History Literature / Hyouka

* TarotMotifs: Discussed in episode 8. According to Satoshi, Mayaka is Justice, Satoshi is The Magician, Chitanda is The Fool, and Oreki is Strength.
** As mentioned in episode 10, Fukube [[spoiler:hints at Irisu being a ManipulativeBitch]] by assigning Strength to Oreki, as the image depicting Strength is [[spoiler:a lion being tamed, or controlled, by a young woman]].
*** A special mention for Oreki's, with ''three'' women in his life being his possible 'tamer' at one point or another.

* StylisticSuck: The student film in episode 8 has boring music, poor writing, worse [[JitterCam cinematography]], and ''even worse'' [[BadBadActing acting]]. [[spoiler:Houtarou believes this to be deliberate--that the awful lighting (an obvious flashlight being turned on and off as needed), JitterCam, inconvenient camera angles, and actors looking straight into the camera and being rather stilted and awkward are actually clues that [[InUniverseCamera the culprit was the cameraman]], whose motive is that all of the other characters deliberately ignore him. Turns out he's both brilliant and entirely wrong (that is, on the question he ''thought'' he was answering)]].

** Discussed regarding the word "犠牲" ("sacrifice")[[note]]which can be read as either ''gisei''--"scapegoat" or ''ikenie''--"offering"[[/note]] in the foreword to the second volume of ''Hyouka''. [[spoiler:This may be because Sekitani was forced to be this scapegoat, but came to take the position willingly]]. This trope is also the origin of the term "Kanya Fest". It appears to be a simply shortening of "Kamiyama", but [[spoiler:"Kanya" is actually written "関谷" (Sekitani) to honor him]].

* {{Bishonen}}: Houtarou, Satoshi, Masashi, Jirou, and Muneyoshi.

* ''Anime/TheGirlWhoLeaptThroughTime'' has an example where Makoto is seen without her signature bike so Mamiya tells her to hop on his bike instead and he takes the opportunity to ask her out during their ride together.

''Hyouka'' (氷菓[[note]]"Ice Cream"[[/note]]) is a mystery novel written by Honobu Yonezawa, serving as the first volume in a total of six in the ''Classic Literature Club'' (古典部 - ''Koten-bu'') series. It was turned into an {{anime}} in the spring of 2012, produced by Kadokawa Shoten, animated by Creator/KyotoAnimation and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto, with [[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Shoji Gatoh]] serving as series composer, and Futoshi Nishiya serving as character designer; the series covered the first four volumes of the novel that had been published to that date. A manga counterpart was started in January 2012 in ''Monthly Shonen Ace''.

* NiceHat: Kanya Fest features a lot of these. Along with Satoshi's ''giant Saturn'', there are also battleships and shogi pieces.

->''If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick.''
-->--'''Houtarou Oreki''''s life motto

* AnchoredShip: Satoshi goes out of his way to not answer Mayaka's feelings for him. [[spoiler:Taken to an almost bastardly level in episode 21 where, in order to avoid giving her an answer, Satoshi destroys the Valentine's Day chocolate that Mayaka planned on giving him.]] They finally begin dating at the beginning of their second year.

* ManipulativeBitch: [[spoiler:Fuyumi Irisu]]. Oreki figures her out, but not soon enough.
** Episode 14 expands on this slightly, delving into Irisu's character during her conversation with Chitanda.

* MundaneMadeAwesome: In the beginning of the novel and anime, before the actual storyline kicks in, the mysteries Houtarou solves are pretty trivial, yet most of an episode focuses on them. He solved [[LockedRoomMystery how a room becomes locked seemingly on its own]], why the same book was checked out and in from the school library for weeks, and where the unauthorized flyer for a "ghost club" was hanging [[spoiler:(this last one was actually a fake mystery he planted so he wouldn't have to waste energy walking to the other side of the high school to solve a mystery that Eru was curious about)]].
** Still, his perceptive thinking has potential, despite his slothy exterior.

* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Chitanda has a bad habit of thrusting herself in other people's faces when she gets worked up or 'curious'.
** Although in episode 19, she is [[ShipTease suddenly aware]] of [[AlmostKiss how close her face is to Oreki's]].

* TheNoseKnows: Chitanda has this ability, which makes Oreki compare her to a dog.
** Her senses in general seem [[SuperSenses unusually sharp]], with both hearing and sight also being remarked upon.
* NotSoStoic: In episode 11, when [[spoiler:Houtarou]] discovers [[spoiler:Irisu's true intentions in requesting his help and her tendencies to being a ManipulativeBitch]], he gets ''[[WhatTheHellHero pissed]]''.
** In episode 21, he gets seriously angry over [[spoiler:Satoshi's actions, which directly hurt Mayaka, and indirectly hurt Chitanda. He goes as far as to tell Satoshi that if the latter doesn't have a really good explanation, he's taking a punch to the face]].

* OvershadowedByAwesome: [[spoiler:Satoshi]] implies he feels this way towards [[spoiler:Houtarou]]. A tidbit of this bursts out in episode 16.

** TheUnsmile: While taking care of a customer at the Classics Club's culture festival stand, his inner thoughts while half-smiling were "damn, I can't smile".

* SchoolFestival: This school festival, called the Kanya Fest, became an important factor in the mystery concerning [[spoiler:Chitanda's uncle, Sekitani Jun]]. The anthology ''Hyouka'' also revolves around this.
** The actual festival starts in episode 12.

** The Manga Society cosplays a few Vocaloids for the SchoolFestival in episode 12, while Mayaka cosplays as [[Manga/TheyWereEleven Frolbericheri Frol]] and her sempai Kouchi dresses as [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Nakoruru]].
*** The following episode, Ibara and Kouchi cosplay as [[Manga/HimitsuNoAkkoChan Akko-chan]] and [[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting King]], respectively.

* StealthPun: [[spoiler:"Hyouka" means "frozen treat", or, commonly, "ice cream", in Japanese. The message that Jun Sekitani left for Chitanda by making the name of the anthology "Hyouka" was "I scream", a pun derived from sounding like "ice cream"]].
** IncrediblyLamePun: How Houtarou views the above-mentioned.
** Shows up again in the OVA, which is set after episode 11. Houtarou is still in his funk after dealing with Irisu's deception, and he's presented with a case that helps snap him out of it. The solution? [[spoiler:"Hyouka", ice cream, once again]].
*** This one gets [[LampshadeHanging commented on]] as well, as [[spoiler: the mention of "ice cream" reminds Mayaka that Satoshi needs to finish the anthology]].

* {{Tsundere}}: Mayaka for Houtarou (interestingly enough, she acts nice towards her crush Satoshi).

** '''Choleric:''' Ibara. Although she's not a leader, she gets very [[HotBlooded passionate]] over the things she cares about, as seen during the cultural festival and the Valentine's Day episode.

** '''Eclectic:''' Satoshi. Although he's quite an extrovert, his HiddenDepths reveal that [[spoiler:he's this way because otherwise he'd fit the negative attributes of the Melancholic type (obsessive, perfectionist to the point of depression) a lot more]]. He's ultimately a combination of sanguine and melancholic, with the peaceful attitude of a phlegmatic.

* ZettaiRyouiki: Mayaka sports this in the second ED.

** '''Phlegmatic / Melancholic:''' Houtarou is introverted and somewhat aloof and cynical, but also calm, stoic, reliable, compassionate, observant; but also lazy, reactionary and docile.

** '''Melancholic:''' Satoshi. Although he's something of an extrovert, his HiddenDepths reveal that [[spoiler:he's this way because otherwise he'd fit the negative attributes of the Melancholic type (obsessive, perfectionist to the point of depression) a lot more]].
** '''Phlegmatic:''' Houtarou. "Is calm, stoic, reliable, compassionate, observant; but also lazy, reactionary, docile." Need we say more?
* GenkiGirl: Chitanda is a more refined example. The hot-bloodedness is there, just a bit lower in temperature.

* NumericalThemeNaming: "Exponential Four Clans", as colloquially named by Satoshi, are four prestigeous families in Kamiyama; '''Juu'''monji (10), '''Saru'''suberi (100), '''Chi'''tanda (1000), and '''Man'''ninbashi (10000).

** The random stories arc has "little birds can remember", which is a reference to yet another Agatha Christie mystery novel (''Elephants Can Remember''). The "little bird" is possibly Chitanda.

** Episode 21: Plenty, as expected of a Valentine's day episode. For starters, Mayaka asking Chitanda if she likes anyone. After a bit of stammering on Chitanda's part, but before the audience can hear her answer, it [[AnswerCut cuts to a scene of Houtarou yawning]]. Later, Chitanda starts to explain to Oreki why she didn't have chocolates for him, and ends up nearly confessing only to [[LuminescentBlush exchange blushes]] with Oreki, who [[{{Adorkable}} only barely comprehends the situation]].

* {{Adorkable}}: Houtarou's frequent inability to socialize properly, especially around Eru, comes off like this.
** Chitanda herself, especially when she gets curious about something.

* ZettaiRyouiki: Mayaka sports this in the second ED.

''Hyouka'' (氷菓[[note]]"Ice Cream"[[/note]]) is a mystery novel written by Honobu Yonezawa, serving as the first volume in a total of six in the ''Classic Literature Club'' (古典部) series. It was turned into an {{anime}} in the spring of 2012, produced by Kadokawa Shoten, animated by Creator/KyotoAnimation and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto, with [[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Shoji Gatoh]] serving as series composer, and Futoshi Nishiya serving as character designer; the series covered the first four volumes of the novel that had been published to that date. A manga counterpart was started in January 2012 in ''Monthly Shonen Ace''.

* PurpleEyes: Eru Chitanda sports a very vibrant pair of these that are seen to get very sparkly when she's curious. While not possessing any magic powers per say, they do signify her uniqueness in belonging to a very prestigious family of wealthy farmers, she also has SuperSenses.