Horimiya is a romance and slice of life anime based on the manga by Hiroki Adachi. There’s currently one season (a new one is coming) with 13 episodes, and it can be found on Crunchyroll and Funimation, along with other platforms. 

The main character, Kyouko Hori, is among the top of the social ranks at Katagiri High School. She’s fun, bubbly, and lots of people admire her for her good grades and looks. Izumi Miyamura, the other protagonist, also goes to Katagiri, but instead he appears gloomy and hard to approach. He doesn’t talk much and doesn’t really know anyone, until one day he accidentally bumps into Hori after helping her little brother Souta, and that changes. They both find out that the two of them had a different side to them that no one else knew about, where Hori is more laid back, and Miyamura is more talkative. They also look very different compared to when they are at school. Hori and Miyamura become friends at first, sharing a secret side with each other as they navigate the twisty school year together.

I would rate Horimiya 4.5 stars out of 5. This anime was really heartwarming, with a straightforward plot following the realistic, day to day lives of several high school students (Toru, Yuki, Sakura, Remi and Syu being some more). Although sometimes the story was a bit uninteresting due to no serious conflict (being a slice of life anime), at the same time it was also refreshing and made it easy to enjoy. I loved how the characters had multiple sides to them, making them seem more like real people, and many face personal struggles that are realistic and relatable. Their colorful personalities are all distinct with great chemistry between them, creating funny moments. I also liked how the animation was also fun and comedic. 

In the end, Horimiya is much more than just a good romance anime as it has messages about giving people a chance to show who they truly are, how their real character or intentions might not have been what you thought. It’s a story of best friends being there for one another and learning more about themselves. I really loved it, and I wish I had known about it sooner. If you would like to watch a cute and funny anime then Horimiya is for you