When Horimiya was released in 2021, audiences wondered if it would be another typical high school drama or if it carried some more genuine depth. Not only did the show turn out to have one of the better ratings that year, it also established itself as one of the best modern romantic comedy anime.
Everything is almost perfect in Horimiya, from its core narrative to highlighting the fact that not every love story needs drama. This anime is a beautiful story enclosed in no unnecessary school drama and is far from being clichéd. Horimiya did many things differently from most of its rom-com peers, but what stands out the most is its lead duo's personalities.
In most romance anime, the leading lady is somehow either a timid, unpopular girl or a strong female who eventually gets overpowered by a stronger male. It’s not that anime doesn’t have good female characters, but even in shows like Kaicho wa Maid-Sama or Special A, the lady protagonist does her best to stay in the limelight but the guy always manages to make her feel flustered in the end. However, things are quite the opposite with Horimiya. Kyoko Hori is an outstanding student with brains, beauty and tons of confessions from boys. However, being popular doesn’t hide the fact that she is a complete domestic at heart.
Instead of going out on dates and hanging out with friends, she prefers to do chores and take care of her little brother. When she meets Izumi Miyamura, her personality doesn’t suddenly take a 360-turn. Instead, she remains the dominant one in their relationship and almost never needs to be rescued.
There was only one time when Miyamura had to step in and defend her, but before and after that, Hori never needed the prince in the shining armor. The timid, shy and unpopular one in the entire scenario is instead Miyamura, who has always struggled with social etiquette. The fact that Horimiya keeps its protagonists' core personalities true to the end is commendable.
Hori doesn’t magically lose her charm and become all flustered by Miyamura, nor does the latter suddenly become popular or overcome his social awkwardness. Horimiya does justice to a strong female character who doesn’t change simply because a boy enters her life. It’s actually Miyamura who is inspired by Hori’s strength, willfulness and ability not to let anyone talk her down. She’s so untamed, in fact, that her deepest fantasy is to get bullied by Miyamura.
Being pushed around by her boyfriend is her ultimate desire out of her relationship, maybe because she never allowed anyone to step over her. Horimiya is the perfect example of a strong, successful combo that never wavers from its path. The anime was sadly short-lived, and it’s almost brutally unfair that it didn’t get a second season.