Classics Club Series

The **Classics Club Series** (古典部(こてんぶ)シリーズ, *Kotenbu Shirīzu*) is a series of mystery novels by Honobu Yonezawa. It began publication by Kadokawa in 2001 and is currently on its sixth volume, with a seventh one announced.

## Synopsis

Houtarou Oreki, a young man freshly admitted to high school, is forced to join the classics club by his sister, a former member, in order to prevent the club's termination. While all he wishes is to live peacefully and conserve energy, he is constantly dragged around by Eru Chitanda, a fellow member who joined the club at the same time as him, the girl frequently asking him to explain things to her and satisfy her curiosity. The series revolves around Houtarou and his fellow club members solving various mundane mysteries around the school.

## History

The *Classics Club Series* started in 2001 with *Hyouka*, continuously releasing volumes every few years, with the most recent published in 2016. An anime adaptation of the series, produced by Kyoto Animation, aired between April 22 and September 16 of 2012, titled *Hyouka* and adapting the first three volumes along with many of the short stories. A manga adaptation, also titled *Hyouka*, began serialization in March of 2012, published in Monthly Shounen Ace.

## Main Characters

See also: Classics Club Series/Characters (Contains Spoilers)

* **Houtarou Oreki** (折木(おれき) 奉太郎(ほうたろう), *Oreki Hōtarō*)**:** The protagonist and detective of the *Classics Club Series*. A quiet and lazy young man whose motto is to conserve energy wherever possible, not doing anything he doesn't have to. Although his grades are only average, he has a particularly sharp mind and is able to quickly solve the mysteries he comes across (although he has no desire to). He is forced to join the classics club by his older sister.
* **Eru Chitanda** (千反田(ちたんだ) える, *Chitanda Eru*)**:** A young girl from an esteemed and affluent farming family. She is inquisitive and curious, always seeking an answer when she is faced with something puzzling, which leads her to ask Houtarou for help frequently. She has good grades and an incredible memory, but isn't as proficient at piecing things together as Houtarou. She also has a great sense of smell. She joined the classics club for what she calls "personal reasons".
* **Satoshi Fukube** (福部(ふくべ) 里志(さとし), *Fukube Satoshi*)**:** A fellow member of the classics club and old friend of Houtarou. An energetic young man with an exaggerated manner of speech, he is known for joking a lot. He boasts a lot of random knowledge and trivia, dubbing himself a "database".
* **Mayaka Ibara** (伊原(いばら) 摩耶花(まやか), *Ibara Mayaka*)**:** A fellow member of the classics club. She went to the same middle school as Houtarou and Satoshi, and has had feelings for Satoshi ever since then. An assertive young girl, she is quick to complain when she is dissatisfied with something. She often pokes fun at Houtarou for his laziness.
* **Tomoe Oreki** (折木(おれき) 供恵(ともえ), *Oreki Tomoe*)**:** Houtarou's older sister and a former member of the classics club. She is gone on a trip around the world, but often sends Houtarou correspondence. She is experienced in various martial arts and has a bold personality.

## Genre & Style

The series falls under the Everyday Mystery genre, dealing with mundane incidents occurring in a high school setting. It generally emphasizes character interactions and development over complex mysteries, though it still follows the principle of logical deduction. The books' subtitles are references to classic Western mystery novels.

## Media

See also: Classics Club Series/Media

1. **Hyouka** (氷菓(ひょうか), *Hyōka*)
2. **The Credit Roll of the Fool** (愚者(ぐしゃ)のエンドロール, *Gusha no Endorōru*)
3. **The Kudryavka Sequence** (クドリャフカの順番(じゅんばん), *Kudoryafuka no Junban*)
4. **The Doll that Took a Detour** (遠(とお)まわりする雛(ひな), *Tōmawarisuru Hina*)
5. **The Approximation of the Distance of Two** (ふたりの距離(きょり)の概算(がいさん), *Futari no Kyori no Gaisan*)
6. **Even Though I'm Told I Now Have Wings** (いまさら翼(つばさ)といわれても, *Imasara Tsubasa to Iwaretemo*)