First Impression: Hyouka

I said in my preview that Hyouka is one of the show that has potential to be great, not just because of Kyoto Animation but the intriguing story line, if the synopsis isn't misleading that is. I have read quite a few opinions about this show on Twitter, especially when it was first released, and some of that opinions weren't exactly encouraging. So here I am several weeks later, trying to form my own opinion about this show.

First few minutes after watching the show, especially after Houtarou met Eru, I got this desperate feeling of wanting to rewatch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya again. Too bad I'm in my office and the DVD of Haruhi is nowhere near me otherwise I would have stopped Hyouka and totally rewatch Haruhi again. Surely I am not the only one with this feeling, am I?

It's pretty obvious, isn't it?
(c) Hayo Kiki

Hyouka is about a boy who is happy leading the "gray" life. His name is Houtarou and he is the kind of person that don't give a fuck about anything but not in the rebellious kind of way. He has a good friend by his side who is the total opposite of him, Satoshi. Houtarou joins the Classic Club at his sister's request. He thought that he would have some quiet time but when he entered the clubroom, there was already a girl there, Chitanda Eru.

It seems like Houtarou is drawn to Chitanda and he has no power to refuse her and her curiosity. I love the metaphor that Kyoto Animation used; Houtarou wrapped up in Chitanda's hair. There are something mysterious and at the same time romantic about it. And just like that, there are three members for the Classic Club that don't do anything classical at all but instead, solving the curiosity of Chitanda.

Since this show is produced by Kyoto Animation, I found no fault in the art and animation. If there is one thing they are good at, it's that. Same goes with the overall sound which includes the seiyuu the songs used for the OP and ED. However, atfirst, because of my desire to watch Haruhi again, I thought that Houtarou would have been perfect if they used Sugita Tomokazu for his seiyuu instead of Yuuichi Nakamura but towards the end of the episode, I have a changed of mind/heart.

Needless to say, I fall in love with this show, just like I did with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It was pretty much in an instant. I guess it has to do with the characters more than anything else, after all when it is all said and done, I'm the character-driven kind of fan.

Having said that, if every episodes is about Houtarou solving Chitanda's curiosity, I'm not sure how long my interest in this show will last.

Number of episodes: 21
Season: Spring 2012

arts & animation 10/10
story 9/10
characters 9/10
sound 8/10
enjoyment 9/10
overall 9/10

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Le Chevalier D'eon

When I first saw this anime on Animax, I was sceptical. I didn't follow it through. The second time they showed it, I thought, why the hell not since there are no other anime worth watching on that channel anyway since I've seen most of it.

Oh boy I was in for a surprised. It turned out to be quite a saga for me.

D'eon De Beaumont
(c) gesshi

The creator, Tow Ubakata took the concept of the real Chevalier D'Eon who was discovered to be a man upon his death and turned it into a fantasy action novel that involved 'poet' and spells. Ubakata managed to retain the facts of the actual person history in the midst of supernatural flick that he created. I was impressed.

The story is about D'Eon de Beaumont who was set out to find the truth behind his sister's death/murder, Lia de Beaumont. The restless soul of her sister used his body as a vessel to seek revenge. He with three other friends become spies for French King, Louis IV. His majesty order is to regain the Royal Psalm and bring it back to Versailles. Along the way, he learned the truth about everything that makes him question his loyalty to the country.

In order to fully understand what is going on, you need to pay attention to the heavy dialogue, especially when it comes to the psalm which wasn't fully explained till the end. It was rather slow-paced in the beginning since it takes a while to get going but kicked ass when it does. The story is full of unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge till the end. Just brace yourself for the climax. There are some heartfelt moments in it too that makes watching this oh so worth it.

It took me a while to get fully acquainted with the characters because there are many with complicated names to boot. But I get the hang of it soon enough. Durand, Robin and Teillagory are the three friends that accompany D'Eon on his mission. The viewers will soon introduced to other characters like Maximilien Robespierre, an acquaintance of Lia and King Louis IV. I am rather fond of the sub-characters if compared to D'Eon. Apart from his love to his country and the people around him, D'Eon is pretty blah. Durand, Robin and Maximilien are my favorites due to their interesting characters. They gave out a sense complexity and mysteriousness.


I didn't know this series was produced by Production I.G, the same production studio that produced Ghost In The Shell until the third episodes when I did some research on the real D'Eon. So obviously, there are little faults to be found in the animation. They have done their research for the building, setting and characters designs which turned out to be very detailed, and managed to capture the feeling of monarchy. The swordfights are clean, swift and brutal, as expected of the knights in that era.

I like the OP and ED but I won't say that they are my favorites. I should say that the rich orchestral background music plays a role in this anime too. It further enhanced the atmosphere and added the element of suspense and drama. It was to be expected since it is from Michiru Ooshima, the same man that is responsible for Fullmetal Alchemist. I couldn't find any flaws with the voice acting either so they must have done a good job. Surprisingly, even the dubbed version is not that bad.

I really enjoyed watching this series and have no qualm what so ever to rewatch it. If you like to watch something with unique plot, this is definitely the one you should put on the list. However if you are those people who watch anime for the action or moe-ness, forget it. You'll be thoroughly disappointed.


Graphics 8/10
Sound 8/10
Storyline 8/10
Characters 9/10
Enjoyment 9/10
Overall 8.4/10

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