Here is my review on “Horimiya” a romantic comedy that follows the two main characters Hori and Miyamura as they navigate young love whilst figuring out their own personal insecurities and struggles – something that is probably quite relatable for everyone!
“A secret life is the one thing they have in common. At school, Hori is a prim and perfect social butterfly, but the truth is she’s a brash homebody. Meanwhile, under a gloomy facade, Miyamura hides a gentle heart, along with piercings and tattoos. In a chance meeting, they both reveal a side they’ve never shown. Could this blossom into something new?” – via Funimation
I picked this show to watch thanks to a friends recommendation, but I was also really intrigued by the style of the art in the show. Really vibrant colours and interesting character designs were thriving and it really attracted me, I saw posts of the main characters all over social media, so thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.
I haven’t really been all that into romance shows that are too close to real-life scenarios. Usually, I opt for escapism and prefer it in fantasy or supernatural settings, so Horimiya is my first anime that solidly fits the realistic romance genre.
Let’s break it down…
So now that my interest was piqued, how did the show live up to my initial expectations? I will break the review down into aspects of anime that I think have the power to make or break my viewing experience…
Art style / Animation
For me, the art style was easily the main draw to this show, it seems to focus on bright, vibrant colours but also quite unique and quirky character designs that make them easily recognisable. It is a very pretty show and the animation flows beautifully making for really easy viewing. I find the colour design really accentuates the emotions that the story is intending to convey, which is great for creating atmosphere and emotional response.
Pacing
There are 13 episodes, but when I learned that the manga has been going since 2011 it seems like there should be more!
I’m unfamiliar with the manga, so I can’t say if anything has been left out. Let me know your thoughts below in the comments if you have read and watched?
I found the first half of the anime to be very typical backstory episodes with a lot of angst. It was totally necessary so that we could learn the characters and see the interactions that are being set up. Towards the second half, it seemed to be less backstory and more pairings, love triangles, angst, and funny happenings.
I watched with my significant other, and there were parts in later episodes that made us confused about what was going on. I don’t hate how it was paced, but I think it could have benefitted from more episodes. This is so that the things that happened towards the end didn’t feel so rushed or out of place.
Characters
The characters in Horimiya are all very cute and I love how colourful they are (illustrated below). In terms of their substance, I think some of them actually have very good personalities and have lots of potential if they had the chance to be fleshed out in the show.
We do get some backstory or a deeper look into each of them but outside of the main characters Hori and Miyamura, we don’t get nearly as much.
My favourite characters are Miyamura and Yuki!
I like that we see Miyamura’s insecurities and the experiences that made him who he is today.
I liked Yuki because I understood and resonated with her from a female perspective. Yuki will hurt on the inside and stay quiet if the alternative meant creating a fuss or hurting someone.
Luckily there is someone for everyone in this show, in terms of finding a character you can relate to or understand!
Genre
Horimiya is listed on My Anime List as Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen
I think the show has a good balance of the genres listed above. It has a lot of funny moments and a good balance of teen and adult angst, relatable struggles, and silliness.
Soundtrack
The opening song for Horimiya is one of my favourites, it’s impossible not to nod your head when it plays. Paired with the stunning visuals of the intro sequence, it hits so well. It is called ‘You Kamiyama’ by an artist called ‘Iro Kousui’.
The outro song is called ‘Yakusoku’ and is by an artist called ‘Friends’. It is quite cute and fits the show quite well, but definitely doesn’t capture me as the opening song does. Honestly, I found myself skipping it a lot as the replayability isn’t there for me.
How does it feel to watch Horimiya?
I remember having moments where I felt frustrated watching Horimiya. Mostly because I am an adult watching teen characters experience emotions I recall having when I was younger.
I had a lot of “damn it, just tell them how you feel!” moments where the anticipation of what was happening was almost painful to sit through. I realise this is a big theme in romance anime, but will take some time to get used to.
There were a lot of cutesy moments that felt wholesome, but also quite deep and emotional scenes too. Some of these had me reflecting on my own life and things I had been through that were similar.
Overall I think Horimiya has a wholesome feeling to it and gets deep at times. It doesn’t really lose touch with the viewer – which I liked.
My favorite part of Horimiya was that there were relatable female characters that were written and visually designed more realistically. I also really liked that the story didn’t shy away from sensitive and very human topics.
If I had to pick something about the show that I didn’t like it would have to be the pacing. I think it really needed more space to develop to make the most out of its potential!
My Ratings
Visuals
Horimiya is visually stunning and I love the diversity in the way it is animated. The standard character designs are colourful and individual. When it cuts to chibi versions of the characters I melt inside!
I think the visuals carried the show, so I give it a 5!
Soundtrack
The opening song is cute and I never skipped it, which is big for me because I’m guilty of skipping. I would definitely listen to the intro outside of watching the show. As for the ending, I am not enthusiastic but it’s not bad – just not my cup of tea.
Entertainment value
I think the show is really entertaining but there are moments where I was ‘question marking’ what was going on. This was probably down to the way it jumped around a little towards the end. This show loves keeping you on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen between characters.
To summarise…
If you like the anticipation and angst that comes with romance then this is definitely one for you. There are 13 episodes so I don’t think it’d be a waste if you are looking for something new!
Have you watched it already and have thoughts you want to share? Come join in the conversation on Twitter below or leave a comment on this post!
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