Horimiya

There are a lot of anime that exist in the romance genre, but every once in a while, a new anime sprouts up and changes how the genre is viewed as. This generation, Horimiya is the anime that did this.

From the first episode, we already dive into the lives of the characters. Instead of lengthy character introductions that usually take around 5 episodes, we are immediately thrusted into the world of Hori Kyoko and Izumi Miyamura. Compared to other romance anime which take forever for something actually romantic to happen, Horimiya's romantic pacing was quite fast. For me, that kind of pacing is usually a hit or miss factor in anime, but this series definitely hit the jackpot with its quick pacing but correct atmosphere. I do understand that this anime has skipped many things in the manga, and it is quite unfortunate. However, the anime was still able to wrap things up in a neat bow and absolutely nail the most beautiful parts of this series that truly makes it Horimiya.

Kyoko Hori, the protagonist of the series, is a responsible woman. She's hard-working and she tries to help others. However, there is a side of her that not many people know she has. She's both a sadist and a masochist, a fact that is mentioned quite frequently in the series. Her masochism definitely added up points for the comedic aspects of the series, but she can also be quite possessive of Miyamura to an uncomfortable extent. Don't get me wrong, I love Hori. I relate to her so much, but sometimes that possessiveness of hers can be quite concerning. Nevertheless, she is a well-written character for a 12 episode series and she is loved by a lot of people in the fandom. I love how she tries to bring out the best in Miyamura, and eventually succeeds. She's beautiful, and a very well rounded character.

Izumi Miyamura, the other protagonist of the series and Hori's love interest. I love him so much. He is introverted, and has gone through isolation during his childhood, making him anti-social and quiet. As the series progresses, he starts opening himself up to Hori, and improves himself day by day. What I love about Miyamura is that he's very warm. He is caring, and is always concerned for Hori (even if he is asked to hit her). He's very sweet, and he cares for his friends a lot even if he can be quite aggressive towards them sometimes. His character growth in the series is amazing. This series truly made him shine. The way he always tries to protect Hori, and is always thankful to her for helping him get out of his shell is truly beautiful. He's an amazing senpai towards the young people who look up to him too!

Aside from these two, there are also many well-written characters in the series. I genuinely love how this anime tried to shed light to every issue with all the characters, giving everyone depth and explaining why they act the way they do. The only person I noticed who wasn't explained quite well was Akane Yanagi, which was unfortunate since he's a character I love a lot. A couple that I absolutely adored was Remi and Sengoku. Their dynamic was so sweet, and the way Sengoku tries to protect Remi even if he views himself as weak is really good, along with Remi not really needing protection but she still chooses to love Sengoku despite all this flaws. Another pair, Ishikawa and Yuki, was more of the slow burn arc of the series. The entire problem with them and Sakura wasn't too complex, but the way it was written and the way the characters decided to act was amazingly written. I feel bad for Sakura, but I am truly rooting for Yuki and Ishikawa. Aside from my personal favorites, the other characters that were talked about in this series were also amazing, from sibling issues to acceptance issues, the anime covered those topics quite well.

Now, we have the flaws. I once implied the fact that there were many characters in the series, and by many I mean a LOT of characters for a 12 episode anime. Because of this, the main couple weren't able to receive that much attention, while the minor characters have interesting arcs but it ends too quickly and it is quite abrupt. Since the arcs are kind of all over the place, you can't really get attached to the minor characters. Hori's personality gets disturbing for comedic effect too but aside from this, the comedic timing is still very good and this anime has an adorable art style. The music is quite good too if I say so myself. Just not absolutely amazing, you know? The op is catchy but that's basically it. The soundtrack in the anime itself is quite mediocre. Despite all this, This anime was able to highlight the most important moments so well, and I commend the anime creators for that. The animation quality is amazing and it is a very satisfying end.

Here comes the question: Would I recommend this anime to anyone? My answer is yes. Many parts may have been skipped in the manga, so I'd suggest reading that too, but the anime is very soft. If I were to describe this anime it would be like a small flower blooming in the road. It's not a huge impact, but it is very beautiful so you would notice it as you walk by. Instead of a big bang, the anime is a soft wind blowing against trees. This anime is relaxing, and it is very good if you want something to casually watch as you make your coffee to start your day. Overall, this anime is very sweet, and it teaches you how to love someone and why love is such a powerful force, so powerful that it can save someone. This anime made my heart throb and ache, yearning for a romance like theirs and I'm sure it will make you dream for a gentle love story like this for days.