#GRAGGHH ANIME. bad stories are bad BUT STORIES THAT COULDVE BEEN GOOD.. *STRANGLES*

[tamaharu]

As someone who has read horimiya, ur right. I believe my exact reaction was something like "oh this is interesting and a cool concept where are they gonna go with this??" to "ah. Okay. Sure." Like it wasn't like the worst thing ever but it also wasn't great and I'm sure if a reread it i would be deeply uncomfortable with some of the implications...but god it had potential (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ

no exactly. IT HAD POTENTIAL!!! It had potential to be a deeper story, and thats the worst part. im more sympathetic to the original webcomic bc clearly the author was just going in without a big plan and thats fine, BUT! that means i have to be harsher on the manga (and anime, but i havent finished past e2 so) because it HAD the full story laid out for it. the point of adaptations is to convey a certain idea differently than the source material, and the manga shouldve taken this foundation and adapted it towards a more meaningful story. but nooo…

the suggested premise was that of private identity, and thats an interesting springboard for conflict, but like. nothing happened. it was serious in the very begining and in the very end. after like, volume four (and even then im being generous) it was nothing but pure uninteresting filler, loss of previously established characterization, and extremely weird and abusive tendancies from one of the main characters (i dont like talking abt the weird kink shit bc it makes me uncomfortable but.. yeah..)

like. if the story had bothered to follow issues established from the very beginning to their obvious emotional root, it wouldve been a stronger story. miyamura managed to get the better exploration of his issues - and it really wasnt all that great - from the depression, lonliness, and self harm. but i think the problem is, the author wasnt quite sure what to do with hori, and when shes one half of literally the title “horimiya” this is a big issue. i mean, its all right there. her parents are working all day so shes the one caring for her little brother, taking care of chores, dinner, etc. this, and she clearly tries to go for a cleaner image at school. but the story couldnt figure out how to take her issues seriously, so it never even tried. i mean, eventually they started bringing her parents back into the story which is like! so wrong i dont even know where to start! i mean thats literally a foundational part of her issues, and they got brought back!!!! i fucking hate her dad by the way i hate him so much.

horimiya just needed to like, actually care about hori and miyamuras problems, and not obscure this by “ohhhh whats side character number twelve doing this time!?!?!?!?” every other chapter. ive seen a couple of reviews that marvel at the fact that its gasp, a romance anime where, double gasp the couple gets together before the end of the show? scandalous! ten stars! but even though the issues w horimiya were ignorable for the first couple of chapters, them getting together made the story lose any and all sense of acceleration and thus made every issue of the story that much more obvious. and then there was filler. for sixteen volumes.

again, not even MENTIONING the weird kink shit the author inserted or the like weird homophobic jokes or how hori isnt a tsundere or whatever shes straight up abusive. tip: i am so fucking mad.