Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009)

'Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?' The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is most definitely a good series, but in some aspects, it is flawed, especially when it comes to a certain part of the story, that people do not seem to enjoy at all. However, if you can look past that, I'm sure you will find something quite special. Before reading this review, keep in mind that this is a review of the whole series, excluding the movie, because a certain loop has given me enough of this series, for now, at least. Animation: The animation in this show is stellar, especially sinceit was made in 2009, it is very well done in most aspects, and it has not disappointed me for the whole run. While yes, it is in the old art style of anime, you might not even notice it because of how smooth it is at most times, especially in action scenes.

Visuals:
Since it was made in 2009-2010, the visuals are indeed a bit dated, but that doesn't mean they are bad. The effects move cleanly, and the action scenes this anime has are filled with very nice visuals throughout. Outside of that, it is your run of the mill slice of life in terms of visuals, nothing to write home about, but certainly not something that will hurt your retinas.

Soundtrack:
Just like the animation, the soundtrack is amazing, because even if this show is very strange most of the time, the soundtrack manages to fit all of those strange or unexplained moments perfectly. It is snappy, cheery, mysterious, and everything in between, when it needs to be, that is. I haven't really listened to the OP and outro's just yet, but judging by the songs in the shows, I'm sure they are well made.

Story:
It is about time we start with the story, and why I used that certain quote at the start of the review. In the first season, the show has a very nice pacing, and the story is easy enough to follow, even though it is sometimes very strange in its explanations. However, this all changes with the second season, and with a very specific arc, that lasts 8 entire episodes, rather fittingly. If you know anything about the show, it is probably this, as it is very infamous among fans, but if you do not I will not spoil it here, as even though I don't think its good, I do not wish to spoil it. That said, I am on the 'this arc is bad' side, solely because at one point, I had to skip to the ending of the episodes, and you will understand why when you get there. But, even if I do not like it, the show is still manages to be entertaining afterwards, however, if I had to wait for these episodes to come out, and I got to watch the same thing again, expecting things to change, the overall rating would have been much lower, so I can understand why some fans are that annoyed by it.

Closing statement:
The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a strange and sometimes hilarious journey, but if you are not the patient type, I suggest you steer well away from it. That said, if you want a show that has a very unique idea, or a slice of life combined with different other genres, then I suggest you give it a go, as you might not find something like this anywhere else!