Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway

Higehiro was produced by studio project No.9 and premiered in 2021 as an adaptation of the light novel series written by Shimesaba and illustrated by Booota. The series emerged during a period of significant experimentation within the light novel adaptation space, focusing on the challenging and often controversial dynamic between a salaryman and a runaway teenager. The production sought to navigate the delicate thematic elements of the original text, balancing the narrative's heavy social commentary on loneliness and youth homelessness with the established visual conventions of the romance-drama genre.

The character designs were overseen by Takayuki Noguchi, who aimed to capture the distinct aesthetic established by the light novel's illustrations while ensuring the characters remained expressive enough to carry the series's dramatic weight. Upon its release, the adaptation garnered significant critical attention for its willingness to engage with mature interpersonal themes, sparking wide discussion within the anime community regarding the narrative's moral trajectory and the evolution of its protagonists throughout the twelve-episode run.