Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I came into this story with absolutely no knowledge about it. I had heard a couple people speak of it highly, and I kept it at that. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) the streaming site I had placed it in chronological order and at this point I'm not of the mind to give a damn to find out if the "other way" is best. It'd probably be spoiled anyways. I really didn't think I'd like it; call it a hunch. Well this time my hunch was WAY off. There's a pulse I can't really put my finger on; thoughts that I have with which I cannot yet penor describe through any other method. That said, I'd still like to try.

Story:

This is what hooked me; the narrative tone of the protaganist Kyon is well executed early on, though seems to waver, disappear, and return when the time calls. This kind of gives us a look into his state of mind as the world warps around him. At first he's cock-sure and babbles on, but his prose shortens and exhibits an almost instinctive brevity when things turn tits-up (SHTF). We find ourselves entangled in a web (possibly?) of his own making, accident or not.

The plot is paced so well, as to place low and high points with intermittent periods of astute and precise exhibition. It really roped me in for sure. One of the best things about this season (series?) is that just when you get an answer, you feel even more confused about what's next! I found myself unable to stop. And with that I move on to the highest note:

Character:

From the first person narrative we get from Kyon we are slowly dragged into his place as a "player character". There is a meme in writing where authors have a habit of making main characters a proxy for the self; in this case, the writers gave the "protagonist" an almost tabula rasa mind, and flexible personality with which we can almost immediately adapt.

Not only this, but because Kyon was made an ego sponge early on, we all got to grow through his eyes and actions. There were times I cringed when he did things, or times I nodded my head in agreement. And that's not all.

Haruhi may be said to have the best character progression. Why? She did some crazy thing 3 years ago but we don't get much more in the intervening periods. It would leave one to believe she's given up. And that is exactly why she behaves the way she does early on, and why the other characters feel the need to get involved. Nothing is worse than a bored or angry Haruhi.

As for the other characters, their growth is evident as well, albeit in different manifests. Some would say in different times. The only one who doesn't seem to change a bit, is Itsuki; though I can see his reasons.

Art

While outdated at the time of my writing, I found it fine. I didn't like the still frames, awkward movements, or blatant CG when convenient. However, when they wanted to, the animators did a damn good job. For the time it would not have been out of place, but that doesn't make it great.

Sound

I don't really have much to say to this. It lacked almost the entire series;
HOWEVER, there were masterfully placed and paced symphonies that really captured moments and had me at the edge of my seat. The show perhaps tried to utilize the dynamics between silence and orchestra to really draw out the dynamic emotions of the human heart. I can't pretend to speak for that.

Enjoyment

Someone please PM me and tell me why this is even a category. I liked it okay? Is that good enough? I don't get it.

Overall: High 9/10