The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Anime Review
Have you ever questioned the authenticity of life? Perhaps we're all just figments of someone else's imagination, as they dream away the reality we live in.
PRODUCTION INFO
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya began as a light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa in June 2003. It went on to become a manga series in 2004, and then a TV anime series in 2006. The first season of the anime adaption contains 14 episodes and it was produced by studio Kyoto Animation (Clannad, K-On!). It was directed by Tatsuya Ishihara who also directed Clannad, Air, and Fushigi Yugi. It got a few spin-off manga and anime, such as The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya and Nyoron Churuya-chan. In spring 2009, a second season premiered, and the film known as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya came to Japanese theatres in February 2010. A manga known as The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan is ongoing since July 2009, and has been confirmed for an upcoming anime adaption. Finally, The Intrigue of Itsuki Koizumi manga was released during 2012.
SUMMARY
The story plays out from the point of view of Kyon, who enrolls in North High School. During his class's students' introductions, the oddball Haruhi Suzumiya steps up and announces that she only has interest in aliens, time travelers, and espers. Turning her classmates' attention to her, even the teacher is baffled by her statement. Kyon who sits in front of Haruhi decides to take it as a joke, but it so happens that she was dead serious. Still, Kyon tries to get on good terms with Haruhi, which results in her forming a club named the SOS Brigade, where many unexpected events unfold and strange people gather. How will Kyon survive the school year with the bizarre Haruhi Suzumiya dragging him into her shenanigans?
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya initially appears to be your typical high school club comedy, but give it some time and the odds are, you'll be surprised. There is a lot of foreshadowing in this series, so if you haven't been spoilered but you watched the first episode, it's entirely possible for you to have figured out what will happen within the next few chronological episodes, but only if you pay attention. As you may've gathered already from Haruhi's unique personality, the show deals with a lot of abnormal phenomenons. Parts of the series are mind-blowing, but some parts are purely character development, and there's even a bit of filler, so be warned.
CHARACTERS
Haruhi Suzumiya is obviously a very eccentric girl, and it is known that she has been for at least three years due to some incidents that took place in her middle school, such as putting talismans all around the school building. She strives to discover the unknown so that she can live a unique life, and hates things that are normal, which makes it very strange that she chose an ordinary person like Kyon to help her with her activities involving the SOS Brigade. Kyon used to believe in aliens, time travellers, and espers because he thought it would be cool if they existed, but he threw away those ideas when he entered high school. Kyon is now under the impression that life is better accepting the reality that such abnormalities simply cannot exist. As much as this annoys Haruhi, she still chooses to hang out with him, or rather, for him to hang out with her. Kyon is also a very sarcastic character, commenting on every strange action Haruhi pulls.
Among the SOS Brigade we have the characters Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itsuki Koizumi. Yuki appears first, already being a member in the literary clubroom, where Haruhi decides to locate her SOS Brigade. Despite her involvement in the literary club, Haruhi includes her as a member of the SOS Brigade and Yuki shows no signs of having any problems with this. She does spend all of her time reading in the room and during club activities, though. Yuki is very quiet, but she's not shy. She lacks any signs of actually having a personality, which makes Kyon feel very awkward when he is alone with her. When Mikuru joins the SOS Brigade, she is snagged by Haruhi while daydreaming in her classroom. She immediately understands that the SOS Brigade is very strange, but decides to join under the impression that it is still the literary club. When Kyon explains that it's a new club with undecided activities, she decides to join anyway. Mikuru has a very delicate personality type, which practically screams "Protect me!". Both Haruhi and Kyon find this to be attractive in very different ways. As for Itsuki's debut, he appears as a transfer student whom Haruhi deems to be mysterious for that reason, and thus brings her to her clubroom. Itsuki is a laid-back character, so he didn't mind about being forced into Haruhi's club. Rather, he gets along with Haruhi quite well, agreeing with her often on various subjects.
OPINIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was my favourite anime when I was in high school. If I met someone similar to Haruhi in real life, I doubt it would be a pleasant encounter, but watching such an erratic character in anime is entertaining! She was certainly well-designed in that regard. Her curious actions draw you in, and the variety of character types that appear in the show are bound to hold at least one that can contain your interest. The plot, however, is initially deceptive, as you will soon find if you watch it in chronological order. As I already stated, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is not your average high school comedy! There is a lot of philosophy and symbolism in this franchise, and it will make you think at times. That being said, if you want to relax your brain while you watch anime, it can still be enjoyable. Containing a good variety of genres, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya should appeal to many audiences. If you enjoyed it already, I recommend Angel Beats!, K-On!, and Love, Chunibyo, & Other Delusions!.
RATING
8/10
