Review of Horimiya

When I first heard about this show, I always had the expectations that it was a show that would satisfy my needs; nothing more. It seemed like your typical high school romance where the loner boy got with the popular girl. But boy was I wrong. The relationship between Hori and Miyamura seemed so distant yet so relatable. The side characters in the show could have easily gotten their own side anime. The show brought me back to my high school days, where the future seemed uncertain and the most important part of life was making memories with the buddies to whom you have grownto be accustomed around. What distinguishes this from other romcoms was how genuine the characters felt and how realistic the plot of the anime felt. Each character had their flaws and watching their characters develop with their friends made the show extremely satisfying. They all had their unique quirks but together seemed like a coherent unit with the chemistry of individuals whom known each other since grade school.
The story focuses on two characters: Miyamura and Hori. On the surface level, it seems like these two are individuals in two different shows. Unlike other romance shows whom take 12 episodes for a confession to go through to the other person, this show goes more into what being in a relationship entails for, and explores concepts such as jealousy, personal growth and maturity. Though quite unrealistic how they met, the relationship that blossoms from their strange occurrence is one to die for and what I’m sure every character wishes to have. Everyone has a side of them that they don’t want to show to the public whether that is due to embarrassment or society anxiety from others. Horimiya does a great job exploring this concept of how relationships lead towards change and allows for people to be comfortable not only with their significant other but with theirselves. Overall, the unique chemistry within the cast along with our adorable main couple creates a show that will warm your heart and even make you depressed at times. Horimiya is a pioneer in the romance genre and will forever be one of my top shows as time goes by.