Stated above is the eternal life motto of the protagonist Houtarou Oreki, a serial energy conservationist whose demeanour emanates laziness, lack of interest in all that a typical high school student enjoys and an obsession with efficiency. The singularly peculiar nature of this character and the enlightening journey he takes make “Hyouka” one of the most intelligent anime of the last few years. As Houtarou gradually engages with student life and appreciates his friendships, one will witness the psychological examination and emotional development of an individual who is in fact distinctly talented and analytical. As Houtarou solves various mysteries at his school, he begins to realise his potential and the viewer becomes attached to the fundamentally meaningful transformation of his approach towards life- this character development is the defining strength of the series.
High school has now been a perennial setting for anime of recent times, leading to many mundane and unimaginative series’; but there are always exceptions to any rule and “Hyouka” is a prime example of such. Against the grey backdrop of Houtarou’s first year at high school, a significant change comes to the protagonist’s intrinsically routine and humdrum life as he is compelled to join the school Classics Club by his older sister. This earnest compliance with his sister’s request perplexes and surprises his close friend Satoshi Fukube since Houtarou is famous, or more precisely infamous, for possessing a stark disinterest in studying, sports and interaction with classmates. Joining a club can be strenuous and exhausting- a reality that would be anathema to a lethargic energy conservationist like Houtarou. Once a naturally inquisitive girl by the name of Eru Chitanda joins the Classics Club, this perception of any club being arduous and energy consuming is confirmed. Eru is the antithesis to Houtarou’s character as she is vibrant, energetic and immensely curious into even the most trivial of things. Meeting Eru is the marked change that comes to Houtarou’s life. Change can be a benediction. Eru pushes Houtarou into a series of mysteries involving the club through which he is able to better understand himself and the world that surrounds him. These various mysteries are at the heart of the story as Eru raises them and then serves as the locomotive that encourages Houtarou to investigate them. Both Mayaka Ibara, a girl who brings a level of calm to the club as she avoids confrontations and looks for swift resolutions to various problems, and Satoshi Fukube, a Sherlockian with an impressive memory and base of knowledge, join the club. The distinctive characters provide a great deal of variety to the series but they are overshadowed by the complexity of Houtarou. A major positive aspect of the anime is that it gives a vivid study of Houtarou’s though processes and his rationale. He is a mightily fascinating subject indeed in that he almost always produces an intricately reasoned and eloquently conveyed solution to the mystery at hand. Engaging with this thoroughly intriguing character and his soundly logical mind is reason enough to watch this series.
The series centres around mystery, a genre that evokes preconceptions of a story centred around crime, deception and horror. Perhaps refreshingly, neither of these preconceptions are relevant to “Hyouka” as it is far from a typical mystery series; there is no savant detective who ingeniously solves mysteries at will nor is there a narrative that will leave one with palpitations. This peculiarity is in fact a major strength of “Hyouka” as it strays away from the now monotonous conventions that are synonymous with the mystery genre. The resolution of the mysteries that “Hyouka” depicts do not have long-term repercussions with regards to justice and order; in contrast they tend to come in a more realistic and at times pragmatic manner as Houtarou deals with various conundrums such as supposed ghost sightings during a trip, being trapped in a room and unravelling why a student was called to the school office. The definitive essence of these mysteries lies in their impact on the characters as the likes of Houtarou and Eru are deeply affected by their implications. “Hyouka” presents each of the mysteries convincingly with the unique characters providing their idiosyncratic perspective through eccentric approaches and theories. Whilst Houraou’s deductive powers are impressive, there is a noticeable absence of an ingenious and virtuoso detective. This reality allows for each of the characters to shine as they contribute to the concoction of a final solution; viewers will appreciate this as they will be immersed by the thought processes being used by the characters and at the same time attempt to formulate their own ideas with regards to the mysteries. A critical drawback of most mystery programmes is that the viewer is left bewildered by a profoundly gifted investigator, creating an unsurpassable barrier between the protagonist and the viewer. “Hyouka” almost certainly avoids this flaw; there is a range of meaningful characters that mature in their own distinctive way as they collectively solve mysteries over the course of the series. Nonetheless, “Hyouka” is not a perfect series devoid of shortcomings. Some of the mysteries have a tendency to be quite monotonous and tedious due to a lack of relevance and complexity. When Houtarou solves such relatively straightforward mysteries there is an inclination for the other characters to revere him as if he was an incomparable genius. Crucially, these more simple mysteries are few and far between as the greatest strength of the series is the profound logic and rationale that Houtarou impressively utilises at will to solve many complex mysteries.
Kyoto animation, the studio known for classic anime such as Clannad and Kanon, has long been praised for the exceptional detail that it puts into their works and this has translated into a magnificently crafted series. The character designs and the quality of the animation are outstanding with the distinct presentation of Houtarou’s through processes being a definite highlight. The artistic quality is laudable but one would expect nothing less from Kyoto Animation. “Hyouka” also has a fitting soundtrack that greatly adds to the emotion of the series and the light instrumental pieces enhance the narrative immensely.
“Hyouka” is one of the most stylish and intelligent anime series of the last few years that elegantly presents a relationship between the main characters that is similar to that between Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Whilst some of the mysteries lack depth at times, this is easily superseded by the much more developed arcs that define an overall impressive series. Each character undergoes maturation and most importantly, it is heartening to see Houtarou gradually free himself from the shackles of laziness and emotional detachment.
