Well friends, I finally made it. After a little over two years, the third episode review poll has finally been fulfilled. Yes, there’s Missing Pieces and we’ll talk about it in a bit but that obviously wasn’t part of the deal back in May/June 2021. I really regret putting this show on hold for so long but I’m glad that I still kept my end of the bargain. Hopefully, the next poll will go more swimmingly (assuming I do a new one).
Horimiya is a solid show but there’s something we all can’t deny about it, regardless of whether or not you’ve read the manga or not. It’s a 13 episode season trying to adapt a manga with far more meat to it. Even if the notion of stuff getting cut wasn’t that apparent to you, the fact that there’s a second season subtitled Missing Pieces should suffice as evidence. Personally, I think the solution would have been to focus strictly on Hori and Miyamura. That seemed to be the case for most of the first half and personally, I think it is the stronger part of the season. Once the show started to explore other characters, it started to feel clumsy. I get the need to show Ishikawa and Yoshikawa. They are the secondary couple in the story. Adding in characters such as Shindo and Tanihara makes sense as they do contribute to Miyamura’s arc. Conversely, did the show really need to show how Remi and Sengoku meet or Iura helping his sister? I’d argue those should’ve been cut. I understand not showing these scenes could disappoint some fans but I’d also argue shoving them into a show that is strapped for time is just as problematic. At the very least, the thought process regarding what to keep is strange and the show would’ve really benefited from having an extra cour from the get go.
The season finale suffers from this issue to some degree. At the beginning of the episode, Remi tells the gang that she would like to go on a trip with all of them before they all have to part ways for college, work, or whatever. We ultimately don’t get to see this proposed trip in earnest. Also puzzling is not showing Hori and Miyamura’s relationship post-graduation and them getting married. If neither of those things are shown in the manga than fair enough but is a missed opportunity not showing any of that after the two brought them up last episode. The most saddening thing however is the ED which is a gallery of scenes the show presumably skipped. That’s basically telling us to go read the manga or at least wait for the show to pull a Non Non Biyori.
That said, there is plenty to like about this finale. I like all the scenes where Miyamura reflects on the past year and how his life has changed during graduation day. Aside from the fact that Miyamura is one of the two main protagonists, his arc has easily been the most compelling arc in the whole show so I appreciate that the staff made sure to give one last look at it. I’ll admit that him imagining what life would be like if he didn’t meet Sota and got to know Hori is a little weird. Like, would Remi and Sengoku really not hook up if all that didn’t happen? I could’ve sworn they hooked up beforehand so I doubt it. Still, I suppose it is technically all in Miyamura’s head. He can’t help but picture the worst case scenario. There’s nevertheless some truth that he’d probably still be stuck in the gloomy, insecure state that he started out in, had Hori not enter his life.
I’m glad that Ishikawa and Yoshikawa got to part on good terms with Sakura and Yanagi. That’s a silver lining to a rather messy subplot. Part of me wishes for a scene showing Sakura hooking up with someone but to be fair, it would’ve been cheap if it wasn’t properly developed or if that special someone is a nobody. What frustrates me more though is that even after the finale, neither Ishikawa nor Yoshikawa make their relationship official. They’re more of a traditional romcom couple than the namesake of the goddamn show. Even if they sign the marriage papers, they probably wouldn’t say they’re a legitimate couple.
Of course, I can’t talk about the finale without mentioning Kyosuke showing up at the graduation ceremony, not for his own daughter but for his hypothetical son-in-law. Oh Kyosuke, you aren’t in the show all that much but every scene you’re in is a complete joy. Hori’s reaction is great but also funny is all the extras assuming that Kyosuke is Miyamura’s dad, as Kyosuke probably intended.
Originally, this season seemed to be a one and done deal. Obviously, that’s no longer the case now as we have Horimiya: The Missing Pieces, a second season intended to adapt missing content from the manga. Frankly, I think this approach is stupid. The show should’ve just adapted the whole manga from the get go. It’s also going to be weird jumping back in time. That said, I’m down to cover The Missing Pieces in episode reviews. Horimiya is clumsy at times but overall, it’s been a fun and engaging ride. It won’t be perfect but I do want to see more of what the show has to offer.
See you all in Season 2.
Watch Horimiya on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu
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