What will you choose to do when you get only two more years to live?
“Fishing”?
Most people would choose something more exciting in their last moments, such as traveling around the world, squandering their money or fulfilling their dreams. But for Tsunehiro, he chose fishing.
“Negative Positive Angler” (ネガポジアングラー) was animated by NUT(studio) and released in 2024. The story follows Sasaki Tsunehiro (佐々木 常弘), who not only had the worst luck, but was also diagnosed with brain cancer, leaving him with only two more years to live.
He went straight to pachinko (gambling) just out of the hospital, but got recognized and chased after by his loaners. As he was being chased, he accidentally fell into the sea. Luckily and unluckily for him, he did not get reincarnated to isekai as his self-deprecation, but rescued by Tsutsujimori Takaaki(躑躅森 貴明) and his angler fellows, including Ayukawa Hana(鮎川 ハナ), Nishimori Kozue(西森 こずえ) and a few others. And eventually developed an interest in fishing.
Tsunehiro’s self-abandonment started as he lost 128,364円(approximately $900) in the Foreign Exchange Market and kept borrowing money, thinking he could get it back but only to fall deeper into a debt pit.
Isekai animes (a subgenre in which protagonists are reincarnated and teleported to another world with gifted powers) usually contain elaborate settings and special powers, which make them refreshing and interesting to watch. But for “Negative Positive Angler,” rather than a flashy background and special powers, the writers opted for an ordinary world setting and focus on Tsunehiro’s fishing-filled last moment.
Those who enjoy a slow-paced story can sit down to feel the peace and calm, and also enjoy the sense of daily life from the story. Obviously, there is a reason hot-blooded and adventure-type anime have become more mainstream and favored by a larger audience, such as anime like “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” as these types of anime usually deliver more immediate and larger amounts of sensory stimulation.
This is one of the reasons why slow-paced anime like “Negative Positive Angler” are favored by less people. But to be honest, this slow-paced type is better at not triggering sensory fatigue, compared to “mainstream” anime mentioned above.
Anytime “Negative Positive Angler” is discussed, it is important to mention how the fishing element is implemented, both into the story and into the characters’ development, as most characters’ lives have been changed for fishing or changed by fishing. For instance, seeing how Tsunehiro was half-forced to fish at first by Takaaki and Hana is like watching Sisyphus pushing that rock. But later in the show, Tsunehiro tried to enjoy and know more about fishing solely for his work at the convenience store, but gradually began to actually enjoy it.
There is also some very detailed and professional information about fishing woven into the story, including fishing methods like how to use a fishing rod and what type of rod and fishing reel should be used against specific types of fish. A fresh in memory thing is that the anglers process fishes right after they have been caught, and cook them. For those who did fishing, it’ll feel friendly and familiar, seeing some concepts not usually mentioned, leaving a knowing smile by some jokes inside the community. And for those who didn’t know about it, though it’s not academically accurate, you can definitely learn and use these somehow when you do fishing in the future.
Though the main idea and the story went very well, there is an issue with the starting episodes of the anime, Tsunehiro as the protagonist, is too passive and constantly taking advantage of the people who helped him, which has become such a ragebait. His loan is paid by Takaaki, and his lodging and even his work is taken care of by Takaaki. His failure to show any appreciation and gratitude towards Takaaki, left a first impression of Tsunehiro as an annoying and unlikeable protagonist. But as the story got twisted and became a perfect example of “To praise, first suppress,” it was very exciting to see his personality developed so significantly.
The emotional explosion between Tsunehiro and Takaaki towards the end of the anime is definitely my favourite. Quarreling for their own emotional escape, but gaining understanding towards each other and facing their problems.
Despite Tsunehiro’s character flaws, the show still remains enjoyable in part due to the relaxing environment created. Actions, expressions and demeanors of characters are shown naturally, sometimes dramatically, with the music connecting to the situation. It is very comfortable, and you will follow the animations so naturally, that you won’t feel forced to finish the story.
Overall, there are some negative arguments for the anime, in accounts of Tsunehiro’s personality and the story rhythm. “Negative Positive Angler” is a masterpiece shown with an excellent work for a slow-paced story, well character development, with the “fishing” topic woven masterfully into the show. And it has definitely piqued my interest in fishing.
