Review of Hyouka

Hyouka is a slow-paced but realistic school-life anime that revolves around little, everyday mysteries. The anime features Sherlock Holmes-esque problem solving on an everyday scale. Themes include logic puzzles, slice-of-life, and high-school romance. There is little action but the illustrators do a great job of spicing up the dialogue. None of the mysteries are morbid, and the overall atmosphere is very positive and happy. The magic of this anime is its ability to make inconsequential mysteries into riveting narratives. The male and female protagonists are opposites, but have amazing chemistry together (and can be quite funny). The romantic subplots are treated in a believable way, and neverseem to be forced. Viewers find themselves wanting to join in and hang out with the gang.

One concern is that some of the mysteries are slightly too drawn-out. Although I enjoyed the characters, by the end of the anime their quirks are perhaps overly defined, and they lack a little nuance.

I recommend this anime to viewers who like school-life settings, slice-of-life, romance, and---most importantly---logic puzzles. This anime is suitable for teenagers and early 20's adults.

If you are not a fan of slow-paced anime, look elsewhere.