The icebreaker the girls were on was ramming through the ice to get to where the Japanese research station is situated. One remarked why did they have to go through this part in particular and one of the team leaders told them the story of how the rules of Antarctic exploration was laid down just after WWII and as a defeated nation they got one of the crappiest places. One of the girls remarked it was like bullying and the lady said "I wouldn't go that far, but maybe that's what it amounted to" and then they were told about how Japan pulled together and they were able to reach the area they were given and set up base. Strength through adversity sort of stuff, mirroring the girls story, Shirases especially. What makes it especially interesting is that the sponsors (EDIT: technical advisors of the show include) Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the National Institute of Polar Research and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (EDIT: I guess to be expected of a series with a technical element)