Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.

When regular salaryman Yoshida wakes up one Sunday morning after a long night at the bar, the last thing he expects to see is that his tiny apartment has a new resident—an unfamiliar high school girl.

The previous night, despite finally gathering the courage to confess to his boss and longtime crush, Airi Gotou, Yoshida was rejected. After drowning his sorrows at a bar with his good friend Hashimoto, Yoshida headed back to his home in a drunken stupor, only to run into Sayu Ogiwara, a runaway high schooler. She asked him to let her stay the night, and with his judgment clouded by alcohol, Yoshida complied.

Now, with his head on straight but with no memory of last night's events, Yoshida has Sayu explain just how she ended up sleeping at his apartment. Having listened to her story, Yoshida finds himself unable to kick her out—especially after learning that she came all the way from Hokkaido! So, despite his reservations about sheltering an underage girl, Yoshida allows her to stay, and their life together begins.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ogiwara, Sayu Main

Ichinose, Kana Japanese

Yoshida Main

Okitsu, Kazuyuki Japanese

Gotou, Airi Supporting

Kanemoto, Hisako Japanese

Mishima, Yuzuha Supporting

Ishihara, Kaori Japanese

Yuuki, Asami Supporting

Kawaida, Natsumi Japanese

Hashimoto Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuusuke Japanese

Ogiwara, Issa Supporting

Toriumi, Kousuke Japanese

Masaka, Yuuko Supporting

Iwami, Manaka Japanese

Yaguchi, Kyouya Supporting

Oosaka, Ryouta Japanese

Sayu's Mother Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Oowada, Tomoyuki Producer

Koutani, Satoshi Producer

Ozawa, Fumihiro Producer

Sasaki, Shuuta Producer

Reviews

Jun 28, 2021

KANLen09

Recommended

As a mega fan of the LN (that just recently ended), and even currently reading the manga adaptation of the original source material (which only solicited and solidified my love for the series), from the moment I first laid my eyes on it, the controversy has been slowly building up with the age-gap romance that's sprinkled with lots of depressing drama filled in, and novelist Shimesaba has done a wonderful job at trying to be the better and superior version of the lackluster KoiKimo that aired alongside each other on the same day this season. And before you ask, "cheap" drama doesn't happen here, nada. ... Your drama "tastes" may vary with this one.

Runaway children. What do you expect for them to encounter while being defenseless without the supervision of adults a.k.a parents, boy or girl. In the case of the JK in question: Sayu Ogiwara, she ran away simply due to family problems that didn't work out, and had to live with the expenses given by her brother Issa until the internal problem could subside (which didn't happen). Being out of money and out of options, Sayu goes out to solicit sexual favours in exchange of having a roof on her head, just to live out another day, on and off. That is until she is spotted under a night lamp by an adult, which she attempts to repeat the same seduction behaviour again, only except that this man rejects her advances outright and teaches her how to do housework, and he goes by the name of Yoshida. From this day forward, the story begins the life of a JK who is being taught how to be a proper high school girl, and the man's constant love afflictions over women whom he desires or has a crush on him at work, going through the hustle and bustle of life while keeping this secret under wraps.

First off, I really want to stress this point home: Age disparity relationships are uncommon but yet still a heavily debated relevant societal issue, though you would often see worldly views denouncing these relationships, from being the shortest marriage possible to facing day-to-day ridicules from people around them. Unsurprisingly, some have eschewed from the norm, and are still able to find happiness over their relationships, and this is definitely the case with the "parent-child" family rhetoric of Sayu and Yoshida. Being an easily vulnerable girl, Sayu has had her share of a depressing past, most of which stems from her natural beauty that others would be jealous of (and friends being scapegoats driven to death), not to mention that the numerous times of her successful sexual favours for a roof above her head slowly seeps in her forced mindless attitude and behaviour of going bleak, in a terrifying fall from grace as a growing teenager and already having her virginity taken away at such a young age. Her remedy is Yoshida, an adult man who is beginning to feel his romance clicks at work with one of his co-workers (the busty Airi Gotou) while being enamored by his junior (Yuzuha Mishima) in a love triangle, all in the name of love and hoping to score with her as a growing adult.

Alas, with the arrival of Sayu, Yoshida has to keep everything about her a secret, lest his neighbours or anyone outside on the street parallel to his small apartment calls him out, even down to his colleagues, to which when hey spot Sayu with him, they begin to question his morales of "taking care of" her when he could've easily exploited her for sex. Nevertheless, this chad adult stood his ground, goes against the social norm by having her around like his own borne child, truly caring for her like a real and mannered adult should be. Even with the growing pangs of Sayu's past coming back to haunt her, as is the eventual reveal with relative colleagues both on Sayu and Yoshida's side, Yoshida faces it like a real man against these problems, though harbouring second thoughts on a clear head at times to stymie his actual body and verbal languages. This is where the original source material and this show finds its "wholesomeness" (and other haters "not buying the cringe drama") in the "parent-child" stranger relationship, where both Sayu and Yoshida grow more fond of each other, while keeping themselves at bay of the potential backlash that they will face in the series going forward. This is IMO character development and background done dreadfully-but-absolutely right, even if on a fictionalised level. If I were to consummate this akin to a quote in the real world, it would be this: "If you want to be successful, learn from the other peoples’ mistakes, don’t learn from success stories.” by Alibaba's CEO Jack Ma.

I'd pray for any studio who got this adaptation to work wonders with the original source material (that's condensed due to time issues), and Project No. 9 got their hands on it, and truly delivered with its limited animation that is made up by the almost-gorgeous visuals, seemingly the best that this studio has pumped out so far that I've seen. It has been a dream come true for fans like myself to finally see HigeHiro on the small screen, and aside from some omissions, this is a largely intact adaptation that does not try to force its themes into one of the stalker kind (I'm lookng at you, KoiKimo) and anything else that detracts from the experience. As for the OST though, it's largely cheerful and doesn't give away the hidden themes that this is an R-rated show with some fanservice and such (that thankfully isn't much). Some good OP/ED songs that fit the expressions of the show well, and Seiyuu idol group DIALOGUE+ has definitely upped their song repertoire quality.

This show won't be a masterpiece of a set piece of dark romance drama, but at least it's a good showing to newcomers who are intrigued with HigeHiro. Make no mistake, there are some scenes that will make you retch at the sight of it, and the drama may go ham and be superficial at times, but when you combine all of them together, it is one hell of an experience not to miss. Finally, a long-awaited show of mine that I can check out of my checklist of works made into anime. It's not for everyone, and you'd be best to have an empty stomach going into what HigeHiro is all about, to letting it ring the fact that you can never easily get out of once you start sinking into this deep rabbit hole of an engrossing drama.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jun 28, 2021

Stark700

Mixed Feelings

Imagine going home one day and see a high school girl at your doorsteps. Now imagine that same girl offering you sex for a place to stay. What would you do? Chances are, you'll have a million thoughts running through your head but would you take or ditch her? Twenty-seven years old Yoshida made a daring choice to take a high school girl into his home and thus begins their bizarre life experience, one that neither of them will ever forget.

Based on the light novel of the same name, Higehiro does indeed sparks certain levels of controversy just by the premise and context alone. The ... age gap difference is a red flag. High school girl Sayu Ogiwara is essentially a runway and at her age of 17, she lacks the financial support that a teenager needs. To get by, she sleeps with various men and made that same offer to Yoshida. In response, he refuses to sleep with Sayu but does offer a place for her to stay. What does that action tell us about Yoshida already? Honestly, it shows that Yoshida is a caring young man who isn't afraid to take risks. Some guys woul've taken advantage of her or worse, reported Sayu to the police. Instead, Yoshida offers her shelter, kindness, and companionship.

Yoshida is fundamentally a hardworking salaryman who lives by himself until taking Sayu in to his home. He works overtime when needed and seems to have a decent working relationship with his co-workers. In fact, his personality and professional ethnics has attracted the attention of his female co-workers, including Yuzuha Mishima. Unfortunately for her, it seems Yoshida's inexperience with women made him dense about their feelings. Throughout the show, you can see the numerous hints she throws at him, including asking him out or showing signs of jealousy. Yoshida seems so dense that he hardly notices any signs of romance aimed at him until she confessed directly. By this act, you can pretty much say that when it comes to romance, Yoshida really needs more social experience. However, that doesn't mean he lacks a love interest at work. In fact, we see that Yoshida confess but rejected right off the bat by his co-worker, Airi Gotou. It set off a chain of events that ended up with Yoshida taking in Sayu to his home. They say that romance can begin like a fate so perhaps it's also a sign. However, do very aware that Yoshida and Sayu's relationship isn't exactly romantic.

The meat of the show is about Yoshida and Sayu's rather complex relationship. Besides their age difference, it's shown that Sayu hides her vulnerability and believes in a simple way of living her life. She often puts on a facade behind her smile although it's shown in rare occasions in the beginning when she is surprised by other people's kindness, especially Yoshida. As more episodes progresses, we see that she opens up more to others and be more of herself. Thanks to Yoshida's influence, she even gathers the confidence to face her future rather than running from it. Life is a reality and Sayu had her own troubled past with her mother, a fellow classmate, and even herself. On the other hand, Yoshida is rather resistant to Yoshida's charms. Even when asked if he wants to join her in bed, he passes it off as a joke. However, Yoshida does grow as a person when taking responsibility. Previously, he was a very independent person who works hard to get by, a contrast to Sayu's carefree way of living. Now, he realizes the importance of also being a people person. Similarly, Sayu begins to take responsibility by taking care of the house and even getting a part time job. Luckily, she also encounters a co-worker who gets along with her named Asami. Their sisterly bond represents a beacon of light in Sayu's new life as Asami is very protective of her. Thanks to Asami and Yoshida's influence, we finally see Sayu being able to open others like ways she didn't realize she could before.

As a romance drama, you can bet that the show is prone to some emotional outbrusts and sensitive topics. These include underage prostitution, bullying, suicide, and social alienation. When I came into this show, I had this level of expectation with the materials the show promoted. If you're a new viewer, chances are that you may be thrown off by some of the show's plot elements. Most importantly is Sayu and Yoshida dealing with life challenges. Watching Sayu facing her past is one of the most important part of her character growth. At first, she couldn't do it alone and the past comes backs to haunt her. Two examples includes her own strict mother and Yaguchi, a guy she once hooked up with. The latter becomes a main problem that triggers Sayu's vunlerable side until she is finally able to let go of her past. Indeed, Higehiro wanted us to experience what Sayu has been through but honestly, her character and choices are controversial. Let's ask ourselves, if Yoshida refused to take Sayu in, what would of happened to her? Chances are, she'd end up in the streets again and using her body to make a living as she always have. It's a shameful reality when we look at the real picture. There are individuals in our real life society that can be relatable to Sayu. When you examine her character, Sayu is fundamentally a naive girl when taking on the world by herself, or at least was, until Yoshida entered her life.

The real question you may still be asking yourself if the romance truly develops between these two people. Fate tied them together to meet but does it bloom into a true relationship? Unfortunately, this season remains ambigious and doesn't make them into an official couple. Sayu and Yoshida's relationship does develop from strangers to close friends but it's not the type of close where they are considered lovers. So if you're looking for some real romance, prepare for some disappointment. To be fair, this anime isn't truly about romance in the first place. In other words, this show is more about facing life obstacles and challenge themselves to make the best them.

Art style and production quality retains a consistent pacing throughout the series. It adapt straight from the light novels to give our characters an appealing look. Sayu indeed has the look of a high school girl decorated with a charming face and slim figure. Yoshida is also crafted with a handsome face that attracts the attention of ladies. As a salaryman, he retains a sense of professionalism at work and adult at home. If you're also asking for fan service, there's definitely some controversy. This comes from Sayu's early attempts to seduce Yoshida and to be quite frank, it's slightly disturbing to watch. Again, controversy is a word that seems syonyomous to this show at times so be aware.

Higehiro seems like a series that was destind to get an anime adaptation. Controversial or not, Higehiro is one of those shows that tries, to be real as it can be.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Jun 28, 2021

Nyuw

Not Recommended

“To the girls that will never graduate from highschool, to the girls that will never find warmth in this world, to the girls that have been abandoned by their parents. I pray that you will find peace in your heart, I pray that you will overcome all your demons, I pray that one day you will say “I’m happy””.

Higehiro is not a romantic comedy, it is an anime that seeks to tell a story, a story about despair, about home and most importantly about need. To tell this story we are introduced to two characters. Yoshida, a man who falls in love with his boss ... and is rejected, and Sayu, a schoolgirl who has run away from home and exchanges sexual favors in order to have a roof over her head. Through these two characters, the author's vision of the world is presented to us.

We learned that the title is the summary of an opera, and in this case it is no different, HigeHiro: After being rejected, I shaved and went to a High School Runaway is exactly what the title says. What makes us think about why such events occurred, the main one, why Sayu exchanges her body for a place to stay? And yes, the main question is not “Why Sayu left her home”. the main point that proves this is the protagonist's attitude towards Yoshida, she not only teases him, but incessantly seeks him to have sex with her. This point is not only stupidly discarded, it is also tossed aside during the rest of the plot and minimized in exchange for another point, her past. her past is portrayed as something dark, traumatic and life-changing, a question that even Yoshida is reluctant to ask.

As we incessantly think about the event that brought about sayu's escape, we are led to believe in Yoshida's goodness and to see him as a moral example to follow, the man who blame his boss for rejecting him, the man who lets a minor spend days in his house, is the same "morally upright" man.
The other characters are despicable and replaceable at any time, besides completing the social circle of our protagonists, they are used to reinforce Yoshida's criminal behavior. They accept the situation calmly and even support him to stay close to Sayu in order to give her the necessary support. As we go through some deplorable fan service scenes, Sayu's long-awaited past is revealed to us, a discussion. The cause of the whole plot is not only stupid, it uses suicide in a disrespectful way, The death of her friend is not the reason for the escape, also there’s no reason for her friend suicide at all, the lesson that is given to the viewer is “Let propel alone, friendships tarnish the beauty of individuality”. In addition to all of the above, we see an incongruity between the facts when Issa is presented in the story, Sayu's brother whose existence proves that the past doesn't make any sense, he always supported her and sought her happiness, he came to afford hotel stays to leave her alone, away from her demonic mother, and how is he presented? Like the villain that will separate lovers.

In the technical aspect, HigeHiro is a mess, the direction is terrible, besides being quite visible how the lack of experience harmed the director, the excess of static scenes (which served in this case to represent the character's thinking) makes the anime dull and uninteresting, there are so many scenes in this format that the thoughts of the characters became predictable. The soundtrack is boring, nothing impactful or memorable, with the exception of the song “Forgotten Event”, which despite not being totally original, is worth listening to.

In the end HigeHiro uses a real and troubling theme to bring out a happy story, where he treats the protagonist as a guardian angel while treating anyone who sees the problematic relationship between Yoshida and Sayu as the story's villain. If you felt bad for Sayu's early story, see other true stories about girls who gave up everything in search of a happy life and a place to call home and all they found was a dark and cold world.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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	Poll: Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Jun 21, 2021	216 replies	by W3TFT »» Dec 14, 3:40 PM
	Poll: Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Jun 28, 2021	312 replies	by arda210621 »» Dec 13, 11:24 PM
	Poll: Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Apr 26, 2021	281 replies	by Paydah14 »» Dec 7, 8:15 AM
	Plan to watch have a question? Jai_akash - Dec 4	20 replies	by Heisenberg_69 »» Dec 6, 1:03 PM
	Poll: Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Apr 19, 2021	330 replies	by Paydah14 »» Dec 6, 8:58 AM