English Dub Review: Horimiya “That’s Why It’s Okay”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Back in middle school, Miyamura was a total social outcast thanks to his reputed gloomy attitude. Nobody would choose him for group projects and he sunk into a deep funk — but Hori was able to see past his exterior to see the real him underneath.

In the present, Hori and Miyamura are alone together watching a scary movie and wind up holding hands. Hori compliments him on how soft they are, and he returns the compliment. Later, he reflects back on a fight he had with Ishikawa about Hori.

Our Take:

The third episode of Horimiya takes viewers further into the past to get a fuller picture of Miyamura and the factors that shaped the person he’s become on the outside. It also gives a glimpse of Hori’s high school experience, and how she’s not the only one after Miyamura these days. It’s a sweet 20 minutes that should be satisfying for rom-com fans.

That’s Why It’s Okay opens with a blast from the past as Miyamura recounts how alone he was in middle school. It’s totally bland and generic stuff, like how he was grumpy and never talked to anyone and didn’t fit into any groups, etc. But it serves its effect, which is to set up his initial encounter with Hori that ends with her declaring him perfectly normal.

The episode gives the dynamic between Miyamura and Ishikawa plenty of screen time this week, as the two of them deal with staying friends despite the awkwardness that comes with liking the same girl. (And the overall awkwardness of Miyamura in general.) In the latter half of the episode, we see the after effects of a fistfight they had over Hori, which apparently ended in a big victory for Miyamura, obviously. It’s pretty silly, but I’m glad the show chose to show the consequences of the fight rather than the action itself.

Hori almost has a fight of her own with Remi, who declares that she’s calling ‘dibs’ on Miyamura. Despite her insistence that she was merely teasing, it makes Hori speak up and declare that he’s hers — creepy, but maybe romantic?

And speaking of romantic, the scenes between Miyamura and Hori when they’re alone at her house are my favorites of the episode for sure, with things getting pretty cute when Miyamura gets scared during the spooky movie. Marisa Duran does a great job voicing the current Hori, especially during these scenes. Unfortunately, she kind of knocks me out of the flow in flashbacks, due to the fact that her voice sounds so much older than everyone else’s.

With the reveal of more of Miyamura’s backstory and lots of sweet scenes between himself and Hori, the series delivers another episode that should make Horimiya fans even more committed to the show. It didn’t do anything spectacular, but That’s Why It’s Okay is a solidly ‘okay’ episode.