Houkago Teibou Nisshi – 03

「マゴチ」 (Magochi)
“Bartail Flathead”

It is sad to say that this third episode of Houkago Teibou Nisshi will be the last time we see the series until conditions are safe enough to continue onto Episode 04. Especially because this one has several key scenes as Tsurugi learns how to prepare her fishing rod to catch a massive Bartail Flathead, also known as a Magochi.

The lessons learned in Episode 03 are quite knotty since the Breakwater Club’s trip to Kamegahama gives Tsurugi insight on how to set up her lure depending on what kind of fish she’s aiming for. In addition to prepping up her bait & tackle, she’s also given pointers on switching from spot-to-spot to aim for parts of the water that have more fish and making sure she moves her lure in a pattern that makes it look like it’s moving naturally enough to catch a fish’s attention.
Above all else, Episode 03 gives us further insight on the girls of the Breakwater Club as Tsurugi gets adjusted to her new role in the club. Because Natsumi is the newest member with the most experience, she’s in the right position to introduce Tsurugi to fishing lessons in a way that she’ll be able to understand easily. One cute moment early in the episode involves her father as he encourages Tsurugi to get invested in her new hobby of fishing, albeit with the motive of getting more fish to eat at home.

Meanwhile, Yuuki acknowledges Tsurugi’s natural talent for fishing but wants her to tap into her potential as a member of the Breakwater Club by learning to kill her catch. It might be another case where she puts her on the spot, but in this episode, we learn that Yuuki gets far more from fishing than merely catching fish. That, in all of its essence, fishing is both a way to unwind/relax and a teaching tool to learn about carrying the responsibility that comes with fishing for food.

It’s never easy to part ways with a nice slice-of-life anime, especially when the reason doesn’t involve reaching its natural conclusion. Chances are high that it’ll come back once it’s safe enough to continue working on it, but the uncertainty of when Episode 04 would be slotted into a schedule does propose a challenge for the seasonal anime-watching community as far as what defines a season. Whether it means Summer 2020 will be packed with shows scheduled for both Spring & Summer or if some Summer shows will be pushed back for Fall for scheduling reasons is up in the cards at this point. But whatever happens with the next few anime seasons, if there’s one thing that’s certain about Houkago Teibou Nisshi, it’s that Episode 04 will arrive precisely when the time is right. So until then, stay safe out there everyone.