Horimiya – 02 [You Wear More Than One Face]

I intended to cover Back Arrow this season instead of Horimiya, but then I rewatched that show’s premiere to get a better handle on its terminology and worldbuilding, and had to pause to take notes every 30 seconds (also it’s a two cour show, which is something of a commitment). So I jumped ship to a comfy romcom – one with which I have a bit of prior experience, having seen the OVA that began in 2012. That version still gets updated every couple years (with two new episodes due this May), though its web manga art style is much more limited than what the TV adaptation has delivered thus far. That’s not to say this new version is a visual stunner, as its plain backgrounds and hair-swapped character designs are perhaps its biggest failings. Everything else is great, though, so let’s talk about it.

The main thing I appreciate about Horimiya is how pleasant it is. Romance anime have a tendency to commit all sorts of early fouls, including pitying their protagonists, getting too angsty, or creating conflict via stupid misunderstandings. I do sense some potential for those issues to crop up here, but not any time soon, as the show is currently committed to a breezy viewing experience. Even the scene where the student council publicly confronted Hori about her missing work was resolved amicably, despite Miyamura headbutting the president in full view of their classmates. This didn’t feel particularly realistic, but it was certainly better than the ‘student council members are assholes’ route that the OVA took. Remi’s watery-eyed apology and some nicely timed chibi scenes in the wake of the confrontation put a nice bow on things, as well.

Nearly every other moment of the episode was lighter still, especially the story about Hori covertly trying to learn Miyamura’s given name. I’m tempted to describe all her fruitless strategizing as dorky, but that’s not really the case – we’re just getting to know a different side of her character, which is a good sign for an anime’s second outing. The reality is that she likes a boy and wants to know more about him, a desire that may be thwarted by his thickheadedness in the coming weeks. In the first episode, Hori denied simple niceness as her motive for inviting him over multiple times, which was an implicit sign of her romantic interest, and Miyamura is still wondering whether she’s got a crush on anyone. The guy is clear for takeoff but has no idea how to fly the plane. It’s a story about young love, though, so that’s to be expected.

Hori got even more focus by way of her mother Yuriko’s introduction. Maybe it was just me, but Ai Kayano’s performance as the mom made my blood sugar skyrocket. She’s voiced similar characters in the past (Akari from 3-gatsu being my favorite, and probably the reason she got this role), but her breathiness in Horimiya makes her sound like she’s about to float off to fairy land. Digressions aside, Yuriko’s flighty personality explained a few things about her daughter, including her willingness to eavesdrop on the boys locker room to learn her crush’s name. Mom is also a workaholic, opting to go back to the office in the middle of the day after leaving her son in Miyamura’s care (after they’d just met). Dad hasn’t shown up yet, either – he’s probably not at home much, which may have prompted the late scene where Hori cautioned her brother not to get too attached to his new friend. She may be a generally fun-loving girl, but she’s carrying a sizeable burden somewhere in there, so I hope the show exercises good timing in exploring that aspect of her character.

There’s more to say about Horimiya, especially regarding its emphasis on individual moments rather than a full picture of time. That’s a topic that I considered giving its own paragraph, but it does seem to be built into the series’ identity (the OVA had a similar pace), so I’m sure there will be more opportunities to discuss it as we go. We’re only two episodes in, but it’s already quite an enjoyable series, so I’m looking forward to more. Feels good to be optimistic!