Hyouka

Similar: Can't think of anything by name. It's a slice of life/mystery which you don't find often.
One Season - 22 episodes and an OVA.
Subs only

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Rating: 4!
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Hyouka is pretty much the definition of refreshing. Oreki Houtarou's goal is to do as little as possible and if he has to do something, do it as quickly as possible. Eru Chitanda is more curious than almost any cat in the world and loves to pull Oreki out of his grey life as much as possible since he's really good at solving puzzles.



The beauty of this anime lies in the simple everyday life and how interesting it can be. Oreki is a super introvert and this show expresses it in a way that is amazing. I won't say perfectly since everyone experiences it differently but it was amazing for me personally to relate to.

For instance, this is him enjoying himself:


Chitanda on the other hand is a kind soul that goes out of her way to help others and to make sure that everyone is happy. Her curiosity is pretty much the driving force of the story, pulling Oreki out of his shell:





Hyouka puts together a small group of characters that go throughout their days enjoying life and solving small mysteries. They're not of a national scale but simple (like how Chitanda got the door locked on her when no one should have had a key) and have an incredible lack of drama. Any skirmishes that happen are purely character driven and revolve around build character development instead of for the sake of creating a plot. The mysteries are driven by the people (mostly Chitanda's curiosity) and happen within the realm of normal high school life.

If that isn't enough of a seller, then look at the animation. A trend that has been going on this blog is the need for better and more creative animation and Hyouka delivers.

Whether it's the scenery,


or the amazing imagery,
 

or the emotion of the characters,


Hyouka is unique and different while presenting a calm, relaxing story that leaves you needing more.

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