haruhi suzumiya no yuutsu

to everyone reading my blog, this anime is a must watch!!! this anime is uber popular in japan and in the fansubbing world. to prove it's popularity and greatness, here's a review i have found from a certain anime site(i'm lazy to write a review).

Haruhi Suzumiya has some questions for you... Are you a ghost or a spirit of a deceased person wandering the surface of the earth? Are you a time-traveler from either an era of the past or future? Are you an esper with the paranormal-psychological powers of either telepathy or extra-sensory perception? Are you an alien visitor from another planet beyond the reaches of our galaxy here to research the human existance? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then Suzumiya-san has been searching all her life for you. She even started a club at her new high school devoted to this same exact purpose... the S.O.S. Brigade!!! (serious members only, of course).

So there you have it: the very basic premise of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya . You'd never be able to derive that synopsis based on the first aired episode which features a bunny-girl-by-day, super-powered-battle-waitress-by-night fighting off a menacing alien while protecting the esper she was assigned to guard. Capturing the attention of unsuspecting anime fans across the globe, the pilot episode's mock-up of the typical student-film, complete with bad camera angles, sub-par acting, cheesy special effects, and unavoidable scenery and background mishaps, sets the series up for this riotously funny anime. (note - all following episodes are animated in the normal style we're accustomed to)

Slated for a half-run of either 13 or 14 episodes (still being debated on the forums), this series throws another unconventional loop into the mix: the order we will see the episodes air will not be the order in which the events of the story take place. You have to pay close attention to what and how things are said, even though nothing will make sense for quite some time. That won't stop you from enjoying it, however. The cute and quirky cast consisting of the club members of the S.O.S. Brigade light up the screen. The engaging storyline, the unique music soundtrack (the in-episode music sounds like a take off of Katamari Damacy), and the illustrious animation art-style will never cease to astound.

A little bit more about the cast... Haruhi Suzumiya is the girl that all her female classmates want as a friend, all the guys want as a girlfriend, all the clubs want as a member, all the students want as a study-partner. Everything she does in life, she excels at, yet nothing about any of those things interest her. She has her mind set on one thing and that's discovering what secrets lie beneath the boring tedium of normal life. Being dragged along on her quest is her new classmate (and our narrator), Kyon. When he starts up a simple conversation with her one day, that's all it took for him to become the co-charter member of her new paranormal investigation club, the S.O.S. Brigade!! He didn't want to become a member, nor did the sweet and pleasant Mikuru or the quiet and studious Yuki, but what Haruhi wants, Haruhi gets. She's smart, she's sexy, she's strong, and she's determined. Her personality is literally the driving element of this whole phenomenon and we're all along for the ride.

Someone told me yesterday that the term "Harutards" has made its way into the otaku vernacular. Haruhi is quite an engaging character and she has her devoted followers throughout the land, which she very much deserves for the reasons mentioned above. Then there are the Yuki-addicts. The reserved member of the Literary Club who is roped into Haruhi's schemes without protest delivers both a side of comic relief and is a critical character to the story. She doesn't say much, but she contributes plenty. I, on the otherhand, am a Mikuru fan(SK's note: i'm a haruhi fan, as you can see, this was written by someone else if you're still clueless). She's the oldest of the cast (introduced so far), but her shy, puerile demeanor and her natural inclanation toward being more traditional make her irresistably sweet. Don't be fooled, however, I have a feeling that she's hiding something fierce under the innocent facade of hers.

So, are you still not convinced yet? Okay, let me get a little more personal then. I have been an anime fan for well over three years. I have seen nearly 200 different series and I swear that I have NEVER before come across a more engaging and entertaining show. I know you're seeing the avatars and signature banners (and the occassional Mikuru Beam!!) all over the internet right now, and I know you don't want to be left behind. Tens of thousands of anime fans can't be wrong. Haruhi-ism is the new obsession. Even if all you watch is the first episode, it's still one step closer to falling love with this series.

Last ditch effort to tell you why you should be watching this show: you will not be disappointed, it is as plain and simple as that. The story is engaging. The characters are cute. It's a combination of slice-of-life school drama, light comedy and science fiction. It makes you think. And most of all, once you believe that you've got something figured out, it changes on you. This review is preliminary, I'm only up through episode four, but I cannot wait a second longer for the next episode to become available. Watching this series will not be giving into peer pressure or falling victim to the latest fad. Watching this series will be the biggest favor you do for yourself this spring. Stop reading, start watching!!

you heard it! stop reading, start watching! here's the fansubber's link! you know what to do next, don't you? go go go!

here's some screenies for ya, enjoy!

haruhi suzumiya, she really gets what she wants.


haruhi's class introduction scene


kyon, looking out the window wondering why he was dragged into haruhi's club


miruku(left) and haruhi(right)


haruhi planning to do *something* towards miruku


beautiful backdrop


yuki, the bookworm