Well Well Well Looks Like We Caught Someone Looking at Anime Tiddies Again Boys
The Wintertime 2021 Preview Guide Horimiya
How would you rate episode 1 of
Horimiya ? Community score: 4.vi
What is this?
Hori is the almost popular and gorgeous daughter at school, while Miyamura is an introverted, eyeglasses-wearing boy. However, both find out that their appearances at schoolhouse are not as they seem, every bit it turns out that Hori is a laid-back family unit girl, and Miyamura is a handsome fellow covered in piercings and tattoos.
Horimiya is based on Daisuke Hagiwara'due south manga and streams on Funimation at 12:00 pm EST on Saturdays.
How was the first episode?
Caitlin Moore
Rating:
Go back six years on my Twitter, and you'll find me musing about whether to buy the 2nd volume of Horimiya later on my friend gifted me the kickoff one for Christmas. Three years back, and you'll run into me hollering at Nick Dupree, "Horimiya anime when?" Two years, and there'due south the article I wrote about how the series handles kink in romantic relationships. Needless to say, I love Horimiya with all my eye and have been waiting for this anime for a very long time.
No BS, no gimmicks, no misanthropy; Horimiya is a good old-fashioned romantic comedy about 2 squeamish kids getting to know each other, connecting, and falling in love. The concept sounds a bit similar Kare Kano, with them getting to know the sides of each other that no ane else does, merely it's not quite the same. While Arima and Yukino of the older serial were intentionally deceptive, Hori and Miyamura's hidden sides are more like uchi (inside) and soto (outside), a Japanese mode of framing relationship intimacy. While Hori isn't hiding that she has to have care of the chores and babysit her little brother while her mom works, it'south a part of her life she considers private. Equally she lets Miyamura in, and become enmeshed in that part of her life, he is becoming uchi while everyone else is soto.
And honestly? Letting Miyamura in is a swell selection on Hori's role. Even though at school he looks like any other misanthropic gamer protagonist (coughing coughing Tomozaki coughing), he's really a total pretty male child but wears spectacles and keeps his hair long to hibernate his nine piercings. He's besides great with kids and a total sweetheart; whatever boy who'south willing to race to the grocery store to buy eggs on sale is a keeper in my volume. By the cease of the start episode, they've developed a level of intimacy that's more convincing than 99% of romances.
Director Masashi Ishihama is in the doghouse with me right now, since I just finished watching his disappointing accommodation of Persona v, only I become the feeling that a simpler, graphic symbol-driven story like this may play better to his strengths as a visual director. Each shot is not only beautifully lit, but also carefully and deliberately framed to highlight the mood. The opening and ending are both incredible in different ways, sure to exist some of the bests of the season, if not twelvemonth.
There was merely one matter that fabricated me dock half a star: who in the world decided to open the prove with a teacher commenting on Hori's breasts? He'southward such a minor graphic symbol in the manga that I literally did not remember him, and jokes about teachers creeping on their students are totally played out, non that they were always funny to begin with. Grown men sexually harassing teenage girls is creepy.
Hopefully that'southward not a harbinger of changes to come, because I am overjoyed to finally, finally have the anime of Horimiya that I wasn't certain would ever come.
Nicholas DupreeRating:
Information technology sounds odd to say, but the most striking thing about Horimiya's premiere is how unproblematic it is. I'1000 a sucker for romcom anime, and nigh all of them that I've watched had some kind of gimmick. Be it fake dating or robots or just an exaggerated height difference, in that location'southward ordinarily some kind of elevator pitch to the setup to make it sound more compelling than "two teenagers have chemistry and eventually engagement, shenanigans ensue" would. There'due south technically a flake of that in Miyamura's pseudo-subconscious identity betwixt school and public life, only fifty-fifty that is largely understated in this opening episode. Instead the unabridged draw of this series would seem to be just seeing two nice, charming teenagers slowly go through the blushy crushy procedure of getting together.
For my coin that's all it actually needs to be when it's executed this well. Through their scattered conversations we get an intimate, grounded look at both Hori and Miyamura that plenty of other romance anime would kill to take. Hori is a pop and pretty daughter in loftier school, but at home she amicably shoulders the domestic responsibilities her overworked omni-absent parents tin can't take care of. Meanwhile the gloomy introvert Miyamura has an alternative-styled impulsive side to him that he purposefully keeps a secret from his peers – specially the extensive tattoos he has down his torso. Together they get quick, easy friends – with some archetype romantic tension because Hori is absolutely hot for this boy's scrawny, pierced bod – who bond over being able to share a part of themselves that'south been private until now. It's also refreshing how quickly and honestly that bond starts to develop, every bit both parties admit they like knowing there'southward a part of the other that nobody else knows most.
Still, in the incorrect hands all that character writing could finish up squandered if non delivered properly, and so it'south a good affair this prove'south being handled by the inimitable Masashi Ishihama. Ishihama'south center for framing even the nigh inconsequential of moments is complemented by stellar blitheness courtesy of CloverWorks, and it makes for one of the most vibrant and appealing anime of the season. There's as well a singled-out flair for visual abstraction throughout the episode and especially in its gorgeous opening that does wonders to capture the atmosphere of both the laidback humour and sincere drama the story operates in. Information technology'south just an accommodating stellar production and likely to be one of the almost consistently stunning visual treats in a season with no shortage of competition.
All in all, Horimiya'due south first episode proves that you don't need an over the top premise or goofy gimmicks to brand a mannerly, emotionally compelling romance. It's unproblematic, simply infinitely effective, and admittedly one to keep an eye on.
James BeckettRating:
Horimiya got off to a rough start with me when one of its get-go jokes was almost Hori'due south homeroom teacher making sketch-ass comments nearly her breasts then trying to perv on all of the other girls in his class by inviting himself to their summer embankment parties (Note to Anime: This is a bit that will never country, no matter how hard you lot try). Then, the evidence immediately got back into my good graces by being literally everything I've ever wanted in a beautiful slice-of-life romance. This is one of those occasions where all the years I've spent insisting that I actually *like* romance stories pay off, because this is the kind of rom-com that I'm not only going to wholeheartedly recommend — I will spend the residue of the flavor aggressively reminding everyone else around me that they need to spotter information technology too, unless they want to lose their spot at the Cool Kids Tabular array.
Let's run downward everything that Horimiya manages to achieve before this premiere is even halfway done, shall we? A lush and appealing visual style courtesy of CloverWorks and director Masashi Ishihama (From the New Earth)? Check. A pair of likeable, realistically written, and genuinely funny leads? Check. Romance that allows for organic drama to build out of everyday situations, instead of relying on cheap cliches and narrative contrivances? Check! Jokes that are actually funny? I hateful, it'due south no Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun merely yet, just I was laughing consistently the entire time, which is more than than most comedy anime can put on their resume.
Did I mention that our male lead, Miyamura, is hotter than every isekai-tater and harem-dweeb of the terminal ten years put together, with hotness to spare? The dude's great with Hori's kid brother, Sota; he works at a bakery, so you know his sweets game is on point; he rocks some sick piercings and a set of tattoos that are but on the correct side of the tryhard line; he's willing to deadass sprint across town in the middle of a school solar day so his lady doesn't miss out on the egg auction going on at the supermarket. Hori'south great too, though her "cloak-and-dagger self" is non every bit dramatic equally Miyamura secretly being the coolest son-of-a-bitch in the tri-prefecture area. She's just a dedicated daughter and sister who can put up her pilus and go some chorin' done. Hori would practice the gang from Letterkenny proud (with Letterkenny existence the closest thing to an anime that a live-activeness Canadian sitcom could ever promise to go).
Take I sold any fence-sitters withal? I hope and so, because unless Horimiya takes some kind of awful nosedive off a cliff in the firsthand future, this bear witness will be sitting comfortably at the height of my watchlist this winter. I want every single remaining episode of the season to come out immediately, and then I desire a couple more seasons on top of that. Just take my money and put information technology directly into my veins, Funimation.
Rebecca SilvermanRating:
Horimiya was one of the titles I was most looking forwards to this flavor, and I'm delighted to say that it didn't disappoint. Based on the (adorable) manga of the same name, the story shares some similarities with other loftier schoolhouse romances in that it follows the relationship of two people who, at showtime glance, don't seem to run in the same circles. Merely while other series make that social distance the chief thrust of the story, Horimiya gets it out of the style fairly apace, instead making the growing bail between Hori and Miyamura the focus.
In fact, this beginning episode pretty much gets the whole "she's popular, he's not" matter finished upwards. Hori may not be high school royalty, but she'due south pretty, smart, and prissy, and so she's definitely on the popular side. People are a piffling miffed every bit to why she never goes out with them after schoolhouse, but no ane makes that big a deal out of it. Miyamura, on the other hand, has shaggy hair, glasses, and never switches to the summer uniform, so everyone assumes that he has nil social skills and is probably a creepy, gloomy otaku. As it turns out, neither of them are showing their "real" faces to people at school: Hori's mom works a lot, significant that she has to pick upward her niggling blood brother Sota and exercise ninety% of the housekeeping, if non closer to 99%. She doesn't go out with friends after school because she can't – not if she's going to help her family, at any charge per unit. Miyamura, on the other hand, is actually a nice, easygoing guy who always covers up because he's got 9 piercings and some tattoos, all of which are absolutely frowned upon by the Japanese school organization. The two connect when Sota falls downward while he's out playing and Miyamura brings him home, piercings on total display.
To say that neither Hori nor Miyamura were expecting the other to be so man might be a slight understatement. They'd both fabricated enough of assumptions well-nigh each other based on their school personas, and their discovery that they're not but non the same off campus but also that they quite similar each other is really at the centre of the episode. There's definitely building romantic tension between them, although whether or non they're aware of it is up for debate; Hori remarks that she doesn't want anyone else to see him with his contacts in and hair pulled back, merely she doesn't quite seem to know why, and the aforementioned goes for Miyamura with the more outspoken, homey Hori.
In part this is considering Miyamura has some definite self-esteem issues. It wouldn't be entirely fair to say that the revelation that he did his piercings himself in middle school with a rubber pivot is a sign of that, but it's certainly something to consider, as is the fact that he has no reason to wear glasses instead of contacts other than not wanting to be noticed. (Trust me on this i – I've definitely been there.) When classmate Toru tells him that he has a vanquish on Hori, Miyamura actually does believe that he and Hori aren't a good lucifer – and since he knows her well now, that's more a argument made out of the social issues of high schoolhouse than anything else, and Hori is truly hurt when she finds out, especially since they've begun hanging out during school, too. Horimiya is a warm, sweet story, and this showtime episode captures that nicely. It's similar a warm chocolate flake cookie – although since that's what I was eating when I watched this, I might be biased.
Theron Martin
Rating:
This title was not one that I knew anything about coming into the debut episode, which may partly be why it turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. It is based on a manga offset published in 2011, which was itself a spin-off of an earlier 4-koma manga featuring the same 2 central characters. The concept – that two individuals who do not prove their real sides at school connect afterwards discovering the truth about each other exterior of school – suggests a clear influence from the earlier Kare Kano, but there'southward a crucial difference here: neither Kyouko Hori nor Izumi Miyamura is deliberately putting on a false face. Izumi dresses differently to keep himself out of trouble with school officials, while Kyouko but doesn't bother to bring up that she has responsibilities at home, presumably considering she thinks it'southward no i else's business organization. She as well gives the impression that domestic life is more her speed anyway (though I could exist reading too much into her character here).
This all provides the foundation for the two to first connecting exterior of school, with Kyouko'southward much younger blood brother being the factor that provides them a reason to both meet and keep coming together. This allows the states to run into that neither character plays to stereotypes. Izumi may have the tattoos and piercings that would be more expected of a bad male child, and he may look all gloomy at school, but he'due south a much sweeter and gentler person than that, to the point that I can completely understand how anybody misjudges him. Kyouko might finish up beingness a blatant tsundere type in most other romantic comedies, but she'south more straightforward here. While she doesn't directly say that she's coming to similar Izumi, she also does not hesitate to speak to him at school and is nearly upset when Izumi mistakenly thinks that she's just being friendly.
Some side characters also show some promise. Toru might be more of the arrogant type in other serial, but he apace becomes accepting of Izumi when the latter reveals why a swimsuit won't work for him, and the face up he makes the next morning after Kyouko rejects him was the episode'due south funniest moment. (The follow-up conversation about how Izumi and her friend perceive Izumi consoling Toru is also classic.) Kyouko's short-haired female friend also looks like she'due south going to be in the romantic mix after spotting Izumi in his absurd look and not recognizing him; that promises some amusing developments, too. The technical merits on this serial are not anything special, but that doesn't matter. I like the vibe and the graphic symbol interactions so far, so this could exist an unexpected keeper.
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Source: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/preview-guide/2021/winter/horimiya/.167944
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