The full title is Higehero: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway. Which might just be one of the longest and least appealing titles I have ever seen for any anime. And I’ve seen a lot of titles like that.
Higehero has one of those premises that immediately set you on edge. “Oh, it’s a show about a guy who takes in a… high school girl… after he gets rejected by his- oh, I don’t like where this is going.” Thankfully, it isn’t a show about a seventeen year old girl and a twenty-seven year old dude hooking up. Rather, it’s a complex drama that explores the oh-so realistic tragedies of parental neglect, suicide, low self-esteem, phycological effects of sex on a young mind, and many more fun and entertaining topics!
God, even my entertainment is bumming me out these days…
After being rejected by his work senpai, protagonist Yoshida gets hella drunk. On his way back, he runs into a high school girl, Sayu, under a lamp post, who offers to have sex with him in exchange for a place to stay. Ever the good man, Yoshida refuses her offer and allows her to stay anyway. In order to keep her from throwing herself at another, more dangerous man, he continues to let her stay, even knowing the legal risks. His ultimate aim: to help Sayu conquer her demons and resume a normal life.
A drama like this is built upon its characters. If they don’t work, the whole thing falls apart. So, how are the characters here? Well, they’re a mixed bag. Some characters, like Sayu herself, are very well written and extremely compelling. Others, like Yoshida, are lacking in depth but are more than likable enough to forgive. Others have such little screen time and so little dialogue that you can’t help but wonder why they’re even there.
Dialogue is rough, too. It can sound very awkward and stiff at times. A good chunk of it is very solid, but I found that to be the minority of it. It doesn’t help that the characters often have long-winded internal monologues that just explain what they’re thinking, re-explain the last conversation, or just breaks down the current situation. As if the audience hadn’t already noticed.
The animation is also super rough. It’s never butt-ugly, but it’s often as stiff as the dialogue. Granted, this isn’t a show that needs insane displays of sakuga. In fact, I’d argue that it would work better in live-action than in animation. It’ll never make you want to claw your eyes out, but it will never impress you.
Soundtrack’s kinda dope, though. The OP and ED are both jams.
Higehero is a show with a few strong moments. It tackles some really dark themes to… varied results. And it isn’t an especially subtle show. Still, it’s worth at least giving a shot at least one time. Might just be that you’ll enjoy it.
Or it’ll make you really uncomfortable. Probably that.
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