificial bait for those who are afraid of real bugs. Next, Hina is tasked to pick up some gear but since she knows nuts, Takohigeya is ready to help. Explaining the whiting’s habitat and the kind of gear that one uses to catch it, Hina and the rest are ready to catch some whiting. As it lives in the shallow end of the beach, the girls can’t help play in the water until Oono remembers them about fishing. Hina is almost spook to death since the artificial bait almost looks like the real thing. Yeah. Realism. She manages to pass this stage and gets straight to fishing. All she needs to do now is wait for them to take the bait. But by the end of the day, she catches nothing! Hina gets depressed even more so when the rest managed to catch a big haul. This is serious. Hina really depressed and actually thinking of giving up fishing whiting! With the stares of the rest, cue for Kuroiwa to give her pep talk. It seems today’s lessons on how to catch whiting is only suitable for those using live bait. There must be a way for those using artificial ones, right? So back home, Hina uses the trusty ol’ Google to look up for answers. It’s a treasure trove. Now she’s so enlightened, she can’t wait till tomorrow to catch some whiting.

Episode 12
You bet she is so eager that she has already made preparations, leaving her Teibou mates just dumbfounded. Damn, she even talks to them on what she learnt from the internet! Well then, in that case you go catch first. And certainly eager beaver Hina casts her line while the rest watches. However despite getting lots of tugging, none take the bait. Because Hina has been so at it ever since, Natsumi has to stop her to take a break or she’ll pass out from the heat stroke. From Natsumi’s words, Hina somewhat gets a hint that there might be something different to what she’s doing compared to the video, that’s why the whiting aren’t biting. Something about the size of the whiting here are smaller so she adjusts her bait and before you know it, she catches her first whiting! Yatta! They have a good meal and nothing tastes more delicious than the fish you catch yourself. Kuroiwa is glad that Hina is able to have fun because figuring out the ropes oneself is all part and parcel of learning. After the midterm exams, Natsumi heads to Hina’s house as promise to make a mackerel plushie with her. Speaking of which, ever since Hina’s family moved back here, this is the first time Natsumi comes to visit? Yeah, Hina’s mom so happy to see her. In her room, Hina teaches her some handicraft work. Well… Not bad for a first timer. Barely. Natsumi wants to give this to Hina as thanks but obviously she wants Hina’s better made handicraft. Next day, Oono is impressed with the plushies and wants to learn how to make one too. Since when did Hina has a set of handicraft tools in the clubroom?! Kuroiwa sees this and although she’s not interested in making them, she thinks of selling them! Hey, got to think of ways to increase the club funds. Hina then tells them about the handicraft club she wanted to join. Well… She was shocked to see all of the members are guys! Hardcore! Damn, so out of place! So was it a good thing she joined Teibou?! So as the Teibou girls happily think of what to fish next, oh boy, here comes Sayaka complaining she has been left out. So she wants a plushie too, huh? And so our Teibou ladies continue to happily fish for the rest of the semester.

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait, But Better Things For Those Who Work For It
Good news: I didn’t fall asleep at all while watching this! Bad news: I didn’t learn nor remember a single fishing lesson right till the very end! It is quite expected for a series to ‘end’ this way. Not really an ending since life goes on as usual for them but what else could have happened? Too bad no new members joining the club so it saves the headache about the club’s existence for next year. Hence no need for some unwanted drama that is not related to fishing. You know, the emergency crisis of the club shutting down! Phew. Just nothing but mostly fishing all the way till the very end.

I don’t know if it’s a joke or sarcasm or actually the real thing because I read quite a few anime watchers calling this series the anime that saved the season and it’s in line to be up for the anime of the season award. Heh. Are they trolling us or are they really fishing enthusiasts disguising themselves as anime fans to prop up the score of this series and make more people believe that fishing is really a good thing? Either way, the storyline and plot are relatively simple and it is not something that one should rack your brains over. It is either relaxing or boring, depending on your stance on this fishing theme. After all, by reading the synopsis already, one would have a general idea on how this series would turn out. A group of happy girls fishing. That’s all. A couple of newbies joining the club for good measurement so that viewers who aren’t well versed in the fishing line can also have some explanation. That is all. What more do you want or expect?

Because of how calming and down to earth this series actually is, I suppose for older audiences like myself, one could have easily remembered another fishing themed anime that came out way back in 2012. So you older people out there remember about Tsuritama? Yeah. That was one weird show. Instead of having cute girls, we have, uhm, hot guys? Sort of. Even more bizarre, while fishing might be the main theme of the series, the series itself deals with a lot of aliens, the supernatural and conspiracies! Yeah, it was one really weird and messy show. It wasn’t a real fishing show, I guess. So with Houkago Teibou Nisshi, I guess this is officially the first real fishing series? Sort of. But yeah, like I said, it is more down to earth and relatable to Tsuritama anytime. No mysterious immediate danger from the ocean threatening to destroy the world!

Like I have also said, this series brings some exposure and enlightenment on the world of fishing. As I can see, there are some very basic lessons and tips on how to fish certain fish, the different types of gears from hooks, reels and baits to fish different types of fish. Because I am not a fishing enthusiast, what they said are all alien to me. Though, I’ll mostly be somewhat in ‘awe’ because, yeah, I didn’t know you need that kind of gear for this kind of fish. I thought one fishing line fits all! Uh huh. How ignorant of me. Nevertheless, if this series managed to get you hooked on the world of fishing, I’m sure there are other dedicated websites and magazines out there in the real world to further gauge your interests. So good for you. Now you can waste your time going fishing outdoors at the nearest beach or lake instead of watching anime indoors in the comfort of your room! You know me, I’ll still stick to the latter ;p. For more variety, at the end of every episode just before the end credits, the characters will recite a haiku regarding the etiquettes and tips about fishing. Remember to mind your fishing manners and responsibilities when you cast your line and even after!

Character wise, it is safe to say that the main characters have their own unique quirk and charm. They might not have a very deep history but at least they are likeable for a series like this. For instance the newbie Hina, she’s your typical newbie who is totally new in the line of fishing but also somehow possesses an uncanny talent for fishing. Her running joke is that despite her love for her new hobby, she is still afraid of some of the basic things that are necessary in fishing such as handling of those yucky baits as well as filleting a fish. It’s like a person who wants to be a surgeon but is scared of blood and cutting up. Yup, that’s Hina. Surgeon sturgeon Haha! Oops, sorry bad unrelated pun. So I suppose every human in this world isn’t perfect and has their own weaknesses. For Hina, it’s those squishy bugs and the part she needs to gut and clean the fish. Hey, you can’t taste the fruits of your success if you don’t work for it, right? At least from what I can see, Hina is getting better at handling this since she doesn’t faint and has found ways to bypass it. Though, she is still very much horrified by it all. Oh well. Be patient. One day you’ll definitely overcome it.

An advantage of Hina bringing home the catch, mom can save money on food and cook lots of delicious fish dishes! Of course from time to time we need to be reminded her of Hina’s original favourite pastime since she hasn’t totally discarded her handicraft hobby. Even so, her new works are all fishing based. Something she can fall back on if there are no fishing days due to bad water or something. The irony that the handicraft is filled with males while the fishing side has all girls. It’s such a topsy turvy world today where the stereotypic gender lines are blurred or erased rather. I can’t imagine the direction Hina’s life would have taken had she really joined the handicraft club. Maybe she’ll become the head honcho and turn those manly guys into effeminate trans! Thank goodness for fishing, eh?

Then there is Kuroiwa who looks like the biggest slacker of all. It feels like she is only in this club so that she could laze around and do nothing. Because you do notice that most of time that is what she does. Even when the club is out to fish, she’s just sitting on her lazy chair and lazing around. It’s like she’s just playing supervisor or something. However to give her credit, she actually knows her fishing stuffs well. My guess is that if she has to tell the young ones what to do, they’ll never learn. So letting them figure things out and only advising them when necessary, I guess it’s her style of leadership. Then there is Oono who is like a giant gentle. Thanks to her, Hina can get by most of the filleting. Her running joke is that she can’t swim despite loving an activity that involves being near a body of water. This is the same case like I mentioned about the surgeon who fears blood. Also, it’s like as though Oono is like a One Piece’s Devil Fruit eater. Heh. Her special ability is her fishing but she can’t swim in exchange. So I guess that takes care of the reason why she always wears a life jacket whenever she goes fishing. Other than visual variety of course. It’ll be boring to see the Teibou girls all wearing exactly the same uniform, no? Not forgetting Natsumi, can’t say much about her as her tomboyish nature has her love to tease Hina and see her squirm. Kuroiwa too but she’s more passive. Natsumi is bolder and more daring but she doesn’t have as much fishing luck as Hina.

Last but not least, Sayaka. Oh man, where do I start? In terms of character, she is even worse than Kuroiwa since she actually doesn’t hide the fact she likes to leech off the girls’ catch. No money? I guess saving is an alien term to her. I guess the club girls have to deal and put up with her because which other teacher would gladly be the club’s advisor? If only she could just slow down on her beer drinking fest but I suppose that won’t work on a hardcore beer lover. I believe Sayaka has her own merits too but all these obvious bad points cover them up and that’s why she’s never going to find anyone suitable to be married to. Oh damn. Another subtle running joke about single women like her, huh? So those in the fishing line or even hunting crazy guys not attracted to her? I guess it says a lot about her then.

I know fanservice isn’t the main ingredient in cute girls doing cute things genre and it still isn’t so in this series. But I can’t help feel that they try to troll us in some of the very few scenes like when Natsumi tries to pull down Hina’s pants when both were stuck in the mud. I suppose that was the most ‘exciting’ feel we’ll ever get to encounter other than the thrill of fishing. Will she pull down her pants or not?! Come on… COME ONE! Nope. Trolled us good. But it got our attention. And technically the pool episode… Just a lifesaving drill. I don’t know, anybody out there feeling the hots for Sayaka in her swimsuit? I know I didn’t… What’s this again about Oono’s boobs being a good floatation device? Trying to get our innocent giggles, huh? And who could forget Hina’s line hooking up Natsumi’s skirt the first time she tried to cast. Did that make us subconsciously hoping to expect more of such clichés in the future? Or maybe it’s just me…

Art and animation are pretty fine. This is after all a very calming and relaxing anime. You can enjoy the picturesque backdrop and sceneries if you find the fishing activity a bit boring. But yeah, the art and animation may be simplistic but it’s also quite nice to look at and sometimes a bit surrealism. Same for the character designs. Cute and plain. Hina looking like your typical wide eyed heroine, Kuroiwa the cool slacking vixen, Oono the taciturn bespectacled character and Natsumi like one of those tanned little brats like Love Hina’s Kaolla. For some odd reason, in rare cases when Sayaka opens her eyes, I can’t help think that she looks like that certain girl from High Score Girl… Characters like her better have her eyes closed because when they open them, you know some magical spirit will summon a demon to shatter the earth! Just kidding. You know sh*t will hit the fan when she opens her eyes. Not forgetting the fish and fishing tools that are supposed to be the star of this series. They are given the focus and detail too but you know me by now. Still can’t remember what a horse mackerel looks like…

For the voice acting, using relatively unknowns are the best for this kind of anime. Kanon Takao (Aku in Maou-sama Retry) helming Hina may sound a bit raw but it gives her character some sort of realism especially for a newbie who just got into fishing. The rest are Yuu Sasahara as Kuroiwa (Akari in Tonari No Kyuuketsuki-san), Satomi Akesaka as Oono (Esdeath in Akame Ga Kill) and Natsumi Kawaida as Natsumi (debut role). It’s nice that I could find veteran seiyuus I recognized here such as Ami Koshimizu as Sayaka and Shigeru Chiba as Takohigeya. The Teibou quartet sing both the opening and ending themes. While Sea Horizon as the opener sounds more like your typical lively anime pop, it is the ending theme that takes the cake. Tsuri No Sekai E is quite a catchy and funky jazzy piece with its cool bass lines and piano accompaniment. It makes you want to snap your fingers and shuffle your feet. Not necessarily get you into the mood of fishing but at least you can enjoy this song if you’re still not into all that fishing. There are also a lot of soft and fun BGMs peppered throughout the series for your calm and easy listening. And I think there is one with Celtic based. Cool.

Overall, this is one of those calming series that is on par with Aria The Animation and Amanchu. An easy simple pacing anime that is easy for anyone to enjoy even if you’re not a sliver into fishing (unless you’re hardcore corrupted and beyond saving). It has this healing effect to cleanse all that toxicity in your soul after watching crap animes. I might not understand the calm and relaxing feel of the real fishing but I do understand the ones I watch from this kind of series. I don’t think this series might get another season just like how many of the previous cute girls doing cute things never did. Just a passing fad. I would be surprise if they did, though. And just like my past records and history, after watching such a relaxing series, I’ll go back and fish out more toxic and weird crap to consume. This haiku perfectly sums up my sentiments…

Fishing such a bore,
Waiting feels like forever…
Give me fanservice.

Now you know why high school slapstick ecchi romance harem comedy is the hook, line and sinker for me! I’ll always fall for that bait anytime!