Review of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi Suzumiya gets the It's a Wonderful Life treatment, starring multiple Asahinas, a pleasantly distasteful Bizarro World Koizumi, and wish fulfillment for everyone who ever wanted to see Nagato exhibit some variety. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is an epic-length return to the franchise worthy of every iota of power we've been led to believe resides in all the non-Kyon characters. The animation is just as expressive and bright as in the show, but with even higher production values afforded by the full-length feature film budget, and similarly the performances are as vivacious as ever - even more so, in fact, as circumstances turn increasinglydire over the course of the film. As a whole, Disappearance is a perfect example of an anime film in that it recapitulates everything that made the preceding series great, but on a larger scale.
It's a popular narrative element, the ol' "wake up one morning and find everything has changed" scenario, but as we learned the minute Haruhi drew up her personnel requirements for the SOS Brigade, this franchise embraces tropes out of which it can wring something greater and more compelling. By exploring multiple worlds, we learn so much more about who these characters are (and who they aren't). You'd think you know these characters after spending 15,000 summer vacations with them, but Disappearance shows us that they can still surprise us and each other - and that, just the same, some things never change. Everything hinges on these beloved faces; with the future of our familiar world riding on the events chronicled within and so many callbacks to previous adventures, Disappearance feels like a true culmination of everything Haruhi Suzumiya promised us up to this point. The light novels may continue into the future, but I could think of no better finale for the SOS Brigade's animated exploits.
The two seasons of Melancholy supplied plenty of stirring, taut, and otherwise emotionally taxing moments - let it never be said that the legends of Haruhi Suzumiya lacked heart - but Disappearance goes above and beyond the call of duty in delivering high tension and drama. With its colossal run time, this film covers the better part of a season's worth of material in one sitting, and that span of time allows for the story to explore plenty of details and then evolve at a strong but measured pace. Nothing about the movie feels rushed.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is indulgent towards its fans, but not to the point of spoiling its true artistic worth. It is an emotional, wrenching trial of self-discovery and bittersweet possibilities, but without sacrificing the quirks and gags that help make Haruhi such an entertaining franchise in the first place. It is a rare thing for such a long film, but the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is worth all 163 of its precious minutes - and well worth sitting through again and again.