Don’t let your partner read Horimiya, because if they’re anything like mine, they’ll fall in love with the main characters.

Horimiya is a romance anime/manga about two people, Hori & Miyamura, who discover each other’s outside-school lifestyles and bond in knowing & accepting the other’s ‘true’ self. It’s not any mind blowing unique plot, but there’s such a great cast of characters (hot ones to boot). Horimiya is surprisingly popular with a wide audience likely because Hori & Miyamura are equally important MCs, vs typical romance animes that lean towards one MC. My girlfriend loves Horimiya, and she’s not a typical anime fan. She would leave me for Miyamura (as I’ve been told). But that’s okay – I would leave her for Hori – 2D SUPREMACY!!!

I’ve read a TON of romance manga (back to my lonely single days when only living vicariously through 2D love could fill the void in my heart) and I have to say, Horimiya definitely fills the void. The dating actually starts pretty early on in the series, which I really appreciate, vs it taking 30 hours for the MC to finally say “i like you” at the very end of an anime. Because of that, the series gets to focus on a lot of the small cute things that happen in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. There’s conflict of course, but it’s never as dramatic as other romance animes where the MC likes multiple people, or there’s drastic misunderstandings, or someone ends up running away (all the romance drama tropes). The anime leans heavily on the slice-of-life genre with a more light-hearted vibe, and it focuses on a lot of other couple pairings in the anime.

At school Hori’s the smart, pretty, popular, social, everybody-likes-them girl, but at home, she dresses down and goes into caretaker / cleaning mode, showing her aggressive nature at times. Miyamura is the gloomy, reserved, otaku-looking loner at school, but outside of school he showcases all his multiple piercings, tattoos, and gives off the vibe of a delinquent (given tattoo stereotypes in Japan).

For Miyamura, his tattoos and piercings are his form of self-expression, many coming from his struggles and experiences of earlier years, when he was essentially just a gloomy, reserved, otaku-looking loner at school. They serve as a reminder of his journey & growth, but also show that there’s more to him than meets the eye. Although he hides it at school, tells essentially no one, and desperately tries to avoid pool days, the people he does reveal them to trust and accept him, after the initial shock reaction.

You could say in a sense, that if not for his tattoos, Miyamura wouldn’t have bonded with Hori. And if the the love interest isn’t the most important thing in a romance manga… I don’t know what is.

The Life Lesson

Yes tattoos have their own stereotypes. They’re permanent. It’s basically stabbing yourself with a bajillion needles. They can get infected. They may look worse when you get old. They’re expensive.

But like in Horimiya, tattoos can also serve as a form of self expression or as a reminder of what’s important to you. I believe they can also help with confidence, mental health, and body image.

I got my first tattoo at 27, right after I came back from a Hawaii vacation and was inspired by everyone at the beach. I wanted something unique and meaningful, so I designed a simple concept of a soundwave arrow with a heartbeat. The story I tell when strangers ask is that it represents how music keeps me alive and moving in the right direction in life. And then for fun I make up some random story about the sound wave, like it playing “Levitating” by Dua Lipa.

However, the deeper meaning behind it, is that it represents all of the times when I was depressed, anxious, going through heartbreak, shame, or even wanted to give up on life, and how music kept me sane to get through things, even when I felt I had no one else.

It allows me to express myself outside of words, but also serves as a reminder of how I overcame my struggles. Whenever I feel sad, it reminds me to listen, sing, or dance to some music to feel better.

That’s not all though. It also helped with my body image. I’ve been skinny for a long time. Even after weightlifting & eating more consistently, I’m a bit leaner, but still overall pretty skinny. Losing weight is hard yes, but gaining weight is also hard, especially if you just naturally have a high metabolism. For a long time I got criticized for being skinny, being told that girls don’t like skinny guys. And so I grew up feeling a bit self-conscious about my upper body, especially when shirtless.

Working out and eating more definitely helped. Surprisingly, so did getting my first tattoo. I felt badass whenever my forearm wasn’t covered, even 3 years later after getting it. My next three tattoos were on my back, bicep, and tricep, areas that wouldn’t be seen as frequently unless I was at the beach, or wearing a tank in summer. I wasn’t looking for validation from others. They’re cool to me, and helped me feel more pride in my own skin and body. I’m not ripped nor do I have 6-pack abs (let alone a 2-pack), but whenever I wear a tank to the gym, go to the beach, or look in the mirror before I shower, I feel good about myself.

For any tattoo virgins out there who have always wanted one but haven’t committed, here’s a few things I’ve learned now having my 4th one in 4 years that may help you decide.

• If you’re afraid of getting bored of seeing it all the time, place it somewhere more hidden from your view, like on your backside
• I hate needles and have a low pain tolerance, but the pain isn’t unbearable. It depends on the size, amount of shading, and placement. For example, tattoos on your forearm are much less tame than next to your ribcage
• I find it helps to have your tattoo represent something (even if you make something up afterwards)
• It’s also okay to just tattoo something you like or think is cute (there’s just the risk you stop liking it, or find it boring in the future)
• If you don’t have the exact drawing but have only a concept that you want someone to design for you, find an artist that has a style that you like. That way even if they put their own spin on it, you’ll appreciate it. No one knows exactly what you want, not even you may know what you exactly want

If you have commitment issues, sometimes getting a tattoo can actually help with this. You’re basically forced to live with your tattoo, whether you get bored of it or not. That’s why I suggest getting a tattoo that has meaning to you, at least for the initial one(s). That way if you ever get bored of it, it can always serve as something to live by, or a reminder of your core values.

Once you get your first one, it kind of opens up your mind and the door for more.

My first one was a soundwave arrow representing how music heals anxiety & depression. Deep I know.

My second one was an aesthetic enso circle with Princess Mononoke’s face markings inside, to represent the importance of nature, hiking, and the circle of life. Still deep, abstract, but with a bit of anime fit into it.

My third one was a color tattoo of a shark, manta ray, and octopus. Because I love sea animals. And because the sea is magical. Also because I’m somewhat scared of the open ocean and it’s a reminder to do something on my bucket list that scares me (like scuba dive with sharks – the more docile kind). Has some meaning, but also is just cute as hell.

My latest one was an abstract ‘X’ with a straw hat to represent One Piece and themes of friendship. Basically, I’m a weeb.

Some future ideas include a soft pretzel, a green slime monster from Maplestory, and maybe something random and funny on my ass where only my partner will ever see. After all, why not? Sure I’ll get old, but at least I’ll love my body more while I’m young.