Story : 8/10
Hyouka is in the mystery genre, and as such, it uses these familiar settings in order to set up its stories. By this I mean, not only is there a new, peculiar mystery to be solved each time, but viewers are given more and more insight into the main characters, their motivations, and their relationships to one another—hidden bits and pieces of the characters’ personalities are revealed, and prior events and twists, which viewers were not aware of, arise to wreak havoc on their perception of what they thought they had previously understood. Hyouka is thus a show that actively reciprocates its audience’s feelings and thoughts, constantly keeping them guessing in a playful manner, and at times, in an unexpectedly dark way as well.
The first character we are introduced to is Oreki Houtarou—a lazy guy who prefers an unconventional “gray” life as opposed to the stereotypical “rose-colored” one of his fellow peers. After receiving a request from his sister to join the Classics Club, lest it be shut down, Oreki travels to the clubroom and discovers a girl, Chitanda Eru, standing at the window and looking out over the schoolyard.
Art : 9/10
Brought to viewers by the staff of Kyoto Animation—famous for providing “in-your-face” dramas (Clannad, Kanon, Air), and cute high school girls doing cute high school things (Lucky Star, K-On!)—, one would not expect something so … subtle and complex. Part of the reason for this may be the fact that the show is originally based off of Honobu Yonezawa’s series of “Classic Literature Club” novels, as opposed to following the popular trend of adapting from light novels. Since the former is a medium that places emphasis on prose, instead of illustrations as in the case of the latter, it lends the author greater capability to delve into his characters’ psyche. And in a show that is as character-driven as Hyouka, the novel’s structure of story-telling is apparent.
Sound: 7/10
Didn't hear that much about soundtrack while focusing on the story.butsurely it has good OP and ED in Part 1 neither Part 2.Well at least it makes me refresh after continue each of episode which is hard to understand quickly
Character :10/10
Perhaps even this may not impress the veteran anime-watchers because learning a new side to a character is a common feature of all animes. Hyouka, on the other hand, is a show that consistently brings up new and different information about each character, making it difficult to pin them down as any particular “type” (the most notable to mention, in terms of his development, perhaps being Fukube). Even the characters themselves are often surprised, not only with some of the choices the others make, but with some of the choices they make themselves. The method of “showing” and not “telling” is also an impressive feature of the show, for, while there are brief instances when characters’ thoughts are narrated, the writers of the show don’t belabor the descriptions of characters’ emotions to the point where it becomes tedious, or employ “deep” metaphors for the sake of creating a “dramatic effect.”
Each character brings to the table their own unique emotional baggage, and while their feelings do occasionally slip out from behind their attempts at stoicism, direct conflict where characters are soap-operatically yelling and venting their thoughts to one another never occur.
Enjoyment : 8/10
>For veteran anime watchers: It is definitely worth checking out; if not for the story, then at least for the style itself as it is very unique. You will discover a show that is very different from your typical run-of-the-mill high school anime, and if you’re a fan of thoughtful, realistic suspense stories, then it will be a solid viewing experience.
>For non-anime watchers: This show may be a difficult one to tackle especially since it requires so much of the viewer’s attention. I would suggest watching a few animes belonging to similar genres before trying this one out. Death Note is a great place to start in terms of a detective/suspense show, despite how much of a polar opposite it is from Hyouka, and a couple short high school animes to familiarize with certain tropes would help as well.
Afterall It depends on your education about Japanese and culture which will help you to understand how the story goes on.
Overall : 9/10
The only issue which some viewers may have is the enigmatic nature of Chitanda Eru. Part of the reason for this is because we are constantly viewing her from Oreki’s perspective—a character who often thinks he has Chitanda all figured out, but who constantly finds himself surprised the more he discovers about her. On the one hand, it makes Chitanda an interesting character to observe, but on the other hand, viewers may feel that she is ironically a “characterless character,” and point to it as a fault of the show. Such an opinion is difficult to comment on objectively, so I will leave viewers to decide for themselves.
"I don't do anything I don't have to. What I have to do, I do quickly."
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