Anime Lovers

Negative Positive Angler episode 5 was a bit less fishing-centric, but it was nonetheless entertaining. Things are slowly looking better for Hiro; he’s been settling into his new life, and his hard work is yielding results. But as anyone who’s ever picked up a fishing rod and liked it knows, money doesn’t last long in the hands of anglers. And that money leaves their hands even quicker when they’re in a fishing store trying to impress a kawaii waifu. That’s precisely the situation Hiro finds himself in. While I recently poked fun at the show’s art style, I have to take that back when it comes to Kozue. She’s adorable.

Even though Hiro is still drowning in debt, he makes it rain and balls out on fishing gear. Some people may get mad about this lack of self-control and complain about a lack of character development. But that ain’t me. I found it refreshing that almost halfway into the show, Hiro is still struggling with the behaviors that got him in this mess. Stuff like that never gets solved in a few weeks.

And even though he drew the ire of Takaaki by spending a sizable chunk of his pay on fishing gear, there’s always a reason to spend more money on it. In this case, it’s a life-changing, soul-moving, salvation-bringing Exceed 4000-X fishing reel. A solid 77,500 ($506) purchase. As far as fishing reels go, purchasing something in that price range is an investment, but it’s nowhere near pricier models. I’m confident the Exceed 4000-X is based on the Daiwa Exist. The 4000 version of the Exist costs about $1000, so $500 is a banging deal.

Calling something ‘expensive’ is subjective. One’s socioeconomic and personal preferences come into play when using that word. For me, a $500 reel is a necessary expense. $500 in groceries leads me closer to extremism. Hiro shares this sentiment. After getting dressed down over his careless purchases, he spent the night watching videos on the Exceed 4000-X.

This episode pushed fishing aside and focused on heartfelt bonding moments between Hiro and Kozue/Takaaki. While one would be tempted to go ‘awww’, Hiro and Takaaki’s moment served as the catalyst for Hiro giving in and buying the Exceed 4000-X.

Negative Positive Angler Episode 5: The Fishing Corner

Being a slower-paced episode, we only have a few fishing-related things to cover: bait fishing and choosing reels. But those depend on what you want to catch and where you’re fishing. So, let’s start with what Hana and Kozue are doing.

Sabiki fishing, as Hana so eloquently explained, involves using a pre-tied rig, which usually has between 6 and 10 small hooks on a single dropper line. It’s typically used to catch bait or smaller fish around piers, breakwaters, and boats. It’s a fairly simple method of fishing.

But if you’d like to read about it in greater detail, I highly recommend this Marukyu Global article. You don’t need a rod with a reel to use one of these rigs. You can tie a sabiki rig on a pole rod, a stick, or a telescopic pole rod (such as what Kozue was using).

On the other hand, if you’re hoping for a thorough explanation of drop bait fishing, I owe you one. I’m not skimping content out of laziness; there is a reason why I don’t like getting into bait fishing. Bait fishing is pretty site-specific, and I mentioned that in a previous article.

Where and under what conditions you’re fishing is what determines what lines, weights, and bait you use. But there are a few tips I can give you. Always use circle hooks; these are less likely to hook a fish in the gills or throat. This allows you to release fish you may not want to keep or have to release.

Reel Sizes

Do you know what weebs and anglers have in common? They get really excited over random numbers. While numbers in the anime world equal late-night entertainment, in the fishing world, these refer to a reel’s size. One thing that this show, like many other fishing anime, tends to fail at is providing an explanation of fishing reel sizes. You can’t use the same reel for all fish or lures.

You want to pair the reel size with the fish you want to catch. You can catch panfish, trout, and small inshore fish with a 2500-sized reel. A 4000 reel is for species like redfish, snappers, and medium barracuda. For bigger inshore fish like large jacks and tarpon, you want a 6,000-sized reel.

However, not all reels are built the same. And this without a doubt causes confusion for newbie anglers. A 3500-sized reel from one manufacturer may actually be larger than a 4000-sized reel from another, as illustrated in the video below. Overall, I’m pretty content with how the show is explaining things. I hope that it’s caused someone to pick up a fishing rod.

Screenshots: Crunchyroll
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