Horimiya

Horimiya (2021 anime, produced by CloverWorks) is a heartwarming romance / slice-of-life series adapted from the manga.

At school, Kyoko Hori is the popular, beautiful, smart, and cheerful "perfect" girl everyone admires. Izumi Miyamura, on the other hand, seems like a quiet, gloomy, glasses-wearing loner and total otaku/geek who keeps to himself.

But both are hiding their true selves:

• At home, Hori is a practical, responsible girl who handles housework and cares for her little brother because her parents are often away.
• Outside school, Miyamura is actually kind, gentle, and surprisingly attractive—with lots of piercings and tattoos that he covers up during class.

Their paths cross by chance one day after school (involving Hori's little brother getting hurt), and they discover each other's "secret" sides. They agree to keep each other's true appearances private, which quickly leads to a close friendship that blossoms into a sweet, genuine romance.

The story follows their relationship (they start dating fairly early), along with the everyday lives, friendships, and growth of their classmates through the ups and downs of high school life. It's wholesome, funny, emotional at times, and focuses a lot on accepting people beyond first impressions.

There's also a follow-up series called Horimiya: The Missing Pieces (2023) that adapts extra manga chapters not covered in the main season.

If you're into feel-good high school romances like My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU or Kaguya-sama, this one's a classic favorite! 😊