The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague - Everything You Need To Know
If you're a fan of romantic comedies then there are plenty to choose from in the world of anime, from high school shows like "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" and "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" to more grown-up fare like "I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying." Many follow a tried and tested formula, but some anime rom-coms cross over with other genres, such as fantasy. That's the case with "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague," a sleeper hit from the Winter 2023 season based on a manga series of the same name.
"The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" has won praise for its compelling characters and for the way it has them subvert gender norms, ignoring rom-com tropes in favor of more grounded storytelling. If you've heard about "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" but you're unsure of what it's actually about, then you're in the right place. From the show's plot and the voice actors who bring the loveable characters to life, to the creatives who made the show possible, here's everything you need to know about "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague."
What is the plot of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
The show is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Miyuki Tonogaya. It follows Himuro-kun, a young office worker who descends from Yuki-onna (aka The Cold Lady or The Snow Woman), a spirit from Japanese mythology. If he concentrates hard enough, Himuro-kun can summon a blast of arctic air and create snow. However, when he loses control of his emotions, blizzards can happen, so he has to be careful, especially around the people he cares about.
He lives a fairly simple existence, but things get complicated for Himuro-kun when he begins to develop feelings for his co-worker Fuyutsuki-san. Unexpected storms start happening inside their place of employment and there are plenty of comedic moments throughout the series. The show is likely to appeal to fans of both rom-coms and fantasy, particularly those with an interest in Japanese folklore.
Who stars in The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
The two stars of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague," Himuro-kun and Fuyutsuki-san, are voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi and Yui Ishikawa, respectively. Speaking to Comic Natalie about his role in the anime, Kobayashi called it a "very cute and unique story" and that "fans of the original work, as well as those who touched this work from the anime, will surely be writhing at Fuyutsuki's cuteness and make the same tsukkomi as Himuro." Kobayashi is otherwise known for "Great Pretender," in which he voices Makoto Edamura, and "I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss," in which he voices Kyle Elford.
Meanwhile, his co-star Ishikawa told the same publication that even though the relationship between Himuro-kun and Fuyutsuki-san evolves "little by little," it's still an "adorable" one and that the show "makes you smile." It's a very different role to the one Ishikawa is famous for — she voices the highly skilled Survey Corps member Mikasa Ackerman in "Attack on Titan." She's also known for the role of Miyoko Sahara in "A Silent Voice," one of the best anime films of all time.
Yumi Uchiyama ("The Irregular at Magic High School") and Koki Uchiyama ("Soul Eater") provide the voices of Komori and Saejima, respectively. These two characters are co-workers and acquaintances of the two leads, and both Komori and Saejima have feelings for one another as well. Love is in the air in "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague."
Is there a dub of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
Yes, there's an English language dub of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague," and it boasts some experienced voice actors. Himuro-kun is brought to life by Lee George, who has a bunch of well-known shows on his resume. He's worked on the likes of "My Hero Academia" and "Black Clover," but he's best known for the mecha series "SSSS.Dynazenon," the fantasy comedy "Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer," and "Listeners," a show set in a world where music has ceased to exist. The series "flew by under the radar," George told Leveling Up with Benjamin Banks. "It's very musically involved. It's got mechas and a lot of influence from Jimi Hendrix and Prince."
The role of George's love interest Fuyutsuki-san is played by Kristen McGuire in the English dub, a Virginia native who has well over 200 voice acting credits to her name. She's been in the likes of "Made in Abyss" and "My Hero Academia" in recent years, but her breakthrough part was that of Ruri on "Dr. Stone." She was "really happy to be cast," she said at AnimeNYC in 2019 (via Dub Talk), adding: "Ruri is a really cool character." McGuire's voice will also be well-known to gamers, particularly those who play "Genshin Impact" — she voices Daisuke, Misuzu, Wenjing, and Yuka.
The parts of Himuro-kun and Fuyutsuki-san's friends Komori-san and Saejima-kun are played by Caitlin Glass (best known as the English voice of Winry Rockbell in "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood") and Austin Tindle (who plays cadet Marco Bodt in "Attack on Titan").
Who directed The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
"The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is directed by the mononymous Mankyuu, an experienced helmer who has been working in the industry since 2010. He cut his teeth making shorts for Shueisha's variety show "Saki-yomi Jum-Bang!" and he landed his first big gig that same year, taking charge of the samurai satire "Tono to Issho." He's been working steadily in anime since, spending most of his time on projects related to a long-running franchise: "The iDOLM@STER."
A multimedia franchise that spawned from a popular Japanese video game about a group of pop idols at the talent agency 765 Production, "The iDOLM@STER" has a radio show and a K-drama among other things. There have been several anime offerings over the years, and Mankyuu has been involved in a bunch of them, from his first involvement on 2012's "Puchimas!: Petit iDOLM@STER" to his upcoming entry "The iDOLM@STER Shiny Colors," which is due to premiere in Spring 2024.
Which studio made The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
"The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is a co-production from two anime studios: Liber, a relative newcomer, and Zero-G, which has brought us a number of noteworthy anime over the years. Zero-G's history goes back to 1991 when Hiroshi Negishi founded Zero-G Room. He later founded Redix, which merged with (and essentially took over) Zero-G Room in 2001. A decade later, Negishi decided to bring back the extinct studio under the name Zero-G, and the revived studio has put out some great shows in the years since.
"The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is Liber's biggest deal to date. The fledgling studio has only been involved in one other project, and it's one that fans of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" will likely enjoy. With two seasons that aired between 2020 and 2022, the romantic comedy "Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It" follows two researchers at Saitama University. When they realize that they have feelings for each other, they decide to take a very scientific approach to their budding romance, measuring their heart rates and conducting all manner of experiments.
Liber worked on the show in a "Production Advancement" capacity according to Anime News Network. Who was the main studio behind it? Zero-G. It was here that the two studios learned how to co-produce an engaging series, and they carried that magic into "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague."
Who sings the opening song of The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
Every anime fan appreciates a good opening, and the OP of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is exactly what you'd expect from a romantic comedy about a guy who makes it snow. On top of needing a catchy song, a good anime opening should introduce the characters and drop some hints about the plot, and "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" ticks all the right boxes. The song is a sensual jazzy number called "Frozen Midnight," performed by singer (and occasional voice actor) Takao Sakuma.
"Frozen Midnight" even has a few English lyrics thrown in there, which leave Western viewers in no doubt that they're watching a show about romance. "Freeze for a minute," Sakuma sings, "I miss you, let me love you honey." Producers ABC Animation have even released a creditless version on YouTube so fans can enjoy the beautifully animated opening in its full glory. The closing credits are simple in comparison, made up of a series of still images, but the song ("Linaria" by Nowlu) is still very catchy and fits the aesthetic of the show perfectly.
How did critics and audiences respond to The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
At the time of this writing, "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" has a score of 7.38 on My Anime List, where fans have praised it for its sensible approach to the genre. "I can't stress enough how nice it is to get mature workplace relationships in anime," user Marinate1016 wrote. "As I get older, I appreciate these stories a lot more and find them to be more relatable than the usual high school rom-coms." These sentiments have been echoed in reviews of the show, with the general consensus being that "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is a real treat for adult anime viewers. However, that doesn't mean the series can't be enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
If you like a sweet story with well-developed characters, you'll definitely get some joy out of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague." The show may have fantasy elements, but the drama is grounded and straight to the point. While many anime romances are "slow-burning," said CBR in its review, this one gets going pretty much straight away. "The reason it works — and why this anime has become so popular — is simply because Himuro and Fuyutsuki are a couple worth rooting for." Decider perhaps phrased it best when it said that watching the show "feels like throwing on a warm blanket and sipping hot chocolate from your favorite mug."
Where can you watch The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague?
"The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague" is available to stream on Crunchyroll, though you'll need a subscription to see it. The entry-level package costs $7.99 a month and gives you full access to the Crunchyroll library and new episodes just an hour after they've aired in Japan. The Mega Fan package is just a few dollars more at $9.99 a month, and comes with the added benefit of early access to Crunchyroll Expo events and fan lotteries. The Ultimate Fan tier, which comes with all of the aforementioned perks along with an annual swag bag and streaming on up to six devices, is $14.99 a month.
There's also an option for a 14-day free trial, which should be more than enough time to binge all 12 episodes of "The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague." You'll have access to the English dub as well as the original Japanese version, and there are subtitles available in a number of languages: You've got the choice of English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, as well as Latin American Spanish and Portuguese.