Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

So you're probably reading this to see if this show is for you because strangely, you've never gotten around to it. Or you already have seen it and are just here to confirm your thoughts on it, so here goes. So Haruhi starts off as a slow burn. The two episodes are kind of mundane really. However that's when you first see them. You're made to believe that this a regular "Slice of life" anime set in high school. That's when this series begins to hit you with the twist that this is not what I just said so previously, this is something more. If you wereto ask me what genre this show falls under, I couldn't give you a straight answer. Sci-Fi elements such as Aliens, time travel and ESP are sewn in as major parts of the plot while the slice of life stuff keeps the series grounded while our main characters are dealing with some new age sci-fi stuff, without weighing it down. The dialogue keeps everything really engaging as our characters discuss various aspects of philosophy while still remaining relevant to the plot which is also a great testament to the ENG dub of the series because trust me, it could have been really easy to screw up the dialog in this show.
Speaking of plot, nothing is wasted in this series as everything that happens in it eventually gets brought up again. You're rewarded for watching the show and it gives you something to latch onto. Like I said this series plays with some deep concepts like our perception of reality and it can really leave you with something to think about long after you've finished the series.

It might seem strange but I kinda find myself feeling somewhat nostalgic when I watching this anime even though I never went to a Japanese high school. I did first see this during my latter years in High school and although like most anime it's pretty wishy washy with what high school is actually like but it really does capture the atmosphere of that particular period in life which is something I don't dee talked about much is the atmosphere of this series which is distinctly slice of life like no other slice of life anime. They really capture what it's like to stay after school without the drag of actually staying after your self.
I can't say much about the characters. Our main character is Kyon and he narrates everything with a snarky attitude. I will admit he's definably less bland than most main anime protagonists as we can see his personality in full view. If anything all the characters in this series are almost purposely made to be typical anime archetypes.

All and all this anime has become influential when it comes to slice of life shows set in high school with some emulating aspects of it to others paying homage to it. The only trouble I see people having with it is the slow start up however those first two episodes take on new meaning when you really see what the shows premise is.