10 anime to watch if you like Hyouka
Hyouka tells the story of Houtarou Oreki, a student of Kamiyama Senior High School, whose motto of expending as little energy as possible in life is brought under question when he is made to join the Classic Literature Club which is on the verge of dispersing.
Oreki's anti-social demeanor is disrupted by one of the members of the club, a girl named Eru Chitanda. He finally finds a purpose in life as he and the other club members help Chitanda in solving a mysterious case.
The series is a perfect blend of a visually beautiful slice of life and a thriller, with subtle romantic elements injected in some places.
In this article, we've curated 10 animes for you to watch if you've enjoyed Hyouka.
Ghost Hunt, Kokoro Connect, and 8 other anime that are similar to Hyouka
1) Black Butler
Leaning more towards the darker and edgier vibe, Black Butler has the same fill of mystery and thrill as Hyouka. The story revolves around the Phantomhive family who are murdered by some unknown malicious entities. The sole survivor, 12-year-old Ciel Phantomhive makes a contract with a demon, whom he names Sebastian after his late dog. Together, they solve supernatural mysteries, when he inherits his father’s position of Queen Victoria’s watchdog who is tasked with handling cases of utmost importance as deemed by the Queen herself.
2) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Kyon, like Hotaro from Hyouka, despite his reluctance, is coerced by Haruhi Suzumiya, a misfit girl who enjoys dabbling in supernatural beings and phenomena, to establish a new club dedicated to investigating such oddities. She names the club “SOS Brigade” which stands for “Spreading excitement all Over the world with Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade.” The two of them, along with three new members, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itsuki Koizumi - who are all eccentric in their own ways - work to uphold Haruki’s vision for the club.
3) Ghost Hunt
Similar to Hyouka, Ghost Hunt features a high schooler involved in solving mysteries, only this time it is paranormal. The protagonist, Mai Taniyama, accidentally gets involved in a ghost hunting investigation of Kazuya Shibuya under his organization Shibuya Psychic Research (SPR).
Mai has always been an enthusiast of ghost stories which she shares with her friends and now she bears witness to real paranormal instances unraveling before her. She is also revealed to possess certain psychic abilities which contribute to solving their cases.
4) Gosick
Adapted from the light novel series by Kazuki Sakuraba, Gosick takes place in a fictional European country called Saubureme in the 1920s. The protagonist, Kazuya Kujo, is a Japanese exchange student newly enrolled in the prestigious St. Marguerite Academy, where he meets the eccentric and enigmatic girl, Victorique de Blois, with a brilliant mind that loves solving mysteries.
Like the literary club in Hyouka, the duo gets tangled up in various criminal cases that they struggle to unravel, while at the same time developing a bond with each other.
5) Kokoro Connect
This seinen anime deals with five misfits of the Yamaboshi Academy who together form the Student Culture Society. All seems to be going well until one day two of the members, Aoki and Yui switch bodies. This odd phenomenon eventually finds itself among all five members.
Turns out it is not just some random occurrence and there is a force working behind these oddities. The five friends are then forced to connect with each other on a deeper level and their characters are tested by the unknown entity when they are faced with hidden secrets and enigmas about each other.
6) Heaven’s Memo Pad
An aloof high school student named Narumi Fujishima can’t even be bothered to even learn the names of his fellow classmates. His solitary existence comes to a halt when he meets a girl named Alice who has formed a detective agency called NEET, referring to its unemployed and lazy members. However, unlike the stereotypical NEET, Alice is a brilliant girl who uses her genius to solve crimes and mysteries. This new association with the group and its leader Alice turns Narumi’s life around.
7) My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
Like Hyouka, this series features a group formed by teenagers, only this time instead of solving mysteries, they strive to help other students with their problems.
The story follows two recluses, Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita, who are forced to join their school’s service club. Their antisocial disposition is gradually eliminated as they get to know and help other people solve their problems. The series delves into social issues that the contemporary youth face in high school.
8) Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions
Chunibyo refers to a delusion where a person is convinced that they possess some secret power and are hence superior to others, an ailment which the protagonist, Yuta Togashi suffered from. Togashi finds this past of his embarrassing which leads him to become a total recluse and start in a new school to escape his history.
However, just like Eru dragged Houtarou out of his comfort zone in Hyouka, Togashi’s personal little space is invaded by an eccentric girl named Rikka Takanashi. The series follows both of them as we witness their friendship blossom into love.
9) This Art Club Has A Problem
If the dynamic among the group members of Hyouka has enticed you, a similar element can be found in this series as well. The series focuses on the shenanigans of the members of the art club of Tsukimori Middle School. This art club has a problem that is more on the lighter side and has no tense dramatic situations like Hyouka, but nevertheless, it is a fun watch. The characters are realistic and work their way around situations that are more practical.
10) Bungaku Shojo
Based on the light novel series by Mizuki Nomura, Book Girl tells the story of Konoha Inoue, a high school student and a writer of a romance novel, who joins the literature club of his school, a premise very similar to Hyouka.
Where it differs from Hyouka is that, instead of solving mysteries, Konoha is made to write for his clubmate Tohko Amano, a very enthusiastic girl, contrasting Konoha’s cold and distant demeanor. Tohka is an oddball who literally feasts on the literary pieces that Konoha is made to write for the club, while she seeks out cases to solve.
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Shreya Das