Anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

[Dagger]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/haruhi.jpg[/IMG]

[url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6430][u]ANN's Haruhi information[/u][/url]
[url=http://www.haruhi.tv/][u]Official Japanese site[/u][/url]
[url=http://www.yayapapayaz.com/handofgory/2006/04/20/dance-steps-for-melancholy-of-haruhi-suzumiya-ed][u]Haruhi ED dance steps[/u][/url]
[url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=FSpwiGFyvo8&search=haruhi][u]Live-action Haruhi dance[/u][/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u12gN1s6lik&search=haruhi][u]Gundam parody dance[/u][/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzssvTk4YC8&search=gundam%20dance][u]Haruhi & Gundam comparison[/u][/url]

With that out of the way, onward ho!

[b]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/b] (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu) is a new comedy anime based on a series of light novels. The titular character is a girl whose obsession with aliens, ESPers, time travelers and the like drives her to start a peculiar school club called the SOS Brigade. (On a side note, the show's official site is supposed to resemble the SOS Brigade's website--that's why it looks so bad.)

However, the narrator is Kyon, who plays the straight man to Haruhi. He's a regular sort of guy, but he manages to strike up a friendship with her anyway... although what it comes down to is that she basically just treats him like a servant. The SOS Brigade starts to acquire new members through Haruhi's manuvering, but things aren't quite as they seem. Oh, and the girls dress up in bunny suits from time to time.

I motion that we start referring to Episode 00 as Episode 1, so as to avoid confusion. By most reports, Haruhi will be 14 episodes in total. Anyway, the first episode is an amusing and very clever send-up of cheaply made movies--the kind a severely misguided film student might produce. While the series launches into its normal pattern in episode 2, the production values are excellent throughout, thanks to KyoAni--and it really is funny, which is more than I can say for most anime comedies.

At least so far, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a great show, and it's certainly taken the online community by storm.

~Dagger~

[Lindus]

Absolutely bewildering.

I decided to take a look at this show after reading so many good things about it, and for a significant part of the first episode I wasn't sure what I was watching ( I even checked to see if I had gotten a different series by mistake! XD). But after I caught on, it was absolutely fantastic. The constant continuity errors are hysterical and are so reminiscent of my childhood days, when kids of my old neighborhood would make similar movies (often trying to mirror movies).

I thought the show looked fantastic. It really did a great job trying to mimmick a camera and got the amateur film look spot on. I really loved kyon's commentary throughout the movie too.

And have I mentioned the ending is totally addictive? The song is adorable and the dance looks so catchy. XD I'm definitely looking forward to continuing with this series.

[Fasteriskhead]

[quote name='Dagger']At least so far, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a great show, and it's certainly taken the online community by storm.[/quote]Justifiably so, for once! Seriously though, this season has been a really wonderful one for comedies and lighter fare so far, but Haruhi just completely outclasses the rest from the start. Pretty much the exact moment the "op" for episode 0 starts up, with Mikuru hobbling along with a vintage early-'90s-style pop song like she'd rather be doing anything else in the world but singing, you know you're in for something special. And three episodes in they've actually managed to get [I]funnier[/I] ("I'll say that the whole club was planning on g***-r**** her!").

In all truth, I don't think there's been a straight comedy anime this good since Guu (no, Azumanga doesn't count). If the entire internet (not just the fansub folks, but apparently also the homegrown nihonjin) is really abuzz about this thing, for once it's because it's really deserved.

(incidentally, it also includes Yuki, another member from the "quiet, withdrawn, intensely intellectual" catalogue, for me to fixate on after the poor treatment of Black Cat's Eve by her show. GEEK TANGENT: did anyone else notice that the book Yuki handed over in episode 3 was Hyperion?)

[r2vq]

[quote name='Fasteriskhead']If the entire internet (not just the fansub folks, but apparently also the homegrown nihonjin) is really abuzz about this thing, for once it's because it's really deserved.[/quote]Agreed on all accounts.

I took a look at this series and immediately fell in love with it. Like Lindus, the first episode was more than a little surprising, but I think it was a great way to start the series.

My favourite character so far is Yuki Nagato, but I can't help but feel sorry for the poor Mikuru Asahina. How could she [spoiler]abuse such a pretty girl.[/spoiler] And she always has tears in her eyes too. :animedepr

So far, the plot seems to be taking a turn for the weirder. This is emphasized by [spoiler]what Yuki said[/spoiler] at the end of the third episode and the as of yet unexplained [spoiler]talking cat[/spoiler] from the first episode.

-r2

[Raiyuu]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Dagger][FONT=Verdana'](On a side note, the show's official site is supposed to resemble the SOS Brigade's website--that's why it looks so bad.)[/FONT][/quote]I clicked on over to the website and thought, "what's Dagger on about? It's a bit sparse, but not all that bad".

Then the background loaded.

I think I need to some Valium to stop the shapes spinning behind my eyelids.[/FONT]

[Dagger]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu][FONT=Trebuchet MS]
I think I need to some Valium to stop the shapes spinning behind my eyelids.[/FONT][/QUOTE]
:animesmil

Episode 4 really threw me for a loop--it didn't seem to bother many other viewers, but I just couldn't get over the time jump.* On the other hand, this was the funniest baseball-related episode I've seen since Samurai Champloo #23 and Princess Nine #13.

I've been told that the anime's story is being presented in more or less the same fashion as it is in the novels--that is, completely out of order. Apparently Haruhi's episode numbering system is the correct one, after all! I'll have to keep an eye on that in the future. I did feel jarred at first, but there were a lot of nice, inconspicuous visual clues regarding the passage of time. Also, I like the fact that it keeps you on your toes; I just hope that they go back and fill in the gaps at a later point. I should have known better than to expect this series to reveal information in the usual way (e.g., through an Itsuki introduction episode).

One of the best moments was when [spoiler]Haruhi randomly bit Mikuru's ear,[/spoiler] but I also laughed at all of the Yuki-related parts.

*Originally I had this spoiler-tagged, but it doesn't actually reveal anything to leave it uncovered. Does anyone mind?

~Dagger~

[Nekova]

I got to watch the first episode last night. I went into it knowing it was a send up of cheap anime and home movies, but it was still so funny I was laughing out loud almost the whole way though. If the rest of the series keeps this level of quality up, I can tell it's going to be one of my new favourites!

[Dagger]

[quote name='Nekova']If the rest of the series keeps this level of quality up, I can tell it's going to be one of my new favourites![/quote]
The first episode is obviously kind of different from what follows [spoiler](or is it?),[/spoiler] but in terms of sheer quality, I think the series is quite consistent.

Also... I loved episode 5! I think it's my favorite episode so far. It picks up where episode 3 left off, and the directing style of Yuki's explanation at the beginning is [i]very[/i] Eva-esque (with hints of Utena and Melody of Oblivion as well). I also liked how they showed [spoiler]Haruhi's jealousy.[/spoiler]

[quote=ANN][b]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Storms Amazon.JP[/b]

The first seven Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu novels by Nagaru Tanigawa, on which the new TV series is based, have ranked highly on Amazon Japan's best seller list.

The books, which were released between June 2003 and August 2005 have been ranked 5-11 for a week now on a list that updates every hour. They are kept out of the top spot only by the pre-order of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and various editions of The Davinci Code.

The novels rank in their release order (from volume 1 in fifth position to volume 7 in eleventh position).

The newest book in the series, The Resentment of Haruhi Suzumiya (Suzumiya Haruhi no Fungai / 涼宮ハルヒの憤慨), released on April 28, is not yet ranked in Amazon's best sellers list.[/quote]
[quote=ANS][b]Suzumiya Haruhi no Yutsu OP Ranks In Oricon Top 10[/b]

The single featuring 18 year old Aya Hirano's Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu TV series Opening Theme Boken Deshodesho has hit 10th place on Oricon's Daily CD singles ranking chart. The release was made April 26, 2006.[/quote]
Next on Haruhi's To Do list... world domination! [spoiler]Oh, wait...[/spoiler]

~Dagger~

[duorocks17]

[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=Blue]I recently got hooked on this series by randomly finding the ED dance movie (complete mind you) off a website. Personally, I just could not stop laughing at it. It was then decided that a friend and I MUST learn the dance that goes along with it. It just looks like so much fun! Anyways, I found the show and like Lindus, I had to do a double take at the first episode. It was so incredibly funny though you just had to keep watching. I sort of guessed what was going on, but i think it made a wonderful segway into the series. In a sense, you could say it gave you a "heads up" on the future events in the show.

Another thing I like about this show is the complete randomness of it all. I mean, there really is no continuality (in episode order) to the story that's playing out. Some episodes to flow after the other, and then you have those ones that just come at you out of no where, but are great and interesting just the same. I must say I do love how this show is told from a first person perspective. Not many shows offer a view from this angle, mostly you just get a third person omniscient view of the world the characters live in. I love how we see things from Kyon's point of view.

The animation in this show is wonderfull as well, I love the character designs, and the backgrounds are just as pleasing. They all look fairly realistic.

I'd have to say what I love most about Haruhi is the story itself. I find it very interesting, and defined. Personally, I can't wait to watch more! If I had to choose a favorite episode so far, I think it'd be the baseball episode.

Oh and if you just can't believe how much this show and song are taking the world by store, I found plently of sites that show local groups doing the dance out in the street I'd love to share. Hehe, this is definately a show I'd get someone else hooked on![/COLOR][/FONT]

[Dagger]

Oh, wow. As far as I'm concerned, episode 8 might be the best yet. What did you guys think of the resolution to the mystery? I had pretty much figured that [spoiler]it was all a ruse[/spoiler] as soon as I saw the ending of episode 6, and so I had expected episode 8 to be kind of a let-down. Instead, I ended up enjoying how it played out.

Okay... this might seem more than a little weird, but did anyone else find episode 8 to be incredibly sexy? I'm specifically referring to the directing style in three scenes: Haruhi & Kyon in the cave, Itsuki & Kyon's conversation in the bedroom, and Itsuki & Kyon's conversation on the boat. Obviously the sexual undertones were more pointed in the cave scene, but I thought the other two scenes were also unexpectedly and almost bizarrely sensual.

Anyway, episode 8 served to heighten my love for Yuki, Itsuki and Kyon. Haruhi also acted a little more dere-dere than usual (but not too much, thankfully). Thinking back, there was a lot packed in there for all of those characters. Impressive, really.

So it turns out that episode 9 is episode 14 by Haruhi's count. In other words, the last episode? I can no longer help thinking that KyoAni is screwing with [i]just because they can[/i]. I didn't mind the gap between the two-part mystery as much as I had feared I would, though... "FUMOFFU!"

~Dagger~

[Fasteriskhead]

Good GOD that cave scene. And, yes, pretty much the rest of the episode as well. Could Haruhi be trying to compete with Ouran for sexual tension points?

And let's not forget Yuki trying to be funny.

[r2vq]

[quote name='Dagger']Okay... this might seem more than a little weird, but did anyone else find episode 8 to be incredibly sexy?[/quote]I definately saw that. The angles used in the cave scene were one thing were obvious, but like you, I was caught by the conversation between Kyon and Itsuki. I was very confused by the whole mole close-up though.

[quote name='Dagger']So it turns out that episode 9 is episode 14 by Haruhi's count.[/quote]Was I the only one that was moved by what Haruhi said in the preview for that episode? I knew it's supposed to be the last one so it was more than a little sad. Even the tone of her voice was pretty touching.

-r2

[Nekova]

[QUOTE=r2vq]Was I the only one that was moved by what Haruhi said in the preview for that episode? I knew it's supposed to be the last one so it was more than a little sad. Even the tone of her voice was pretty touching.

-r2[/QUOTE]

No, you were't the only one. I don't think I've ever been this anxious to see the next episode in a series. It was the tone of her voice more than anything, that makes me think that whatever happens, it will likely be very final and definate, with no hope of a sequal. I hope I'm wrong though. I've enjoyed this anime way too much!

[Dagger]

Yep, I agree with both of you. I wish that [spoiler]she had said it in the actual episode, though (unless I'm really missing something). [i]Otsukaresama, Kyon~[/i][/spoiler]

Now, there were many reasons that I should've disliked episode 9/14. The obvious cost-cutting scenes used in Evangelion tended to irk me a bit, so I ought to have been bothered when Suzumiya's director did the exact same thing, but for me, the radio broadcast during Yuki's interminable reading scene made all the difference. I managed to catch the Glass Mask, AIR, Detective Conan, Rose of Versailles and Shounen Ace references, but everything else was a complete mystery to me.

The zinger, and this is me speaking as an AIR fanatic, was hearing Daisuke Ono (Itsuki; he also plays the narrator in AIR) reprise his cry of "RAMEN SETTO!" Talk about sounding his barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. ;)

The ending was very moving (damn that beautiful piano music!)... and on the whole, it was one of the best slice-of-life episodes I've seen in a while. [spoiler]The ultra-dere expression with which Haruhi offered her umbrella to Kyon just about killed me.[/spoiler]

The way in which Yuki's head was used reminded me of Misato's conveniently placed beer can in Evangelion. I'm sure plenty of other shows have used that kind of visual device for comedic purposes, but I guess I just had Eva on the brain, because that's what came to mind first.

I assume that the budget conservation measures mean that we'll see some over-the-top scenes in future episodes. Which appears to have been the main point of the episode shuffling--to save the most action-packed parts for the end of the broadcast, that is. But anyway, Nekova, I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility a second season, although it would probably have to come after KyoAni finishes Kanon 2006.

EDIT: Hahaha... [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uosR3P4ztk][u]This[/u][/url] is a real gem. Also, the [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3DbKgX1kLQ][u]Gundam version[/u][/url] of Bouken Desho Desho? is a must-see.

~Dagger~

[duorocks17]

[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=Blue]Okay, so I finally got to watch episode 9, and I agree with the Yuki thing. She always appeared in the exactly right place for that part of the scene. And even when she moved the book away, the moment had already passed. And the changing scene had just become so accustomed to everyone, they knew exactly what to do! I thought the radio broadcast to be pretty funny, and of course all the references to the other shows. I'm a big Detective Conan fan, so that one just cracked me up. I found it kinda sad that all the cost-cutting measures where used, i think the episode would have been a bit better with some more action, but it still turned out well.

Does anyone know if the game Itsuki and Kyon where playing at the beginning is a real game or not? This show has a lot of references to other things so I thought it might be a reference to an actual game. Maybe I'm just seeing things.

I hope that this wasn't the last episode, I'm really hoping for another season, I mean, it even gave a preview and all! but if not, this wouldn't be the first show i've watched that gave a preview but never put out a new episode. But with all the popularity this show is getting, you'd think they'd keep going right?[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Dagger]

[QUOTE=duorocks17][FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=Blue]
I hope that this wasn't the last episode, I'm really hoping for another season, I mean, it even gave a preview and all! but if not, this wouldn't be the first show i've watched that gave a preview but never put out a new episode. But with all the popularity this show is getting, you'd think they'd keep going right?[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]
Well, I mean, it's the last episode if you go by Haruhi's order... but it's not the last episode if you go by Kyon's order. Although I'm sure you've figured that out by now. Also, I've probably said this before, but the idea of a second season is pretty plausible as far as I'm concerned, especially if the DVDs sell well. However, chances are that anything of the sort wouldn't air until after KyoAni finishes Kanon 2006, their next big anime.

As for episode 10, I'm finally starting to appreciate the broadcast order... because it was really exciting, and you could practically smell the money oozing out of the [spoiler]Yuki versus Asakura battle[/spoiler] scene. I even liked the psychedelic backgrounds they used in that part. Very nice. Additionally, [spoiler]adult Mikuru[/spoiler] is made of win and gold.

However, I do have a dire complaint--how can Kyon not like girls with glasses!? I call shenanigans. ;)

~Dagger~

[Fasteriskhead]

[quote name='Dagger']However, I do have a dire complaint--how can Kyon not like girls with glasses!? I call shenanigans. ;)[/quote]Yes, Kyon needs to seriously reconsider the whole "Yuki cuter without glasses" thing. Although it probably says something about how ultimately shallow I am that for my favorite character I immediately go for the stoic girl with glasses who reads all the time.

Also: considering how popular this thing is, if it doesn't get AT LEAST one more season then I'll eat my DVD collection. More than likely we'll be bombarded with specials, ovas and video games until we're all completely sick of it, but until then we can enjoy Haruhi tormenting Mikuru on a regular basis for a good span of time.

[Nekova]

Wow. I just watched episode 11 (by Kyon's count), and I think I know where the budget from the last (in chronological order) episode went! At least half of the show was CG.
It was a funny episode, too. While I'm not sure any more that this show is going to revolutionalize anime, like some fans seem to think, it has at least kept a consistantly high quality in terms of script and plot. I was laughing out loud in a bunch of different parts (like when Haruhi [spoiler]offered to throw in Nagato as part of the contest reward[/spoiler]!

[Fasteriskhead]

There is a period of about six to seven minutes in episode 12 (no idea what it is on Haruhi's count) which is pretty much the single greatest thing the series has pulled off so far. It is absolute poetry, folks. I won't spoil it for anyone - I'll only say that I did [I]not[/I] expect Haruhi to [spoiler]sing alto[/spoiler].

[Dagger]

[quote name='Fasteriskhead]There is a period of about six to seven minutes in episode 12 (no idea what it is on Haruhi's count) which is pretty much the single greatest thing the series has pulled off so far. It is absolute poetry, folks. I won't spoil it for anyone - I'll only say that I did [I]not[/I] expect Haruhi to [spoiler]sing alto[/spoiler'].[/quote]
Firmly agreed. I blew my mind by watching episodes 12 and 13 back-to-back. Episode 12, in addition to being incredible (due to the scene you mentioned), made me wish I were a more literate person so that I could have recognized the [I]Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead[/I] scene on my own (much like episode 8 made me wish I owned a DS, so I could play Phoenix Wright).

[i]Futari ni God Bless...[/i]

~Dagger~

[Nekova]

I'm so sad that this is over! I just finished episode 14 (6), and couldn't believe how much I cared about what was happening, even though I already knew everything that happened afterwards. I still maintain that this isn't the revolutionary anime that some people say it is, but I did enjoy it start to finish.

A question though. Throughout the series leading up to this point (including all the episodes that took place after it in chronological order), Kyon [spoiler]never stops complaining and wondering why HE is the one who has to deal with Haruhi[/spoiler], but in this episode he finds out exactly why. He also [spoiler]admits to himself that he likes Haruhi, and knows that she likes him[/spoiler], but in the (chronologically) later episodes never refers to that as far as I can recall. Lastly, at the end of the episode he [spoiler]says that he is going to tell Haruhi about aliens, time travellers, and ESPers[/spoiler], which I understood to mean that he was going to tell her the truth about [spoiler]Yuki, Mikuru, and Koizumi[/spoiler] but in the later episodes she doesn't appear to know anything about them at all. Did anyone else notice that? Or was I just missing signs that were there all along...

Still, all in all, this was an amazing series and I really hope they do a second season sometime soon. Until then, I'll just have to satisfy myself with remembering the exact moment that Kyon realized that [spoiler]out of the whole world, he was the only person Haruhi wanted to be with when it mattered[/spoiler].

Btw (just a random thought)- I wonder what kind of family Haruhi comes from?

[Dagger]

[quote name='Nekova]Lastly, at the end of the episode he [spoiler]says that he is going to tell Haruhi about aliens, time travellers, and ESPers[/spoiler], which I understood to mean that he was going to tell her the truth about [spoiler]Yuki, Mikuru, and Koizumi[/spoiler'] but in the later episodes she doesn't appear to know anything about them at all. Did anyone else notice that? Or was I just missing signs that were there all along...[/quote]
This confused me as well, but ultimately I took it to mean that he [spoiler]told her about aliens, time travelers and espers in general, without "outing" any of the other club members.[/spoiler] I would have liked to see the actual conversation (although it wouldn't have fit at the end of the episode, so that was still a pretty good stopping point).

EDIT: As for his feelings for Haruhi and vice versa, I'm inclined to think that episode 9/14 is a little more suggestive. If I remember correctly, in the baseball episode Itsuki makes a crack about Kyon [spoiler]curing Haruhi's boredom the same way he did last time, which just leaves Kyon irritated.[/spoiler] To me, this implies that [spoiler]he kissed her more because it would save the world than because he personally really wanted to, although I'm sure it was a mix of the two.[/spoiler]

Haruhi also believes [spoiler]that what happened in the closed space was a dream, so that's another factor keeping her from being more open about her emotions[/spoiler] in the episodes which come later, chronologically speaking. And Kyon is just inclined to be passive.

~Dagger~

[chou kuro]

I just started watching this anime, and have to say I LOVE it! The first episode made me laugh so hard I shot soda out my nose. (yeah, I know, TMI) I love the baseball episode too. This show is just way too funny. My parents keep comparing me to Haruhi, it's kinda sad but true.

[Raiyuu]

[font=trebuchet ms]Before yesterday, the only contact I'd had with [i]Haruhi[/i] was clicking onto that retina-burning website, but last night I watched it all at an all-nighter. (In broadcast/Kyon's order).

Wonderful.

I'm going to have to re-view it in chronological/Haruhi's episode order now, just to see if it makes a different kind of sense - and to see if I fell asleep for a second and missed an explanation of [spoiler]the talking cat[/spoiler].

And Dagger - it's not just you that kept getting Eva flashbacks. Yuki's explanation, the long reading scenes and the [spoiler]"giants of light"[/spoiler] all screamed out at me as either homages or piss-takes - mostly the latter.

Strangely, the most striking thing I found about the series was the 'camera' angles. The zoom-in on Kyon's mole; seeing through the bookshelves; [i]that[/i] scene in the cave and [i]especially[/i] the way they handled [spoiler]the kiss[/spoiler] all seemed refreshingly quirky.[/font]

[KungFuChan]

OMG I love this series.
After watching the first episode i wasn't totally hooked it wasn't great after all it just seemed like an anime home video or something low budget... but every episode following i loved... at first one might think another school based drama romance or something but i was blown away by the story. The animation is top notch and the little ending theme song dance is just sweet. I also love the OST's the songs are so good...

I havn't watched all the way through chronologically yet but i'm curious as to what people think about the relationship between Kyon and Haruhi... i personally didn't really think there was much there, Kyon seemed more interested in Mikuru and Nagato.. i did feel that some parts were some what rushed, not much depth was reached with the explanation of Mikuru from the future and the reason for another future her coming to the present for a brief time..

i think i'll go watch it again...