‘Negative Positive Angler’ proves the healing power of hobbies

Negative Positive Angler catches you off guard. In recent years, there’s always some one-shot original series that manages to gain attention covertly, such as last 2023’s Buddy Daddies and Overtake! The comparisons might not seem obvious, but they all check a certain vibe. They may not come from existing material or completely redefine their particular genres. Still, they instill a certain gravity into their stories, not to be mistaken with self-seriousness or overt drama. In Overtake! we witnessed it with the specific trauma endured by a photographer whose job put him in the line of peril and a witness to tragedy. In Buddy Daddies, we saw how two men could come together to become a real family and fathers to an abandoned girl. Negative Positive Angler, meanwhile, offers a simple truth: sometimes a hobby can really save a life. 

And that’s true twofold in this peculiar yet ambitious series. But more on that later. Produced by NUT, Yutaka Uemura directs Negative Positive Angler. Written by Tomohiro Suzuki with character designs by Hiromi Taniguchi and music by Tomoki Kikuya, the original series instantly strikes an eccentric tone. Playful and spirited in its animation, the series often strikes at discordance through its elastic character designs and grounded, dramatic backbone. 

When we first meet our protagonist, the listless Tsunehiro Sasaki (Mutsuki Iwanaka,) he’s hitting rock bottom. An aimless university student who feels the guilt and shame of not succeeding more in school, he’s become addicted to gambling and owes a great deal of money. Things get actively worse when, following a doctor’s visit, he’s diagnosed with a terminal illness and given two years to live. 

Fate ties these characters together.

It’s a bleak introduction that doesn’t necessarily promise an upward trajectory. He even contemplates ending his life in a darkly comedic moment where he can’t quite get the mechanics right. Instead of seeing treatment, he gambles more and runs into the loan sharks he owes, prompting a city-wide chase that sees him falling into the sea. There, he finds a new chance at life when he’s rescued by Takaaki Tsutsujimori (Kaito Ishikawa,) who is on a fishing trip with his friends. Our passions save us and, in this case, quite literally as it becomes a string of fate-inspired moments. If Takaaki hadn’t been pursuing his desires and interests in fishing, would Sasaki have been saved? 

Negative Positive Angler is often a deeply silly show mainly for its eclectic character designs. And yet, even in the most ridiculous episodes, the writing finds the right balance to maintain a sense of urgent melancholy, even if it rests right below the surface. Through Sasaki‘s meeting with Tsutsujimori and subsequent meeting with fellow fishing fanatic Hana Ayukawa (Fairouz Ai,) Sasaki slowly begins to understand their hobby. Through that hobby, he finds a semblance of inner peace and a desire to pursue something in his life again.

Fishing is a hobby perfect for those who prefer solitude or introverted activities. It’s a quiet sport that so many of us begrudgingly participated in in our youth’s summer days. Negative Positive Angler shows how you can have it both ways. Sasaki is still allowed a particular amount of privacy, but he’s surrounded by a community of like-minded individuals who all work at the same convenience store and fish together on their off days. This sense of camaraderie casts a sense of harmony around the series, the comfort being that Sasaki isn’t alone anymore. 

A necessary tonal shift paves the way to the conclusion.

That immediate warmth lends itself to the abrasive comedy. While the premiere introduces that Sasaki is sick, it also has a hilarious chase scene with character movement injected with personality. Episodes like “Hot Pot Party,” directed by Satoshi Miura, are perhaps the pinnacle of humor in the series. They’re character-driven and don’t rely fully on broad strokes. In some ways, akin to a standard bottle episode, it allows the characters to play off of one another while stuck inside during Japan’s rainy season. 

Despite its reliance on humor in the middle portion of the series, the story comes alive through its grief and heartbreak. Sasaki constantly drops clues about his predicament to Tsutsujimori, speaking about how he won’t be around long enough for others to care. But it all comes to a head in the profoundly compelling Episode 10, “Tsunehiro and Takaaki.” 

Directed by Kentaro Kawajiri, the animation grounds itself in subtleties. The direction pivots only just slightly to help convey the tonal shift. As Sasaki‘s diagnosis reveals itself, the lighting becomes more somber, and the framing angles become more dynamic and cinematic in presentation. This is our visual cue that a storm is brewing, even if, at first, it seems that Sasaki is on his way to getting the support he needs. By the time the pivotal relationship implodes, we’re bracing for impact. 

Negative Positive Angler triumphs through its heart and artistry.

The fight scene between Sasaki and Tsutsujimori is brutal in its direction and execution, with layers of pain undercutting the moment. Mutsuki Iwanaka delivers a gut-wrenching performance as the pain and fear that Sasaki has bottled up unleashes at the closest party. The facial animation is superb, with fine lines and minute expression changes hinting at how much remains unsaid. The arguement demonstrates the care and time put into this series. It might not have the budget, fandom, or notable studio as other noteworthy anime from 2024, but its quality is evident. 

Despite this momentary hiccup, Negative Positive Angler does find its way ashore after the characters deal with their past and present trauma. Beckoning in the sense of hope with tangible, southern winds that place the characters back in one another’s trajectory, the series softens the blow. These characters are still figuring themselves out. However, through the relationships they build and the hobbies they immerse themselves in, they find a reason to keep living and live beyond their expectations. 

And this doesn’t even touch on the realism baked into the settings that speak to the well-lived and trodden paths of these rural, coastal towns. Don’t let the exaggerated designs of certain characters fool you. The tremendous, contrasting artistry allows this moving story of self-discovery and healing to soar. Unexpectedly bold and possessing a mighty amount of empathy for its self-destructive characters, Negative Positive Angler is an underrated gem.

Negative Positive Angler is out now on Crunchyroll.

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Images courtesy of Crunchyroll.