Review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
The rise of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in the anime industry was insane to say the least. This show was everywhere. People in cosplay were everywhere. Even later DVD sales were crazy. But, why? Studio Kyoto Animation before this show was still small with only having really two shows to show for it, Air and Full Metal Panic Second Raid. Even director Tatsuya Ishihara previously worked on Air, but nothing outstanding. So how did The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya become so popular based on all of this? Our main male character is ‘Kyon’, a typical high school student. One day he meets the odd HaruhiSuzumiya whom is a strange one interested in strange things. She wants to find aliens, encounter the supernatural and the like, but the clubs around school do not have these things. Kyon gets her to start her own club after a slow relationship build and thus creates the SOS Brigade (seek out things to make life less boring) along with a cast of odd club members to follow the crazy and other-worldly events with Haruhi Suzumiya.
This particular show was shown in a “broadcast” order as opposed to events taking place in chronological order. It was to create a sense of mystery much like the show itself. Haruhi Suzumiya and the anime is simply about a girl and the supernatural creating a world where imagination knows no bound and even the slightest thought could impact reality as we know it. The show establishes that Haruhi is an unknowing god and creator of the entire universe and reality changes based on her “wishes.” Then, all of the characters surrounding her within the SOS Brigade tick all of the anime character arch-types along with making them things like a time-traveler, esper, or robot. Kyon at least is a sarcastic snarky dude and Haruhi is a fun random.
Yes, this show is filled with tropes and anime clichés, but presents them in a fun and refreshing way. At the time, the character art and quality was new and unique plus generally masterfully animated such as a full on drum scene with Haruhi. A small mention is the ending dance sequence choreographed with the show’s cast that went “viral” and Kyoto Animation has seemingly used this in just about every show since. Voice acting in both Japanese and English is an example of hitting the marks right and presents the show well. However, what is not acceptable are some episodes are some of the most boring anime 20 minutes of all time. The prime example of this is the show’s last episode and what is known as the “endless eight.” Either nothing happens or a repeat of a previous episode with the slightest of changes. It is in this where the show plummets in enjoyment.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a show of fun and enjoyment, but with some gut-wrenchingly terrible episodes and some tropes that are shoved down the viewer’s throat, this anime becomes something of average quality in the end.