Hyouka - Episode 12 Discussion / Poll

[ion475]

Chitanda....she makes my day.

Oh, and that maid cosplay, 萌え萌えキュン♡

On the other hand, Mayaka clearly having problem in both clubs she's in, Oreki is Oreki and do nothing as usual (Don't know how Irisu managed to make him do something...), and Satoshi, comic relief as usual?

[Leo_Otaku]

I really enjoyed the episode quite a bit I loved Chitanda getting distracted and Oreki being lame XD I wonder about this ep 11.5 *goes to see*

[vansonbee]

I don't know what the problem with the "manga club" regarding Mayaka, but she needs to address it and quit that club! Those other girls are such jerks! Forcing her to cosplay, when she does not want too and when she does it, they snare and nip pick AND leave her out the the group participation!

Yup! Mayaka can ease in the "Classic Literature Club", because having to handle Chitanda hound curiosity and chaining Satoshi "free spirit" is tough enough!

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by vansonbee

I don't know what the problem with the "manga club" regarding Mayaka, but she needs to address it and quit that club! Those other girls are such jerks! Forcing her to cosplay, when she does not want too and when she does it, they snare and nip pick AND leave her out the the group participation!

Looks like there are factions.

At a guess, someone suggested the salesgirls cosplay, Mayaka said something unpleasant about it, felt guilty afterward and decided to cosplay as an unspoken apology.

Or maybe the president, whom she does get along with, said she liked the cosplay idea, even though she didn't participate herself?

[Pellissier]

I don't remember any other anime episode about school festivals being so strong, in terms of "feeling it". It was really like I've been there during those minutes, so in a word it was intense. I also appreciated the cure for details, which anyway is all but new for this studio.

This time Mayaka has it tough, she clearly's got some troubles in the manga club, her body language from way before she went there plenty illustrated her uneasiness. The tension in the clubroom just reiterated the point. I wonder if a conflict is going to set this, or if everybody attention's next week will be swayed by a big event that should indeed occur (as next ep. title seems to suggest).
Chitanda was mostly used as moeblob, this episode more than other times. When a kid goes in a big toy store for the first time, he'd be so amazed he wouldn't go where to look. Chitanda is more or less in the same situation. For the rest, Oreki probably still wounded from the Irisu incident and decides to isolate himself from the rest of the world school, while Satoshi is being Satoshi.

Wonderful new ending theme. I can't believe they did it so well, basically all major reference to mystery literature are there, written and unwritten, spoken and unspoken. The characters' romantic feeling are there as well, in the illustration but also in the lyrics. I guess there go my (always slim to say the truth) hopes to see an un-cliché Houtarou-Mayaka pair. Mayaka still has only eyes for Satoshi, as well as Chitanda for Houtarou. But will those feelings get somewhere? I think the ED depicted it well in its double symbolism, those two may be captured temporarily but they're good escapists.
At the end, the romantic developments might become the top of the cake. Mysteriously speaking, that is.

[Peanutbutter]

I think Kyoani is always to trying to up itself when animating any school festival.

The amount of things here is staggering. As well as the cast list once again.

Moe Moe Eru. I need those photos now!

[Kiltias]

Galaxy!!

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Pellissier

Wonderful new ending theme. I can't believe they did it so well, basically all major reference to mystery literature are there, written and unwritten, spoken and unspoken. The characters' romantic feeling are there as well, in the illustration but also in the lyrics. I guess there go my (always slim to say the truth) hopes to see an un-cliché Houtarou-Mayaka pair.

What's uncliché about it? They're childhood friends. If she went for him, it'd just mean she's tsundere.

[Flower]

I thoroughly enjoyed ep 12.

Very beautifully drawn - the happy clutteredness reminded me of From Up On Poppy Hill, actually - and, well, I just enjoy the charas when it comes down to it.

And the ED was nice too. Better than ED1 for me....

[Pellissier]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

What's uncliché about it? They're childhood friends. If she went for him, it'd just mean she's tsundere.

Mostly the fact that she's got a big unrequited crush for another guy since several years ago, while he doesn't particularly care for her either. The two of them have had a quite cold and reciprocal conflictual relationship, though this aspect has toned down throughout the episodes. Also, usually a tsundere doesn't have any other love interests other than the main target.

I feel that definitely less cliché than "he's suddenly met his princess" (Oreki-Chitanda) , or "she was in love with him for ages and at the end he reciprocated" (Mayaka-Satoshi).

[Blaat]

Originally Posted by Pellissier

"she was in love with him for ages and at the end he reciprocated" (Mayaka-Satoshi).

That won't happen though, Satoshi clearly doesn't swing that way.
Personally I find the current approach refreshing for two reasons: one the main character's childhood friend isn't interested in the main character and two a girl is actually interested in the main character best male friend. Both situations are rare in anime.

[Kiltias]

Anyone else notice that Tomoe once again has appearantly pulled some strings in regards to Houtarou?

I'm highly curious about that.Not the first she has a link to events occuring to her brother, once the strings can be seen it's obvious she is playing puppeteer for some reason.
I wonder why...

[Triple_R]

There's a few things that I think made this episode particularly effective for a cultural festival episode:

1. The main cast essentially split up, and each get to do their own things. Due to how different their personalities and roles are, we get to see the cultural festival from four different perspectives. That makes the overall event seem more real and engaging because it takes on the "full life" of a big, special event.

2. This ties into No. 1. In a lot of these "cultural festivals", the main cast ends up having to really "take charge" of it, so you don't get as much of that "simple spectator/minor participant" feeling to it. But here you get a great sense of that spectator feel due to how the Classics Club aren't stealing the show (at least not yet), and are just doing their little thing, while a couple of their members just take in the festivities and a third has a separate club she has responsibilities for (the manga club).

3. I know many people will point out the quality of the visuals here, and rightly so, but for me it was the acoustics (i.e. sounds, basically) that hit home so marvelously. The acoustics were totally perfect in this episode, and Oreki's scene alone in the club room demonstrates that well. The way the music comes through into the club room really reflects what these events "sound like" when you're there but trying to get away from it a bit.


This was a very high-energy and just plain fun episode. It's good to see Oreki be actively clever again, even if it is to minimize work for himself. Mayaka's character was fleshed out nicely here, as this episode nicely displayed some of the insecurities she tries to cope with. Satoshi trying to cheer her up was a nice scene. And Eru's scenes were consistently eye-catching and often very amusing.

I think it was good for the show to take a break from mysteries for awhile, and just let the characters live a bit more naturally like this.

[Pocari_Sweat]

"Galaxy! Oh no, My Saturn!" and
"It's quiet here... best job ever."

I lold.

Also features Chihayahyouka (karuta), Vocaloid/Touhou costumes, and shoving Chitanda into as many costumes as possible. I particularly liked the Yamato Nadeshiko one :3. Oh what a devilish merchandising/marketing scheme Kyoani you.

Anyways, very fun and energetic culture festival episode. One of the best I've seen. Made a premise that is so overdone and mundane into something that was actually quite a lot of fun.

[Somnus]

Best. Job. Ever.

Oreki, you're my hero.

This late in the game any and all praise to be made has already been said, and I pretty much second all of it. It was just a really, really well done school festival and I thoroughly enjoyed it the minute those dances came onto the stage.

Our "Adventures with Eru" are hilarious. I love that girl to bits.

[Metaler]

Just like most people here, I absolutely loved this episode. There really wasn't much story in it, but it was fun all around. Definetely gave the feeling of a school festival.

As I suspected already, Mayaka appears to have some anxiety issues. It seems like she simply can't say "no" to other people. In fact, I suspect the main reason she joined the Classics Club was to be close to Chitanda, whom she's a close friend of.
If what the other members of the Manga Society were saying was true, then I assume that Mayaka simply chose to cosplay because she felt it was her responsibility, and thus had no right to refuse. She could've simply turned down the offer and let another member cosplay, but she decided to do it anyways. She's severely strict with herself, something which is also reflected in her relationship with others.

Chitanda in this episode was.... well, Chitanda. Not much to say here, except the entire episode pretty much emphasized what we already know about her: she can really let her curiosity get the best of her, despite the fact that she's aware of what she must do. It's either that, or perhaps she's, deep down, someone who just wants to have fun.

Oreki was, once again, clever for his own sake: assign plans to each member of the club while he stays behind with the menial job of taking care of the stall. Seems like the incident with Irisu only emphasized his desire to distance himself from the energy of the festival. Also, I bet that pen's gonna bite him in the ass later. And that apple juice incident. I bet that'll be important.

Meanwhile Satoshi was... Yeah.

Interesting to note how every member of the club ended up derailed from their objectives. Chitanda was supposed to get a new place to sell the anthologies, but just ended up get herself dragged into other attractions. Mayaka didn't have the courage to ask her club president to sell the anthologies in the Manga Society's room. And Satoshi was too preocupied with the Boke/Tsukkomi routine prepared by a pair of students.
In the end, Houtarou was the only one who actually managed to accomplish something: he sold a single copy of the anthology. It's ironic, really. All of the other members were supposed to actually do something about the Classics Club, but never managed to get anything done, while Houtarou, who had the menial role of taking care of the stall, managed to get any work done, even if it was simply selling an anthology to a rather eccentric young fellow. And he was supposed to just sit there.

Clever.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Metaler

As I suspected already, Mayaka appears to have some anxiety issues. It seems like she simply can't say "no" to other people. In fact, I suspect the main reason she joined the Classics Club was to be close to Chitanda, whom she's a close friend of.

Except they met in episode 2.

[Metaler]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Except they met in episode 2.

....Huh.... You got me there. I was under the impression they knew each other for a while since she addresses her so casually. Guess I was mistaken.

[Solafighter]

Originally Posted by Kiltias

Galaxy!!

I laughed so hard on that one.

Ibara and cosplay? Never thought, she would do it.

This series needs more Ibara!


Oreki finding punk interesting...Interesting.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Metaler

If what the other members of the Manga Society were saying was true, then I assume that Mayaka simply chose to cosplay because she felt it was her responsibility, and thus had no right to refuse. She could've simply turned down the offer and let another member cosplay, but she decided to do it anyways. She's severely strict with herself, something which is also reflected in her relationship with others.

Agreed. This episode really did a lot for Mayaka's character, imo.

Mayaka often comes across as pretty demanding and even a bit grumpy, but it's good to know that she's as strict with herself as she is with others. That gives her character an admirable degree of consistency, and general lack of hypocrisy.

As for why Mayaka joined the Classics Club, it could be due to her crush on Satoshi as much as anything else.