I'm with Flawfinder - As powerful a moment as it would be for the series to end off on, I'm honestly glad that Oreki's super-confession to Chitanda was a daydream and a thought that passed through his mind rather than something he actually did.
The reason is that I think one of this show's greatest strengths is its realistic portrayal of people, and how it shows the beauty and strength of people,
even with realistic warts and all. Having the teenaged Oreki make a confession that's almost like an implicit marriage proposal would probably seem a bit too fantastical for a narrative world that has been admirably restrained in this regard.
Nonetheless, I'm glad there was that daydream, because it confirms what most viewers had long-expected and hoped for. I think it also further infuses the show with that youthful hope of endless
possibilities as was mentioned earlier on this thread. I think that such hope is a good note to end off the series on.
And yet, even with that hope, one core fact that I think this episode conveyed well is how there's actually a certain melancholy to Chitanda's seemingly glamorous "family of high status" position. As much as it brings her certain power and esteem, it's all very localized as she points out, and it involves an area that indeed does seem to have a certain aging if not withering to it (it's a truly beautiful area, but I don't think it's any coincidence that almost all of the men we saw Oreki interact with in this episode are much older men).
I can't help but think that there are times when Chitanda would prefer the life of a normal person, and perhaps that's one way in which Chitanda and Oreki are alike. Due to things beyond their control - the family that Chitanda was born into, and the talent that Oreki was born with - It's debatable whether either of them can have that normal life that they probably would like to have. So will they find comfort in each other in living out lives of a
rosier color than that, for both good and for ill? I think that the anime ends on a very hopeful note in that regard, but I'm glad it's open-ended.
I'm glad that Irisu made one last appearance, and had her first conversation with Oreki since the movie mystery arc. I think this gave Irisu's character some nice finality, and while not necessarily redeeming her in the eyes of her critics, I think it shows that she's not as cold a person as Oreki had come to think of her as.
And one thing that I think this episode does very well overall is capture a good sense of finality. It's clear that there's yet brimming possibilities for all of the major characters in this show, but at the same time we have indeed seen smooth, subtle character development. All of the characters, and especially Oreki I think, have truly changed and matured over the course of this show, and ultimately I think that such maturing is much of what this anime is about. So now may be as good a point as any to bring the anime to a close.
Many anime shows, in my view, struggle to simply have a good ending. So for Hyouka to have an excellent ending that perfectly suits the atmosphere, characters, color, focus, and themes of this show deserves a perfect score.
10/10 for Episode 22 of Hyouka. This final episode was truly like a beautiful painting in motion. Perhaps KyoAni's greatest strength is how it knows exactly when and where to pull out all the stops at a visual level.
It's somewhat sad to say goodbye to this show, but the way it concluded itself is also very satisfying to me. If there's ever more Hyouka anime, that would be very nice and I'd definitely watch it. But if there's not, I can definitely be satisfied with these 22 episodes alone.
