Review of Hyouka

Hyouka is charming. It’s a mystery series where the mysteries surround the characters’ “curiosities”. Hyouka is founded on short, episodic mysteries, which could be at times, a little underwhelming. They are small, everyday oddities, yet under the lens of Hyouka’s protagonists, they become grand adventures, sweeping you up along with them. There is no overarching storyline in Hyouka, it focuses more intently on character interactions and growth, the curiosities playing more of a supporting role. The mysteries themselves, whilst mostly ordinary, are entertaining, and puzzling. Some can be predicted by the viewer ahead of time, but most were a pleasant surprise (for me at least).Only once was there an occasion when I has a solution to problem that seemed obvious, yet was not addressed by the show. Hyouka’s story is fun most of the way, with some good character drama, and maybe, not enough romance.

The characters the strongest point of Hyouka. I found most of the characters relatable, with well established flaws, which were explored throughout the show, the only exception being Chitanda Eru, the leading female protagonist. I felt Chitanda was a little too perfect, her flaws; the sort of too kind, and just too darn cute, type of thing. Yet as a driving force for the show, the catalyst to the others actions, she was still great. Initially, the characters were a little gimmicky, and stereotypical, however as the show progressed, their stereotypes were shoved aside, and they grew and developed, their ‘gimmicks’ becoming funny quirks that I couldn’t help but smile at by the end. The show dedicated a fair amount of time on the supporting characters too, resulting in a memorable, and interesting cast.

The show looks beautiful. There are very few times where I thought otherwise (a stray 3D model or two). There were a few brilliant wacky visual effects present, where reality distorted, and hair crept like vines, or shirts stretched like rubber bands. These scenes were incredibly memorable, and the only negative thing about them is that there were far too few of them. Character designs weren’t too zany, with regular coloured hair, and no excessive busts. They were still distinct, the entire cast all immediately recognisable and unique. For the most part, the art and animation was solid, good looking and definitely above average. No characters sounded grating or annoying, which is the extent of my knowledge surrounding voice acting. As for the music, the soundtrack was not particularly engaging or special, it simply served its purpose at the appropriate times. I cannot recall a single theme unfortunately.

Overall, Hyouka is a lot of fun. It has entertaining ‘curiosities’, great, dynamic characters and solid production. Give it a watch if ya want!