Storyline
Horimiya is a romantic comedy anime with good touch of slice of life style. It reminds us that people are rarely what they appear on the outer side. The story, for the most part, revolves around two high-school students: Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura. And the characters name suggest the name of the title very well. Beautiful representation.
Though they are classmates, still both characters belong to a completely different worlds. Hori is pretty, popular and academically capable, while Miyamura appears quiet, gloomy, and very much disconnected from his classmates. However, their lives outside the school are different, personalities wise.
Hori spends much of her time managing household such as usual responsibilities and looking after her younger brother. iyamura, on the other hand, hides his tattoos, piercings and surprisingly warm personality behind his gloomy school appearance. And when their paths cross outside the classroom, they discover these hidden sides of each other. And from that moment ahead, friendship happens, which gradually develops into romance.
The speciality of this anime is that, it does not spend all its time running around each other and trying to confess. Instead, we get to experience the relationship itself, including its awkward moments, jealousy, affection, argument and countless humorous moments.Their romance feels so refreshing, because they are not superheroes. They are simple human beings with their imperfections.
Characters
Izumi Miyamura our hero.
Miyamura, according to me, is one of the most interesting characters in the anime. His self-imposed loneliness has shaped his personality, making him believe that he does not belong anywhere. However, meeting Hori and becoming friends with her social circle gradually changes his perspective. Beautiful thing to happen. Because being social sometimes changes a lot.
What I appreciate most about his transformation is that he does not transform into an entirely different person to earn acceptance. Instead, he discovers that he can be accepted without hiding every part of himself. His journey about overcoming the emotional barriers he has built around himself.
Simply a journey from being invisible to visible. But it is not that simple xD.
Kyoko Hori the female lead.
Hori is more than the typical popular girl who falls for a socially awkward boy. Despite her confident appearance, she carries responsibilities that her classmates rarely see. She is caring, stubborn, jealous, affectionate and occasionally unreasonable. She is nowhere near to idealistic girl; she is her and that is the speciality.
Her relationship with Miyamura allows her to reveal the side of herself that she usually keeps hidden. She does not always have to be the capable student who manages everything. Around him, she can simply be herself.
Bottom line says: while Miyamura is overlooked by others, Hori is seen by everyone but not necessarily understood.
Supporting Characters and Central Theme.
The supporting cast adds humour and emotional depth to the story. Ishikawa develops beyond the role of a romantic rival, while Yuki Yoshikawa and Sakura Kouno explore their own insecurities and complicated feelings. Their stories show that growing up and understanding emotions can be complicated more than we or they think.
The central theme of is the difference between appearances and reality. Because, just like in real world, we often judge people using the limited information available to us. Or perhaps the information provided by them. In doing this we forget that everyone has a private life beyond what we see or know. Some other themes include: loneliness, friendship, self-acceptance of real self and the importance of finding people with whom we can be ourselves.
Weakness
I think it is bit slow with the pacing. Several characters are pacing well, others are slowed on purpose. And many supporting characters are just left behind.
Nevertheless, the animation is beautiful, characters are expressive and warm environment makes it worthy of a watch.
Ending. (Spoiler)
The anime concludes with graduation, marking the end of the characters high-school lives. Miyamura reflects on how different his life might have been if he had never met Hori. Their relationship has given him friendship, belonging and a new understanding of his life.
The ending is bittersweet because it reminds us that even the happiest chapters of life eventually come to an end. However, graduation is not presented as a tragedy. Instead, it celebrates the experiences and relationships that shape us, even when we cannot hold on to them forever.
So anime does not provide a dramatic conclusion to make story meaningful. It just say that meeting the right people is enough to change the direction of our lives.
Rating: 85/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/anime.
