The plot is pretty simple, the characters live a regular life, go to school and solve mysteries that pop up every now and again. Some of the mysteries span for several episodes but most of them are only an episode in length. Although the plot may not seem all too exciting, Hyouka does a real good job at executing each mystery and pacing them. Some people may feel that the series moves too slowly but I disagree. The pacing is slow at times but most of the time the pacing of the series is just right. The series also does a really good job at balancing story and character development as it is not extremely focused on one or the other. The mysteries themselves aren't very special, and some of them just come out of nowhere. However, because of the way the characters solve it and the ordeals the characters go through when solving it, they become very enjoyable to watch. Hyouka does suffer from a slow start, as some of the first mysteries in this series can get very boring and aren't too impressive. However, overall Hyouka executes most of it's mysteries very well, and although most of mysteries themselves aren't very exciting, everything else Hyouka does makes them interesting to watch.
The characters are a strong point of this series. The main male protagonist, Houtarou Oreki is a very unique character, his principle is "I don't do anything I don't have to. What I have to do, I do quickly" because he wants to conserve his energy. Also from a knowledge standpoint, he doesn't have all the answers but his deductive reasoning and analytical skills are just amazing. His trait alone makes him very appealing as it separates him from male protagonists in most other series. Houtarou also gets a fair amount of development throughout the series. As he is "forced" to solve these mysteries, he begins to get curious himself and no longer has to be pushed to solve mysteries. Because of this, Houtarou also starts to compromise his own energy conservation principle. While this is all happening, he begins to develop a crush on the main female protagonist, Eru Chitanda.
The main female protagonist, Eru Chitanda has a less unique character than Houtarou, she is very polite, energetic and a bit of an airhead even though she is a top student.She is also shown to be a very caring person. Also when she gets curious she gets all up in Houtarou's face and won't stop until he agrees to solve the mystery. Some people may find her annoying but at the same time,she is very important to Houtarou's development because of the way she pushes him. Eru herself, also develops through out the series (but not as much as the other characters), as she learns to hold some of her curiosity back. At first she holds a great admiration towards Houtarou but later this develops intro a crush.
The relationship between Houtarou and Eru is done very well. As the series progresses they get closer and develop crushes for each other. The development of their relationship is not rushed which makes it seem more natural. Although many would have liked to have seen their relationship go all the way (I was one of these people), it is far more realistic that it didn't because it would have been a bit forced and not natural at all.
The other characters, Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara are also very noticeable. They each undergo some development such as Satoshi, developing a jealousy towards Houtarou, and Mayaka who's relationship with her other club (the manga society) also changes. They are both likable in their own way, and are probably some of the best side characters I've seen.
The art is just outstanding, everything is very well drawn, the movements are smooth and it creates a wonderful atmosphere for Hyouka. The abstract artwork used as analogies to represent the situation that the characters are in is what really blows you away though. Words cannot describe how amazing the animation. Kyoto animations, you have impressed me once again.
Hyouka also presents also has a very good soundtrack, the background music always matches the scene and help give the events more of an impact. The voice actors do a really good job presenting the characters. The openings match the mood of series and are both great to listen to. The second ending also really matches the mystery theme of the anime. The first ending however, isn't something that really goes with the series and I really don't see a point of it being there. Other than that there is nothing bad to say about the sound.
Hyouka is a great series because it is different from most anime out there. Some people may be turned off by it's pace and the simplicity of the mysteries. However it has a wonderful balance between characters and story and the characters themselves are great too and because of all this, Hyouka is a very memorable series.
