#interactions | hyouka

[kaercu]

@dnangelic liked for a starter!

hyouka blinks at the boy standing before her, feeling a little unsettled, on edge. she checked this room once already while searching for the demon that she was sent to kill, and while she can't sense anything wrong about this stranger, she certainly can't say this isn't weird. he's appeared as if out of thin air. hyouka supposes there's a possibility he's the demon, even if he looks human. there are those strong enough to conceal their presence, fool even a hashira.

if that's the case here, hyouka just might be in over her head.

" where did you come from? " the kanoe asks, brow furrowed and muscles taut. " and why're you here? there's a reason the village boarded this place up, y'know. " before she broke in, of course.

[tvrningout-a]

[Kyouka; Hyouka] 'you're not going to die.'

it's in here somewhere... | @petalbound reassures hyouka!

hyouka has had her share of close calls. she's never been a very careful -- or rather, she's always been reckless, quick to act before thinking everything through. her body always seems to move on its own before she even registers it, and then hyouka has broken ribs or a broken sword or...

or a pretty gnarly stomach wound. at least, it feels gnarly. she didn't have time to check it before she passed out the first time.

kyouka has her arm slung around her shoulders, leading the flame breather towards town where hopefully they'll find a healer or a kakushi waiting for them. her body feels so heavy, so cold, and black spots appear in her vision ( is this what dying feels like? it's a scary thought ). hyouka stumbles and barely catches herself with kyouka's help, pain rippling through her middle.

" kyouka-chan, " she begins. her breathing is heavy, labored. " if i don't--- "

" you're not going to die. "

hyouka smiles. " yeah... still, tell satsuki i'm sorry. " she should tell her sister herself, tell her she only wanted to be the one to protect them this time. she should apologize to satoru for not being around as much as she should. she should... she...

she falls to the ground, unconscious.

[tvrningout-archived]

@sozokami encounters hyouka!

" is it bad that i don't want tomorrow to come? " hyouka's voice is quiet as it's ever been. her entire demeanor is different ( she's so still, so solemn ), and it's so weird to see her like this. she was only just fired up over their sparring match, all smiles and excited proclamations that she'd for sure beat ahmya this time. now her amber gaze remains on the sword in her lap, cleaning supplies forgotten beside her and lips downturned. " ...tomorrow is my brother's birthday. kaien's, that is."

[tvrningout]

i’ll have y’all know that chiyo is rattling the bars of her cage while arata strums his guitar obnoxiously beside her and the kny folks? pretty sure k.aigaku and hyouka are gonna start fighting soon

[quietlyblooms]

hyouka's bio and stats are done, kaigaku has his placeholder/disclaimer page, and now i'm gonna go eat some dinner!! i'll be back later <3

[threeking]

... ⠀⠀יִיִ⠀𝃣 ⠀⠀ writeblr intro ⠀⠀ 💌 ⠀⠀ ── ⠀⠀ ;

hello ! my name is third king january but feel free to call me third or january ( or any other nickname you'd like ) ! i'm a twenty two year old black lesbian pursuing a graphic design major with a minor in art history and creative writing—considering media studies—who uses they/them pronouns !

ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ :⠀ 🍓. i think this may be my third or fourth time trying out a writeblr, but the other attempts didn't go well since i was busy and didn't put a lot of effort into interacting with my mutuals </3. this time around, i really want to be a part of the community and be more supportive of everyone's writing! my goal for this account is to share my wips, any writing, and keep motivated to do more than just stare at a blank document for hours </3.

i'm a big reader and i plan to share some of my recently reads on this blog. please feel free to send me book recs if you think it's something i might like or if you just wanna ramble about something you read that you really liked! my favorite genres are horror, magical realism, fairy tales and fantasy. i love beautiful prose that's almost poetic and ambiguous writing that has you questioning everything until the grand reveal.

my favorite books are: bunny by mona awad, deathless by catherine m. valente, and how to win the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone. the last two books helped me understand the kind of writing style i want to strive for as did poetry !! i don't have a whole lot of fav poems, but worm king's lullaby by richard siken is one that's always spinning in my head.

alongside reading i like manga, webtoons, videogames, and anime. my all time favorite anime is hyouka followed by angel beats and clannad. my favorite webtoon is omniscient reader's viewpoint and i can't recommend it enough. it's soosososo good! ( i started with the webtoon before switching to the novel bc i was too impatient to wait for the updates ) my favorite games are the halo series and oxenfree.

other interests of mine include music, drawing, art, watching youtube videos, journaling, horror movies, and sleeping 😴. i have a few graphic novels / webcomics in my wips so i'm learning how to draw to make them a reality! i also have a video game that's tied to another wip so i'm getting into coding as well !

please never be shy / afraid to tag me in ask games, send me an ask, or even a message! i also have a discord ( username: thirdking ) if you'd like to add me and message me there. also never think or feel like you're bothering me or anything if you wanna say hi or ramble about your interests. i'm always looking to make new friends !! 😁

i ask that minors don't interact or follow !! thank you !!

i have a handful of wips that's been running laps in my head for some time now but these are the ones ( excluding shorter stories ) that aren't multimedia projects or animation ideas, but i may talk about those anyways 😋 since most of these are still in the outlining stage they're subject to change but i'll make sure to update anything to reflect those changes !

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip one ; spring ( technically untitled but springs gna be in the final title )

the story follows two ex band mates reconnecting in their adult years after they parted ways when their front man signed a major record deal.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip two ; sisyphus

sisyphus stars three siblings at the center of a conspiracy 1!1!1 the oldest sibling, an astronaut, goes missing during a privately funded space mission embarking to a new planet found in the solar system. i wouldn't call this a greek retelling, but it does a feature a lot of nods to classic greek myths!

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip three ; atwe

atwe follows the mother of a teen superhero getting revenge after her kid is killed by an unknown villain. though it's my own special take on superheroes featuring my personal criticisms on teen heroes, it's also a study on family—in particular—distant family relations and saying i love you a little too late.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip four ; march marchen ( title will definitely change )

march marchen is my sort of alice in wonderland / fairy tale retelling that follows an unnamed girl in what might be wonderland trying to figure out who she is and who she isn't. ft parallel worlds, escapism, the fear of childhood, and the fear of adulthood.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip five ; neapolitan ( title will definitely change )

neapolitan is a magical girl webcomic / graphic novel. the story follows a trio of girls becoming the successors of a long line of ice cream inspired magical girls. ft a bright fun palette, gore, and cannibalism! though it's a webcomic, i intend to give it a novelization from the perspective of a different set of magical girls.

if you'd like to be added to a taglist please send me an ask! it'll be easier for me to keep track ! thank you for reading <3

[tvrningout-a]

hyouka holds her haori in her hands, ready to place it in the basket with the rest of the uniforms beyond repair. the poor thing had been through hell and back; now, one sleeve hangs on by a few literal threads, and tears litter the rest of the fabric. she doesn't want to throw it away, not when her teacher had been so thoughtful to make it for her ( hyouka caused him so much trouble, and still he treated her so nicely ). it's the only memento she has from their time spent training.

she won't do it here, but truth be told, she kind of wants to cry.

before hyouka can let go of her haori, a voice calls out to her. nezuko. sad, amber eyes look to the girl and perk up at her words. " you can fix it? " the kanoe offers up the fabric, half-hopeful and half-sheepish at the state of her belonging. " even though it looks like this?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Human Nezuko open starter. (Verse 01 & Verse 05)

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀" Hold it! "

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The girl's tone was sweet, yet stern in the same instant. She motioned for the other over to her swiftly. Everyoone had a certain skill that they were quite proud of. For Nezuko, it was sewing. She had gotten fairly good at it while their mother and brother conserved money. Hemming, patching, even fashioning something even cuter out of a hand-me-down; Nezuko could do it all.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀" There's no need to throw out a perfectly good haori. Give it here. "

[cnnmonbimee]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @milkteamoon thanks for the tag milk <33

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 28! Which isn't that much but I never thought I would write that much to begin with :D!

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 115,038 I wish to write more this year since I was in a slump last year 😤

3. What fandoms do you write for? Most of my fics are JSHK, but I've written a Hyouka fic for a zine and an (unexpectedly) x reader fic for The Ssum. I have two original works there too though!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

..Everything? (地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)) (1,695 words) kudos: 113

Two Lips, with hues of cherry and honey. (地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)) (4,936 words) kudos: 102

Reason For Another Tomorrow (地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)) (14,236 words) kudos: 89

Just Like Us (地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)) (3,797 words) kudos: 79

Bright as helios, Beautiful as anthos, a True Helianthus (地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)) (10,055 words) kudos: 67

Honestly speaking, '...Everything' isn't my favourite and isn't my best either, so I have no idea why it's there 😂 The others are probably because they're long enough to be there, but I do like seeing Tulips, Just Like Us, and the Bridge fic being there.

5. Do you respond to comments? I usually do! and I, myself love to leave comments! Most of my inbox are filled with replies to the comments that I wrote instead! I like interacting with both my readers and other writers :>

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? The only thing that came to mind is Tulips. The first chapter ended hopeful and the second was sad xd Though, I wouldn't really say it's angsty! It's more to bittersweet I think. I have another lesser-known fic that has, not really angsty, but the ending was a little messed-up xD

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of my fics have happy endings since I usually write fluff.... I think...

8. Do you get hate on fics? Never yet! I was a bit scared when I posted tsunene fics and even moderated the comments xD but no one ever left anything mean there!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Very very mildddddd in my opinion. And I rarely write smut because I'm shy (pfftt) The only ones I have was for tsunene and they were only making out;; another one is something that I just posted yesterday as a ficlet. If I ever want to seriously write one day though, maybe something sweet like vanilla. I'm a simple person u_u . And I like it when it involves feelings <3

10. Do you write crossovers? I never thought of writing crossovers :0 they aren't really my thing. But I do think they're fun for crack though!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No, i think?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nopee I don't think my fics are widely known to have them translated Xd but who knows, maybe one day!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Noooooo someone co-write with me someday :);;;;

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Hananene, of course!!! You won't really get any other answer from me u-u I do wish to be more diverse in the future though! And I did entertain in the idea of writing threesome like hananenetsuka or hananenekou but never actually did it ;;;

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Everything in my never-ending wip list u_u Some of them are big fics that I'm itching to write but never have the time.

16. What are your writing strengths? I'm good at writing feelings, I think? I haven't done any self-evaluation lately. Oh but I really love metaphors!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I usually have a hard time to make my writing more descriptive. Sometimes they feel too bland u_u and since English isn't my first language, some of the dialogues don't sound natural and casual like I wanted it to be.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I never thought of this before and don't know if the fics I'll ever write have the settings for this xd

19. First fandom you wrote for? JSHK is what really got me into fanfiction. Before that I always have this impression that fanfics are usually /reader only, which I'm not really fond of (Should have discovered more!!) I started as an avid jshk fics reader, and never thought of writing my own to be honest! Love the fact that I tried <3 it's why I'm here.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Wahhh I think my most recent favourite is A beautiful heart like yours (is mine to hold), which is a fic I wrote for Tsunene Week 2023. I think it's my most well-written piece :') it's the only one that I don't get icky feelings when rereading it. Others are 'The Reason for Another Tomorrow', also known as codename: Bridge fic, and the first ever fic I've written for the fandom, If I Were The Moon, Would You Be My Sun?, which isn't my best writing but has a really special place in my heart <3

Thanks for the tag Milk <3 I'm just tagging whoever I have in mind so don't feel obligated to do it! This is just for fun <3 @voidjelli @insipidenvy @miss-sternennacht @thatsrightdollface @doughnutboii @krispyt @wingsonghalo @etheralisi @kawff33 @kinkymoonaf

[emnesoi]

which characters from other fiction do you think it would interest you the most to see different Monogatari Series characters meet?

that's a hell of a question. i can't say ive thought much about crossovers in... any context, but i can try to answer.

my first thought is Ginko from mushishi, because i consider that and the monogatari series to be similar works in a few ways -- if you gave me some time and had asked, i could probably come up with the argument that they're set in the same universe, albeit with a hundred or so years of time between them. i would be particularly interested in seeing Ginko in conversation with monogatari's specialists. i think his very scientific perspective wrt the nature of mushi/oddities would clash against Oshino's spirituality and Kaiki's skepticism specifically in interesting ways. with how much earlier mushishi is set, the differences in both technology and philosophy between their respective works could lead to some cool stuff -- i can imagine Ginko becoming very frustrated at how it had been decided that oddities are best kept somewhat secret from the general public. not to mention that writing such a crossover would require reconciling monogatari's very surreal, subjective presentation style with mushishi's realistic objectivity, and that alone could be fascinating.

it would also be neat to see Araragi interact with other characters of that type, namely Oreki Houtarou from hyouka, Hikigaya Hachiman from my teen romantic comedy snafu, Tohno Shiki from tsukihime, and the unnamed protagonist of the tatami galaxy, but i'll admit that this is much more for comedic banter reasons than the previous. them all being variations on the same archetype could lead to some interesting friction though.

hmm, what else. i would also have Hanekawa and Hatori Chise from the ancient magus' bride meet because they have similar backgrounds/trauma but deal with them in irreconcilably different ways. same goes with Senjougahara and Ayanami Rei from neon genesis evangelion. i can't really say what they'd do together, but it might be interesting.

i'd also plop Araragi into the world of land of the lustrous just to see what the hell even would happen. admittedly this doesn't involve specific characters, but like, dude, what if ?

[kaercu]

@4heart liked for a starter!

" you're a hashira, aren'tcha? " you sit on the edge of your own cot, legs crossed and hands keeping busy with your poor, battered haori. there's a tear in the sleeve that you're sewing up, and your stitches are surprisingly neat despite the fact that your eyes no longer watch your work. you're too busy studying the newest addition to the infirmary and one of the few hashira you aren't familiar with. he joined their ranks after you left the kakushi -- or maybe around the same time. you aren't sure.

" you seem pretty young, " you muse aloud, and your smile grows with your excitement. " you must be really strong! "

[tvrningout-a]

OI! @whirling-fangs encounters hyouka!

     “ OI!! don’t take another step!! ” hyouka swears she hears satsuki’s voice within her own as she yells after inosuke. it's an odd experience when she believes the two of them to be so very different, yet as hyouka grabs the back of inosuke's shirt to tug him back with a huff, she understands her sister's annoyance more than ever.

     she should really apologize.

     " i know you're extra sturdy or whatever 'cause you lived on a mountain, but you got stabbed in the chest -- the chest!! " the kanoe exclaims, brow furrowed and grip steady. " y'can't go runnin' around like it's nothin'! "

[tvrningout-archived]

Does Hyouka believe Santa is real?

anon | unprompted

" ah, well, i like to think there's a chance he's real! but i'm more of a see it to believe it kinda person. " she hasn't truly believed in ol' saint nick for several years now, but if satoru asks, she exchanges letters with the jolly fella in a red suit every year!

[lotomber]

◦•●◉✿✿◉●•◦ About me ♥

۵ Amber! , 19, INFP, Asian, Sagittarius, She/Her/They , Dazai's Kinnie, Chuuya's simp!

An animanga enthusiast!

Sometimes I can be really socially awkward due to my sheepish personality but I really like to talk with new people so I really appreciate if you interact with me! and I really want to work on my low confidence.⍢

✵ Likes!

Sleeping, dancing, swimming, animanga, k-drama, horror movies, music, travelling, reading, writing, chocolates, dressing up, cats(I've a literal obsession with them!), cute stationaries, stuff toys, nature, roadtrips, moon, late night walks!

✵ Dislikes!

loud and crowded places, bugs, judgy people, bright lights, summer, waking up early!

✵ ANIMANGA: Bsd, jjk, gintama, fairy tail, aot, toilet bound hanako kun, mha, ouran high school, bocchi the rock, tokyo revengers, kimi ni todoke, spy x family, black clover, maid sama, cardcaptor sakura, tsubasa reservoir chronicles, fruit basket, kamisama kiss, cote, tensura, mashle, hyouka, oshi no ko, kaguya sama, apothecary diaries, violet evergarden, another, 86, kny, link click, re zero + many more

✵ Webtoon/Manhwa: Olgami , Serena, Unholy blood, killer peter, lookism, hero killer, muse on fame, mystic prince, your throne, men of the harem, fox club, i love yoo, couple breaker, sisters at war, go away romeo, to the stars i love, the blind prince, crown princess scandal, windbreaker, tyrants wants to be good, death is the only ending for villainess + many more

P.S- I'm always open to talk about animanga/webtoons!

[tharizdun-03]

Hyouka Watchthrough

Episode 1: The Esteemed Classics Club has been Restored

Pleasantly surprised by how good the direction is. The show looks great in general too, even for KyoAni (even for KyoAni 10 years ago).

Narratively, this was solid. Mystery-solving is an interesting quirk. Not sure how that'll hold up over 22 eps but I get the feeling this will be more about them wasting time anyway with the mysteries as frosting on the whole thing, so probably not a problem.

Characterization is strong. You immediately get a feel of what they're all like. Horeki, is a typical trope, you know the loner, but I mean, it's not like it can't be done right, so we'll see. Satoshi with his database thing, Chitanda being curious. There's potential. 

Opening is cool.

The only real weird thing is the ED, where they're dressed in erotic baby clothes??? Odd choice, but it does look good. 

Episode 2: Activities of the Esteemed Classics Club

She is cute.

She is cute as well. 

Love how her arm extends beyond what should be possible to grab Oreki. Lots of good visual comedy in this show, as expected.

Good direction in this episode as well. I was particularly fond of the restaurant metaphor, and intrigued that they lingered on the shot of the librarian walking past the camera even when it wasn't necessary to do so (later on ofc it also makes sense why they lingered on the librarian and her nametag, with the succeeding mystery in mind, so clever foreshadowing).

This episode's mystery wasn't really interesting, but not quite boring either. This show is obviously more interested in just spending time with the characters as they waste time, and luckily, there's nobody better at that than KyoAni.

Episode 3: Inheritors of the Classics Club and Its Circumstances

EP 3 was an improvement on the first two. The direction is even more playful, and the mystery was the most interesting one yet.

First, I thought, "oh, he's probably hiding porn". But then they deduced he wanted to ventilate out a smell, and my mind was still set on the porn route, so the natural next step was the smell of semen? But he had to open windows AND use a fan? How much did he masturbate? Like, good god dude, control yourself a little bit.

But, enough about how my mind processes things lol. The show isn't doing much yet, but I'm just liking the mood. But, if not each mystery is strong, it could walk on that line of being almost boring, but I think we're slowly working up to something more significant here.

Episode 4: Past Days of the Classics Club and Its Glory

Hyouka continues to improve with EP 4. It's very much a mood piece, this show. I'm feeling it's less so (as of now) based around the character interactions like some of KyoAni's other SoL's, and more about the atmosphere the mysteries and discussions around them create.

That's not to say there isn't substance and charm to the character interactions, but it's not as solely focused on that as many of KyoAni's shows, this is more atmosphere oriented in another manner. if I'm making sense? I think we'll get more character meaty later too.

And again, Ibara is just so cute, I love her design. Also, lovely jeans overalls? I've always liked when girls wore those. They’re cute as shit.

Also, Oreki getting lost when he only had one direction, walk straight lol.

I'd be remiss, of course, to not mention the presentation here. Again, it's just stunning. KyoAni puts their heart and soul into every little detail.

Episode 5: The Truth of the Classics Club and Its Past

Really good episode.

Now that we've practically completed the first arc in the series, I can't say any particular element in the story blows me away, so if there's a bad mystery the entire narrative will suffer for it, but I do think it's just doing a really solid job at everything so far. 

So, yeah. I think it just comes down to KyoAni's exceptional execution again, but I certainly hope the mysteries keep being worthwhile, and that the characters keep deepening as well.

Episode 6: To Commit a Deadly Sin

EP 6 really took the idea of the show just being about kids wasting time with mysteries to the next level. It's a more low-key episode, but it's still amusing like the rest. Always pleasant to spend time with the characters. KyoAni is kinda good at this stuff, after all.

And, to be honest, dissecting random topics and thoughts (usually instigated by me) to death is practically all I do with my friends, so I totally see myself in them. It's oddly comforting, I suppose.

Episode 7: Seeing the True Identity

Loved Hyouka's 7th episode! The most engaging mystery so far (it's easy to lure me in with the challenge to explain the most seemingly unexplainable things, the supernatural being the epitome there), and it's the most in-depth look we've gotten into Oreki's head too.

I can't say all the mysteries in the show are super engaging, or that the characters are anything special, but it's all very pleasant, and it's like I said before. Hyouka is more a mood-oriented show, it's selling the feeling of the entire package, and it's succeeding at that.

That said, I do still think we got some nice Hotarou stuff, how his cynical perspective of "all ghosts are just withered flowers" was challenged in the end either way. And some shipping! We get that as well, which is always appreciated.

No shame on Houtarou, as this has happened to me, twice actually, but the fact that he actually passed out from just being so horny his body couldn't physically handle him staying conscious throughout it lol. A pitfall of his energy-conserving lifestyle perhaps.

Blessings. 

Episode 8: Let's Go to the Screening!

EP 8 seems to be the beginning of a second major story arc, huh.

The opening texting scene was interesting. It was framed as "suspicious". I suspect that the author of the script is actually in on this (cause even if she's sick, why couldn't she just tell them the answer?). Also, that you can tell it's Chitanda through the texts lol.

Very well done KyoAni, when it came to making their short film as amateurish as possible, with all the flat framing, bad acting, and camera movement that barely captures the stuff it's supposed to lol.

I'm finding myself consistently enamored by Satoshi. He mentioned earlier in the episode that even with his being a database, he isn't talented enough to do anything special with it, and the fact that he seems to envy Oreki (giving him the Strength tarot). 

I am very much enjoying this show. Again, it's so easy to see me and my friend group in these kids, so I often just get pulled into that headspace when watching it now.

Episode 9: Murder Case in the Deserted Furuoka

EP 9 was interesting enough (tho not much happened) with the whole rejecting each proposed theory, cause they either break against mystery rules or just aren't narratively satisfying, but why don't they just ask the author? She's sick, not dead.

Now, yes, obviously that's the actual mystery, hence the episode title being, “Why Didn’t She Ask Eba?”, but why haven't our characters realized this yet? They don't seem to care too much about all this anyway tbh.

We have a little fun gag with Chitanda getting drunk on whiskey chocolates, which I was concerned about since it's school, and they're underage, which did get out of hand, but it just heightens Chitanda's cuteness. 

Speaking of Chitanda, Houtarou here doesn't really act until Chitanda isn't sastified, cause she's his audience. It's not about finding bulletproof logic, usually mysteries aren't like that anyway, it's about satisfying the reader.

I thought this was an interesting moment, cause it seems like Chitanda should be really into mystery stories, so why isn't she? She's not much about deducing stuff herself, but I mean, the detective character usually does that. Maybe I'm missing something?

Another interesting moment was finding out Satoshi likes mystery novels (another hint that he's jealous of Houtarou's deductive capabilities?). 

And Mayaka getting offended on his behalf is very cute.

Episode 10: What No One Noticed

Another good episode. Having a solution where the cameraman is the killer is very creative (tho not compatible with traditional mystery rules). Satoshi continues to be really interesting, there's subtext in everything he says. Ofc, one twist is left in store for the arc.

Episode 11: End Credits of the Fool

That concludes Hyouka's movie mystery arc. It was a bit long, and a bit overdramatic by the end, but I think it all served a larger theme in the end, and that was more so the point. We got some Houtarou good stuff, along with a well-constructed mystery, so good overall.

Episode 11.5 (OVA): What Should Be Had

This was fun. It's just pleasant spending time with the characters. I was wondering if they could involve a mystery somehow, and they did (tho even I figured this one out quick). And a pool episode with attractive characters is always nice.

Episode 12: Practically Piled to the Ceiling

Great episode! Finally, the culture festival is here, and it's difficult to think of it as having been better done than here. It's just an excuse for KyoAni to show off (the breakdancing and NO CG CROWDS), and truly have the characters just "waste time."

As interesting as the mysteries can be, this is more my jam, when it comes to Hyouka at least. And there's just so much happening here, and we focus more on the characters other than Oreki this time, and their interactions with all the events, it's lovely.

The breakdancing was great, I loved Satoshi's Saturn costume and how he immediately wrecked it, and Chitanda continuously getting distracted is literally me lol. This is a really effective way to make me more emotionally invested and make the characters more loveable. 

Also, GODDAMN IT, Mayaka is cute.

Loved the visuals for the new opening, showing metaphorically how Chitanda causes Oreki to step away from the observer role and actively engage with the life around him.

The new ED is super cute too.

Episode 13: A Corpse by Evening

Hyouka's Culture Festival arc continues to be a joy. Love how the characters are all over the place so we get to see all these new sides to them, and allows KyoAni to pop off by bringing all these events to life with insane detail. This type of SoL vibes with me more.

The two presenters during the quiz show (my favourite scene in this episode) brought their A-game to this. Comedy gold. 

And Mayaka debating media experiences. Gooo drag her slay queen!

Mayaka was already plenty likable, but I think exploring her passion like this, especially as I share this passion of hers, makes her even more loveable.

As mentioned tho, while I like the mysteries in this show, this is working a bit better for me in terms of investment and is a smart move since I'm expecting the climax of the show to give us some emotional payoffs that'll hit harder with this set-up.

Episode 14: Wildfire

I'm convinced. This is the best culture festival I've seen in anime.

oh my god is that a reference to the hit visual novel 'The House in Fata Morgana'????

She is so cute i almost can't stand it.

Chitanda striking that Mugi pose (on that note, crazy that Chitanda and Ritsu share the same voice actor).

This arc is leaps and beyond what's come before in this show. I'm really loving it. Yes, we still got a mystery, but it's more of a fun one in the backdrop, and that's how I like it. Also, shout out to the OST in this episode. And, ofc, Oreki being adorable. He does care.

I was also particularly impressed by a bunch of the directorial tricks in this episode, so I looked it up, and what do you know, it's Naoko Yamada's episode, because of course. 

Episode 15: The Juumonji Incident

And with EP 15, Hyouka's Kanya Festival arc goes for a more serious turn. I do find so far that the series is doing less for me the more it focuses on its mysteries, but by all means, this was a well-executed episode nonetheless.

We still get some character stuff, of course. Hyouka never leaves that out. We really see here now how Satoshi isn't actually satisfied with only being a database, and wants to solve the mystery for once.

In the meantime, Mayaka's dynamics with the manga club is establishing her as a bit more of an independent character herself. Oreki is mostly in the background in this arc (altho he does find out that he can order products from the festival online, happy for my boy) and Chitanda does her best to help the Classic Lit club in her own special little way. 

This arc is more and more seeming to be about Satoshi and Mayaka finding their place in the world.

Episode 16: The Last Target

And Hyouka's Kanya Festival arc keeps it up with EP 16, delivering on the best slice of life, mystery-setting, and character development the series has seen so far.

While Oreki (whose PoV we still always return to) and Chitanda (who might not offer much complexity but is always busy with something) are still around, they've really taken a backseat for Mayaka and Satoshi to shine.

With Mayaka we see a more vulnerable side to her as she deals with the bullying in her club, and with Satoshi, we see him try to grab the spotlight and actually solve a mystery but still fail at it. He's a sweet guy, but there is anger there, and I fear it might burst. 

Also, literally Umineko.

Episode 16: Kudryavka's Order

And EP 17 marks the end of Hyouka's Kanya Festival arc. What a very elegant arc. The series high point, if you ask me. Impressive just how much was accomplished here, and how every layer of the narrative and characters ties back to the central theme; the curse of expectations.

Episode 18: Are the Mountains Sunny?

EP 18 is back to formula, and ngl, the Kanya Festival arc raised the bar so high that I kinda want a bit more plot again. Quirky, fun little one-off eps like this are pleasant enough, but oh well.

The most interesting thing about this episode is Houtarou. The character development in this show really is slow and subtle and you almost don't notice it, but it's there.

Houtaro has likely always been curious but just rarely acts on it, which is why he's used Chitanda and his sister as an excuse to force him to act, for example, but he's doing it himself now. He's growing. Slowly, but steady.

Episode 19: Anyone Who Knows

EP 19 was probably the best standalone episode so far. I'd still want some more meat for these final set of episodes, but can't lie and say I wouldn't respect the hell out of it if it's just lowkey stuff like this the entire way through. This was super fun.

I was honestly amazed by just how much information they deduced from a 5-second announcement alone. Hyouka is definitely unique, no other show could do this, or would even attempt to.

It's funny how the series has returned to the structure the first half had, but now with a different Oreki who's grown. Also worth noting, once Oreki starts, he ends up really trying anyway cause he hates being wrong.

But, he also just enjoys spending time with Chitanda so much that what they're doing specifically isn't important enough to remember. And on that note, boy was there some sexual tension here.

Overall just an extremely well-structured episode with plenty of good character moments (Oreki asking Chitanda about the funeral, and being willing to go with her to Jun's grave) and filled with all types of visual shots to keep things engaging on that level. Great stuff.

Episode 20: Sappy New Year

Not always a lot to talk about when it comes to Hyouka, but EP 20 was another pleasant one. I'm gonna miss this show. I really hope we follow up on Satoshi and Mayaka's character arcs from the Kanya Festival tho, cause so far, it just kinda feels like they've been reset. (also look at Oreki’s coat fucking badass)

The mystery in this episode was probably the worst one, yeah, but believable enough that it didn't hinder my enjoyment or anything. And spending time with these characters is always nice enough to just overshadow some of that.

Episode 21: The Chocolate Files

FANTASTIC EPISODE! Hyouka is one of those shows where the character development is there, but it's so subtle that it takes its time before it gets up to the surface, but it's always present in their actions if paid attention. Satoshi is the prime example of this.

Did I not say at the beginning that Satoshi seems like the most interesting character, that there was stuff beneath the surface? Did I not praise the introspection we got from him (and Mayaka) during the Kanya Festival arc? Did I not ask for a conclusion to that arc yesterday?

Yes, I fucking did, and this show answered my prayers. And I am so thankful that the payoffs we got here wasn’t grand emotional outburts, but quiet mundane wexecution wise. I also watched Toradora this year so haha. 

But, really, what we have here, in its most stripped essence, is Satoshi's fear of commitment. But, done in a really unique manner. Satoshi is afraid of commitment because he overcommits.

Satoshi explains how he eventually gave up being perfect (represented wonderfully by the uneven snowball) and is now instead just obsessed with not being obsessed, which is of course, still an obsession.

Yes, Satoshi. It might give you some temporary happiness, but you haven't gotten rid of the root problem, which still affects your relationships negatively.

We know from the Kanya Festival arc that Satoshi still cares if he loses. He certainly tries to let that go, but it still hurts. He hasn't truly grown up, he's just sweeping things under the rug (which Mayaka to an extent already knows, cause she just knows him that well).

The possibility of obsessing over Sayaka to the degree that it can bring back his old tendencies is a legitimate fear of Satoshi that has been present in his characterization from day one.

And, you know, obviously, he can't toy with Mayaka's feelings like this, but maybe, for now, he shouldn't be with Mayaka. Until he's grown up enough, maybe he shouldn't invest in another person like that, but just enjoy their presence platonically.

But, that does not give him an excuse to hurt other people's feelings. And, while we didn't hear what his conversation with Mayaka would be about (and I suspect we won't follow up on this in the next episode cause the implication is enough),it's pretty safe to guess that he's made the first step towards emotional accountability; confesses to Mayaka about all his insecurities and stops treating her so selfishly. 

He still has some growing up to do, but he'll get there, and Mayaka is obviously a girl of patience.

Episode 22: Doll in the Distance

Hyouka's finale was a fantastic and very satisfying end to the series. Beautifully encapsulated just how much these characters have grown, and how they'll continue to grow. Spring has only just begun.

I feel a bit empty after that tbh. That's proof a series has left its mark on me. There's a lot to talk about, all my thoughts are jumbled up in my head, but let's try.

I loved the soft-focus image they used when Oreki is captivated by Chitanda.

And I also love the spinning slow pan around him and Chitanda as they were walking together after the festival.

We also checked in quickly with Mayaka and Satoshi, and we got the impression that they were doing alright. Satoshi is finally being honest with her, and they're still friends, but they'll get to that next stage eventually when they're both ready.

And then we come to Oreki and Chitanda. They both practically proposed to each other here lol. Chitanda showed him her future and what she plans to do with her life, basically an open invitation for Oreki to join her and what he'll get by doing so. And he imagines it.

He imagines asking her if it'd be okay to stay by her side and help her. But he's not there quite yet. But even the fact that he imagined it is big growth on his part. He'll get there. They're 16. Ofc the show will end open-ended, their lives are open-ended at that point.

Hyouka is a great show by all means, but it was not always great. Never bad, but uneven. When it was at the top of its game, particularly the Kanya Festival arc and these last two episodes, it was superb stuff. But then the rest varies in quality. Yet it was always fun.

But, and I mentioned this back in EP 1, Hyouka is all about atmosphere, so it's slow-build. It takes its time, and it's only by the end that you really realize everything the show accomplished and how invested you got.

And this slow build applies to the character writing as well, where the character development is so subtle and rarely explicitly commented upon, but you observe it in their behavior instead. Satoshi is still the prime example of this, but they all had fantastic arcs.

But, all in all, great show. It sneaks up on you, but it's a really unique one. And I'm happy it exists.

Overall Thoughts: 

Hyouka was great! Sophisticated and intelligent narrative, filled with emotional depth and subtlety in its character writing. It's a bit uneven, but its highs are sublime. The Kanya Festa arc is genius, and the ending is fantastic. What a unique show. I'll miss this one.

[fzzr]

Hyouka and Why Slow Anime Can Be Great, Too

Hyouka is a 2012 anime about the four members of the Classics (literature) Club hanging out and investigating the mundane mysteries that surround their lives. The mysteries of Hyouka are never as simple as finding out what happened. A mystery is not solved until you find the root cause, the emotional and interpersonal forces that put things in motion in the first place. Sometimes you find once you know the root of the problem, you don't actually have a solution, or indeed the unsolved mystery is preferable to a full airing of the conflict at its heart.

Our protagonist, Houtarou Oreki, wishes only for a life at the lowest energy level possible. He will expend effort, but only for the purpose of removing friction to lower the amount of effort needed in the future. When circumstance puts him in the Classics Club with Eru Chitanda, he finds that her curiosity about the world and its small mysteries pulls him along despite himself.

Hyouka demonstrates several things that many other series should perhaps take to heart.

First, it's slow by design. There are concessions to time pressure in the story itself, but the show never acts like it's running out of time. If it needs an episode to interview every interested party, it takes it. There's no rush to a solution once the evidence is gathered, either. Hyouka wants you to think before proposing solutions. It's possible your first solution is wrong. If you are wrong you need to understand why, not just find the correct answer on the next try.

Second, it's complete by default. Most slice of life series have some over-arching goal that is used as a binding agent for the entire series, like “we’re going to have a great performance” or such. This lets them have a finale that stands out from the energy level of the rest of the series. Hyouka has arcs that feed into each other and wrap up things from earlier, but they’re not the glue of the series. After the setup there’s no need to continue to justify the framing. Everyone just shows up to the club. There’s no dramatic “oh no it’s coming apart” moment, it just gets on with the life slices.

Third, it shows that even the tiniest amount of deviation in energy can be enough. Like its protagonist, Hyouka looks for the places it can make the most impact with minimum energy output. Mysteries have stakes, but they're almost all personal - important to those affected, but not world shattering. Extrinsic forces do not require them to take action. Instead, the club's involvement in a mystery is prompted by Eru with the simple phrase "watashi kininarimasu" - "I'm curious" - and a soft chime.

It's not like the show is running on low battery all the time. Many characters react to circumstances with great energy. The show simply refuses to take the bait. No one runs dramatically down the stairs to make it just in time to save the day. One moment of resolution comes from Houtarou paying attention to something happening outside the window, and interacting with it.

I’d call Hyouka a slow burn, but there’s no burn. It just is what it is. The story is complete when it stops for no other reason than that’s where it stops. It doesn’t demand a resolution. It’s open to more but doesn’t feel like it’s incomplete without it.

There's something I've been stepping around all this time. As described so far, Hyouka ought to be an 8/10, perhaps on the high end. However, there's something that nudges it over the line to a 9. Here it is. Hyouka, when it wants to be, can be absolutely beautiful. As with everything else, it does not expend this kind of energy often. When it does, it is emphasizing something very important. Hyouka isn't a filmed with straightforward style because that's all the animators can do. It's a choice, and using accents like this so sparingly makes them unreasonably effective as the rare exclamation point in Hyouka's otherwise calm and collected prose.

Conclusion

Score: 9/10. Most of my 9s are bombastic, tense, or feature a wide variety of energy levels. Hyouka is the exception, the only exclusively and truly slow show I regard so highly.

Recommendation: This is an anime for everyone. A small amount of knowledge of the Japanese language and cultural background are helpful but by no means required to appreciate the show from beginning to end. The official subtitles give the extra context needed. Feel free to skip the OVA pool episode.

Comparisons

Saekano is not as exclusively slow as Hyouka, but it does keep its pacing under control. The difference is with Saekano, slower than average parts are more to keep you in a particular emotional state than because the story isn't in a rush to get somewhere. It's not stalling for time, it's just written such that escaping from the abyss takes effort, and to really feel that you have to spend a while there.

Final Thoughts

This one is personal. Hyouka is one of a collection of anime series (along with Rascal Does Not Dream and especially Oregairu) that wormed into my head and now won't leave. In many shows, the ending is what sticks with you. In Hyouka, the part I can't shake is the beginning. I feel deeply connected to Houtarou's desire to absolutely minimize the effort and friction in daily life. Seeing him crack out of that mindset ever so slightly through interacting with others sent me on an inward journey. What grooves have I worn in my life that make toxic solitude the easiest path? What would I be if I hadn't had anyone to pull me out of that valley? What would I be if I had refused them? The fact that I feel the slightest pain when I engage with those questions and feel my mind skitter over them is not a comfortable one. I will be returning to Hyouka someday - and perhaps the next time those questions come up, I will have answers.

[tvrningout]

hey hey hey!! it's been a while since i updated my pinned post, so i'm making a lil mains and exclusives call!

liking this post tells me that you would like to be mains, prioritizing interactions with each other and implying a level of comfortability between us -- basically, neither of us need to be nervous about sending memes, asking to ship, and other such things! not that any of my mutuals need to worry about any of this, but mains especially so. if you currently listed as a main/affiliate on my pinned, you don't need to like this post! you're stuck with me already <3

you do not have to speak to me regularly to be a main! i'm pretty sporadically here atm anyway. i only ask that we've written together before and kinda have an idea of our muses' dynamic ( doesn't need to be fully developed!! ), or we can take a moment to discuss potential dynamics if we've never written anything that stuck and go from there!

if you would like to be exclusives, pls comment for which characters! i'll play these by ear a little, but i'll pretty much write with one or two versions of a canon character per muse. there may be some cases in which i'm so attached to someone's portrayal that i may write with only their portrayal no matter the muse on my end, but i'll tell y'all if that happens.

to be clear, i'll exclusively write with partner a's t.engen against my k.aigaku, so i won't write with any other t.engen against k.aigaku. however, i'll write partner b's t.engen against hyouka.