Review of Hyouka

Hyouka is perhaps one of the most beautifully-captivating anime I've ever seen that has much to do about nothing. Of course, that's a very odd way of stating what this anime is, but generally speaking, this is probably the best anime I've ever seen that doesn't have a major conflict. To me, that's interesting considering this is considered to be a mystery. Overall, this anime does not have many flaws and has many strengths. I would even go so far to say that it is probably the best anime I have seen in 2012. So what makes this anime so good? The perfect combination ofinteresting, unique, and likable characters in mild-mannered, soft-toned story that has some of the best production value I have seen thus far in 2012.

Here's how I rated each category...

Story: 8/10
The story of this anime I'd consider to be the weak point...but that's not saying much. The story revolving around the characters of the Classics Club was still interesting. I thought some of the mysteries that they solved/tried to solve were pretty interesting, while others felt a little forced and a little off the beaten path (like the mystery of the school supply store and the mountain-climbing teacher mystery). I do feel those mysteries still did their job in the character-building department, but as for the overall narrative, seemed pretty lacking. However, it's only a minor complaint to what I consider to be a very strong narrative about a group of close-knit students. There really isn't much conflict in this story, however, despite that, I consider the story to be quite strong despite a lack of conflict.

Art: 10/10
This is by far the most artistic and beautifully animated anime I have seen this year. The artwork and character design was second-to-none and the use of color during the events scenes/thought scenes were great. I think the best part about this anime though was the artistic expression of Oreki's thought process. It was extremely imaginative and added a flavor to the scenes that might otherwise rub off as boring. Even the character/setting designs were very well done and the use of facial expressions were very well drawn. There was nothing "cartoonishly" animated about this anime. All of the expressions seemed realistic and that in itself is refreshing to see in anime.

Sound: 10/10
The music was gorgeous. It fit the mood perfectly in every way. I found the implementation of classical music with this anime's own unique tracks created a beautifully crafted soundtrack. Honestly, if they came out with a soundtrack for this anime, I think I'd buy it just for it's smooth, relaxing flow. Even the OP and ED songs were great and fit the anime perfectly. I'm sort of linking this with the artwork, but the artistic expression along with the beautiful music for both OPs and EDs for this anime were just gorgeous. Even watching these 1 1/2 minute segments can be just as entertaining as watching a full episode (and that is not an insult of the episodes). The voice acting was spot-on perfect. The main cast of Yuuichi Nakamura (Oreki), Satomi Satou (Eru), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Satoshi), and Ai Kayano (Mayaka) were perfectly casted in their roles. I honestly can't think of who would've made a better cast for these roles.

Character: 10/10
While I did mention that the cast was perfect for the roles, the roles themselves were very good. Oreki made for an interesting protagonist. He was sort of a unique role for an anime protagonist where he wasn't exactly charming and charismatic. He was sort of a slouch who cared more for energy-conservation and a bland use of emotion. That might sound in itself boring, but its integration with the rest of the characters made it interesting and watching Oreki's character evolve and progress made for an interesting watch. However, I'm sure the fan favorite (and rightfully so) is Eru. Her character in this anime was the very definition of moe. Her appearance, her actions, her personality, her expressions, everything about her was extremely adorable and it was refreshing to see a lead female character with this sort of personality. Even Satoshi and Mayaka made for some interesting "friend" characters, with Satoshi being the energetic and outgoing best friend of Oreki, and Mayaka being the tsundere and boisterous female friend/love interest of Satoshi. The side characters were also very well done.

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable anime and I was very close to giving it a 10 (just by a hair). I was a little mixed toward the ending but it seemed very beautiful in its own right. It did enough where it could make a sequel (which there is more content in the light novel to do so) or they could leave it be. All-in-all, Hyouka went a little different direction than your typical modern day anime. It implemented the mystery genre with the monotony of real life. One comment I made to a friend of mine while watching it was it is nice to see an anime take a realistic approach for once. The story, the characters, the plot, everything about this feels real. This might be a tough watch for someone who likes conflict in their animes but for those who love a dynamic group of characters in a real-life atmosphere, this is a must watch.