I think Horimiya is awesome. Part of this is definitely personal bias, I related to Miyamura a genuinely uncomfortable amount. It made me so incredibly proud to see him struggle out of the same dark place I've experienced and into a warm, bright group of friends, just like I have. It was like seeing a mirror being put up to my own personal journey, but in hindsight. In a way that may have made it more powerful.
Personal biases for Miyamura as a character aside, The animation is awesome, but you don't need me to tell you that. I really enjoy the dialogue, directing, and editing in this show. There were some great choices made that absolutely elevated the experience and gave it a very artistic feel.
Most important in my eyes is the pacing of the show. It's fast, faster than any other romance anime I've seen, and pretty much the most interesting thing about the show. It's not fast during individual scenes, but in terms of the speed of character growth and changes. And it's amazing!
Of course, this show is unlike most other romance anime in one other key rather spoiler-y way.
The main couple gets together halfway through season one. Yes, really. We get to see them as an actual couple, how other characters feel about their couple status, the whole shebang! And it is wonderful. This is part of the pacing thing. Choosing to pace the show so quickly gives it a very different feel from other romance anime, even if you find individual characters or elements drab.
If you're a fan of romance anime or even don't like most shows because they're paced so slow, HoriMiya is absolutely the show for you.
