Thoughts on Houkago Teibou Nisshi

I have already talked at some length about Houkago Teibou Nisshi before, back when I was watching it as it aired. Man, it took me a long while to actually get back to this. COVID helped my case somewhat, though.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi went on hiatus due to the impact caused by the virus. After three episodes, it stopped all production until July, with the series eventually finishing in the middle of the next anime season. This allowed me to ignore it completely for three months, only getting around to it a month after it finished airing. Despite the middling impressions I had of it before, I still made this a top priority to return to, over Yesterday wo Utatte, randomly. Should that mean anything?

To be blunt, minimally. Slice of life enthusiasts will find a cozy home here, but as someone who has historically given tolerable slice-of-life’s 6/10 and moved on (this title included), there’s nothing this title does much differently. It’s pleasant, it can be fun, and there’s an ever-so-slight tinge of sexualization that makes me squint. It’s cute girls doing a general activity in cute ways, all the while allowing their personal bounciness to play off one another.

As such an open-ended premise, the characters end up becoming everything to one’s enjoyment of this series. Here, I think they perform adequately enough. I remember Hina by name, and then maybe Tsurugi(?) (Nope, that’s Hina’s last name). Then there’s, uh, “the president,” and Ohno. (Easy to remember as “Oh no.”) And the drunk nurse, because why not have a passively irresponsible adult character who only acts mature when circumstances prefer it? Regardless, there’s a pleasantness coated in wholesome vibes that carry this series from general mediocrity. These characters care for one another and want each other to succeed, despite the disparity in fishing knowledge. Oh, by the way, this is about fishing. Should probably have mentioned that.

But despite the wholesomeness, it’s hard to justify recommending this to people outside the slice-of-life demographic. There’s some character development, particularly revolving Hina learning the ropes as a fisher. Otherwise, other characters just help prop her up, with very little for them to do outside that. Thinking on it, I don’t think there’s a single episode solely dedicated to anyone but Hina—she’s the clear star. No matter how much Ohno or the president or… Natsumi (had to look it up) may serenade the spotlight, they never get time to fully capitalize. They’re there as support, ensuring Hina gets the bulk of growth.

There’s not much more to say that wasn’t already covered in my earlier post—it didn’t change much. Slice of life with fishing and cute girls. If the premise doesn’t entice you, you’re better off skipping it. For me, it was perfectly pleasant. Nothing that would make me want to rewatch it or sing its praises, but if a sequel were announced, I may watch more. I’d like to see some actual development from other characters, but with the way this anime is structured, that may not be the priority. Just watch Hina, listen to Hina, consume Hina. Hina.

The rating for this series and all others can be found on MyAnimeList.

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