Having read reviews on MAL and various other websites, it's plain to see that a lot of the fans were disappointed with this addition to the Haruhi franchise. I'll admit it, I loved the first season (hence why it is in my favourites at the time of writing this) and was even more so impressed with the movie, 'Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu'. But I had been putting this season off for
a while for one reason; Endless Eight. There's a topic in the discussion section of this anime called "Sign here if you watch all eight episodes of Endless Eight". When being able to complete eight episodes of TMoHS '09 (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2009) is regarded as a feat by the masses, it makes things quite problematic for people who have yet to have seen the series because, generally speaking, one would presume it to be "crap". For such a short series at 14 episodes, to hate eight of those episodes would calculate to 57%, so is everyone suggesting that only 43% of the series is worth watching? At one point, I was seriously contemplating dropping the series entirely, but after completing it, I'm so glad I chose not to. The shit this series gets thrown at it doesn't do it justice, and in my review, I hope to remedy that.
First and foremost, type in "chronological order Haruhi" into the Google search bar and click on the Wikipedia link. Scroll down to where it says "2009 version". That is how the staff have intended for their viewers to watch the series. If you, like me, watched the first season in broadcast order and have yet to view it chronologically, then this is a perfect opportunity.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of non-linear stories, so re-watching the first season as well as the new 2009 version chronologically really appealed to me. With that out of the way, TMoHS '09 can be divided into three sections: episode 1 (Bamboo Blade Rhapsody), episodes 2 - 9 (Endless Eight) and episodes 10 - 14 (The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya parts 1 - 5). Keep in mind that TMoHS '09 isn't necessarily a second season, although is commonly referred to as being one by the fan base because it is the second anime entry of the franchise. Similarly to the first season, only six of the episodes are important to the overall storyline. As you may have guessed, those episodes are episodes 1 (Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody) and 10 - 14 (The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya Parts 1 - 5). So that leaves us with the infamous Endless Eight, which will be the first segment of the anime that I will analyse as it is the one that receives the most negative feedback.
Firstly, Endless Eight is a filler arc, so it isn't an imperative to watch it. However, I feel that to be an insult to Kyoto Animation's efforts, so I wouldn't advise skipping it. And why would you? Sure, the execution wasn't great and it could have been better, but it's still worthy of a watch none-the-less. Endless Eight is an eight episode long arc (obviously) set in the last two weeks of Summer vacation from August 17th - 31st. The SOS brigade decides to spend their last two weeks of Summer to the fullest by participating in various activities, ranging from swimming to cicada catching to stargazing. One night, Kyon is awoken by a phone call from a distressed Mikuru and is then asked by Itsuki to join in their group discussion, immediately. Upon arriving at the rendezvous point, Itsuki explains to Kyon the predicament that they are all in. That as soon as the clock strikes 12 a.m. on August 31st, they will be forced to repeat those two weeks all over again in an ininite loop, with no memory of doing so. The exception to this, however, is Nagato. She remembers all those 10,000+ times that she repeated those two weeks. Personally, I loved this concept, but quickly started to become disinterested in it. The reason is simple: it was drawn out for too long and the differences between each episode weren't significant enough to keep me hooked. Some people claim that KyoAni became lazy and started recycling scenes, but that is factually un-true. It is clear that KyoAni put a lot of effort into each scene. Although in essence you're watching the same episode eight times, there are differences in each and every episode. They include:
The clothes they are wearing;
How they decide to phrase something;
Camera angles;
Kyon may become more aware of the situation in some episodes than others.
The second point I made is the most noticeable. For example, during each episode, Nagato tells Kyon how many times they have repeated the two weeks. His shocked reaction stays the same, but the dialogue used always changes. In one episode he says,
"That calculates to... uh... 594 years."
In another episode, he says,
"That's about 594 years!"
And in another episode, it shows him actually calculating it on a phone, which surprisingly comes to 594 years.
I mentioned earlier that the main problem with this arc is that it was drawn out for too long. I can understand why they did it, though. Had it lasted only three episodes, you wouldn't have felt the same level of sympathy towards the characters the same way as you would with eight. But it could have been done just as successfully with five episodes. The first episode could have been when the problem was introduced, the third could have been the solution and, finally, the fifth episode could have been the conclusion. I think that one would enjoy this arc more-so if they are interested in film studies and can appreciate this purely on its aesthetic value. I also felt the ending to be quite... erm... anti climatic. Considering how long it was drawn out, I
feel that little effort was put into the conclusion of the arc. One thing that did impress me, though, was how Nagato dealt with the situation. She was always a calm and reserved character in the first season, but there are several points during this arc where she appears as if she's about to have a mental breakdown. Hell, her eyes tell us enough about how she must have felt. Overall, this arc can feel like a chore to complete at times, but if you think about the amount of effort that KyoAni put in to this, then it doesn't seem so bad. It was a bold and gutsy move on behalf of KyoAni, and I commend them for that. I definitely wouldn't suggest completing this arc in one sitting, though.
6/10
The next section of the anime that I have decided to analyse is episodes 10 - 14, or 'The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya Parts 1 - 5'. Remember that infamous first episode in broadcast order on the original series? Did you ever wonder what that was all about? That is what this arc is for. The cultural festival is nearing, and the SOS brigade have decided to participate by making a film.
In the original series, you knew that they made a film for the cultural festival, but you didn't know how it was decided, what went on behind the scenes, what conflict occurred, etcetra. I'm a sucker for things like this, when you're shown what went on behind the scenes. I thought this was a worthy addition to the season and thoroughly enjoyed this arc.
7/10
As for the first episode, I can't really analyse it without spoiling too much. Considering it's the first that you watch, you'll know whether you like it or not. All I can say is that this episode is essential if you intend on continuing with the anime franchise and is, in my opinion, the best episode on this season. It was strong for an opening episode and set the bar high for what was to come. A little too high, actually.
8/10
Animation, sound and characters have all remained pretty similar to what they were in the first season, so I don't intend on writing a huge paragraph for each of the said aspects. My only complaints are that the opening and ending songs weren't anywhere near as enjoyable as the first season's and details of facial features fluctuated. Other than that, everything was on par with the first season.
Overall: 7/10
