The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya | |
|---|---|
| http://pierson.nulani.net/images/8/8b/Sosdan.gif | |
| Original Manga | |
| Director/Artist | Tatsuya Ishihara |
| Format | Anime (TV) |
| Made By | Kyoto Animation |
| Episode Length | 22 Minutes |
| # of Eps/Volumes | 14 |
Contents
Genre
Short Outline
This series is centered around a High School girl by the name of Haruhi Suzumiya. This girl is determined to discover the paranormal and declares so to everyone while maintaining a cold demeanor and remains only interested in anything paranormal. The protagonist Kyon had recently given up his fantasies about anything paranormal knowing that they do not exist, however he finds that all too quickly he is drawn into Haruhi's schemes to find the very things he knows don't exist.
Main Description
First let me note that if this is your first time watching this show don't try to watch it in chronological order. Watch it in airing order. If you watch it chronologically you are denying yourself one of this shows many charms and the series will pale somewhat in comparison to the actual airing order.
Characters
Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi Suzumiya is a beautiful, intelligent, energetic, quick-tempered, overconfident girl with a competitive streak as wide as her ego is large. When she wants something, she doesn't ask for it--she takes it, consequences be damned. She thinks "normal things" are terminally boring, and she openly declares her intentions to find and have fun with aliens, time travelers, and espers. After meeting Kyon, she is inspired to create the SOS Brigade, which is effectively her plaything and her only source of entertainment.
Yuki Nagato
Yuki Nagato is an unusual girl with an affinity for books and silence. She rarely shows any emotions or desires--except for a desire to read more books. She was the only member of the high school's Literary Club, but when Haruhi formed the SOS Brigade, Haruhi took both the Literary Club's clubroom and member and made them her own. Without protest, Nagato became a member of the SOS Brigade.
Mikuru Asahina
Mikuru Asahina is a meek girl with an extremely attractive body and absolutely no competence at anything except for brewing tea, wearing costumes, and looking painfully cute. After creating the SOS Brigade, Haruhi abducted her from the Calligraphy Club and made her the Brigade's "lolita mascot." Ever since then, Haruhi has continued to abuse Asahina's attractive qualities in an attempt to draw attention to the SOS Brigade.
Itsuki Koizumi
This smug looking fellow is Koizumi, an annoyingly congenial transfer student that Haruhi added to the SOS Brigade "because he is a mysterious transfer student." His personality could best be described as "sycophantic" and "unbearably easygoing." He always agrees with whatever Haruhi says, and he never objects when Haruhi misbehaves.
Kyon
The last and second most important character besides Haruhi Suzumiya is Kyon. He is an archetypal "average guy," and he reacts to Haruhi and the rest of the SOS Brigade like you or I would. He narrates the story, constantly objects to Haruhi's misbehaviors, and does his best to do the right thing. He often speaks for reason and sanity when things get weird. He inspired Haruhi to create the SOS Brigade, and though he constantly complains about it, he consistently completes the menial tasks that keep everything running smoothly. Kyon is not actaully his name, it just appears to be a nickname and one he doesn't seem to like.
Most importantly, Kyon is Haruhi's best (and only?) friend. And maybe, just maybe, she's the reason that he puts up with so much crap.
So what? Why should I watch this show?
The show combines comedic light-hearted action with underlying dramatic tones and epic science-fiction themes. I can't say much more without spoiling the series, but suffice to say, Kyon and Haruhi are incidentally involved with forces of a cosmic scale. How those forces interact with the seemingly mundane struggles of a high school club is the meat of the series, and I leave the details to the watcher. Download the first five episodes and give it a try. I think you'll like it.
For those who are fans of technical magic, the show's animation, voice acting, music, and sound effects are of exceedingly high quality. Many times, viewers on these forums have remarked that the production company must have sold themselves to some dark force in order to routinely finish the episodes. They're that well done.
Why the first five episodes?
While the first two episodes will suffice to introduce the characters, hint at the strangeness, and entertain you thoroughly, the first five will give you a heavy dose of what makes this series a true classic, and when I say classic, I don't use the word lightly. Haruhi Suzumiya will be considered a classic.
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Personal Opinions
Golden315
I personally found this show to be very well done. The first and most obvious thing that you notice about this show is the superb animation quality. I mean seriously whoever said that they sold their souls to a dark force to produce this thing every week was right. Of course we all know that being pretty isn't what makes a show. The method that they took in airing the shows was a masterful idea. Taking the chronological path of the novel and splicing up the parts to add mystery and an atmosphere. There is more I could say but really i'm just wasting your time here, just go watch it now. Nothing is perfect and everyone won't like this show but do yourself a favor and at least try this gem.
