Houkago Teibou Nisshi/ Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater is a show that'd alienate most people due to its premise, but beneath that lies a wholesome and comforting show about discovering fishing as a passion and a journey in discovering and absorbing oneself in such a passion. Fishing is used as a vehicle to explore what it means to be passionate among the entire cast, with presentation being more subtle. Unfortunately, this means the show's appeal as well as its misfortune of airing during COVID-19 - being particularly hit hard and being pushed an entire season down the line - actively hurt the series. Don't let this fool you, as there's quite a bit to appreciate here, and especially if you have a background with fishing.

Much of the series' appeal comes from how well researched the fishing is - bait, common fishing tactics, adjusting said tactics for different species of fish and there's even an episode where the entire cast go and get fishing equipment depending on their builds - another episode has an extended segment where all of them have to learn how to swim in case an emergency happens. It's this attention to basic details that makes this series so refreshing to watch, with even something as subtle as how fish behave around different kinds of lure or even just not touching certain fish - in this show's case, a stonefish - with your bare hands (which sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many even experienced fishermen make such a basic mistake). This also extends to how to dissect fish safely

The series follows a semi-episodic structure involving the four main leads going out and fishing, with enough variety in what they're trying to fish to keep the show's content interesting - there's even an episode where characters don't fish up fish at all, which was refreshing. Character progression is linked mainly to the main characters' abilities to fish, with Hina in particular as the show's central character being at the focus of this; introduced as a wide-eyed, extremely naive teenage girl who can't tell left from right with what she wants to do in school (let alone in fishing) she grows from a rather empty high schooler craving a passion in her life to a genuinely passionate fisherman, who actively seeks out fishing. This is shown through various scenes - ranging from her actively researching about fish she wants to catch, looking up techniques and ever so slowly overcoming her squeamishness as the series goes on. For all intents and purposes, the narrative is centered around Hina and her growing passion for fishing, subtly showing her changing demeanor as the series goes on.

The other characters and their love for fishing is all explored as the series goes on, and their dynamics; this ranges from Makoto mentioning fishing as an outlet for her otherwise withdrawn personality - which contrasts greatly with her inability to swim and Natsumi's interactions and recurring friendship with Hina, acting as a catalyst for Hina's increased interest in fishing as well as various interactions when not fishing (ranging from sewing to studying) that help establish their relationship with each other (which is also handled very naturally, like two old friends actually would interact with each other). Last but not least, there's Yuuki, the introverted and hands off leader of the group whose apparent apathy is a mask to conceal her genuine love for fishing, acting as the rational head of the group and guiding them while handling her job as student council president. While these are basic character traits, it's the chemistry between the group that made them so endearing. However, a noteworthy flaw can be argued to be the comedy - certain gags considering how several characters straight up look well underage appear inappropriate, and these jokes are concentrated early into the show, potentially making it difficult for some viewers to continue watching. Much of the humor I did enjoy though, with a particular mention being a fishing session that involved interacting with a very curious heron, the entire cast wandering around in the mud to look for clams with hilarity ensuing and interactions with Sayaka, the club advisor.

Much praise can be given to Doga Koba for the work they've done on the show's production values, with consistently look great - the backgrounds are absolutely beautiful, with hand-drawn illustrations being backed up by light but fitting use of CGI that enhance the relaxed and comforting appeal of the series. No particular bit of animation lacked fluidity as far as I can recall, with movement being smooth and easy to look at - a particular note is that all of the various creatures caught by the cast are hand-drawn with no cut corners in animating movements for the fishes themselves, which in the hands of a lesser studio could have easily been done completely in cheap CG. Water looks easy on the eyes, and the soundtrack and sound design never feels off or out of place, fitting the overall tone of the series. Of particular mention are the songs for the OP and ED, which are fairly catchy.

In conclusion, Houkago Teibou Nisshi is a show that appears to have gone under the radar - partially due to COVID-19 but also due to some gags in the first few episodes that may have scared some viewers off. This masks an otherwise excellent series, and I do recommend it highly, especially to those that enjoy stories about the joy of discovering a new passion or about fishing.

Thank you for reading.