Review of Hyouka
Young Sherlock. Hyouka is such a strange anime to talk about. A group of four high schoolers getting together in their Classic Literature Club and solving mundane mysteries shouldn't seem like an exciting pitch for a show and honestly, it isn't. What makes this concept work so well however is its tight writing, voice acting performances in both the sub and dub and Kyoani's insanely beautiful character animations. I honestly do not think that the story premise would've worked in the hands of a lesser studio. Characters practically pop off the screen with broad expressions and movement, we're treated to engaging riddle-solving scenes that will sometimesswitch between different animation styles and the first episode has one of the best, if not THE best depiction of the 'falling in love' moment I've ever seen in any medium, ever.
Of course, none of this would mean anything if our cast of four wasn't likeable. Houtarou Oreki is an energy-conserving hermit who lives by his motto "If I don't have to do it I won't. If I have to do it, then I'll do it as quickly as possible." Though a gloomy character he is very smart and has a knack for thinking outside the box to solve problems more quickly, presumably so he can get home quicker and just lay down on his bed and do nothing. His hermit plans are always foiled however by the club's president Eru Chitanda, an honour student whose adorable curiosity usually leads to her getting him to solve mysteries for her. Gradually he starts to stop detaching himself from the world around him thanks to her meddling and their chemistry becomes spellbinding to watch.
Satoshi Fukabe is Oreki's only real friend at the beginning. Outgoing and sociable, he is the exact opposite of Oreki and he tries to push him to do things outside of his comfort zone especially when it comes to Chitanda. Finally there is Ibara Mayaka. A hot-headed wannabe mangaka in a manga club who's brash towards Oreki, but has a crush on Fukabe.
The four of them have excellent chemistry and as the show goes on and more of their insecurities are exposed through their mystery-solving shenanigans they become tighter as a group. They're also all very smart. It's not just Oreki doing all the heavy lifting. They all have something to contribute when coming up with hypothesises, and gathering evidence and it's incredibly engaging to watch them work and talk things out together. None of them are a weak link and that's refreshing to see.
As for the mysteries they are very tightly written and come to satisfying conclusions, but I wasn't joking when I said that they're mundane. If you're not into high school drama or family history or figuring out how to open a locked door you'll probably find this to be quite dull. This doesn't help by the characters sometimes being a little ... overdramatic to certain realisations which come off as cringe rather than emotional moments. The overdramatic acting also leads to so character developments falling a bit flat even by high school anime standards and it's hard to watch at times.
Hyouka is a hard sell. Not everyone is going to enjoy it. However, I highly recommend going in with an open mind and giving it a try. If not for the story, then for a reminder as to why Kyoto Animation is so highly regarded and so beloved amongst the anime community.
8/10 Great