English Dub Review: Horimiya: The Missing Pieces “Sports Day”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Sports day is officially upon Katagiri High. Miyamura has never had a reason to look forward to the school-wide event, but something (or someone) may just make his last sports day in high school one to remember…

Our Take: 

Sports Day is finally here, and everyone’s all fired up to give it their all. Of course, that includes Miyamura, who had no reason to attend until Hori said otherwise. It’s later revealed that the actual reason for Miyamura not planning on attending is that he didn’t have anyone to support him in his previous sports days. Thankfully, that all changes when he’s surrounded by people who do, including Hori, and is chosen to compete for someone who caught a cold. The fact that it’s his last sports day makes this tiny arc more satisfying than it should be because Miyamura has something to root for to make his final year memorable, especially his friends.

Aside from this tenderhearted moment, the remaining episode showcased the students competing in a series of events during Sports Day. Miyamura competes in the West team while Hori is with the East team. As expected, the episode is much fun to watch regarding the characters’ chemistry and supportive nature, including the moment involving Kono nailing her cheer moves during the cheering competition. It’s also way funnier than it has any right to be, with the highlight being Sengoku. The student council president is miserable being a part of Sports Day, and his gloominess at the beginning proves it.

If you want further proof of his misfortune, Sengoku also became the answer to Hori and Miyamura’s riddles during the scavenger hunt. However, Miyamura’s puzzle involves a “skinny man”, explaining his choice of Sengoku as a last resort. Sengoku also got tricked by Miyamura during the headband-snatching event, resulting in Miyamura winning Sports Day for the West team. The poor guy never catches a break, but that doesn’t make his humiliation less hilarious. 

I’m still shocked at how much I’m enjoying The Missing Pieces so far. Despite not watching the first season of Horimiya, I quickly grew attached to the characters regarding their scenarios and amusing chemistry. Although, it does take me a bit to remember who each character is besides Hori and Miyamura. “Sports Day” further proves this theory with another fun and hilarious scenario involving the students of Katagiri High supporting or embarrassing one another.