Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2009)

There have been a lot of negative reviews on this site, which I can agree with to an extent. However, most of them focus entirely on the Endless Eight arc, while disregarding the rest entirely.

I can't say I disagree that the Endless Eight arc sucked; Having to sit through so many episodes of what was, for the most part, the same thing was somewhat annoying. The first time it happened, I had to check to make sure I didn't accidentally rewatch an episode. The changes are subtle enough to miss if you don't watch the episodes back to back.

However, I do like the fact that ... the producers tried to do something different, which a lot of others do not. If experimentation like this never occurred, we'd likely never have had the pleasure of watching greats like Cowboy Bebop, or even the original series of Haruhi.

I also very thoroughly enjoyed the other episodes, especially the final ones that very nicely covered the events that had us watch the greatest first episode of an anime ever. And while the Endless Eight arc was long, I really, really loved the final moments of the last episode of that arc.

Art and sound was spectacular, which was always to be expected. You have to hand it to the artists who managed to draw the same episode different ways so many times. The Endless Eight arc was -not- enough to detract from the other episodes of the series, which are all incredible in their own right.

In the end, as long as you're one of those people who only see the negative aspects of something, or have a hard time pushing them out of your mind, you'll probably hate the season.

I personally enjoyed it very much as a whole, and will continue recommending series 1, and start recommending series 2 to anyone who hasn't seen them. And I suggest you not let a few bad reviews deter you from what is ultimately a very enjoyable viewing.

Endless Eight Arc - Enough Said?

The entirety of the season can be summed up almost in much the same way as the first season, so i am going to focus my attention on the Endless Eight arc of this season. This arc seems to be the part most mentioned in reviews and in most cases negatively so. It is also the most prominent memory we have of the season when you mention the 2nd season.

Eight episodes of the same events, over, and over again. Everyone can agree that this was not a cheap measure to save money. since the animation, clothing, and scene of every ... event were unique to each of the eight episodes. But hatred still seems to fill the hearts of the viewers about this arc.

Indeed it is long and boring over time. But like how FLCL must be completely confusing to get it's point across, so must this be the way of Endless Eight. This arc is the lead up to the movie "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" For those of you who've read the novels or have done your research you should already know this, but if not well now you know. This arc was intended to bore you. it was designed to make you angry. But what can you do? you are only the viewer of this show. you can only sit there and hope the next episode will advance the plot. sounding familiar?

if you have not guessed already the main character of this arc is not actually Kyon. Although the show is told through him It's Yuki we should be paying attention to. Ms. Nagato, the alien computer interface placed on earth as an observation tool unaffected by time loops or altered realities. she has the omnipotent power to know all and to do all, the only catch? she may not do anything. her job is simply to observe and assist when absolutely necessary.

now in order for us to fully understand this we'll also need to understand the philosophy behind Artificial intelligence and how it works. but to keep it simple, intelligence is intelligence. Be it natural or artificial it will learn and develop things called emotions (at least thats what pop culture tells us) We are not in a sense born with emotions. they are learned, just like data being collected, compiled and processed. It is inappropriate even to call it "excess" data build up. For us humans the compilation of data for emotions happens between age 8 and 18 this is when we try to establish what everything is to us. Yuki has entered as an AI into this stage of her life. and it is a confusing and frustrating time.

now you're angry having to sit through this 8 times. each time is ~25 minutes for us. Now then, lets do the math shall we?(sort of, not really) those 25 minutes each represent in that universe 14 days, an entire 2 weeks. Those two weeks have repeated, in one of the episodes the number was, 15,521 times. Yuki has sat through not only 15,521 episodes, rather she has sat through that many iterations of a 14 day cycle. Imagine how frustrated and angry she must be.

looking at it from the point of view that this is the lead up to the disappearance arc, it is an amazingly well done and high risk choice made by the director which i feel worked perfectly. Not only did he anger the fans, it was his exact intention to do so. the same effect cannot have been achieved with 3 or even 5 episodes. If this arc did not completely piss you off it would have failed to deliver the emotions of the characters in the story. Tatsuya Ishihara, i salute you for this bold move.

How terrifying is it to know that tomorrow, you won't remember today? Or that you don't actually have a tomorrow... because tomorrow is last week. And that this week is last week as much as it is next week. It's enough to make modern Western philosophy implode. Didn't T.S. Eliot have a poem or four about this?

This is one of the issues that comes up in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2009). Assuming you didn't just throw a remote at the TV/mouse at the monitor in frustration and said "To hell with this shit."

Retrospect is quite a thing, especially when fans are left to compare ... a follow-up series to an original that was an undeniable cultural explosion. The first run of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu pretty much shook the anime scene so strongly that even today, smatterings of people can still be found at cons dancing to "Hare Hare Yukai". A pretty influential series, especially considering that it basically cemented the dry, sarcastic everyman as a staple lead for self-reflective otaku-centric anime for years afterwards and that Haruhi-ism actually is a thing.

But that aside, it seemed pretty much a guaranteed hit for Kyoto Animation, doing a sequel to a juggernaut in the midst of several critical and commercial darlings (Clannad and ~After Story~, K-ON). Franchising seems like the best thing to do, and how could you possibly go wrong with Haruhi? Oh ho ho.

What you end up getting is a series that, also in retrospect, seems a lot better than what the fan outcry was at the time it was airing. This "second season" should not be viewed as an entity onto itself. The episodes fall into place when you consider its role in the entire Haruhi chronology. It all makes perfect sense when you think of it as a whole. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu showed off its brilliance the first time by experimenting and mastering plot. 2006 saw the first series air out of order, yet the entire narrative functioned perfectly. It challenged its viewers the first time around. This time it might seem like a trial. The Endless Eight arc as it is known is perhaps the best way to drip-torture someone without water.

It's summer, the last two weeks of vacation, and Kyon, Yuki, Mikuru and Koizumi are trapped in Haruhi's infinite time loop. Think less Groundhog Day, more deja vu. The characters have no idea what's happening to them save for Yuki (for obvious reasons). And so we, and they, are presented the same events ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

It's the same thing over and over. And over. Again and again. And again and again and again.

The episodes aren't entirely copy and paste of one another. Clothes change, maybe one time you'll see them at a store, another at the poolside. But the vacation is burned permanently into our minds and possibly their DNA at this point: pool, shopping, festival, bug-catching, part-time job. Every summer cliche in the book, really. So here is the reason for the outrage: what kind of cheap trick is this? There might be two camps about this situation. Either Kyoto Animation is laughing maniacally that they got away with this or (even beyond their control) the studio dared to show something deeper to its audience. In any case, what other franchise could do something like this? This is Nintendo-Revolution-surprise-Wii levels of throwing an audience and dedicated fanbase for a loop.

And so, if it's the latter and not some cheap cop-out, where is any depth in these pool-filled episodes of repetitious service? The aforementioned questions of time and existence and ignorance.

It's astounding to consider what a nightmare it is to have no tomorrow... and how much worse it is to not even KNOW that. Knowledge is what we crave, always. It's a terrible way to exist when one doesn't know. What about Yuki, for whom time "passes normally"? What is it like to observe eternity before you? Not bad questions or propositions, although they come at the expense of tearing your hair out.

The episodes outside Endless Eight come as relief. Some of these cover the troubled and joyless production of the supremely funny "Asahina Mikuru's Adventure" (which is easily one of the best and most creative episodes of anime ever produced). The high point of these episodes is what they propose: everyone is not what they seem. Wait, wasn't that in the first series? Yes. But here's the kicker: everyone is not what they seem... to Kyon. For instance, think for a moment that Mikuru's unbearable blubbering is act she's putting on to fool him. Really consider it. Huh.

But that leads to the most important questions people seem more inclined to ask: is this worth it? It depends.

Is it entertaining? Not in the slightest. Is it even good? Who even knows? To say it's horrendous is as right as saying that it's brilliant. It's not either one of those things yet it's not passable or average. What is this anime, then? It's Haruhi.

Alrighty, let's cheer up Haruhi Fans.

The second season of Haruhi has been seen as a failure by a lot of anime fans.

But frankly I don't understand it.

The art work is very good. VERY VERY GOOD guys, the animation is fluid and the characters are nicely designed. While it is not the same as the first season and there are certain things I dislike compared to it, there are also quite a few things with the artwork in season two that I think have lived up to season one's creativity, and in some ways surpassed it. I noticed a more detailed animation as far as hair ... and clothes and also a more unique use of lighting. I think most would agree that season two's artwork deserves at least a 8, but personally I give it a 10.

The sound is, once again, golden. The seiyuu are giving a tremendous amount of effort into the voice acting. (While unfortunately there is no second Haruhi concert, that is because it is the one and only.) The soundtrack features scores fitting to the events in this season, which are actually a bit darker than in season one. So in my book, Haruhi still is a 10 in sound.

The characters are fantastic as always. Kyon and Haruhi in particular grow in this season as we see the worst dispute between them (The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya). We see Haruhi get desperate, Kyon lose his cool, Koizumi under stress, Asahina suck it up, and Nagato show more emotions. Haruhi retains another 10.

So now comes the problem, or is it a problem? The storyline is quite memorable from this season. Basically we watched Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, a pretty good episode if I do say so, and then we get into two new arcs: Endless Eight and The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Well, you know which one is more important right? :)

Quite frankly, I'm shocked and disappointed in the animosity shown by the Haruhi fans towards Endless Eight. Let's look at it from the animation company's point of view shall we? "Hmm, Endless Eight. How about we plan eight episodes about the same sequence of events and form eight animation teams to design them." If you look at it that way, its actually not such a bad idea. Its not as if they actually broadcasted the same episode every week guys, and if you weren't interested in the animation used each week, then you can hardly call yourselves animation fans.

Its so irritating to know that a show that I enjoy so much is getting 1'S IN ITS REVIEWS!! Can ONE ARC really change the way you view the series?? So much that you give it a 1?!! I can't think of ANY SHOW that I've given a one to, its just not possible. If you didn't like this show, at least give it points for animation and sound which it obviously deserves. And what these people are giving a 1 for is only half of the season, hell people were giving this season a 1 before it was even finished!

Basically, I urge the community to change its outlook on Endless Eight. While we all agree that the show should have been directed in a different way and that Endless Eight should have been kept as a one, two, or three episode arc, its not as if Haruhi was ruined as a series because of it. In my case, I actually enjoyed a majority of Endless Eight because I loved the animation, but I really wished the count hadn't been so long that we didn't get to see the Disappearance. Simple as that, don't flame the series because of something so simple.

And after the Endless Eight Arc, we watched the Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya. Now I have a confession. I don't really like this arc. The reason is that I actually found the Sigh the most boring novel in the Suzumiya Haruhi series. However, I'm glad to say that I enjoyed the anime version a lot more. It was a bit more dramatic than usual as you may have noticed, but if they hadn't made it that way we'd all be complaining that it was boring. The only part of the Sigh that I found interesting was the dispute. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen the series, but this moment is supposed to be as dramatic as it was in the anime. A very pivotal moment for the series as a whole. I found the story telling of the Sigh most befitting to the novel it was based on (even if I didn't really fancy that novel.)

So overall I give the story telling an 8. Minus one point for the repetitiveness of Endless Eight and minus another point because we didn't get to see the Disappearance because Endless Eight was too long. Fair, right?

I give the Enjoyment a score of 9. This is my personal enjoyment of the second season.

And finally the season gets an 8 overall. This is a fair assessment of this series, and even if it isn't it sure as hell is better than the reviews of people who give this series a 1.

I would like to focus mainly on the "Endless Eight" arc in hopes to provide an antidote for the overwhelming negative response this series has encountered by the community, as I myself genuinely enjoyed these episodes. I'm not saying everyone should like this story arc, and I'm definitely not saying it's a crime to hate it.

Though each of these episodes are physically the same, they are each unique in their own way with the use of subtle (but definitely noticeable) differences. I apologize for my lack of specifics, however I'm sure you understand why it would be difficult to remember which episode was ... which XD...

One episode I found rather eerie and almost scary, mainly the way the deja vu was depicted with the sudden shift to gray colors and muffled sound.

One episode made me laugh despite knowing the plot practically word for word, due to the humorous aspects of each persons actions being noticeably more defined.

The last episode of the arc I found to be appropriately "Melancholic" especially with a beautiful scene with the group sitting in the rain. I enjoyed this episode enough to watch it twice in row within 45 minutes. (though admittedly this was perhaps a subconscious attempt to "get what I can" out of this long story arc or "make it worth it" haha) I did with all honesty enjoy the way it ended, though I can't explain why without giving too much away.

Each of these episodes did have one interesting thing in common (besides almost everything)- during the last few minutes of each episode, my heart started racing... and this feeling increased with each episode. You may or may not appreciate that feeling, but I must say that even some of the other anime that I wholeheartedly enjoy don't get me going like that.

The point here is that the creators (how I see it) made a bold move in taking a plot line and repeating it with each episode only to be distinguished by unique subtleties brought into being by their elite (in my opinion) artistic prowess. They have made a dent in this industry with a stunt that may never be repeated (some of you are like "thank god" haha) This at the least must be respected undeniably.

All that being said, I encourage those who haven't seen this series to witness this piece of history and not be turned away from all the bad noise out there.

Story: 8
I'm writing this review with great fear and trepidation. In the end I'll either get shot by those who behead anyone who insults Haruhi, and on the other I'll get shot by the people who are simply overreacting giving this show a 1. Let me start off with the fact that the story was superb! The writing didn't drop at all in quality. The second season instead gave us far more insight into Haruhi's character and mysterious forces working behind her. Her powers were shown to a much greater extent as well. It is really quite amazing how ... well this series seemed to have such excellent continuity with the rest of the series and the attention to detail did not disappoint.
Now before everyone starts thinking this review will be just rainbows and lollypops, that ends here. The Endless Eight was a too endless. I honestly enjoyed it, the first four times through. And I did like the last episode, but it was nearly too much making it through the middle three episodes. I loved that there was insight into Yuki's character during this part, but the variances could have been much more noticeable. Basically you watch one good episode, eight times over! (It would have been perfect if it was the Forever Five)
The rest of the series was fun and enjoyable and the last plot was, well, different. I'll address this in the character section.

Art: 9
It was not at the same level as the main series somehow, it felt like K-ON!. So it deserves a nine, a high nine, but a nine. The faces really annoyed me at times, especially Haruhi's, which I thought was changed significantly. Nevertheless it does mostly blend well with the rest of the series, but it didn't test it's limits like the first season did.

Sound: 9
I saw no decrease in voice acting quality. Actually I thought it might have been even better as we get to hear the characters in different situations. I didn't like the intro or ending nearly as much though as the original ones. After all, what can beat Hare Hare Yukai. I thought the intro was actually very mediocre.

Character: 9
One place the show did step up was in the characters. They're different and deeper and in the case of Haruhi, darker. In the "Sigh of Haruhi" plot she seemed at times bordering on evil and we indeed saw her much darker side. This wasn't necessarily bad, it displayed more of her humanity, but it also showed how much of a brat she really was and I felt quite uncomfortable. Usually I can laugh it off when she's using/abusing her friends. But in that plot it just felt very unsettling, and I think that was the intention. This therefore caused what could have been a fun plot, be more of a serious and dark plot and I found I really couldn't laugh like I could with the original series so it disappointed me. Thus at the same time it felt like a step down because of the loss of general likeability.

Overall: 8
Taking all things into account this show does deserve this rating in my most unbiased examination I could muster. It explores a different side of things and it definitely deserves a look from those who've seen the original series. But it doesn't stand on it's own like all the other sequel shows I've reviewed.

Parental Caution
Rated PG-13
-Yuki tackles a girl and it looks... awkward.
-In the endless eight each and every episode has a scene at a pool and on some loops Mikuru is, focused on a little too much.
-In the Sigh of Haruhi episodes Mikuru is in fetish costumes, but they aren't overly immodest.
-Some swearing, I really didn't notice very much of it.
-Some physical abuse.

Let me say something up front here, I laugh at everyone who insists on griping like a child over Endless Eight. Also, my art and sound scores may be a bit high. That's because as long as it falls within reasonable parameters I don't really care.

That said, I found the series as a whole very enjoyable. The Endless Eight arc added to that for many reasons, not the least of which was my amusement at how badly everyone seemed to overreact to it. In addition to this, however, there were also the many minor variations made in each loop. In one case, they even granted ... Itsuki a line almost on par with his "Oh, it looks like we're going to get some rain" comment in Someday in the Rain in terms of downright hilariously purposeful blandness. Aside from that, Mikuru Asashina and Nagato Yuki were able to generate increasingly strong hug-urges in each loop.

Moving on from the "endless" recursion of time, the final arc provided good laughs (with a moment of frustrated anger thrown in for good measure) as well as intriguing plot developments. As for the ending, I applauded the highly appropriate conclusion and was left even more excited for the upcoming movie and prospect of a second season than I was before.

P.S. I have no doubt that many of you disagree with my review. I decided to post this because it seemed this part of the series was being sorely underrated due to the unnecessarily massive amount of whining over Endless Eight.

“I'm getting bored and just fed up watching something that doesn't seem to be changing at all.”
- Asakura Ryoko, chronological Episode IV of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

In 2006, Kyoto Animation made a simple little anime called The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It was based on a popular series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa. Even still, nobody expected it to be very big. Kyoto was not trying to make a popular anime. All they wanted to do was make a good anime.

And maybe that’s what went wrong with its 2009 sequel of sorts. That they forgot what Haruhi truly was. That they, rather ... than wanting to make a form of art, made a capitalistic envoy instead.

Story/Enjoyment
The story is entertaining, but nowhere near the levels of the first season. The first story was Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, by the way the only story with a good amount of screen time. While pretty interesting, the spunk of any given first season episode is gone; the episode just chugs along.
Then came Endless Eight. The exact same thing over and over again. It could have easily been accomplished in one, two, or even three episodes if you wanted to give the feeling of a loop. But instead, Kyoto Animation decided to drag this on for eight episodes. Needless to say, it gets extremely boring and repetitive. Each episode by itself is passable. But put together, it is one of the most boring, redundant, pointless, and driveling arcs ever devised.
After that ends, we get The Sighs of Haruhi Suzumiya. It’s interesting, but the charm, the wit, the feel of the first season are still, well, disappeared. The story itself is a bit tedious, too.
Story: 6/10
Enjoyment: 4/10

Animation
Another weak point for the show. Kyoto Animation began a show shortly before Haruhi Season 2 called K-ON!, a moe-blob anime with cosplaying, tea-drinking, and a surprisingly small amount of actual rock performances. (Or so I hear; I didn’t have the patience to watch the show.) This show had an extremely large influence on Haruhi Season 2’s animation, and it really hurts it. The character’s eyes are taller, more childish. Everybody suddenly develops buckteeth. The colors are less bold, more washed out. There is much less detail. The animation is not as smooth. Animation changes are expected, especially in a period of three years, but for the animation company to regress rather than advance is a terrible thing. I often found it painful to see K-ON! expressions copied and pasted onto everybody, and had to rewatch a first season episode to try to blot it out of my mind and only think of the first season designs whenever I thought of the characters.
5/10

Sound
The sound is average, which means highly disappointing. In 2006, we got Hare Hare Yukai, Bouken Desho Desho?, God Knows, and Lost My Music. All excellent pieces of J-pop. Even the background pieces are memorable. But in 2009, all we get are Tomare!, Super Driver, and a couple new background pieces that are extremely meh. Tomare! and Super Driver are still fairly good J-pop songs, but when you think of how Hare Hare Yukai, Bouken Desho Desho?, God Knows, and Lost My Music were done so well three years before, they don’t stand a candle.
7/10

Characters
Exactly the same. Still excellent. Haruhi is still God (though she doesn’t look the part anymore due to the K-ON!ification of the animation), Kyon is still snarky, Yuki is still awesome, Mikuru is still a moe-blob, and Koizumi is still gay. Koizumi and Mikuru are still meh, but that’s just a case of me not liking their personalities and mannerisms; they’re still good characters. And I do not think Haruhi is a bitch, because there is so much more to her character. One small complaint: Kyon seems a lot less observant and a lot more slow than last season. (His lines aren’t quite as memorable this time around, too.)
9/10

We have deeply regressed. Haruhi was such an original show. It was indescribable. The second season, however, can be easily described in two words: troll, and disappointment. Which is a pity, because this show had so much promise. There were so many more stories to adapt. There was so much more character to develop. There was so much more merriment to be had.

Kyoto Animation has turned an excellent show into an average show. And they will never learn from their mistakes, because they will still sell hundreds of thousands of Endless Eight DVDs. They will have succeeded in milking as much money as they can from this hot property.

All we wanted was a good show.

Instead, we got a big middle finger.

Quite frankly, I'm dissappointed. Not in the show, but in the "fans". I first started watching Haruhi about two months ago, and in that short time, I was impressed time and again. The art, the voices, even the concepts of alternate time and space were mixed together in a way I've rarely seen. After the first few episodes, I was completely enthralled. I just had to see the next episode. After finishing the series for the first time, I can honestly say I was satisfied with all I had just seen; something that no other series has ... matched for me, to date. Although satisfied, my curiosity crept in, constantly asking if I had missed anything, if the order might change the perspective. I set the episodes to shuffle, and again, I was completely impressed. I watched the whole series another four times, each in entirely random orders, and each one was like a new series, just as good as the last, and still making perfect sense.

This second season, so far, has still lived up to the expectation left by the first, at least for me. The episodes do repeat, up to this point, and I will admit that the repetition is a bit tiresome, but each episode has its own unique, quality that makes it all that is "Haruhi". The attention to detail, not just in the visuals, but in the minute changes in the voices of each character in each similar, but unique, situation is simply incredible. I truly would not have expected this quality of art from anything else, and I am still astounded by it.

I may be the only one to think this way, but I believe that the Haruhi was not made this way on accident, that it took careful planning to get everything to fit together so well. I also believe that the creators have a reason for the repetition spanning so many episodes, rather than compressing it into one or two episodes. I truly think that this season will live up to its predecessor. Whether it be due to lack of attention, or simple impatience, I really am sorry that so many people seem to be giving up on it.

15,532 reiterations, and we've only endured episode length instances of 8. Should we really be complaining? Well, Kyon should have. Better yet, he should have done something productive much earlier to spare us the stupidity, if not the time. But he'll redeem himself yet.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009) is the next installment (discounting the Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya shorts) of an anime series originally based off the light novel franchise by Nagaru Tanigawa. It was directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, scripted by Yasuhiro Takemoto, and produced by Kyoto Animation, the same studio that animated the Full Metal Panic Series, the Key holy trinity, Hyouka, and ... K-On! Hosting three new stories from the source material set in between the events of the first season, it was aired as a surprise (however unwelcome to many when they viewed its contents) with the previously animated material from the series in chronological order. No fresh or innovative doses this time around. This season wasn't much successful either. Truth be told, it was more aggravating than confusing.

Let's cut to the worst: Endless Eight. Perhaps the producers, deciding to withhold the exploration of any material beyond what they used in the movie, somehow felt they needed to broadcast the same number of episodes as its prequel. Perhaps they wanted to experiment. Perhaps they wanted to be cheap. In any case, the reactions to this (almost) eightfold repetition can be likened to an experiment with grease over an open stove. And that's that.

Well, not exactly that. While I didn't happen to watch this show while it was airing, which would probably make Endless Eight all the more monotonous, I would loathe to dismiss the other arcs solely on this one grievance. The rest of the show, on the whole, still has that humorous hyperactive charm about it. Bamboo Rhapsody is comparable, if not not better, than some of the other content aired 3 years ago, and the Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya is the best that I've seen, defying expectations to what I thought would be a comedic telling of the back story behind Episode 0. While it presents the female lead in a rather nasty light (though she's more excitable than nasty herself), it also features a sincere confrontation where, for once, Kyon puts his foot down against Haruhi's antics. How Haruhi reacted to it... that's something to see for yourself. It was executed beautifully, from the slow but sure escalation of frustration to backlash, the emotion so vividly rendered. For consistency's sake, I would like to have criticized Kyoto Animation for changing the character models and animation style, but the reactive expressions that it allows lends itself more to the approach this season's going for than the sweeping motions the previous style would ever permit. In addition, however subtly, we begin to get the impression that the rest of the SOS Brigade may have something more going on with them then before. It's only an impression, though, for the sake of the leisurely pacing, I'm satisfied with just that.

The OP “Super Driver High” by Haruhi's Seiyū Ana Hirano and the ED “Tomare,” or “Stop,” by Yuko Goto and Minori Chihara, the Seiyū for the other two female leads, in addition to Hirano, emanates of the same factor that defined the OP and ED of the previous season: energy. The vocals are just as brazenly peppy and addictingly catchy as before, and the electric guitar get their own nice spotlight moments in both songs. At times, it even seems to surpass them in amount, though the ED's lack of choreographed dancing was sorely missed. Though what we have instead is nothing to scoff at, a mixture of what appears to be neon lighting imprinted throughout different parts of the school setting's premises combined with a flip-book style sequence of shots, blurs, epilepsy, and all, of the main cast. The OP's visuals also utilize something of flip-book and shaky cam, but the most obvious things that standout are those elements one would normally find in comics and manga. The images, names, and onomatopoeia literally pop out from each character introduction scene.

Does the series suffer from Endless Eight? Yes. Is Endless Eight this franchise's death knell? Well, I'll end with this. I'm not saying one should omit Endless Eight from their memory or, for anyone who has yet to watch it, viewing experience. In fact, watching through all, or at least part of it, (specifically, the first two episodes and the last one if you'd rather forgo the distinction of having survived it all) is crucial to being able witness the full impact of the movie. Just don't omit the rest of the show, or the series, for that matter, because of it.

I give The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009) a 7 out of 10.

I may be the only one but I'm actually enjoying what I've seen of the new Haruhi I am a fan of the first series and I really enjoy it. I think the endless eight chapter has been done wonderfully. It really gives the sense that you are there with the characters especially poor Yuki who remembers it all (just like the viewer). Now granted if the show was nothing but the 15,513 some odd times that the week repeats it would be overkill, four or five episodes isn't overkill to me. I think it's plenty of time to get the point of the ... arc and the real feeling of monotony and melancholy the characters must be feeling.I know only after five episodes it is still too soon to make a review but there are just so many people hating this series and I think it has potential to be a well liked anime. Ok off with my opinion and on with my review.

Story
I gave the story a seven because honestly very little of the story has been given to us. I really like what has been given. I particularly like the reason for the time loop. It is very different than the reason that was given in Higurashi.I also really liked the origin of the frog costume. Now hopefully they will explain that freaky cat.

Art
This series is still just as spectacular looking as the first which I also gave a 10 towards animation. This series is definitely on my list of prettiest anime.

Sound
Ditto with the sound and music. there are some very familiar tunes to be heard. and the sound quality is still very nice.

Character
If there is one place where this series shines the brightest for me it's the characters. I love Kyon's biting sarcasm, his wit, and his humor. Kyon is the best nararator in the history of anime. The only reason I gave this a nine is that there has not been anyone new introduced and none of the classmates have shown back up again.

Enjoyment
Like I said I may be the only one enjoying it. But I do. Granted when episode four went off I was like no way are they repeating this again and then they did. but when they did I didn't mind. and when five went off I was like nooooooo! kyon don't go to sleep! which is the first time I yelled at an anime in a long time. haha!

Overall
I give it an eight I still really like the art, sound, and characters. The story does need to progress in order for it to get a higher score. :) I made this review because I want everyone out there to know that there is at least one person out there who enjoys this anime. I don't want everyone to start watching it expecting to be disappointed there may be a few like me who actually enjoy the repetition. It's a little melancholic.

I enjoyed the first season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and I am enjoying this season as well. I really enjoyed all of the characters from before, and being able to immerse myself once again into their lives as they try and prevent Haruhi from bringing total chaos to the wrold.

I'm probably one of the few people who is enjoying the "Endless Eight" arc of this series so far. Maybe it's because I'm not one of the ADHD/MTV generation. I enjoy all the subtle little difference between episodes, like the different masks Yuki selects. There are other changes as each of the characters are ... becoming more aware each time they go through the loop. It's like revisiting your favorite coffee shop after they've renovated. It's still the same place, but yet it's different at the same time. I know this arc isn't going to last forever, so I'm enjoying it while it's here. In my opinion most of the viewers out there don't have the patience for this sort of thing. If you don't have a good eye for detail all of the episodes in the "Endless Eight" story arc will probably all seem the same to you.

I don't think it was a bad idea, I just don't think the people today have the patience for this sort of storytelling. In old movies you used to see shots that slowly panned across from one side of the scene to another giving you time to absorb the whole scene. Now everything is cut into choppy little segments like a video on MTV. A lot of people now have grown up with that choppy style and can't sit still for those slower paced scenes in older movies.

I'm really interested to see how this arc is resolved and what comes after it.

honestly I don't understand all the animosity toward this season. I thought it was brilliant. the endless eight was brilliant.
What's the point in showing the same story eight times? to piss you off.
It achieved its point so give back its points.

In the entertaining world, nothing can be repetitive or it wouldn't be entertaining.
As a work of entertainment, the endless eight broke the boundary, just like episode 1 of the first season did. I enjoyed getting tricked and tortured because it was intended that way, and because it's intended that way, in the end it's no longer trickery or torture for me but simply enjoyment. ... If you only feel torture, I'm sorry, but you have been tricked and fell into the trap of the entertainment world. The show is only trying to pull you out of it.
Give back its well deserved effort and points.

I seriously don't know whats up with all the bad reviews. It honestly isnt as bad as everybody is making this out to be. The endless 8 time loop wasnt as terrible as everybody makes it out to be. each episode adds onto the plot of the infinate time loop and it occurs in a way that was true to the first season.

Story: Same bizarre situation and overall plot that was evident in the first season. Also i must say it is rather fun putting the entire storyline together as you move through the series. Just stringing each episode together and determining when each ... episode occurs in the timeline. 8/10

Art: Nice animation, colouring, drawing style. same as the first season and still great. Crisp clear artwork. 7/10

Sound: same sounds as S1. The Seiyu were chosen well and each voice seems to perfectly express each character. I do enjoy the Opening and Ending songs. Then again im a Hirano Aya fan, so im a tad biased. 9/10

Characters: One of the Aspects that made Season 1 great and it carries on to the second season. All characters are so unique. 10/10

Enjoyment: Although the endless 8 arc did carry on a tad long the series has been enjoyable and i look forward to more of the series. 7/10

Overall: To anybody who may be reading these to determine if they should watch this season i must say give it a try. Its not as horrible as other reviews seem to make it to be. Give it a chance, you will be pleasantly suprised.
8/10

The Haruhi Suzumiya franchise has always been one of my favorites, with the Disappearance movie in particular being one of the best things I've seen to date. The second season, however, has spawned a great deal of controversy even amongst avid fans of the show. While I can entirely understand where the frustration is coming from, I personally find the first and second seasons to be equally compelling, though for very different reasons.

The Haruhi Suzumiya franchise has always been one of my favorites, with...

Yeah. I'm here to talk about Haruhi's second season, but I'm primarily here to talk about the endless eight. Episodes 1 ... and 10-14 of the second season are effective continuations of the first season's adventures: if you enjoyed the first season, you will enjoy them. They possess the same uniqueness, charm and subtle character growth that is ever-present in the Haruhi Suzumiya series (damn it is so annoying having the name of the series be the name of one of the characters, I keep having to come up with ways to clarify which one I'm talking about.) That's about all on that, since I obviously wouldn't recommend the second season to anyone who hasn't seen the first already.

Now, on to the hot topic of the hour.

If you consider yourself to be an anime fan then you've probably at least heard of the infamous endless eight by now. The majority of the second season of Haruhi is known as the 'endless eight' and is devoted to repeating the same scenario over and over again, with only slight differences existing between episodes 2-9. At first, this probably sounds like an entirely grinding experience and more ordeal than entertainment. You wouldn't be wrong, either: it's honestly pretty tough to get through, especially if you're like me and you go into it not knowing what you're getting into. It quickly turns from excitement to see what the next episode will bring to a plea that the next time the credits roll there will have been some sort of goddamn resolution.

But in truth, this has been most of my experience with Haruhi: the way I see it, the series has never primarily sought to entertain but rather to emulate the inherent monotony of life and the constant ordeal of trying to overcome it. Haruhi herself is forced to ceaselessly put effort into living an "interesting life" and oftentimes finds that her explosive energy and ambition are not enough to stave off the, well, melancholy. It's in the title: the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise portrays the battle against repetition, boredom and routine that plagues so many lives. Many of the series's flashy or enlivening moments are contrasted by ones that seem to be made intentionally dull or slow. Even when it's being bombastic it feels as though the show is holding back, as though it is willingly choosing to be less entertaining than it could be.

In the endless eight, Haruhi steps it up. No longer content to cut corners in order to satiate the audience, it digs right in. It makes you feel the grind full-blast. It's not trying to appease the fans: it's trying to make them think and reflect on their own lives. Why is it that you're watching this in the first place? Is it because you seek to escape the monotony of your own endless eights, your own meaningless repetition? People become frustrated with Kyon's lack of action whilst they throw themselves into more anime in order to bury their own lack of action. If the endless eight is boring to you, turn it off! Go make better use of your time! Defy your routine! Otherwise, aren't you just doing the exact same thing? I admire the endless eight, I really do: it manages to function as part of the larger narrative whilst driving in its own message at the same time, and it was created at great expense: each episode is animated slightly differently, each line of dialogue delivered with slight variation. This was not a case of laziness. It was a painstakingly-crafted thing, probably created with the knowledge that it would be received quite harshly but created nevertheless for the benefit of those for whom it resonated with.

As far as I'm concerned, the second season of Haruhi is an excellent contribution to the franchise's dedicated themes and an utterly unique experience. However, it's not going to be for everyone. I won't deny that anyone watching Haruhi solely for mindless entertainment value is probably going to want to skip this part of the series. I would also say that the second season of Haruhi is the only one of my all-time favorites I would not be easily willing to re-watch. I highly appreciate it and will happily sing of its merits, but I acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses and am not a glutton for punishment. The choice is up to you, but know that here stands one man that at the end of the day is extremely glad he made the journey.

*This review is spoiler-free, for those few who have not yet been spoiled*

*Please note: I have given this season an 8/10 based on a particular way of viewing it, please read on to understand what I mean.*

So, finally, this is the second season of Haruhi and whether you've heard or not - there's a lot of controversy surrounding it. As any comments on the controversy will inevitably lead to spoilers, I will refrain, and instead give you some helpful advice on how to best enjoy the season while avoiding its less pleasant side.

So, what's this advice, you ask? Just skip episodes 4-8. Yes, I'm serious. ... You'll understand when you get there.

As a 9 episode series, the second season earns an 8/10 rating from me, and I'm sure you'll find it enjoyable as well. As a 14 episode series? Probably a 5 or 6.

In terms of content, this season has three "arcs": episode 1, episodes 2-9 and episodes 10-14. As some of you may or may not know, this season actually fits into the middle of the first season, so, if you're in the mood, you can rewatch it as part of the first season, (it is not, however, necessary) to do so, just follow these easy steps!

1) Make sure you're watching the first season in chronological, not airing order. (Read more on Wikipedia if you're not sure what this means).
2) After original episode 7, "The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya", insert the first episode of the second season.
3) After this, continue watching the first season normally until original episode 12, "Remote Island Syndrome Part 2", insert the rest of the second season episodes here, leaving out episodes 4-8.
4) After the end of the second season, insert the remainder of the first season episodes.

Please note: I do not in any way endorse what KyoAni did with around 35% of this season, I am merely proposing what I feel to be the best solution given the circumstances. If you gave this season a poor rating, I can't say I blame you, though I try to look at things in a more positive light. I found that, having only watched 1-3 and 9-14, I found the season rather enjoyable, and so my review reflects that.

Im going to make this very simple.

If you did not watch and follows the anime week by week then it will suck.

1.What most people fail to understand is probably the endless eight chapter.
Put yourself in the shoes of a japanese who has to sit down in front if your tv everyweek waiting for the new series. All if you people who downloads can fast forward, watch at your own sweet time not worrying if that going to be "THE EPISODE", they can't. if they missed it, the amount of regret is overwhelming.

2.WHY? because you should expect nothing less when you are watching Suzumiya haruhi no ... yutsuu. don't expect them to spoon feed you and simple ride. That whole arc, is meant for us to understand Yuki better. what other way is better than experience it. just like yuki who cant just relax that week knowing that it will repeat, japanese cant missed it. Yuki couldn't expect to do whatever she wants because if that is the last loop, everything will be messed up. Please people, this is suzumiya haruhi, if you expect anything less you are really mistaken.

I personally hate , and bloody hate the endless eight arc, but if i don't, they practically fail. Animes like naruto cant put you in the middle of a ninja fight, bleach cant expect you to find shinigamis, death note does not exist. This anime however, manage to put us into the story so real no other animes has been successful. Suzumiya which is supposedly the director of this event lives with us. She shows us 8 identical episodes just like what she did to yuki. Its bloody perfect.

So please, try to understand why they are doing it and why it lives up the standard of suzumiya haruhi.

Isn't it delightful how many reviewers judge this series for Endless Eight and Endless Eight only? Sure, they overdid it. But is Haruhi 2009 a bad series? In my opinion: no.

STORY!
This installment of Haruhi consists of three stories. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, one episode that explains past events. The infamous Endless Eight, where the gang gets stuck in a time loop for eight episodes. The third story is Sighs, where the Brigade take 5 episodes to shoot "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina", the short film seen in the previous series. Being an adaptation of an exceptionally well written light novel series, the story is quite good, ... though the Endless Eight in the novels focused only on the final time loop, whereas the anime gives us the GREAT pleasure of seeing seven additional loops. A move that was extremely well received...
Story- 9/10

ART & ANIMATION!
Some people like to say that Haruhi 2009 has been "K-ON!-ifyed" in terms of art style, even though the style was previously used by the Kannagi anime and the CLANNAD adaptation before that. Well, the art and animation are... uneven, to put it lightly. The art style has changed dramatically from the first series. The eyes are rounder, teeth are more prominent, everyone's hands now look like balloons etc. The art style gradually starts resembling its 2006 roots by the end of the series, though it's still not quite there. The animation drastically improved throughout the 14 episodes, though. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody looked extremely "meh" while the last two episodes of Sighs were nothing short of spectacular.
Art/Animation- 8/10

SOUND!
Most of the background music has been recycled from the first series, but that's okay, since I loved the 2006 BGM. Some new tracks are used, though they're largely forgettable. The opening and ending, however, were disappointing. The opening, 'Super Driver', is an upbeat pop/rock song that isn't BAD, but it doesn't reach the lofty standards 2006's 'Bouken Desho, Desho?' set. 'BDD?' was upbeat but still mystifying enough to not feel out of place in the darker episodes. 'SD' is way too peppy for, say, some of the more "hopeless" Endless Eight loops, while 'BDD?' would've worked. The new ending, 'Tomare!', is a decent enough song, though it really falls flat in comparison to the famous 'Hare Hare Yukai'. The voice acting is every bit as good as it was in 2006, though, if not better. The performances in Sighs IV blew me away.
Sound- 8/10

CHARACTERS!
Development. It's arguably the point of this series. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody brings some new insight on Mikuru, Endless Eight lets us see new sides of Yuki while Sighs really fleshes out Haruhi and Koizumi. Sighs also puts the complicated relationship of Kyon and Haruhi in focus, as well as the appearant conflicts between the factions of Yuki, Mikuru and Koizumi. We also get to see a calmer, more polite version of Tsuruya, which is nice.
Characters- 10/10

ENJOYMENT!
Hmyes. Call me crazy, but I enjoyed Endless Eight. Not just because of the subtle differences between the loops, but also because it's simply a fun story. Of course, the real draw of Haruhi 2009 is Sighs. The absolute hell the brigade members went through to shoot a badly plotted sci-fi romance movie is either tragic or absolutely hilarious, depending on the situations. And Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody solves some major mysteries present in the 2006 series, as well as being a very entertaining story on its own. I didn't like 2009 quite as much as 2006 (or Haruhi-chan, for that matter), but it's still a fun series.
Enjoyment- 8/10

OVERALL!
Alright! They overdid Endless Eight! 8 episodes of the same thing over and over again ruined the series FOREVER! Never mind that the animation is decent, the plot is as good as ever and Sighs being the best arc since 2006's absolutely epic Melancholy arc. Nope. The only noteworthy thing about this series is Endless Eight and how bad it was! Obviously.

Overall, I give The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2009 a Great 9/10.

okay, first i'll review the Endless 8 :

A true haruhist is the people that "able to watch","able to follow ALL Haruhi abnormalities", and "able to follow Haruhi's common personality and common sense" without COMPLAINING!

you know why??
because IT'S JUST (i said JUST) 8 LOOP!!
IMAGINE IF YOU'RE NAGATO WHO ENDURE HERSELF WITH 15.000++ TIMES LOOP!! ARE YOU NOT THINKING ABOUT HER AT ALL?! BAKA!!
don't dare you call yourself a Haruhist, it's disgusting.

and KyoAni is CREATIVE enough to make all 8 episodes NOT entirely same. there's so MANY difference, like the clothes, the position, the camera angle, a bit dialog change, etc
most of it RE-DRAWN!! not just ... COPY - PASTE!
you all just COMPLAINING ALL THE TIME, nothing but PISS and MOAN, just like Taniguchi in episode 23 (20:23) .
Can you make something like this?!
It's BETTER THAN DO NITHING!!

i really appreciate them for making this boring arc (because of the time loop) into something that interesting and unique.
and the quality of the image is wonderfully drawn too

and i think this is their way to do "Haruhi's Way" in the episodes.
you asked WHY??? BAKA!
It's because WE the HARUHIST is "DIRECTLY" EXPERIENCED The TROLL of Suzumiya Haruhi, that KYON, ASAHINA, NAGATO, AND KOIZUMI through!
We are not just WATCH, but EXPERIENCED IT by watching ENDLESS EIGHT!!

i would say KyoAni is so wonderfull, very wonderfull idea for making Endless Eight.
it's really well made, and very "Haruhi Style"


for other arch,
Bamboo
I'm a little bit dissapointed for this, because it's really my fav episode in the novel. i think this episode should have at least 2 episode. But well, it' done, can't be helped. (this is the reason i only give 9 score)


The Sight
Really COOL!! very interesting and funny ~


That's all from me, i only here for people who don't think badly about Endless 8.
Thanks

Alright, this isn't going to be a typical "OMG 8 Episodes of the same content" rage like some comments out there. I will definitely say this: this show is a good show, despite the horrific stunt that KyoAni pulled with Endless Eight. The main reason why I love this show so much is the insightful remarks of the ever-sarcastic Kyon and the rarely-outspoken Yuki. Haruhi's boisterous attitude, Asahina's typical moe, and Koizumi's general happy-go-lucky demeanor really give this show life. In genral, the amount of effort put into the characters really show and the seiyuus definitely fit into the role.

For people that are hesitant ... to watch this show because of all the raging about Endless Eight, I suggest you watch episode 1,2, 9, and then follow through on the rest. That way, you won't have wasted any time watching Endless Eight except the introuduction of the problem and the resolution of the problem. Episodes 10 and 11 are practically picking up the pace from episode 1, so there shouldn't be any noticeable disappointment. Putting the failure of Endless Eight behind me, I'm still having my hopes up that this show will finish just as strong as first season... at least I hope.