The anime industry is no stranger to romance, with some of its most successful shows falling under the genre While the Summer 2023 anime season was jam-packed with highly-anticipated titles, fans of the romance genre may just have overlooked one title that should absolutely be on everyone’s radars, Horimiya: The Missing Pieces.
As the title implies, the series is something of a continuation of Horimiya, a series that took audiences by storm back when it aired in 2021, quickly rising up to the top of many anime fans’ watch lists. In fact, it became so popular that many would speak of it in the same vein as classic titles like Toradora, and modern hits like Kaguya-Sama: Love is War.
Horimiya Season 1 Felt Incomplete
The original Horimiya anime adaptation, as successful as it was, was not without its drawbacks. As a result of trying to adapt a long manga series full of interesting moments into a one-cour anime, there was no choice but to cut out a number of beautiful and essential scenes.
While fans were still more than able to enjoy the development of Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura’s relationship, it always felt like something was missing, and for a good reason. This is where Horimiya: The Missing Pieces comes in, offering fans the perfect solution to their problems.
The Missing Pieces Stays True To Its Name
As one would probably assume, the new show aims to adapt all the worthwhile chapters missing from the original, finally allowing fans to enjoy the complete experience with no compromises. As far as fan reaction goes, it seems to have achieved this flawlessly. The chemistry behind protagonists Hori and Miyamura, two classmates whose relationship proved itself to be thoroughly compelling in spite of their seemingly opposite personalities, is yet again placed in the spotlight. Although their daily life may not be particularly eventful, witnessing it never gets any less fun, as each episode beautifully combines elements of romance and humor, complemented by a delightful art style.
Horimiya proved itself as one of the best romance anime in 2021, captivating viewers not with convoluted stories or mysterious events, but with its cast of simple, relatable, and extremely lovable characters. The release of this new side story makes not only a pleasant treat for fans of the characters, but also a great opportunity for newcomers to get themselves acquainted with them. Either way, Horimiya: The Missing Pieces is a lovely show that fans of the romance genre simply can’t miss.
