Hyouka Anime's Original Novel Series Adds New Volume

Novelist Honobu Yonezawa announced on Twitter on Saturday that he plans to release a new volume in his Kotenbu series of mystery novels in November. The new volume will collect previously published short stories in the series, including "Renpō wa Hareteiru ka?" "Kagami ni wa Utsuranai," "Nagai Kyūjitsu," and "Ima Sara Tsubasa o Iwaretemo."

The new volume will be the sixth in the series. Yonezawa published the fifth book, Futari no Kyori no Gaisan, in 2010.

Yonezawa published Hyou-ka, the series' first novel, in 2001, and it inspired Kyoto Animation's 22-episode television anime adaptation in 2012, as well as a manga adaptation in Kadokawa's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine.

The story of Hyou-ka follows a boy named Hōtarō who is not assertive about getting involved, but was ordered by his older sister to join the classic literature club. In the club, he gets close to the truth about an incident, involving a female member's uncle, which happened 33 years ago. The "energy-saving" boy is joined by an inquisitive girl in this adolescent mystery.

Annaka City in Gunma Prefecture posted a casting call for a live-action film adaptation of Hyou-ka last month. According to the casting call, Mari Asato (Ju-On: Black Ghost, Bilocation, Real Onigokko 3-5) is directing the film and penning the script.

Yonezawa also wrote the Shōshimin mystery novel series that has had several manga adaptations, including Anko Manjūya's Shunki Gentei Ichigo Tart Jiken (The Case of the Springtime Limited-Edition Strawberry Tart).​