Review of Hyouka

In retrospect, Hyouka only becomes a greater anime. My initial score was a 9. Now it's probably the most solid 10 I'll ever give. The series is completely unpretentious and brilliantly executed. I know there are people out there who hate on slice-of-life anime because it's full of manipulative nonsense meant to make the viewer go 'aww'. Hyouka does none of that. Hyouka shows you why, ironically enough, considering the main character, ordinary life can be exciting and energising. That ordinary life, ordinary pleasures, ordinary amounts of logic, thinking, and effort can indeed result in something extraordinary. The genius in Hyouka lies in its subtlety. The maincharacter, Oreki Houtarou, is determined to lead a lifestyle of serenity and peace, which involves expending as little energy as possible. The anime doesn't diverge from this - indeed, it is an atmospheric masterpiece attuned to the ideal world that Oreki craves. Everything is beautiful, everything moves slowly, and everything is surprisingly perfect. Even the most ardent of hearts will be calmed with Hyouka.

Oreki's task is basically that of solving mysteries within a very human context. Unlike Detective Conan, the focus here is less on the how, and more on the why. Human motivations are what drive the mysteries in Hyouka, and its up to our indolent protagonist to solve navigate the thorny path. We are taught that truth is by no means necessarily good and is more likely painful. We learn why humans cause each other pain and grief. We are guided by KyoAni's steady hand.

We do so, because much like Chitanda Eru, the female lead - we are curious.