English Dub Review: Horimiya “Everybody Loves Somebody”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Ishikawa picks up some papers for Sakura, the student council member. Miyamura waits for him with the ice cream that Hori got them. Sengoku passes by and they start comparing tongues while eating ice cream. The boys start talking and Sengoku tells them that they can swing by anytime for the student council’s AC. The next day everyone is in the student council room deciding on who grabs the drinks, and Hori and Miyamura lose. Ayasaki asks if the two are dating which starts the conversation among the group. When Miyamura and Hori get back there’s a misunderstanding over Ishikawa’s soda

After that, Miyamura and Hori are at her house and they get on the topic of his middle school friend, Shindo. We get to see Miyamura’s angrier side with Shindo after a phone call from him. One day Shindo greets Hori as he recognizes her from seeing her with Miyamura, Ishikawa sees them along with Miyamura. Miyamura introduces them to each other and he recalls his middle life and how Shindo changed it. The next day, Hori catches a cold and Miyamura stops by with drinks and cold medicine. Miyamura confesses later to Hori who is still awake after he closes the door to her room.

Our Take:

Horimiya does a great job with the comedy and romance as it should, but it also has relatable emotional moments from both Miyamura and Hori. For starters, Ishikawa and Sakura’s conversation was cute and I look forward to seeing if they become friends.

The guys’ conversation about their tongues thanks to the ice cream that Hori gave Miyamura worked to transition to the student council room with the hot weather they’re having. Then there’s the misunderstanding with Ishikawa’s soda and their dialogue was funny to mislead Ishikawa into thinking that Miyamura did something else. Later at Hori’s house, Miyamura and Hori get on the topic of feeling embarrassed with Miyamura’s comment on how he sleeps without clothes on because of the heat. It’s amusing with Hori’s thoughts on getting embarrassed by his comment. I like how these conversations carry the episode to the next scene and make it more connected.

Miyamura’s contemplation on Shindo’s influence on his middle school life was good. It sheds some light on the dark and gloomy comments that affected him. Miyamura and Shindo’s friendship definitely shows how Miyamura is comfortable enough with Shindo even to the present. Shindo calling his middle school friends out on their treatment of Miyamura was great. I like how he isn’t just a cheerful character, and it brings a bit of depth to his character.

Meanwhile, Hori getting a cold brings up a lonely memory from her childhood. As a child she got sick, but her mom couldn’t stay because of an emergency at work. Hori’s loneliness resurfacing at that moment works since some people might relate to it. Miyamura leaves to get something and it works to set up Miyamura’s confession. The episode finishes with Miyamura’s confession and Hori’s desire to maintain their relationship as-is out of fear of ruining it.

Overall I look forward to the next episode as their relationship develops from that confession. Hopefully, Hori is willing to make that step from friends to dating Miyamura.