- I thought that when I entered high school, my days of believing in aliens, time travelers and ESPers were going to be over. That is, until she introduced herself. Claiming to be interested in only aliens, time travelers, and ESPers, Haruhi Suzumiya was the strangest girl I’ve met in a long time. Before I knew what’s going on, I’ve been dragged into her weird club, and it looks like
I thought that when I entered high school, my days of believing in aliens, time travelers and ESPers were going to be over. That is until she introduced herself. Claiming to be interested in only aliens, time travelers, and ESPers, Haruhi Suzumiya was the strangest girl I ve met in a long time. Before I knew what s going on, I ve been dragged into her weird club, and it looks like I m not the only one who has been drafted into this SOS Brigade of hers, because there are three other students who don t seem to be so ordinary themselves. Either way we ve all found ourselves caught up in Haruhi s quest to search for all things extraordinary. And what s this I hear about us making a movie?Based on a series of best-selling novels by Nagaru Tanigawa, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) overflows with zany energy. Despite the title, Haruhi Suzumiya is anything but melancholy: she’s a bossy, outspoken high school girl who’s searching for “aliens, time travelers, and espers.” To aid her search, Haruhi founds a new club, The SOS Brigade. Although she doesn’t realize it, Haruhi has actually found what she’s looking for in her recruits: Yuki is an alien; Mikuru, a time traveler; Itsuki, an esper. Kyon, the put-upon narrator,is normal–at least superficially.Itsuki warns Kyon that the existence of the universe may depend on Haruhi’s whims. When she gets upset, dark gaps open between dimensions, haunted by shinji (ghostly giants) whom Itsuki and other espers must destroy. Kyon wonders if he’s having nightmares or protecting the world from destruction, but this storyline recedes as the series progresses. Like Dokkoida and Magical Shopping ArcadeAbenobashi, Melancholy spoofs the clichés of anime and otaku culture. When the president of the computer club challenges the SOS Brigade to a duel playing “Day of Sagittarius 3,” the episode turns into an outrageous spoof of sci-fi anime, with Haruhi shouting commands from the bridge of an imaginary space ship. But the series stops, rather than ends, with the story unresolved as Haruhi and Kyon walk off into the rain. Given the popularity of Melancholy in Japan and the US, a sequel may be in the works. (Rated 13 and older: cartoon violence, risqué humor) –Charles Solomon
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May 17, 2008
#1
I’m really sorry to give this a 2 star review, I understand that there are many fans of this anime and I don’t mean to upset anyone. (minor spoiler alert!) The reason I am giving this a 2 star is simply because I really feel that the series just fizzles out after not really going anywhere for a while.
…I thought that it started off pretty promising, with a really beautiful opening sequence and some interesting characters. After a rather unexpected and visually stunning fight scene taking place (I think this takes place near the beginning of the second DVD episodes), with the promise of “more” battles to come, the series just kind of….meanders. I’ve long been a fan of plotless animes, I loved Azumango Diaoh, but I guess it was just frustrating to have a central storyline where you have this set of characters who have certain abilities/powers and they are all centered/summoned to be around the main character because “something” happened to get them all there and then…………..nothing. Seriously. Nothing. Just some cute episodes and then it stops. Done. Before I started to write this I reread the Amazon review and they actually do state that the story recedes as the series progresses and that it doesn’t actually “end”….so, I guess I should have payed more attention to the Amazon review.
So, not horrible, kinda cute, no plot developement after a while and then no ending.
May 17, 2008
#2
I was quite interested to try this series out. I knew it had one hell of a following, and that dance was all over the place a few years back. I started with episode 00. That was a mistake. If you are going to watch, don’t bother with that episode until you have a sense of the characters. Come back to it after finishing the first 4 episodes or so.
Now, on to the disappointment. I am completely baffled as to how anyone could sing the praises of this series. It is a genuine snoozefest. I refused to give up on it despite my boredom. I kept going, but in the middle of episode 9, I just pressed stop and returned the series. They were going back to the theme of alternate reality bubbles and I’d just had enough.
There is a lot of potential in this show, but it goes unrealized and ignored for the most part. The characters are great and there are moments of genuine humor, mostly revolving around Kyon’s deadpan reactions to Haruhi’s ridiculousness. However, laughs were few and far between. The whole premise feels overly serious and half-baked,. They delve into philosophical and existential realms that are best left to boring arm chair discussions amongst those who enjoy talking in circles.
I wanted so much to enjoy this show. It sounded from all descriptions and the generally positive public reaction to be a wonderful and entertaining show, but it put me to sleep on three separate occasions. I even tried to watch it in 1.5 speed to counter the unnecessary slowness of the show. It helped a bit, but even being a fan of Jarmusch, this show was often too slow.
It’s hard to give a cohesive analysis of the show because it never felt cohesive for a moment, and I have so many issues with it. Here’s the bottom line: don’t bother.
May 17, 2008
#3
The BLAH-factor:
This is one of those anime flicks I believe everyone “loves” because someone else ‘loved’ it before them. The notion of a goddess creating a universe of girls crazed for one average guy just doesn’t interest me. The notion of the series appears ‘complex’ on the surface but is really the same ol’ same ol’: cute girls want one average guy. Save your money and RENT this before buying it. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it. For me, I shouldn’t have to waste my time watching MORE than one disk of the series to become *remotely* interested.
Good points:
To be fair? The character design (visually…not substance) is neat, the animation is fantastic, it does have its moments of humor, and it’s a decent source for some pop culture. I was sucked into buying this when I watched the promo– who doesn’t love an opening para-para with some cute characters?
May 17, 2008
#4
This is a really good show, but it’s definitely not worth it to pay 30+ to own it. I had watched about 5 episodes online before I decided that it might be worth buying the series (it’s that good) however I wish I had seen it all before I did. The ending is unsatisfying and leaves you wondering why such a great show was canceled before it could be finished! Watch it online, enjoy it and then move on with your life.
May 17, 2008
#5
This item came within 3 days even though I asked for standard delivery. It was the right product, in good condition, with very fast service.