Reviews

If you're at all familiar with anime, then you're aware of the existence of Kyoto Animation Studios. The studio is known for such anime greats as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and the first season of Chuunibyou. Now that they've entered the post Haruhi-era, Kyoani's animations are certainly at the top of the food chain, proving their expertise in smooth character animation and wonderful facial expressions. Hyouka emphasizes the best parts of Kyoani's animation ability, and currently stands as their shining gem in my eyes.

Hyouka, first and foremost, stands on the shoulders of its fantastic four main characters, two guys and two girls. The show is more of a Psudo-romance than anything, for while there are intimate moments between characters, the show never feels like it's trying to shove them into a relationship. You see the four grow closer over time, in a very natural way. It's hard to really discuss these characters in much detail without spoiling the events of the show. What I can say is that they're all very well written and well realized characters, and each one feels like an individual person that can be easily related to.

While Hyouka is all about it's characters, the show's plot would have you think otherwise. Hyouka's plot is all about mysteries. The mysteries are the glue that bind our four main characters together, and work as a way to learn more about our different characters, especially the main character, Houtarou Oreki. We see him start off as a self proclaimed "energy conservationist" who's actions cannot be seen in any other way than lazy. Through the work of his friends, Oreki gradually begins to see new perspectives in life.

Through its beautiful art, fantastic characters, pretty much perfect writing, and interesting mysteries, Hyouka manages to grab your attention, and share with you an absolutely wonderful story in the process. Don't miss this awesome show.