Have you ever had a teacher whose words or actions made you curious? 

No, like really.

——

The beauty of Hyouka is that no matter the length of a particular story, there is something deep and meaningful under a perfect pace. For this one-shot of this nearly peculiar Ogi-sensei, who is said to have a few legends about him, to resound a powerful feeling, even a powerful message, is quite endearing and leaves a strong aftertaste. There may be more stories about him that are discussed on the side and off-screen, but the ones that are shared end up being a mystery that piques an unusual suspect. Ladies and gentlemen, you may each take turns questioning him and checking for any abnormal symptoms: Houtarou is curious. 

Between some of the hilarity in Houtarou’s arousal to the past of a man he may never see again, his real character shines brighter than Eru’s eyes. I wouldn’t dare touch the romance aspect of the story no matter how much that is implied, but there is a stronger bond between him and her once Houtarou reveals just how true he is when concerning other people. It may be more than that since he’s careful not to make it sound so difficult, but leaving Eru at a visible loss means that he’s reached a zone in her oft busy mind that nobody has yet to reach. All right, since the preview so kindly hints at it more, maybe I’ll just say it: she’s lovestruck. But as a fair precautionary measure, I’m not expecting much at all. 

I love how the story is resolved within a single episode. I think after the long and tenacious school festival that stretched out to six episodes, a case that can be quickly explained with just as much oomph keeps Hyouka unpredictably enjoyable. It’s around this time I get wary of episode counts and knowing that there are only three more episodes left, I was concerned about how the rest of the series will handle a new curiosity case. In this case, it is more of a relationship development and I am almost expecting to see the rest of the series dwindle down to just that between Houtarou and Eru. Mysteries don’t have to be as grand anymore, but as long as they spark interest and pair them together Hyouka can have its deserving praises from beginning to end. 

This episode got more emotional output from me. The impact of what a seemingly random helicopter case that resulted in the loss of comrades truly hits hard, and for Houtarou to sense some kind of case, an inconsistency, is quite amazing. Almost anyone else would have dismissed it without further thought and it’s no wonder this makes Eru curious even more, especially since it concerns how Houtarou’s mental process works. Even I would like to take a little peek into his precious brain… (Apparently the fastest way to win over genuinely curious girls.) 

GO Rating: 4/5

Hope you’re just as curious as Houtarou is as to why Eru loves dung beetles so much. I guess they’re cute… when they roll dung around…