ocorkery - 2013-09-18 21:08:03

A review of the first season of Haruhi (in 480p) on Crunchyroll. This review is subject to change depending on viewing of the second season/Disappearance.

Part Two Here (Season 2 and Disappearance): http://hummingbird.me/anime/the-disappearance-of-haruhi-suzumiya/reviews/4761

A review of the ever popular show The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. But can the SOS Brigade provide a memorable 14 episode experience or does it fall flatter than most of their discoveries?

Story

The story follows the main protagonist Kyon, who's living the average high school life. However, all of that changes when for some reason he decides to talk to his deskmate, Haruhi Suzumiya, the most popular female character to ever spawn out of anime. As Kyon figures out, Haruhi is bored of her normal life and together with Kyon decides to start a club (against his will) named the SOS Brigade dedicated to finding Aliens, Future Men, and Espers. Now here's the "plot twist", the three other members that join the club are an Alien, Future Man, and an Esper, unknown to Haruhi, who also happens to be God, also unknown to Haruhi.

Now I use the quotes around "plot twist" because it'd be unfair to all other anime to actually identify this as a twist, since a plot twist would actually involve the show having a legitimate plot, something Haruhi lacks. The whole God and Esper thing seemed to be an interesting twist at first, but the execution of this twist is very weak. The "plot" just feels so tacked on since this whole supernatural twist is only prevalent in about a 1/3 of the episodes and is just randomly thrown at us. There's no real reason why this exists other than the fact that it does and you just have to deal with it.

And speaking of the episodes, they were released in a completely random order. Unlike something like Kara no Kyoukai where it releases the first 4 movies in a random order that actually makes sense why they did it if you can put 2 and 2 together, Haruhi does it because it can. However, the ending is pretty good if you do happen to watch it in release order as it feels like it gives you a sense of completion....until you realize there is a second season. But, that was pretty much the vibe I got while watching Haruhi. Nothing this show did really made sense, it just did whatever it wanted in whatever order it wanted and forces you to accept it or to stop watching. Normally, I wouldn't mind this....except this show actually really wants you to watch it by selling out and using the classic character tropes of Moe, a Tsundere, and unnecessary fan service.

Characters

The characters in this show are completely hit or miss. You'll either love them or hate them, there is no in between (except for one character I will mention later). And a note, to this show's credit, this show is one of the earliest uses of the Moe phase so I can't give it too much hate since it was original back then. Anyway, onto the characters.

(You'll be seeing this a lot)

First up, Kyon, the main protagonist of Haruhi. Actually his real name isn't Kyon, nobody really knows his real name, but his little sister calls him Kyon and it just stuck with him. He's the sarcastic downer of the club and is usually the one with the most common sense. He'll always have some sarcastic retort to any situation and God damn I can't even deny the fact that he's just like me. He's literally the most real a anime character can be. There's nothing quirky or adorable about him. He's just a normal high school guy that just tries to get by.

Kyon is definitely a hit on the scale. There's really nothing that's unlikeable about this guy since he's just a guy. He's no cold blooded assassin or some horny loudmouth. Of course, he doesn't mind the idea of picking up a girlfriend along the way and making some friends, but he really just wants some peace and quiet, something a certain character refuses to give him.

(You'll also be seeing this a lot)

Next up, the heroine of the show, Haruhi Suzumiya , a high school girl that happens to unknowingly be God of the Universe. She's bored of her normal life so she decides to start a club called the SOS Brigade with Kyon in hopes to basically add some supernatural spice to her life.

Haruhi is a tsundere. But there's just some kind of charm about her that makes you actually like her as a character. There are better tsunderes out there (like Tsugumi from Ever 17). However, when it comes to being a female lead, she's a great character and the relationship between her and Kyon is easily the strongest point this show has going for it. They aren't just some classic "oh I still like you even if you're a tsundere" couple (non romantically by the way). They actually have depth to their relationship and was one of the very few reasons that kept me interested in the show, mostly because I wanted to see how the relationship between the two would develop. And the show didn't disappoint in this aspect.

The third member of the SOS Brigade, Yuki Nagato, who was originally a member of the literature club, before it disbanded and Haruhi took over the room. Haruhi decided to recruit her since they needed at least 5 members to be a full fledged club and that was the end of that.

Yuki Nagato is the "moe" of the show as she's a very quirky character that RARELY speaks. Like the viewer would be lucky if she gets even a minute of speaking time. However, when she does speak, she usually just adds to the show. Again, her speaking is so rare anyway so she doesn't add too much to the conversation other than in one or two of the "plot" episodes. So in the end, not the greatest of characters, but by no means a bad character.

(you'll also, also be seeing this a lot)

Mikuru Asahina, the shy and timid member who only seems to get more shy and timid as the show goes on. Like Kyon, she's forced into the club by Haruhi, since the SOS Brigade needs 5 members to exist as a club. She's usually seen in a maid outfit or a bunny outfit inside the club room serving tea to the rest of the club. She's also the girl Kyon has a crush on.

Mikuru is not a good character by any stretch. She gains little character development (even her character specific episode is barely about "her" exactly) and she's always crying about something or making weird noises that sound very familiar to a certain Pokemon from the first movie. She's supposed to be the fan service of the show, since she's constantly being disrobed or harassed by Haruhi, but it just feels so pointless. Really, the best thing about her is when she's getting harassed because it usually leads to some chuckles (something this show severely lacks).

Itsuki Koizumi is the last member of the club. But to be honest, I just cannot remember this guy's name so I just call him The Esper. I had to google Haruhi cast every time I needed a picture or something to reference this guy. He has one of the most plain character designs and is one of the most plain characters I've ever seen in anime. He has no redeeming qualities, other than the fact that he's an Esper. But since I already discussed how pointless that all already is, I really don't count that as anything near redeeming.

Just a horrible character that I dread every time he speaks because that time could have been spent focusing on making Mikuru a better character or giving Yuki more dialogue. Overall, he just feels as pointless as the show's "plot", which fittingly makes sense because that's usually where he's the most prevalent.

Overall, 3/5 of the characters are worth caring for as the last two that join the club feel as if they are just for fan service or to move the "plot" along.

Animation

This anime was made by Kyoto Animation, responsible for other very well known shows like K-On!, Clannad and the second and third seasons of Full Metal Panic! If anyone knows me well, they'd know I have a love/hate/hate/hate/hate/love relationship with Kyoto Ani because I love Full Metal Panic and I really like Free!, yet despise K-On! and couldn't care for their Key adaptations like Clannad, Air, or Kanon.

Anyway back to Haruhi, this is probably Kyoto Animation's worst work and is easily the second weakest part of the show after the "story." I expected much more from the same creators as this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixpnrbWvsa8 (Funimation deleted the embedded link, sorry!)

And instead we get the Evangelion train scene (See Episode 9 - Someday in the Rain, 11:38-15:00)

The Eva train scene is understandable for a show made in the 90's on a budget, yet balances this out by having kickass animated fight scene. However this is COMPLETELY unforgivable for a show made by a high quality studio who's known for having great animation. And note, Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid was animated BEFORE Haruhi, so they do not have the luxury of making any excuses. It is just downright laziness which infuriated me while watching this. However there are times where the animation shines like in the school concert scene.

Sound

There really is not much to say about Haruhi's music other than 3 notable songs. The OP, the closing theme and the concert sequences. The OP is actually pretty good, it's one of my more liked ones. Its nowhere near Oreimo's OP Irony, but it's still above average.

The same can't be said for its very infamous closing. While the song itself isn't too bad, it's also the origin of the Haruhi dance.....If you don't know the Haruhi dance, then you're probably not an otaku. This dance also happens to be one of the most popular things to do at cons....which is probably the biggest reason I haven't gone to one yet. But, anyway the dance itself is so incredibly stupid to the point where I'd be embarrassed to be seen associating near anyone doing something like this. It even looks incredibly stupid in the anime, the place where things don't usually look as weird as they do in real life.

The rock concert on the other hand was actually one of my favorite parts of the anime. The music was great and was one of the rare instances of being animated really well, even if some of the scenes used were repeated.

Enjoyment

And going off the video, this is a big reason why this show is a lost potential. Instead of trying to be a memorable slice of life with some great moments like the rock concert, they decided to be memorable for shoehorning some over the top, unexplained "plot" into the show that is never executed well. Yes I'm sure in Season 2 and Disappearance they expand upon it, but that doesn't make it much better. The premise for this show just feels so ludicrous that trying to fix it or justify it is like putting a bandage on a knife wound.

Basically, this show tries to be the kid that dyes his hair blonde and pierces his ears, just so people will look at him. But he gives off the wrong impression when he's really just a good kid that made a stupid mistake. Contrary to how salty I sound in this review, I really tried to enjoy the show. And there were moments where I did really enjoy it.

(This definitely being one of them)

Except there were more moments where I felt like I wanted to drop it. Do you see a trend with these videos? How the most enjoyable parts were the "filler" that added nothing to the "plot"? That's because these were the episodes that just had fun expanding upon the SOS Brigade's wacky adventures, while still adding character development to most of the characters. These were the moments where this anime truly shined, but it was so inconsistent to the point where it almost wasn't worth it and this inconsistency prevented it from being good, which resulted in a mediocre anime.

This show is available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu and is available for purchase on Amazon (though at a really high price). So the question here? Am I going to watch season 2? Even though I apparently hear its worse due to a certain arc? Probably, since I promised a certain someone that I'd make it through the rest of the show so I could get to the AMAZING SECOND COMING known as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (you know who you are..), but it's nothing I'm in a rush to get to. Well I hoped you enjoyed my review and I guess I'll see you guys after I take a certain Disappearance ;)

Thanks to youtube users AiyuSuki, Urakotone, SOSDefinition, and Funimation for your Youtube videos! (And go watch Full Metal Panic, it's awesome).

darrel.sawayn - 2013-09-08 02:46:23

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Spoiler-free review

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a very interesting series, from one moment, you can have, Haruhi and her friends film a movie, to having a bloody battle, to saving the world from total destruction. It tries to combine a whole bunch of genres into a school-life anime and does a pretty decent job at it too. And from what I hear, you either love The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, or hate it. You don't see much in between compared to those who love and worship Haruhi with a passion (that's me), and those who hate Haruhi's gutsas if Haruhi was Miley Cyrus twerking. Well, the show is not that bad as the haters claim it to be, but it's not as amazing as people told me it would be, and in the end, those who worship Haruhi are just worshiping a 16 year old girl...and well, I can't say that I'm proud of myself for doing so.

Story: 8/10
The story is pretty unique, It's about a guy named Kyon your average high school student, he is bored and has nothing to do. And that's when Haruhi comes in, Haruhi is in seach for aliens, espers, and time-travelers. Haruhi (somehow) takes a liking to Kyon and Kyon joins her (Haruhi forced Kyon to join) in their adventure to find aliens, espers, and time-travelers. The story is a simple slice of life/comedy, with a bit of action, romance, and mystery. You may find that the first and/or second episode would be a bit boring to watch or that everything that Kyon learns could be a bit overwhelming and confusing. But the story is actually not bad and pretty unique itself, I mean where else can you find a 16 year old girl who actually believes in aliens, espers, time-travelers, and solves mysteries, sings, dances and could have the potential to destroy the world.

Art/Animation: 9/10
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was animated by Kyoto Animation, and they did a surprisingly good job on it. The art style is a mix of Clannad and Chuunibyou, and it looks pretty damn good. The animation does great as well, the animation is amazing at most times, from the few battle scenes to singing at concerts or even the ending theme song, it looks like there wasn't a frame to be wasted.

Sound: 8/10
The soundtrack of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was pretty good itself, ranging from calm/relaxing, to high tension. But what really stood out was the opening theme song, and the ending theme song. I found that the great opening theme song and the overly-addictive ending theme song ran through my head several times, even when I'm doing testes, exams, or even trying to sleep, those songs ran through my head and kept me awake.

Characters: 6/10
Honestly, the character aren't that good in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I don't mean to sound like a hater but if you think about it, they really aren't that good. I mean the characters are interesting and mostly funny (which I like), but most of them don't even get a bit of character development. Kyon is an interesting character who is sometimes funny too. Haruhi is although annoying at times, she is enthusiastic and keeps the show interesting. Both Kyon and Haruhi receive some character development, but that's all the others are just fine. Mikuru is the girl that gives the show fan-service and is a pretty funny character, Yuki Nagato, as much as I love her, her personality is as bland as a rock, hell, even my pet rock is more interesting than she is. The characters besides Kyon and Haruhi get no character development, but besides that, the characters are pretty good.

Enjoyment: 9/10
I really enjoyed The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, probably more than I should have, not because I worship Haruhi, but because I liked almost everything in this series, even though most characters had no development, it doesn't mean that hate them, I didn't really mind that there wasn't really any character development at all, I just liked the characters in general. The story was also unique, giving me something new, and sound and animation just made the show that much better. Aside from the first and/or second episode being pretty boring and the last episode a pretty generic like other slice of life anime, I still really enjoyed The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and it's ending.

Overall, The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumyia is a good anime to watch if you're looking for something different. It's a really enjoyable series and I'm sure most people would be able to enjoy it, but then season 2 comes out of nowhere...oh god why... and if you learn something from this series, it's that no matter what, you always have to obey Haruhi. I'm ohhenry2, and I give The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumyia a great 8/10

collier.ed - 2013-09-07 10:06:07

That's right. In my list, this is the only series listed as a ten. Primarily, Haruhi demanded it! To anyone who disagrees with this 10 rating, may Haruhi destroy you and your universe.  So, from then onward, it has become my own personal law for this series to be my only rated 10 series.  However, a notable exception came up with the Disappearance movie, which is also Haruhi.

For a real reason, this series is one of the most unique series ever made. Consider the premise, Haruhi is the main character with extraordinary powers; and she is not aware of it. On top of that, the characters around her have the objective of keeping it that way. Otherwise, her powers will go haywire.  Yet, these powers emerge when her mood reaches a level of irritation; and thus, the supporting characters have the dubious role of maintaining the peace.  This premise alone set this series above any of the others.  If anyone can find a premise that pre-dates this, let me know. Even then, such a series would be subpar to this one.

To make things even better, this series was presented in a non-chronological fashion, which can be rearranged in a chronological order. Although fair warning, anyone who first watched this series in the original order missed something out.

The real icing on the cake falls upon the ending sequence, which provided a dance sequence for everyone to learn.  Sadly, I have failed to learn that dance.  My talents simply lack the ability.  Oh, how I have shamed Haruhi.

On that note, back in its hey-day, the whole Haruhi phenomenon went as far as turning into a make-shift religion: Haruhiism.

So finally, watch Haruhi.  She demands it.

janiya36 - 2013-08-20 17:38:03

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Review :

Haruhi Suzumiya is one of the most well known faces in the anime community. Until recently, I had absolutely no idea why the show was so popular, and to be perfectly honest, I still don't. Your going to see this word a lot in my upcoming Angel Beats review: potential. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya had unbelievable potential. While it didn't quite live up to it in the show, it was still very fun to watch and a very good show.

Story 7/10:
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is about a freshman called Kyon who is quite the cynic and is skeptical about all things supernatural. On the first day of school during role call the girl sitting behind him announces to the class that all aliens, time travelers, and espers come see her immediately. Intrigued by this girl, Kyon begins talking to her and learns her name is Haruhi Suzumiya. They become friends and establish a club called the SOS Brigade where lo and behold an alien named Yuki Nagato, a time traveler named Mikuru Asahina, and an esper named Itsuki Koizumi are forced to join. As time goes by, Kyon learns from the other brigade members that Haruhi is actually able to change the world around her almost like a god. Haruhi is unaware of her powers and of her friends being supernatural beings. Thus the story revolves around preventing Haruhi from getting bored and destroying the world through her subconscious. Now, I watched the show in chronological order (there are 3 ways to watch the show) , and found that the first 6 episode arc was brilliant and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the episodes to follow were a different story. They were fun yes, but they felt like filler episodes to me, and because the entire series after the first 6 episodes was actually fillers, the ending was abrupt, providing no closure whatsoever. The "second season" episodes also felt like filler episodes and the endless eight felt lazy because they could have just shortened it to 3 episodes. I feel like if the series was better paced and had a larger main plot, the show could have been something really special. Thankfully, my desires were met in the movie The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, which is now one of my favorite movies of all time. In short, the story started off with a bang, then fizzed away.

Art 9/10:
It really is amazing that this show came out back in 2006 because the art is fantastic. This is probably one of the main reasons why people have been so attracted to this show. The character designs are all great and they aren't bound to the same set of clothes every day. The wide array of settings are well done and this is just overall a very well produced anime.

Sound 7/10:
I do not understand where some people are coming from. I watched the dub and the sub version of this show, and in neither did I find the "superb" voice acting that everyone was raving about. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, it's actually pretty good, but it's definitely not anything special in MY opinion. Don't hate on me for my OPINION of the voice acting. Many people find the voice acting superb especially for the 2 main characters, unfortunately I did not. I did like how the story was presented with Kyon thoughts however. The soundtrack in this show is interesting and wacky, similar to the show in general. Most of the songs help set the tone well and there are a few catchy songs. However, mood setting songs (particularly the dramatic ones) often found themselves misplaced in scenes. Overall the sound aspects of the show was good due to the good voice acting, and decent soundtrack, but it didn't really elevate itself that high above others.

Characters 7/10:
The characters in this show were quite good. Haruhi is a sporadic bundle of craziness, Kyon is the cynical voice of reason, and the other 3 leads were over the top stereotypes. Although these 3 were stereotypes, they were so intentionally. Because haruhi basically wished for these 3 stereotypical characters to be there, they arrived on q. It's satisfying to have an explanation to why the 3 characters are so one dimensional instead of just throwing them at us and expecting us to relate to them. And even though they were stereotypes, they were very well done and a joy to watch. And if the show didn't provide enough for you, the movie really brings them out of their shells and provides much deeper insight on them, particularly with Yuki. Obviously the strongest characters were Haruhi and Kyon due to their yin and yang type presence in the show. However, there were drawbacks to the characters. My qualms were that Kyon really did complain A LOT, and Haruhi can sometimes come off as a real bitch when she bosses people around. My main issue is just that the characters had almost no development throughout the story. I mean Haruhi developed a lot in the first 6 episodes. But after that there was almost nothing. However, once again the movie answered my prayers on this issue too (see a trend here?). The characters were great, but lack of development really prevented them from being more relatable and and interesting, so in the end I rate them as good, but not anything more.

Enjoyment 8/10:
I have no idea why but I REALLY enjoyed watching this show. If there was more closure at the end of the season I most likely would have given this show an 8 (which is a very rare score from me). The tasks that the cast had to do to entertain Haruhi were fun to watch and the first 6 episodes were pretty intense. Maybe it was the characters, or maybe being able to hear all of Kyons thoughts. I really don't know why I enjoyed this show so much. Ultimately with better pacing and a thicker plot, I would have fallen completely in love with this show.

Recommendation:
This show is ridiculously popular, and that enough should warrant a streaming. I wouldn't tell everyone to buy it though because it isn't one of those universally loved shows.
Stream it! +.1

Overall 7.5/10:
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was a show that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. I can see why some people absolutely love this show, but unfortunately for me it had too many flaws particularly in the pacing and lack of plot after the first 6 episodes to make this truly great. However, if you enjoyed the show like I did, you HAVE to watch the movie: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, because it is exactly what I was hoping for from the series. I may or may not write a review for it, but just know that it is everything you could ask for in a movie and has become only the 4th anime to ever get a 9/10 or higher from me.

The Verdict:
Very good show that is very fun to watch, gleaming with potential but unfortunately falls short of what it could be.

Pros:
+Great Characters
+Fantastic first 6 episodes
+Amazing art especially for the time
+Addicting to watch

Cons:
-Plot dies after 6th episode and climax in the middle of the season
-Lack of a memorable soundtrack
-Almost no character development

7.5/10 - Very Good

abshire.bulah - 2013-08-11 20:50:20

THIS Serial, is, no doubt, one that really MUST be seen. Mixing a variety af funny, entertaining, complicated, deep and reflectioning situations, personally I think that this is one of the best (and perhaps THE BEST) Animé series I've ever watched. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, (and so The Dissappearance of HS) are both great, entertaining, funny and interesting to watch. The next is true, i must say: I bought the DVD planning to watch about one chapter a day, to, more or less, have something to do in my winter holidays. (2 weeks in my country). Then I started watching it. I firstly saw the first chapter, (which i thought it was kind of boring, but in the end helps with the understanding of plenty of other things). Then, i was going to leave iy by until the next day, so in that way I would distribute the chapters fairly between the 14 days of holidays. What happened in the end? I took such a liking to the chapters, and the storyline, that ended watching the entire Animé the one night i bought it TwT yes.

What can I say? just a few words such as "spectacular", or "simply amazing". Words that doesnt even describe the liking i took for TMoHS (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), but may give quite an opinion ;) Sincerely, i'd recommend this one as one of the best Animé series ever.

dameon.hane - 2013-08-04 01:19:06

This anime has a weird feel to when watching this out of order most people would be confused.I thought that this show had a lot going for it for a light novel adaption. This series is good for a anime but is far the best I think many people won't like this but those who like a romantic comedy with twist of mystery this will be for you.

bartoletti.helmer - 2013-07-22 03:52:43

Let me break it down for you:

This anime is 14 episodes long. This means that endless eight takes up MORE THAN HALF of the show. That isn't the only problem though... Lets begin:

Story: If you watch in release order... good luck following it. I don't recommend it either - this isn't Kara no Kyoukai. There is zero benefit to watching in release order. If you watch in chronological order you'll have a much better time following the plot. Which is actually decent for a slice of life. Overall the story itself is good as long as you watch it chronologically.

Animation: Mostly good. There are times when it takes a dive, but since it's rare I can let it slide. Backgrounds are detailed, and the characters - even the minor ones are well animated. No complaints.

Sound: Catchy opening and one of my favorites as it just showcases Haruhi in all of her Haruhi glory. The voice acting is great as well.

Characters: Strongest part of the show imo - the cast has varied personalties and they contrast well with each other. The weakest would probably be the main character, Kyon. Though this allows him to be normal in contrast to who he is surrounded with.

Overall: The problems with the show are big enough to drop the score much further than it needed to. Endless eight takes up more than half the show and most people will skip it, but that doesn't mean I can just pretend it doesn't exist. Releasing in a random order and confusing many people for no good reason is another major demerit. If those 2 things didn't exist... well the show would effectively be 7 episodes long (including one endless eight episode which is all it needed to be) and it would get something like an 8/10.

Unfortunately those 2 things exist and lower it's score to a 5/10. If not for the movie Disappearance, I would recommend skipping it entirely.

pokeefe - 2013-07-18 00:51:03

keagan44 - 2013-07-07 09:22:03

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one of the most famous and iconic Anime out there, creating probably one of the biggest fan bases, and can be found to be the founder of many internet meme's (Hare Hare Yukai, gender bender characters, endless etc) and is often either parodied or referenced in a lot of other shows.The story follows a guy nicknamed Kyon who ends up becoming the lackey for Haruhi along with the eventual creation of the SOS Brigade, once the club is formed they participate in many activities including a baseball game and a murder mystery to anme a few, there is also some supernatural element thrown in there which really adds to the story and its characters.I would say the art for this show is adequate, it is by no means the best, the backgrounds are occasionally very simple paintings with not a lot of detail and the perspective of some shot is not always perfect, they also use some different art choices, there is one scene where they use real live actors with a Photoshop style effect on it, we are also treated to a grainy effect as well as some CG which all add to the show and always fit nicely into there respective scenes, the characters are genrally well drawn. The animation is really great, we have a fully animated concert scene without any still frames at all, and we are treated to some interesting camera angles and perspectives which really help this show stand out from others.The sound is brilliant, the voice acting for the English dub is decent, Crispin Freeman as Kyon did an exceptional job whereas the rest of the cast, although fit there respective roles well, generally didn't stand out as amazing. The music is quite iconic, the opening tune is a nice song and includes some meaningfull visuals, the ending, Hare Hare Yokai, is quite probably one of the most popular ending songs, its got a catchy tune and the character dance makes you want to learn it yourself. Background music is mostly a nice calm soft score but it does vary it up by adding a good variety, like the 'dream sequence' there is a real nice epic classical song.Characters, well where do you start, well for one it is highly unlickly you will find yourself disliking any character. Kyon is the protagonist who offers us a quick wit and some excellent lines in his narration, you sometime find it difficult to tell whether he is narrating or not, Kyon desribes himself as the SOS Brigades conscience, and he is quite right. Haruhi is an energergetic unprodictable girl as quite the infamous reputation in her school. Yuki Nagato is the robot silent girl of the group who doesn't show any emotion what so ever and can take things all to literal. Mikuru is clumsy and innocent and is often the victim of one of Haruhi's escapades being forced to dress up in various costumes, then finally we have Koizumi who tends to tease Kyon about his situation and offers more of his views of the current situation. The rest of the side characters are great when they make there appearance with Taniguchi and Kunakida being those two guys who pop up every now and again, Tsuruya, Mikurus friends is an insane person and Kyon's sister whose name is never revealed is simply adorable.Overall this show is up there with the best comedies Anime has to offer, it is clever in its dialogue, it shows us camera perspectives and angles we would never have been shown, the characters are loverable, the show is one of those you can rewatch many times over and never get bored and THIS season definitely live up to most of the expectations you get when you learn of its fan base. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one of those show every Anime fan needs to see at least once.

maeve.lesch - 2013-05-23 06:08:56

Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy. A review for Haruhi Suzumiya. This makes me so happy because I love this show. Let's get started. Also, this includes the movie, which is required viewing kiddies.

STORY

This is really not much of a story but more a set of one shots. About every three episodes the S.O.S. Brigade will go on some crazy misadventure or another, all wonderfully thought out to really let the characters shine. From the murder mystery island arc (my personal favorite-so adorable in every way) to the video game battle with the computer club, they're varied, they're compelling, and they're endlessly entertaining. They all feel slightly blown up  due to Haruhi's influence while remaining normal enough to be relatable,  and manage to turn any relatively normal school day into something special. 

CHARACTERS

An alien, a time traveler, an esper, a god, and a normal kid make up the standard cast of Haruhi Suzumiya. And boy do you get to love them. They're all quirky and entertaining, taking character stereotypes and applying the Haruhi twist, where something normal and familiar becomes lovable quirky and new. There's the typical dumb blonde, dumber and blonder than ever, who is also a time traveling government agent. There's the bookish nerd, really a computerlike alien with no emotions or feelings. Because nerds don't have feelings, sniffle. Then there are the two stars, Haruhi and Kyon. Kyon, the narrator, is a dry, obnoxious, sarcastic, and lazy individual and the first of Haruhi's recruits, and the only completely human and normal one. He's smart and observes everything going on in the series with a wonderfully witty attitude. His ponytail fetish is awesome. And then, the star of the show, Haruhi herself, the best god ever. She's the person who everyone knows and is sorta scared of. She will date anyone who asks her out, then dump then in a matter of seconds. She has a fascination with aliens, espers, and time travelers, and the supernatural set of the cast is there because she subconsciously willed it so. Kyon's there because he's the one person she actually just likes for being them, and so she willed that too. She's quirky and passionate, psychotically focusing on her current goal until it is achieved and overachieved. She gets the weirdest ideas and follows through on them because Haruhi decrees that its gonna happen.

OVERALL

Go watch this show no matter who you are. This is just wonderful. The characters, the story, and just how easily understood it is. We all sympathize with Kyon, and we all want to be Haruhi. The romance is great and you will be begging it to happen, the movie is one of the best ever, and upon finishing you will buy plane tickets to Japan to demand more episodes. But, sadly, Haruhi does not yet will it so. QQ.

Compulsory attached AMVs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9564hLm37bI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NJLDuxkzw