Horimiya: Season 2/ Episode 7 “Friends” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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General Information

This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.

Release Date (Crunchyroll)	August 12, 2023
Director(s)	Masashi Ishihama
Writer(s)	Takao Yoshioka
Previously Noted Characters and Cast
Sakura	Reina Kondo
Yanagi	Fukuyama Jun
Sawada	Asakura Momo
Remi	M·A·O
Yoshi	Yurie Kozakai
Sengoku	Nobuhiko Okamoto
Miyamura	Kōki Uchiyama
Toru	Seiichirō Yamashita

Plot Recap

This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.

Do You Like This Too? – Sakura, Yanagi

In the beginning, we get a Sakura-focused piece, mainly about her love for manga, specifically “Konoha.” One day, looking to pick up the latest copy so that she can know what happened after a cliffhanger, she finds the manga is sold out but, Yanagi has a copy.

As established in the past, Yanagi, while blind as a bat, is also easy on the eyes. So when he and Sakura become friendly, there are a lot of whispers which makes her uncomfortable. As for Yanagi? He doesn’t care. He thinks Sakura is cool, and between that and him saying things which can be perceived as flirty, she freaks out a bit.

Am I Weird? – Sawada, Remi, Yoshi, Sengoku, Miyamura

Sawada has long shown herself to be a bit closed off, unless it comes to Hori, who is her idol. Because of this, she doesn’t really have any friends in her grade, but does have relationships with people who are third years. Miyamura, for example, stands in as a protector or big brother when Sawada gets bullied. Remi and Yoshi talk with her, offer her snacks, and affirm she is weird, while making it clear they are too.

However, what really helps Sawada feel better is that, when the art club for her class needs to put up a poster, Sengoku helps her put it up, even has her on his shoulders, and solidifies how beloved she is. Thus giving her some clout and maybe not new friends, but present enough reason for people to leave her alone.

Review

Notable Performances or Moments

Sawada

It can be easy to forget Sawada’s storyline, especially the darker bits, since she is younger and not featured often on the show, especially this season. But, seeing her bullied and Miyamura, despite how Sawada sometimes acted towards him, protecting her? That was sweet.

Actually, just how many of the third years we’ve been introduced to showing some kind of care and effort towards her was sweet. Note: Hori didn’t push them to, influence them, and wasn’t around. They either treated her as an individual or just someone who needed some reassurance that they weren’t alone or helpless in some way.

Highlights

Sakura Focus

Sakura really doesn’t get enough focus on this show, and I understand the second season leans more toward additional stories than being a proper continuation, but it would have been nice to pick up where a lot of past storylines left off. Sakura’s crush and the lack of reciprocity was heartfelt, and while Yanagi having something in common with her was sweet, it didn’t push closure or a silver lining.

But beggars can’t be choosy.

Low Points

Yoshi’s Swap Storyline

Sometimes I think I forget that “Horimiya” is a comedy with dramatic moments. Because, Yoshi laughing her behind off about people swapping doesn’t make sense, and seems like a waste of the animators time vs. her and Toru’s relationship and exploring that further. Because with the whole cold and warm hand thing, that could have gone somewhere, but it seems there was no desire to present something genuinely funny or potentially heartfelt.

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