I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying that Horimiya felt rushed or that it had missed potential, but honestly, I don’t believe that at all. I think people who say that might be missing the point. The goal wasn’t to craft a plot-driven, high-stakes narrative. That was only a secondary objective. The real aim was to give us a glimpse into someone else’s world, to let us sit in the room with these characters and just exist alongside them for a little while.
This anime truly feels like you’re watching a real, human interaction unfold. In both the sub and the dub, the voice actors absolutely nail their roles. They breathe so much life into the characters that at times, it genuinely feels like you’re eavesdropping on a real conversation. The show is funny when it needs to be, but it never leans on comedy as a crutch. And when it shifts into serious territory, it lands those moments with sincerity and care.
There are three anime I personally consider peak slice-of-life, each for different reasons. Kids on the Slope for its realistic story, Toradora for its emotional impact, and Horimiya for its realistic characters. No one in Horimiya is too much of any one thing, they're all just... people. Regular people with little quirks, habits, and ticks. Things that make them feel genuine. Everything about them is so human.
The animation, produced by CloverWorks, is also fantastic, especially for a romance anime. They use vibrant colors and expressive visual styles that bring everything to life. The character designs are clean and appealing, and the backgrounds add a real sense of depth. But what really stood out to me was the lighting. Some shots are just stunning, easily among the most beautiful I’ve seen in the genre when the animators go all out.
Now, I do understand why many believe the pacing was too fast. Adapting 124 chapters into a single cour anime is no easy task. And I get it, even with how much I praise the character work, it’s true that many side characters had their arcs condensed or skipped, which does suck for many reasons. But for me, we were given enough. I love stories that let you connect dots yourself, think of your own reasons, or explain things away in your head, imagine what wasn’t said out loud, "Why is he always so scared", "Why is she into... that" lol. Some of the transitions or developments may have felt abrupt sure, but not because they happened too quickly. It’s more that they happened without much build-up. To me, that’s Horimiya’s only real flaw.
Still though I'll say it again, Horimiya stands out to me in the slice-of-life genre because of how authentically it portrays relationships, romantic, platonic, and everything in between. While shows like Kids on the Slope focus on story realism, and Toradora aims to hit you in the heart, Horimiya excels in showing characters who just feel real. Relatable. Honest. Each one has something you can latch onto, a part of yourself you might see reflected in them. But they’re never used solely to be relatable, they’re individuals first, and that’s what makes them so memorable.
That’s why, to me, it’d be crazy not to give this anime a solid 9/10. But because of how much this anime means to me personally, I’m giving it an extra five points.
95/100
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