Review of Horimiya

I actually have no clue how to review an anime I find no faults in. Well, maybe not no faults, but it's definitely hard to review something I loved so much. From the gorgeous art, the incredible acting, the humor, the emotion, the simplicity--this anime is probably the most satisfying romance anime I've ever seen. To the point where the typical romance tropes feel like such a waste of space when other anime could have been doing what Horimiya did. The couple of things I could pick out about the anime that are most likely not a problem in manga have to do with pacingand character resolutions. There were a few situations in which clarity wasn't completely gained regarding certain characters, and there was also a bit of choppiness as the plot introduced new character stories.

However, at the same time, those things are a part of the charm of Horimiya, especially because the characters are so well-written. It's very easy to enjoy all of these characters because the story they occupy lets them be full of life and yet mundane in a really balanced way. Actually, I'd say Horimiya is a pretty balanced anime anyway. I fully expected to see things forgotten or talked about less because more and more characters kept being added to the cast, but each character both got a space to become memorable and didn't clog the story too much. The core and heart of the series was never lost, and because of that, leaving these characters after the last episode felt very emotional. It's rare to find an anime that'll have good enough characters and relationship developments to evoke that.

I really feel like Horimiya is unique among romance anime because it doesn't play at the same tropes I've seen everywhere; it's simple but hits each of its marks to perfection, which is what had to be done to make an anime like this successful. It's just amazing to watch. Horimiya was super calming to watch but also super fun; it wasn't slow paced at all--at least, I didn't think so--and it had loads of funny or sweet or interesting pieces to it that kept me engaged while still making me feel relaxed. To me, it's an experience I've never been able to have while watching an anime before. So, this one is pretty special.