Look its simple really, there's nothing too complicated to analyze here, well I mean there is, if you wanna get started on a discussion about time Paradoxes, aside from that though its a pretty straightforward movie.
Story 10/10-
Firstly, no, you can not watch this without seeing the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Its a brilliant show and is in its own right a masterpiece. It did not end with a grand finale, there were no fireworks..
It is wrong to say this movie is a sequel, this movie is the conclusion to that show, and the ending we never got if watching the series in chronological order (as you should).
With that said this series features a high school boy whos life is full of all sorts of quirky misadventures, mischief and chaos. All of this is brought about by a particular girl who one day disappears (I don't think we can exactly call this a spoiler). Now its important to understand that our MC is a character who, for 2 seasons of anime, did nothing but complain, he's worn down.. exhausted. As it turns out, he's not the only one who shares this sentiment. The events of the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi has left just about everyone in shambles with the exception of Haruhi herself.
Haruhi's disappearance gives him his one wish throughout the series, for the world to go back to normal. However he promptly discovers that this new world albeit an ideal one for him, is just not the same one he grew up in.. its not his home. This leaves him with some hard choices.
The Disappearence is all about finding happiness and understanding the difference between happiness and contentment, and its done like a true masterpiece. If you as a human being have any shred of empathy, this film will get you to some degree.
Sound 8/10-
Winderful score. All Piano and orchestral pieces which set the tone flawlessly. The MC's emotional state is complimented perfectly by every chord or note. The series uses the score the way it's meant to be used, to allow things to be expressed without the necessity for dialogue.
Character 7/10-
Characters get a 7, but we round up at halves so its ok. We get a lot of development from 2 of our characters.. by a lot I mean these 2 characters development in the TV series was seemingly developed to give us a smooth transition into this film. It's impossible to give any more detail without spoiling the series, but these two are strong and interesting to watch, I cant see any normal person finding themselves unable to empathize with them. However I give it a 9.5 because the supporting characters are basically extras, very 2d. Now there is a very good reason for this.. but we still can't ignore that it's 2 hours an 45 minutes long and only 2 characters matter.
Enjoyment 10/10-
10/10 masterpiece best thing ive ever seen in my life.. well almost anyways.
Overall 10/10
Bottom line is, if you haven't seen Suzumiya Haruhi at this point, and you want to get in to anime, I would put the show and this movie within the top 5 of what to watch first. Start with something great so you have a good first show to base the others on, that way you're not wasting your time.
