Hyouka

One moment. Lemme get this straight. I am a Hyouka FANATIC. I've watched the anime seven times over now, read the light novel twice, and I'm currently reading the manga for the third time. My point is, my rating may be a lil skewed, but I still think this show deserves more attention. First off, I'm a bit of a mystery fanatic too, so that aspect of the show was fun too. Sure, the mysteries may be relatively easy to solve and pretty mundane, but it's always fun whenever I watch the show through again and pick up on more of the visual details that ... are added in to hint at the solution to the mystery. Now let me talk about this animation. Absolute piece of art. You may not know this, but Hyouka aired in 2012. I would argue that the animation in this show rivals some of the best animations during this season as well, even though it finished airing well over a decade ago. It's absolutely stunning. Also, the soundtrack for this show is great. I don't listen to anime music very often, but when I do it's usually the instrumentals they put in here. The music goes really well with statistics homework for whatever reason. (I'm serious. I've easily kept an A in that class because that soundtrack). Finally, the reason the show really connected with me is probably because of the protagonist: Houtarou Oreki. I used to be a lot like Oreki; I didn't have many friends, zero hobbies, I did the bare minimum to keep my grades okay-ish, and also to maintain the few friendships I had. I guess you could say watching this show changed my ways. Watching Oreki slowly realize that living such a gray life wouldn't be fulfilling, also made me recognize that I didn't want to be like that either. I remember watching that final scene of the last episode, and it really set in that I also wanted a rose colored life, and I wasn't happy being in my own little gray and depressing world. Overall, 10/10 for me. I wish people would still talk about how great Hyouka is, but I understand it's hard for a show to maintain that kind of fame for so long. Hyouka is my favorite anime ever. I've been wanting a season 2 for over a decade now, but sadly I doubt we'll ever get one.

Alright, just like many others, i've decided to give a review of Hyouka after I've finished watching the whole series. I'll stick to keeping the review spoiler free for the sake of interested users who haven't watched the series yet and just want an idea of what the anime is all about.

Hyouka is an anime that definitely starts off slow. We are introduced to our male lead called Oreki who seems to be devoid of passion of any sort as he just follows the same old boring routine everyday without having any interest in life. We are exposed to his way of life, as well ... as his principles of energy conservation. His quote about himself sums it up nicely: "I don't have to do anything i don't have to."

Joining him in the classics club are Satoshi, his witty and knowledgeable sidekick, Mayaka who is a outgoing and friendly girl. Last but not least, the female lead Chitanda, who can be described in one quote, "I'm curious!" (watch the series and you'll understand why). At first glance, Oreki seems like the outliner among the group, considering that he is the only guy who is so unenthusiastic among all of them. The story starts when they try to solve the true mystery of the classics club from long ago...

The mysteries in Hyouka are not your typical mysteries which are action packed, but they do give you a run for your money as the simplest of all matters can actually involve a lot of thinking behind it. The mysteries in Hyouka turn out to be pretty trivial matters at times (in fact, one of the mysteries solved was just through a conversation between the two leads). However, what is impressive is how the characters show great thinking by analysing every nitty gritty before coming to the main conclusion (in which Oreki always wraps things up nicely). Events which seem insignificant at the start could just add up together and end up being the key to the entire mystery. When it all connects, you just have a "wow" feeling and find that the mystery aspect is really well-done.

The most important thing in the slice-of-life genre is the character development in my opinion. Hyouka has just the thing. The characters show changes after episodes and episodes of hanging out together. We start to see love in the air. We understand why Satoshi plays second fiddle to Oreki and is contented with not being the best, we understand why Mayaka is so determined in her feelings towards Satoshi as well as why she feels so strongly towards manga, we understand why Chitanda is so curious in finding out all these little mysteries that happen in their daily lives. Even Oreki gets influenced by the personalities of the 3 that he even takes the initiative to do certain things at later parts of the show, something which we would have never seen in the early episodes.

The anime itself also touches on many aspects and themes. Expectations is one of them. Expectations are something heavy, whether it is placed on yourself or on others. Does having expectations on yourself motivate you to do things even better, or does the notion of having expectations of someone make you feel dejected and admit that you are no match for that person? Expectations is a theme that will be talked about in the show, albeit not the only one.

The other aspect i would like to mention is one's true feelings. When faced with an important choice you have to make, would you follow your heart and accept it with all you've got, or will you take the easy way out, afraid that if you accept something, you might make the mistakes you made in the past and screw things up. "I am obsessed with being obsessed over nothing." After all, sometimes avoiding things is the easiest way out. However, is this truly the right decision to make? Sometimes, trying new things out might not be so bad after all. Following your true feelings instead of letting your head make the decisions might be better at times.

The art is fantastic in my opinion. The animation that left me in awe was the cherry blossoms under the purple sky, along with the flower petals flying around during the last episode (no spoilers =D). Plus, its KyoAni doing it, so details are generally well-done and will not disappoint viewers who use the art of an anime over its plot to determine its watchability (if there is even such a term, but i digress).

Both OPs and EDs are upbeat songs which suit the theme of the anime, which was honestly never meant to be dark despite it being of a mystery genre... They are really nice to listen to and somehow leave you addicted. (happened to me for the second ED.)

I understand that some might be skeptical over how slow-paced Hyouka is compared to other series, but as the story progresses we start to have attachment to the characters since we start to relate to them already, thus enhancing the plot in the progress. So even if slice-of-life/mystery has never been your cup of tea, i still recommend giving Hyouka a go!

Hyouka is an anime that shines in how simple it is, yet so entertaining. The characters are only thrown in typical real life situations that have happened to us as well in one way or another, yet the mystery aspect does not feel any less dull despite that. The series being short and sweet appealed to me. As they say, "Simplicity is beauty."

Wow, it has definitely been quite the long review. To sum things up, Hyouka was a series that kept be hooked from start to finish (me being a sucker for its genre). For fans of slice-of-life and mystery, there's nothing to hesitate about for i'm sure you'll be able to enjoy Hyouka! I hope this review was a good read as well as being informative to you, the reader. To end things off on a random note, my favourite characters are ironically the supporting characters Mayaka and Satoshi xD. Once again, hope you enjoyed this review!

Hyouka is perhaps one of the most beautifully-captivating anime I've ever seen that has much to do about nothing. Of course, that's a very odd way of stating what this anime is, but generally speaking, this is probably the best anime I've ever seen that doesn't have a major conflict. To me, that's interesting considering this is considered to be a mystery.

Overall, this anime does not have many flaws and has many strengths. I would even go so far to say that it is probably the best anime I have seen in 2012.

So what makes this anime so good? The perfect combination of ... interesting, unique, and likable characters in mild-mannered, soft-toned story that has some of the best production value I have seen thus far in 2012.

Here's how I rated each category...

Story: 8/10
The story of this anime I'd consider to be the weak point...but that's not saying much. The story revolving around the characters of the Classics Club was still interesting. I thought some of the mysteries that they solved/tried to solve were pretty interesting, while others felt a little forced and a little off the beaten path (like the mystery of the school supply store and the mountain-climbing teacher mystery). I do feel those mysteries still did their job in the character-building department, but as for the overall narrative, seemed pretty lacking. However, it's only a minor complaint to what I consider to be a very strong narrative about a group of close-knit students. There really isn't much conflict in this story, however, despite that, I consider the story to be quite strong despite a lack of conflict.

Art: 10/10
This is by far the most artistic and beautifully animated anime I have seen this year. The artwork and character design was second-to-none and the use of color during the events scenes/thought scenes were great. I think the best part about this anime though was the artistic expression of Oreki's thought process. It was extremely imaginative and added a flavor to the scenes that might otherwise rub off as boring. Even the character/setting designs were very well done and the use of facial expressions were very well drawn. There was nothing "cartoonishly" animated about this anime. All of the expressions seemed realistic and that in itself is refreshing to see in anime.

Sound: 10/10
The music was gorgeous. It fit the mood perfectly in every way. I found the implementation of classical music with this anime's own unique tracks created a beautifully crafted soundtrack. Honestly, if they came out with a soundtrack for this anime, I think I'd buy it just for it's smooth, relaxing flow. Even the OP and ED songs were great and fit the anime perfectly. I'm sort of linking this with the artwork, but the artistic expression along with the beautiful music for both OPs and EDs for this anime were just gorgeous. Even watching these 1 1/2 minute segments can be just as entertaining as watching a full episode (and that is not an insult of the episodes). The voice acting was spot-on perfect. The main cast of Yuuichi Nakamura (Oreki), Satomi Satou (Eru), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Satoshi), and Ai Kayano (Mayaka) were perfectly casted in their roles. I honestly can't think of who would've made a better cast for these roles.

Character: 10/10
While I did mention that the cast was perfect for the roles, the roles themselves were very good. Oreki made for an interesting protagonist. He was sort of a unique role for an anime protagonist where he wasn't exactly charming and charismatic. He was sort of a slouch who cared more for energy-conservation and a bland use of emotion. That might sound in itself boring, but its integration with the rest of the characters made it interesting and watching Oreki's character evolve and progress made for an interesting watch. However, I'm sure the fan favorite (and rightfully so) is Eru. Her character in this anime was the very definition of moe. Her appearance, her actions, her personality, her expressions, everything about her was extremely adorable and it was refreshing to see a lead female character with this sort of personality. Even Satoshi and Mayaka made for some interesting "friend" characters, with Satoshi being the energetic and outgoing best friend of Oreki, and Mayaka being the tsundere and boisterous female friend/love interest of Satoshi. The side characters were also very well done.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable anime and I was very close to giving it a 10 (just by a hair). I was a little mixed toward the ending but it seemed very beautiful in its own right. It did enough where it could make a sequel (which there is more content in the light novel to do so) or they could leave it be. All-in-all, Hyouka went a little different direction than your typical modern day anime. It implemented the mystery genre with the monotony of real life. One comment I made to a friend of mine while watching it was it is nice to see an anime take a realistic approach for once. The story, the characters, the plot, everything about this feels real. This might be a tough watch for someone who likes conflict in their animes but for those who love a dynamic group of characters in a real-life atmosphere, this is a must watch.

It's doesn't matter how the sound is, or the quality is in an anime. What matters is how the anime impacted on the viewers. How it leaves an impression for its viewers. And how it leaves the mind lingering in a positive way.

For anyone who is thinking about watching Hyouka. I won't say any spoilers. I hope my review will pique your interest on watching this anime.

Seems pretty common right? 2 guys and 2 girls. Nothing wrong with that. You already know what's going to happen. But that is just only a part of the show. They solve mysteries. YESS Mysteries. Not the boring ... kind where someone dies and you have to find the culprit. This mystery kind of anime happens to be simple in its own way. It mainly revolves around the school, and other places as well.

The 4 friends join together in a club for their own reason, and it turns out, 3 characters has their own knack for playing a role in solving mysteries.

Oreki Houtarou happens to have the brains to solve mysteries, and joined the classics club because of a request from his siste. Houtarou, himself just goes through life because he's lazy at everything he does. Turns out there is more to high school then he thought. As time goes by, he will soon find out that there are things he doesn't realize himself.

Fukube Satoshi, the "Date Base". Satoshi is a friend that somehow understands Houtarou more than Houtarou does himself, that goes for Houtarou's sister. He was friends with Houtarou and Mayaka since middle school. And is also the guy that is the brightest out of everyone. Though he is always a happy go person. There are things in life he just can't do.

Chitanda Eru, the one that will not let Houtarou get away from a mystery when something interests her. She became friends with the 3 of them because of the classics club. There is more to her than what you would think.

Ibara Mayaka, friends with Houtarou since Elementary, and Satoshi since middle school, She joined primarily due to Satoshi being a member. She also has a crush on Satoshi since middle school. Satoshi usually just brush her feelings aside with a joke. But what she is oblivious too is that Satoshi reciprocates her feelings and that makes him hesitant to act upon. Due to that she restrains her emotion.

The simplicity of the mystery is what you would sometimes find in your daily lives. What do you do if there was a mystery? You would try to find out why that happen or how that happened right? and sometimes we just give up and wait for the answers. Hyouka won't let you down. It will even get you to solve the mystery with them.

Though it's not all about mystery. Each friends have something in there past that makes them who they are. Houtarou himself is just someone who doesn't understand himself. Just going through life until something in his life will change.

I would say relationship plays a big role in Hyouka. Since you need others to better understand ones self. You may think you would understand yourself the most. But there are things that you yourself won't realize it until someone points it out to you.

All in all. I love this anime. I even bought the set. It has a great opening and ending. I already knew once I saw the opening that it was going to be good. It's not common to watch an anime like this. I hope you guys will watch it, cause I know I'll definitely re-watch it with one of my friends.

---The review contains spoilers---



A mystery, that left me with more mysteries.

So many questions, so many unsolved mysteries and plot holes, I just...Can't.

... Let me just begin with the art of the series, amazing, superb, beautiful, and there is a lot of scenery porn for all of you scenery porn fans out there.

But I didn't watch this anime for scenery porn, if I wanted to look at scenery porn I could have just gone on tumblr instead of watch this anime.

Why did I watch this anime you may ask? I'm going to be honest with you, the art attracted me, I loved the style and the quality animation.
But I MANLY watched for the romance that I kept seeing scenes of on other sites.

I was so excited to watch this because all of the characters looked very unique and beautiful and the art was just outstanding to begin with.

But the story, which is the biggest part of an anime, fell lackluster, and became very tedious to watch.

The series begins with Oreki, and his mindset on life; how he'd rather do nothing and doesn't want an exciting highschool life.
His character is extremely lazy, he's almost like a sloth.
He has a motto that is repeated throughout the show.
"I don't do anything I don't have to. What I have to do, I do quickly."

His friend Satoshi is flamboyant, he may seem simple minded at first; very loud, friendly, always cheerful, but he is actually very competitive and wants to be better than Oreki when it comes to solving mysteries.

He meets Chitanda shortly after, and instantly becomes infatuated with her.
(Don't get your hopes up though.)

Chitanda is simple minded, almost dumb, yet she gets one of the highest top scores in school.
She is the epitome of innocence.
And the field for Oreki's hyperactive imagination.

She uses her famous catchphrase "I'm curious!" And her eyes sparkle and she gets super close to his face, within kissing distance basically, but when she snaps out of it, she backs away and Oreki and her often end up flustered, but pushes it aside and continues on to the mysteries.

Ibara, is a feisty little girl, she seems to have many issues, but the biggest ones are her love for Satoshi and her low self esteem/insecurites. She is an extreme anime/manga fan, being in the club and also cosplaying, even though she's embarrassed to do it, she wants to.

With this, they all create the classics club.

The series begins with a big mystery: Chitanda's uncle.

He left their high school, and disappeared, Chitanda needs to solve her Uncle's mystery before the end of the 7th year of his disappearence or the government will label him as dead.

But then the biggest mystery, for HER, and for everyone else, is her last memory of her uncle, where she asked what hyouka was, and he tells her, and she cries, but why does she cry?

That's the big mystery, what did he tell her, why did he disappear, why did she cry? What does Hyouka mean exactly?

But the mystery gets solved within a few episodes, with like 19 episodes still ahead of us, and the meaning of Hyouka already solved; I had no idea what was going on.

But then I realized, and couldn't stop watching anyways.

Have you ever seen scooby doo? You know how every episode is exactly like the last hundreds of episodes? Where there's a mystery, they find clues, there's a chase, they solve it, everything's cool.

That was basically Hyouka.

They had a mystery EVERY episode, there wasn't one episode where they didn't get a new mystery to solve, or was solving a previous one.

They get a mystery, Chitanda does her famous "I'm curious!" states at Oreki, he gives in and begins to think about the mystery, they find clues and the chase ensues, except there's usually no one to chase and no one gets the cop called on them, Oreki ALWAYS, and I literally mean ALWAYS figures EVERYTHING out, and all the little details are brought forth as he supposedly blows your mind when confronting the culprits.

The mysteries, were not even that interesting, 3/22 times I was actually curious and wanted to find out why was a student shopping at a store near the elementary school called down to the staff room.

Either way, they make a mystery out of everything, every little thing from life became a mystery.

The thoughts Oreki has seems deep and we could all use a little more psychological insight on life. But then I felt like he was psychoanalyzing every situation and every person and every little detail of life, was turn, twisted, and turned into something deep.

So the mystery part of the series was turned into trash, some scooby doo type kiddish crap that was repeated every show, in a more serious realistic manner.

But even when the mysteries and every episode started become a chore to watch, why did I continue?

One thing in this show gave me hope, and that was the romance between Oreki and Chitanda.

Hell, basically more than half the show is about her pushing him out of his comfort zone and getting him to do shit he would have never done until he met her.

In the beginning he says he doesn't want a colorful highschool life, but Chitanda came and brought color into his dull life, whether he liked it or not.

Every episode was filled with shy glances, interest in each other, and most times, Oreki's perverted thoughts about Chitanda.

The romance was nice and steady, slow, you can see the progress as the episodes continue on and Oreki cares even more about Chitanda than he'd really like to let on.

Second to last episode is Valentines day, and here I was thinking she was going to give Oreki chocolate, instead the whole episode is about Ibara's unrequited love for Satoshi.

Which in the end the producers let YOU decide if they actually got together or not, but the vibes Ibara gives me, tells me they didn't.

Ibara asks Chitanda if she has someone she likes, she blushes furiously and thinks about it, (obviously Oreki seriously it's Oreki, even my 4 year old little sister would know that she likes Oreki and he likes her too)

Valentine's day, she apologizes to Oreki because the custom in her family is that they do not give gifts/chocolates to people they are close with on Valentines day, and so she didn't get him anything.

There's a whole mystery that episode about who stole Ibara's chocolate that she made for Satoshi.
Turns out it was satoshi so that he could continue to push her feelings aside.

At the end of the day he eats the crappy chocolate his big sister gave to him earlier in the morning, takes a bite from it, and says "bitter"

Agreed.

The last episode, of course just has to have a mystery, but the final scene is what really, realllllly, grinds my gears.

They both talk about the different fields, such as sciences and humanities for their future, turns out Chitanda chose sciences, and Oreki chooses Humanities.
This gives us the idea that they will part ways in the future due to their different fields.

Chitanda must take over her family's business, and focus on that.

Chitanda sets out her plans for the future, but there's a missing puzzle piece for her grand plan; in which, is an open position for Oreki to fill and continue to be part of her life.

Oreki IMAGINES, that's right, /IMAGINES/ that he offers himself to her for the future, for her grand plan, he offers himself to help her and her family's business in the future.

But, back to reality, he didn't propose any idea of him working with or for her, and gets really flustered at the thought of himself saying that he would.
Changes the subject, talks about the weather/season, chitanda replies, and it's a beautiful moment.

The End.

I guess.

And then that's basically how it ends.

You never get to really find out what really happens to her uncle.
You never get to really find out about Oreki's strange mysteriously outgoing and happy go lucky sister or what she knew or had to do with Chitanda's uncle.
You never get to really find out if Satoshi rejected Ibara or will end up with her in the future.
You never get to really find out if Oreki and Chitanda will be together.

[ Story: 3/10]
If there was any story to this, there were no decent conclusions for it.

[ Art: 10/10]
Superb, honestly, eye candy all over.

[ Sound: 7/10 ]
Everyone's voice actors were great, Chitanda's voice was a little too unrealistic for my liking.

[ Character: 6/10 ]
Everyone had issues and made a big deal out of them, got me really down and depressed when watching them and their issues, especially Mayaka, but none of them really fixed their ways.
There wasn't any real character development except for Oreki, the other main characters are pushed aside.
But most characters just seem really flat compared to Oreki.
He was able to morph and change, while the other characters........stayed.......the.......same...................................yeah

Except Oreki's predictableness and personality started annoying me towards the end.

[ Enjoyment: 2/10 ]
This series honestly felt like a CHORE to finish, it was so TEDIOUS, I was like, ugh I have to finish hyouka, just for the sake of finishing it. Though I was curious about how Chitanda and Oreki would end up.
They ended up with nothing.
A huge disappointment for me.

Oreki and Chitanda's relationship for me was like this, a girl teases you, and she's completely interested in you, you KNOW something's gonna happen, and she tells all her friends about you, and you talk to all your friends about her, and you guys talk every night for hours and then when the time comes, she teases you to the point you have a big fat raging boner, and then her phone rings, and she has to leave, forever, to another country, and she has a boyfriend in that country.

And you're just sitting there with your big fat giant boner, that will never be relieved or touched by that girl.

This completely left me HANGING AND I FEEL SO INCOMPLETE AFTER WATCHING THIS SHOW FML.

[ Overall: 3/10 ]
Art is amazing, that's basically it.

Did the leave an impression on me?
Yeah, as a big fat waste of time that amounted to nothing what-so-ever.

Too lazy to read this review? Yeah I know, just conserving energy.
Drink an energy drink? Yeah I know, too tired to even opening the lid, just conserving energy.

Houtarou Oreki is an energy-conserving boy who avoids non-compulsory activities at all costs. However, he joins his high school’s classical literature club at the request of his sister to keep it from being disbanded. In the club, he befriends a girl with boundless curiosity named Chitanda Eru, whose personality is outwardly the opposite of his. Alongside his friends Satoshi and Mayaka, Oreki finds himself unwittingly dragged into activity by Chitanda’s curiosity as they attempt to solve mysteries in ... everyday life.

Hyouka started off way too slow, but that ended up ironically being its biggest strength. That, and a ton of other things, but your mileage does indeed vary.

Hyouka never conforms to one specific style of storytelling (compare the Kanya Festival arc versus Chitanda and Houtarou trapped in a shed), it never just sticks to the mysteries (indeed, my biggest complaint with this show was the assumption it was going to be a mystery show) but yet the constant references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes) and other famous mystery writers are persistent. The characters started off a bit one sided, but eventually were given ample time for development. You never can pin down what Hyouka will do next, or how it will do it. Indeed, the biggest mystery in this show is the show itself. My answer to the question posed above: It is what it is.

The series is laid out with basically three major arcs, and all kinds of random episodic stories in between them. The episodic stories are nice and creative, but this series really sets itself apart in its multi episode arcs. The stories around them are simple, yet have very complicated stories behind them. They are full of people speculating different theories, and often getting things wrong. The storytelling takes a while to get going due to all of the slice of life put into it, but that allows it to put a ton of detail in these stories, examine everything on multiple layers, and the pay-off really manages to make use of its build-up.

The series features excellent music, voice acting and general sound work. From the extremely memorable two OP/ED songs to the general OST, Hyouka is just simply special and magical. To add to the already high bar set by the series, Hyouka features some of the Anime industry’s most talented seiyuu. These amazing voices appear sometimes in no more than one episode minor roles, adding to a near magically performance and great believability to every character that appears on screen, for however long.

And if it’s an attention to detail you want, then Hyouka really delivers on that. Whether it’s in the relationships between the characters, or the different environments. Kyoani’s animation really brings those to life. The characters themselves are all teenagers who at first sight seem like the usual stereotypes, yet develop into completely different directions. There is one character who will probably get on people’s nerves a lot though: Chitanda. She’s well fleshed out in some areas, but also rather forceful. Or make that very forceful.

The mysteries that Oreki solves, tie directly into his own personal life, development and that of his friends. With every event, the characters, very organically grow and mature. At the same time, the story develops and builds on top of little events to create some really big pay off moments. When at its best, Hyouka truly shows what the Anime medium is capable, fusing intricate story-telling with amazing character development.

For all that Hyouka achieves, which, lets be honest at this point, is more than most anime series have achieved in the last few years, it does have one flaw that may prevent some people from being engaged with it. Hyouka is simply put a sophisticated piece of storytelling. Perhaps a bit too sophisticated at times? Basically, the series is at times unapologetic and feels slow. Like any great story, Hyouka slowly and carefully builds up to some truly amazing story and character moments. The issue is, that while there are a lot of good moments, there are truly only two stand out “epic” parts. The stand out parts of the series being both the Kanyaa Festival arc as well as the last two episodes of the series, add up to a total of two.

Life definitely feels like its being “led” by the characters in the series. By the end of the series, each character has gone through a major character arc, and in the process, truly changed and grown as a person. While the ending could be described as “open-ended”, it is, in fact the best kind of open-ended ending one can hope to find in anime. It brings the theme of the series full circle, and really shows how far all the characters have come.While there are definitely more novels to potentially adapt a second season from and continue the franchise, Hyouka is also one of those rare series that actually delivers a satisfying open-ended conclusion.

Though I agree sometimes the lack of actual consequence made the mysteries…inconsequential, Hyouka gave me an appreciation for the long, twisting stories surrounding the ordinary things filling our day-to-day lives. Animation was brilliant, as to be expected, but Eru’s eyes took character design to new level, something about those

Hyouka is a series of tremendous style, intelligence and wit – a series that indulges its own creativity and treats the audience with respect. It’s a series
exploding with heart. A heart full of intriguing characters, a heart with an eye for artistic beauty, a heart with a sense of restraint in music and a heart that always opened itself to our viewing pleasure.

Hyouka isn't your typical mystery show with elaborate murders/thefts, or intricate schemes and traps, or intellectual battles of incredible depth. Instead, Hyouka gives us a more relaxed take on the genre, mixing elements of high school life with light mystery cases. These mysteries are better described as unusual circumstances or situations that leave an explanation to be desired. Hyouka follows the activities of the Classics Club, their involvement in various problems and situations, and the daily lives of its members and their relationships. From deciphering the meaning of the word "hyouka" to figuring out why all students who shopped at a certain store were called ... to the school office, there are a plethora of puzzles the Classics Club takes upon themselves to solve. While it may not be the most event-filled or action packed show and can be considered dull at times, Hyouka's charm lies in its ability to be clever along with an interesting and likable cast of characters, and how their individual personalities and talents interact with one another as they tackle various mysteries.

The first member of the Classics Club is Oreki Houtarou, who at first glance, appears to be a simple unmotivated high school student with little to no aspirations other than getting through life in the most cost efficient manner possible. However, he is quite intelligent and has a knack for logical deduction and reasoning, although he isn't fully aware of it himself. He joins the Classics Club due to the request of his older sister, and treats it as simply another task he has to complete, but as a result gets more than he bargained for. However, as the type who won't do something unless he absolutely has to, what possible motivation would he have in putting in the effort to solve these mysteries when it conflicts with his very nature?

The answer to that question is our second member of the Classics Club, Chitanda Eru. A veritable ball of energy, she is described as "a person that cannot be ignored" according to Houtarou. The daughter of a distinguished family, her insatiable curiosity often forces Houtarou to quench that curiosity with a logical explanation. She serves as the foil to Houtarou's personality, and pulls him out of his comfort zone and shows him how life doesn't have to be a series of bothersome tasks. A polite and talented girl who excels in academics, she joins the Classics Club to discover a certain truth.

Joining the Classics Club as our third member is Fukube Satoshi, Houtarou's middle school friend and the one known as a walking database. Jack of many trades but master of none, he encourages Houtarou to use his talents and realize his potential while hiding his own feelings of insecurity about his own abilities. He joins the Classics Club to humor Houtarou and keep him company. While on the outside he appears to be a cheery troublemaker and handyman, his issues with confidence and struggle with who he wants to be constantly worries a certain girl who's had an unrequited crush on him since middle school.

With that, we introduce our fourth and final member of the Classics Club, Ibara Mayaka. A girl who enjoys reading and drawing manga and giving her friends endearing nicknames, she serves as the foil to Satoshi's personality. Whereas Satoshi is indirect and not honest with himself, Mayaka is more straightforward and blunt, and pushes Satoshi to be more sure and confident in himself and his abilities. She joins the Classics Club due to her interest in Satoshi.

Hyouka is broken up into various arcs with a couple of standalone episodes. Other than the first arc, Hyouka does not have a set end or goal in mind, and oftentimes the plot involves some mystery the group stumble upon, and the process in which they solve that mystery. Thus, Hyouka's biggest selling point lies within the dialogue between the characters. It reveals how each character approaches a problem, and their mindset on how to solve that problem. I personally found Houtarou's thought process and logic quite clever and was a large factor in my enjoyment of the show. The mysteries do seem to lack substance and motivation, and it does become tiring to hold interest at times, but at the same time, others were clever and creative and were enough to keep me watching.

The art, in typical KyoAni fashion, is hit or miss for a lot of people. However, the fact that it is well animated and fluid means it is pleasant to watch. The animations for the deduction process in particular were impressive and creative. The music is a typical high school slice of life soundtrack. As Hyouka is fairly uneventful, the music is quaint and appropriate. I found myself watching the OP and ED every episode; they are quite creative and catchy, with some nice animations.

If you're looking for an adrenaline filled, high drama mystery show, look elsewhere. Hyouka's relaxed atmosphere and logical nature may seem to make for a boring show, but if you put in the effort to understand and appreciate the dialogue and logic, it's certainly worth the watch.

Hyouka is a visual masterpiece. From Kyoto Animation, you wouldn't expect anything less from this studio in their works on K-On, Nichijou, and Clannad.

Art- 10/10
From detailed character expressions to beautifully crafted scenery, Hyouka has it all. I've been captivated on how much detail is drawn on every character. The anatomy of hands, wrinkles on their clothes, to the strands loose of hair on their backs. The animated mystery visuals are handled so smoothly.And the way this anime skillfully uses colors ,shading, and contrast to their environments to fit the tone on each and every scene. So much effort is put into the animation, that you ... can't help but stare in awe in each and every single episode.

Sound- 10/10
Voice acting was exceedingly one of the best parts of Hyouka. With a cast that includes Nakamura Yuuichi (Clannad, Durarara!, FMA:B, etc.) and Sakaguchi Daisuke (Clannad, Baccano!, Gintama, etc.) You can hear each actor put so much skill and emotion through our animated characters. In terms of music, the soundtrack is great, with various elegant classical pieces played throughout the series.The openings have also been one my favorite songs this anime season.

Character- 10/10
This is what drives Hyouka. From the beginning, each character is set in their own way. They have likes, dislikes, fears, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. It doesn't stick to character stereotypes. The dialog is smart, funny, and rather refreshing. But now what Hyouka handles so skillfully, that most animes aren't able to accomplish, is character development. This anime is driven by the characters . Each Mystery Arc will develop these characters. The differences in development will be small, but incredibly significant enough for you to realize the romance and interactions of the characters have been handled so smoothly and realistically that you can't help but call it amazing.

Story- 9/10
This might be called Hyouka's weak point, because Hyouka is considered to be a Slice-of-Life/Mystery show, a combination you rarely see. It's not a based with a large plot, but divided and driven into Arcs, each a differently unique mystery added inside them. A twist to the anime mystery genre, mostly about conspiracies and murders, Hyouka takes a different approach. These mysteries are not driven as to "Who did it?", but as to "What happened?" and "How did it happen?". All intricately designed. I found myself caring for things I didn't care about before.

Enjoyment/Overall- 10/10
What Hyouka made me realize is that you don't need plot and big, world-ending problems to be a great anime. It can be driven by the characters and their life, their stories, interactions, and experiences. The way it weaves a world filled with people who you actually grow to care about, that in the end, hate to part ways.The fact that I was never let down in each episode, is truly miraculous. Hyouka is a great ride, and if you would give it a try, i'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed.

Ok, I've just finish watching this 22 episode anime, so what can I say? Ok, let's get down to business:


Story: Very Good 8.

What I like about the story is the simplicity itself, it doesn't have anything fancy like we always see the school and mystery genre really did played well. Though, this anime may have a romance genre, it isn't much of a true romance since neither Oreki nor Chitanda ever declared their love for each other nor did anybody made an effort to express it. Though there were some gestures that Chitanda has feelings for Oreki. The romance part belongs to Fukube and Ibara, ... since it was Ibara who did express her feelings for Fukube in a form of chocolate shape heart.

Art: Mediocre 5.

I'm no art critic.

Sound: Good 7.

Since I like both the 2nd opening and closing theme and I do find Chitanda's voice cute.

Character, enjoyment and overall: Very Good 8.

Ok, the title "Hyouka" maybe a bit off since it literally means "Frozen Delights" which can be a pun for "I Scream." The character's of this anime are more of wishy washy bunch because one would hate them at one point then in another point one will love them, like Oreki being a slacker at one point to being a smart guy at another, Chitanda, you'll be piss at her for her curiosity and her constant pestering of Oreki but in another point you'll love her cuteness and her tenacity. As for Fukube and Ibara, I really do like that they have a romantic arc from the very first episode of this anime. Enjoyment? I guess what's really enjoyable is the arc that we the audience were hoping for a romantic arc between Oreki and Chitanda, but alas, all we have is more of gesture than an actual arc, also, I would never understand as to why Oreki's elder sister was not given a face, now c'mon that character does deserve a face.... a very cute face. Overall, this is one anime that doesn't need to have some fanservice to sell, co'z the simplicity of this anime's production already suffices everything.

Just finished this anime and wanted to write a review till the feelings it gave me are still fresh.

So!

Story: 9

If you're looking for a "normal" high school slice of life then Hyouka might be or may be not what you're looking for. Either way, it is quite enjoyable and you will be drawn to it right from the first few episodes. (mostly if you're a fan of mysteries). The best part about Hyouka is that the author didn't try bringing in ridiculous and impossible mysteries which can be somehow explained thanks to some demonic or magical force. No. This is all about development, a ... story where "normal life" turns out to be interesting with all the rumors, object disappearances or hidden reasoning and feelings high school students might have. Also it gives off an important lesson: everybody has a hidden talent, being it skills at observing and memorizing or putting different ideas together to resolve a certain situation or even knowing bits of everything and be a human database, but even so many would fail to see what they're really good at.
I gave it a 9 though because at the end of it all something just felt incomplete. But not necessarily. Maybe I was just sad it ended. xD

Art:9

Typical KyoAni. Which is really good since I tend to love all animes KyoAni put their hands on. The angles, the sceneries (like the sky, water, trees) but also expressions and the focus they put on the characters' eyes was just amazing from my point of view. The art is pretty soft too and tries to avoid contorted faces and unusual movements as much as possible. The openings are also pretty original, like the water droplets on the images which made Hyouka's first opening my favorite of the season.

Sound:

I gave a 10 to the sound. Why? Well because i just couldn't help but replay some scenes because the damn music was so intense. And Hotarou's explanations would just become more epic because of that music. A kind of horror-like soft song that sends both anticipation and suspense. There was another track that would start playing right after or when a character would make a personal confession which also felt pretty intense and almost like you can get the idea of how the character really feels. OP-ED included too, outstanding sound.

Character: 9

The development all the characters got in only 22 episodes That's why the characters get a 9. The first episodes seemed like they stabilized stereotypes as the 4 main characters and this is how they'll be for the entire series. well no. They all change. They all go through a constant changing, because of what happens around them or the people they meet so at the end of the series you just can't help but smile thinking of how many characters we might have initially misjudged. Hotarou, the main and his friend, Satoshi, I think went through the biggest changes of heart.

Enjoyment: 9

All those things above said, are you even wondering why I gave a 9 to enjoyment? xD I would have given it a 9,5 but MAL doesn't allow half votes unfortunately.

Honestly, i don't see what people want from this anime.
It's boring for some people, but the fact that the mysteries are so simple and the plot ideas are executed so well fascinates me.
I'm a fan of wordy anime with a calm setting, which is why i like this anime so much.
Lets start rating it shall we !
Story: 7-good
The story is good, it gets a little bit boring at times, but if the story is enough to get you down from watching this anime, then i am at loss of words.
Art: 8.5-very good/great
The art is amazing, definitely one of the better drawn anime. It doesn't really ... have a chance to portray how good it can be, but from what I've seen it's definitely good and fits well with the whole mood of the anime.
Sound: 9-great
The sounds fit the anime mood, they let you ease in the show and make you feel like you're in a trance. Sure, it isn't like the soundtrack in Pandora Hearts (which is breathtaking btw), but It's definitely great.
Characters: 9-great
The characters are unique and lovable, they contain some of the characters i would like to see in a lot of other shows, the characters are most likely the best part of this show, the music flows well with them, and the art portrays their personalities respectively.
Enjoyment: -10
Now, if you are a type of person like me you would adore this anime, if not you would think that this is a boring anime that is not really worth your time.
If you are calm and collected by nature, you will like this, if not then you wont.
Overall : 7+8.5+9+9+10/5 = 8.7 , rounded 9.
This anime is a great and fresh idea, with it's only downfall being that it's story might appeal boring to the more action oriented people.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you need to be a calm and collected person by nature to enjoy this anime.

Hyouka is a different from a lot of the anime series being released these days, it doesn't try to go over the top, it's slow paced and can be very refreshing to watch. The series definitely isn't flawless but as a whole, Hyouka is a piece of art.

The plot is pretty simple, the characters live a regular life, go to school and solve mysteries that pop up every now and again. Some of the mysteries span for several episodes but most of them are only an episode in length. Although the plot may not seem all too exciting, Hyouka does a real good job at ... executing each mystery and pacing them. Some people may feel that the series moves too slowly but I disagree. The pacing is slow at times but most of the time the pacing of the series is just right. The series also does a really good job at balancing story and character development as it is not extremely focused on one or the other. The mysteries themselves aren't very special, and some of them just come out of nowhere. However, because of the way the characters solve it and the ordeals the characters go through when solving it, they become very enjoyable to watch. Hyouka does suffer from a slow start, as some of the first mysteries in this series can get very boring and aren't too impressive. However, overall Hyouka executes most of it's mysteries very well, and although most of mysteries themselves aren't very exciting, everything else Hyouka does makes them interesting to watch.

The characters are a strong point of this series. The main male protagonist, Houtarou Oreki is a very unique character, his principle is "I don't do anything I don't have to. What I have to do, I do quickly" because he wants to conserve his energy. Also from a knowledge standpoint, he doesn't have all the answers but his deductive reasoning and analytical skills are just amazing. His trait alone makes him very appealing as it separates him from male protagonists in most other series. Houtarou also gets a fair amount of development throughout the series. As he is "forced" to solve these mysteries, he begins to get curious himself and no longer has to be pushed to solve mysteries. Because of this, Houtarou also starts to compromise his own energy conservation principle. While this is all happening, he begins to develop a crush on the main female protagonist, Eru Chitanda.

The main female protagonist, Eru Chitanda has a less unique character than Houtarou, she is very polite, energetic and a bit of an airhead even though she is a top student.She is also shown to be a very caring person. Also when she gets curious she gets all up in Houtarou's face and won't stop until he agrees to solve the mystery. Some people may find her annoying but at the same time,she is very important to Houtarou's development because of the way she pushes him. Eru herself, also develops through out the series (but not as much as the other characters), as she learns to hold some of her curiosity back. At first she holds a great admiration towards Houtarou but later this develops intro a crush.

The relationship between Houtarou and Eru is done very well. As the series progresses they get closer and develop crushes for each other. The development of their relationship is not rushed which makes it seem more natural. Although many would have liked to have seen their relationship go all the way (I was one of these people), it is far more realistic that it didn't because it would have been a bit forced and not natural at all.

The other characters, Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara are also very noticeable. They each undergo some development such as Satoshi, developing a jealousy towards Houtarou, and Mayaka who's relationship with her other club (the manga society) also changes. They are both likable in their own way, and are probably some of the best side characters I've seen.

The art is just outstanding, everything is very well drawn, the movements are smooth and it creates a wonderful atmosphere for Hyouka. The abstract artwork used as analogies to represent the situation that the characters are in is what really blows you away though. Words cannot describe how amazing the animation. Kyoto animations, you have impressed me once again.

Hyouka also presents also has a very good soundtrack, the background music always matches the scene and help give the events more of an impact. The voice actors do a really good job presenting the characters. The openings match the mood of series and are both great to listen to. The second ending also really matches the mystery theme of the anime. The first ending however, isn't something that really goes with the series and I really don't see a point of it being there. Other than that there is nothing bad to say about the sound.

Hyouka is a great series because it is different from most anime out there. Some people may be turned off by it's pace and the simplicity of the mysteries. However it has a wonderful balance between characters and story and the characters themselves are great too and because of all this, Hyouka is a very memorable series.

Hyouka Review - Updated for Episode 3

Finally we're going in a direction. I think 2 episodes of Character introduction were a pretty good way to handle it; but episode 3 gives us a true glimpse into what Hyouka really has to offer.

Story - 8

Bumped this up a level simply because episode 3 finally got me interested. Who is Chitanda's Uncle? Why is so so special? What happened at the Classics clubs 45 years ago? When an Anime succeeds in making me long for the next episode in order to get answers; then it's done it's job well. We can finally see some "mystery". Now, if ... they can keep this going for 20+ episodes without getting dull is a different story.

Art- 10

Hyouka excels when it comes to Art. Clean lines, perfect lighting, cut shadows. It does everything immaculately. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that it's the best animated show this season so far. But the point is, Hyouka does quite amazing things with it's art, in that it fully emphasises it with long cuts and off-angle shots reminiscent of "5 Centimetres per Second" and "Bakemonogatari". What can we expect from KyoAni?

Sound - 7

Bumped this down a score simply because I think the use of Classical works in the anime (such as in Episode 3, my Favourite; Air on the G) feels forced and out of place. They use the music at the wrong time, during the wrong scene and I don't really think it fits in with the Anime at all. They seem to want to add them because they somehow create an air of "intelligence" or "exclusiveness" to the Anime; which I think is wrong. The original work besides that isn't anything special that has stuck in my head yet.

Just now realised there isn't an OP. Don't know what to make of that.

Also, voice acting. Very good. It's only when you start actively noticing (and enjoying) a character's voice that you know a voice actor's done well. In my case, Chitanda. I'm a sucker for moe.

Character- 8

Besides the fact I do not like the Protag in the slightest (most lame, overused excuse for a character insert I've seen), the other 3 are actually quite well made. They each have their own likeable aspects. Of course, we're only 3 episodes in so we're not going to get any depth. However, I can quickly see Chitanda becoming another fan-crush. Heck, even I'm falling for her.

Enjoyment- 8

So far; Hyouka is a very calming watch. It you watch it expecting some sort of Masterpiece or Brain-Boggler then you'll be disappointed. If you watch it snuggled up with a cup of tea (or coffee, whatever floats your boat) and relax to the gentle soundtrack, soft voices and hidden comedy then you'll be sure to enjoy it. Hyouka is all about undertones, and if you don't like Anime that's in your face and overly excessive and loud, you'll probably enjoy it.

Hyouka is a part slice of life, part mystery show about everyday occurrences. Starring a highly introverted and lazy male protagonist as well as his clubmates, the story revolves around the group of them together resolving small and seemingly insignificant "mysteries" taking place inside or close to the school. It can be anything from finding out who stole a book from the club room to who the culprit in a homemade amateur murder mystery film is. Nothing in this show really "matters" but rather it's all done merely for idle curiosity.

Instead of writing a wall of text this time however, I've decided to break this ... down into a quick list of pros and cons for this show, as well as why you should or should not watch it:


--The Good--
• For once, a show that actually isn't a generic romcom despite the high school setting
• The mysteries are simplistic and therefore easy for everyone to understand
• Utilizes many famous detective novels as basis for approaching the various riddles and puzzles
• Interesting and original main characters
• Very relatable protagonist that a lot of anime fans should be able to connect with
• Eccentric and funny female lead who keeps the series on its toes
• Great character development, you can clearly see all of the main characters change and grow over the course of time
• Enjoyable character interaction, both in a comedic and in a serious sense
• Outstanding animation quality (as you might expect from KyoAni)
• Good choice of music which fits the atmosphere of the series very well, both when it's being light hearted and when it's being eerie and mysterious
• Next to no fanservice

--The Bad--
• The mysteries themselves are completely trivial and unimportant, and are solely resolved for the sake of curiosity but without any actual significance whatsoever, which may turn off a lot of people since none of it really matters in the end
• Oftentimes overdramatized, as the characters' reactions to the completely silly plot events can come across as cheesy, cliché and just plain exaggerated
• Somewhat repetitive story design, the plot itself never really improves as the show goes on
• Slow pacing which drags down the actual entertainment value every so often
• Episodic – this is not necessarily a bad thing per se but for a mystery show I think the lack of any sort of overarching story is a bit disappointing
• Highly unsatisfying ending which leaves a ton of questions unanswered


Overall, Hyouka is not really a typical mystery show but not really a typical slice of life or romcom either. It's something that tries to be all of them at the same time.

I would recommend this show for people who care a lot about relatable characters and to see them grow, as well as those who pay a lot of attention to an anime's production value as the actual presentation of this show is stunning. On the other hand if you're looking for a thrilling mystery show with a captivating plotline and a really good punchline, then I'd advise you to look someplace else. You are most certainly not going to find it here.

Now here is where i begin my fruitless attempt to put into words what i actually thought of Hyouka. Which is actually harder than you may expect, because this is just one of those shows where i can’t really think clearly on what it was exactly that i like.

Well to begin I should mention what may be the most obvious; this is by far the best animated show I’ve seen all year. Characrers are detailed and had fluid motion, all the desighns were likable and it all added to that slight sense of realism that persists thoughout the experience. Background were all equally beautiful ... with bright colors or muted colors to to great effect when need. Even something that I had never seen before: a handheld shaky-cam effect, which impressed me to no end on just a technical level. This proved to be one of the main examples that i use when i argue thst anime has spoiled me in turms of 2D animation quality, it just looks that good, yet still manages not to be overbearing, and instead allows you to get immersed in the experience.

The more difficult thing to really pinpont and talk about (though i’ll probably end up talking alot anyway) is the story and characters. In my opinion characters are the most important part in any anime because they can make or break it independent of the plot. The plot can be a great or interesting idea, but if the characters aren’t at all interesting or likable I’m not going to enjoy the show as much. However this is definitely an are in which Hyouka excels. One of the things that one may consider essential in a plot-filled story is the idea of character development, that a characters have to grow along that story. Since this is more of a slice-of-life ( actually more than any other show ever, but I’ll get to that later) that same idea doesn’t apply and the growth has to be applied a bit more subtly, much more how it may seem in real life. If you look at yourself yesterday or a few days ago you may not see any substantial difference, but if you do the same a few years ago it should be more noticeable. And that is the case here; as you look on an episode-by-episode basis your not likely to notice all the changes, but look at the characters on the first and last episodes they are different. I won’t go into detail with everyone but take a look and you’ll see it. Above all else the characters are also very likable, or at the very least I liked them enough to come back each week. The girls were very adorable and the interactions between everyone felt very natural.

All of this also added to an over-arcing sense of realism. Besides the look an the characters the passage of time and structure of the “plot” made it feel like real life. From the introduction and as wells as various elements in the show itself you may have been lead to believe that this is a mystery show, perhaps in the vein of Scooby-Doo or Sherlock (awesome British show by the way) but I don’t really believe that this is the case since a major percentage of time is spent not solving mysteries but rather doing other things such as enjoying the school festival or going to an Onsen. Sure there are mysteries bu I never felt that it was the main focus outside of a few episodes or in other cases certain segments of certain episodes. It almost gave me that sense that Hyouka was confused and perhaps didn’t really know if it wanted to be mystery or straight slice-of-life. In the end I came to the conclusion that this may be one of the best adaptations of real life I seen in an anime, with an underlying theme of mysteries in order to tie the episodes together. Thing more or less seem to just happen in Hyouka usually without in sort of foreseeable meaning or reason to them, and events play out very naturally much like in real life. You don’t remember things that happen day to day, you remember big events or ones that mattered the most to you, festvals, vacations, or smaller events such as Oreki investigating his teacher or trying to prove to Chitanda that he can’t be trusted to solve mysteries. Real life also doesn’t have a clear plot or constant themes other than those you make for yourself. All of which is the case here; not much is consistent in terms of plot as you watch, and its not until you look back that you realize that had this been your life this may have been how you would remember it with all the subtle shifts and changes intact.

All of these changes and shifts made Hyouka a hard show to really give a rating for since I never had a clear idea throughout of what I was meant to look for or enjoy. In the end all that really matters is that I greatly enjoyed watching every episode and continued to maintain Kyoto Animation’s consistent quality standard.

[Feel free to read. This review does not contain spoilers]
Hyouka. A very delightfull anime which reminds me of the years when i was a carefree and crazy teenager. Also, the friendship between the main characters was something that all people would like to have. At first i found Hyouka just ok. But i the end, i loved it. An awesome work from Kyoto Animation. And that ending blew my mind!

Story: 8
The story focuses on Oreki and his friends, who try to solve different mysteries. The series have a good pacing with no filler episodes and it has a unique story, but it is still missing ... this wow factor that other anime have. If you stuck with the series and watch at least the first 15 episodes, it will be difficult to drop it after that. I'd love to see a sequel after that ending.

Art: 9
This is an awesome art by Kyoto animation. The characters, the landscapes and the mood that the series try to give you is great. It perfectly fits Hyouka, and the details are amazing. The quality remains great all the time.

Sound: 8
The sound of Hyouka gives you a 'slice of life' mood. Kyoto animaton does a great job here and many of the soundtracks are awesome. Not the best you'll hear, but definetely will make you feel emotional. The backround music is very good and you may feel sad, happpy, get angry or you'll be unexpressed all the time (like Oreki). Kyoto animation used every single soundtrack in a very good way. The perfect song for every special and regular moment. Also, the voice actors fit every Hyouka character perfectly.

Characters: 9
Just great characters. They are very interesting, both the main and secondary. Escpecially, the character development of the main characters throughout the series will give you the chills, mostly in the final 2 episodes. Each character has his/her own unique characteristics, making the anime even more interesting. The secondary characters are very good to support the series. Also, there is no narrator.

Enjoyment: 8
Memorable series for me. Although i loved the series, sometimes, this 'solving many different mysteries' thing was boring. Some of them were worth solving and special, but not all of them.

Overall: 8
Hyouka is recomended for everyone who wants to watch a more 'down to earth' anime, with no battles, no magic,no supernatural, no gore, no psychilogical and dark content. I believe, this anime needs to become more popular, and also, i believe it is underrated. Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that it's the best of it's genre, but definetely unique.
(English is not my native language, so sorry for my mistakes, if there are any)
Thank you for reading!

Updated after episode 15.

1) Score updates (note that I score with 5 things I find average, so 6 means I find something above average):

Story: 6 -> 7
Art: 10 -> 10
Sound: 8 -> 7
Characters: 6 -> 7
Enjoyment: 6 -> 7
Overall: 6 -> 7
...
2) Story and characters
There are two kinds of episodes in Hyouka. First, you have silly eps. There the mystery is no really mystery (eg. "Why did I get angry? I never get angry!"), the characters don't really develop, and the focus is mainly on comedy which I personally find dull. Second, there are arcs composed of several episodes in which something interesting is going on. The mystery is not the typical murder case, but also something casual, however it is not silly. The characters are being developed. The comedy is still there, of course.

Fortunately, while the show started with a lot of the first kind of eps, since episode 9 there has only been one of them, and it was actually a special (11.5). And, for those who want some diversity amongst the characters, two new characters have appeared in the last two arcs (one per arc) who, while not main, seem to be more important than 'just classmates' and Irisu is still having some screen time after the arc she appeared in is finished.

Furthermore, while it seems the arcs seem to be finished, they have some loose ends untied. While I wouldn't like to spoil, I can say that they are not important and leaving them as is won't ruin the show, I feel like the show could win a lot for closing them.

The characters are believable for the most part and I enjoy watching them.

3) Art and sound: I don't usually pay special attention to the art and sound. In this case, however, the art has made me pay attention to it - in the good sense - so It gets a 10. The sound is good - never annoying, but nothing spectacular - so 7.

Hyouka has been sitting in my "Plan to Watch" list for some time, and I can report that I'm very glad to have gotten around to watching it. I was originally allured by the beautiful animation and reputable ratings, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Story (8):
Hyouka is centered around four charming students in the Classics Club and their desire to dive into the subtle mysteries of the world around them. The main character Oreki has committed to his "energy conserving" lifestyle, as he does not want to stand out, waste energy, or do things that aren't required of him. ... Upon joining the Classics Club, the club president Chitanda discovers that Oreki has excellent deduction skills and can solve simple mysteries that spontaneously spark her curiosity. Oreki develops into the group's lead detective as they discover the world around them.

The story itself is a charming and simple one focused around development of the Classics Club, as we watch the personal growth of the members during their first year of high school. A rather uncomplicated story work in its favor, as the the episodes develop "moment-by-moment", which engages the viewer into the story excellently. I regularly found myself getting lost in the episode that before I knew it, they were over. That's an impressive feat for a slice of life anime. However from a critical standpoint, the story was sometimes inconsistent and hard to follow, seeing that a lot can happen in a short amount of time.

Art (9):
This is definitely Hyouka's most impressive element. The art was almost flawless. Chitanda's sparkly purple eyes, the flow of the hair, the beautiful resolution, the stunning scenery. You'll definitely want to watch this in at least 720p, or you're not fully appreciating what this show has to offer. Throughout the series I was consistently impressed with the animation. The only thing holding this back from a 10 is some of the little things. Sometimes the hands lacked detail along with things like faces in the background etc. If it was just a little more detailed it would be a total 10. Still can't complain.

Sound (8):
Never sure of what to say in this section, sound seemed good, nice and HQ but nothing that stood out as impeccable.

Character (7):
I really found myself relating a lot to the main character Oreki, as I too have been accused of not caring, being lazy, can't put effort into things, is never excited or smiling, etc. Some of the jokes the supporting cast say about his personality are things that have been actually said to me, even.

The characters have great, unique personalities and each had some growth in themselves throughout the series. However, this is also my lowest score for all the elements of the show (though a 7 is still good). I was hoping for a bit more development in the supporting cast and the relationships between them, as most of the development seemed to focus around Oreki. He is the mc, but regardless this could have been a very strong category otherwise.

Enjoyment (8):
I never thought I would watch a slice of life anime this fast. Episode after episode is completely packed with story and meaning and the series seemed to fly by. The innocent curiosity of the Classics Club kept me engaged and entertained, as I practiced by deductive skills and honed in on the world in front of my eyes. Especially through the great animation, falling into the story was easy.

Overall (8):
Hyouka is a great example of a slice of life / mystery done right. Beautiful art and story from beginning to end, engaging and curious. Can't believe I waited so long to watch this! if you're looking to get lost in a cute and charismatic story, Hyouka is definitely the way to go.

The primary reason for any form of story-telling media to fail is because of a lack in character development. Hyouka may not have yet revealed the most riveting plot, but I am able to continue watching in good faith. Even if it does not reveal such a plot, I can't say I would regret spending the time to see it because I've really grown to adore these characters.

Honestly, characters really are the most important facet to a story. Jack Sparrow practically made Pirates of the Caribbean. The Last Airbender movie failed because M. Night ignored the fan-base's love of the characters. While all pieces of ... a story are important, the characters are the authors, and Hyouka is clearly written by the characters.

Moreover, I would like to note how clever each mystery is. Granted, no dark murders or kidnappings have appeared on campus, but seeing how I am still watching, the author works with the "mundane" very well. Also, I am not sure that the mysteries are going to remain so light. After all, Chi's uncle has been missing for seven years, and for those of you who have gotten this far, "I scream" sounds a little ominous. I am fascinated to see where the overall plot goes.

The art and the sound are wonderful as well - I love the sequences when Chi's curiosity takes Oreki by surprise.

KyoAni's latest outing is just like, and yet totally different than what we're used to from them.

First off, the good. The art in this show is fantastic. So far, they've had almost the quality of animation that was in Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, and considering that was a movie, that's damn impressive. Background characters aren't just stable backdrops, they're always moving, the lighting is done fantastically, tiny details are animated even if they don't matter - it all together makes a beautiful show. Which is a shame, because it does the K-On! bobbing heads talking, which can be quite distracting, and the moe character designs ... aren't very interesting. Oddly KyoAni has taken a page out of Shinbo Akiyuki's work and have very SHAFT-esque animation when they're doing their mystery work, really reminding one of Bakemonogatari. Bakemonogatari did it better, but that's like saying, "Well, he's good at puns, but he's not as good as Zaltor the Merciless." Overall, though, the animation is the best part of this show. It's easily the prettiest of the season.

The story is decent, what little we've seen of it. I'm not going to describe it for spoiler reasons, but it's pondering but interesting enough to get hooked. The detective writing is very good, however - this show has sections each episode where they try to figure out a somewhat ordinary but interesting mystery, and the main character solves in classic Poirot fashion by noticing every tiny little detail.

But, now it's to the ugly part. The characters are nowhere near as good. The main character's shtick is that he is so lazy that he measures out how much energy he uses per day. It comes off less as lazy on his part than lazy on the writer's part, allowing the "quirky" girl to bring him to do things.

I should probably cover what my problem with the "quirky" girl as a concept is. It falls under the same category as the dogged nice guy/friend zone thing. It's the nerdy guy's version of sexist entitlement. She basically exists to be cute and "quirky", but not to exist as a character. Her life outside of the main character is pointless - she is here to bring excitement and fun into his life, no matter what else. I'm not saying that girls can't be weird. I'm saying that it's really sad how these movies and shows, which usually in the United States get labeled on the "hipster" side (a side that usually prides itself on being anti-discrimination, despite they're almost all white rich kids), almost never pass the Bechdel test. Hyouka certainly doesn't. *I'm not trying to say that Hyouka is hipster. I'm saying that quirky girls usually show up in American cinema in indie stuff.*

Anyway, besides my feminist rant, she's just not that interesting. She acts cute and moe and... worries a lot about a random student she knows nothing about and her uncle that she hasn't seen in over half a decade. Huh.

The other supporting characters are a straight-up tsundere and That Other Guy, which I've seen both a hundred times. He gets more screen time than most That Other Guys, but he's still not that interesting.

Overall, it's pretty to look at and pretty interesting, but if you like characters more than story you should probably skip Hyouka, at least as far as episode 4 shows. I'm going to keep with it myself, but to each their own.