Hyōka has the unique distinction of being a high school anime that does the genre just right. It has an almost lazy pace to it, where nothing really big has happened as of 13 episodes in, but it’s not a bad kind of laziness, as you get the feeling that there’s something really important lurking just beneath the surface from little clues scattered throughout the episodes.
Which makes sense, considering that Hyōka is a mystery anime. Each episode is either about solving a mystery, or is in some way a commentary on the mystery gene as a whole. (Be prepared to hear the words Holmes and Christie thrown around at least a couple of times.) Added into the mix is a stereotypical but somehow unique set of first year characters that all become tied up in these mysteries, and by extension, the Classics Club.
I say by extension because if it wasn’t for a certain mystery that occurs early in the series (which, coincidentally, ties into the title of the show) it is unlikely that the group would have ever come together to become the Classics Club. Similar to the popular Haruhi Suzumiya series (whose director is also responsible for Hyōka), the members of the Classics Club in Hyōka are only loosely connected before joining the club. They have no real ‘reason’ to be there–as they certainly don’t discuss the classics–but they are drawn together nonetheless.
It also doesn’t hurt that the two main characters are voiced by the same seiyu who are responsible for two of the best characters in Fairy Tail.
At the heart of the group is a reluctant ‘detective’ by the name of Hōtarō Oreki. He is exceptionally gifted at solving the seemingly unsolvable, but is generally apathetic about everything and unwilling to exert the energy it takes to do anything other than the bare minimum. But, as I’m sure many of you anime aficionados can guess, his apathy seems to be a coping mechanism for some deep-seated inner pain or inadequacy. I have little doubt that his angst will begin to flow freely as the series continues.
The only person who can seem to get him to use his gifts of deduction is a girl by the name of Eru Chitanda. Kawaii in every sense of the word, Chitanda is in many ways the brilliant-but-cute-and-clueless trope that seems to worm its way into nearly every high school anime. However, she stays away from being overly trite, other than the unfortunate catchphrase of “I’m curious!” It is, in fact, her relentless curiosity about mysteries (including one very close to her, and her reason for joining the Classics Club) but complete inability to solve them that leads her to Oreki. For whatever reason (though I’m sure the cuteness doesn’t hurt) Oreki decides to help her, despite grumbling about it loudly.
Sound familiar?
But, his grumbling only serves to annoy and slightly offend the other two members of the Classics Club. They are both huge mystery fans, and it becomes evident as the series progresses that they are hurt by how indifferent Oreki is of his ‘detective’ talents. Whenever they try to praise him he simply says “it was luck,” or “I was lucky.” As one of the episodes highlights quite poignantly, his rebuffing of his talents or treating them as if they are worthless is painful for those who try so hard to be talented but can’t even match a tenth of the skill he exerts so effortlessly.
If all of this sounds more like a character study than an anime, that’s because it is. While the plot is certainly entertaining and the production value of the anime itself is quite good, it is the characters that drive the story, and the characters that keep it interesting. In many ways, the characters serve as the ultimate testament to the heart of the mystery genre: the fact that the real mysteries lie inside us. Some of us are never what we seem, and we are all carrying secrets that we might not want others to discover.
While I can’t give you a full recommendation as the series is still ongoing, I think it is fairly safe to say that if you like anime that is both lighthearted but deep, Hyōka would be a good show for you. I’ve been in a bit of an anime drought recently, and Hyōka has been a lovely way to soothe my thirst.
 Marple Cake 6x 8inc… $7.00
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 221B Baker Street S… $25.00
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 5 x 7 Print – Lond… $13.50
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 Magnifying Glass Cl… $8.00
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 Green Plaid Deersta… $18.00
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 Hercule Poirot $50.00
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 Collection Wood pip… $18.00
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 Curtain – Agatha Ch… $70.00
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You can also view this as a treasury on Etsy.
