English Dub Review: Horimiya: The Missing Pieces “Graduation”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The students of Katagiri High now look forward to their lives after high school, which involves a little reminiscing about the days that led up to this moment.

Our Take:

After so many comical misadventures at Katagiri High, we’ve finally reached the final chapter of this high school saga: graduation. But, of course, this occasion isn’t complete without a reminiscent or two, courtesy of Hori and how far she’s gotten since she first met Miyamura. At first glance, I thought the season finale’s entire plot would center around the characters preparing for graduation and reminiscing their early days. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. While it does offer a flashback storyline that serves as a sweet farewell to the characters as they graduate high school, the scenario only occurs during the episode’s second half.

Amid the bitter-sweetness of Hori and Miyamura, we get one more set of humorous scenarios to cap off another season of Horimiya. One involves Hori’s new “fun bun” that Miyamura fixed up as they prepare for school. Unsurprisingly, Hori was hesitant at first but later changed her mind after seeing how much everyone else adores her new hairstyle. As a result, Hori decides to do Miyamura’s hair, although it doesn’t go as he expected. The hairdo situation was later revisited in the episode’s conclusion, with Hori showing Miyamura her short hair. It’s a bit overlong since it’s framed as a post-credit scene, but it’s also not without its charm. Afterward, we see the students comparing their strengths by holding boxes full of stuff, with Sengoku becoming the weakest of the group, much to his disappointment.

“Graduation” missed a huge opportunity to provide an emotional narrative structure centering on the characters’ next big chapter of their lives. The “graduation” part is present, but it was surprisingly brief and less urgent than anticipated. Instead, it favors delivering the usual mini-story structure seen in the previous episodes of The Missing Pieces instead of providing a character-driven plot that concludes their arcs. Considering that it’s the whole point of the season, I shouldn’t be too surprised at the result. However, the episode’s flashback and Hori’s narration help deliver a mildly heartfelt conclusion to the show’s series of high school misadventures. It might even bring a tear to the eyes of specific long-time fans who have been following the series since the beginning. Despite the segments lacking the huge chuckles from the earlier episodes, it’s amusing enough to end my first experience with Horimiya on a good note, which I’ll explain further in my upcoming season review.