The story of Hyouka revolves around the Classics Club and its members--mainly focused around Oreki Houtarou and Chitanda Eru. Chitanda's endless curiosity leads to the demise of his lifestyle, as he is coveted into solving each and every one of her inquiries. This setup is problematic as it often leads to the anime being episodic as the it progresses. Often times as I was watching the series, I found myself checking the previous episode because I felt I had skipped an episode due to the lack of connection between each one. That was only a minor problem, however, and it sometimes was dealt with through multiple-episode arcs such as the Hyouka mystery, or the thief of the Cultural Festival.The mysteries were by far my favorite part of the anime. They exercise your brain by making you think, and it is very entertaining as Houtarou uses his to solve them. That is the premise of Hyouka--Chitanda becoming curious, and Houtarou succumbing to it.
The other two members of the Classics Club are Fukube Satoshi and Ibara Mayaka. Satoshi considers himself a "database" and limits himself to not drawing conclusions. I found him to be entertaining and likable as he often uses this as an excuse for his incompetence, leaving Houtarou to finish off the mystery. Mayaka is a hardworking girl, who is strict with herself and sometimes others. I will not say I disliked her, but I felt she had no part in the solving of the mysteries. As a whole, the cast of Hyouka levels out to be exceptional, and they kept me entertained throughout the whole anime.
The art style of Hyouka is well-done, especially with the character designs. I wouldn't say it's beautiful, but you should have no complaints with the art if you decide to watch the series. It is a relatively new anime, so if high-quality is your cup of tea, Hyouka is for you. The soundtrack was decent. I never skipped the openings, mainly because I never do, but the first opening I enjoyed a lot. The original soundtracks were good, especially when it came to solving mysteries. As a whole, the art and soundtrack is not amazing, but is in no means bad, and was executed properly. If you are planning to watch this show, they should pose no problem at all.
Overall, Hyouka is an anime in which you can relax and think at the same time. It combined the genres of mystery and slice-of-life, and executed them perfectly. As for my enjoyment, Hyouka is a great watch. I was never once bored during it. If you're planning to watch it, I would highly recommend it, whether you want to think or relax.
