Winter Kickoff Day: Workplace Romance
Winter kickoff day features another workplace romantic comedy, “The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague”. While high school romcoms are quite common, workplace romcoms, including middle school ones, are relatively rare in anime. Manga, on the other hand, has a more balanced representation of such stories, and it would be nice to see anime catching up in this regard.
Introducing Fuyutsuki and Himuro
Meet Fuyutsuki, a young woman starting her first day as a salarywoman. On her way to work, she encounters Himuro, a young man with his feet frozen in a block of ice. Being a helpful person, she offers to pour her hot tea on him to thaw the ice. However, her efforts are in vain. Eventually, Fuyutsuki suggests that Himuro drinks the tea instead, engaging in a warm conversation. Miraculously, Himuro is freed from the ice, and both continue their journey.
A Twisted Coincidence
The story takes an intriguing turn as Fuyutsuki and Himuro realize that they are both starting work at the same company. While the timing might seem coincidental, it is important to note that Japanese businesses often onboard new employees simultaneously, just like the beginning of a school term. Here, it is revealed that Himuro-kun is descended from a legendary snow woman, known as yuki onna. Whenever he becomes worked up, he unintentionally triggers a cold front in the area. His triggers include flowers and cats, which unfortunately means he can’t be around them. Among their co-workers, there is a woman who embodies a kitsune, a fox-like creature, and their boss is humorously referred to as Buddha. Luckily, Fuyutsuki remains stoic amidst these peculiar situations.
A Blend of Absurdity and Realism
The matter-of-fact treatment of absurdity in “The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague” reminiscent of Tenchi Souzou Design-bu, another anime series. The overall tone of both shows shares similarities, although “Heaven’s Design Team” had less direct romantic entanglement. The series highlights intriguing details about Himuro’s quirk, such as adorable snowmen that pop out of him when he’s excited, and the fact that he creates a snow hut around himself when he’s feeling down. Fuyutsuki, on the other hand, is portrayed as a genuinely kind and thoughtful person, which unintentionally leads to Himuro falling hopelessly in love with her, resulting in hair-trigger blizzards becoming a perpetually imminent hazard.
Fuyutsuki and Her Cat Nyamero
Another charming aspect of the series involves Fuyutsuki and her cat, Nyamero (a playful pun on the phrase “yamero” which means “stop”). For instance, Fuyutsuki buys Nyamero a new house, shaped like an old-school TV, only for the cat to prefer the bag it came in. Additionally, Nyamero perches on top of the house, but interestingly, only chooses to sit inside it when Fuyutsuki is not around. Cat owners would surely relate to these amusing and realistic details. These small touches, along with the clever naming puns, contribute to the overall likability of the characters introduced so far. “The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague” has the potential to be a standout winter series, as those familiar with the site would certainly agree.
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