Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
*Please note that this review takes into account Season 2 and the movie 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.' Minor spoilers are also ahead!* Convincingly and effectively scrambling sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, mystery, romance, and Japanese high-school drama, this chimeric series revolves around one Haruhi Suzumiya--a goddess who doesn't realize that she's a goddess. She can break worlds and make them, advance the seasons, give animals the ability to talk, and awaken mysterious powers in others. The catch is is that because she doesn't realize that she can do any of this her powers activate on a completely subconscious level, so that the supernatural activity that swirls aroundher is directly tied to her mood. The happier and more content she is, the better off the world is. If she's bored, anxious, or depressed, however, dark things awaken, and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. Perhaps I should mention too that she's a hyperactive, manipulative, self-centered brat who has no social graces and little respect for others? It falls to Kyon, a regular high-school boy and the narrator, to assist three other high-school students (all decidedly less regular then him) in keeping Haruhi's tremendous abilities under check--which means, essentially, that they must willingly be her toys, and keep her entertained in any way that they possibly can. And the more they let her get away with, the harder she pushes...
If this sounds frustrating to watch, it can be occasionally. But the team behind it do an amazing job of subverting expectations and bending anime formula to their own needs. The technical ability on display here is occasionally astounding, and the team's willingness to (hilariously) skewer anime stereotypes and experiment with the form (I would not be surprised if season 2 lost this show half of its fans) keeps it fresh for far longer than it has any right to be, especially considering the awkward pacing on display throughout. The climax of the two seasons, for instance, literally occurs before the first season is even halfway through. What should be the climactic episode of season 1 is instead a mostly quiet look at what a normal day looks like when Haruhi is keeping herself entertained. (Of course, you could watch these episodes in the order in which they were originally aired, which fixes the pacing issues but introduces others.) Season 2 is perhaps the bravest thing I've ever seen that was actually aired on television--I don't want to give away anything, but the financiers must have been insane to allow this to air and think that there would be no fan backlash. Not to mention that Season 2 doesn't follow the first season chronologically--its episodes actually interleave with the happenings of the first season.
What redeems this series (assuming none of the above sounds appealing--I found it to be refreshing) are the characters. Their trajectories (or at least, Kyon's, Haruhi's, and Yuki's) here give whole new meaning to the words 'character development,' and, like the cast of Cowboy Bebop, for example, you're not going to forget their names after you've left them. Even Haruhi will work her way into your heart--resist her all you want. She is unstoppable--and a goddess, besides. I should mention that if you're looking for closure from the series, you're not going to get it. Indeed, the series seems largely to have been an extended setup for the 2010 film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. This would have been a legitimately great time-travel movie if it were capable of standing alone, however, it necessarily leans on the events and character development of the series in order to function--but function beautifully it does. (In spite of running nearly three hours in length!)
It largely avoids the comedy of the series, and instead focuses on a single mysterious event that strands Kyon in a world without Haruhi, and where his closest friends no longer recognize him. The surprises and twists that unfold are genuinely surprising and occasionally moving, and if you're not grinning around that lump in your throat by the time it concludes then there's something wrong with you. Be sure to stick around after the credits, as well.
In sum: this is a *great* series. I've been having extraordinary luck with anime recently--typically when I go on an anime binge I mow through a few false-starts and find maybe one movie or series worth hanging onto, if I'm lucky. My recent adventures in anime land have been extremely rewarding however, and have rekindled my love for the form. For me personally, Haruhi stands with the greats.