Hyouka Episode 9&10 Thoughts

I may have forgotten to mention this, but I’m by no means a mystery fanatic. But like the horror genre, the elements of mystery and its machinations interest me alot. Which is why I was sorrowfully disappointed when those three “detectives” – Jun’ya Nakajou, pointy-nose McDouchebag, and Misaki Sawakiguchi (or Ms. Moe of the week) – all subjected me to perhaps the lamest theories, ever. Still, you have to admit that it’s somewhat interesting to watch other characters aside from our main four try to solve a mystery. Interesting in the “wow, that is so stupid” sense, but I digress.

That said, each person’s theory had their own merits if you think about it; whether it was dramatic, technical, or chunking all sense of reason and logic out the window and creating a Friday the 13th or Something-whatever on Elm Street horror thrillers, any of these can work as an ending to a mediocre mystery thriller. But I have to agree with the Classics club – each theory had legitimate flaws, and there’s no way Hongou could’ve in-visioned the mystery to work in the way suggested by the staffers.

“I’m Okay! I’m Okay ♪”

And speaking of Hongou, I felt really sorry for her throughout the episode – not just because she was sick, but because of the way each person was explaining their theories. With the possible exception of Sawakiguchi, each theory sounded very cynical and half-hearted, as if everyone was bashing on Hongou and her script. It’s terrible to think about, especially when you remember that she was forced into that position! The girl had to pick up mystery stories for the first time, and then fell ill right before finishing the script! The nerve of those ungrateful classmates. Naturally, I got a kick out of them questioning the seemingly brighter kouhai, especially Oreki; what the “humble” seniors couldn’t figure out, the less experienced juniors did. On a side note, Hongou seems to have an ace up her sleeve…

Let’s be honest here; by the time the episode ended all of us were focused on a passed out Chitanda. Laughing. Really, if a drunk Chitanda or watching her face-desk to sleep wasn’t enough to tickle your funny bone, get your sense of humour checked! And when will kids learn that alcohol in chocolate can still get you messed up as hell?

“YOU are special.”

Episode 10 is the most impressive yet. Recall that Fukube described Irisu as “The Empress,” and that my brother identified she was “sleight of breath, heavy of hand.” All along, Irisu wanted Oreki’s help, not the Classics club – she knew Chitanda can convince him of anything, and that the incompetence of the three “detectives” would set his brain to work. She’d be able to confirm his talents by hearing out his observations, and then use his efforts to question his motivations. Irisu’s clearly dealt with Oreki’s kind before, although I wouldn’t generalize it. She knows exactly what to say and what to do, and in that sense, Oreki has met his true intellectual match.

Which leads to the most intriguing part of the episode – Oreki has a gift; he is someone special with extraordinary talent, a point Irisu makes perfectly clear. Oreki has stated before that he’s an ordinary person without any special talents, but now finds himself questioning that very idea; “Am I really extraordinary? Can I really believe in myself?” And then it hit me; the ideas of self-esteem, envy, and being more than you think you are. It all makes sense now!

The reason why Oreki never saw himself as extraordinary was becasue he never had confidence in his own abilities and in himself, often shrugging off praise because he felt he was unsuited for it. “I was just lucky.” His excuse for everytime he is praised – but as Irisu pointed out that “…Every individual must be aware of themselves. If not, those who watch them think fools of themselves.” Which is why when Fukube said “I’m envious,” it hits hard; there’s nothing he himself can do, and envies Oreki because of it. From my perspective, Oreki’s really coming into his own; he’s making a self-discovery, searching himself for that self-esteem he’s lacked before, and perhaps trying to find his one true purpose. With the help of his friends, of course.

Chitanda had a hang-over for most of the episode, which is funny to picture, but also pretty sad since she adds curiousity to the show. I wonder what she wanted to tell Oreki? I’m also curious about the rope too (that I completely forgot about). Where does it fit in the mystery? And why didn’t they ask Eba yet? Y’know, the narrow-eyed best friend of Hongou? And will we finally meet the mystery mastermind? So many questions… why can’t Sunday come fast enough?!

Overall, it’s nice to see a mystery last longer than 2 episodes. As usual, Oreki somehow crafted an answer to a rather tricky mystery (with the help of his friends); one that we didn’t expect, but was infinitely so much better. But most importantly, it was enough to satisy Chitanda. Which is good, so now she can lay off the hard stuff and get curious with something else… preferably unsweetened cotton candy.

Thanks for reading!