Slow Loop

As a fisher who still occasionally fishes and given that some of my fondest memories growing up were fishing trips with my family and friends, I had surprisingly high expectations for what initially appeared as a generic CGDCT and SOL anime. Slow Loop managed to not only match my expectations but genuinely surpass them in terms of how well researched the series is and how effectively they covered the hobby. This review will provide a quick summary on why I enjoyed Slow Loop and what aspects were covered well. In terms of story, Slow Loop is fairly basic, similar to most CGDCT anime, 2 girls, hadsingle parents that got remarried together, which turned them into sisters. It turns out one of the girls enjoys fishing and the other girl gets into it through her. Functionally this is the story, there are some other aspects but most of it falls under characterization that is developed during fishing trips and general bonding through living together. As long as the characters mesh well, then the story is typically good enough for this type of series. Still since I do try to be objective in reviews, the most this story can get is a 6/10 since its very bare bones and even the execution feels rather basic and overly simplified half the time. In terms of art, the character designs really remind me of Is the Order a Rabbit? Everyone, including the adults, look a bit underdeveloped and flat, but this low detail art suits a SOL series fairly well. Overall, the girls do have a nice cutesy look, although the animation and background art leaves a lot to be desired. I do enjoy how the fish are handled and how preparing fish kept all the blood and made it the process look more realistic with the organs and such, definitely some plus points for accuracy. What really appeals about this anime is the accuracy in terms of fishing as a hobby, the show properly explains fly fishing including the various styles and techniques, this was all researched very well. The segments where Hiyori explains to Koharu how certain techniques are exercised are very good, the instruction quality is the same as you would receive in real life and the beginner mistakes are conveyed accurately. In addition, the cooking segments were nice as well, from preparing the fish after catching to properly cleaning them out and seasoning them, Slow Loop actually goes into detail on this topic beyond a superficial lens like many other hobbyist anime do. Overall, I would give Slow Loop a 7 out of 10, its story is a bit weak and art style a bit basic, frankly the audio isn’t even worth discussing, however the characters mesh well and the actual hobby they focus on is very well researched and explained in an interesting and effective manner. This anime is definitely one that is unlikely to be worth watching outside of the season it aired in, unless you really like fishing, but it’s not bad to watch on a weekly basis.

Depending on what genres of anime you watch, Winter 2022 may or may not have been a good anime season for you. For me it wasn't, with 2 of the 3 seasonal animes I watched getting dropped. However, the last seasonal would prove to be a masterpiece in my opinion. That anime is Slow Loop, and in my opinion, is very underrated (even being overshadowed by Winter 2022's other CGDCT, Akebi). Story - 10/10 Slow Loop's summary gives you the idea that it's a fishing anime, and that is true to an extent. However, family plays a key role in the story itself. Throughout the anime, wesee the characters dealing issues regarding their family, be it Hiyori and Koharu, Koi and her parents, or Ichika and Futaba. The drama moments, blended in with the comedic moments found in a lot of CGDCT, makes for an anime that can make you laugh, and make you cry. Slow Loop also looks into the backstories of each characters, and how it shaped who they are. The anime's tagline: "connected by fishing line, the loop of family" really makes sense here. Art - 7/10 With slice of life in general, art isn't something that is a high priority. Connect's animation doesn't match the heights that Silver Link hit with Non Non Biyori or say Doga Kobo hit with Koisuru Asteroid. However, to heavily focus on the art would be missing the point of the anime. Characters - 9/10 Slow Loop shines strongly in this aspect, with Hiyori's and Koharu's dynamic being strongly reminiscent of character dynamics like Rin/Nadeshiko (Yuru Camp) or Ao/Mira (Koisuru Asteroid). Koi's character is quite unique, and really adds some uniqueness to this anime (a character who has a dislike towards to the main interest of the show for good reasons is quite rare). Slow Loop also does avoid a pitfall of CGDCTs by adding a decent number of recurring male characters. Hiyori's character development was good, as she looks to deal with the grief of losing her father. Koi has multiple sides shown to her, improving on her already well-written character. Koharu delivers many of the show's good gags, through their faces and jokes, making Slow Loop extremely enjoyable. Sound - 9/10 Slow Loop's OP (Yajirushi) and ED (Shuwa Shuwa) are both quite enjoyable to listen to. Along with that, it has great background music, being composed by Takurō Iga, who also worked on Koisuru Asteroid's OST. (Note that for Yaijurshi, both Kiyono Yasuno and Nao Touyama sang it) Enjoyment - 10/10 Slow Loop in my opinion is very enjoyable. The educational bits are pretty nice, and don't feel like boring monologues (and is a nice addition to the series itself). The show's dramatic bits are nice, and really show the theme of family. These 2 elements combined really reminds me of 2 of my favourite anime: Hanayamata and Koisuru Asteroid, along with the show already giving off strong Yuru Camp vibes. Overall - 10/10 If you are fan of Koisuru Asteroid, this show is definitely for you, as they are very similar in my opinion. In general, I would say this show is definitely worth a watch for CGDCT fans, as it also has strong Yuru Camp vibes. Slow Loop in my opinion is the sleeper hit of winter 2022, avoiding a lot of the tropes of CGDCT, and exploring the topics of family in a way that's not commonly seen in slice of life.

I like slice of shows. It's what I watch quite often. But this is the first one that I've watched where I was really bored. The show repeats the same formula for every episode. They go fishing, there's some tidbits about fishing technique and equipment. I have no problems with that. Problem is that the characters seem to not vary their reactions much than just be the token bubbly/reserved/sarcastic characters that I've seen quite often. And everyone else outside of Koharu, Hiyori, and Koi are just one-dimensional. I was hoping the show would add something more on top of Hiyori's loss to add more depth... Butit doesn't. It had some good touching moments here and there. But not enough to break the monotony that made the show drag on and made me wish it would be over already...

Slow Loop on the surface looks like a pretty simple cute girls do fishing anime, and while it does that, it also covers a topic near and dear to my heart and that is the loss of family member and finding happiness in the activates you spent together. Spoilers ahead Story: I felt the story did a great job and bringing in the emotional moments of losing a family member and mixing the fun of fishing/camping/cooking. I know a lot of people turn to SoL for good vibes aspect of this genre, the mix of the serious and fun felt right to me. The cooking aspects of theshow were a lot of fun as well. Simple recipes for preparing fish and side dishes were a great touch to a show like this. Characters: The main character Hiyori loses her father and her mother remarries and low an behold, she gains an upbeat and comedic step sister. The dynamitic of these two was very Rin & Nadeshiko-esk from Laid Back Camp. Straight laced big sister and over the top little sister. It was a lot of fun seeing these two interact on screen, nothing groundbreaking, but an overall good time. Sound: OST was nice. Not LBC levels but the omniance of the mood was set and was fitting. Animation: It was fine. I am not really looking to get blown away by a show like this in terms of visuals but in no way was it appalling. Enjoyment: I watched this week to week and was the first show I sought after on Friday's. Its nice going into the week on good vibes and a smile on my face. Overall: If you a SoL junkie like I am, Slow Loop is treat. Loved the mix of fun, fishing, cooking and sometimes pretty hard hitting emotions, especially for someone like me. I think the show is a solid 8/10 and would recommend it to a lot of people looking for something to relax too and have fun.

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