In an episode review on Anime News Network, critic Bolts gave episode 21 of The Ramparts of Ice season 2 a 4.0 community score on November 13, 2026. The installment examines a tense clash between Momoka Kuriki and Koyuki Hikawa before shifting attention to Minato Amamiya’s personal anxieties. As the story approaches an impending breakup, the narrative strips away conventional romance formulas and brings long-standing emotional friction to the surface [1].
Momoka’s Insecurity in the Confrontation
The opening segment of episode 21 centers on Momoka Kuriki as she tries to provoke a hostile encounter with Koyuki Hikawa. Bolts explained that Momoka attempts what feels like a “Mean Girls-style” confrontation in hopes of provoking an angry reaction from Koyuki, but Koyuki refuses to play into that spiteful high school drama. Her calm responses expose Momoka’s inner desperation without escalating the argument [1].
Bolts said people often need the confidence to put their own goals first when chasing romantic interests. While Koyuki admits she envies Momoka’s bold confidence to pursue what she wants, Momoka puts her own desires above everyone else’s feelings by insisting that her aggressive selfishness is simply how things work. She treats affection like a prize won through relentless pressure, ignoring the reality that dating someone cannot guarantee genuine love [1].
Momoka’s behavior inverts familiar romance tropes by proving that persistent pursuit cannot force genuine reciprocal care. She demands emotional warmth from Minato, yet she chose to date a boy who keeps his inner thoughts guarded behind silent barriers. Bolts said Momoka constantly seeks blood from a stone while knowing Minato views his daily life through strict logic. Koyuki has also grown into a logical thinker over the school term, but her hard-won emotional maturity lets her respect Minato’s personal comfort above her own private romantic desires. Her quiet honesty shows that truly caring for another person requires protecting their peace of mind rather than demanding constant reassurance to soothe personal insecurities, marking a key moment of personal growth for Koyuki [1].
Minato’s Stress and Koyuki Hikawa
The second half of episode 21 shifts focus to Minato Amamiya as he confronts his suppressed psychological pain. Bolts had previously suspected that Minato’s recurring bodily ailments originated from deep emotional stress, and this episode validates that connection without delay when Minato’s older brother arrives unexpectedly to deliver a blunt assessment of his mental state [1].
Rather than rejecting that counsel, Minato Amamiya builds on his brother’s reasoning to explain the root causes behind his emotional distance. Minato Amamiya explains to his older brother that he views other students as fickle and prone to cruelty, which drives him to help classmates like a locksmith so someone might protect him if friends turn away [1]. The revelations build on earlier developments where Ramparts of Ice examined Minato’s past and revealed his hidden anxieties.
Bolts, who also streams retro media on Twitch as the indie VTuber Bolts The Mechanic, reviewed Minato’s personal dilemma in depth. Bolts noted that clearly Koyuki is meant to be that supportive friend for Minato, having already defended him to classmates even if she hasn’t spoken those reassuring words to him directly. Minato recognizes that masking his inner turmoil only causes emotional friction for the people who care about his wellbeing [1].
Webtoon Origins and Manga Publication
The anime draws its source material from the web manga written and illustrated by Kōcha Agasawa. The webtoon first appeared under the Line Manga Indies banner before creator Kōcha Agasawa partnered with the Margaret editorial team to begin serialization on the Line Manga digital platform from January 2020 through April 2022. The comic carried the Japanese title Kōri no Jōheki [2].
Shueisha later collected the digital chapters into 14 tankōbon volumes between July 2023 and February 2025, bringing the coming-of-age story to bookstore shelves across Japan after its initial smartphone run. The narrative follows Koyuki Hikawa, an introverted high school student who keeps her distance from peers until three classmates draw her out of her shell. Minato Amamiya approaches her desk and tries to close the social gap between them despite her initial hesitation [2].
Agasawa built the storyline around invisible emotional barriers that teenagers build to protect themselves from judgment and social discomfort. Classmates initially view Koyuki as an unapproachable loner, but the plot reveals how ordinary conversations chip away at defensive habits over time. By balancing high school romance with frank depictions of personal anxiety, the comic earned devoted readers during its two-year online run on Line Manga [2].
Production by Studio Kai
Animation company Studio Kai produced the television adaptation of The Ramparts of Ice. The first season aired on Japanese television from April to July 2026, introducing television audiences to Koyuki’s hesitant social circle. Television broadcasts for the second season began in October 2026, following the high school quartet through subsequent comic storylines [2].
The animated adaptation features voice work by Anna Nagase as Koyuki Hikawa and Shōya Chiba as Minato Amamiya in the Japanese broadcast. Both lead actors capture the nervous hesitations that define the manga’s quiet dialogue [2].
Netflix streams the second season internationally, giving global viewers access to each weekly episode shortly after Japanese television broadcasts. Bolts said episode 21 marks an important turning point for the characters before the messy breakup unfolds. The second half of the season moves briskly toward resolving the emotional distance that kept Koyuki and Minato apart [1].
Social Barriers Around Koyuki Hikawa
Much of the emotional tension in episode 21 stems from past trauma that shaped Koyuki’s behavior during her earlier school years. Classmates gave Koyuki Hikawa the nickname “The Ice Queen” because she maintained a cold demeanor, a defensive habit she adopted after middle school boys repeatedly teased her about her short physical stature. Because she overthinks every word before speaking, she often stumbles during casual conversations in class and unintentionally creates awkward pauses when greeting new school acquaintances [2].
Her childhood friend, Miki Azumi, deals with an opposite social burden. Miki compulsively seeks to please everyone around her, hiding a rowdier personality behind a polished, friendly smile, which earned her the unwanted reputation of class idol. Miki initially avoided talking with Koyuki at school until the boys entered their lives, fearing that casual interactions might damage both of their social standings among classmates [2].
Minato Amamiya fell into a similar pattern of self-denial by assuming he could fix everyone’s emotional dilemmas with superficial charm. When Minato mistakenly convinced himself that Koyuki held no affection for him, he started dating Momoka Kuriki in a desperate bid to mask his dread of loneliness, only to aggravate his own mental exhaustion. Minato’s brother helped him recognize that manipulating his personal feelings to evade the risk of rejection caused painful damage to the people he wanted to protect. Bolts said this candid family conversation pushes Minato to abandon his protective habits before his relationship with Momoka collapses completely [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Bolts. (2026, November 13). The Ramparts of Ice Season 2 Episode 21. Anime News Network. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE The Ramparts of Ice. (2026). In Wikipedia. [Article Link]
