Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I’m not extremely familiar with anime, although out of the few I have seen this is by far the one that I enjoyed the most. Although not perfect, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has an intriguing mix of warmth, beauty, style, and comedy that make this anime worthy of such a high rating. **This section may have spoilers. Please read at your own discretion.** Story-9/10 The story follows the adventures of the SOS Brigade (Spreading Excitement all Over the World with the Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade,) which consists of Brigade Leader, Haruhi Suzumiya, “Mysterious Transfer Student” Itsuki Koizumi, “Mascot”Mikuru Asahina, Literary-Club-Turned-Brigade-Member Yuki Nagato, and Average Student, Kyon.

The intrigue starts when the many characters reveal their true identities to Kyon: Yuki Nagato is an Alien, Mikuru Asahina is a Time Traveler, and Itsuki Koizumi is an Esper, and the reason they are all at North High School is to observe Haruhi Suzumiya, who, although she doesn’t know it, has the ability to destroy the world!

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is, in my opinion, primarily a science fiction series, although it adds enough humor to make it fun. The episodes range from the main character, Kyon, discovering that his classmate, Haruhi is, as alien Yuki Nagato put it, “the key to human evolution,” to the SOS Brigade partaking in a baseball tournament.

The original broadcasting order of the series was not chronological, however I recommend viewing them in proper order. I recommend this because it just makes more sense that way. I was hooked enough since episode 1; I didn’t need extra confusion to make me continue watching.

Art-10/10

As I stated earlier, I don’t watch many anime, but even I can see that the art is beautifully done. The animation is superb: every single episode is graceful, beautiful, and fluid. The animators clearly invested their time into making this masterpiece, and I sincerely thank Kyoto Animation for doing so.

Sound-10/10

The opening and ending are sung by Aya Hirano, and are, in my opinion, just lovely. I adore Japanese music, and these songs are one-if not my favorite-of the genre.

The voice acting for both the English and Japanese versions are wonderful. I prefer dubs to subs, but either are great in this case.

Character-9/10

(This section will be the longest since I absolutely loved the characters.)

This anime has every stereotypical type of character: the “average guy,” the “pretty boy,” the “silent one,” the “cute one,” and the “headstrong one-“ and yet, each one of them are so unique that it would be an injustice to call them simple stereotypes.

Kyon-

Kyon is your everyday high school freshman; moody, sarcastic, and indifferent. He has a cynical approach to nearly every problem he faces. His development with each individual character is too much to write, but the catalyst to his change was Haruhi. In the first episode, Kyon seems selfish and unmotivated, but that all changes once he joins the SOS Brigade. Although he still seems reluctant, he will do nearly anything that Haruhi says, though he will object to her schemes if need be. He becomes much more open and accepting, although he still has a ways to go.

Itsuki Koizumi-

Itsuki is a polite, gentlemanly young man; nearly every girl’s “dream guy,” if you will. He reveals himself to be an Esper who was sent by “The Organization” to keep an eye on Haruhi Suzumiya. Thus he is very compliant and greets all of her demands with a smile, albeit a fake one. Itsuki is perhaps the most mysterious character in the bunch, because his true personality is unknown.

He often brings up very philosophical points when conversing with Kyon. Most people find his speeches (on topics such as the Anthropic Principle) to be bromidic, but I think they’re fascinating. If you enjoy science (or cute boys), then you’ll probably like Itsuki Koizumi.

Mikuru Asahina

Miss Asahina is sweet, timid, and kind. She was “voluntarily arrested” by Haruhi and, much to her apparent dismay, is the club’s “mascot” due to her attractive figure. Haruhi often dresses Mikuru into cosplay outfits, such as a bunny, nurse, and maid. Many say her only role is for fanservice, but I disagree.

Miss Asahina’s true identity is a Time Traveler: she comes from the future, although how far in the future is unknown (it’s classified.) She was, just as the other supernatural beings, sent to observe Miss Suzumiya. I find her to be quite admirable. With the help of Kyon (who is her protector of sorts,) she puts up with much abuse, and does so, for the most part, with a straight face. She even attempts to hide her feelings for Kyon, all due to her mission to keep the world safe.

Yuki Nagato

Yuki Nagato is introduced as the lone member of the literary club. Introverted and reserved, Miss Nagato rarely speaks, although when she does, it’s usually very important.

Miss Nagato reveals herself to be a Humanoid Interface, sent by the Data Integration Thought Entity to observe Haruhi Suzumiya. She is very powerful and is often the sole protector of Kyon and the rest of the SOS Brigade when they are in a dangerous situation. Quite important, she can manipulate data around her (although not to Miss Suzumiya’s extent) and prevents many disastrous events from occurring.

Out of all the characters, Miss Nagato is perhaps the one with the most depth. Although originally taciturn and stoic, she begins to experience human emotions after observing them for so long. Hopefully she will continue to learn and grow, and one day will be able to smile along with her fellow friends.

Haruhi Suzumiya-

I saved the most memorable character for last-Miss Haruhi Suzumiya. Eccentric, brave, and beautiful, Miss Suzumiya embodies the human spirit of raw eagerness and determination (which is ironic, considering that she is, in fact, not human.)

Miss Suzumiya seems to be the most relatable character-although strong on the outside, on the inside she is quite vulnerable and yearns for purpose and meaning. The root of this desire began when she had the realization that she was only one of billions of people. In order to make a name for herself, she began to pursue the inhuman.

Although she is not aware of it, this wish was granted, and due to her request. She is, in fact, a powerful being who has the ability to create and destroy the world-of course, she doesn’t know this.

So, she creates the SOS Brigade, despite half the member’s unwillingness to join. This is when we see all of Miss Suzumiya’s less desirable traits; despite being beautiful and athletic, she is narcissistic, bossy, and rude. She thinks only of herself and caters only to her own demands. It’s thanks to Kyon that she begins to realize the error of her ways and slowly but surely begins to accept other’s opinions-although it will be a long, long time before one can call her considerate.

Enjoyment-10/10

This story is the perfect mix of excitement, humor, and intrigue. I would watch this again and again.

Overall-9/10

The majority of the story is well-thought-out and interesting, the animation and vocals are wonderful, and the characters themselves are fantastic. If you have not yet seen the series I would without a doubt recommend it. I look forward to future seasons and hope that the show’s message of friendship and acceptance will resonate in the heart of every viewer.