The constant plot twists and moving narratives tire me out after a few extended sessions with shonen and action genres. Watching shoujo, josei, slice-of-life, or just a great isekai in one sitting is the definition of leisure in anime.
There are unending anime in these genres where you can just pick up a random title that sounds amusing and end up diving into an adorable little tell-a-tale. That is where this series stood for me when I came across such a long title for a 12-episode anime.
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is a simple romance-fantasy series that you can just sit and watch at one go and giggle over the plot while eating your chips. It’s cute and calming, with nothing over-the-top of a plotline.
Just as the title says, a guy with icy powers and his colleague’s love interest is a female lead. So, you may be wondering how the recent episode might be to the viewers, and here are my thoughts as an average josei series enjoyer. Spoilers ahead!
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, translated from Kōri Zokusei Danshi to Kūru na Dōryō Joshi in romanized Japanese, is originally a manga series introduced by artist Miyuki Tonogaya in 2018 on Twitter. The manga was later released on the Gangan Pixiv manga website in 2019.
The manga was adapted into a 10-episode-long anime series by Zero-G and Liber studios and directed by Mankyu. The series aired on January 4, 2023, on various television networks, including Tokyo MX, and in 2022, the anime was licensed by Crunchyroll to be streamed on their website. The manga series is known to have ranked 12th in the web manga category of the Next Manga Award.
Synopsis of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague
The series unfolds by telling the story of Fuyutsuki, the female protagonist of the anime, who is perceived as a calm, collected, and cool person with a very reserved personality that makes it difficult for people to understand her emotions.
On her way to her new workplace, she meets a man who seems to be frozen in ice (not a metaphor but actual ice) on the bridge. Her kind and helpful nature make the white-haired man named Himuro take up a liking to her, and he is shocked to discover that she is his colleague in the same office.
There are more characters introduced, both humans and descendants of spirits, where it is revealed that Himuro is himself a descendant of the snow-woman spirit, due to which his surroundings turn icy or snowy upon his mood and behaviors. The plot then focuses on little interactions between Himuro and Fuyutsuki that sparks a hint of romance and memorable events.
Thoughts And Reviews on Episode 10
The recent episode just felt like a nicely put romance novel but in animation. I am a major fangirl of a handsome and awkward male lead with an equally confident and invested female lead that does her work and draws in the attention of a mythical being.
When I pick a josei or a slice-of-life anime, I unintentionally pick up the most heart-breaking ones for some reason. Crying over Clannad, Air, and Orange has made me realize just a glance at the summary will help me not spill more tears.
Thankfully, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague take a sweet and tender take to a blissful romance comedy and a touch of fantasy by involving creatures with powers. The series starts on a good note by introducing to us all the important characters, both the main leads and the side characters.
Episode 10 starts with Himuro’s perspective, where he notices Fuyutsuki still using the blanket he gave as a Christmas present which ends up with him rigorously blushing and ending up with a snowy climate around himself. The overthinking leads him to realize that he still has to give Fuyutsuki her birthday present, which is nearing.
Later, due to heavy rains, the females decide to stay at a motel near the station while the males decide to crash at Katori’s place. This leads all the characters to understand that Himuro and Fuyutsuki have developed feelings for each other.
It is quite an amusing sight how the characterization is done to give each of them their highlights. The OSTs of this anime are just on point. I am in love with the opening by Takao Sakuma. “Frozen Midnight” brings in that aura that the anime delivers in both senses of romance and cuteness.
What I like about the episode is that it is not overly done. The plot is simple, where the main motive of Himuro is to give the gorgeous snowflake earrings to Fuyutsuki, which he eventually does after overcoming loads of obstacles in his way.
The nervousness turned into a frozen river, and a frosty scene was well-animated with shimmers and colors highlighting a Jack Frost moment. The art style very much gives me a resemblance of Beyond the Boundary and K-On! with pastel colors and simple lines to sketch the figures. It is a witty move here.
The focus is more on making the audience casually enjoy the show than investing too much by expecting some hardcore artwork and animations. The scenes of both Himuro and Fuyutsuki opening up to their colleagues about their feelings for each other in different settings was a good catch which made it quite clear progress in the story from both sides.
I like how Fuyutsuki is more open about her emotions, and her expressions reflect a little more when compared to the initial episodes of her looking like a stone-hearted character. There could have been more room for improving Komori’s startled behavior toward thunderstorms, as it felt off-putting seeing her just cowering under a blanket.
A little bit of shivering from her end in the animation would have made the scene a lot more enjoyable. It is sometimes a bit awkward to distinguish between the male characters as all of them have some peculiar semblance except for the colored hair and a little difference in their eye shape.
Again, I am not nitpicking over a simply drawn and animated josei series that is a light-hearted show to have a one-time watch, but the progress of the plot is quite good. I like how Himuro is more open about his demeanor towards Fuyutsuki, and his love language is gift-giving, where the snowflake earrings were a great thought. That got me squeaking like a child when I saw them both blush in denial!
The background music, I’d say, is top-tier. It perfectly fits the silly moments, the gossip, confusion, and nervous scenarios, and also the sweet unspoken shared feelings between the two protagonists. The only thing that catches me off-guard is how I cannot take the title of the anime seriously.
Now, I have come across such weird-looking titles that begin with ‘I want to eat your pancreas’ to ‘The time I was reincarnated as a slime,’ but it is always a surprise how these titles have some of the best storytelling elements when you start investing in them as a viewer.
Episode 10 of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague was an enjoyable episode that ended with the viewers hoping that Himuro finally confesses to Fuyutsuki as we see him secretly practicing his confession speech. It is something I am rooting for, as both the main leads are my favorite characters in the series!
Final Verdict
With the last two episodes remaining for the series to end, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague have a very pretty storyline with romance, fantasy, and magical beings being utilized well. It is more of two people meeting each other, going out on dates, and developing feelings centric plot, which is quite a hearty watch if you are someone who enjoys this genre.
I cannot wait to see what happens next with Himuro’s shyness being a problem that makes his surroundings unfavorable for all his friends and for Fuyutsuki to be the first one to confess instead of Himuro. The little gestures of affection displayed by both the characters are literal goals in gen-z terms, and I cannot stress how pure the series is with the small comical gigs.
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague is not a unique romance anime but is surely worth a watch when you want to spend some self-care time and have fun watching the ice guy freeze in nervousness around his cool female colleague!
Our Rating: ⭐ (4/5).
You can stream The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague on Crunchyroll.
