Review of Hyouka

FULL THOUGHTS: https://booksequalhappiness.blogspot.com/2020/08/anime-hyouka.html "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, make it quick." (Houtarou Oreki) I usually enjoy a slice-of-life anime, yet this one had such a slow-pace. I didn't hate it, but honestly, nothing happened at all. Most of the episodes after the first major mystery felt like fillers. Twenty-two episodes were too much. The story was okay, but most of the mysteries they encountered felt anti-climatic. They were mostly mundane things, but I guess the point is the rush of solving them. In terms of art and sounds, I enjoyed the visuals. KyoAni's animation is always stunning,and Hyouka was no exception. I love that the simple scenes were brought to life by the art style. The visualizations of the character's inner-thinking and the brightness in the eyes of the characters when they have intense feelings were some examples. The sound effects brought to life the narration, especially on the mysteries. I also liked the minor details that were added, like Houtarou's bedhead and Satoshi's drool. The only issue that I had was the lack of originality in some of the character's design. Many of them reminded me of characters from Beyond the Boundary or some other KyoAni creation.

In terms of characters, I feel conflicted about them. There were some aspects that I liked about them. Their issues and doubts on how to live their life was relatable. Houtarou was such a mood. However, most of the time, they seemed bland and unenticing. All four of them felt they were just there. Just stagnant in their current state. The lack of significant character development pissed me off. I guess that's because of the short timeline and setting, though. Still, I wanted them to have made at least some minor firm decisions in life.