Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu

If a survey were conducted to see if people believed in aliens, time travelers, or maybe espers, most would say they do not; average high school student Kyon considers himself among the non-believers. However, on his first day of school, he meets a girl who soon turns his world upside down.

During class introductions, the beautiful Haruhi Suzumiya boldly announces her boredom with "normal" people and her intention of meeting supernatural beings. Dumbfounded, Kyon learns of her frustration with the lack of paranormal-focused clubs at their school and unwittingly inspires her to start her own club. She creates the Spreading Fun all Over the World with Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade, otherwise known as the SOS Brigade.

Following the SOS Brigade's founding, Haruhi manages to recruit Kyon and three other members: quiet bookworm Yuki Nagato, shy upperclassman Mikuru Asahina, and perpetually positive Itsuki Koizumi. Despite their normal appearance, the new members of the SOS Brigade each carry their own secrets related to Haruhi. Caught up in the mystery surrounding the eccentric club leader, Kyon is whisked away on a series of misadventures by Haruhi and the SOS Brigade, each one bringing him closer to the truth about who and what she is.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Suzumiya, Haruhi Main

Hirano, Aya Japanese

Kyon Main

Sugita, Tomokazu Japanese

Nagato, Yuki Main

Chihara, Minori Japanese

Asahina, Mikuru Main

Gotou, Yuuko Japanese

Koizumi, Itsuki Main

Ono, Daisuke Japanese

Tsuruya Supporting

Matsuoka, Yuki Japanese

Asakura, Ryouko Supporting

Kuwatani, Natsuko Japanese

Shamisen Supporting

Ogata, Kenichi Japanese

Kyon's Sister Supporting

Aoki, Sayaka Japanese

Okabe Supporting

Yanagisawa, Eiji Japanese

Hatta, Youko Producer

Saitou, Shigeru Producer

Ishihara, Tatsuya Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard

Tsuruoka, Youta Sound Director

Reviews

Aug 16, 2008

TheLlama

Recommended

Warning: This review contains some SPOILERS

I've read many reviews of this show, and they're varied - some people love it, some hate it. Personally, I love this show, and am almost surprised that some people don't. But then again, if you don't like the sheer randomness and wackiness that the show builds on, the anime won't appeal to you.

The setting is as following – a girl (Haruhi Suzumiya) has the power to change reality – a sort of God, in other words. She is unaware of this ability herself. Her wish of meeting espers, aliens and time travelers, combined with the aforementioned power, ends ... up in her making a club where said types of beings come together (she’s unaware of them being any more than normal humans, though) – along with a perfectly normal guy named Kyon; the first normal human to get along with her. Her club is called the SOS Brigade (Save the world by Overloading it with fun Suzumiya Haruhi’s Bridage), and we follow them as they partake in various – and humorous – activities.


Story-wise, you can say the anime is episodic in that there's a new event every episode, but there's still ties between the individual episodes, which makes a true chronological order present. However, they were originally aired in a non-chronologic order, to make things even more confusing and random. Personally, I prefer the chronological order over the broadcast order, but I've heard people say otherwise. I'll try to list ups and down as good as possible:

Broadcast order:
+ You'll get some good character development
+ The end of the series actually come at the end
- References to episodes that you haven't watched yet
- First episode might scare you off (watch it till the end!)

Chronological order:
+ Linear story
- The ending is kinda in the middle of the series
- Character development may feel a bit reset after episodes

Decide for yourself =)

To me, the story was really great, and so was the setting. Each episode contained so much - you may feel that you've watched more than one episode's length at the end of an episode. This is partially due to the pacing - it varies from the slow, standard slice-of-life pacing to hyperactive and fast pacing which fits with Haruhi's character.


The animation style of the show is excellent. Kyoto Animation definitely lives up to their reputation - most of the series they've worked on has an excellent animation quality (note: excellent, not necessarily perfect). The characters move so fluidly, the coloring is great, and other details are good too. Haruhi's various hair styles are a plus too. Lighting effects are good too..Their faces lost detail too often, which drags it down.


The soundtrack is so-so. It's not the best, but it's good nevertheless. The OP/ED themes are catchy and good stand-alone songs, and the BGM is decent for this type of show. Voice acting is really good too; they manage to portray Haruhi's hyperactiveness and Kyon's laid-back, sarcastic character very well.


When it comes to the characters, many people drag the score down because of the near-absence of character development. But, hey, guess what folks? It's a 14-episode slice of life/comedy anime. You don't watch these if you want character development. Sometimes you've got to think about what you're rating before you rate it. I don't let low amounts of character development drag down the score for this kind of anime. Though, watching it in broadcast order presents you with some good character development towards the end.

Okay, the characters may be a little unoriginal - the laid-back guy and the hyperactive girl pair is definitely not something unseen. A quiet and shy girl and a moe/loli girl aren't unusual either. But what made the characters in TMoHS as good as they were was the unique way in which they were presented - it kinda made me forget that they're based on character types seen many times before in the world of anime.

The story is told from Kyon's point of view, and he tells the story in a style that just made me burst out in laughter from time to time. Haruhi's hyperactiveness and, as Nagato said, "absence of universally accepted personality traits", makes her really fun to watch, and she gives me a good laugh more than once per episode. What people may find repulsive about her behavior is her constant sexual harassments of poor Mikuru. But I've seen people who hate the show based on only that, which I find stupid. Anyway, you've got to be prepared for a little fanservice from Haruhi's and Mikuru's interactions, if that's the correct term.


All in all, TMoHS is a series which, to me, lived up to most of the hype. Good way of telling a 14-episode story, good animation, decent soundtrack, characters who were portrayed in a way that made them original, and of course, a unique setting. And not to mention, it's highly rewatchable, both for getting to watch it in both orders and because it's just pure fun to watch over and over again.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =)

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 11, 2009

Akachi_Tem

Mixed Feelings

I watched this about two years ago.Maybe I was still young and couldn't understand the "greatness" of it.Thinking back to that time even if I re-watched it I doubt it'd make any difference.So I guess I'm just one of those people who didn't like it.So I gathered up all my courage and decided to write a review about it despite all the fans that might get offended by this.

So here I go.

Story 3/10

Never made me excited.Maybe the order I watched the episodes is to be blame,although I highly doubt that's the reason.After all the order they were released was wrong they wouldn't hae done so,so ... I believe it was surving the purpose of making the anime look more interesting and kind of confusing.The whole God thing wasn't really my thing.Actually the story didn't progress at all till the last episode.Except for the info that was shared with the viewers,nothing else really happened.Just daily activities and Haruhi being unaware of her "abilities"(if that's the right word to use)

Art 8/10
I must admit though,despite the story that was offered to us,the art was pretty nice and still is.The characters were beautifully designed,nothing too original but still.Of course let's not forget the animation.I personally was pleased with it.

Sound 7/10
I think I'm being generous at the moment.The Op/ED wasn't all that special.Not to mention that most times I found my time skipping the OP,but meh it wasn't all that bad.It was good but not exceptional just a regular anime OP song.The rest of the sound was ok in the anime.The voice actors did a pretty good job and I think Haruhi had being voiced pretty well,just like the rest of the characters.

Character 2/10
I couldn't get connected with any characters,AT ALL.Maybe with Mikuru at first but it ws futile hoping something would happen during the anime(like she protecting herself from Haruhi,O.o) but no,instead the characters lack depth.Most of the times they seem repetetive and are there just for the so called "story" to progress.In my opinion the anime just focuses on three,Haruhi,Kyon and Mikuru(fanservie) characters and the others are just there for decoration or when they need to get some screentime.
Let's start off with Mikuru,the stereotype of the shy,cutie big-breasted girl,who can be taken advantege of(in this case Haruhi) and serves for fanservice reasons.Doesn't change during all of the episodes.Meaning no development.
Kyon,well to most Haruhi haters,he's the most likeable person.To me he just isn't there.Most of the times I'd ignore him cause to me he looks like he is so tired of living that he just sits there doing nothing.Can't understand what purpose this one serves though.
Last but not least,Haruhi.Yay!!!Or no?
From the first time she appeared I hated her.She's so aggresive and bitchy.How can people like her?I don't understand at all.All she does is take advantage of people in any way she can.She does whatever is possible for her own gain yet you feel like hit by Cupid every time you see this character?Honestly I doubt you would be really like that if she were a real person and it was you who she was treating that way.But she's not,that's why the fans find her to be perfect.She has everything(according to them).She's beautiful,smart and has a weird personality but also dynamic(maybe that's her main attraction).I'm trying to convince myself that I've misunderstood this character,but everytime I see her in the anime she just pisses me off.Really,I never have hated a character this much.Sorry if you got offended by this but it'strue!

Enjoyment 4/10
I should have given this a 1 but there must have been some kind of enjoyment out of it,right?It's not possible to hate every episode.Yes I did enjoy around 2-3 episodes,but that's about it.I was literally pushing my self to bear with it.It only had 13 episodes so sooner or later it'd would end and I really had to watch of all them to understand how "magnificent" this really is and what's the reason why all people have gone crazy over it.

Overall 5/10
I gave it a 5,cause this anime will make you either an extreme fan or an extreme hater in most cases.So me being kind of an extreme hater didn't want to affect my rating.It's not either too good,not too bad.But I personally have weird tastes so if I didn't have those then I believe I might have rated it higher.I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for good characters or story but if you just want to relax and sit back just go ahead and watch it.The only thing I'm gonna is don't expect a lot cause you'll be disappointed and won't enjoy it.(my case here)

This is my first review,hope I did well on writing it but more will be coming.I am glad to have shared my opinion/review with you all.Let me know what you thought of it and what I could possibly improve to make better ones in the future.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Aug 12, 2022

Sii_Kei

Not Recommended

2 things before you read this review:

1) I (unfortunately) watched the series twice, both in airing and chronological order, so I can compare them.
2) This is not a praise Haruhi review, but rather a review from someone who truly dislikes and despises the show. I tried to include all reasons behind this; so even if you are a Haruhi fanatic, please try to understand why I rated it so low.

Now onto the review.
MAL is the place where I usually decide the new anime series I want to watch. Unfortunately, this sometimes proves to be disastrous - like the case of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. ... Reading the synopsis, seeing the nice graphics and all the hype around it, I really expected something great, intelligent and unusual. Instead, I got a really big disappointment - manifested by a boredom and annoyance overdose.

From what I've seen, there are usually two approaches of the show that Haruhi fans support. First is the parody one - TMoHS is supposed to be a light comedy not meant to be taken seriously, destined purely for laughter. Second states that TMoHS is a deep, subtle and intelligent show that has a lot of hidden meanings. I honestly disagree with both. TMoHS is nothing more than a series that delivers to fans what fans want - exaggerated, cliche characters, lots of fanservice, predictability and little to none plot and character development.

Story

You can't talk about the story without mentioning the really unusual way in which the episodes are aired - and that is, not chronological. I admit, this is an extremely intelligent, even brilliant idea - to hide the fact that the plot of TMoHS is basically zero. Nopes. Nothing ever happens; it's just a bunch of high school and spare time events that some teenagers go through randomly thrown in. That's why, it really doesn't matter in which order you watch the show, since you won't miss anything.

Now, the whole 'God is amongst us' concept could have been really interestingly developed - if it wasn't for the characters.

Characters

In my opinion, characters truly represent the poorest aspect of the show. Leaving aside the fact that there is no development in their personalities at all, they are so poorly made, that it's almost as if they were created to be mocked at. In an elegant way, you could say that they are one-dimensional sketches or exaggerated caricatures. In a non sophisticated, yet same true way, you could just call them crappy. Either way, they cut off all the enjoyment the story could have brought. Because they are so simplistic, the viewer is basically able to predict anything that's about to happen in the following 5 minutes with an accuracy of 95% - unless he's an idiot.

So let's move onto each one of them.

Haruhi:
Haruhi is what every teenage girl would want to be - she's beautiful, she's smart, she's talented and athletic. She could be called either a Mary Sue character or a tsundere - I don't care. Because of all her qualities, her life was probably pretty easy, thus leading her to believe she's special. However, she doesn't want to be special only for herself - she wants the world to know how great of a person she is. So far, so good. Then why is she so unlikeable? Well, Haruhi's way of proving she's something else is definitely WRONG.
If there was one adjective I had to pick to describe Haruhi, then I'd probably choose aggressive. Haruhi is aggressive in everything. Her speech is aggressive, her ideas are aggressive, her way of waving her hands is aggressive, but most important of all - her relationships towards other people is aggressive. She has no value of human morals whatsoever, considering everybody her pawns. Therefore, Haruhi thinks she is allowed to do everything just because she's able to. I honestly waited throughout the whole series for someone to slap her, disagree with her or at least spark the tiniest bit sense of reality into her. Unfortunately, there was no positive development at all. Haruhi started out as a perfect, bossy bitch and ended up as an even more bitchy one, receiving several ego boosts as the series advanced due to her talented, almighty nature.

Yuki:
Yuki could as very well be replaced by a broken alarm clock that rings when it shouldn't or by an old, rusted door and there would hardly be any differences. 90% of Yuki's actions are static - she's just, well, there, reading a book. (The climax of Yuki's passiveness is reached during episode 14, when the viewer is shown 5 minutes in which basically all she does is change the page while voices full of references echo on the school corridor. That's 5 freaking minutes of NOTHING. Yet I, as a viewer, should find this utterly amusing.) The rest 10% of Yuki's actions make absolutely no sense. She's just programming computers or fighting cute aliens while being equally cute, silent and moe.

Mikuru:
Mikuru's only purpose in this show is to bring fanservice. Lots and lots, if possible. Mikuru has this high-pitched, squeaky scream and this shy personality which enables her to make all fanboys fall for her. She's like a sickening cute, fluffy hamster that starts squealing every time she's touched (and she sure gets touched a lot, mind you.) Every once in a while, she might give you the unpleasant surprise that she's not actually a commercial item and she can exit her tormented animal state too and be human - by speaking.

Koizumi:
I haven't read the original novels so I can't tell for sure what role Koizumi plays in them - but to me, it seems as the creator of TMoHS had, at some point, reached a pinch. He had to create a new character. Therefore, his line of reasoning was probably something like this: "Hey, I already have 3 extremely moe and likable female characters. I should make a guy too, so the female audience would be pleased. Yeah, yeah, I should make a guy - as elegant and charming as possible." Thus Koizumi was born.
Basically, unless you're a crazy fangirl or something similar, you'd barely be able to notice Koizumi - I, for once, kept forgetting his name all the time. To be honest, the only time I acknowledged his existence was when he kept staring at Kyon's hair in the middle of a mole fluttering in the ocean breeze. I thought it was the most irrelevant and repulsing thing TMoHS had brought so far.
Koizumi serves as the voice through which the strange events occurring around Haruhi are explained. Translation: his speeches are long, boring and put you to sleep. When he talks, he talks. When he doesn't talk, he still talks.

Kyon:
Kyon is a sword with two edges. On one hand, he's really sarcastic, being quite innovative to the ordinary guy genre - thus proving to be the only aspect that might seem slightly interesting during the series. On the other one, he's extremely unlikable due to the fact that he doesn't take any action at all - unless forced by Haruhi. Kyon was the viewer's last hope of Haruhi redemption - yet he fails miserably, by making her even worse than how she actually started off.

Art and Sound

Art and sound are probably the only positive aspects of the show. TMoHS manages to create a pretty good atmosphere - the movements are flowing easily, the colors are bright and clean, the background music fits in - even though it doesn't stand out as more than ordinary. The OP and ED are either really addictive or annoying to the core - I'm more inclined to the latter. Voices are OK, the actors managing to catch each character's personality - which only adds up to how you, as a viewer, perceive them. Overall, no major problem.

Enjoyment

Zero. Zero enjoyment. I can't quite comprehend how a normal, rational person can watch a show where the characters are horrible and the story is predictable - and, at the same time, enjoy it. Haruhi is a mediocre anime for the masses. It was meant to be liked by all those who want to stand out but have no means of doing so. I honestly expect much more from my anime when I watch it. I want to be hooked or at least slightly entertained. Leave aside the fact that I constantly kept staring elsewhere asking myself 'when will this crap be over?'; I couldn't even grin ONCE throughout the series. That's how uninteresting it was.

Overall

When rating, I usually consider two aspects. One is enjoyment; the other is the effort that I feel the creators put into the certain anime. Animation-wise, KyoAni really overdid itself. Plot-wise, it was a total wreck.

Therefore, I really cannot rate TMoHS more than 4 out of 10.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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