Hyouka

About the STORY To be honest, the basic layout of the story is very typical; an almost terminated club that becomes the center of the story, a typical laid-back protagonist, a cute and very curious ojou-chan character, a noisy yet brilliant sidekick, and a very chivalrous tsundere-like character. However, the mysteries and how all of it is solved is the thing that separates the story from the others. It’s almost so funny yet amazing that even the simplest and smallest incidents become an interesting mystery to be solved by the characters. It just shows that mysteries don’t necessarily need to have very complicated plots to make it interesting enough. The details with the investigation or theories are so brilliantly done. It definitely makes anyone anticipate the revelations at the end so bad. About the CHARACTERS Just like the story, the line of characters is also very typical. However, each of their character is still made interesting. That would be because they just look typical at first but as the series go by, the depth of each character is still explored. There’s more to them than meets the eye. It’s also noticeable that each character has their individual set of mysteries and issues themselves. And the protagonist is not the only one with a very keen observation because the other main characters are also quite smart on their own way. About OREKI HOUTARO The protagonist couldn’t be perfect for the type of story the series has; a lazy and most of expressions are “mendokusai” and “muri” type of guy yet still incredibly smart. It’s the typical lazy protagonist whose eyes always say, “I don’t care” but in truth still goes out of his way to do something for others which can be cute sometimes. It’s almost like a “tsundere” character because of not being honest of what he truly feels. It is given that if it’s a mystery story, the protagonist has a very keen observation; a very important skill of what a mystery protagonist should have. About the ANIMATION In the line of the 2012 animes, this series is one of the few with very noticeable well-made and very modern animation. Even the characters are so modernly and nicely done particularly Chitanda Eru who can definitely compete with some all-time favorite female characters. The sounds are perfect for the genre of the series. It gives more feeling and anticipation in the mysteries of the story. About the ENJOYMENT Mystery will always be a hit particularly for me. Like others, mysteries always bring the most exciting feeling of storytelling. The thrill of discovery will always consume anyone, either a mystery fan or not. What makes the mysteries of this series different from others is the fact that it’s not the very cliché complicated mystery you see every day. It’s just simple incidents on the school but somehow it becomes so exciting and interesting. I believe it’s amazing in itself as we all know that those typical complicated mysteries are always the one that would immediately get anyone’s attention. It’s a whole new and definitely different approach with mystery. Though, it’s really kind of weird that they are Classics Club when they’ve done nothing but investigate. They should have been Investigation Club or Mystery Club.

In high school, different types of students exist—the studious, the athletic, the sociable. With the stress of university not yet present and parental restrictions generally becoming more lax during this stage of life, these adolescents are given the opportunity to live these few years to the fullest. But how one views a fruitful high school life is entirely up to them. To some, simply spending their high school days alone in peace appeals to them—a grey-coloured life—while others seek to socialize and immerse themselves in extra-curricular activities—a rose-coloured life. But what would happen if individuals from the two group were to interact with each other on a regular basis? Will one's lifestyle influence the other's? These are the questions Hyouka seeks to answer. Art (8/10) If it's Kyoto Animation, the art will definitely be good, right? While I myself agree to this, do keep in mind that art is a subjective matter—and so are reviews. That said, I have grown to love the unique character designs that are associated with KyoAni productions—and Hyouka isn't exception. The designs give off somewhat of a light and fluffy feeling, in contrast to other anime where the character designs are considerably more rough-looking; female characters greatly benefit from this. Another aspect of the art which I liked was the SHAFT-like style of animation accompanying narration. And while I feel SHAFT's execution of it is better, KyoAni didn't do a bad job themselves. Finally, background details were nicely done like always and accompanied the character designs well. Characters (9/10) Indeed, in a slice-of-life anime, characters are generally the focal point. Whether the show is a hit or miss greatly depends on the quality of the characters, with character development being a key factor in determining this. At first, Hyouka presents a group of four seemingly average characters who have their own little quirks but nothing more. However, aided by the mysteries along the way, the personalities of the individuals—particularly main protagonist Oreki Hōtarō—in the group slowly changed, more so in the latter half. Seeing Hōtarō's transformation from an unmotivated, energy-reserving individual into a slightly sociable person with an interest in mystery was satisfying. It just goes to show that, no matter how firm one is with their current lifestyle, given the right people, change is inevitable—and in Hōtarō's case, it was all for the better. If good character development is what you're seeking, Hyouka definitely delivers. Sound (8/10) From great theme songs to a cast of talented seiyū, Hyouka did not fall short in this category either. The four theme songs were quite catchy and grew on me quickly, with the second OP and ED pair being slightly more upbeat overall; personally, I preferred the first OP and ED. The BGM was decent too, with some tracks here and there that were memorable. Most impressive was probably the voice acting. In terms of popularity, the duo of Nakamura Yūichi and Sakaguchi Daisuke of CLANNAD fame (Okazaki Tomoya and Sunohara Yōhei, respectively) make their return once again, with Satō Satomi (Tainaka Ritsu from K-ON!) and Kayano Ai (Yuzuriha Inori from Guilty Crown) completing the main cast. And while popularity is one thing, the four were also able to deliver great performances with their respective characters, truly bringing out the best in each one. Story (8/10) In a sense, it's not so much the mysteries that drive the story, but the characters themselves. While I initially thought Hyouka would be primarily focused on Sherlock Holmes-style mysteries integrated into high school life, I later realized this was not the case. Aside from the one "main" mystery, if you would call it that, the story itself was mostly comprised of mini mysteries whose purpose was to serve as a catalyst for character development. Thus, it could be argued that the story was somewhat lacking. That being said, I will admit that quite a handful of them were interesting to say the least, especially when it came to seeing how they were solved. But given that this is a slice-of-life anime to begin with, I guess character development is essentially the overall focus of the story. Overall (8/10) Although it has the mystery tag, don't expect Hyouka to be like a Detective Conan. For the lack of a better comparison, think of it like a more lighthearted version of last year's Kamisama no Memochou. From great characters to interesting mysteries, Hyouka is a solid series overall. It was able to successfully integrate the generally dark genre of mystery into a typical high school romantic comedy. And while it wasn't particularly spectacular, I can wholeheartedly say that I enjoyed watching Hyouka.

I am sure that many of us are always tempted to see a show hearing so many great things about it,and personally for me a mystery one is always a good pleasure,if it is done correctly. Unfortunately,Hyouka fails for me at everything I want to see in a mystery. The "story" is the major weakness of this anime: I personally disliked every mystery that was presented with the exception of the one about the culprit and the footage,which was okay. The cases themselves have no importance at all and could be easily avoided as they are just a waste of time and a way of showing the great detective skills of the male protagonist. Apart from lame mysteries we have just boring events presented,such as festivals or whatever and again with no importance at all. Then the characters are nothing special either: For me Houtarou is just a wannabe relatable character for the introverts and lazy people.While I myself being one identify a little with him he ended up as a disappointment. The rest are just plain annoying and useless and I didn't find anything special about them to even present them. The animation is perhaps the single and the strongest point of the series and I have to admit it was very good especially how they designed different stuffs while Oreki was resolving something. The sound is decent but to be honest with the exception of the first opening it wasn't anything good either. Overall:Hyouka is a very lame and disappointing anime and only thanks to the animation and the first opening is good at something,so I can't help but give it a 2 and if you are a fan of mystery I am very doubtful that you will enjoy this one.

Hyouka was a really fascinating anime for me, if only in a very meta way. To explain, I'll start with some background: When I watched it, I'd been knowingly watching anime for about 19 years - now as a pretty casual fan who catches certain shows that stand out - but I know the culture very very well and was more fanatical long ago. I'm not really into Kyoani overall, but I've seen shows I've loved (Lucky Star), absolutely couldn't watch (K-On), and even both extremes (Haruhi) so when Hyouka came up in an informal anime club, I thought I'd give it a fair shake with no expectations. Hyouka redefined what I knew about anime, in the most anticlimactic way possible: In my decades of watching hundreds of anime, I never realized it was possible to feel so utterly ambivalent about a show. The first arc raised an interesting question that I'd have happily watched a show about... and did nothing with it. The rest of it was poised right on the edge of a million possible anime cliches - the setting, the characters, the events, all staring into cliche hell... but it remained original, which is an incredibly impressive feat. Nonetheless, it was powerfully uninteresting and entirely believable, almost as if I were just watching a webcam somewhere. Academically they pulled off something amazing by avoiding the cliches, but while it's original, I can't say it was fresh. It was just... there. Not mind numbingly boring, but sort of hitting a perfect balance between "if someone wants me to watch it, I'll watch it" and "if at any time the episode cut off and I couldn't get any more, I'd be ok." The characters were similar: while Kyoani characters are usually very likeable, these ones were just there. I didn't hate any of them. I didn't like any of them. They were just people, with a slight bias toward irritating. The art was ok. That is, fantastic for a bit older anime, and unremarkable compared to some newer works from other studios. Detailed and lifelike. The sound made no impression on me, but suited the show fine and voice acting was always solid. But all in all, I have never felt so strongly neutral about something. Usually if a show is "meh" that means it's bad, and Hyouka is not bad. Usually if a show is "passable" it leans toward good, and I also wouldn't say it was good. So it made a strong impression on me with how much any part of it failed to make a strong impression on me. It's like the anime equivalent of drinking tap water.

"I'm not lazy, I'm just conserving my energy" -Oreki Houtarou Hmm, I'm gonna summarize my review, and this is my very first review as well. The Pros of the anime, it followed what Oreki's nature is, the energy conserving guy. You won't see either romance in him or being active (even though you may see in other episodes that he is somehow "curious" about Chitanda). Still at the end, he stayed in that nature. Next is how his outlook on things changing, from grey to a colored one and that is Chitanda's role. She serves as a trigger to release some of Oreki's energy (do not think of this as love in Oreki's POV) to do some stuff like thinking, solving, etc. Next is how he deduce some mysteries and problems. In other detective stories or anime, you can see that they ensure that they come up with a theory that is 100% complete but here you can see that there are instances where he falls short, uses the theory of his fellow friends and etc. Last is how the story is changing Oreki's life to a rose red or whatever you call that little by little that's why this anime deserves a season 2. Art is good, I like it especially those flower effects around Chitanda. Sound is also okay. The Cons. First, I don't like how the story skipped some events, activities, time, etc. I know some of you like it but this is my opinion. What if they added a few arc or a twist to make it more thrilling to watch and what Oreki is really capable of. Next is how they make Chitanda too much annoying (I know you may get mad when saying this but please bear with me. It's my opinion). It sometimes get on my nerves on how she interact with others. What I want is for her to be less annoying. Next is Mayaka. I know she is in the Manga Club but don't you want her to contribute more in the Classic's club? Finally, what if they add more members? Like make them 5 or 6 who really wants to be in the club? That's what I want, to add more twists and stories that is why I want this anime to have a season 2. Find out Chitanda's personal reasons in the club, Satoshi's goal and true nature, capabilities of Oreki, Mayaka's contribution and the club's secret and how will it grow. There you have it, my review. Some of you might hate it but this is what I observed while watching the anime. Thank you for reading it I hope it helps

Hyouka involves an "energy-conserving" protagonist in Oreki Houtarou. Put bluntly, he is lazy. He will not do anything unless he has to, and if he has a task to do, he will complete it in a swift, efficient fashion. That is his motto. "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick" This all changes in his joining of the Classics Club. The story of Hyouka revolves around the Classics Club and its members--mainly focused around Oreki Houtarou and Chitanda Eru. Chitanda's endless curiosity leads to the demise of his lifestyle, as he is coveted into solving each and every one of her inquiries. This setup is problematic as it often leads to the anime being episodic as the it progresses. Often times as I was watching the series, I found myself checking the previous episode because I felt I had skipped an episode due to the lack of connection between each one. That was only a minor problem, however, and it sometimes was dealt with through multiple-episode arcs such as the Hyouka mystery, or the thief of the Cultural Festival.The mysteries were by far my favorite part of the anime. They exercise your brain by making you think, and it is very entertaining as Houtarou uses his to solve them. That is the premise of Hyouka--Chitanda becoming curious, and Houtarou succumbing to it. The other two members of the Classics Club are Fukube Satoshi and Ibara Mayaka. Satoshi considers himself a "database" and limits himself to not drawing conclusions. I found him to be entertaining and likable as he often uses this as an excuse for his incompetence, leaving Houtarou to finish off the mystery. Mayaka is a hardworking girl, who is strict with herself and sometimes others. I will not say I disliked her, but I felt she had no part in the solving of the mysteries. As a whole, the cast of Hyouka levels out to be exceptional, and they kept me entertained throughout the whole anime. The art style of Hyouka is well-done, especially with the character designs. I wouldn't say it's beautiful, but you should have no complaints with the art if you decide to watch the series. It is a relatively new anime, so if high-quality is your cup of tea, Hyouka is for you. The soundtrack was decent. I never skipped the openings, mainly because I never do, but the first opening I enjoyed a lot. The original soundtracks were good, especially when it came to solving mysteries. As a whole, the art and soundtrack is not amazing, but is in no means bad, and was executed properly. If you are planning to watch this show, they should pose no problem at all. Overall, Hyouka is an anime in which you can relax and think at the same time. It combined the genres of mystery and slice-of-life, and executed them perfectly. As for my enjoyment, Hyouka is a great watch. I was never once bored during it. If you're planning to watch it, I would highly recommend it, whether you want to think or relax.

Ah, Hyouka - a series from KyoAni with a committed fanbase and a committed group of detractors. Both definitely have points, and hopefully I can help those curious about the show to figure out if it's worth their time. I can say I'm definitely glad I watched it now that it's all over, but I can't say that I felt that way the entire time I was watching (enduring at points?) the series. Let me explain: the first few episodes are dull. Just completely and utterly pointless and boring. Some will say that this is to the show's benefit, and I would say these people are not necessarily wrong, but the first six episodes will definitely turn away a lot of people. A note about the major points of contention before I continue with my own views: The movie arc (episodes 8-11) and the immediately succeeding festival arc (12-17) are pretty much the meat of the series, and watching the two is generally recommended. The latter is considered by many who even are ambivalent or dislike the show to be one of the better done school festivals in a slice of life. The rest of the series is very, very hit and miss. [Story] - 6 Ignoring the early Classics Club "arc," which generally lacked propulsion, and the movie and festival arcs, which had it in spades, the show is made up of self-contained episodes wherein Oreki solves a mystery about some topic that is sometimes forced to be mysterious. These episodes, which make up a good half of the series and bookend it, can either be taken as inertia-filled character development opportunities or completely aimless attempts to show off KyoAni's budget. The conclusions are usually fun, even if the process isn't, and none of the curiosities feel cheap. Sadly, a lot of these episodes are formulaic and their strength comes from the characters, so I can't recommend the stories on their own. The good pacing and general captivation of the multi-episode arcs, however, serve to balance this problem and prevent me from scoring this as lowly as I could. [Art] and [Sound] - 9 These two HAVE to be lumped together for this series. KyoAni's impressive atmospheric precision and high quality are here. Even in the more boring mysteries, the animations of Oreki's thought process are nearly breathtaking. Complement these with a varied soundtrack featuring far more than the typical orchestral range of higher-brow anime, and you've got a winner. These are the points that make me wish I liked the series more, because listening to or looking at the series is an absolute joy from start to finish. Seriously immersive, seriously worth the price of admission if you can stomach that they're misused. [Character] - 7 I can't say I disliked any of the characters, and there was a good swath of side characters to maintain interest, but the central characters were hit and miss in the development department. The slow, very organic progression is executed well for a time, but certain arcs (and, much more frequently, single episodes) throw a large amount of drama into the mix all at once, making the transitions from beginning to end jumpy and leaving me, for one, confused. Romantic tension in the series between two of the characters is rarely referenced until it becomes clear in one of the FINAL EPISODES that it was a defining moment that weighed on both characters' minds throughout. Take also the example of Oreki's self-doubt about midway through and how quickly it comes about and then is resolved (yes, the OVA does a good amount to explain the latter part, but it is not so much as REFERENCED again until, again, the final couple of episodes). This kind of characterization bugs me, especially in light of the fact that in one season of much fewer episodes, a lot of shows are able to create a forward narrative that makes the characters change at a steady, if unrealistically quick, rate. There is a balance here, and Hyouka experiments, but it fails in that it is too jarring when the characters up and change in one rush of emotion. [Enjoyment] - 6 And here's the big nail in the coffin for Hyouka: a solid half of the episodes warrant not a single rewatch. They are meaningless, grasping, and silly, misusing characters who really are interesting and an art direction that is virtually peerless. The pacing of the series is all wrong, and the choice to make the climax about five or six episodes before the series is resolved (with only the final two episodes dealing with any resolution at all) is very misguided. On the whole, Hyouka is a boring watch with a couple of solid sets of episodes. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but there's not much more I can dissect. In short, if you are willing to sink into some of the slowest writing ever for big intermittent payoffs, this is your show. If not, I suggest you find something lighter or at least with a single narrative thread that at least appears in each episode to provide unification and that all-important desire to watch another episode after you finish one.

my own thoughts on this is that it's a journey anime. Meaning that it has an amazing journey of characters moving fluently across a detailed story. At times it falls , but it makes up for it with some of the best scenes I've ever seen! I'm not here to tell you that you must absolutely watch it, because if i was being honest, to me the ending could use some work. This isn't to say it isn't worth watching, as i stated above this is a journey anime. If you enjoy character development and interaction between characters in anime, you know what i mean when i differentiate between "journey" animes and "climax." animes. a journey anime is one that may not have the best conclusion, but is still amazing because of the journey it brings you on felt perfect in it's own way. a climax anime builds and builds until the end, and if the end isn't good it could ruin the entire series. Basically, a journey anime relies on making a well rounded "every episode and arc feels amazing", while a climax builds for an amazing ending. I hope you enjoyed my random thoughts on anime in general, and if you got through that rambling, i invite you to take part in this journey. one last question: What is your rose coloured highschool life?

Hello, and welcome to my first review :) What on earth is worth living to your utmost ability? Hell if I know. That is the way Oreki Houtarou views the world and how he lives. He doesn't see much value in expending energy which could otherwise be used more wisely, like studying or reading or sleeping. He is extremely lazy. Is there anything wrong with living a "colorless" life? No. Some may not believe me but it is actually way better than having a "colorful" life, that is, if you don't have anyone to share your colors with. Well, Hyouka is nothing more than a happy slice of life in which Oreki Houtarou slowly forms bonds with those in the Classics Club. I am not going to explain what is already said in the synopsis so on with the review. Okay, first, let me start with the good. The art and animation is great, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The sound is decent as well. At certain points the background music would kinda throw me off, but I got used to hearing it and even kinda liked it. My favorite song is the first OP, it feels very slice of life and has an uplifting tune. The second OP wasn't as good as the first one but it was still okay. The EDs were both okay, the animation in them were both kind of interesting at first but I did end up skipping them after first couple times I heard them. The characters are outstanding and their development throughout the series is done very well. As someone who highly enjoys character development I was really able to enjoy this anime "Hyouka" or "I Scream" aha. It is simply phenomenal, the way the characters grow out of their shell, each character gets their own screen time, but the character that developed the most was Oreki Houtarou who starts out as a lazy minimalist who's only wish is to have a "Colorless" life. And to be honest, I got the most enjoyment out of his mannerisms and his development. Granted, this is a mystery type anime, the mysteries themselves aren't very interesting. They aren't the main point of the anime, they just serve to satisfy Eru Chitanda's curiosity who drags the MC Houtarou in, practically forcing him to solve them for her. I found this very enjoyable and you mainly learn about the characters through these mediocre mysteries (there are a couple of the mysteries I found very interesting though). The reactions whenever Houtarou solves an extremely simple case are sometimes very dramatic and this could be distasteful for some viewers. I hardly consider this a deal breaker, though, what matters to me most is the character development. OVERALL: (9/10) The most important aspect of this anime is the characters, not the story. This anime mainly rolls on character development and I personally believe that what makes up a good story is not the story itself, it is the characters. And in that sense this anime passes with flying colors! Hope you found this review helpful and, hopefully, if you could submit feedback, whether you found it helpful or not, that would be greatly appreciated especially since this is my first review.

HYOUKA: The Ice Cream Anthology I learnt about Hyouka when going through the recommendations thread here in MAL and got intrigued due to the combination of High School and detective fiction. And as a big fan of both genres I decided to give it a chance. STORY (9): It is about a boy, Houtarou Oreki being requested by her sister to reestablish the Classics Club in their school and there he joins Eru Chitanda, Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara. They encounter mysteries that are happening around the school as well as the events in their outside life in high school. The premise kind of reminds me of Tantei Gakuen Q but still they differ in the execution in combining high school and mystery genres. The opening arc of the series is really interesting and the mysteries are not that hard but not that easy either which can give you a good chance in solving the cases as the episode continues unlike in Detective Conan or Tantei Gakuen Q. Also the mysteries presented are very wholesome. ART (10): Hyouka was produced by Kyoto Animation and they mostly specialize in high school anime. It is very well done in my opinion. The animation is fluid but the colors are kind of limited in my opinion, but it works well with how the anime is shown. SOUND (8): Background music for Hyouka is very typical for the high school scenes and for the mysteries, its not much as heart pounding as I have hoped for but they are still reputable. The OPs and EDs used are okay in my book. And if I have to pick my favorite among them, it would be the 1st OP theme. CHARACTERS (9): The four leads have practically have only two types of demeanor: the quiet and the loud one. Two for each type of demeanor. Houtarou is the smart, lazy and silent type. Eru is the demure yet sometimes "gets in your face" when she's intrigued by something. While Satoshi and Mayaka are practically the same when it comes to personality. Their personalities might be very common but the chemistry between the four works really well. Their designs are realistic as possible such as hair style and color except in the eye color department. ENJOYMENT AND OVERALL (9 and 9): When I was watching Hyouka, I actually felt very happy every time I get to solve the case presented in the show. The depth of the show is enough for all types people with different thinking to enjoy it unlike in Detective Conan and Tantei Gakuen Q where most cases are really hard. It is a good show to practice basic deduction skills as well as observation skills.

All right, look, the animation is amazing. I love watching Hyouka AMVs because they make it LOOK like it's a great show ... but it isn't. I saw all the glowing reviews so I tried it and had to give up 9 episodes in because the story was so half-assed and boring. Then I saw some AMVs and they made it look so good that I finished it and nope! It definitely never got good. Not even close. Because for starters, there are no actual characters in this show other than the main character, Oreki. I've got to assume the creators saw themselves in him, because they treat this cowardly, self - impressed little jerk like he's the coolest guy to ever breeze into school. In reality, he makes no impression whatsoever on almost anyone at their school and accomplishes very little, given his dedication to putting as little effort into anything as possible (something else the show treats him like a hero for, instead of the rather pathetic copout it is). Also, he is depressed, and for good reason: too scared to put himself out there, which he covers over by pretending he's just too cool to care, he has isolated himself (which the second cour credits acknowledge), dug himself into a hole he'll never get out of. Seriously, I know this guy in real life. My friend is so much like Oreki that if the show had come out before he was in high school, I'd have thought he modeled himself on this character. Now, decades later, surprise surprise, my buddy has never had a girlfriend, doesn't have friends really, no hobbies or accomplishments in decades. But he still has his precious "cool," which no one ever actually thought was cool but him. There is a way the show wants you to see Oreki, but it is a far cry from what he really is. Then along comes his manic pixie dream girl. She's nice to him, as she's nice to everyone, but in HIS mind, she's tempting and controlling him with the overpowering desire HE suddenly felt from the moment he laid eyes on the first pretty girl who would give him the time of day. I guess it's good that this sickening phenomenon of some loser too cowardly to actually engage with his reality developing delusions about himself and some love object has been thus so accurately animated, only the complete lack of self awareness of Oreki and his creators lets his pathetic delusions stand, preferring, of course, to pretend he really WAS that cool and all things he didn't have the courage to take responsibility for really WERE all her doing. Obnoxious. Like all such guys, to him, her feelings, desires, and personality are irrelevant. As far as the show is concerned, she exists only to help define our hero and create motivation for him ... which I suppose helps explain, along with the bad writing, why she doesn't have a consistent character. The other two members of their club are simply "Good Anime Boy A" and "Ordinary Anime Girl B." I'll grant that these two are consistent in that they're consistently boring and irrelevant -- so boring and predictable and contributing so little that there's no reason for them to be there. Chitanda, the object of Oreki's obsession, however, has a character so inconsistent that she may as well have been portrayed by four different characters, each the cliched embodiment of the usual archetypes applied to women: the ingenue, the temptress, the ditz, and the matriarch. In one episode, she's first incapable of getting from point A to point B because she's distracted by every shiny thing she sees along the way, and then is all but incapable of engaging in some very basic negotiation once she finally makes her way there because she's (dumb and) shy and awkward. A couple of episodes later, she coolly solves a complex, longstanding feud in a community no one else can make any headway on, including adult community leaders, thanks to her brilliance and charisma, and it's implied she does this kind of thing all the time with grace and ease. Like, could you put some effort into making her character remotely believable or realistic? Nah, because she is only whatever Oreki or the plot need her to be at that moment. Okay, and their "club." One of the show's few strengths is its simple slice of life - ness. Nothing bad ever happens ... but this is because nothing ever happens, period. A club that solves mysteries has to be interesting, right?? I thought so too, but turns out not! These are the most tepid, half-assed mysteries imaginable. Trying to figure out who left a glass of water on a table would be absolutely within the general level of challenge and importance of mystery they might investigate. Now imagine what they end up discovering has no relevance to anything else that has ever or will ever happen on the show. Assume that the person who did it is someone you've never met before and will never see again. Rest assured their reason for doing it will be nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing will come of either the glass being on the table or the investigation, except that our hero will once again get to pat himself on the back for his brilliance (since everyone around him is far too dumb to contribute much to such sleuthing), while pretending he's too cool to care whether anyone's impressed. With a wildly disappointing, albeit realistic, ending, it's hard to understand why anyone would want to watch this irritating trifle. Basically, it's the incel's idealized self portrait.

I don't know about you, but I find that interaction is difficult. Putting effort into things which ultimately provide nothing but some surface level satisfaction often comes with the price of mental and even some level of physical exhaustion, and frankly that's not a fair trade. So why do so many people choose to be so active? It's so much easier to just not waste energy. "If I don't have to do it, don't do it. If I have to do it, make it quick" is a catchphrase that rings very true, and also which defines Oreki Houtarou at the start of Hyouka. Hyouka follows Oreki as he is forced to join the Classics Club at the behest of his older sister. A character who defines himself by his own laziness and desire to "conserve energy," he gets by while committing as little as possible to everything he has to do, feeling like those around him are deluding themselves believing in a "rose-colored" life. Thinking he can just put his name on the club sign-up form to satisfy his sister, he ends up meeting Eru Chitanda, who's captivating presence and tendency to not think about personal space (in a way that's endearing and well-meaning) forces Oreki to stay and changes him for the better. Alongside friends Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara, Oreki and Chitanda go about solving various mysteries and discovering themselves in the process. Many often make the mistake of calling Hyouka a mystery anime, and get disappointed when the mysteries are mundane questions about things that happen all the time but which most wouldn't think about at all. With mysteries about why a door that should be open is locked, or the nature of an announcement over the intercom system, one might question how it could be compelling. But this mundanity is a purposeful decision, because Hyouka is not a mystery series, but a character drama. The first episode sets up Oreki's laziness but he quickly shows cracks in his facade, revealing that rather than being lazy, he doesn't want to commit himself fully to anything because he is afraid of finding that things aren't quite what they seem. He is incredibly smart and has the impressive talent of deduction, able to very easily put numerous pieces of evidence together to solve mysteries which most would give up on quickly. But despite his talent he refuses to use it. His issue is one of fear and self-esteem, and it becomes apparent that he believes he is unable to achieve this "rose-colored" life which everyone else seems to be saturated in. Chitanda is very much the opposite of this. Almost like a dog, anything and everything makes her immensely curious, to the point where it bothers her not knowing answers. As each provides something the other wants, they are drawn to each other. Oreki is immediately captivated by Chitanda's overwhelming presence, and his attempts to escape before being forced to expend energy and commit to solving mysteries are quite literally blocked by Chitanda, because Oreki's knack for solving mysteries is invaluable to someone who is fascinated by every mundane thing imaginable. It's through this interaction that we see Oreki's true feelings. He initially attempts to con Chitanda with a fake mystery, but the guilt plagues him. Slowly, we see that perhaps Oreki hopes he can find the rose-colored life more than he lets on. This is where the mundane nature of the mysteries comes in. Chitanda represents the ideal of the "rose-colored" life, and her curiosity about everything stems from her ability to find beauty and meaning in everything. In essence, Hyouka posits that to be truly satisfied and fulfilled, one must engage with everything around them to some degree, and that for the low price of some energy you can find some level of satisfaction that makes life feel more meaningful. So Chitanda makes Oreki engage with these mundane mysteries, forcing him to interact with things he never would have given a chance before and allowing him to feel the satisfaction one can find in daily life. The mysteries would not work at all if they were more grand, because they need to be applicable to things which Oreki will interact with often, rather than rare, special events. The stars of Hyouka are the characters, and the mysteries are the vehicles through which they grow, change, and discover themselves. Of course, this means the characters have to be interesting, but Hyouka provides a cast that is endearing, relatable, and multi-faceted. Oreki is a complex and nuanced character. He may be drawn to Chitanda but he is also afraid of change. Through solving mysteries with her, he comes to understand the worth that his talent has, and finds satisfaction in a potential "rose-colored" life. He doesn't change immediately, and he's scared and unsure if he even wants a "rose-colored" life at first, but slowly he starts to become less reluctant to Chitanda's prodding, and at some points he even actively seeks out his own mysteries. His growth is slow, but its rewarding, and the main reason for Hyouka's massive success. But though Oreki may be the character with the most focus, the rest of the cast shines as well. Chitanda's curiosity stems from a desire to understand people, and herself. In learning about her past and her circumstances, we get a more complete picture of her person, and slowly we learn about the insecurities of a character who at first seems perfect. Her relationship with Oreki is a highlight of the show, as they each slowly open up to each other and bring out the best in each other. While their feelings do seem to blossom into romantic feelings, this is not the focus, but regardless, the dynamic between the two is thoughtful, endearing, and emotionally resonant. Satoshi and Mayaka are also complex, multifaceted characters with their own personal and interpersonal struggles. Satoshi sees himself as the reverse of Oreki. While Oreki refuses to give anything his all but is great at coming up with answers, Satoshi is energetic and gives his all to everything, but is not able to come up with answers of his own, calling himself purely a "database," something which can only provide information, but not connect it to a bigger picture. Throughout the series, it becomes apparent that this is an insecurity for Satoshi, and his jealousy of Oreki is a compelling part of his character. Balancing it out is Mayaka, who basically has it all together. She's smart, thoughtful, and mature, with a hilariously snarky personality, although she's not quite as extraordinary as the other three. Her relationship with Satoshi is also compelling, as she is waiting for the immature Satoshi to come to grips with himself and allow for a more balanced relationship, something which Satoshi is well aware of as he strives to grow. This is not to say that Mayaka doesn't have any of her own insecurities though. She is very opinionated and easily gets emotional over certain things, namely about manga and the nature of judging what a masterpiece should be, and she is at least disappointed that she doesn't provide much to the solving of mysteries bar some personal connections. Ultimately, she's an endearing character who is both a goal for Satoshi in terms of maturity, and she provides balance for a great cast (as well as certified best girl). Hyouka doesn't have much of an overarching plot-line. I would call the series semi-episodic, as each episode or arc is complete on its own, but adds to the characters overarching development. This is not an issue, since Hyouka is completely character driven, and the "story" is that of Oreki and the others growing as people and discovering themselves through solving these mysteries. Even though the mysteries are mundane they are not boring, not only because of what they provide for the characters, but also because of how creative and well-thought-out they are. Because the series can't do more "compelling" mysteries thanks to its high school setting, it finds creative ways to incorporate standard Sherlock-style mystery plots without…

Hyouka, thus becoming a more anime Kyoto Animation with mystery and intrigue, it became the compilation of several unsolved mysteries with lots of history ahead. Drawing leave me much to be desired, although you could not ask for many scenarios as it develops mostly in school, error in the characters and their actions. The soundtrack was summarized in 4 songs that sounded again and again, which made him somewhat tedious combined with many explanations about the mysteries. Hotarou is a character who despite being pessimistic, and even do not mind what it takes after the other 3 main characters had too much energy and positive attitude, Chitanda like in all its aspects no matter how upset she is sometimes. Overall it is an anime with much mystery and no doubt you will think many times, but sometimes those mysteries were Japanese contexts like his writing, so do not any or rather someone who is not very accustomed to Japanese language means, like that traditions and etc. I expected more from the end and the relationship between the two partners.

Ohayo minna san!!! This will be my first time writing a review its a thing that people seem to like... uhmmm Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu . Hyouka ...Should i watch it? if u are curious about it just like Eru Chitanda would say "watashi kininarimasu!"... i would say "hai dozo!" yes go ahead- if ur looking for a spice life anime u would probably like or perhaps going to hook with this anime .. its a story about "Hotaro Oreki" the main protagonist that i really like watching him touching his hair in the forehead when hes thinking and was trying to solve a mystery ...he goes with his eternal motto(his word) "If I don't have to do something, I won't, but if I have to, I'll do it quickly." ... The story is set in Kamiyama High School mostly,his world change when his sister heard that the Kamiyama High School's Classic Literature Club has a zero member so as a former Classic Club member she ask Hotaro a favor to join the Classic Literature Club to stop it from getting dissolved...Hotaro give it a try as he thought he will be the only member...much to his surprised there's a girl want to joined the Classic Club,"Watashi no namae wa Eru Chitanda desu." shes the one that drives Hotaro's energy conserving body and mind into nothing ... and the first meet is such a heart stopping and captivating .Whenever a mystery is brought to her, she wont stop thinking about it until it is solved , and of course Hotaro can't resist her! The Club has 4 members now with his friend Satoshi Fukube who urges Hotaro to participate more in life,a good friend but he gets jealous sometime when Hotaro solved a mystery in just a short time.Comes with Mayaka Ibara , she joined the Classic Club because she has a feeling for Satoshi and doesn't get along well with Hotaro.. and that begin there journey.. To solved a mystery in regards to What Chitanda's Uncle last word to her that she can't remember.. and that name the series "HYOUKA". The story and the plot is great, you are growing with the character.The main character is literally my favorite type of characters,the expressionless type,mysterious and cool. Technically the music is good, great combination with all the scenes and moments...though i find strange hearing a classical piece like Bach cello over one or two episodes but i find it great. Well about the ending ,uhm its not that, im sad or dissapointed in getting here...seriously cant just end an anime like this whyyyy!! well im hoping there's a Season 2 for Hyouka like Chitanda will always said "watashi kininarimasu!" Great anime indeed! otsukaresama deshita !

Hyouka is a mystery-school life anime. Meet Oreki Houtarou, who hates high school activities, and lazy. His favourite spend time is all-day relaxation Houtartou don't want to do anything if don't must. His elder sister's request, he join the Literature club, and meet Chitanda Eru, the cute, and naiv girl, Fukube Satoshi, the very active boy, and Ibara Mayaka, the typical school girl. In the anime there are a lot of interesting mystery around the school. If Eru will be curious, the members of the club, leading by Oreki are reveal these secrets. The character interactions is interaction is fantastic. Positives - simple, graceful and exciting mystery stories - loveable characters - very good detective anime - super graphics Negatives - Eru can be annoying for some people - Few! I want more! XD One of the best title from KyoAni.

Just wanted to point out that the score has no meaning in my eyes. MAL forces you to input a certain score, so I just put in a 10. You may disregard the score. Now, to the review itself. Hyouka is a show that managed to do what most anime simply can't, and the big selling point here is the subtlety. Yes, you might have heard quite a lot of things when it comes to Hyouka's slow pacing , and indeed, the fact that it's so slow paced can be a real bummer for many. The question is, can you appreciate what it has to offer? I don't think everyone will enjoy Hyouka, but then again, it's the case with every anime out there. It puts characters over anything else, even the mysteries, and for a mystery show to do such a thing, that's quite a rarity. The contrast between Hyouka and most other animes out there, let alone Kyoani's work, is staggering, to the point that I can't find anything else quite like it. It might be the fact that it has such a different approach to character development , and without most of the usual tropes in anime. The soundtrack fits the show really well, with an orchestral score combined with fun J-POP that found its way into my youtube playlist fairly quickly. When it comes to animation, you just can't deny Hyouka's greatness. Say what you will about the slow story and mysteries, but the animation is of the highest caliber. It's also quite varied, as in many cases you'll find that the style changes when investigations take place. The soundtrack and animation are complimenting each other a lot, and I found myself amazed by how everything comes together in certain parts of the show. I didn't come to realize how good this anime really is, until the second time I watched it. The first time I was too busy thinking about the mysteries themselves, but when I stopped caring too much about them, I found just how rich it is with subtle facial expressions and interactions that I simply never noticed before. I just fell in love with the characters and their unique personalities. As you must have figured out by now, it's a masterpiece in my eyes, but it certainly wasn't love at first sight. It takes time to appreciate just what Kyoani managed to do here, but if you look hard enough, you might find what I found. If not, well, I wouldn't blame you. It tries something different, and for people well versed in anime it might be a little too mundane for their tastes. Be that as it may, I still recommend it to anyone who wants something a bit more genuine in their anime. Over the top is fun, but Hyouka gives off an aura of something much better. It's realistic, and its characters, with their own interesting life stories, are realistically portrayed throughout the whole show, all while doing it with subtlety and grace that are so rare these days. You won't find here murder cases, or twists for the sake of adding fake suspense. All the cases make sense, and prove that you don't need murders and blood to create a convincing mystery anime. It trimphs as a mystery anime, but the truth is that the mysteries themselves are not the things that elevate it to greatness. In Hyouka, it's the little things that make it stand out. You just have to notice them.

Review for Hyouka (Hyōka) =============================== The first anime that has recieved a full 10 / 10 from me and in my opinion truly deserves it. "I don't do anything, I don't have to do, What I have to do, I do quickly" The motto in which our main character lives by. This is probably the first mystery genre anime I have watched but that's not the reason I gave it my ten. After the countless number of School Life based animes that I have watched and those that have gone by unnoticed. Harem after harem, Then there's this Hyouka a Mystery slice of life. Though solving the mystery is only the second most enjoyable thing about this show. The most enjoyable thing about this show is the development of our main characters. Oreki Houtaro a first year in highschool an energy saving student but not the type you might think but rather the motto written above. Don't do anything I don't have to, Do whatever I have to do quickly. A student not looking forward to the joys of a "rose" coloured highschool life and rather wants to have a plain "grey" one. Though everything starts to change when he meets Chitanda Eru, The girl who is curious. The girl that would ruin Oreki of his plain grey life causing him to use energy in his day to day life. The way these characters develop during the season is so well done and is so believable they come to life to the viewers. The reason behind their actions, The way their personality changes. Honestly it's a work of art. The art style is similar to K-ON, Chuuniyoubi and Beyond the Boundaries all of which are Kyoto Animation works. Though not from the same group of artists a easily recognisable style and quality standard. The sound is well done, The voices fit their characters (Japanese Dub). Sound effects are up to standard as well, nothing to complain about. The mystery, personally it was fun to pause and think about my own theories about what happened. Try to find the little hints hidden during the episode. The character development, though I'm repeating myself at this point is so well done. The way we learn about the characters and their personality is no cliche anime personality here. ========================================================== I hope found this review helpful. Otherwise please feel free to send me a message as to why it wasnt. Always looking for ways of improving the way I write my reviews. ========================================================== Little extra thought* Our very plain looking main character would do really well as a SMT Persona main character. Especially when he's paired up with his energetic best friend. If we could nominate characters to be a main character. He would definitely fit the role well.

If you'd rather listen to this review over reading it, theres a video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGXZuZBC7fc Hyouka is a 2012 anime by Kyoto animation, it's a school slice of life (WHAT OMG SO ORIGINAL KYOANI HOW U DO DIS MIND=BLOWN) but in all seriousness this show is actually fairly fresh and has a rather unique feel, unlike some of the other SoL Kyoto animation are known for, notably, Kyoukai No Kanata and Haruhi Suzumiya, which both actually have story's where stuff ACTUALLY HAPPENS, this... Doesn't. Literally nothing happens, like, at all. Hell even K-ON had a more serious plot than this show, and that's not a bad thing don't get me wrong, cos the story isn't actually the strongest part of the... Story... Yeah, ummm. It's the characters, there's about half a dozen important characters in the show, and of them, 4 of them are even more important and of them, 2 of them are even more important, it starts with the very typical boy joins club in high school, girl is in club at high school, friends join and get involved plot happens kind of story, but about as early as half way through the first episode, you kinda sorta feel like this will be different, you see that the main character Oreki, isn't the stereotypical naive yet lovable and aloof MC, or rather, he's a lazy ass son of a bitch that only does what he absolutely has to do and nothing more, and what he does have to do, he does quickly so that he can get back to "conserving his energy" AKA sitting on his ass doing fuck all... And immediately I relate to this character... It's great, he joins the club cos his big sis told him to or something, it's not all to clear but that's pretty much the just of it, when he gets to the club room and walks in, the second MC Chitanda is already there, she recognises him as the lazy Oreki, even though they've never spoken, which immediately reveals how crazy this girl is, THEYVE NEVER SPOKEN, THEYRE IN DIFFERENT CLASSES, HE DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS... SHE KNEW ALMOST EVERY THING ABOUT HIM, it's serves to strengthen our understanding of both characters, andddddd, if you were paying any attention you would have picked up almost as much information about Chitanda (aside from the fact that she is the generic KyoAni moeblob that we've all come to expect) as you have from Oreki, they're both pretty different characters as apposed to what you'd expect from this genre, and to be honest there's no real romance or connection between them... Well... I mean... There kinda is I guess. It's hinted at that they kinda dig each other, and we can assume that, what 3 years after the series finished, there like 20 now? Yeah they banging... Anyway the other two important notably characters would be Satoshi, Orekis, pretty much only friend by the looks of it, and Mayaka, one of chitandas friends, Satoshis girl friend and all round bitchy bitch... It's makes me wonder actually, since there close friends to both Chitanda and Oreki, and have known them for a long time, and there dating, how come Oreki and Chitanda have never even met... Dafuk, anyway it's unimportant... What IS important is that these two support characters support the main characters (who woulda thunk it) Satoshi likes to think of himself as some kind of "database" and somehow has an absurd amount of information on pretty much everything, Mayaka is just a smart girl who's very smart and pushy, these 2 characters are really my only gripe with the series, and by that I mean, I wish I could see more into there lives too, they're shown to be incredibly relatable and human characters going through an experiencing things many people have been through in the school lives. there are a few episodes throughout this 22 episode long series that are almost entirely focused on them, but aside from that it's mainly centred on Oreki and his overbearing weakness to Chitanda, and mo specifically, the words "watashi kininanimasu". It roughly translates to "I can't stop thinking about it" and is essentially orekis trigger, when Chitanda leans in blatantly intrudes on his personal space, and shoves her big round... Eyes.... In his face, and then shouts this at him, he can't really do anything aside from helping her, and this is where the "mystery" part of the series comes into play, it follows a fairly episodic structure, with mainly 1 or two episode long arcs  which normally end with Oreki solving the glorified mystery (more like riddle, or puzzle, or in one case, math equation...) but there is one longer arc that lasts about half the series, and that arc is probably my favourite story arc of any arc I've seen in any anime ever, it brings together all of the characters we've met already, brings them all together to try and solve an actually mystery... Finally something's happening right? Nope. Still the same slice of life stuff, that, if you think about it, doesn't really matter, but that's the beauty of the show, you really care about it, it feels like it does matter, and it makes you wanna find out the answers, even if it's just so you can brag to your friend who you forced to watch the show about how you solved the mystery before the answer was revealed *cough* this is also where two more important characters are fleshed out, they had both been spoken about and introduced previously but only as side characters but here we see more of the student council president who's name I can't fucking remember at all, meh, and Irisu-senpai, aka best grill, she acts as kind of a mentor to Chitanda through out this arc and teaches her ways to get Oreki to do what she wants, aka the basics of seduction.... Nice. Through this, Chitanda becomes aware of Orekis weakness which leads to some of the more humourous scenes in the show, where Chitanda fails and convince him due to her own naivety and innocence, and where Oreki gets all flustered cos a cute girl just jumped up infront of him and tried to act all seductive n stuff without even knowing what she was doing.... Either way the mystery gets solved and it returns to its much more peaceful episodic format for the last few episodes and at this point you really see how all of the characters have changed, Satoshi has become more humble, but also has developed a great deal of both respect  and resentment for Oreki who, whilst being incredibly lazy, solves all the mysteries with relative easy whilst he (who likes to think of himself as some kind of detective) could not, Mayaka shows her insecurity throughout, both infront of Satoshi, and during he manga club problems, and at the end, after confronting them all, she has become much more reliable and confident, Chitanda has become a little less naive but pretty much doesn't change, and Oreki, well he doesn't really change at all, he just becomes a little less lazy, which all works out for the better. In short it's a great and very interesting series with a unique story in where literally nothing of any importance happens at all, and yet it feels super dramatic thanks to the strength of the characters and the artistic direction (the art is fantastic btw, like even compared to other KyoAni stuff, it's beautiful) there's a reason this is on my favourite anime list on my MAL account... Would I recommend it? Yeah to some people, I kinda see it like marmite, you either think it's a master piece or you absolutely hate it and find it boring as hell, I'm in the first camp, the only difference is, if you like marmite, I might say "yuck it's disgusting how can u like that stuff" but if you don't like hyouka I won't even talk to you... Like seriously, get out of my sight right now you fucking WEEB... But in all seriousness, go and watch this series right now, even if your one of the people who would find it boring, it's something I think you should experience either way. My score for hyouka is 10/10... Also if this review wasn't enough to persuade you to watch it, hyouka translates to ice cream... Yeah... And if you don't like ice cream, even i…

If I could describe Hyouka in one word, it would be understated. Hyouka is the definition of understated, from the characters (average Japanese high schoolers) to the plot (slice of life/light mystery, anyone?). Heck, even the romance, which a lot of times anime likes to hit us on the head with, is slow to develop. Yet, for all its subtleties--or maybe because of them--Hyouka manages to be an entertaining and profound show that exceeds all my expectations. The premise for Hyouka is simple. The protagonist Houtaru Oreki has only one major philosophy that he abides by: energy conservation. More specifically, his mantra is: "I don't do anything I don't have to. What I have to do, I do quickly." Yeah, we got a winner right here. Per his elder sister’s request, he joins the dying Classics Club. There, he and three other students solve the everyday mysteries that plague them. It’s interesting to note that solving mysteries is not the main function of Hyouka. The cases serve as a plot structure, or a device to reveal the characters personalities and bring them closer together. I chose to watch Hyouka because of Froggy kun's blog post discussing his connection with certain anime characters. Thus, with characterization in mind, I began Hyouka with tepid interest. At first, the main cast of characters all fit the stereotypical anime tropes. Oreki was the boring, aloof protagonist. Satoshi, the joking sidekick. Chitanda was the naive and kind heroine. And Mayaka… was just there. However, the characters really started to grow on me. After several mystery cases, you begin to see the character dynamic and what each person brings to the case. Although Hotaru often steals the spotlight in managing to solve the mystery, the rest of the cast reflects the viewer’s thought processes and reactions. Another thing that really stood out to me in the very beginning was the animation. Holy cow, it’s freaking gorgeous. Judging from other reviews, this is to be expected considering that it was produced by Kyoto Animation, the powerhouse of beautiful animation. If I hadn’t previously watched another anime by KyoAni, Clannad, this show would’ve stolen the cake for best animation that I’ve seen. The animation has a great attention to detail. We see minute changes in facial expressions, adding to the characterization of the cast. The art basically tells a story of its own. I think it was during the culture festival arc that I really saw the potential in this series through its characters. Hyouka follows each character’s interaction with one another in such a natural, human way. Some of the animes or even TV shows I’ve seen have had bombastic situations that either change the characters in a life-altering way or not at all. However, in Hyouka the characters develop little by little, episode by episode, in a way that doesn’t make an obvious show about it. At the end of the show, by the way he goes out of his way to understand his best friend, Satoshi, or even his coming to terms with his feelings for Chitanda is proof of Oreki growing up. Rather than waving his arms and making claims of “Hey, see how much I’ve changed!!” (as some anime does), his actions display Oreki’s growth. And that, I think, speaks volumes for the show. In the end, there are no flashy robots, killer notebooks, or body length swords. The show is essentially about teenagers growing up. However, the simple premise, the characters, the themes, the animation is so well executed that I can’t help but put Hyouka on my favorites list. And I suspect that it’ll be there for a very long time.

"Watashi kininarimasu!" - Chitanda Eru It's probably a sentence that you've read in other reviews, but it's just one of the characteristics of the story. First off, this anime is just awesome. It really is amazing and deserves to be highly rated. I haven't read the manga, a lot of people say to also look at the manga but since that one isn't translated fully yet, I decided to make review for the anime. Story: I'll start with saying that this a character-based anime (which means that the anime is dependent of the characters). The story is very simpel, but since it's character-based it's very enjoyable. To put it down to the essential things, it's about a boy who's school-life looks grey, but takes a sudden turn. However, I gave this a 9 and not a 10 since I think that the story is still a little underdeveloped at the end (BUT that's something you'll see for yourself!) PS: For those who heard there was romance in this anime, please read the genres again! The romance is really limited, though very fitting) Art: The art is truly amazing! It's very detailed, the shadowing is very well done and I couldn't find any flaws. The art fits with the surroundings and the characters are very enjoyable to just look at! The background is just as detailed as the foreground, which didn't make it irritating to watch! I gave this a 9 since I would've liked to see a little more variety in the scenery here and there! Sound: As for the sound, it's not something I often listen to BUT! the OP and the ED were enjoyable and I let them play to their extent every now and then. Also what I think is important to mention when talking about the sound is the voices of the characters. The voices suited the characters very well. The main characters have nice voices which doesn't make it irritating to listen to. The background sounds are also befitting the scenery very nice, so yeah! No complaints there either! I gave this a 10 since it's, to my opinion, flawless! Characters: As I said, the anime is character-based so the characters are a very fatal subject. It was funny to see how the characters could differ so much, but fit so well together! The characters were very enjoyable throughout the whole anime and didn't irritate me even one bit! There was a lot of character development in my opinion, for such a short anime! (Most of you will be like '22 episodes isn't short! But hey... It kinda feels like it when you watch this) I gave this a 10, because the characters were just too amazing. Enjoyment: There's nothing more to say here except: It's a very enjoyable anime and you should definitely watch it! The producers did a very good job and the writer wrote a truly amazing story! (Again if you want to watch this for the romance, just watch this for the romance!) I hope this was helpful to you! If it was please click on the 'helpful' button down here to show me it was helpful! I also hope this wasn't too long to read and I hope I will be seeing you in the future! Nyaa~!