Review of Horimiya

I think that this anime is a masterpiece. On the other hand, I also completely recognize that this is not an anime that everybody can enjoy. For one, it's a slice of life anime. That genre in of itself already drives away a decent chunk of people from the show, but on top of that, it's also a romcom show with a dumb premise. Neet otaku (not really) boy talks to super popular smart chick, but smart chick through some deus ex machina meets the "real" him and he's actually super fucking hot and a bad boy. This whole anime shouldn't be good, and Iread the synopsis thinking this would just another stupid ass anime I could watch while doing chemistry homework. However, I am glad that I watched this show because it really clicked for me. The characters -though extremely numerous and with little time to develop over the show- are just impeccable. Everyone falls into a trope, but they aren't awfully far from real people. I don't remember half of their names, but I really remember their stories. The show is somewhat set up as a menagerie of random stories in a teenage life, but they are all relatable in one way or another. There is no overarching story other than the relationship between Hori and Miyamura, as the show is quite poorly paced; something that can be recognized even if you haven't read the manga as evident by me writing this sentence. In a way though, this is exactly what I needed and wanted to watch. I view the show through the lens of Miyamura looking back at all his memories and his journey to where he is now. He looks at everything, good and bad as an omniscient narrator, telling us about events he wasn't even present for. Some of these moments are heartwarming and wholesome, but others are gut-wrenchingly relatable. I don't think there's a large number of people who will enjoy this show. I would say out of maybe 500 people, about 2 would enjoy it to the extent I did. It comes to how you view the show when you watch it. I think it's a masterpiece in comedy and storytelling. Horimiya is about the joy of being alive contrasting with the painful reality of your life. The same reality where you experience all of your happiest moments. It's such a fickle thing, reality is. Dreams are such a rush of catharsis yet Horimiya pleads with you to stay grounded and with us. That's what Miyamura learns in the show. Life leads up to something and there are so many boring moments that you don't care about. So many lives that aren't your own but still happen. Of course people wouldn't enjoy it. The show isn't really set to entertain. It's just to tell the story of Hori and Miyamura. Two quirky (normal) people who fall in love. The show is so normal. The show is so bland and banal that it makes people want to rip their eyes out. It's just another romcom! And it really just is. But I loved it to bits. I don't have any idea who made any of the executive decisions on the show but they should be fired. The show makes no fucking sense, but neither does the human heart. Some things work for others. No one man can have everything for themself for no man is everything. But for me? Horimiya?

I think I was high when I wrote this. It's a 6.