Tsuritama – 11

“Yuki, stop headbanging while you fish!” “I CAN’T HELP IT MAN. I’M JUST TOO METAL.”

I was convinced that this would be the finale, but I guess not! There is actually one more episode after this one! If there ends up being a 13th episode, then you can just call me a terrible liar who lives only to devour your dreams. Not that you guys want this to end, right? I’d be okay with a weekly dosage of gay fishing from now until my death…

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Tsuritama is at its best when it focuses on fishing. This week is all about fishing. It’s no small wonder that this episode is better than last week’s! Most the time was spent setting up and getting in position to catch Haru’s gargantuan fishy friend. I didn’t like last week’s forced drama, but this was a lot better. Fishing just fits in perfectly with the grand scheme of things. Watching Yuki work hard still has a bit of a magical, uplifting feeling to it. However, this time there are some stakes involved. Yuki isn’t fishing just to become a better person…he’s fishing to save the world. It’s a steep jump in consequences, and it adds some nice bite in contrast to the usually lackadaisical fishing trips. It’s uplifting, but also kind of nerve-wracking. The moment Yuki’s lure breaks off like a soggy cookie that soaked up too much milk is a real “OH SHIT” moment.

Haru leaving isn’t really something I’m too worried about at this point. I won’t be disappointed from either outcome, because Haru is kind of a dork. Either Yuki will continue to grow without him or they’ll be BEST FRIENDS together forever at the end. I’m assuming we’ll end up with some sort of fluffy, vibrantly-coloured ending full of friendship and bromance. In fact, I’ll feel cheated if they try to make things dark and have Haru leave with a depressing goodbye scene. I usually like endings that involve each and every character suffering in the cruelest manner possible, but Tsuritama is an exception. Ahh I just want to see how this ends! How dare they leave us with such an enraging cliffhanger!

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Bravery in the Face of Danger

Funny how it’s always teenagers who have the guts to save the world, while the adults just run screaming (or dancing). Each and every one of those kids on the boat is fighting an uphill battle to catch this fish, and it’s really impressive to watch. Akira abandoned DUCK just to help his friends escape and go fishing. Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, he walks away from an organization he’s worked in for years in order to help some scrappy kids he’s known for a few months. It just shows that his connection to DUCK was flimsy. Of course you’d be quick to turn against an organization who doesn’t talk to you and doesn’t want you poking your nose into things. I expected Akira’s involvement in the group to always be incredibly reluctant, but now he’s one of the most enthusiastic in the group.

Haru is trying to fight against an alien that we know he can’t win against. If he couldn’t do any damage when his powers were combined with Koko, then he’s going to last for an even shorter period of time without her. Watching him struggle alongside Yuki made me wonder who would crack first…and apparently the answer to that question is Haru. Yuki is possibly the strongest here. He’s overcome so many deficits to get to where he is – moreso than anyone else, I’d say. He still has some remnants of anxiety attacks, but he can actually will them away now. That’s right, he can simply start thinking positively and calm his shattered nerves just like that as long as his friends are there to remind him to stay calm. That’s quite an incredible leap, as most people with that sort of crippling anxiety CAN’T just stop it at will. It general takes carefully-planned therapy and mental training to be able to overcome fears like social phobia. Yuki went from a wibbling chihuahua into a BAMF. Even Natsuki, the fishing prince, didn’t have a clue how to fish up that alien while Yuki thought up all these great plans.

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At Least You Tried

Upon impact, thousands of adorable ducklings will scatter everywhere in an explosion of soft, downy shrapnel.

DUCK is not an evil organization. They don’t want to take over the world or steal swirly lollipops from babies in strollers. DUCK is trying to save the world, they just kind of suck at it. It’s only after a bit of scolding from Akira that the leader starts to feel bad about his method of doing things. “There’s no other option” and “We need to sacrifice a few to save the lives of many” are things that always leave a sour taste behind. That kind of reasoning isn’t BAD, but it’s an uncomfortable choice to make. The plan could work, but not without killing a bunch of allies. If it doesn’t work, then DUCK has a lot of blood on their hands. I kind of feel bad for them. Even though they’re kind of getting in the way of our main “heroes” I don’t feel like they’re the real bad guy here. They’re more like a fumbling, friendly Team Rocket than anything. In the end, DUCK is just trying hard to save the world too. In the last episode, they’ll probably smarten up and become a lot more like the friendly, helpful organization Akira wants it to be.

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About Overcooled

A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.