HoriMiya

Hori-san to Miyamura-kun or HoriMiya for short, is a Japanese shōnen web manga series written and illustrated by Hiroki Adachi, under the pseudonym Hero. It was self-published on Hero's website, Dokkai Ahen, from February 2007 to December 2011 in a four-panel format.

Plot
On the surface, the thought of Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura getting along would be the last thing in people's minds. After all, Hori has a perfect combination of beauty and brains, while Miyamura appears meek and distant to his fellow classmates. However, a fateful meeting between the two lays both of their hidden selves bare. Even though she is popular at school, Hori has little time to socialize with her friends due to housework. On the other hand, Miyamura lives under the noses of his peers, his body bearing secret tattoos and piercings that make him look like a gentle delinquent.

Having opposite personalities yet sharing odd similarities, the two quickly become friends and often spend time together in Hori's home. As they both emerge from their shells, they share with each other a side of themselves concealed from the outside world.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Two interesting leads:
 * 2) * Izumi Miyamura may not be a very exciting person, Miyamura is very warm-hearted, confident, and very friendly towards people around him.
 * 3) ** Him cutting his hair short also had significant meaning: not only did he want to better himself, but is a sign that he had left his past behind him, acknowledging the people who made him into what he is right now, thankful for the life he is living with Hori, and has brought happiness to his life.
 * 4) * Kyouko Hori while being a popular student, she doesn't act like the stereotypical one. Hori does show that she carries a certain image of being nice, polite, and gentle. Hori still struggles around at home, taking care of her younger brother, while asking help from Miyamura from time to time.
 * 5) As expected, the chemistry between both Miyamura and Hori is an interesting one. A popular girl bringing a loner boy back to light is a great premise.
 * 6) Detailed art style.
 * 7) Excellent use of soundtrack.
 * 8) Smooth animation by CloverWorks.
 * 9) Enjoyable sub-stories for the side characters (Ishikawa, Yoshizawa, Sengokou, Remi, Souta, and Kyosuke) so they won't feel left out and overshadowed.
 * 10) The opening itself represents Miyamura's life before and after meeting Hori, with its beats and lyrics.
 * 11) Many romantic or funny moments:
 * 12) * Miyamura kissing Hori to remove the clay flavored candy.
 * 13) * Hori hugging Miyamura coming home from his trip.
 * 14) It has a great moral: "no matter what people say about you, you can still change for the better, and get the most out of life.

Trivia

 * This is the second time Horimiya got animated, since the first time was last 2012 as an OVA.