WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Diary of our Days at the Breakwater, Season 1, Episode 6, "Li'l Horsies," now streaming on Funimation.
For a series steeped in the zen of fishing, Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater certainly loves to paint a morbid picture of the reality of how gruesome the sport can be. In “Li'l Horsies,” Hina and the Breakwater Club go in search of a small delicacy and in doing so, may have made the series' strongest argument for ditching meat altogether.
Once again, class advisor Sayaka rears her head, much to the chagrin of President Yūki and the others who have caught on to her antics. This time, promising not to drink in the clubhouse -- thanks mostly to her being broke rather than a sudden epiphany regarding drinking herself into a stupor around children -- she begs the students to bring her “deep-fried li'l horsies.” She is referring to small horse mackerels, which Yūki describes as being a pain to clean. Regardless, Sayaka begs the students to bring her a load to satiate her unyielding hunger. While Yūki initially turns her down, she dons a devious smile when looking at Hina, an ulterior motive forming in her foxy head.
In order to catch the so-called “horsies," Sayaka drives Natsumi and Hina to the local fishing supply store, Takohigeya. The store's symbol is a small octopus with a mustache, and when the girls meet the store owner, Akai, they note that he looks rather similar to the mascot with his bald head and a small mustache. Clearly familiar with Natsumi and the Breakwater Club, Akai provides them with bait and sends them on their way with an awkwardly long wave.
At the Breakwater, Hina learns that this style of fishing requires a new type of lure. Specifically, a basket to hold krill and panko paste hanging from the bottom of the line with several small ascending hooks. Having overcome her trepidation, Hina eagerly casts her line and just as soon as she does, the small fish begin to bite. The Club rakes in the li'l horsies by the dozens, filling a cooler to the brim. Yūki's devious plans begin to come to fruition when she notes that cleaning them is a pain -- and that Hina will be the one to do so.
To clean the horse mackerel, Yūki explains that all that is needed is to remove the guts, like any other fish. As Ohno demonstrates, however, this method is far more hands-on than Hina had previously experienced. With just her forefinger and thumb, Ohno takes hold of the fish's gill and tugs, removing them and it's organs in one pull. In captivating detail, the fish's innards flail about before being tossed into a slop bucket. Hina, naturally, turns a sickly shade of gray and attempts to make a speedy exit.
Hina has had the proclivity to yeet herself out of fish cleaning duties, often checking out mentally when the knife goes in. When the deed is done, however, she's more than happy to enjoy the fruit of the bounty. This time, there is no escaping from her responsibility as a fisherman: Hina will have blood on her hands.
In traditional Hina form, however, her way of coping with the gruesome task of ripping the guts out of a small fish involves pretending that the once-living creature is actually a small stuffed animal. As the light leaves her eyes, in robotic fashion, Hina begins pulling the gills and guts out of the fish but substitutes reality for her own wherein she is gently tugging the stuffing out of one of her handmade dolls.
The girls have a lengthy discussion about how odd it is to be pulling the insides out of a creature that was alive just a short time ago. Yūki notes that this is required to eat it and so the deed must be done. Never does the Club ask whether or not what they're doing is morally right, nor do they question how mentally damaging it must be for Hina to have ripped the guts out of hundreds of fish by hand. Hina's trauma is real -- one does not simply walk into a fugue state. Sadly, the Club never questions her reaction as anything but silly, and Hina never has a “Come to Jesus” moment. Rather, she readily takes up the rod and heads out to fish on her local breakwater alone in hopes of impressing Natsumi.
For as chill as Diary of our Days at the Breakwater can be, it's moral compass is lost in ambiguity. As Hina's fishing skills improve, she may be leaving behind a rare personal clarity.
New episodes of Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater arrive Tuesdays on Funimation.
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August 13, 2020 at 05:04PM
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Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater Makes a Strong Case for Going Vegan - CBR - Comic Book Resources
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