Taking home a high school girl. Uuhhh...this is not legal, right?

Hi, people. How is life? Recently, I need to work on my attitude on time and inconsistent punctuality. I need to constantly remind myself that punctuality is a way to respect other people's time. Anyway, read the new blog post? Hope you enjoyed it if you have read it.

Sayu, you so cheeky. 

Oh, you are wondering what am I gonna write about? Well, it is another pretty controversial anime but it's not at the level of a certain Healer related anime. This name is called Higehiro. It's a short form for a really long name. Well, it can be a contender for the longest name for an anime, together with a certain dystopian fantasy anime.

WARNING:-

SPOILER ALERT! This post is very likely to contain spoilers for this anime. So...if you are planning to watch the anime without any spoilers, you can either continue to read this post or move on and watch the anime.

P.S. If you want to be spoiled, well, go ahead and read it. You HAD been warned. Don't blame me for being spoiled if you INSIST on continuing to read this post.

Introduction

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The anime

Higehiro, short for Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (Japanese: ひげを剃る。そして女子高生を拾う。, Hepburn: Hige o Soru. Soshite Joshi Kōsei o Hirou., lit. ' I Shaved My Beard. Then Picked Up a High School Girl.'), is a Japanese romantic comedy light novel series written by Shimesaba and illustrated by booota. It was serialised online between March 2017 and August 2018 on Kadokawa's user-generated novel publishing website Kakuyomu. It was later published by Kadokawa Shoten under their Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint.

The light novel

A manga adaptation with art by Imaru Adachi has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Ace since November 2018. The light novel is licensed in North America by Kadokawa and Yen Press. The manga is licensed by One Peace Books. An anime television adaptation by Project No.9 aired from April to June 2021. Oh, I also heard that there are side stories for the series. So, maybe a Higehiro OVA is on the cards. Anyway, let's move on.

More side stories...

Plot

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The confession scene

Going for a drink...

The story starts with a normal working man, Yoshida finally having the courage to confess his feelings for his employer and longtime crush, Gotou Airi. Sadly though, he ended up rejected. It was for a really weird reason (in my opinion). Anyway, after that, he went out drinking with his co-worker and best friend Hashimoto to relieve himself of his sorrows.

Yoshida meeting Sayu...

While heading back home in a drunken state, he meets Ogiwara Sayu, a teenage high school girl who asks to spend the night with him. He lets her in out of pity and because he is too exhausted to argue, saying to himself that he will chase her out tomorrow. Well, how can a practically drunk person think properly? Also, isn't that a crime in itself?! Uh oh...I think can hear the police siren...AHHHHH!

That morning...

Jokes aside, let's continue with the story. Later, in the morning after, he became sober and realized that he has actually let a high school student into his house. Well, of course, the girl, Sayu explains to him how she ended up in his apartment and gives the reason why is she even outside, asking for people to let her stay for the night.

Oooh...O.O

Well, what is the reason? It is because she run away from her family and home in Hokkaido and had been prostituting herself to random men in exchange for a place to stay. I...Well, that phenomenon is real in Japan. I believe we can dig out that kind of sad story where girls run away from their broken homes (which are supposed to be a place of rest and comfort) and live in a stranger's house where they usually get raped or are forced to have sex with them just to live in that stranger's house. Sad but true. Anyway, that's another story to talk about. Let's get back to the story.

On the balcony...

After that, he felt bad for her and found himself unable to kick her out of his house. With that, their time of living together begins and interestingly, it's also where Sayu's healing moment started. "Why?", You asked? Well, next paragraph. 

That moment...

Pain, pain and more pain...

From there, Sayu met with kindness from Yoshida and some of his close colleagues and also, her new friend, Yuuki Asami. There were quite a few ups and downs. At one point, she was almost getting raped by one of the guys who take her in (and had sex with her) before she met Yoshida. After all of these ups and downs, her brother, Ogiwara Issa found her eventually. That's where she opens up fully the whole story of how and why she runs away from home. It was a tragic story of her mother hating her just because she was born after her father left the family and her only friend committed suicide right in front of her. Pain and more pain...but she has to return back to her normal life and has to face the problem that made her leave home in the first place.

Finally got some resolution...

The whole endeavour was painful even though Yoshida was with her and tried to get her mother to understand and change her attitude towards Sayu. The incident was resolved at last with Yoshida's and Issa's help. I remember that I cried when Yoshida broke down during a private conversation after he begged her mother to raise her properly. I understand that pain. Imagine your mother angrily told you that she shouldn't have given birth to you. What a pain. How could a parent say that to their children? Why? Like how?! sniff...anyway, moving on.

Sayu's confession

Sayu confessed to him before Yoshida returns to his own home. He didn't accept it. After years passed, Sayu once again come to that same place where she first met Yoshida. Yoshida once again takes her in like what he did last time but this time is not a crime, I guess. Well, a slightly bittersweet ending, isn't it? Also, no romance to talk about. It's fine, frankly speaking. Anyway, let's move on.

Back in that place again...

Anime Rating

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Story (Rating: 9/10)

This story plot is really refreshing, given that nowadays the woke-washed media content dominates quite a big swath of the market and is making the modern media getting more predictable and more boring. This plot touches on an actual issue in Japan where young teenage girls ran away from their homes but that's a whole issue that we could talk about next time. The story is simple and has a good flow and good pacing but the controversial content makes it really difficult to recommend this series.

It was so tense...

Art and Animation (Rating: 8/10)

Sayu is so cute, beautiful night sky and an overall really nice art style...Good stuff. Period. There's nothing that I can say about it. The animation is overall well-done too. Good job, dear animators!

The night sky...

Sound and Music (Rating: 10/10)

Good opening and closing theme song. What more could I say other than saying that I like them both? The BGM and sound effects and other related stuff? Pretty good, nothing to complain about.

The opening sequence...

Characters (Rating: 10/10)

The development of character is mostly focused on Sayu. She started as a girl who runs away from home and reality to face her mother and changed her mother's mind about her with the help of Yoshida and her brother. The full extent of her character growth? Well, it's better that you watch it yourself than for me to explain it to you. It's really difficult for me to explain. Of course, there are also some character development for Yoshida and the rest of the cast but definitely not as significant as Sayu. The character is mostly working adults, which makes this anime quite a standout anime. Also, Sayu is so cute. Kyaaa!!!! xD

The pain...it's over

Enjoyment (Rating: 10/10)

I enjoy it quite a lot despite the controversial content of this show. I know a lot of people nowadays are too soft and too "snowflakes" to accept anything that will challenge them. Me, since I have watched the anime Domestic na Kanojo, I'm definitely more willing to take anime that is more challenging and out of my comfort zone. Well, of course, it's still not easy to do so. I will watch it again if I have the time and energy to watch it again but won't introduce it to just anyone because of the nature of this show, which touches on really sensitive and complex topics.

Oh, cute Sayu

Overall Rating: 9.4 (9.25)/10

Screenshots

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Sayu in the park...

Sayu and Gotou Airi...

Yoshida first meeting Yuuki Asami

Another intense moment...

Uh oh...this moment that will change Sayu's life forever...

Interesting moment...

That moment after the tense discussion...

PV/Trailer

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Conclusion

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Oh, hi, you are here. Well, that's the end of this post. I'm glad that I successfully get this blog post, which is really nice. Also, I think that I might have hinted that I will talk about the bigger issue behind this story. Well, even if I did say or hint that I will do it, it won't be anytime soon as this issue is quite a huge one to take on. I hope that you enjoy reading and browsing this blog. Goodbye, and God bless you!

More Sayu's cute face! xD