Hyouka - Episode 16

Ki ni narimasu! (yandere version)

By themselves, the ingredients for a recipe are generally far from delicious. But with the right tools and skills, they can be combined to create a delicious final product. This analogy can be applied to the current Jūmonji case where the pieces of the puzzle (i.e. the ingredients) are slowly being connected together (i.e. combined) by the skilled Hōtarō (i.e. the chef who has the skills to effectively use kitchen tools). Although there has yet to be concrete evidence regarding who Jūmonji is, a part of me suspects it is Tomoe who planned this all out, given her implied involvement in the murder mystery film in Episode 11. Alternatively, and the more viable guess at that, the foreword in "A Corpse by Evening" seems to be coincidentally connected to current situation so the authors behind the manga might be the culprits.

While Hōtarō's deduction skills are top-notch, it also looks like Satoshi is starting to get frustrated and annoyed at how his friend uses guesses based off some facts to get to a solution. As a self-proclaimed database, I think Satoshi believes a mystery should only be solved with concrete evidence and not just assumptions based off bits and pieces of information linked together. This might explain his sudden explosion of emotion after Hōtarō told him that he'd solve the mystery without needing to know about any "connections or mistakes". In the end, the two friends are still as different as ever, so conflicting opinions are inevitable. I thought the scene where Hōtarō stood under the bright rays of the sun while Satoshi walked back into the shadows of the school was a great addition to the episode as it depicted the role-reversal that was slowly happening—Hōtarō becoming more active and Satoshi becoming more conserved—because of the past and current mysteries.

It's been quite long, but I think the Kanya Festival arc is nearing its end. I'm going to guess that the next episode will provide the solution to the Jūmonji incident, leaving the last four episodes of the season for a new arc. On another note, I wonder if Tomoe's face will ever be shown...