Review of Hyouka

Moderate Spoilers Ahead, read this if you have a jist of the show. Hyouka, this anime is probably the best anime i have ever watched ever, from animation to art to characters to story this anime is superb and i wish it got the appreciation it deserves. I will attempt to express my complicated feelings towards this amazing piece of fiction here and i hope you guys who have watched it can relate. The premise is simple, a recently highschool kid who hasnt fully realized his purpose and talent and his single friend he met in kindergarten. is forced into a literature club as its traditionwithin the school for the literature club to win the school festival. with one another member (soon two other members) and slowly experiences the beauty of human relationships and connections as he realizes what he truly desires from life. from normal human relationships to romance, and learning to actually enjoy his life rather than doing the bare minimum to EXIST and allowing himself and the people around him to be happy while unraveling his talents and finding where he truly wants to dedicate his energy and basically, just creates a really vivid, really passionate, really relatable, and very good, coming of age story.

Story: 10

The story is extremely mundane and simple but i give it a 10 for how it makes the best out of the cast. solving mundane mysteries like wheres that sound coming from oh is the janitor to why did the principle call this random student to the office. and while these innately dont have any purpose. Through the usage of oreki's deduction skills on these mundane mysteries and his newly found relationships in highschool he slowly but surely develops into a person who can be confident and aware of his abilities and good qualities. Its so weirdly touching because its extremely relatable to anyone who entered highschool with little to no relationships. Essentially the clubs environment is a catalyst for the club members itself, the club included in this environment. what i would personally describe as a feedback loop. Where the environment hes been forced in (the literature club, the people in it, and the rest of its baggage.) allows him to further unravel himself as a person and where his coming of age story occurs. Where he learns to take risks and actually enjoy his life beyond sinking deeper into his comfort zone.

Characters: 10

The characters in this anime are absolutely amazing. the way every single character has their own ups and downs, shortcoming and faults. and how it all connects perfectly and how all these people are neccessary for eachother. if one character is a puzzle piece another is the second piece needed to complete it. these characters are so unbelievably..... real, that i cant help but understand how these characters work as plot devices and help each other perfectly. Something you can only understand if you watch it yourself. the characters are all essentially puzzle pieces that when connected create the absolute perfect most symmetrical puzzle. without one piece something would feel off.

Art: 8

I give the art an 8 but it is definitely something special, from the drab yellow color palette to the soft-hard shadows on the pavement of the school it perfectly encompasses the environment and really helps the symbolism in this show especially near the end

Sound 8:

in the first episode where they heard knocking above them i thought someone was banging on my roof, nuff said.

Enjoyment 10:

This anime felt so unbelievably real that i couldnt help but be hooked 10 minutes into the first episode. with an unbelievably REAL! conclusion. very enjoyable.

Conclusion:

To conclude, this anime is absolutely perfect for me (and in quality). The characters perfectly encompass highschool relationships and adolesence. The ending was absolutely amazing and every single character is seemingly milked for all their substance and development by the end but there is still more to be desired and shown, even if it doesnt appear like it. The color palette and art is unreal and really compliments the symbolism this show attempts (very basic symbolism no eoe type shit). Everything and everyone in this show is a catalyst for everything and everyone and fits together in this perfect harmony of a cast and perfect choir of a story. Where the chorus is the cast learning about themselves, and our protagonist learning to live a life outside of his comfort zone allowing his dormant talents to truly manifest. And despite the risk of failure, have an opportunity at joy and fulfillment through new experiences. Overall i loved this anime and it will forever be in my favorites and in my heart of hearts. Its a story about adolescence, highschool, romance, platonic love, personal development, and most importantly, people.