Ramparts of Ice

Episodes 1-3

The Ramparts of Ice could have taken the easy way out. It was, after all, Koucha Asagawa's debut series. It was first published as a webtoon rather than as a traditional manga, and, as we all know, standards for self-publishing platforms tend to be much lower. It could easily have been a heartwarming Kimi ni Todoke-like, depicting the protagonist Koyuki accidentally falling in with a group of likable, goodhearted schoolmates, thus melting her titular ramparts of ice and bringing down the guardedness she's built up around herself. 

It could have done that and been a good, even great series! As English-speaking anime fandom learned last season, Asagawa has a gift for writing ensembles full of sweet-natured kids who bounce off each other in interesting ways. Watching Koyuki heal from the bullying she faced with a little help from her friends would have been enough—a solid 3.5-star series.

But that's not what The Ramparts of Ice is about, and it's so memorable for that.

The first question it asks is, " Where is the line between good-natured teasing and bullying? Does it even exist? The answer could be, “No, never.” Koyuki was teased for her height in middle school, which she didn't enjoy, but was too soft-spoken to put her foot down. However, eventually the teasing turned into outright bullying, and brief flashbacks hint that one of the boys who teased her asked her out. Things turned ugly with her female classmates, who bullied her for having the audacity to be liked by that boy. Or something like that. 

This offers a sense of clarity about the potential motivations for teasing. I appreciated how the story didn't handwave it all as either malicious or affectionate, with no nuance. To depict it all as barely-concealed resentment would be just as inaccurate as showing it as universally harmless. After all, constant gentle antagonism was how my husband and I flirted with each other. Playful teasing still requires a degree of trust that Koyuki's classmates had not developed, and understanding that the target is genuinely okay with it. Not everyone likes to be teased, even if it comes from a real place of affection!

As a result, Koyuki has become so guarded at school that her classmates nickname her “Snow Queen.” Of course, she has a pretty, popular best friend in another class who is the only person she feels comfortable with. And of course, Koyuki is the only person Miki feels comfortable being herself around. That's the expectation for this kind of story, and while the two have a likably comfortable dynamic, they're not what truly pulled me in.

No, the most interesting character here is Minato Amamiya, a loud, friendly guy with bleached red hair who becomes fascinated with Koyuki when he sees her making a face in the mirror at school.

“Ah,” you might think. “I know this type of guy. He's a Shota Kazehaya. He's the guy who's so friendly and outgoing that he makes friends indiscriminately, even with the girl that everyone else at school is afraid of. His warmth will melt those icy ramparts right off, and she'll discover the joy of real friendship.”

Nah!

I mean, that's probably how Minato would describe himself. He just loves befriending loners. He loves asking them about their interests and watching them open up and blossom right in front of his eyes. He loves being the person there for the poor, pitiable social reject.

Hey, I wonder if he's ever heard the term “savior complex”?

Rather than appreciating Minato's charitable attentions, Koyuki bristles against them like a shy cat placed in a room without a place to hide. She ducks behind the shoe lockers to avoid him. Instead, she's drawn to his friend, the tall, near-sighted Yota. I can see what she likes about Yota; he has an easygoing friendliness that contrasts with Minato's insistent presence. Koyuki takes to him after he bails her out from street harassment, much to Minato's frustration and confusion.

Currently, The Ramparts of Ice feels a bit like You and I Are Polar Opposites, if the whole cast had similar outlooks to Taira and Azuma. With more naturalistic writing than your average ensemble where everyone is sad, I'm looking forward to seeing these fragile, slightly broken teenagers continue to crash into each other as they figure one another out.

Rating:

Ramparts of Ice is currently streaming on Netflix.