Review of Horimiya

Spoiler-Free Review!! As an avid enjoyer of the romance genre of anime and living vicariously through these fictional characters, I was interested to see if Horimiya would hit the sweet spot for me. Overall, I think it really did. The anime was actually funny and romantic and made me cry a few times. So, if you like anime such as Fruits Basket or A Silent Voice, I think you will really enjoy it. Now, onto my more specific critiques and praises!! (keep in mind I have not read the manga) Similar to Fruits Basket, (aka the best anime of all time) this anime focusing and sheds lighton many different forms of adolescent love, and I really admire the show for that. But, I was disappointed in how these topics were brushed off or "settled" in just 5 minutes. I think if the show was 24 episodes instead of 13, they would really be able to explore all the relationships shown in this show to their full extent. So, although I loved all the characters, I gave this anime a 4 in the character rating section because of this shallow explanation of these relationships.

Next, onto a really petty complaint (this is more of a rant rather than a critiquing/review of the show, so don't let this stop you from watching it). In the beginning, Miyamura was shown as an introverted outcast at school that turns out to be an alternative boy with tattoos and piercings at night! I thought that set-up was really cute and funny, so I was really disappointed when the show basically threw that away when he and Hori start dating. You never see him wear his piercings again, no mention of his tattoos, and he cuts his hair >:<. (I like short-haired Miyamura better, but what's the point of making him seem like a cool, original character when he just ends up looking like a basic anime protagonist in the end??)

Also, similarly to what I said before, this shows sheds light on a lot of different issues; from personal insecurities to complicated feelings and relationships. But, out of the whole cast, Miyamura was the most affected by this. His character and story would have been so heart-wrenching if they just put more time into showing his backstory and how he grew as a person.

TLDR:
So, in all, should you watch this anime? If romance is your jam; then yeah definitely. Although I did have some complaints, it's still a really sweet story. The creators should have definitely put more time into exploring all the relationships in this show, which could have easily been fixed by just making it a 24 episode season. Also, I doubt there will be another season, so they have no way of fixing this. Still, definitely watch it if you like romance. Have fun!!