Review of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Summary: I highly recommend this movie, especially for hardcore fans of the Haruhi series, or those who have seen both seasons of the anime. It is exceedingly refreshing to end on a high note, in the way this movie (probably) ended the KyoAni run for the Haruhi series. Overall: 10/10 This is everything that I wanted the show to be when I started watching it. My disappointment was significant following the end of the second season, but this movie more than redeemed itself and made this series exceedingly memorable! Characterization was great for every member of the SOS Brigade, the plot absolutely magnificent, the animations and artwere even more breathtakingly-gorgeous than the TV anime, and I was fully engaged for the entire 2 hour, 42 minute experience.

Story (No Spoilers): 10/10
As a lover of Steins;Gate, I must be a giant sucker for time travelling protagonists who use every ounce of brainpower to restore things to the way they were. Nevertheless, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya never felt quite like anything else I've seen. The entire premise of the movie was fascinating, and the plot twists truly had me gasping, and had my mouth agape constantly. In contrast to the second season, which left me feeling as if the series was almost not worth the time to watch, each and every moment had me questioning Kyon's next move, why things were happening the way they were, and what the solution was. From beginning to end, the story was utterly fantastic, undoubtedly the best of the entire series, in my opinion.

Art: 10/10
It's KyoAni. It's a movie. It's what you'd expect when those two aspects are mixed. Fantastic is an understatement.

Sound: 10/10
Voice acting, one of the strengths from the original TV anime, remains stellar in the movie. If anything, Kyon's performance actually improves. The use of the first opening of the anime being used at the beginning of the movie was definitely the right move, adding a touch of nostalgia into the experience.

Character: 10/10
Seeing Kyon going through the traumatic situations of the movie, and watching how he reacted told me a lot about his character. We already knew from the anime that he enjoyed being a member of the brigade, but the ending of the movie really solidified the notion that he sees his fellow members almost like a tiny family. The members of the brigade's devotion to each other was a great pleasure to behold, and left me feeling thoroughly satisfied. In addition, seeing Haruhi's charmingly-horrible personality being stripped away and being replaced by genuine worry and care was beautiful, truly showing her character's growth from the first scene of the first season. Last, but not least, Yuki's mental "transformation" was something I was yearning for, and did not leave me disappointed. I won't speak on it any further than that, for spoiler reasons, but I'll just say that I was thoroughly impressed.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I never thought I'd rate something else all 10's after Steins;Gate, but here I am. I was debating watching this movie due to my severe disappointment after finishing the second season, but thankfully MAL indicated that it would be worth it. Even knowing that it was well-recieved by fans, my expectations were shattered, and by the time I was finished, it made me look back and realize that all of the things that seemed pointless throughout the TV anime almost ended up being worth it. Ultimately, this was a fantastic way to bid farewell to the SOS Brigade, which is what they deserved.