Review of Hyouka
A lot of people overlook Hyouka. For starters, it isn't a romcom. Hyouka is a mystery series about four students solving mysteries in the Classic Literature Club. It doesn't contain any crazy stuff with murder, bloodshed, etc; instead, it handles its secrets in a lighthearted and collected manner. Slice of life isn't something you watch every day. And that, in my opinion, is what makes it so unique. I was extremely drawn in by the mysteries, and before I realized it, I couldn't resist clicking the next episodes. The series is honestly quite straightforward, and I enjoy that since you don't have to be particularly intelligentto comprehend it.
Despite being created in 2012, it can still compete with the majority of current anime series. The studio Kyoto Animation is most known for its exquisite animation and distinctive character designs. Regardless of whether you like the series or not, I think we can all agree that there were no issues with it in terms of art and animation due to the great quality, wonderfully animated sequences, and the nicely drawn backgrounds. Regarding the character designs, they are so recognizable as KyoAni that you'll recognize them right away. But what sets Hyouka apart from KyoAni's previous works in terms of character designs is probably how the characters actually looks more like japanese that if you were to ask me how most japanese would look like, Chitanda would probably come to mind.
Hyouka probably has one of my favorite casts. Oreki Houtarou, our lazy MC resembles what the majority of people nowadays wish to be. He's lazy but yet smart. He is the one who decodes the puzzles. Though plainly doesn't want to unravel the puzzles given his laziness. Here is where Chitanda Eru steps in, Being "kinanarimasu" constantly is how she initiates the mysteries. Are we missing something? Yeah, Satoshi and Mayaka are two of which that are also part of the group. Satoshi is the energetic one in the group. The one that makes the atmosphere lively and intriguing. Mayaka on the other side, was a unique individual. She was a straightforward girl who is very honest about her feelings and is the one arguing when she thinks something isn't right.
Regarding the voice acting I had no issues whatsover since each character had a natural voice. Though Chitanda can be infuriating at times when she repeatedly approaches Oreki while saying "kinanaramisu".
It can appear really boring for some as the show can seem dead in some aspects that might not suit your tastes but if you're seeking a lighthearted mystery series then what're you waiting for?