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There have been many anime that have come out after 2006 which can be considered equally good or better than it.
Even so we cannot undermine the effect of this show. Even if I talk about it's problems, I do understand that it had a major impact in the world of anime and manga. A lot of people hold a special place in their hearts for it and I shall forever be grateful to it.
Okay so history lesson over, now we will discuss the show. Usually when you find people discussing this show online, you would find them discussing the two seasons separately ( that or complaining about the endless eight arc lol ) so I will also discuss the two seasons separately in this review. Spoilers ahead, if you don't want them just skip ahead to the Conclusion.
#The first season of Haruhi mainly consists of getting to know the show's characters, the premise and message well. Each character is given a lot of screen time and their circumstances are also explained in detail. In my opinion, this style of starting the series is rather interesting, Compare it to a show like Jujustu Kaisen, where the show just begins with it's action and story without any formal introduction or anything, I don't dislike that approach or hate it but I love the slow paced nature of this start, getting to know the characters and premise is essential to enjoying this story and the movie after all.
Objectively speaking, this season is a more enjoyable and pleasant to watch compared season 2 for reasons that would be evident when I discuss the 2nd season. I thought the initial arcs were quite good and were the reason that I got hooked to the show. Imo, The animation style and the character designs are better too and the op & ed of this season are quite nice too. Obviously, there is also some boring moments in season 1 too but overall, it is good. I watched the show in broadcast order btw, fans of the show recommend that you watch in chronological order but imo it's doesn't really matter as I was able to understand what was going on.
On a side note, I wanted to talk about the question raised by Haruhi Suzumiya herself, In a world filled with billions of people, how can anyone be considered "special" when every situation and event in your life has probably been experienced by millions of people just like you ?
I am sure an answer popped into your mind, I would love to hear it. Anyways, I have thought about it and come up with my own theories
I am but less than a drop in the ocean of people that is the world. Everything I have done is experienced and has already been done by people before me. Nothing is that interesting or unique.
Why is that a 'problem'? It's just rather boring and commonplace, Humans by nature seek different and new things all the time.
But it can be said that the relationships one forms with various people throughout his or her life always will be unique. Like how in romcom there is always certain events that always happen and stereotypes that occur, yet each of them give off a different vibe and feel
Also, it can be said that even though it is common, some things are just unique and interesting for the person. They are what make life worth living. for eg finding your fav anime etc
Another theory which is inspired from mob psycho is that no one is special and everyone in the world is just a commoner, yes people could have some special talents here and there but they also have to struggle and work hard to get by, just like the rest of the world. If you want to be special, do interesting things and work really hard, you will find your own answer :)
Another one is that you don't need to be special for everyone in the world, as long as someone you care about thinks you are special to them, isn't that enough?
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Time to address one of the most controversial arcs in all of anime which has caused roaring debates among anime fans for years.
The endless eight arc can be seen as an odd way to get the audience familiarized with the characters. By making the viewer watch the characters do the same things and have the same reactions for over 8 times, the viewer is bound to learn about the characters and it would stick in their memory firmly. The arc gives you a feeling of what an actual time loop feels like that is complete fucking exhaustion and irritation, you want it to be over but you click that next episode and it is the same thing again aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . It also plays an important role in making sure that the movie hits as hard. Lastly, we can appreciate the direction and camerawork in each episode and tiny details they put in here and there.
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#Why does it sucks?
The Movie arc is not pleasant to watch at all. The entire arc is about making a movie with Haruhi as the director, you would think that it would be a fun time but alas, that is not the case. The beginning of this arc is kinda boring. The arc involves a lot of bullying of Mikuru-chan which is prevalent throughout the show but this arc, damn. You can see Haruhi just being a straight-up asshole here. The chemistry and synergy between the group is just awful, I will be marking this as an example of 'bad chemistry' in my books.
If I were to ask you to imagine a slice of life anime about a group of friends making a movie, what comes to mind? a group of friends having a good time making a movie or something like that right? maybe something might go wrong and it would lead to some resolution or something ? ( idk I don't make anime ). Well, how about the characters being bored the whole time, bullying an innocent girl, fights and a shit movie at the end?
Personally, I watch a lot of slice of life and romance anime with similar situations. A group of friends doing stuff together, it happens a lot in animanga and usually, it is a pleasant, cute and wholesome joy to read/watch. Watching this arc was like watching a satire/parody of that.
If the 1st season and endless war arc helped us understand each individual character in the show better, the The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc makes us understand the type of relationship/bond they share among each other.
Haruhi doesn't see the members of her club as her 'friends' or 'club members', she sees them as characters in her life ( except kyon ) . In this arc, she treats them like characters, making them do things whether they wanted to or not. It is evident in the case of Mikuru-chan, it just sucks to see how she was treated throughout the production of this movie. Nagato and Koizumi didn't give a flying fuck about what they were going to shoot nor did they object to anything, There only priority was their mission. The sad thing is even if Haruhi treats them like characters, they actually are characters. They would never have been there if Haruhi didn't wish for it and they are only present in the club to monitor Haruhi. So, as a result of these circumstances, this ordinary scenario where I would be enjoying a normal slice of life anime, became something that I had never seen/experienced before.
One of my favourite scenes of the entire anime is the confrontation between Kyon and Haruhi, because unlike the other members of the club, Kyon is not tied to any organization or purpose and he is not a 'character' but a person. The verbal fight between them was an excellent payoff, it was incredibly animated and the voice acting was on-point. Just a really good scene, which hit me in the feels. In the argument, Haruhi for the first time ever suffers real backlash for her actions and is called out. It lets her develop as a character by reflecting on her actions and mistakes. Excellent work, Kyon my man.
Why is this my favourite arc in the show? is it because of the new experience that this arc gave me or the excellent payoff near the end of the arc? Wrong. The real reason is that I got to see Nagato in a cute witch outfit throughout the arc. Seeing Nagato in this outfit has brought me immense happiness in my life and I would like to thank the gods above for this gift that they have given me. Hands down, best fan service ever. God Bless.
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Ok well, all that is left to talk about is the excellent side stories of the show that are the last 4 episodes in the 2009 edition (which is the one I am currently reviewing), I have no problems whatsoever with these episodes. They were all excellent and I loved every second of these side stories, good shit.
1. The Movie :- This episode shows the movie that Haruhi and the team made along with Kyon's sarcastic narration. The dull and grainy colours that don't match the rest of the show, combined with the clumsy camera movements and occasionally out-of-focus lens, really perfectly make you feel like you're watching an amateur film.
2. God Knows :- Excellent concert scene with really good songs and animations with careful attention to details which makes the concert feel alive. It's really popular on the internet too, with the full version of the song having over 15 Million views and the clip having 111 Million views on YouTube
The video game episode and the last episode ('Someday in the rain') were excellent too.
Objectively speaking, the 1st season was better than the 2nd season but in all honesty for me, the reason that this anime made an impression was the 2nd season. If you were to ask me 5 years from now questions about this show, I would have probably forgotten most of the 1st season but would remember the second season well.
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I am sorry that the review got so big, I just wanted to share all my thoughts. In conclusion, should you watch 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya' ? umm.. it depends. If you are new to anime, then I won't recommend it. The show has a lot of meta in it, requiring familiarity with the anime medium in general to understand. Secondly, I would recommend you check out this show, if you wanna experience something new and different than your usual anime and aren't put off by having to watch some "boring stuff".
A really really good reason to watch this show would be to watch the sequel movie to it. Yah, whether this show is good or bad is debatable but the movie is one of the highest rated film of all time in anime, so even if you don't like the show, I am sure you will at least enjoy the movie. So yes, you should watch this anime.
Anyways, I would like to hear your thoughts on the review/show. Feel Free to message me :D
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