Because Horimiya needs more unnecessary side characters, this episode of Missing Pieces introduces us to yet another classmate of Hori and Miyamura, Ichiro Watabe (Aoi Ichikawa). This guy’s shtick is that he admires Miyamura and that’s putting it mildly. He likes Miyamura so much that he keeps taking pictures of him with his phone. Finally, Yasuda-sensei has competition for the title of “creepiest character in Horimiya“! Hori has had her fair share of admirers so on paper, I kind of like the idea of someone being a simp for Miyamura. But man, why does he have to be so creepy? Give Sawada credit, she doesn’t have a folder of Hori pictures on her phone (and if she does, she’s at least much better at hiding it). Thankfully, Watabe only appears for two scenes. Hopefully, those are his only scenes.
Watabe aside, this episode returns the spotlight to the show’s titular couple. A Horimiya episode that’s centered around Horimiya? In this day and age? Pinch me, I must dreaming! I would pour a glass of champagne in celebration but aside from the fact that I’m too broke to buy champagne, this episode unfortunately focuses on an element that I wasn’t fond of: Hori’s insane jealousy to Miyamura’s bromances. I always found this to be strange. Like, I can understand her being afraid that Miyamura might be spending more time with his male buddies than her but why is it framed as her fearing that he might cheat on her with one of them? Did Miyamura ever mentioned he’s bisexual? If not, why should Hori be afraid? Even if Miyamura is bi, Hori should still have confidence in the fact that her boyfriend chose to be with her. Unless there’s signs, she should mind her own business.
What sucks is that this episode pushes Hori’s paranoia even further. Somehow, she’s studied the other guys’ scents so just a whiff on Miyamura’s clothes and she’ll immediately tell if he’s been hanging out with one of the guys. That’s so insane that I can’t imagine anyone taking her side over Miyamura’s. Eventually, the two get in the argument of Hori’s jealousy and the two enter a sort of stalemate where they wait for the other to apologize to them. I get that Miyamura is cool enough with this wart on his relationship with Hori though he really should ask her to stop. I also take issue with Hori accepting the blame but still skirting around giving Miyamura an apology.
Honestly, it’s a shame. On paper, I think it’s good to have a scene where these two argue. That’s part of being in a relationship with someone. It’s just the execution leaves much to be desired. I’ve mostly enjoyed the romance between these two characters so I want to see this as some sort of anomaly. Then again, Horimiya has its fair share of misses in general and it has struggled in giving the main couple something to do after they hook up.
Watch Horimiya: The Missing Pieces on Crunchyroll and Funimation
Xenodude Scribbles 