Hyouka - Episode 22 (Completed)

Another week sees another favour asked of Houtarou by Chitanda, albeit this time what sounds like a deceptively simple one - holding an umbrella.

Of course, things are a little more involved than that, especially for our favourite energy conservationist - in fact, Oreki is asked to hold an umbrella for a parading Eru as she takes the part of the Empress in a traditional Japanese Doll Festival for her town, albeit one with "real-life" dolls.  Things only become even more complicated once Houtarou arrives to find a fair amount of panic and chaos amidst those preparing for the festival - a situation certainly not helped by his revelation that a bridge they are planning to use is closed for construction work.

Still, with some replanning and political shenanigas, the festival goes off without a hitch in spite of Oreki's fretting about not being able to see Chitanda properly in her current made-up state, and also about what such a long walk is going to do for his ability to conserve energy.  With the event over, thoughts turn briefly towards why the construction work which should have been postponed ended up going ahead and clashing with the festival, but this is but a trifle compared to the show's finale, which sees Chitanda pondering her inescapable future as a pivotal part of the town she grew up in despite its decline, and what she can do to improve the lot of its people.  It's a future that has a very clearly defined gap in it.... but does Oreki have the confidence to stand up and stake his claim to the gap that seems almost meant for him?

So ends a series that has been, rather appropriately given the frequent exclamations of a its lead female character, a curious affair.  Setting aside its visual beauty, there was something pleasing about the way much of Hyouka conducted itself - sedate to the point of being almost other-worldly, but with characters that did a lot to carry the series even when the weight of the story underneath those characters seemed too slight to support them.  It didn't always carry things off quite so well as I imagine it intended, occasionally either trying too hard or simply falling flat on account of a weaker than usual story, but by the end of it all I was more than sufficiently warmed up to the characters and setting to forgive the odd poor episode.

What that leaves us with is a show that feels very different (this isn't your typical mystery anime by any stretch of the imagination) while simultaneously proving to cater squarely to an existing audience within anime fandom (i.e. anyone with an interest in or enjoyment of slice-of-life high school shows) - as my early misgivings about the series evaporated I'd call Hyouka a victory for the most part, although it certainly isn't a series we'll be talking about for years to come; a perfect example of a good throw-away anime that you probably won't want to watch more once.

Hyouka - Episode 21

Valentine's Day is the subject of this week's episode of Hyouka - always a fraught time in the world of anime, and seemingly especially so if you're either Satoshi or Mayaka.

The reason for this is made clear right from the outset, as we flash back to the pair's middle school days to find Satoshi refusing Ibara's offering of chocolate on account of it not being home-made enough for him.  Never a good move, especially in front of an incendiary girl like Mayaka, who vows to win him over the following year with some chocolate par excellence.  We are, of course, now at that fated Valentine's Day, meaning that Mayaka is determined to make good on her promise of delivering some chocolate that even the fastidious Satoshi cannot refuse.

After putting a significant amount of effort into creating her masterpiece, disaster strikes as the finished chocolates are stolen from the clubroom while Chitanda leaves them unattended for a short while - but who on earth would do such a thing?  Houtarou reluctantly agrees to lend his abilities to tracking down the culprit; although even when the chocolates are seemingly nowhere to be found, Oreki can still pin down the culprit - a culprit who is far closer to home than Chitanda seems to have realised.

As perhaps the weakest "mystery" that this series has delivered us thus far (just one look at Satoshi's face gave the entire game away), this week's Hyouka instead had to rely on its characters to carry the story - something which thankfully it has proved to be consistently adept at.  As a result, this was time well spent with both Oreki and Satoshi, and particularly the latter, in terms of delving into their personalities and how time has shifted them.  While this focus has still done little to truly pin down Satoshi as a character (which seems to be rather the point; here is a young man who wants to remain detached about everything that goes on around him, which goes a long way to explaining why he looks up to Houtarou as he does), it still gave us some fascinating little insights into him in the midst of a tale which allowed all four of its main players to bounce off of one another in satisfyingly organic ways.  The only question now is to how the series is going to end in a few weeks time - will it choose to continue its focus on the group's romantic proclivities or shelve it for something lighter and fluffier?

Hyouka - Episode 20

It's the New Year as Hyouka enters its penultimate episode, providing Houtarou with pretty much the only thing that will spur him into action... an invitation from Chitanda.

Thus, Oreki gets to accompany Eru on her traditional shrine visit (kimono and all) to see in the new year, although for the latter it seems to be more about business than pleasure as she visits those in charge of the shrine to bring them her family's greetings and best wishes.  Oh, and sake... can't forget that.  After stopping by to say a quick hello to a shrine maiden outfitted Mayaka and draw a fortune, Houtarou's promise of a year of misfortune within that fortune soon looks likely to be rather prescient...

After offering to help out those working at the shrine with a simple errand of fetching something from the warehouse, an unusual mistake on Houtarou's part leaves them searching for said item in the wrong place - more specifically a shed, which they soon find locked from the outside by another member of staff.  With nobody else knowing who they are, no cell phones (seriously?!) and Eru insistent that they can't shout for help lest it cause a misunderstanding about their reason for being in the shed in the first place, it's up to Oreki to fathom out a means of escape.  Thank goodness for TV dramas about Oda Nobunaga (and no, he wasn't a cute girl in this one) and Satoshi's interest in just such dramas as the day's unlikely saviour.

Although previous story arcs within this series have had their necessary contrivances to build a story and, more importantly, a mystery, I don't think any of those previous arcs have been quite as blatant in dispensing with common sense in the name of fashioning a plot.  Are we really expected to believe that Oreki, a 21st century teenager, has gone out without his cell phone, on an evening where he's meeting his friends, no less?  This is the most glaring example in an episode where all of the main cast felt like they'd had some level of lobotomy in the name of making a simple situation (being trapped in a shed) into something far more complex.  Put simply, it didn't work and ended up being perhaps the weakest episode of the series as a result, a few snappy one-liners and fun moments aside.  It's the first major mis-step for a series that has otherwise managed to be fun in spite of its mundane scenarios and forced situations that were at least forgiveable - hopefully it's also the only mis-step as we rocket towards the end of the series, and a Valentine's Day setting.

Hyouka - Episode 19

Houtarou is waxing lyrical again, which can mean only one thing - it's time to watch Hyouka!

This week's episode confines itself to a single room, as Oreki and Chitanda share Classics Club duties after school with seemingly little to do.  Their small talk quickly morphs into Eru providing gushing praise to Oreki about his mystery-solving abilities, while for his part he insists that it's simply luck rather than talent that has allowed him to solve the issues which have confronted him thus far.  To prove this, a challenge is laid down - for Chitanda to find a mystery for Houtarou to put his mind to, with the latter planning to come up with a suitably ludicrous solution to prove that he isn't all that when it comes to solving a mystery.

Fortuitously, it's at this moment than an announcement comes over the school tannoy system from the head teacher himself, asking anyone who shopped at a particular stationary store the previous day to come to the staff room immediately.  This is, of course, perfect problem-solving fodder, and so Oreki is tasked with putting together a theory to match this vague announcement.  From pondering the possibility of students being called to the staff room for a positive reason through to shoplifting and onwards to money counterfeiting, Oreki is confident that his final solution is suitably outlandish to prove that he doesn't always get it right.  Of course, it doesn't take a master of deduction to figure out how incorrect that belief ultimately proves to be...

Despite not even leaving that single club room and featuring yet another relatively mundane and every-day mystery, this week's instalment of Hyouka carried itself largely off the back of the dynamic between Houtarou and Chitanda, which is in turns amusing, touching and vibrant.  It certainly isn't a tour de force of classic story-telling or anything like that, but much like Oreki himself it's hard not to be charmed by Hyouka's easy-going nature and willingness to stick doggedly to making mysteries out of the simplest aspects of school life, even when a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief is required.  In short, it really shouldn't work, but for the most part it somehow still manages to do so in a way that I imagine even Houtarou couldn't fully explain.

Hyouka - Episode 18

Now that the culture festival is over, normality returns to the Classics Club, although it isn't long at all before the group find themselves embroiled in another everyday mystery.

This time around, proceedings are kicked off by a helicopter passing over the school, which causes Oreki to reminisce about a middle school teacher he remembered as liking helicopters - the trouble is, it isn't a memory that Mayaka and Satoshi particularly share despite attending the same school, and in Satoshi's case he specifically remembers a scenario that disproves said teacher's love of helicopters.  Throw in another anecdote about Mr. Obi, the teacher in question, being struck by lightning three times and something seemingly clicks in Houtarou's head - something so major that he even wants to investigate this line of thought for himself to satisfy his piqued curiosity.  Could Chitanda's influence be rubbing off on him?

As Satoshi and Mayaka are too busy to help, it's up to Chitanda to help Houtarou by accompanying him to the local library, where a search through the local newspapers soon helps to solidy and clarify Oreki's train of thought - namely that Mr. Obi didn't like helicopters, but was pleased to see one on the particular occasion he remembered for another reason entirely.  All is revealed in what is ultimately a rather melancholy fashion, but it does show a different, more sensitive side to Oreki that neither ourselves nor Chitanda have seen before.

This focus on character over outright story-telling has pretty much become Hyouka's raison d'être by this point - although this one-shot episode was nowhere near as compelling as much of the culture festival story arc, the way its characters bounced off of one another was largely satisfying while the miniature mystery itself held just about enough interest to keep the episode moving.  This series certainly does continue to be an odd beast in its outlook and the way it handles its setup, and it's certainly no classic, but I find myself increasingly unable to complain too much about its warm and heartfelt way of doing things, no matter how mundane those things might be.

Hyouka - Episode 17

With the Juumoji incident about to reach its climax, the Classics Club are also going out to make the most of the situation as Chitanda takes to the radio for an interview with Panty & Stocking's Brief to place her organisation at the centre of this mystery's finale.

If nothing else, Chitanda's infectious enthusiasm certainly does the job, as she invites as many people as possible to come along to the Classics Club's room to help guard the manuscript from theft, and before they know it copies of their anthology are flying off the shelves (well, the table) at an unprecedented rate in the packed out room.  Besides which, surely there's no way that Juumoji can strike and nab the manuscript which is the object of his thieving ways in the middle of such a crowded place?

Well, think again, as our culprit achieves his goal in spectacular fashion to bring the incident to an end with the person responsible never identified by anyone.  Well, not quite anyone... rewind a little and we soon learn that Houtarou already has the culprit's proverbial number; rather than going to the lengths of outing them however, he instead corners the suspect to verify his train of thought before offering a surprising compromise - to assist in helping Juumoji complete his task in return for the purchase of most of the remaining volumes of Hyouka.  It's a delicious piece of blackmail, especially coming from such unlikely quarters, and it also plays its part in squaring the circle for various other characters as their culture festival experiences prove to be both a little fun and suitably educational.

In spite my reservations about where this story arc was going and how long it was taking to get there (is this the longest culture festival story arc in anime history?), I have to say that this finale to said arc confounded all of my expectations and proved to be utterly brilliant.  On one level, there's a simple pleasure to be had from watching Houtarou ape the classic mystery novels that the show references by cornering a suspect, explaining his reasoning and have them confess and explain - it's hugely enjoyable in a very effective way that never seems to get old.  There is, however, a deeper enjoyment to be derived from this arc as a whole and its finale in particular, as it digs deep into the hearts of a number of its characters in what is almost a lament to those deigned never to be labelled a genius - whether it's Satoshi or Mayaka all the way through to the Juumoji culprit, the pain and frustration of looking on at someone with true talent and seeing them not make full use of that talent can be galling and is excellently depicted here.  I really hope that this is something that the closing episodes of Hyouka use to good effect, as Houtarou still seems at least somewhat blind to that fact that he is the target of Satoshi's frustrations, and it feels like there's still a lot to be said and discussed down that particular path.

Putting that aside for now however, Kyoto Animation's velvety animation has proved to be a beautiful backdrop to a story arc that has been a whole lot of fun to watch before really pulling out all the stops for its denouement, as something of a reminder as to why we patiently sat through the occasionally fluffy events that came before in the knowledge that at the end of it all this story would be capable of delivering something both entertaining and substantial.

Hyouka - Episode 16

As the final day of the Kamiyama Festival begins, the so-called Juumoji incident is the talk of the school - numerous parties seem determined to catch the thief red-handed, including Satoshi as he sets out to prove his own worth.

Meanwhile, things seem as relaxed as ever for Houtarou as he idly ponders what he can do to ensure that the Classic Club's anthology sells out - a train of thought interrupted by a visit from his elder sister who happens to be passing by, and who also just so happens (or does she?) to trigger a chain of events which might finally bring us a full answer to the Juumoji mystery.

This comes courtesy of her swapping Houtarou's mirror which he traded in previously for a volume of manga - not just any old manga either, but the much-vaunted "A Corpse By Evening" which Mayaka was fruitlessly searching for previously.  While this is a pleasant exercise in squaring the circle in itself, the manga (itself created at a previous Kamiyama Festival) holds some interesting suggestions as to what its group of creator's next work would entail - a piece based upon an Agatha Christie mystery.  With the pieces of the puzzle seemingly falling into place, Houtarou starts to put some flesh upon the bones of his theory... but is it enough to actually catch the culprit and give the Classics Club the promotion that they need?

In spite of focusing, quite understandably, on the Juumoji incident in a surprisingly pleasing fashion - sure, the way the mystery is unravelling is contrived and almost forced in its progression, but you could probably say that about a lot of the classic mystery literature the series nods to - it's the little touches that continue to make this story arc something special.  The understated yet still very apparent behaviour of both Satoshi and Mayaka as they deal with their respective issues is as fascinating as ever, leaving me as curious as Chitanda when it comes to digging a little deeper into their personalities and what makes them both tick.  It's something that I really hope the remainder of this series is gearing up to do rather than leaving us hanging after all these pointers towards those characters - as wonderful as waiting Houtarou solve mysteries and Chitanda gawp over said solutions is, I feel like there's a whole lot more just bursting at the seams to come from this series before it ends.

Hyouka - Episode 15

The cooking competition may have been one, but the school culture festival is still far from over as we enter another instalment of Hyouka.

This fact is particularly bad news for Houtarou - after seeing the cooking club and their contest hit by the mysterious thief known as Juumoji to the detriment of the Classics Club team, Chitanda's curiosity has been piqued, and she isn't the only one.  Thus, his clubmates are decidedly keen to get Oreki's take on this sequence of thefts, and he doesn't fail to deliver as he points out that Juumoji shouldn't be read as a name, but rather a statement of intent - it seems that our perpetrator is aiming for a Christie-esque "alphabetical" sequence of thefts, which in itself raises the possibility of the Classics Club being the final "victim" of these incidents.

With plenty of anthologies still to sell, Satoshi and Chitanda in particular see this is a great opportunity to promote the Classics Club, and despite being as unwilling to make an effort as ever even Houtarou seems to have garnered some interest in this sequence of events.  While Eru tries to put her new-found skills of persuasion to good use in getting some school newspaper coverage through this scoop (her skills still need some work, incidentally), Fukube seems determined to one-up his friend by figuring out the culprit for himself, even though he doesn't get off to the best of starts.  While all of this is going on, another minor point of intrigue raises its head on account of Mayaka's continuing troubles within her Manga Society.

Although I have to give plenty of credit to this episode for somehow making what should have been a relatively mundane mystery into something oddly intriguing without even putting too much effort into it, for me this week's instalment is really all about its characters; more importantly, it's about the Classics Club members that surround Oreki.  Mayaka has been fascinating to watch throughout this entire story arc as we see a completely different side of her that hadn't been apparent before the culture festival began, and Chitanda's hard work seems to be a little more forced than we might have otherwise believed.  Then there's Satoshi, whose place in events really comes to the fore here as his hidden rivalry with (and jealousy towards) Houtarou builds in a way which will surely become increasingly important as this series moves inexorably closer to its end.  All in all, it's more compelling than it probably should be, as I'll be fascinated to see where this story arc eventually leads in both the short and longer term.

Hyouka - Episode 14

It's time for another day at the school festival in this week's Hyouka - has coverage of a school festival ever gone on for this long in an anime series?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Despite not having found the manga that Mayaka was convinced would blow her manga club president's mind, it seems that the previous day's outburst has been forgiven as another day of the festival begins in earnest - while Mayaka finds herself busy with the manga club preparing posters, Chitanda is once again on the prowl for anyone willing to sell copies of the Classics Club's anthology on their stalls.  Luckily for her, Irisu is more than willing to help, and even goes so far as to give Eru a lesson in the powers of persuasion which our curious friend simply laps up.  Meanwhile, Houtarou's habit of making bizarre trades with stall-goers in the club room itself continues - but hey, who knows when some wheat flour could come in handy?

This question inevitably takes on importance when the second half of this episode sees the Classics Club take on all-comers at the festival's cooking competition - after Satoshi makes a decent fist of his part in proceedings, Chitanda blows away the opposition with her culinary abilities.  The trouble is, she's a little too efficient in the kitchen, and by the time Mayaka belatedly arrives for her turn at the table there are virtually no ingredients left.  Enter Houtarou and his flour to save the day, and nab the Classics Club an all-important (or unimportant, perhaps) victory.  But why did the Classics Club have a ladle missing from the equipment laid out for them?  It seems that the culture festival's phantom thief has been at it again, as their bizarre fetish for pinching or borrowing things in a mysterious manner continues.

I really don't know quite how Hyouka is managing to do it, but despite its culture festival story arc seemingly well and truly outstaying its welcome having been spread over so many episodes, it's still managing to be a whole lot of fun to watch - and surprisingly tense too as its cooking segment moved into its final stages!  Once again, the show's impeccable animation values help, but there's a certain something about watching this show and its characters go about their business that I can't quite put a finger on that just seems to work perfectly, to the point where recent episodes have almost been more enjoyable than the show's mystery quotiant.  Of course, it's the mysterious side of things to which we return next week by the look of it now that so much time has been spent building up something new for Houtarou to get his teeth into - hopefully it won't disappoint after this much preparation, I'd hate to see it run out of steam like some over-prepared cooking content dish.

Hyouka - Episode 13

I was going to say that the school culture festival continues apace in this week's Hyouka, but to be honest the word "apace" doesn't really fit at all as this second episode only takes us to the end of day one of the festival.

As the festival goes on, it does seem to offer up a couple of mysteries for our Classics Club members, with Chitanda learning of a missing Tarot card replaced with some suitably mysterious references, while a "friend" of Satoshi regales a tale of his own about some missing Go pieces (he should probably ask Miri Natayama about them - oops, wait, wrong series) from that particular club.

Aside from that, the gang have mixed success in promoting the Classics Club and their anthology - Satoshi manages a great plug for the club by reaching the final's of the festival quiz, whereas Chitanda fails to find either an alternate location for selling books or a chance to advertise in the school newspaper and Mayaka gets side-tracked entirely by an argument with the manga club president about the value (or otherwise) of writing reviews of manga.  I'm sure some people I know would have something to say about that...  It's arguably only Houtarou who really ends up a winner here, as he gets to spend his day doing very little, and gains both an air gun and a glimpse of some decidedly delicious pictures for his troubles.

Much like last week's episode, Kyoto Animation have again showed their prowess of making something out of nothing here, spreading the way it relates events happening very thinly but somehow making it entertaining to watch courtesy of its incredible attention to detail, particularly as it applies to the show's characters and body language.  At times it's also over-done yet it's still a joy to behold, and at times this episode triumphs more on account of what isn't said, particularly in the case of Mayaka who has clearly had something on her mind over the past couple of episodes that looks set to boil over completely at some point.  It's this kind of thing that makes you realise (much like K-ON) how much you've fallen in love with Hyouka's characters, and although it doesn't cover up the lack of anything particularly interesting happening within the series right now, it does afford it something of a free pass when it comes to unleashing the hounds on it for being outright dull.

Hyouka - Episode 12

It feels like no time at all since I last watched an episode of Hyouka.  Oh, wait a sec, that's because it was only a couple of hours ago...

Regardless, it's finally culture festival time for the Classics Club (and, of course, the rest of their school) - and what a festival it looks set to be, as the gang arrive to a riot of colour and excited energy from every corner of the school.  Well, almost every corner - for once, the location of the Classic Club's room is a huge disadvantage, squirrelled away as it is, and to make things worse Mayaka has ordered 200 copies of the club's anthology rather than the thirty they originally planned to sell.

This clearly calls for a plan, and ultimately it's decided that the Classics Club need either a better location to sell from, or some way of hijacking other clubs and events to raise their profile.  With Chitanda taking it upon herself to do whatever's necessary to secure her club a better position, success seems assured.... except Eru is rather easily distracted when it comes to shiny, colourful or otherwise exciting things, leading to her being dragged off by all sorts of clubs and activities.  At least Houtarou is having fun, holding the fort in the club with virtually nothing at all to do.

With nary a mystery in sight, this nonetheless proved to be perhaps the most entertaining episode of Hyouka thus far - tired old culture festival episode it might be, but it really brought out the best in its characters (Mayaka aside, but there's clearly more to her part in this story here given her sullen and shy behaviour) and also managed to provide some great moments of humour in the midst of its spectacularly depicted festival.  This was good fun to watch, pure and simple, and although it may feel a little luxurious to drag this story arc over multiple episodes I'm all for more of the same next week.

Hyouka - Episode 11.5

Officially set aside as a Blu-Ray only release to accompany its third volume, this bonus episode of Hyouka has nonetheless been able to enjoy a streaming airing well in advance of that release, made available via the kind of atrocious quality video stream that seems so uniquely Japanese these days.  It's a wonder they don't still use RealPlayer....

Anyhow, as its name suggests this instalment sits exactly between episodes eleven and twelve of the series, and as a result we find young Houtarou in quite a funk after the goings-on surrounding the movie screening upon which his role was so pivotal, as his misjudgement in that particular "case" seems to be have made him even more reticent to take part in anything than usual.  With his sister making a rare visit home however, he soon finds himself dragged into doing some work, albeit some work which (in some respects at least) seems to suit him perfectly - that being sitting upon high by a swimming pool while spending a day as a lifeguard.

Of course, once Satoshi gets wind of this opportunity to see something unique, he drags Chitanda and Ibara along to see for themselves, while also getting to enjoy a day by the pool.  Even a spot of swimming has its mysteries however, as Eru concerns herself with a woman who appears to have lost an earring and implores Oreki to help in the search for it.  Thus our protagonist is dragged into helping, only to find a far more mundane solution to the problem than any kind of missing accessory - perhaps more importantly however, Houtarou rediscovers his mojo as he realises that for all of the hassle, it's kind of nice to have somebody reliant upon you.  Especially when she also looks good in a bikini.

As you'd pretty much expect of a bonus episode, this instalment is more about the fan service than resolving any deep-seated plot points and the like - or at least it would be if its low quality and bitrate didn't instantly rot your retina clean away.  That said, it does also offer some more insight into the world of Houtarou - it seems that even a "sloth" can get depressed enough to do even less than usual, and seeing the normally intelligent Oreki in a childish and sullen sulk was actually kind of refreshing, and a decent precursor to whatever the series has planned next in episode twelve - something that I'll find out in... well, an hour or so I guess.

Hyouka - Episode 11

Having become so used to seeing Houtarou provide all of the answers without fail throughout this series so far, has he finally gotten something wrong?  Mayaka's pointed comment about the lack of a rope in his final concept for how the film production they've been assisting with suddenly gives Oreki a cause for some self-doubt.

It isn't just Ibara who has noticed the discrepancy either - Satoshi gives his friend a surprisingly hard time as he too points to flaws in Houtarou's concept as he notes that the Sherlock Holmes books Hongou had been using as research would have contained nothing akin to the narrative trick used in the finished production.  Even Chitanda is on-hand to turn the knife in Houtarou's fragile ego, as she too realises that what they've seen wasn't the ending Hongou desired.

All of this leaves Houtarou feeling rather lost - unsure of how he's gotten things so badly wrong and pondering whether he truly does have any talent for this kind of thing at all, to the point where it overtakes even his usual "path of least resistance" demeanour.  It's his desire to escape and move his train of thought elsewhere that leads to his eventual revelation that his perspective on the entire situation has been entirely wrong, and the next day he confronts Irisu to at least try to confirm this suspicions - that the Classics Club were brought in not as "detectives" in an attempt to figure out the true ending of Hongou's story, but as script writers to recreate it in preference to her own, completed attempt.  While Irisu is rather evasive, this does at least allow Houtarou to somewhat confirm and cement his updated theories - but is he simply being toyed with in an attempt to teach him a lesson, even after all of this?

Even though its subject matter remains as broadly mundane as ever, by this point in the series I have to confess that I like Hyouka's main cast of characters enough to forgive it its foibles - this episode in particular allowed us to get under the skin of Houtarou and gain a better picture of both his own self-image and what makes him tick, which proves to be a far cry from his outward laid-back attitude.  To a lesser extent, we also get to grips with Satoshi's character a little better - after his admission of jealousy last week, his blunt attack on his friend's failure in this instance seems to be something that he almost relishes as a chance to get the upper hand.  It's these small but important moments, moved along by that ever-wonderful animation and its occasionally playful framing of things, that are increasingly making this series what it is, and I am (much like Chitanda) curious as to what is coming down the line for this group of friends far over and above the mysteries planted at their doorstep.

Hyouka - Episode 10

Having shot down everyone else's ideas in some shape or form, Houtarou now finds himself at the centre of Irisu's attention as she seeks to ensure that the culture festival movie production under her management is completed successfully.  Indeed, you could go as far as to say that Houtarou has always been the centre of Irisu's attention in this regard.

Such are her stirring words that we soon find Houtarou heading into school of his own volition, buoyed by her impassioned thoughts that solving this "murder" is something that only he can do.  Even Satoshi seems to be a little jealous of the way Houtarou's mind works as they head to school together before sitting down to rewatch the incomplete movie together with Ibara.  Before he knows it however, both of these individuals have been dragged away (quite literally in one case) to other important tasks, leaving Houtarou to ponder the answer to this mystery alone.

Aided by some interesting notes made by Satoshi and left in his care, Houtarou ponders all of the possibilities before ultimately presenting what proves to be a compelling solution to an initially sceptical Irisu - in short, there was a seventh character within this production, and that seventh character had to be placed in the one position that could pull off every aspect of this locked room murder mystery with easy... the cameraman.  Ultimately, everything seems to add up with his idea, and Irisu not only accepts it but allows Houtarou to choose a final name for the production - something he duly does, before getting to enjoy a positive reaction from the film's culture festival screening.  Thus comes to the end another job well done for our lazy and decidedly amateur sleuth... but in his fervour, has even he overlooked one very important point involving this production?  Mayaka certainly seems to think so.

Although we can't quite call this the end of the current story arc thanks to its cliff-hanger ending, this week's instalment of Hyouka still made for a staid but satisfying conclusion to the mystery which has been pondered over previous weeks.  You can only be fair to the story and its presentation in saying that all of the clues were left in place for viewers to figure things out for themselves, which goes a long way to making its final reveal enjoyable surprising (for those of us who aren't super-sleuths already, anyhow) when backed up by the consistently gorgeous and occasionally striking visuals of the series.  It still isn't the kind of thing which is ever likely to be a memorable classic, and you could argue that Kyoto Animation are being a little ponderous in the show's treatment, but it continues to hold a mild yet undoubted grip over my interest as it goes about its business, for which it should be commended.

Hyouka - Episode 9

It would be tough to describe the Classics Club's efforts to get the bottom of an unfinished, class-produced mystery movie as "serious business", but nonetheless our club foursome sit down to ponder the potential endings and theories provided by a trio of the production's staff in this week's Hyouka.  We can tell that this is a big deal, as Chitanda has brought chocolates.

Unfortunately, the chocolates in question also happen to contain whiskey - something which most of the Classics Club members, and indeed their theorising guests, quickly cotton on to and thus give said chocolates a wide berth.  Not so Chitanda herself, who gleefully munches away for the entire episode - you can probably figure out where that plot point is headed, and a wonderful thing to behold it is too.

That aside, rather less wonderful are the theories put forward by the production's assistant director, props manager and publicity manager.  The first of this trio puts together a simple proposal as to the potential killer and how they implemented this seemingly locked room murder - they just used the window.  Once this is blown out of the water, our second theory seems rather more plausible if a little plain, involving abseiling down from the window of the floor above - again however, this doesn't work once you ponder the logistics of the situation.  Finally, the owner of our third theory is more interested in turning the film into a horror-esque bloodbath than a more traditional mystery, locked room be damned.  Thus, we're left with three less than satisfactory arguments, and still no ending for the film in sight.  However, a chance encounter (or is it?) for Houtarou might be about to resolve the situation...

If nothing else, this current story arc within Hyouka is certainly keeping its powder dry as it wilfully keeps Houtarou's acumen at bay to let idiots flounder around with their theories as he looks on almost entirely passively.  As a result, it's Chitanda, and her alcoholic proclivities, which dominates the episode, lending a comical tone to an instalment that would otherwise have proved rather dull as we leave the episode barely any further forward than we started it.  Whether that alone is enough to label this episode as enjoyable is a debatable one, but accompanied by its ever-stunning presentation Hyouka does somehow manage to be a little greater than the sum of its parts.

Hyouka - Episode 8

Another week means another new small-time mystery for the Classics Club to attend to.  But to where will they be turning their attentions this time?  Why Eru feels the need to correct of all her spelling mistakes in an online chat session, maybe?

Regardless of their task at hand, Houtarou is understandably none too thrilled at being dragged to school in the midst of their summer break at Chitanda's behest, and it's here that the other club members are introduced to that reason for their visit - an opportunity to look over a movie filmed by one of the school's classes.  While this seems like a pleasant enough invitation, there's more than simply a chance to take in an amateur film at stake here as Fuyumi Irisu, one of said class' members, wishes them "good luck" on their viewing.

Having watched this decidedly amateurish production which comes to an abrupt halt, the real problem soon becomes clear - the film has no ending.  What's more, its script writer has been taken ill and so not only has the movie's conclusion not been filmed, it hasn't even been written!  Thus, it's up to the Classics Club to figure out the culprit in the half-finished mystery film they've been presented - something which Houtarou clearly has no real interest in.  Of course, Chitanda's response to this call for help is a very different one, and before he knows it our protagonist is roped into speaking to the school's detective club to evaluate their thoughts on the mystery at hand.

I'm sure you pretty much know the drill by now - Hyouka continues to look gorgeous, even when its being deliberately amateurish as it portrays this homemade mystery movie with some wonderful attention to detail (actors talking too loud, fiddling with their head, out of focus shots and so on).  It's also pretty fun to watch for the most part - slow-paced, certainly, but suffused with some great moments of humour as the main characters interact and play off of one another to bring some energy to a story which is determined not to hurry its delivery.  It's most certainly an acquired taste, and I'm still not entirely convinced by it, but despite my reservations I have to confess that I'm slowly begin to warm towards the series the longer it goes on.

Hyouka - Episode 7

The summer break means that it's time for a little trip for the members of the Classics Clubs this week; otherwise known as "KyoAni does a hot springs episode".  Yes, really.

Sadly for Houtarou however, it appears that he isn't the type to travel well - not only does he get car sick despite a relatively short journey to the hot springs, but he also doesn't handle sitting in the hot springs too well either, leaving him feeling dizzy and decidedly out of sorts come the end of the day.  This means that he misses the evening's entertainment, that being some good old-fashioned ghost stories.  But hey, it's all just nonsense right?

Or is it?  The next morning, both Chitanda and Ibara swear that they've seen the "hanging ghost" in the fated room seven during the night, with the latter in particular decidedly disturbed by the whole thing.  Houtarou refuses to believe ghosts have anything to do with this entire scenario of course, but what's the real answer?  Reluctantly, Oreki sets his mind to figuring out the real reason for the sighting of an "apparition" in a normally unused and sealed room, and needless to say it's something far more mundane than any kind of supernatural encounter.

We certainly seem to be well and truly entrenched in Hyouka's modus operandi by now, presenting us as it does with episodic, small-time mysteries which it's up to Oreki to solve in short order.  To be fair, given our protagonist's attitude, propensity for snappy one-liners and general demeanour as he bounces off the rest of the cast, this remains a surprisingly entertaining way of doing things, backed up as always by that continually gorgeous animation which manages to be classy even when we enter into what is normally a typical anime fan service territory.  Hyouka isn't quite a show that I'll race to see before everything else this week, but I am rather enjoying it in its own subtle and quiet way for the most part, ensuring that I remain curious as to whether it can last the course by delivering this kind of story week upon week.

Hyouka - Episode 6

Now that Chitanda's queries about her uncle have been well and truly resolved, what next for the classics club?  And why can Houtarou hear Chitanda arguing with a teacher in the next classroom?  These two questions become inextricably linked as we reach episode six of Hyouka.

In fact, it seems to be rather an argumentative day all-round, as we soon encounter Ibara giving Fukube more than a mouthful of abuse on account of something he'd done in a non-stop tirade against him which only Oreki seems to know how to stop (despite Eru's best efforts).  This leads into a discuss on how Chitanda manages to never get angry, before expanding into a wider discussion into the merits and otherwise of the seven deadly sins.

All of this serves as a reminder for Chitanda, as she first completely forgets why she was arguing with a teacher in class, before remembering what it was all about and relating it to her friends, allowing us to learn that her class' maths teacher had yelled at a number of pupils for not knowing the answer to an equation containing something they hadn't even learned yet thanks to an error on his part.  But how did a teacher normally so meticulous in his preparations make such a basic mistake?  It's this question which Chitanda demands an answer for from Houtarou - an answer which, of course, he delivers in due course.

Much as I feel like skipping over our usual discussion about how great this episode looks, it's actually rather hard to within an episode like this which relies so heavily upon it to drive an otherwise mundane storyline, spicing it up with interesting shots and visual cues together with some rather innovative ways of relating theories of descriptions of events to the viewer.  Is this enough to get over the fact that we are, effectively, watching a twenty-minute episode about some mixing up of letters of the alphabet?  To be honest, I'm not entirely sure - this episode was driven pretty well by its characters and their way of relating and thinking about things, so I enjoyed it enough for it to get a passing mark, but can we really carry on through another fifteen episodes of similar incidents?  Looking at it from that angle, the series really needs something more substantial to nourish both itself and its viewers.

Hyouka - Episode 5

It seems that Houtarou has done it again as a brief, concentrated period of ponderance brings forth the most likely solution to Chitanda's queries about her uncle... or most of them, at least.  As Houtarou ponders his own future and whether he'd rather have a "rose-coloured" life like Jun Sekitani, a rare phone call from his sister makes him realise that there's more to this story than his theory thus far has uncovered.

More specifically, the comments from Houtarou's sister suggests that Sekitani's "hero" status isn't as clear cut or obvious as it might seem, leading to a re-evaluation of the evidence gathered so far.  Although the true meaning of some of the writing concerned is ambiguous, Oreki quickly picks up on an important clue that's far better than any written source - the identity of the author of the introduction to volume two of Hyouka.  What's more, she's still an active part of their school...

Thus, one trip to the library later we're on the cusp of answering all of Chitanda's questions - the truth about her uncle's place as the leader of a revolution in the face of cuts to the school culture festival, the exact reason for his expulsion and why the entire experience far from the "rose-coloured" exit the group might have imagined.  This still leaves one question unanswered - what did Sekitani say to reduce the Chitanda of her childhood to tears?  The answer lays within the name of the Classics Club's anthology, Hyouka, and with it a rather ropey play on words which explains everything about Sekitani's feelings during the incident in question.

After last week's episode ran a little too slowly and kept its powder rather too dry, this latest instalment of Hyouka is a far better example of how to do a lot with relatively little.  It almost goes without saying that the series is packed with visual flourishes and outright gorgeous animation throughout (with some surreal moments that feel more like SHAFT than KyoAni), but on this occasion the actual story-telling does an expert job of building tension and mystery despite its sedate pacing and setup to the point where you actually end up caring about the big reveal towards the end of the episode.  The biggest obstacle facing the series now is where it goes now that its first major story arc is over - can it survive with solving low-key mysteries, or does it need to ramp things up and aim for something a little more spectacular?  To be frank, even I'm not sure what the answer to that question is - perhaps its one for the lazy yet genius mind of Houtarou to ponder...

Hyouka - Episode 4

After all of that effort to find the Classics Club's previous anthologies, it appears that volume one is missing, and with it the vital information that will solve Chitanda's mystery surrounding her uncle.  Although all hope appears lost, Houtarou suggests that the best way forward for his club-mate is for Eru to tell Mayaka and Satoshi her story and enlist their help.

With that extra brainpower on board, Chitanda takes control and gets her three friends to go away, do some research and return for a session at her house to review their findings and any theories that have come from it.  This they duly do, with Chitanda herself coming up with a bare bones theory which is both somewhat shot down and then fleshed out by Ibara, and then furthermore by Fukube.

Ultimately, all eyes turn to Houtarou himself - rather unfortunately for him, as his research is sparse and he doesn't have any kind of theory to unveil to his waiting audience.  Decidedly more luckily, a combination of rain and an excuse for a toilet break gives Houtarou some time to think - time he puts to good use in outlining what ultimately seems like the most likely theory, built from the research all of the others before him have presented.  Thus, it's another victory for the brilliant mind of Houtarou... or is it?  The cause of Eru's childhood distress remains on her mind, so perhaps this mystery isn't quite wrapped up just yet.

I think it would be something of an understatement to call this week's Hyouka verbose - it had a lot to say, describe and lay out with no real changes of scenery to help it along, something which no amount of gorgeous visuals or smart gimmicks can resolve.  As a result, this was certainly a very "dry" instalment, which is something I can deal with for the most part given the interesting history and the like unveiled by the episode, but it certainly feels like a segment of the show's story which is far better suited to its original novel format than animation - it doesn't even have the quirkiness and sharp writing of other verbose efforts like Bakemonogatari to fall back on, making it a tough one to sell from a visual perspective.  This has, I have to admit, taken a little of the sheen away from Hyouka after a pretty decent couple of episodes - it isn't time to man the lifeboats or anything, but there's a definite need for an upturn in the show's story (and story-telling) to push it along in the next week or two.