Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.

When regular salaryman Yoshida wakes up one Sunday morning after a long night at the bar, the last thing he expects to see is that his tiny apartment has a new resident—an unfamiliar high school girl.

The previous night, despite finally gathering the courage to confess to his boss and longtime crush, Airi Gotou, Yoshida was rejected. After drowning his sorrows at a bar with his good friend Hashimoto, Yoshida headed back to his home in a drunken stupor, only to run into Sayu Ogiwara, a runaway high schooler. She asked him to let her stay the night, and with his judgment clouded by alcohol, Yoshida complied.

Now, with his head on straight but with no memory of last night's events, Yoshida has Sayu explain just how she ended up sleeping at his apartment. Having listened to her story, Yoshida finds himself unable to kick her out—especially after learning that she came all the way from Hokkaido! So, despite his reservations about sheltering an underage girl, Yoshida allows her to stay, and their life together begins.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ogiwara, Sayu Main

Ichinose, Kana Japanese

Yoshida Main

Okitsu, Kazuyuki Japanese

Gotou, Airi Supporting

Kanemoto, Hisako Japanese

Mishima, Yuzuha Supporting

Ishihara, Kaori Japanese

Yuuki, Asami Supporting

Kawaida, Natsumi Japanese

Hashimoto Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuusuke Japanese

Ogiwara, Issa Supporting

Toriumi, Kousuke Japanese

Masaka, Yuuko Supporting

Iwami, Manaka Japanese

Yaguchi, Kyouya Supporting

Oosaka, Ryouta Japanese

Sayu's Mother Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Oowada, Tomoyuki Producer

Ozawa, Fumihiro Producer

Koutani, Satoshi Producer

Sasaki, Shuuta Producer

Reviews

Jan 4, 2026

arie_s

Recommended

This was not what I expected and the common descriptions don't do it justice.

For those seeking harem anime, I think you may end up disappointed.

Some of the elements and concepts in this series are as follows:

Trauma regarding suicide, bullying and familial abuse physical/psychological

Self Image regarding self worth, self awareness and physical behavior consequences

... Communication and honesty.

Mentorship relationships between male and female

Romantic relationships with age/maturity gaps

Distinguishing true desire from emotional confusion

Distinguishing kindness from romantic affection

Anyone familiar with these things in their real life may get hit a bit hard by this.


The relationship structure is similar to a foster situation. While the female protagonist wrestles with their self worth after trauma.

The series addresses things like misplaced emotions while lightly trying to distinguish adult relationships from immature ones.

The male protagonist changes their perspectives as they take in more of the character's stories.

The series does address the legality and the implications. I understand others views, but it may be tied our own cynicism toward trusting others and their intentions.

I think it did a good job of addressing what appears to be questionable relationship dynamics reconciling with right and wrong in the face of temptation and opportunity.

The multiple other love interests is mostly one sided affections, female towards male. But that, I believe is tool to distinguish the adult romantic relationships from the two main characters.

I am on the fence about the conclusion though, considering the age/legal/romantic dynamic. But in the end that romance doesn't truly move beyond protective mentality until the female is a legal adult. Or so the end leads you to believe.


If you're on the fence, just watch it, 4-5 episodes in is where the waterworks might kick in, the back story is tough to watch.

Also, one of the few animes that actually finishes a story completely and is a fairly short watch.

I was surprised in a good way on this one.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Mar 18, 2025

FranqitoH

Mixed Feelings

Ok, here we go for the twentieth time:

Characters:
-Principals: They're not perfect, but I like how MC always keeps her principles without letting herself be manipulated by the situation.(6/7).
-Secondary: The vast majority only fulfills one role, at least I highlight here the mentally ill Yaguchi who gave that dark touch to the series that made it objectively more good.(2/3)

Logic:
I love Higehiro, but kind of in the last episodes you realize some inconsistencies (6/10).

Entertainment (Personal):
... As a drama it was kind of simple, but then I remember that I love dramas.(9/10)

Basics in an anime:
-Animation: Great at the beginning, Good at the end (1/2).
-Music: Personally, when I think of Higehiro this is the first thing that comes to my mind. (2/2)
-Vice: They seem to be looking to catch you with an unexpected ending in several episodes, yet it's not like I feel extremely compelled to watch the next one. (1/2)
-Tag fulfillment: A little more fanservice and I'd consider it “Ecchi.” (2/2)
-Ending: Good ending, though honestly, despite there being several loose ends left in the plot, I don't think it's such a good idea for a second season to be announced.(1/2)

Plot Development (or initial premise):
At first I doubted who was the girl who was going to manage to start a romantic relationship with MC, but with that ending I guess we all have it clear who is going to win. (Good plot by the way) (8/10)

Personal Reflection (Clearly personal):
Reflect on things like how these happy endings only happen in the anime, because in real life, despite not laying a finger on a minor, you still go to jail.(4/10)

Comments: (SPOILER)
First the important thing: after so much hesitation, in the end I chose to be team Sayu (with the condition that she will wait until she comes of age :0). Now I'll give my opinion about the main character, who I must emphasize that he had a lot of willpower for being a good boy and not getting carried away by his growing desires about Sayu, which makes me understand why the rest of the characters are thankful that the one who took Sayu in is the MC.
In short, I love Higehiro for being an anime that confuses you into thinking it's an “Ecchi” or “Harem” or “Love Polygon” to finally tell you in your face that it's a drama with a clear winner from the beginning of this story.

Final Score: 8.2.


(Note: As I am very tolerant of anime, my minimum score for all anime is currently 4).

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jun 10, 2025

Nazmus____Sakib

Not Recommended

"Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway" starts with a premise that could have been a heartfelt slice-of-life story about loneliness and unexpected companionship. The animation is passable—nothing exceptional, but serviceable for this genre. The sound design is similarly minimal, fitting the laid-back atmosphere but not adding much. However, the story quickly derails due to extremely questionable writing choices.

**Problematic Characterization of the High School Girl**
The main issue is how the female lead is portrayed. Instead of a complex runaway with understandable reasons for her choices, she’s depicted as someone who has slept with multiple men for money, essentially turning ... her into a stereotype of a “whore.” This portrayal is not only offensive but also deeply problematic for an anime that expects the audience to sympathize with her. Family problems are common struggles for many characters, but that doesn’t justify depicting her as engaging in illegal and exploitative behavior. It’s a lazy and harmful shortcut in storytelling.

**Missed Opportunity with the Protagonist’s Arc**
The protagonist is a pure, innocent salaryman who already has a genuine crush on his senpai. The senpai’s rejection actually carried emotional depth, showing hesitation but affection — something the story cruelly ignores. Instead of developing this emotional thread, the writer jumps into a controversial and uncomfortable relationship with the runaway girl. This was a huge missed opportunity to tell a more meaningful, respectful story about unrequited love and personal growth.

**Why Not a Cleaner, More Respectful Setup?**
If the writer insisted on making the runaway girl the focus, the story could have introduced her without immediately involving her in sex work or illegal acts. For instance, she could have met the protagonist without having “slept with many men,” preserving her dignity and making her a more sympathetic, multi-dimensional character. Instead, the story chooses to sensationalize her background in a way that feels cheap and exploitative — a decision that ruins any chance of genuine emotional connection.

**Uncomfortable and Exploitative Writing Overshadows the Anime**
Overall, “Higehiro” fails to deliver a thoughtful narrative and instead settles for uncomfortable and exploitative storytelling. While the animation and sound are adequate for a slice-of-life show, the core writing is misguided and offensive. The anime tries to navigate sensitive themes but does so clumsily, resulting in a series that’s difficult to recommend. If you want a respectful and meaningful story about hardship and relationships, look elsewhere — this one misses the mark entirly.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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