Hyouka

 

"Watashi Kininarimasu", words that change Oreki Houtarou's high school life, our main protagonist in Hyouka, a mystery anime aired in 2012. This anime consists of 22 episodes revolve around the life of Oreki and his friends in their Classics Literature Club solving many mysteries. It starts when Oreki's sister forced him to join the club to avoid the club being disbanded due to the lack of members in it. Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but other small cases as well. 

 

        For the plot of this show, I can say that there's more to this than meets the eye. In the surface, you might think it is not interesting or boring because the mysteries involved are not heavy such as murder cases but the way Oreki solve it is really captivating because he solves it with very little information. Don't expect complicated plot because this is a slice of life anime, so you can watch it casually. But, I can say proudly that this is not like other slice of life anime. This is due to the show that frequently dives into life of high school students, whether they want rose-colored life or gray-colored life. It also explores the reality of this life, by showing the comparison of a genius and a normal person. So, for the plot of this show, I will give it 8.5 out of 10 because the plot is light but still provide a satisfying show for the fan. 

         For the next part, its characters. This anime revolve around four main characters, Oreki, Chitanda, Mayaka, and Satoshi. There are a few side characters like Irisu but their screen time is too short. So, with only four main characters, it will be easy to remember them. Our main protagonist, Oreki is a unique one compared to other generic main characters like Luffy, or Naruto. Oreki is lazy, the opposite characteristic of Luffy and Naruto. But, that makes him interesting because he is realistic, he resembles me except the part that I am not a genius like him. Then, we have Chitanda, the one that change Oreki's life. She is the one that force Oreki to solve all mysteries that they found because she believe in Oreki's ability. She is cheerful and trust me, you will like her. So, I will score 8 out of 10 for the characters in this show because I think side characters like Irisu should be given more screen time. 

        Now, let's proceed to the animation of the show. Kyoto Animation produced Hyouka and believe me, they never disappoint when it comes to the animation. Even though show based on the real world, not a fantasy one, they still manage to make this anime distinct from other high school based anime. There are a few typical moments that Kyoto Animation still manage to make it so beautiful such as when Chitanda ask for Oreki's help. I also love how they make Chitanda's eye sparkle when she is curious about something. It really shows her passion about any mysteries that exist around her. So, for the animation of the show, what else can I give other than 10 out of 10 because the studio is Kyoto Animation, they are one of the best when it comes to animation.

       At last, the music and sound of the show. This anime have 2 openings and 2 endings. The first opening is 'Yasashisa no Riyuu' by ChouCho while the second is 'Miksansei Stride' by Saori Kodama. On the other hand, Both ending are 'Madoromi no Yakusoku' and 'Kimi ni Matsuwaru Mystery' by the same person, Satomi Satou & Ai Kayano. To be honest, I really love the first opening and the first ending. So, I was a bit disappointed when the second opening and ending aren't good as the first. The background sound in this show also good and fit the situations that happen. Overall, the sound is good but not amazing so I will give 8 out of 10.

     To sum up, Hyouka is one earliest anime I watch and I still love it, mostly because of Oreki and Chitanda. To me, they complete each other because Chitanda needs Oreki to solve the mysteries while Oreki needs Chitanda so that he can find his purpose in high school life. I also love that most mysteries in this show is simple on the outside but the way Oreki solves it is really interesting. It's been 8 years since the first season and I still hoping that second season will be released soon. So, I will gladly give 8.5 out of 10 as overall to Hyouka.

Last words from me,

WATASHI KININARIMASU