English Dub Season Review: The Ramparts of Ice Season One

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Koyuki Hikawa (Erika Harlacher) has trouble interacting with others, instead preferring to keep her distance and spend her time alone.  However, when she meets Minato Amamiya (Kyle McCarley), he suddenly starts trying to close the distance between them.

Our Take:

The Ramparts of Ice is an anime adaptation of a web manga series written and illustrated by Kōcha Agasawa.  It is directed by Mankyū, with Yasuhiro Nakanishi handling studio composition.  It is produced by Studio Kai, known for such anime as Umamusume, Super Cub, Shine Post, and Sentenced to Be a Hero.  Miki Ogino designed the characters, and the music is composed by Kanade Sakuma and Natsumi Tabuchi.  The opening theme song, “Tōmei” (‘Invisible’), is performed by Novelbright, while the ending theme song is “Sakasama” (‘Upside Down’), which is performed by Polkadot Stingray. 

As they reach high school, most students do their part to ensure they don’t stand out as much, to prevent further embarrassment.  Some of them may even go as far as to avoid drawing attention to themselves by shutting themselves out.  One such student took the latter approach, as if a wall of ice surrounded her.  It’s no surprise that the middle school phase can really change people as they head into the next chapter of their lives, for better or worse.  Fortunately for that particular student, she’s got a few classmates who’ll help her gain the courage to come out of her shell or, in this case, break the ice.  They have reasons why they invented the word “icebreaker”, and this anime is one of them.

The Ramparts of Ice is the latest addition to the high school teen romance catalog, where coming out of one’s shell is the start of something greater.  Consisting of 14 episodes, the season chronicles the highly introverted Koyuki Hikawa as she navigates high school while keeping her distance from everyone except her best friend, Miki Azumi (Brianna Knickerbocker).  Due to her cold exterior and stern expression, Koyuki is often dubbed “The Ice Queen” by her fellow students.  However, the actual reason is her traumatic past in middle school, as she’s been picked on for her height and a rumor surrounding her and another classmate.  As a result, Koyuki tends to overthink everything she says.  After meeting Miki’s friends, Minato Amamiya and Yota Hino (Jason Griffith), Koyuki finds her ice walls slowly melting away as she grows more comfortable in her surroundings while trying to overcome her middle-school traumas.

This is another rom-com anime that follows a pattern similar to other high-school-related projects in terms of narrative structure and themes.  You have a shy, introverted protagonist haunted by their past and their struggles to survive high school, as well as a blossoming relationship with an outgoing classmate who helps them come out of their shell.  It’s a tried-and-true tale that inspires many viewers, including up-and-coming high schoolers, not to let their past traumas dictate how they live their lives.  In this case, Koyuki became an introvert with limited social interaction due to being bullied in middle school.  Additionally, Miki uses her facade as a friendly class idol to hide her true yet wilder self, which she believes is pushing people away from her.  The latter showcases that being your authentic self can be tough, especially when you’re transitioning from middle to high school. Still, it’s better than changing your label to meet others’ expectations.  With this background, the anime highlights Miki as another charismatic supporting character who balances comic relief with heart, along with Brianna Knickerbocker’s energetic vocal performance.

If you’ve seen other anime shows involving coming out of one’s shell, then you have seen The Ramparts of Ice.  From its comedy stemming from the characters’ awkwardness to the teen romance tropes, the anime offers exactly what you would expect from a socially awkward teen relearning to embrace the world around them.  Since it is based on the manga series, there’s no doubt readers will be satisfied to see the source material brought to life by Studio Kai.  But even with its familiar narrative trappings, it provides a solid amount of heart and amusing charm as it navigates its coming-of-age journey through its presentation and themes.  In terms of the latter, this is another series that deals with bullying and depression, notably from Koyuki’s trauma from middle school, as well as the importance of moving forward in life.  The later episodes also highlight the characters’ complexities and their fears about what would happen if their friendships became something more.  It may not hit all the emotional beats it’s aiming for with its inspiring messages, but the series gets plenty of heartfelt mileage from its authenticity and approachable characters, especially in its amusing chemistry.

As for the animation, The Ramparts of Ice offers a cleaner, more lighthearted approach to its presentation compared to “Sentenced to Be a Hero”.  I was looking forward to Ramparts of Ice because I greatly appreciate Studio Kai for adapting the art designs and stylized appearance of “Sentenced to Be a Hero”, which blended very well with its unique premise.  While not as ambitious as “Sentenced to Be a Hero”, the animation in Ramparts of Ice looks gorgeous in its portrayal of metaphorical visuals, art design, and chibi animation.  The chibi animations are often used to convey the humor of the characters’ misunderstandings and awkwardness, particularly during some of the show’s dramatic moments.  Some of these scenes slightly fumbled with their tonal shifts, but others worked well in smartly conveying how teens, including introverts, would interact in awkward situations.

Overall, The Ramparts of Ice is another teen rom-com whose irresistible charm, humor, and heart prevent its familiar narrative from freezing over.  Would I say it’s the best in the tried-and-true genre?  Not really.  Do I think it’ll satisfy its fans eager for more romance, awkwardness, and laughs?  Absolutely.  It does have some minor issues with its formulaic elements, and the tonal shifts between drama and comedy don’t always work with the show’s portrayal of its themes.  Fortunately, these flaws aren’t enough to divert me from the amusement and warmth of the characters’ friends-to-possible-lovers arc, notably Koyuki’s efforts to come out of her shell.  Thanks to its decent voice cast, gorgeous animation, and Mankyū’s suitable direction of its rom-com tropes, The Ramparts of Ice is another teen romance anime I didn’t mind melting over.  With its second season already set to come out in a few months, don’t be surprised if I end up revisiting this potential rom-com hit in the future.