Hyouka

Hyouka:  A+

"Hyouka" means "Frozen Treats," when translated literally.  "Ice Cream" would probably be a better way of saying it.

If you want to know why this series is called that, you'll have to watch the first five or six episodes.  That's one of the first mysteries the Classics Club solves.

Hyouka is a calm, slow-paced and dialogue-heavy high school mystery series that follows the Classics club at Kamiyama High School, four students who gain a reputation in the school for solving real, little mysteries: the first episode's first mystery is why the club room door was unlocked when one member arrived, but locked, requiring a key, when the second arrived.

The series is noteworthy for Kyoto Animation's heartbreakingly beautiful animation, complex, deep and thoughtful characterization of a very small cast who we have plenty of time to get to know and come to befriend, its relative lack of common anime tropes and the cultural depth of the 'old family' characters.

If you want to watch a series that is beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful and patient, Hyouka is a wonderful, gentle ride through the kind of mysteries that puzzle people.  If you're interested in action, comedy or even anything particularly magical beyond maybe the birth of love, Hyouka will probably leave you a little bit bored.