C'mon, this isn't cool, KyoAni. You gotta let me bash you guys for something.
...And yet again KyoAni makes the best series of the Summer 2012 season. But will they keep rolling? Or is Chuunibyou the end of the line for them?
A motto for all ages.
So apparently the ballers over at KyoAni weren't satisfied with making Nichijou for 2011 - and they had to make Hyouka. More than anything, I think KyoAni's ability to pick good series and mold them into really fucking good adaptations just has to be admired. But let me pick apart the series before I start drooling over it again.
The production values - what can I say that I haven't before? They're fucking great. KyoAni brought over the artist from the K-On! adaptation, I believe, and just jacked up the quality of the colors, the glossiness (when necessary - Sunrise seems to overdo it sometimes), and the sharpness of the lines. The number of frames aren't lacking in any way and sometimes I like to just sit back and...relish the artwork of this adaptation. Seriously, if you think these graphics deserve anything less than solid respect, just sit through a scene where Chitanda's curious. Go on, do it. I'll be over here when you come back.
To the awe of the fans and detriment of the designers, this sort of stuff happens every episode.
The audio department isn't lagging behind, either. The soundtrack is very nicely done, and as usual, KyoAni just knows when to put in silences better than anyone else. The studio also knows how to put in Bach Cello Suite pieces better than anybody else too, as evidenced by the first couple of episodes. Both of the OPs (Yasashisa no Riyuu by ChouCho; Mikansei Stride by Kodama Saori) and the EDs (Madoromi no Yakusoku by Satou Satomi and Kayano Ai; Kimi ni Matsuwaru Mystery by Satou Satomi and Kayano Ai) are all quite delightful, with some more so than others (that ED1 animation...o____O). In particular, the OPs are near-Soundtrack Pick material, with Kodama having a voice as good as her lyrics, and ChouCho needs no explanation. Overall, great great job.
And for the plot?
Sometimes, the simplest beginnings can unravel the biggest of mysteries.
Last year I compared the likes of Gosick and Kamisama no Memochou, putting the latter on a pedestal while rampaging on the remains of the former. Why was that? Because Gosick's plot revolved around the heroine magically finding the solutions to everything without even a pretense of explanation, while Kamisama no Memochou at least went through some dirty work and a relatively lengthy segment to show how the detective arrived at his conclusion. As I think I've mentioned before: Holmes isn't popular because he magically knows everything. Holmes is popular because he magically knows everything and can explain it in a way such that the viewers can see themselves solving the puzzle. This engages the viewers. This says to the audience, "Hey, this mystery could be solved easily and intuitively by you if you try observing this episode hard enough!" Throwing them an unsolvable problem and then saying "oh here's the answer" doesn't do anything for the readers. In fact, having more "mystery" series than "detective-automatically-finds-criminal" series was one of my 2011 Christmas wishes.
And it came true.
MAYAKA used FLASH!
Hyouka? Takes everything Kamimemo did with a mystery series and makes it better and more realistic. Cool hero? Lethargic as fuck, but that's what's awesome about him (an obvious allusion to the more lazy moments of Holmes' life). Check. Lengthy and relatively sensible explanations as to what the solution to a mystery might be? Check. Quiet slice-of-life/mystery that relies more on the plot of the mystery to deliver instead of flashy disasters and shit? Check. Realistic characters and character interactions? Check. Awesome main cast? Check and double check (if you don't have watashi, kininarimasu! stuck in your head yet, you will after watching this series).
Each character does their little part in pushing the conversation/interactions along so that the characters evolve naturally while also rolling the plot forward. And the characters do evolve - maybe it's a bit overdone at times, but those sorts of dramatic changes can be what happens when you meet someone like Chitanda Eru. Oreki becomes more open. Fukube re-evaluates himself. Ibara overcomes her flaws. Chitanda understands exactly what she can and cannot do. These little things add up - and with the combination of these nice slice-of-life elements and the mystery arcs, Hyouka becomes more than the sum of its parts.
ERMAHGERD WERMERN
Hyouka will dazzle you with the depth of its mysteries (as obvious as some of the references to more popular mystery novel series may be). It will make you chuckle with the daily chatter of the Classics Club. It will make you hold your breath with the tension. It will help you relax on a nice day. It is more than I expected from a mystery anime series and definitely a contender for the best series of 2012.
Try it out with some ice cream.
What happens every single fucking day to a poor man named Oreki Houtarou.
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