Episode 5 of ”Slow Loop”, “Together Again,” is possibly Slow Loops most… Loop-core episode with a slow pace. The girls are on a boat, fishing, and enjoying dinner, and it has all the trappings. It’s Slow Loop at its finest, and it’s fantastic. Also, there’s the food! I would survive on ”Slow Loop’s” seafood dishes for the rest of my life and never want anything else, reports Anime News Network.
To shake things up, this episode begins by focusing on Futaba for a little period. You may recall Futaba’s concerns about fishing being a decidedly “unfeminine” hobby to pursue, even though Futaba enjoys fishing. By the way, put a pin in that: we’ll come back to it later.
When we’re reconnected with Koi, Koharu, Hiyori, and now, Ichika, we’re treated to a beautiful sequence of scenes as the girls prepare to go out to sea for another round of fishing. The women are now aboard a real barge, rather than the little canoe they were on in episode 2, preparing to pull in a haul and finally get their chow on. The proceedings have a distinct beauty to them that I can’t quite put my finger on other than blindly joyous in the nicest of ways.
But, more importantly, I believe there is something truly wonderful going on here: Slow Loop has created an atmosphere in which the cast can simply enjoy a very specific hobby. These women may fish to their hearts’ content, devoting time to what they enjoy, irrespective of how the activity has been categorized in society. It’s upbeat because none of the girls are made fun of for enjoying a “masculine” hobby.
Fishing becomes something that everyone does, rather than something that only a small number of people do. And it culminates from one of the most heartfelt and funny moments of the whole program towards the end of episode 5. It may sound strange, but I believe life frequently blends humor and tragedy.
Finally, with more fishing, yummy meals namero, a type of horse mackerel tartare—and, of course, lots of bond formation and cute moments, episode 5 helps to keep the fun moments rolling. In terms of plot development, it isn’t the most interesting episode, but it is unquestionably one of Slow Loop’s best. It has all of the qualities that make this drama so quietly captivating, and as we approach the second half in two weeks, it has me hooked, wanting more of these calm introspective times as we build toward Hiyori and Koharu capturing a tuna anywhere down the line.
