One of the more popular anime series from 2012 was Kyoto Animation’s (Amagi Brilliant Park, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!) adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa’s light novel series Hyouka. The Blu-ray boxset of the entire anime has been reissued recently and a set of comparison images and video between the original broadcast and the Blu-ray release has been produced.Generally, the Blu-rays are better than the TV version, since they have time to reproduce scenes of the anime that may have been rushed to make schedules and deadlines. It is also the studio’s biggest avenue for profit. We have done a series of these TV and Blu-ray comparisons before so make sure to check them out here.
For the most part, many of the changes between the two versions are minor, ranging from small visual errors, text changes and the removal of credits from various scenes. Regardless, it is nice to see what the animators catch when reproducing the anime for the physical release.
Note: Spoilers for all episodes of Hyouka
The images on the left are the TV version and the images on the right are from the Blu-ray release
All of the images are from a series of videos by Niconico user QtQ. Here is the YouTube version of the comparisons, so you can see them in motion:
Hyouka is a Japanese 2001 mystery novel by Honobu Yonezawa. It is the first volume of the Classic Literature Club series. Four additional volumes have been published between 2002 and 2010. A manga adaptation drawn by Taskohna began serialization in the March 2012 issue of Kadokawa Shoten’s Shonen Ace. A 22-episode anime adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto aired from April 22 to September 16, 2012.
Here’s a synopsis of Hyouka from Haruhichan:
Oreki Houtarou is a minimalistic high school boy. One day, he joins the Classic Literature Club at his elder sister’s request.
There he meets Chitanda Eru, Fukube Satoshi, and Ibara Mayaka. Chitanda is a calm beautiful girl but she turns into an embodiment of curiosity once she says, “I’m interested in it.” Fukube is a smiling boy with a fantastic memory who calls himself a database. Ibara is a short girl and is strict with others and herself.
They begin to investigate a case that occurred 45 years ago. Hints of the mystery are buried in an old collection of works of the former members of Classics Club. The collection is titled “Hyouka.”
The full Blu-ray boxset of the Hyouka anime is currently available on Amazon Japan currently costing ¥ 30,369 (~ $254.40 USD).
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://www.kyotoanimation.co.jp/kotenbu/
Source: QtQ, Otaku Tale
