Hyouka ep 11.5. Pool ep! Of course, even shows like this have one.
Interesting choice to never give a clear shot of Hotaro’s sister’s face. I dunno if this is a reflection of what Hotaro thinks of his sister or something, but it’s kind of a shame because she seems pretty cool and she’s probably really pretty.
Loved the scene before the mystery starts. After the incident with Fuyumi, Hotaro is reminded that he didn’t solve mysteries for the adulation of the masses, he was just trying to make Eru happy. The show draws the distinction between “being special” as a general attribute and “being special” as a reflection of a personal relationship between two people. Hotaro is pretty good at what he does, but he wouldn’t be much without his friends.
Eru is so good for him. She’s very understanding of others’ feelings, and she understands that drawing attention to his own talents isn’t something that Hotaro wants to hear, but it was exactly what he needed at that moment.
But really, the best part of this ep was Hotaro seeing the girl of his dreams in a bikini. :p From the shaky POV shots, to Hotaro’s awkward body language, to Eru’s quiet confidence in her looks, to the way Eru was framed and lit compared to the other cast members. Using the camera as a vehicle for adolescence and intimacy in a service-y pool ep is so very Anime.