Hyouka is somewhat unique story that follows Houtarou Oreki throughout his very average day-to-day life. He's a simple guy who more than anything hates to waste energy if it's not absolutely necessary. If this is so, then what makes this story interesting? You could say the answer to that question would be a bit of curiosity. No, not the curiosity of the main character himself, but instead, that of the others around him. In particular, the leading lady of this story, Eru Chitanda. Her consistent thirst for discovering the unknown leads her to "motivate" Houtarou into solving all of the mysteries surrounding the main characters no matter how insignificant they may be. Sometimes it's difficult to escape a gaze so alluring, so magnificent.
The content is presented in a very meticulous manner, as would be expected of a mystery series. However, this is not your conventional mystery series. Hyouka is structured in a way that the author attempts to keep viewers guessing until the very end, but with most of the smaller mysteries, this is not the case. Instead, viewers can easily follow the logic as the characters begin to put together the pieces and come to the correct conclusion almost before the characters themselves. Some have argued that the series is boring because these less significant mysteries are trivial and simple. However, I believe that these mysteries are some of the more interesting aspects of the series because they allow for the characters (and overall themes of the series) to develop. It's a formula used throughout the series. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely worth a taste.
The animators and writers deserve even more praise for the characters that they've created. Each is unique in their own way and their personal stories unfold at an appropriate pace as the series progresses. Their personalities complement each other as they all play their own role in the group. One thing this series does well is to keep you guessing about what the main characters' fates will be until the finale. The plot, as previously mentioned, moves at a somewhat slow pace (mirroring the personality of the main character) but each episode's time is used wisely to build the mysteries, the theories behind these mysteries, and most importantly the anticipation felt by the viewers.
The music is well-done and used accordingly with each given scenario. It's exactly the type of score you would expect to hear in an anime that presents itself as a mystery series. The music is very reminiscent of what you would hear in a James Bond movie as Agent Bond is cracking the all-important code and gets down to the bottom of everything. Some of the tracks however are very plain sounding and only detract from the mood that the producers are attempting to set. Finally, I'd like to discuss the amazing art work of this series. As expected of Kyoto Animation, Hyouka is a visual masterpiece which spares no expense when the matter in discussion happens to be the art. It's definitely one of the high points of this series.
Overall, I would brand Hyouka as a somewhat unconventional mystery series that incorporates hint of romance and comedy into a uniquely presented plot. While Hyouka might turn away viewers in fear that it's nothing more than a mediocre mystery series, I still would recommend it to all viewers who are looking for something new. In specific a story that focuses less on mysteries of moment and more so on the mysteries surrounding the characters themselves. Hyouka wasn't exactly what I expected it to be by the time I finished the series and that's the main reason why I'd like to recommend this anime to all viewers.
Story: 8/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Characters: 7/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
