"Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere" is a very difficult anime to describe.
It synthesizes humor, action, and romance together into a series where each element is an irreplaceable part of the dynamic and story. Because it combines many different elements together at once it can easily bewilder the viewer and leave them in a position where they have little clue of where it is going. For some this may be a significant flaw and hold back their enjoyment while for others it may pave the way for an interesting and unpredictable story. This is definitely not an anime for everybody.
The story begins in a
...
distant and somewhat bleak future. Humanity previously ascended into space but was forced back to Earth after fighting and warring beyond their limit, only to find Earth itself in an equally devastated condition. With Japan the only hospitable and habitable area remaining on Earth, humanity is split into the Harmonic Divine States where each administrative district is ruled by an individual country. It's then that humanity uses the Testament, a book detailing the events of past human civilization, as a guide to regaining their former glory by the means of reenacting human history. Unfortunately for the Far East—originally Japan itself— conditions are less than ideal as they are forced out of the country by the other ruling nations. A sizable portion of the Japanese refugees flee to the flying city ship "Musashi", which is where the story of the anime takes place.
"Horizon" boasts an interesting and unique array of characters, ranging wildly in terms of personality, appearance, and gender. Most notably is the protagonist Aoi Tori, a happy-go-lucky and heavily perverted teenager holding a strong preoccupation with erotic games and a propensity to grope the tender regions of the females around him. On paper this likely makes him seem a very annoying character but in the actual show his interactions with the characters are nothing short of hilarious and as the series progresses he develops into a genuinely likable character. His perversion is not so much a running gag as it is a defining and inherent part of his personality, one which makes him stand out more than any other character in the series. In a medium where bland self-insert protagonists are the mainstay, it’s a really great and refreshing thing to be able to see a protagonist with his own personality and a likable one to boot. It’s this behavior that also conflicts and contrasts well with the object of his affections, Horizon, a girl that he sets out at the beginning of the series with the objective of confessing his feelings to. Their relationship by the end of the series comes across as very endearing and heartwarming, something that would never be expected at first given the nature of his personality.
Dozens of other interesting and likable characters fill the rest of the story and create a sense of camaraderie. Most of the more important characters receive significant character development in proportion to the length of the anime, such as Suzu and her relationship and crush on Tori, and Tori's older sister Kimi and the past surrounding their relationship. Giving all of the characters sufficient screentime and developing them to any significant extent is difficult given the short length of the anime, but Sunrise does a good job of helping the audience at least feel connected to most of the characters on-screen with their own individual plights and teamwork as a group.
Unfortunately, the anime begins with very slow and inconsistent pacing which may initially put off viewers. Sunrise has personally admitted to the difficulty of adapting the early parts of the novel and it really shows in the first three episodes. While they aren't by any means bad episodes, they are definitely slow-paced and it takes a while for the anime to actually take off and set its feet into what makes it such an entertaining anime in the first place. After these episodes, Horizon really begins to shine and show what it does best, and that is the engaging action sequences and comedy between the characters. It’s a silly and lighthearted series where the characters fool and mess around in even the most climactic sequences but it never feels forced or out of place and the serious moments never fail to deliver either. These comedic traits in the characters are an inherent part of their personality and to remove that would likely lead to them feeling out of character and for the tone of the anime to sharply contrast in itself.
And for that reason, people that are expecting the anime to be serious and dramatic throughout are likely in for a world of disappointment. This isn't necessarily thought-provoking and there isn't an abundance of thematic depth to be found, but it’s rather simply an entertaining and amusing anime. If that’s something that you aren't personally fine with then you would be doing yourself a favor by avoiding the series.
Perhaps the largest flaw can be attributed to the complex and sometimes convoluted story. Aside from passing mentions and a few minutes of infodump during the credits of the first episode, the audience isn't left with much idea of the setting for the entire duration of the series. To have even a basic grasp of what is going on with the story it’s nearly mandatory to spend time online reading up on and researching the series. For a visual medium and an adaptation where reading the source material should not be a requirement, this is a massive detriment to the series. There’s no doubt that it would have been hard to convey all the details of the setting but I can’t help but feel like Sunrise could have done something a little more, even spending just a fraction of an episode to explain the basics to the audience. There’s some great worldbuilding here but it’s hampered by a convoluted and confusing presentation.
One thing that Sunrise should be commended for is the fantastic music used in the anime and the application of these tracks. A few of them in particular verge on stunning and they stand out almost immediately; and with the use of some tracks during the climax they essentially become a defining aspect of the series itself, being as irreplaceable as the characters and the setting. Whatever your disposition towards the anime, it’s nigh impossible to criticize the music.
Ultimately, the most important question in determining whether or not this anime is for you is quite simply this— do you enjoy silliness and are you willing to accept a story that you may not fully understand? While it’s certainly flawed in some significant ways, "Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere" is still a very entertaining anime that stands out from its competitors and has some fairly interesting details going for it. It’s unlikely that it will make its way onto your list of favorites or become something you remember for years and years to pass, but for what it is, it’s an engrossing and sometimes compelling series that should at least be given a try beyond the mostly lackluster and non-representative introductory episodes.
It's just unfortunate that so many people will choose to disregard a potentially great title based upon the first episodes.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon
Japanese: 境界線上のホライゾン
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
13
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 2, 2011 to Dec 25, 2011
Premiered:
Fall 2011
Broadcast:
Sundays at 02:58 (JST)
Licensors:
Sentai Filmworks
Studios:
Sunrise
Source:
Light novel
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#41632
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1312
Members:
180,430
Favorites:
913
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 49 / 49
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Your Feelings Categories Jun 15, 2012
"Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere" is a very difficult anime to describe.
It synthesizes humor, action, and romance together into a series where each element is an irreplaceable part of the dynamic and story. Because it combines many different elements together at once it can easily bewilder the viewer and leave them in a position where they have little clue of where it is going. For some this may be a significant flaw and hold back their enjoyment while for others it may pave the way for an interesting and unpredictable story. This is definitely not an anime for everybody. The story begins in a ... Jan 4, 2012
This particular Anime started off on the wrong foot but in the end left me looking forward to the second season. The first four episodes are heavy handed and will be a challenge for some to get through. The best way to put it is, this Anime is set up like most Historical dramas are. The start of the storyline is about setting up the history for those who don't know anything about the history, because otherwise the viewer would find themselves confused.
However, unlike most Historical dramas just about any fan of Historical Fiction will be left in the dark because this particular show ... Dec 4, 2011
First of all, if you don't like history...good luck.
I've watched it from the start of episode 1 when it came out and I was confused!! I reluctantly continued to watch it as some say "just continue watching and then you'll understand." Now, after the 4th episode I realized things just got serious. To watch this anime, you may need to have the ability to cram some information in your heads. I thought it was interesting how politics were so influenced in this anime. Just give it a chance and don't bluntly say "OMG, IT'S SO CONFUSING IT SUCKS!" Heck, with the hard work they made to ... Nov 19, 2011
If the author of this anime would describe the plot of this anime it would probably take forever to read. And that is because this anime seems to put like 5000 different stories into one anime and try to get a good and connective plot. And for me and possibly for many other, to understand this anime seem like it would be a impossible feat to accomplish. This is by far the most confusing anime I have ever seen, and I don't mean that in a good way. I give the story a 2.
The art and sound is all good but there is nothing particular ... Nov 8, 2011
First off since I know a lot of people only care about the first sentence of a review: wait till you can marathon it. The quality I have rated is based off 4 episodes watched each week.
I could see this show being good, no seriously I could. If They took the time to focus more on one aspect of the plot instead of the giant maze which they try to present you with. I could have (and was expecting) to see this being one of my favorite shows of the season. The issue is; they didn't. Its not so much that I can't, or have a ... Oct 14, 2011
I'll have to start off by telling everyone that there are going to be some people that like this and some people that don't. Now guess, do I mean the anime or this review?
By "this" I mean both the anime [B]and[/B] this review. Not a few days ago I had finished bashing a certain anime for it's overdosing of characters and worthless plot. This anime is about the same thing, Mecha suits, a mob of characters, archetypes, and action featuring many abilities to woo and entertain the audience. People do drugs not because they aren't aware that it's destroying their body, but because it feels awesome. This is ... Jul 13, 2012
Horizon is the kind of anime I'm tempted to say isn't being made anymore, except that is evidently incorrect.
It is completely over-the-top crazy and wildly entertaining, and fails to fit in a neatly defined genre. The writing is pure genius and has carried over well into the anime which despite its complexity doesn't stop for long-winded explanations, but rather sweeps the audience away with the constant hands-on revelations about the structure of its world. The production values from character designs to animation, voice acting and soundtrack are excellent and it's hard to believe this is a Sunrise studio production. It's fair to say that after ... Jan 5, 2012
I don't get it, I just fuckin' don't get it. What's this show supposed to be about? I understood nothing, BECAUSE IT HAD NOTHING. Honestly, when you have almost no plot with random shit going on, don't put in 100 characters and expect me to remember 2.
Story: I don't know. But at the start they play tag =D. Character: All I know is that there's a main character, who likes a girl named Horizon and finds a girl looking similar to her. He also likes them boobies, and tries to catch em all! He's a goofy, dumb, bastard who I feel kick round house kicking. He ... Aug 5, 2013
Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon. This anime definitely went under radar and is one of those that is not easy for the viewers to get into.It has a large terminology that is just thrown at you such as "Tes" and "Jud" as well as a massive cast of characters and a fairly complex background that would leave most viewers more confused after the first episode then Guilty Crowns plot holes. However despite all this, I can't stop loving this anime.
Story: The main story arc in Horizon is pretty straightforward and simple. The best part about the story is the "battles". The battles in Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon is ... Nov 23, 2011
The story is complicated, but understandable, and is quite interesting. The plot seems to go no where with the first few episodes, but it definitely picks up as the anime progresses. - 7
Art is amazing, with great character detail, and the battle scenes are fantastic, the show in general is well animated. - 9 The soundtrack fits the anime well, and is very good in general. - 8 Characters in this anime are quite unique, and certainly a refreshing change from your typical loli tsundere voiced by Kugimiya. However, with such a huge cast, it's far more difficult to develop characters properly, yet somehow for the ... Dec 10, 2011
First off the bat, I can understand why some people gave this anime a bad rating. I think there was even one that gave it a 1/10. Honestly, if i started watching the anime from the beginning, i wouldnt have waited for the next week for the second episode. Thankfully i started the anime when they released the 10th episode and so i was able to grasp a big chunk of the plot before i gave up.
I normally would tell you that you should watch the first episode, and if that doesnt get you hooked then its not worth your time. But then again, ... Jun 20, 2012
ok lets review this...kyoukai senjou no horizon
the basic story background from the novels as i found it on wikipedia: "In the far future, humans abandon a devastated Earth and traveled to outer space. However, due to unknown phenomenon that prevents them from traveling into space, humanity returns to Earth only to find it inhospitable except for Japan. To accommodate the entire human population, pocket dimensions are created around Japan to house in the populace. In order to find a way to return to outer space, the humans began reenacting human history according to the Holy Book Testament. But in the year 1413 of the Testament ... Jul 21, 2016
Should a story aim to be a self-contained little bit of perfection, merely outlining a small aspect of human existence – or should a story aim to contain the world? Should a work be self-sufficient and explain everything within its premises, or demand that a person experiencing it strive to reach its level by poring through setting details and whatnot before experiencing it? In both cases, Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon strove to be the latter. The sheer amount of information packed per episode is focused solely on aiming for that little explosive ‘wow’ factor that comes with its recognition – while the problem is whether the
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Oct 8, 2011
Amazing anime, with a large budget, rumors(?) says it will get 75 episodes
it has a very large background and its an adaptation of a huge visual novel, first episode impressed me, i couldnt really follow up with what they were saying but goddamn, i had some good laugh, very nice animation and HIGH quality voice actors, even if it does have some characters that you would think it would be stereotypical, it turns out that they have VERY refreshing design and personalities, starting with the MC, wtf, that guy is FABULOUS, it has a shit ton of characters, and im sure we will ... Jan 8, 2012
If you watched the first episode and thought to yourself "what the heck are they talking about, nothing makes sense.." then join the club.
Story Kyoukai Senjou No Horizon (or KSNH as I'll refer to it for now on) is a messy affair. It tries to place the histories of nations, empires, etc all into one big blob and expects you to understand it. Either that or they tried to take too much of the original work and put it in 13 episodes. Pull out those history books, you'll probably need it to understand somewhat of what's going on. Basically the story revolves around humans who ... Oct 11, 2011
2nd EDIT: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. Out of 9 episodes, it's only the prelude of what to come. Basically, in the far future, the world they lived in was uninhabitable, except for one piece of land. That land was divided into many smaller nations, at the will of the Testament Union, and ruled by them. Under the assumed mission of repeating their history to create a survivable land based on the scriptures of the Testament, the Testament Union sought and own all of the weapons deemed as the Deadly Sins, increasing their authorities. Under their rules, the Far East were beings set at the lowest of
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Oct 21, 2014
I really like this anime~
I like the art, the music, the character's appearance/personalities, and the action! These are the things that'll bring me back to it for a nice watch while eating a pack of noodles, as it takes me through the rounds of its action and unique art style of the people! What I’ll sing and make jokes about to myself from time to time! "Yeah, kick some butt! Show me more scenes of honor and battle! Relate to how I like visual novels! Pour more “dolls” and mechas on me! A merging of zany characters, intelligent characters, and zany-Intelligent characters? Count me in!! ... Dec 31, 2011
I will admit that Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon is an underrated anime, but not that underrated. It has a very interesting premise and above all its biggest strength is its creativity, however, there are still a lot of glaring problems with the show
Story: 7 The story of Kyoukai senjou no Horizon is actually very well thought out, based on an interesting premise and engaging. The problem lies with the story telling itself. While the story is interesting, it is portrayed so inefficiently that it is almost impossible to understand without doing outside research. Honestly, nobody should have to do this much outside research ... Jan 14, 2012
Though plot and progression is difficult to follow... screw it! It's a good show!! The characters are, I'm assuming, based of historical events and characters which can easily confuse. This shouldn't be counted as negative because it shows that thought went into the writing.
The main problem for me was the connection with the lead character. They should have gone fore a 24 episode structure and given a little more time to flesh out the characters and give a bit more back story. Other than that it was overall a confusing yet enjoyable show. Apr 2, 2013
So Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, or in English known as, 'Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere', is an anime set in the 'far distant future'. To me it took me a while to actually get what was going on, and that will probably be the biggest let down of this anime. However, once you get to episode 8 I think the story becomes clear of where it wants to go. After finishing this anime I actually wanted to watch its second season despite my initial feelings at the beginning.
In one sentence, the anime is about a massive pervert named Aoi Tori whom with his ... |