NegaPosi Angler

The protagonist is a college student who went broke on the stock market, shut himself in, has severe anxiety with college stuff, and will probably die soon anyway. It feels like everything is done and over; nothing left to do except die, right? But then, a chance encounter and some "4 a.m. animal crossing fishing" vibes, and you feel like living again.

This anime is pretty real. It feels unique and mature. The animation is nice, with expressive characters and some downright beautiful shots -- though it can look rough when combining 3D fish and 2D characters. The music evokes the same laid back guitar ... vibes as a late night animal crossing track. The characters are a random bunch, but they are somehow exactly the right thing the protag needs -- especially pink-hair guy Takaaki, I seriously fucking love him.

Give the first episode a watch if you feel like you could connect with this anime. It already hits pretty good.

Title: NegaPosi Angler
Genre: Slice of Life, Sports, Drama
Studio: Pine Jam
Episodes: 12
Aired: Fall 2024

The main character in "NegaPosi Angler" is seriously down on his luck. And when I say down, I mean this guy is broke; he's got creditors breathing down his neck, and to top it all off, he's told he only has a couple of years left to live. So, what's a guy to do in this situation? The answer is to go fishing.

The Setup:
Our MC stumbles upon a rag-tag group of fishermen and women who introduce him to the fishing world. From there, the story hints at a journey of self-discovery—will he find ... a new purpose and turn his life around by simply casting a line? You might be fishing for an answer, but the anime is taking its time to reveal whether our guy will reel in a new life or end up as bait.

Art and Storytelling:
The anime itself is pretty standard when it comes to art and audio. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done for this type of laid-back series. However, I genuinely appreciate how it incorporates actual fishing techniques and concepts. As someone who's fished before, I find it nice to see anime take the time to get the details right. The relaxed pacing makes it a perfect slice-of-life experience focusing on small moments rather than significant, dramatic events.

Final Thoughts:
"NegaPosi Angler" isn't the kind of show that will hook you with intense action or mind-blowing twists, but it's a great pick if you're looking for something calming and meditative. It's the type of anime that invites you to relax, unwind, and maybe even learn a thing or two about fishing. Perfect for those who want to appreciate the simple things in life while rooting for an underdog.

Ep. 6 update: Still can't get with the character art or the poorly applied 3D CGI. It's been half a season now and there's been no inkling of a plot. I'm going to be a lunker, shake the lure on this one, and swim off into the depths. Drop the grade to 68/100; only a D+ I am afraid.

Ep.5 update: What's with all the romcom and harem cliches? Plus that 3D CG was really annoying. Another episode like this, and I'm snapping the line on this one. Drop the grade to 72/100; high C-

Going to pass this one on the 3 eps test, ... but still kind of on the fence about it. Will this sink or swim? I'm not convinced it won't go belly up.

The artwork is all over the place. There's some really nice background work, but some of the character art is downright wonky. Same inconsistency with the animation. In inconsequential 2D scenes, it can be pretty good, but in important scenes, they break out some lame looking 3D renderings. It's distracting.

I'm not totally buying into the story yet either, The MC is written as a typical yutz. The side characters are more likeable, but very two dimensional so far. Are they fishermen or convenience store workers? Not much depth, regardless. The writers try to work in some comedy, but mostly it falls flat. While I have always been a fishing fan since I was little, I have yet to see anything from the writers to hook me into this tale at all.

The VA work is decent but I wouldn't call it inspired. The director seems to take the actors into cliche performances. And with the animation weirdness, I can't find much to like about the direction. The soundtrack is bland, but at least it's not distracting.

I'll continue to nibble at the bait for a few more episodes, to see how this evolves. But I am not sure if it can reel me in. If I was to grade this to this point I'd say a mid C at 75/100 would be about right. I may not be taking this hook, line and sinker, but I will stick around for a while to see if it improves. I'll update the review whichever direction it goes.