Horimiya: A Love Between Two

Horimiya is an anime about learning about someone new, someone who has been hidden away. Miyamura has been in the same class as Hori for so long that they often cross paths, but they have never truly spoken to each other before. One day, they finally talked, and it was the most random thing that could have brought them together. Their worlds had collided, and things between them started to fall into place. They began to notice that they enjoyed each other’s company more than they had realized.

The anime has some of the cutest moments, and although it’s a slow burn, the payoff has been amazing to watch. I adored the way that Hori and Miyamura find their footing with each other. The way that they grew together and started to see each other as their endgame. It was just way too cute and amazing to see. While the anime focuses on the growing relationship between Miyamura and Hori, the other characters around them also have their moments to shine. While these characters were amazing to see, there was one set of characters that I could not connect with.

Tooru Ishikawa and Yuki Yoshikawa were the other couple that just… I really could not justify them being together. While Yuki had had a crush on Tooru for a long time, he had not told him, and only entered a relationship under the impression that it would be a fake one, so that Yuki could reject someone else. Their storyline was just not enjoyable; it was just boring to me. And Tooru had someone, Sakura Kono, who was making efforts to get to know him and be near him. However, they never developed further than just a rejection that honestly, pissed me off.

Low-key, justice for Sakura Kono; she deserved the world, and Tooru should have been with her. Those two would have worked much better, and they could have been such a good second lead.

While the rest of the characters slowly shaped around Hori and Miyamura, and the way that they grew together. The anime itself features some excellent animations; the fluidity of each scene and the way colors pop out do keep you captivated. The intro and outro were also a bop; I enjoyed myself during the openings and endings because of how amazing the songs were. They draw you into the storyline and watch as it unfolds with each passing scene and music.

Horimiya shows that you cannot judge a book by its cover. We see Miyamura as someone lonely and gothic looking. But as time goes on and Hori gets to know him, she pulls him not just into her world, but also into his world. We know so much more about them and who they are. And just how much of that is them seeing each other rather than just passing each other with a glance. Their world is steeped in the effort to understand and get to know each other, rather than ignoring what makes you you.