Kyon

Haruhi Suzumiya

Yutaka Tamaru

Kiyosumi Morimura

Okabe

Umpire

Itsuki Koizumi

Keiichi Tamaru

Yuki Nagato

Tsuruya

Mikuru Asahina

Kyon no Imouto

Ryouko Asakura

Arakawa

Taniguchi

Emiri Kimidori

Computer Kenkyuukai Buchou

Shamisen

Kunikida

Sonou Mori

Mai Zaizen

Mizuki Okajima

Kyon, your typical high school student, has long given up his belief in the supernatural. However, upon meeting Haruhi Suzumiya, he quickly finds out that it is the supernatural that she is interested in; aliens, time travelers and espers among other things. When Haruhi laments about the lack of intriguing clubs around school, Kyon inspires Haruhi to form her own club. As a result, the SOS Brigade is formed, a club which specializes in all that is the supernatural. 
Much to his chagrin, Kyon, along with the silent bookworm, Yuki Nagato, the shy and timid Mikuru Asahina, and the perpetually smiling Itsuki Koizumi, are recruited as members. The story follows the crazy adventures that these four endure under their whimsical leader, Haruhi. The story is based on the light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa. 
Note: This entry is for the original 14-episode 2006 airing. The series was further expanded and reordered into <a href="https://anilist.co/anime/4382/Suzumiya-Haruhi-no-Yuuutsu-2009/">a 28-episode series in 2009.</a>

*"I'm Haruhi Suzumiya, from East Junior High. First off, I'm not interested in ordinary people. But, if any of you are aliens, time-travelers, or espers, please come see me. That is all!"*

Has any anime character ever introduced themselves so simply and so effectively as Haruhi Suzumiya? Right off the bat, right out the gate, before we know a single other thing about the character for certain, we get this: if you're normal she doesn't care about you, if you're some kind of supernatural entity you're worth her time. Maybe. 

If you're of a certain age, and were interested in anime in even a minor way in 2006 or for several years afterward, there is a good chance you heard that opening proclamation, and not a small one that it electrified you. I've never met anyone who identified with Kyon--Haruhi's cool-headed, snarky, down-to-earth foil--over Haruhi herself, at least not at first. Haruhi's introduction to her class is both in-universe and out, a thrown gauntlet. Really, it's almost a sneer, a vocalized disdain for the willfully conformant. You are either on the side of people who have outgrown psychic powers and UFO sightings, or you are--if not an actual alien yourself--seeking those very things 24/7. There is no room in this worldview for fence-sitting, for splitting your time, for compromise. It ultimately doesn't matter that this was first penned by light novelist Nagaru Tanigawa, that it was originally a few words longer (the anime adaptation and most subsequent quotings leave out a bit about "sliders"), and that it would launch a media empire, Haruhi's class introduction is snappy and anti-authoritarian enough to serve as the otaku "Fuck The Police".

Before that *Haruhi* media empire, there was this, a bratty maybe-goddess blind to her own powers, demanding that the world either hand itself over to her and be grateful for the opportunity, or to simply not bother. 

The older you get, the less appealing this kind of drunk charisma becomes. Haruhi is very much a doer, not a thinker, and the genuinely crazy shit she pulls in the first few episodes alone--hijacking another school club's meeting room, strongarming not one but *three* people into her personal Mystery Inc., dressing up in a playboy bunny outfit to pass out fliers for recruitment--wouldn't fly in a real high school, much less anywhere else in the real world. Honestly some of it (using Mikuru as her own personal dress-up doll, chiefly) is pretty deplorable! That Haruhi manages to be so damnably charming on rewatches a decade later is a testament to the sheer skill the character was written with, and the overflowing force of personality that Aya Hirano (and yes: dub actress Wendee Lee too) bring to the role. It's enough to make the *viewer* feel like they're the one being inducted into the SOS Brigade. Haruhi will either bring you back to your gleeful highschool otaku phase, where the biggest cares in the world were whether Light or Lelouch was the bigger mastermind, or, if you never *had* one, will conjure it out of thin air for you. Haruhi herself may be fictional, but the pure id part of our minds that she appeals to--the desire to rip up the mundane and dreary everyday and expose something shining and weird and wonderful underneath--is very real. To this day, *Haruhi Suzumiya* remains enticing for this very reason, slip in an episode--any episode, in broadcast or chronological order, as you please--and the church bells that open "Boken Desho Desho?" will transport you, if you let them, to a simpler time.

Of course, the question with these things is always "but does it hold up?" I have always been of the opinion that that is the wrong question to ask, and in this particular case I think that's doubly true. A more interesting question is that of "does *Haruhi Suzumiya* have anything to offer a new viewer in 2017 who did not grow up with it in 2006?" Which is both a bit of a harder question (the answer to "does it hold up" is an emphatic "yes") and a more relevant one. The issue of what this anime *even is* has not gotten easier to answer over the years, especially as as time's gone on its constituent genres (you could probably give someone a very rough idea of what *Haruhi* was by describing it as "a slice of life mixed with a supernatural mystery") have drifted even further apart than they were in 2006. *Haruhi* freely mixes comedy (both character humor and brazen slapstick), supernatural elements, the occasional action sequence, romantic undertones, and more. All of this with a mid-decade anime style that, despite being very much of its time, still looks pretty nice today, especially when compared to some of its contemporaries.

*Haruhi* wouldn't be much if it were just the title character of course. The full ensemble cast work together like the cogs of a well-oiled machine. Kyon is nothing without Haruhi to bounce off of, Yuki's Rei-pastische would be meaningless without not one but two other girls--both quite emotional in their own ways--for contrast, Mikuru's whining and general moe-ness would be annoying without Kyon's grounded, levelheaded sensibility, and so on. Each member of the SOS Brigade contrasts and highlights the others (as a side note, this is why discussions of who the best character is have always struck me as rather meaningless).

This is highlighted best in my opinion by the series' original season 1 finale (though it's only the sixth chronological episode), the sixth and final part of the titular "Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" sub-arc. Haruhi unconsciously transports herself and Kyon (*just* herself and Kyon) to a closed, alternate-dimension version of their school. This is painted by the other characters who briefly show up (Itsuki and, via text, Yuki) as being plainly apocalyptic. If Haruhi uses her powers to create a new world, the logic goes, it will quite likely destroy the old one, where the rest of the SOS Brigade still resides. This is the sort of thing that it's very easy to oversell, but *Haruhi* has enough restraint that despite the stakes it doesn't fully go off the rails. Haruhi goes from terrified (a rarity for her) to ecstatic as she realizes that something genuinely supernatural is happening. Kyon pulls her back to reality by reminding her--to a masterful soundtrack of wailing, warbling choral voices--of their friends, and more or less confesses to her. All of the literal events are effectively undone by the episode's end, but the *character* development remains, and sees Haruhi further come out of her shell.

The first season has other highlights as well, the genuinely suspensful "Remote Island Syndrome" arc, Ryoko's reveal as an alien like Yuki in the fourth part of the "Melancholy" arc and her subsequent confrontation with Yuki (undeniably: the series' best pure action scene), the pseudo-iyashikei of "Someday In The Rain", and the climax of Haruhi's emotional development in "Live Alive", where she fronts the fictional band ENOZ (played by members of the very real ZONE) as part of the school's cultural festival, it must here be noted that "God Knows" and "Lost My Music" are two of the best songs to ever make it into an anime. Season 2, as an aside, is its own beast, and deserves a more fine-toothed comb discussion than this very broad review can give it.

So the show holds up and still has things to offer to anime viewers today, but what of its influence? Indeed, for a show that was so hugely popular it seems strange that there weren't more knockoffs. The truth of course, is that there were plenty of them, it's just that most never made it out of the light novel format and as such their influence on wider anime fandom is much diminished both domestically and in the west. Even today, something like *Zeroth Maria* has more than one strand of Haruhi's DNA laced into it. *There Is No Haruhi In My Classroom*, a series of allegedly rather cynical "response novels" should be mentioned here as well, though they've never been made available in English and thus remain obscure in the west. There is of course too, the *Monogatari* franchise, which has always seemed to me not unlike *Haruhi* squared. Made even stranger and more stylized, with almost all of the grounding elements removed (this is not to say that either is superior, but at the end of the day they are very different experiences). There is of course the *Haruhi* light novels themselves, which continue (at a snail's pace), and have gotten strange and arcane in their own way, as subsequent books sidelined the title character and introduced a much-expanded cast of characters who have never seen the TV screen (the anti-SOS Brigade in particular come to mind here), alternate timelines and other general esoterica. There is *The Vanishing of Nagato Yuki-chan*, a spinoff manga (and later anime) that removed the supernatural elements in favor of a still charming but undeniably much more normal romantic comedy, with Haruhi herself again pushed to the sidelines. There is Haruhiism, the faux-religion that sometimes nears real religion in the fanaticism of some "practitioners". There is the lingering hope, now so rote to express that it's become a punchline, of a season 3, of a reboot, of *something*.

There is so much, *so much* more that could be discussed about *The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya*, a show that grew out of the bounds of its medium altogether and became a pop-cultural phenomenon. But I would like, if I may, to break the fourth wall a bit, and pose a thought experiment to you--the reader. Haruhi fanfiction is practically a medium in its own right at this point, and this then surely is a question many have pondered, but, if we assume that Haruhi herself is 16 at the series' beginning in 2006 (as would be the norm for a Japanese senior high student) and we pretend that time were to pass within the show's universe at the same rate it does in ours, she would be 27 now. What, do you think, is a 27 year old Haruhi up to?

I ask the question not just as an excuse for headcanonning (though that's always a bit of fun) but because I think the answer reflects a bit on the person giving it, *Haruhi* comes from a time before recombining popcultural influences into something new was the norm, and despite the walking wink and nudge that is the character of Kyon, it really is the title character the gives the show it's heart. Haruhi isn't quite one of a kind, but she's close.

And where in this strange mixed-up world we live in, is there a place for Haruhi Suzumiya?

Maybe nowhere, but, as I alluded to near this now far too long review's beginning, I think Haruhi (and *Haruhi*) appeal to a sort of inner adventure geek. The conspiracy theorist, the young adult novel binge-reader, the teenager in all of us, so maybe not nowhere, but in some small way, everywhere.

KyoAni's mid-2000s adaptation of Nagaru Tanigawa's light novels was a pop-cultural phenomenon, and for good reason.

A huge phenomenon at the time, but it perhaps hasn't aged very well.

__Disclaimer: This review will be for the entirety of the show, not just this first portion. However, there will be NO spoilers in this review.__

I'm going to try my best to keep this an unbiased review, but Haruhi as a show and as a character has helped me on a personal level so that's one reason I love this show so much... the other reason is because it's genuinely a very enjoyable show. Haruhi used to be the Queen of anime, but of course all good things come to an end.

The show doesn't have much of a story, really. It's more of a slice of life comedy show with supernatural elements thrown in. Although, after my most recent rewatching of this show (which I finished last night), I can say that this show has more character development and foreshadowing than I previously realized, definitely in the last four or five episodes. Now, when you get to the Endless Eight arc, at first you'll probably hate it for reasons I'll leave unknown for now. Just, don't give up on the show there. You can just skip the "bad" part and you will miss basically nothing. Personally I love the Endless Eight arc, but it's very understandable if you never grow to like it. Of course, when I first watched this show I also hated the Endless Eight arc, but then I began to like it more and more, and now I love it. Please don't give up on it, give it a chance. Watching this arc will also make Nagato's actions in the movie more understandable.

The art style of this show isn't really anything special, but it's still very appealing; definitely on the Blu-ray. There are some shots that look very good, and then other shots that look like your basic slice of life moe show. But, throughout the entire show, Kyoto Animation has consistent animation and no "bootleg" shots. Of course, some shots are more detailed than others, but that's only when they need to be.

The first opening of this show? Amazing. The visuals and song are both beautiful. You wanna know what's better than the first opening? The second one, with even BETTER visuals and song. Also, the second ending is very nice but probably the worst of all the openings/endings. But, the first ending is what spawned an anime phenomenon. The Hare Hare Yukai dance, or probably more widely known as the Haruhi dance. Easily the most iconic part of the show. Also, the soundtrack for this show is amazing too. The main background song in this show always makes me giddy to hear, and it's actually the first thing you ever hear in episode one. Amazing soundtrack.

Now, the characters. Mikuru Asahina is a clumsy, moe character as Haruhi would put it. She's mostly in the show for fanservice honestly, but she still has some very good moments. Now, Yuki Nagato, she's a very silent and reserved character that only speaks when she needs to. Her design is nice, and she has some amazing moments in the show. While she's quiet, there is Itsuki Koizumi who is more talkative. He's a very polite and mature character, who is in stark contrast to Kyon. Kyon is usually always upset with something, he whines and complains a lot, but trust me his character gets some amazing development towards the end of the show and even more and better development in the movie. He's not exactly unlikable, but he's definitely my least favorite main character. As for my favorite character, that honor goes to Haruhi Suzumiya herself. She's kind of a tsundere type character, but that's not the aspect I like about her. Yes, she's rude, bratty, and to some she may be overwhelming, but the thing I love most about Haruhi and what changed me as a person is seeing her passion. Seeing her seize every single day. Seeing her try her best to enjoy her life, and not worry about being "normal". In the episode "Live Alive", you'll see her get some development though, and it is very heartwarming to see.

All in all, if you like supernatural stuff then you'll probably like this show. If you like slice of life stuff then you'll probably like this show. You might not become a huge fan of this show, but it will definitely be a good, fun, and enjoyable watch. I hope this review helps, and I hope you enjoy the show.

The state of the online world isn't something I'm terribly fond of nowadays, but a little over a decade ago, the Internet was a captivating wonderland. A large part of my juvenile personality is owed to numbing my developing brain on Ray William Johnson's =3 series, Salad Fingers, asdf movies, YouTube Poop, NicoNico Douga MADs, Newgrounds videos, Chris Chan's descent to insanity, etc. So, perhaps a Pandora's Box is a better fitting term. Whatever the case, I was simply one of millions of other kids discovering the magical explicitness and eccentricity of the Internet. 

And chances are, if you had the slightest familiarity with *anime* and the Internet ten, fifteen years ago, [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_indP8fT494) left an eternal impression on you. And if you were like me, greater chances are that you didn't even *know* what this or *anime* really were, but Cupid's Arrow had struck and you fell inside the rabbit hole.

Barely ripe in my 20s, I find it somewhat awkward to be nostalgic over things that seem so recent and I've always hated when people uttered the classic colloquialism "Only 90s kids will remember". These days, I find myself unfortunately more and more disconnected from this medium for several reasons too trivial to discuss in this already boring enough prologue. However, rewatching or simply musing over *Haruhi Suzumiya* and some of my first *anime* sparks a little more reason and motivation for my connection with this medium to stay alive. 

___

<center> img520(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/595883498857759515/DAD02B0E23AF09845C80D22BFBBC8C6CC3AD3A7B/)

___

#~~~__<a>The "Seinfeld is Unfunny" Effect </a>__~~~

In retrospect, *Haruhi Suzumiya* isn't extraordinary in the school slice-of-life genre. At least, under the scope of today's standards. I find that the series suffers from the "Seinfeld Is Unfunny" Effect. That is, *Haruhi Suzumiya* was an unforgettable experience during its conception in 2006 but fell from its livelihood as more similarly-premised shows came out. Perhaps this sounds little more than baseless, poor defense, but I truly do find this as the case. The *otaku* meta-humor, the strange out-of-order airing release, one of the first (if not *the* first) pioneers of light-novel adapted *anime*, the eccentric twist on a usually mundane school story, and, of course, the smash-hit choreographed dance ED. All of this may certainly sound ordinary by today's standards, but for me, the memory of its freshness remains ripe in my mind. Thus, I believe that coming into *Haruhi Suzumiya* with this generational/standard gap in mind is imperative. Hopefully this all doesn't come off as condescending or criticism of newer fans. I suffer from this effect for multiple older shows that I never watched during its conception, thus I look at these otherwise pioneering, genre-changing series as simply too mundane from being desensitized by their imitators. Simply put, I wanted to emphasize the matter of right place, right time in regards to common questioning of *Haruhi Suzumiya*'s popularity and cult status in the community.

Now, onto the actual meat of the tale of an eccentric school club.

___

<center> img520(https://img-s1.onedio.com/id-55e7756c92d9fa2778771f2c/rev-1/w-500/o-46x47/s-db4796b976895ee392698077f19624e674124686.gif)

___

#~~~__<a>Aliens, Time Travelers and Espers</a>__~~~

Though I've established some context behind *Haruhi Suzumiya*'s popularity somewhat prim and proper, I won't be able to dissect the pure eccentricity of this show so orderly and neatly. 

One reason behind its infectious popularity that I left out, was its eccentric genre amalgam. Labelling *Haruhi Suzumiya* as a school show isn't technically wrong, but diving into the show, you'll find splashes of detective murder mystery and downright bizarre supernatural battles accompanying school festivals and baseball games. Add in the unchronological airing order, and you have a dysfunctional story of the most unexpected and out-of-place events taking place inside the mundane premise of an afterschool club. This may be befuddling and outlandish to unsuspecting viewers, but that's the real charm of this show. Certainly, some aspects have definitely not aged well, such as Haruhi frequently subjecting Mikuru to sexual harassment, but this weird, bizarre mishmash that doesn't care about concrete story lines is practically screaming at you "Have fun!". Even now, some of the episodes don't get any less strange, but it simultaneously warps me into their world, sharing the SOS Brigade's fun, weird and abnormal adventures. 

Haruhi Suzumiya, the infamous sociopathic SOS Brigade leader, is a character you love to hate and hate to love. It may be a bit laughable to analyze such a seemingly one-dimensional and insane character, but Haruhi is quite literally the epicenter of the story. Delving into a dissection of Haruhi is meaningless without the mention of Kyon, though. Kyon, the miserable narrator forcibly drawn into Haruhi's eccentric activities, is one of the more quaint beloved aspects of the show. His cutting, cynical remarks and passive personality resonated with and amused many fans, with his character acting as dry humor clashing against Haruhi's courses of eccentricity. Note the "clashing", because Haruhi is just that. Where as Kyon is the laidback guy sitting at the back of the room and staring off out the window with his head cupped by his up straight arm, Haruhi is his anti-thesis. Obnoxious, egotistical, arrogant, stubborn, short-tempered, Haruhi is just about anything *but* the ideal *moe* girl archetype that flourished and idealized at the time. But that everything makes Haruhi, Haruhi, and one of the most hatefully beloved characters in *anime*. Her vehement orders, superbly supplemented by Aya Hirano's phenomenally strong and charismatic voice acting, and stone-set personality breathe life into every episode. After all, if Haruhi didn't want to find aliens, time travelers, espers or anything just as nutty, what would this show even exist for? 

___

<center> img520(http://pa1.narvii.com/6732/9a01f217db8151c7562c3c891cca9e9a04a07ea6_00.gif)

___

#~~~__<a>Broadcast or Chronological?</a>__~~~

Admittedly, though, episode quality isn't exactly consistent. Some episodes are moderately more enjoyable than others, which leads to a brief discussion about the age-old question: Broadcast or chronological order? Simply put, it's up to you. Ignoring the technical context of the original Japanese airing release, here's a [handy-dandy chart](https://image.myanimelist.net/ui/5LYzTBVoS196gvYvw3zjwBT1b05rTWnBjv9y3yVK34s) regarding which order to pick. In my own experience, I initially watched the show's broadcast order then rewatched in chronological. Both have their strengths. As the chart I provided mentions, broadcast order maximizes the Haruhi experience, with the messy narrative structure perfectly complementing the mystery nature of the series. Starting off with the infamous *The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00*, first time viewers will certainly be somewhat flabbergasted as to what exactly they're diving into. However, I think it perfectly shows what *Haruhi Suzumiya* is. A love letter to *otaku* culture via the amateurish film-making and *mahou shoujo* cosplay, the unexpected course of events in the story and just a strange experience. Conversely, the chronological order serves the story on a platter, easy-to-digest. However, I found that the story weakened after a while in this order. Though, one saving grace is that my favorite episode in the franchise, Live Alive, is towards the end and makes for an extremely delectable cherry-on-top. That all said, don't stress too heavily on which order to roll with, as each order makes for differently enjoyable experiences. 

___

<center> img520(https://64.media.tumblr.com/46ae95826fd13fc267ab3ee293144ad4/tumblr_omlfwthlAK1tw58h4o1_540.gif)
___

#~~~__<a>Join the SOS Brigade today!</a>__~~~

Owing the show's charm to solely Haruhi would be unjust to the other members of the SOS Brigade. Though, not all of them have the same amount of charm. Take Mikuru, for instance. In obvious essence, Mikuru is no more than the *moe* mascot. She has my upmost sympathies, but her subjection to sexual harassment is easily the worst aspect of the show. Other than supporting a confused Kyon on scarce occasions, Mikuru has a bare-boned character, that I certainly don't hate but can't feel anything but bored of. Then again, she's sometimes credited for the boom of *moe* so there's that, I suppose. Moving onto Koizumi, I can't help but think of him as a homeostasis of the club. Kyon's usual levelheadedness dissipates into irritation when confronted with Haruhi's unreasonable demands, Mikuru whimpers in submission, Nagato quietly turns pages in the corner of the room and Haruhi is Haruhi. Similarly to Kyon's cynical and dry remarks, I adore Koizumi's playful, all-knowingly winking conversations with an often irritated Kyon. Judgmental and calm, Koizumi acts as the Brigade's mediator and the club would certainly fall into chaos had his presence not been there. 

The character that surprised me the most, however, was Nagato. Her *kuudere* archetype doesn't contribute to the show's unique nature at the time, but her character contributed massively to its enjoyment. Deadpan and unfathomable, Nagato is often an unintentional rebuttal to the club's eccentricity, her passive reading depicting her presence in the clubroom like an unnatural homestay. However, her own quirks pop up time to time, simultaneously painting her more than an apathetic, precision machine and adding another flavor to the comedy, already rich in meta-humor. Her supernatural identity is the most fleshed out out of the Brigade members, often bringing in dense fantasy exposition that breathe the supernatural aspect of the show. Unfortunately, I can't delve into the Endless 8 arc from the 2009 sequel or *The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya* (which continues to be my favorite *anime* movie of all time), which the former sets up Nagato's character in a very unbearably-meta manner and the latter *superbly* fleshing out that set-up. To get the most out of both the *Haruhi* *anime* franchise and Nagato, it's imperative to watch all 3!

If Mikuru is Haruhi's outlet toy for her sadism, if Koizumi is Haruhi's reliable yes-man and if Nagato is....just there, then what is Kyon to Haruhi? Cat and dog, oil and water, black and white? Their clash of personalities and bickering overshadows their relationship, but there's a beautiful subtlety underneath. Ironically, what Haruhi seeks out in Kyon, is not an alien, time traveler or esper, but a human confidant. Haruhi's monologue about her insecurity of not being special, being part of the crowd in the baseball stadium as a child, paints a richer shade in the context of their relationship. Just why does Haruhi forcibly pull Kyon the hardest into her shenanigans and voyages for the supernatural? Perhaps, Kyon acts to remind Haruhi of her humanity and mundanity that she shuns. Kyon's rationality, biting criticisms and being the only person who has the balls and gall to stop her in her unstoppable stride, is just what Haruhi needed after all. And for Kyon, as much as he sighs, rolls his eyes, grumbles and monologues about Haruhi's irrationality, he himself slowly realizes that this irrationality paints a vivid color in the mundane life he oh-so wishes to return back to. And as the story progresses, the consequences of their relationship become apparent. Haruhi surprisingly heeds Kyon's words at times, her irritation at Kyon fawning over Mikuru disguised jealousy and, of course, the Live Alive concert scene.

___

<center> img520(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a5/7e/37/a57e372fbc2c217c371013098769e368.gif)

___

#~~~__<a>God Knows I fucking love this show</a>__~~~

Perhaps dedicating a section to a single episode sequence of a school festival concert is a bit too grand, but I'm here to gush about my adoration for this show. And at the root of my adoration, is the God Knows sequence. Filling in for an injured band member, Haruhi takes the Light Music Club's request to play for their cultural festival concert, for no real concrete reason. After Kyon visits the various cultural festival attractions and booths, he settles down in the school gymnasium, only to see Haruhi up on stage, tuning her guitar and setting up her music sheet stand in an expectedly outrageous bunny girl outfit, once again nodding to the meta-humor. My reaction to what preceded and succeeded from over a decade ago is still so, so fresh. Expecting another outlandish shenanigan from Haruhi, I couldn't help but half-grin as to how bewildering Haruhi would perform, And I was both right and wrong. Haruhi performed outrageously, as KyoAni outrageously animated a stupidly gorgeous action sequence that legitimately sent me into stunned silence for its entirety.

Kicking off with a vibrant hi-hat, the band explodes into Nagato's rad guitar solo, briefly panning to the agape-mouthed audience just as the real viewer audience was, before segmenting to Aya Hirano's vibrant singing. As she rings out line after line with strong soul, the audience's cheering and uniform clapping become louder as Kyon continues to watch silenced and mouth agape. This all, however, is just a dessert for the finale of the sequence. The bass break is accompanied by Haruhi's calm-before-the-storm voice and unified clapping, before the peak of the song reaches. Panning closely to Haruhi's face, KyoAni went hell on animating Haruhi's scrunched-up face, shifting mouth (supposedly KyoAni filmed Aya Hirano and her bandmates performing the song prior and rotoscoped their movements). Ringing out a powerful "*KIZUATOOOO NAZARUUUU*", the camera pans out for a breather before quickly focusing back on to Haruhi's sweating, determined face as she exclaims a "*Watashi*" and proceeding to the final section of the song, the audience's clapping stronger than ever. As the song ends with Nagato's rad riffing once again appearing, Haruhi glistens with a smile devoid of smugness, arrogance, pride and sincerely thanks the audience.

I can't do this sequence nearly enough justice by writing this. It was random. Out of nowhere. Nonsensical. I mean, who would go so far to so superbly animate such a mundane thing like a school festival concert? Then again, this show is all about the unexpected. But, this random sequence was the show's icing-on-the-cake. Haruhi's development shines, as she willingly helps someone out for no self-serving reason and the school recognizes her as not the cultist weird girl, and even Haruhi herself was shocked by this. This sequence, in hindsight though, was just bizarre in the end. It didn't add to the story or have any other concrete reason to have happened, but that's the beauty of it. 

Many fans praise this sequence for its timeless animation by KyoAni and the cinematography, which I certainly agree with to an extent (there's obvious reused character animation riddled here), but the real charm of the God Knows sequence lies in its soul. The soul of KyoAni's painstaking work on this, the soul of Aya Hirano's singing, the soul of Haruhi's determined spirit. I'm by no means an *anime* connoisseur but my opinion is set-in-stone. That, this action sequence will always be the greatest *anime* sequence I've bore witness to. It was this sequence, that my vague preconception of *anime* born only from *Dragon Ball Z*, *Naruto* and *One Piece* at that point was torn down, in that *anime* was something special. My rewatch count of this sequence easily ranks in the hundreds and God Knows how many times I listen to the song every week.

___

<center> img520(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/91/03/c09103855dd381cc0d6b8c47a1aecbb3.gif)

___

#~~~__<a>Conclusion</a>__~~~

A first experience is an unforgettable experience. *Haruhi Suzumiya* is a personal testament to that statement. Though suffering from the "Seinfeld is Unfunny" Effect, the misadventures of the SOS Brigade remain gold in many hearts over a decade later. Though, the show certainly suffers from flaws, such as uncomfortable sexual harassment. Haruhi's character, is a bit difficult to stuff inside that box. You love to hate her and hate to love her. Owed to Aya Hirano's rich voice acting, Haruhi flourishes with irritating charisma that'll forcibly drag you into the SOS Brigade's dysfunctionality. 

The story is a charmingly shaky mess. Whether you watch in broadcast or chronological order, you'll be boggled by the variety of situations the episodes revolve around. Often, they also playfully jab at *otaku* culture and long-staying tropes, such as the island murder mystery, supernatural battles, grandiose space battles, amateur film-making, cosplaying and more. 

The characters also suffer from similar shaky charm. Though a few characters don't crack out of their monotone shells, others more than make up for their peers. Nagato plays off the classic *kuudere* archetype, while possessing her own charming quirks and mannerisms. Koizumi is the mediator, with a vague backstory of nothing more than a secret organization, and often treats the audience with his playful conversations with an unwilling and irritated Kyon. Kyon and Haruhi's relationship is one not explicitly fleshed out, relying on subtlety, but by the end, I'd be doubtful if you hadn't stepped upon the HaruKyon ship. 

Well, after gushing all of this out, can I truly recommend this dear-to-my-heart, flawed show to an unsuspecting *anime* fan who wasn't caught in the late Y2K Hare Hare Yukai dance epidemic? In short, it depends on how you come into this show. Chances are, you'd have watched quite a few shows with similar premises, meta-humor or tropes and *Haruhi Suzumiya* wouldn't offer much, besides its banger OST, sparse moments of great animation and great voice acting. However, if you're coming in curious what this 2006 *anime* had to offer at a time when obnoxious Blingee sparkle edits dominated, the Hellish Age of Torrents prospered, Linkin Park AMVs thrived and the Caramelldansen plagued, perhaps you'll find just as much as enjoyment as I did. To maximize your enjoyment, I highly recommend pushing through all the *anime* installments in the *Haruhi Suzumiya* franchise, with *The Dissapearance of Haruhi Suzumiya* being *serious* catharsis, not to mention a beautiful Christmas movie.

To close this off, I offer you an introduction to this cult classic show:

> I'm Haruhi Suzumiya, from East Junior High. First off, I'm not interested in ordinary people. But, if any of you are aliens, time-travelers, or espers, please come see me. That is all!

Would you like to hear about the word of Haruhiism?

# __This Review Will Feature Spoilers__


While I was watching _the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ I got struck by how much I got reminded by what Ethan Hawke said in an interview for _Before Sunset_ in how he was invited by director Richard Linklater to join the project. Below I linked the interview and the timestamp of the part I had in mind is at 5:42, but I will quote the relevant passage below it:

youtube(https://www.youtube.com/live/QU7swrG4mcU?feature=share&t=342)

>"My life feels very exciting to me and I've never been involved in a gunfight or a helicopter chase [...] but my life is still really interesting. And I thought about what is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me, really. It is connecting with another human being. I want a make a movie about connection."

Now, Haruhi Suzumiya isn't like _Before Sunset_ (or at least what I gather what the movie is about from friends talking about it as I've never sad down to see it) but that same theme about what is the most interesting part in your life and figuring that out is to me at the core of this first season of the show.

The first season of Haruhi is strange adaptation of a book series. From what I gather by looking at chapter titles on Wikipedia, it's an adaption of the entire book 1, most of book 3 and a couple of chapters from books 5 and 6. On top of that they don't do order of the episodes chronologically but in non-chronoligical manner that also does not match the book order. So, you start with a chapter from book 6 before seeing one third of book 1, then it around time a few more times before settling down to finish book 1 as the ending of the season (and quite possible could have been the end of the series). But even though it's strange, you can tell with how our lead character's, Haruhi, developing relations with her club and most specifically with Kyon and her own growth as a person.

The story is itself almost as strange as the order of the episodes. Our unnamed protagonist, who everyone calls Kyon, meets Haruhi Suzumiya, who wants to spent her high school life to find aliens, time travellers and espers. To do so she creates her club the SOS Brigade with Kyon, much to his annoyance, being her first recruit. By sheer coincidence, or not depending if to believe she is the God of this world, the 3 other members end up being an alien, a time traveler and an esper. But they don't tell Haruhi due to one big problem in that she can't get bored. If she continuously searches for paranormal activity then she will always have something to excite her and so if she learns about them so soon she might get bored and as believed her boredom could destroy the universe unconsciously. A great example of how that can happen is with Kyon, who quickly gets used to the paranormal stuff and even wishes it doesn't happen as he a normal teenage boy finds out that it's not fun for your life to be in danger so often.

So then what do the episodes devolve into? We get to see them making a film for a school festival, playing video games, do a murder mystery investigation, etc. Anything that you would expect teenagers to do. And there are paranormal activities that plague the story from a sexy time traveler to an alien robot attacking Kyon, but Haruhi's experience in high school is spared that due to actions by her club members, and yet she is not bored but in fact she finds joy and fulfillment in them having what is quintessentially a normal high school life for an anime protagonist.

Part of the reason why the non chronological way to tell the story is important is because we end on the episode that reveals to us why Haruhi wanted to look for extraordinary things like aliens, time travellers and espers. She wants to not feel like her life is boring for being normal. She is living with an existential dread that her life is just a small pebble in the ocean and she hates the feeling and so she vowed to always look for excitement. It really hits you that moment as it's set at the very beginning of our story chronologically speaking and you have now see all the stuff she has been through. How she bonded with her club-mates through the various things they did. How she happily helped a group of people she barely knows in a time of need and was happy to do so. How while never fully open about them is developing romantic feelings for Kyon even though he is just a regular human. She never did find out that she has always been an arms length to the three things she is searching for __but she found happiness elsewhere__.

Like with the quote above, Haruhi's story is about the most exciting part of her life, which is her bond with the SOS Brigade and everyone associated with it. It's easy to fall into melancholy like Haruhi when you realise that your life will have nothing spectacular happen in it. That you are just one person in a sea of people all living a normal life. It's easy to see that a normal life is boring and not exciting when you put TV on or open a book and the stories there are filled with crazy sci-fi adventures or drama. It's easy to want those stories to happen in your life, which is a thing I've wanted to happen. So, it's easy for Haruhi to be blinded by her goal for paranormal activities and miss out that her exciting life can just be finding love with someone like Kyon or performing music live on a stage just as a kind gesture to help someone and not because you want to be a rockstar.

It could read as cope that the story is telling you that your normal boring life can be exciting, but I don't believe that. There is sincerity in the message in the message in _the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ that your life can be exciting even it's not a movie where we discover aliens or travel in time or have epic anime fights.

It's a story about connecting with others and not about discovering aliens, time travelers or espers

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Series Watch Order

Season 1 and 2