Review of Hyouka
Story: Introvert and energy conserver Houtarou Oreki is starting his first year at Kamiyama High School and is forced by his sister Tomoe to join the Classic Literature Club. Upon meeting Eru Chitanda, Satoshi Fukabe, & Mayaka Ibara, the 4 must work together to uncover the mystery of Eru's uncle. Characters: As good as the story is, it's the characters that kept me invested into this world. Houtarou can be apathetic and cynical, but deep down inside he cares about his group and always has something useful to contribute to each case, in some scenarios I even found him relatable, with his calm approach towards lifeand excellent chemistry with each member of the group, I really rooted for him. Satoshi Fukabe seems like your typical comic relief with his quirky habits and cheerful demeanor, but he has also an excellent memory and refers to it as his database. My personal favorite has to be Eru Chitanda, I absolutely love her and Oreki's bond together and how excited/curious she gets over anything of interest, not to mention her adorable moments like getting drunk on chocolate. Some people may find her annoying, but I'd rather take a sweet girl like her over an abusive tsundere anyday. Lastly there's Mayaka Ibara, a volunteer librarian at the school's library. She's quite frank and can get on Oreki for his usual habits, but she does value their friendship being that they've known each other since elementary school. I enjoy seeing these 4 work together and by the end I truly felt like I had gotten to know them and their backgrounds.
Art: Kyoto Animation never fails to impress, and Hyouka is no exception, Kamiyama High and the rest of the world around are brimming with color and life. I love details such as when Chitanda's eye glow when she gets curious, or when the gang is explaining a plan and we get a visual representation of everything in motion. Kyoto's creativity really shines through in a few scenes, one where Oreki imagines Chitanda as an angel and a group of mini Chitandas are grabbing his body exclaiming "I'm curious!" and another where he imagines him and Chitanda riding a bike together through a flowery grassfield.
Sound: BGM is mostly light hearted fare. Chitanda's eyes make a sound whenever she gets curious. The openings perfectly describe Oreki opening up to the world around him, while the endings perfectly play on the mystery aspect of the show.
Enjoyment: This show is just what I needed after having to trek through series with selfish unlikable characters, bland storylines, and no love put into them. It's the kind of series where I just can't get angry at all because the characters are so interesting, the atmosphere is so peaceful, and I just want to find out the outcome of every case.
Overall: Don't be put off by the fact that it's another slice of life series where nothing groundbreaking happens, Hyouka is a series that rewards viewers for their patience and fills them with joy, shock, surprise, and all the other right emotions. Along with a group of lovable characters, little details I liked here and there whether they were big or small, an engrossing story,and a beautiful atmosphere, this is a series definitely worth investigating.