After seeing clips of this anime in basically every single AMV out there, I got ‘ curious ‘ to finally check out this anime. *pun was shameless intended*. And little did I know that anime that deals with curiosity, which caused me to watch it because of my own goddamn curiosity. Of course, I did hear about Hyouka prior to watching those AMVs but a high school mystery anime was just not enough to peak my interest despite the fact I overdose myself with Veronica Mars episodes even when I do Math for my upcoming exams. Not a good habit my friends!
So, I finally sat down on my ass and I watched the show and boy it was one interesting experience watching Hyouka. In case, you are unaware of the plot of Hyouka, let me give you a synopsis of it. Hyouka is a mystery anime about a young high school boy name Hotarou Oreki who just doesn’t have the time and energy to give a single fuck. He doesn’t feel like doing anything and doesn’t see the point of living a rose coloured life unlike his peers. His motto is that he should always conserve energy and not do anything and if he has to do something, he will do it quickly. Which I guess means he is trying to be like the Flash in bed!
However, his life takes a turn for the best when his sister requests him to join the Classics club to keep it alive, over there he meets Chitanda Eru. This little girl over here is curious to the point she must intimidate Oreki with her kawaiiness and luminous purple eyes to help her solve the tiniest and pointless of all mysteries. Add Oreki’s best friend Satoshi and a girl named Mayako who has a crush on said best friend, and you have got Hyouka.
However, my friends, that is not even close to what Hyouka is actually all about!
Hyouka is in my opinion a slice of life anime with a grand twist. That is mainly due to the fact, how this show presents itself to the audience. Because, if you ask me slice of anime, are very challenging to make them interesting. The other interesting slice of life anime that is interesting that I can think of from the top of my head is Fruits Basket, but Hyouka unlike Fruits Basket still takes place in your average Japanese school.
It’s the characters, and the way they interpret certain situations and the way they look at certain aspects is what makes Hyouka worth watching. From the eyes of our male protagonist Oreki, we began empathizing with his situation and we actually buy into his insane logic that it’s okay being lazy and that there is no point in being active in contrast with his best friend. But, it’s Chitanda Eru’s character that challenges his outlook on life, and gives him a purpose and a meaning to actually live life. Sure, being a detective solving ridiculous mysteries may not seem enough, but due to her and these mysteries you see our main protagonist slowly and subtly evolve into a character that seems different from the one we were originally introduced to.
It’s this way of developing a monotonous and sarcastic like Oreki is one of the show’s biggest triumphs. Many might disagree saying that he is still the same character, but if you look closely, Oreki hands down changed on the inside even though he might still seem like his usual self on the outside. It’s thanks to Chitanda Eru, that Oreki became as interesting and memorable as the show itself.
Chitanda Eru on the other hand is a plot device if you ask me. Mainly, due to the fact before she stepped in Oreki life’s was as boring as a learning watching paint dry. It’s her perkiness and of course curiosity that give depth to Oreki’s character. Now, Chitanda on the other hand, is a girl who can be annoying but in a good way if you ask me. She might not be that interesting or worth remembering but I have to give her credit for making the show entertaining. If it wasn’t for her involvement this show wouldn’t have been so wonderful.
In fact, the interaction with her and Oreki is one of the highlights of the show. The two have amazing chemistry and if the show lasted longer it could have been a great romance too. But, despite all of that seeing the two on screen together discussing possible theories in order to reach some conclusion is what gets the audience excited. The ship starts to sail and like Chitanda you are curious to see whether is will continue sailing to reach its final destination or will it sink to the depths of the ocean. That my friends is something for you to find out by watching this show!
The supporting and recurring characters are nothing that worth mentioning, but they do manage to do just enough in order to contribute to show this show.
Now, the majority of the mysteries of the show are ridiculous, but that’s what makes them so great. Because, despite not knowing the exact answer it all depends on Oreki’s perspective of the situation to come to such a conclusion that will make you go, ‘Huh, I could never ever think of something like that!’. The show has the audience on their toes and keeps them guessing things like why a teacher forgot the lesson plan or what Chitanda’s grandfather told her when she was younger that made her cry. It’s these small and yet vague situations that deconstructs the mystery genre.
However, the show did get boring when dealing with the Cultural Festival arc. Sure, there were moments that I loved, but since it dragged on for like 6 or 7 episodes and reached to a conclusion in a messy way is what prevented Hyouka from being a masterpiece, in my opinion. Many of you might disagree with me, which is expected but that particular arc was my least favourite in the entire show but it was not necessarily a bad arc.
The arc that really defines Hyouka in the most literal way possible is the one about Chitanda’s missing uncle. By the end of the arc, I was convinced that Hyouka was indeed an original and epic anime. The final conclusion that our main character reached and the way it was all displayed is what made this show so good. And I salute the show for making me drop my jaw to the floor in a metaphorical way of course.
Now,the animation on the other hand is hands down one of Kyota Animation’s best work. I can’t believe I am saying this but Hyouka’s animation was better than the one they did for the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, and that comment alone says a lot about the animation. But, the only thing I can criticize about it is that it kind of reduced in quality during the Cultural Festival arc, and during which the animation seemed average at best. But, for the rest of the episodes it was just absolutely flawless!
The visual representations of what the characters are thinking or saying about a certain mystery helped Hyouka reach greatness. Every single one of them were truly outstanding, and it was sad that I didn’t see many of them again during the cultural festival arc. I can go on and on praising the animation, but we would be here all day if I did that!
Now, the background music of the show again has got to be the best I have ever heard. And it is amazing how perfectly is blends with the tone of the show. It helps build tension, but is also there for the humorous moments. It even helps disguise the bland moments and make them worth giving attention to. That’s how wonderful the music was!
I originally prefer the first opening and ending themes of the show compared to the latter ones, as they were the only ones I never skipped. The opening song is something I never want my brain to get rid of like ever, and listening to it feels like getting welcomed into heaven if you ask me. The second opening song was not bad per se, but it’s just overshadowed by the first one. However, the second opening and ending themes are wonderfully animated though, the songs that accompanied them just didn’t suit my taste.
The Japanese voice actors also do an outstanding job and I love them to death for making Hyouka even better than it needed to be!
So, now that I have finally after much thought and discussion have come to my own conclusion and have decided to award Hyouka with an 9,, and that you should definitely check this show out, especially if you want a different type of slice of life or mystery anime to watch. Hyouka, is one of a kind and it deserves all the praise it gets and it is one of those shows that I desperately want a second season for!
