The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime that needs no introduction. If you’re the least bit familiar with the anime medium, chances are you’ve heard of this series. Though it may be a bit late to write a review for this anime, I’ve yet to see someone who shares my stance on it and has expressed it in a comprehensive and coherent manner, so I thought I’d throw in my own two cents. This review may contain some minor spoilers, though I have tried to keep them to a minimum.
This is a controversial series to say the least. Just from a cursory glance at
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the reviews, one can see that the community is rather divided on this one; there are those who think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and those who think it’s somewhere between okay and the worst anime ever made. Though I don’t think it’s perfect, I did thoroughly enjoy this anime, but probably not for exactly the same reasons as the former group.
When I was first going into this series last year—slowpoke, I know—judging from what I had heard, I was expecting a generic high school slice of life anime with some comedy and moe elements and maybe some fan service (primarily the reason why I had been putting it off for so long). What I got instead was a clever, quirky, self-aware mystery-parody fusion with some light sci-fi elements weaved in and one of the most relatable protagonists ever.
The series follows Kyon, a high school freshman who discarded his belief in the supernatural long ago. That is, until he meets an eccentric girl in his class named Haruhi Suzumiya, who’s all about the supernatural. She drags him into creating the SOS Brigade with her, a club which is dedicated to everything supernatural. Soon they recruit Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itsuki Koizumi into the club. Unbeknownst to Haruhi, these new members are actually an android from an alien world, a time traveler, and an esper, respectively, all sent for different reasons to observe Haruhi, who herself unwittingly possesses god-like powers which allow these supernatural beings to exist by her will alone. The other members must keep Haruhi’s powers in check by preventing her from getting bored, while at the same time making sure she doesn’t find out about their little secret because the ensuing consequences would be unpredictable but almost definitely catastrophic. This creates an unusual and interesting atmosphere of fun and peaceful slice of life mixed with impending doom.
The first thing that surprised me about this series was how plot-heavy it was. The main arc takes up 6 of the 14 episodes, and is an adaptation of the first volume of the novels titled The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. To my knowledge as someone who has not yet read the novels, the other episodes are adapted from scattered chapters in the later volumes of the novels, and though more of the main storyline could not be adapted due to time constraints, I feel each episode still adds to the experience in its own way. There’s a mostly serious but self-contained murder-mystery arc that consists of two episodes (Remote Island Syndrome Part One and Two), and other episodes serve to develop or provide more insight on the characters (The Day of Sagittarius, Live Alive) while some are just plain funny (The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00). All things considered, I don’t think there was a single episode wasted.
The characters are probably the most divisive part of the show. Kyon is the cynical, level-headed protagonist and narrator of the series. His narration keeps the show moving along at a brisk pace, and his inner monologues provide more insight on the other characters and his true feelings for them. He’s the voice of reason in the cast, and is constantly questioning the other characters’ actions and the often shaky logic behind them—and sometimes the show itself. For the non-critical types out there, this may make him come off as whiny, but for viewers like me whose minds are never at rest when watching, he becomes one of the most relatable characters in anime—or any fiction for that matter—as his inner thoughts mirrored my own when watching so closely it was almost scary at times (plus, it’s not exactly whining if it’s all in his head, is it?). It feels like Kyon is somewhat of a self-insert of the author, and his observations are based on things that the author has observed in other media and his own while writing it, and he wanted to make a character that called attention to these things for once in an attempt to reach out to like-minded viewers. Kyon is far from perfect, but that’s part of what makes him so relatable for me. He’s knowledgeable but not beyond his years, he’s grounded in his morals but mostly only when others are watching, he’s observant but still oblivious when it comes to such things as a certain someone’s feelings towards him (and the fact that he himself might be more than just a regular high school student).
But enough about Kyon. How do the other characters hold up? The titular character, Haruhi Suzumiya, is the self-proclaimed leader of the SOS Brigade and the cause behind most of the conflicts in the series. Her eccentricity and constant energy make her very unpredictable. Some would call her annoying, but I think that’s a rather shallow way of looking at it. For me, she was a very unique character whose unpredictability kept me interested and constantly guessing what she was going to do next. Though she is admittedly self-centered, she also has a compassionate side which comes through in certain key scenes throughout the series. The way she and Kyon played off each other's personalities was also very entertaining.
The other characters are somewhat generic and archetypical, but this can be forgiven because the author is fully aware of this and provides a very good reason for why this is so. Haruhi wants her life to be filled with characters similar to those present in the fiction she enjoys (possibly anime and manga), hence why the rest of the main cast is made up of archetypes that can be seen in other series. On top of this, each character has their own reason for being the way they are, and their outward actions may not necessarily reflect how they feel on the inside. This seems like the author’s way of criticizing other anime and manga for using these archetypes without giving a proper justification for why the characters act the way they do, when in fact it is very different from the way people normally act in real life.
That said, the characters’ back-stories and motivations are, for the most part, not really expanded upon or explored more deeply after they are initially mentioned. Some are never explicitly stated and left completely up to subtext. This is likely something that was lost in translation from the novels to the anime, but I personally kind of like how it reflects the overall theme of the supernatural elements being in the background and very much hidden under the guise of a regular high school life. It’s also somewhat refreshing to see a show that leaves it up to the viewer to think about its themes instead of doing so for them. Of course, there will be people who don’t think about it at all, but that’s their loss.
As expected of Kyoto Animation, the production values are very high for this anime. A lot of attention to detail was put into the animation, which looks smooth and consistent throughout with few hiccups, though the CGI is iffy at times. Truth be told, the art style itself is nothing particularly outstanding, but each character’s individual personalities come through in the character designs, as well as through the way they move.
The opening and ending sequences are especially well-done; it’s obvious a lot of time and effort (and money) went into making them. The songs themselves are also quite good, as is the rest of the soundtrack. The background music is varied to fit the many different moods of the series, ranging from the happy and upbeat to the dark and mysterious. Some of the tracks are actually very catchy and memorable. The voice talent is good as well; Sugita Tomokazu’s voice fits Kyon’s character to a tee and makes his inner monologues very pleasant to listen to. The other characters do a fine job of playing their characters’ roles, especially Aya Hirano as Haruhi, who also performed the opening and ending songs, plus some insert songs.
I have watched this series twice—the first season that is, I refuse to sit through the Endless Eight more than once—in both chronological and broadcast order, and I can say that both have their pros and cons. On the one hand, chronological order has a more coherent plot, but most of the plot-centric episodes are clumped together at the beginning, and the last episode is somewhat anti-climactic. On the other hand, broadcast order has the main arc spaced between the other episodes with the climax at the end, but the mixed-up episode order leaves some glaring continuity issues and forces the viewers to put the pieces together themselves. Either way though, there’s not much progress made from one episode to the next once all the characters are introduced, which was one of my biggest gripes with the series. There are some seemingly major plot points that actually have little to no lasting effect on the overall storyline. Granted, it still does more to make progress than your average slice of life, but it seemed like not enough in this case since the show tried to focus more on the plot. Though I suppose that’s another thing that can be chalked up to time constraints, at least in part.
If anything, the episodes have a lot of variety. Some would say that the show can’t decide what it wants to be, but I don’t mind at all because it actually does a good job at what it attempts, whether it be comedy, drama, action or mystery. Given the context of the story, it also makes sense for the anime to extend into many different genres, since Haruhi wants her life to resemble the media she consumes, which probably contains quite a bit of variety. This may sound like an excuse for the author to attempt a number of different styles without having to build a new world for each of them, which is likely true, but if so then it's a very clever excuse at that.
The series has its own unique brand of humour, which is extremely quirky and often quite subtle in its delivery, and as such, some jokes might go right over some people's heads without them ever realizing that a joke was even there. This is where Haruhi differs from most anime; it isn't afraid to leave some people out on the joke, which allows it to derive humour from places other anime can't. There are plenty of references and in-jokes strewn about, including some brief shout-outs to other anime (Gundam, Full Metal Panic, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) as well as some lengthier scenes which reference other material. Among these, I particularly appreciated a scene dedicated to parodying Ace Attorney, and an episode that was essentially one extended reference to Legend of the Galactic Heroes. In addition, Kyon's commentary is full of dry wit, and I personally enjoyed it thoroughly, but again it's a type of humour that not everyone can relate to.
All in all, this is a show that is certainly a lot more than it appears to be on the surface. Rather than trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator, it runs the risk of having some of its humour and intricacies of its plot lost on some viewers, which is unfortunate for those who are left out, but all the more rewarding for those of us who can appreciate it. It deliberately presents itself as a generic slice of life anime despite being more of an elaborate parody of one, and this is very reflective of the way that Haruhi thinks she lives a regular high school life but is actually living in an intricate construct made to keep her from suspecting otherwise. So I find it funny, if not just a tad bit sad, that so many people have written it off as “just another slice-of-life anime” without looking any deeper into it.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya demonstrates what can be done within the limits of a slice of life anime in a high school setting, and shows how something can use familiar archetypes and still be unique. It’s certainly not perfect and it does have its flaws, though I have downplayed them here because rather than filling my already long-winded review with complaints that others have already mentioned, I wanted to focus on the reasons why I like this anime which haven’t been explored in other reviews.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is more than just another slice of life anime. I wish people would give it a chance before writing it off as such.
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May 12, 2013
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu
(Anime)
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The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime that needs no introduction. If you’re the least bit familiar with the anime medium, chances are you’ve heard of this series. Though it may be a bit late to write a review for this anime, I’ve yet to see someone who shares my stance on it and has expressed it in a comprehensive and coherent manner, so I thought I’d throw in my own two cents. This review may contain some minor spoilers, though I have tried to keep them to a minimum.
This is a controversial series to say the least. Just from a cursory glance at ... 
Nov 6, 2012
Steins;Gate
(Anime)
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Note that I have not read the visual novel that Steins;Gate is based on. This is a review which judges the anime adaptation by its own merits alone.
Over the last year since the Steins;Gate anime finished airing, the series has garnered massive popularity and acclaim, becoming an internet sensation and skyrocketing to #3 on MAL’s Top Anime page. So, the obvious question is: does it live up to the insane hype? Well, yes and no. Steins;Gate is a mixed bag of sorts. It has some great concepts behind it, but they often fall short in their execution. The story follows Okabe “Hououin Kyouma” Rintarou, his lab ... |
