The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Episode 2 Discussion / Poll [2006 TV ep. 3]

[xris]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Suzumiya Haruhi (also know as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya).

Thread Guidelines
No telling or asking for RAWs.
Try to keep spoilers from the Novel or Manga out of the anime thread. If you need to in reply to someone with a reference to the Novel / Manga, either PM them or use Spoiler tags (see example below).
Discuss your expectations of the episode if not aired.
Be polite to your fellow forum members.
Try to keep the discussion on topic and future episode spoilers out of the thread whenever possible.


Spoiler Tag Usage

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Don't forget to use the spoiler title

....will get you this...

Don't forget to use the spoiler title

[Village Idiot]

Ep03 Pics are posted on 2chan (scroll down)

http://dat.2chan.net/18/res/2664941.htm

LMAO at how Haruhi "acquired" a PC XD

Haruhi in Bunny-Girl costume....@_@

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1656/114520061230759a75cx.jpg

[Burner of Anime]

Let me guess

Haruhi used Mikuru as leverage on a crew of generic eggheads to "sponsor" a machine :heh:

Using moe power can go a loooooong way :cool:

[Onizuka-GTO]

heh. its still sunday here. wee! but i guess i have to wait until tomorrow for the fansubs :(

*grabs the raw episode to watch*

Haruhiism! ahh.....sated....for now..... :)

[Yashiro]

The raw for Ep.3 is out. Downloading just to tide me over until I can understand :D

[Omniscient]

Episode 03 Screencaps and Summary (http://randomc.animeblogger.net/2006/04/16/suzumiya-haruhi-no-yuuutsu-03/)

Haruhi acquires a computer for the club by blackmailing the computer club using Mikuru's breasts lol. The end of the episode is getting serious though, with Yuki trying to explain to Kyon what she and Haruhi really are.

[Keitarou]

LMAO at how Haruhi "acquired" a PC XD


Yeah, a hillarious scene, poor Mikuru. I was waiting for Haruhi in a bunnysuit and animated it definitely looks great. :D

Sad thing is that they're really going to skip the most important events, there's quite a large timegap to the next episode. They're trying to ridicule the viewers, don't they (I can almost see a new wave of complaints because of that). :P

A nice detail, amongst many others, was the last scene with Yuki talking to Kyon in her room. The stuff happening in the background was a damn nice addition. With all those details it makes twice as fun to watch the show.

I also like the little details in the classroom scenes. Normally most shows are pretty bland in those, not so Suzumiya Haruhi. There's so much stuff going on while the viewer is concentrated on the main characters and action, makes me wonder whether most people actually manage to catch all of those details or miss all the beautifulness of the show. :(

Well, overall an 8 for this episode +1 for Haruhi dressed up (she's my goddess now for sure =P), makes it a 9. ;)

A few screencaps for the interested:

Click me for screens! (http://www.files.bz/files/5534/Suzumiya%20Haruhi%20no%20Yuuutsu%20-%20Episode%2003%20Thumbs.jpg)

[dxgarten]

Episode 3 screencaps and review (http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/archives/suzumiya_haruhi_no_yuuutsu_ep3.html)

I didn't enjoy seeing Mikuru being treated that way. I feel really sorry for her. But then there are times when I wonder if she's actually faking the tears and the cute act.

[fict_ticious]

Whoa... well, I guess they really are
Do not read if you have not watched the episodeI'm not kiddingLast chance...ALIENS!!!
Haruhi just got even more interesting...

[Sushi-Y]

Koizumi still didn't get his appearance... On top of that, we're really heading into Taikutsu next. Unless they're going to skip the rest of Yuki's "introduction", the next episode will be completely filled by Yuki's intro part 2 + Koizumi appearance + baseball competition?

Other than Koizumi being missing (he was supposed to appear between the Bunnygirl and Yuki's intro event) this episode was also another faithful reproduction of the novel. Up to around page 120 I think?

I guess having one "intro" after another would be too much for first time viewers, so they decided to pop in an action event or two in between to buffer things? It makes sense.

High points of this episode include the excellent portrayal of Kyon's powerlessness in the club room. I got a good laugh from seeing him dash for his life out of the room when Haruhi began to strip down right in front of him. Mikuru's "No! Don't look!" was perfect too. ^^; And of course, the "computer aquisition" scene I've been talking about, perfect. "I'll spread the word out that all the club members here gang ra*beep*ed this child".

The door in Yuki's room... All of you who knows what's on the other side will probably notice it, but... that's one huge door. ^^;
The musics were all excellent as usual too, they all fitted the situation perfectly, especially Yuki's intro in the end.

[melange]

Windows Media Player files hate my mac T_T Had to watch it on one of my school computers... Can't laugh as loud that way... :heh: anyway...

I like how they upped the zanniness of the blackmail scene with that wonderful dropkick from Haruhi and the way she buzzed around taking compromising pictures. But having Haruhi handle the camera instead of making Kyon do it (as in the novel) does make Kyon a little less 'complicit' in Haruhi's 'mistreatment' of Mikuru.

I smiled when they put in that extra interaction (I think it is...) between Kyon and Asakura Ryoko on the way to school.

I still don't believe next week is already moving out of the 1st novel and into the 3rd. Yuki still hasn't finished her explanations. I wonder how they'll handle Itsuki and Mikuru's intro's on top of going into the 3rd novel. :confused: Which reminds me.. I better hurry up with my reading :heh:

Oh.. and "Episode 7!!!" was a nice touch :D

[Adigard]

If you guys don't mind... where are you pulling the Raws from? None of the sources I usually rely on have this one posted yet.

//EDIT: nvm, reread Xris's OP ^^;; sorry

[panzerfan]

I have to hand it to KyoAni's direction with this series. It caught even the novel readers off-hand (with Vol3 out of the blue).

This really makes me wonder how far are we going to go in the novel's storyline? Season 1 ending with Vol4 (Disappearence) makes sense but...

I feel terribly bad for Mikuru. She looks to have suffered emotional traumas from the 2 events. Haruhi and her weirdness in animated form is beyond comprehension (and I think Kyon stops to make sense of her actions altogether for his own sanity)...

this has been a great episode.

[Sushi-Y]

Oh.. and "Episode 7!!!" was a nice touch :D
That's actually quite an important clue. Since Haruhi called the Taikutsu episode "episode 7", that hints at the possibility that Yuutsu (volume 1) will actually take 6 episodes to finish (makes sense page wise). So it's likely what they're doing is sliding in events from the later volumes to "space out" the "major" events that's going to happen in the latter parts of volume 1.

Maybe something like:
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu I
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu II
Suzumiya Haruhi no Taikutsu
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu III ?

If you guys don't mind... where are you pulling the Raws from? None of the sources I usually rely on have this one posted yet.
To quote Mikuru: 禁則事項です (That's a prohibited subject)
No, really, read xris' post up top. ^^;

I have to hand it to KyoAni's direction with this series. It caught even the novel readers off-hand (with Vol3 out of the blue).
Well, we already know episode 4's title is going to be "Suzumiya Haruhi no Taikutsu" for a while now, so it's not that big of a surprise, but it's true that it's an odd move to all of the sudden jump to a later volume without even finishing "laying down the basic introductions". Well, Kyoani hasn't disappointed anyone so far, so we'll see.

[Rasuberi]

So far KyoAni seems to be doing well with rearranging things, and it may be more appropriate for the animated version. Novels and anime are two completely different mediums for telling stories, of course...

Loved episode three~ More Haruhi craziness~ <3 And of course, I can't wait for the next episode. ^__^;

[Decagon]

I like how the screen gets warm and fuzzy on some of the close-ups of Mikuru. Ahh~

[melange]

That's actually quite an important clue. Since Haruhi called the Taikutsu episode "episode 7", that hints at the possibility that Yuutsu (volume 1) will actually take 6 episodes to finish (makes sense page wise). So it's likely what they're doing is sliding in events from the later volumes to "space out" the "major" events that's going to happen in the latter parts of volume 1.

Maybe something like:
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu I
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu II
Suzumiya Haruhi no Taikutsu
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu III ?
That's an interesting observation about 'episode 7'. Vol 1 definitely needs a lot more screen time to finish it off. Compressing it doesn't look like it would work as those events are really important. So they may actually be doing what I had asked earlier in a different thread - rearranging events to interperse between the major character intros/explanations.

[Adigard]

Or perhaps they're skipping non-critical events and planning on introducing them later in the form of DVD EP's? But that doesn't make sense considering the currently released schedule. Thus far (2-3 ep's in) the show has yet to disappoint, so I'm sure they've got something in mind.

I guess we'll debate it endlessly, and find out in a week? ^^;;

[MrProphet]

DAMN, I hate Suzumiya already for abusing poor Mikuru so much. :( :( :( :(

I am absolutely not into moe-moe-puni-puni characters at all, and if it was just Mikuru on her own, I wouldn't have paid too much attention to her, but Haruhi is pushing it. Don't you feel sorry for the poor girl?!

I feel terribly ashamed at laughing so hard at her miseries! I know I shouldn't, but Haruhi is unbearably funny in addition to being mindlessly cruel.

I wish I knew how to quit ya, Suzumiya!

[ragnarokr]

Argh! I don't usually see Raws, but I'm very tempted to download this one.

[Yashiro]

Well, I watched the raw, and really enjoyed it. Didn't understand it at all, but just watching Haruhi made me fill up with joy. Can't wait for the sub of this episode.

[Adigard]

I can't recommend eating/drinking anything in the 5-6 minute mark of this episode... It's... dangerous to those around you ^^;;

Watched the raw, very enjoyable although I only understood the vaguest bits of the second half (the first half was a lot easier to understand). Looking forward to the subs in a few days, and the new discussion this ep is going to spin off.

[Busaiku Chama]

It was a pretty good episode, from the 1/3 of it that I actually understood.
I loved some of the crazy acts that Haruhi performed, especially when they were trying to gather more members.
The various talks of the novel in the thread got me interested in the novel. But I'm sad I can only read hiragana...

[Onizuka-GTO]

It was a pretty good episode, from the 1/3 of it that I actually understood.
I loved some of the crazy acts that Haruhi performed, especially when they were trying to gather more members.
The various talks of the novel in the thread got me interested in the novel. But I'm sad I can only read hiragana...

what you haven't read the translation of the novels yet? :p

http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Suzumiya_Haruhi

Haruhiism banzai! :D

[marcosv]

I have to hand it to KyoAni's direction with this series. It caught even the novel readers off-hand (with Vol3 out of the blue).

I feel terribly bad for Mikuru. She looks to have suffered emotional traumas from the 2 events. Haruhi and her weirdness in animated form is beyond comprehension (and I think Kyon stops to make sense of her actions altogether for his own sanity)...

this has been a great episode.

So far in the 1st 3 episodes, I really love the animation. The little facial/head movements Mikuru makes really adds to her overall cuteness. Since this is a long show, there will probably be let downs in animation quality or certain scenes or plot pacing not work as well as they could, but, so far so good.

Maybe I should stay away from the novels until the show is over. The anime seems to be holding itself up quite nicely wthout the usual comparison to some manga or game.

[Adigard]

It's a 13 ep TV show with a DVD EP follow up (in theory)... so it's sorta likely they'll be able to keep this standard throughout.

[Vexx]

That "noise" that Mikuru made in ep 2 when Suzumiya told Kyon to touch Mikuru's breast.... kind of a hic-squeak-eek noise. That destroyed any rational reason I might for not wanting to protect her from all things evil --- the essence of moe I suppose.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

It's a 13 ep TV show with a DVD EP follow up (in theory)... so it's sorta likely they'll be able to keep this standard throughout.
From the next episode preview, it appears there is going to be no attempts made to bridge the gap between episode 2 (3) and episode 7 (4).

Guess that makes sense in a way... We are going to be watching episodes in random order, by the looks of it. Very Haruhi.

[Mr_Paper]

I love this series!

Having not read the manga or even heard of the series prior to last night, I'm not entirely sure why the series events seem out of order and I don't really care. ^^:

All I have to say is: Poor Mikuru! :heh:

May the power of Moe~ guide you all!

[eVaX]

Good episode, kinda felt the quality dipped a bit but nothing too severe. (few recycled shots, less fluid, etc.) Looks like the next episode is going back up again though.
But I did enjoy Haruhi's drop kick of doom! :heh:

[Rasuberi]

That "noise" that Mikuru made in ep 2 when Suzumiya told Kyon to touch Mikuru's breast.... kind of a hic-squeak-eek noise. That destroyed any rational reason I might for not wanting to protect her from all things evil --- the essence of moe I suppose.

It seems like Mikuru was purely built upon the concept of moe, and it really works. I usually don't like moe moe moe girls. But Mikuru is tooo cute~ <3 And her "hic-squeak-eek" noise is... so amazing.

[DannoHung]

Dude... think ABOUT it... bottled Essence of Moe...

Holy shit, nobody steal my idea, I'm selling a new collogne in Japan.

[Kaoru Chujo]

That "noise" that Mikuru made in ep 2 when Suzumiya told Kyon to touch Mikuru's breast.... kind of a hic-squeak-eek noise. That destroyed any rational reason I might for not wanting to protect her from all things evil --- the essence of moe I suppose. Right on.

Once again, I direct your attention to my sig and avatar: the moe power of the magical wood-elf Gotou Yuuko, destroyer of reason.

The escalation of breast-fondling in this episode made me pretty uncomfortable, but it was not just another banal piece of fanservice, anyway.

[Srin Tuar]

hrm, some confusion about this episode.

So it they are "aliens", i wonder why haruhi said she was searching for aliens.
Meh, i guess its not like anything she does really makes sense anyway...

i still dont know what mikuru has for nagato... i guess it will be explained eventually.

kyon is a bit unnaturally shy. i can understand leaving the room for Mikuru's benefit,
but if haruhi wants to be an exhibitionist I see no reason why he should flee.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

hrm, some confusion about this episode.

So it they are "aliens", i wonder why haruhi said she was searching for aliens.
Meh, i guess its not like anything she does really makes sense anyway...

i still dont know what mikuru has for nagato... i guess it will be explained eventually.

kyon is a bit unnaturally shy. i can understand leaving the room for Mikuru's benefit,
but if haruhi wants to be an exhibitionist I see no reason why he should flee.


I think Mikuru begged "don't look at me" when haruhi was stripping her, so yes, Kyon left the room for Mikuru's sake.

[Srin Tuar]

I think Mikuru begged "don't look at me" when haruhi was stripping her, so yes, Kyon left the room for Mikuru's sake.

i was refering to the second time.

[Adigard]

Common decency... embaressment... knowing that neither of them had bra's on, or the simple fact that Haruhi was walking towards Mikuru?

[melange]

i was refering to the second time.Its not shown clearly but as you can see later when Mikuru exits the room in her school uniform and talks to Kyon ("If I can't be a bride, will you take me?"), its clear that Haruhi's changing clothes will naturally lead to Mikuru's changing clothes (enforced by Haruhi) so Kyon is still kind of leaving for Mikuru's sake. And in any case, unlike Haruhi, Kyon is more 'common-sensical'. Wouldn't you leave if a girl has to change clothes? Or else I hope you would... :heh:

[Kazu-kun]

It just happens that Kyon is pretty stoic... even if Haruhi doesn't care about him seeing her naked. He wouldn't do it.

[Vexx]

Right on.

Once again, I direct your attention to my sig and avatar: the moe power of the magical wood-elf Gotou Yuuko, destroyer of reason.

The escalation of breast-fondling in this episode made me pretty uncomfortable, but it was not just another banal piece of fanservice, anyway.

yes... a motorcycle loving, beer drinking magical wood elf who looks like she might have stepped out of an RPG/MMO. Argh... brain melting...

hmmm, I consider the "breast check" gags only effective if used sparingly (I got really tired of it in AYA and Karin.... it just got lame) --- hopefully this won't be a grope Mikuru every episode kind of series. There are plenty of other ways to make her "squeek-hic-eek" ... actually just looking at her with intent seems to do it.

[Shirobane]

Ok, I succumbed within hours of hearing that a Raw is out T_T
So here I am with a total of 5 views with a grand total understanding of about 10% of what is being said!
Even though the Mikuru harassment is metaphorically on the same level as kicking a puppy, I'm pasted to the floor with laughter. Guess that makes me a bad person =/, sorry to all you Mikuru fans out there :D

Ah and one final note since I can't really say anything about the episode until I understand it...

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/1049/vlcsnap927194ol.th.png (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap927194ol.png)
So...Haruhi kicks pretty high :p

[melange]

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/1049/vlcsnap927194ol.th.png (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap927194ol.png)
So...Haruhi kicks pretty high :p
The computer club president and the guy with glasses probably got an eyefull :heh:
パンツ...見ただろう...

[Sushi-Y]

hmmm, I consider the "breast check" gags only effective if used sparingly (I got really tired of it in AYA and Karin.... it just got lame) --- hopefully this won't be a grope Mikuru every episode kind of series. There are plenty of other ways to make her "squeek-hic-eek" ... actually just looking at her with intent seems to do it.
No, this won't be a grope Mikuru every episode kind of series. I can tell you that. As unfortunate as that may be for some of you.

She does get abused quite a bit though. :heh:

The computer club president and the guy with glasses probably got an eyefull :heh:
パンツ...見ただろう...
Considering what happens to him again later, I say he deserves an eye-candy or two right now. ^^;

[Pakxenon]

9/10. Animation is still superb, but the pacing was a little boring, even in the funny moments. :(

Somebody said that was a dropkick. Is it called a dropkick?, because that kick is freaking awesome.

Poor Mikuru. :( More abuse is needed >:D

[npal]

Join the Mikuru Liberation Army! Down with the oppressing Haruhi!

[zalas]

Join the Mikuru Liberation Army! Down with the oppressing Haruhi!
Great... warring fanclubs is the last thing we need ( -_-) </kyon style face palm>

By the way, is the Hyperion series just a random reference, or is there some deeper meaning/symbolism to it? A simple yes or no answer would be appreciated from people who've read the novels. Near the end the thought of OMG, Yuki's part of the TechnoCore!!! came across my mind. In Hyperion, there were 7 pilgrims (each with a unique personal history) on a voyage to visit the Shrike, a sort of mechanical god of pain. Perhaps the members of the SOS-dan each possess a unique history and are on a voyage to get pain inflicted upon them by some ultimate creator? XD;

[orz]

poor mikuru..

[mizuki_tohru]

I who didn't read novels wittingly am a victory side -zona!

omake.
In ep 3, nagato read "The Code Book" Simon Singh.

[Onizuka-GTO]

By the way, is the Hyperion series just a random reference, or is there some deeper meaning/symbolism to it? A simple yes or no answer would be appreciated from people who've read the novels. Near the end the thought of OMG, Yuki's part of the TechnoCore!!! came across my mind. In Hyperion, there were 7 pilgrims (each with a unique personal history) on a voyage to visit the Shrike, a sort of mechanical god of pain. Perhaps the members of the SOS-dan each possess a unique history and are on a voyage to get pain inflicted upon them by some ultimate creator? XD;


I've been wondering about that too. but from what i gathered (read all the spoilers! too lazy to read the whole thing -_-)

The plot is nothing like Haruhi. But the characters are quite similiar in what they are.

I think its something to dig at, a subtle hint i think. we can all thank yuki for it, of course if you can't be bothered to read the book to find the hints, drop by the wiki page! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Melancholy_of_Haruhi_Suzumiya)

prepare to dig your eyes out as spoilers come forth and consume yoooooou!

[PastPrime]

Great... warring fanclubs is the last thing we need ( -_-) </kyon style face palm>

By the way, is the Hyperion series just a random reference, or is there some deeper meaning/symbolism to it? A simple yes or no answer would be appreciated from people who've read the novels. Near the end the thought of OMG, Yuki's part of the TechnoCore!!! came across my mind. In Hyperion, there were 7 pilgrims (each with a unique personal history) on a voyage to visit the Shrike, a sort of mechanical god of pain. Perhaps the members of the SOS-dan each possess a unique history and are on a voyage to get pain inflicted upon them by some ultimate creator? XD;
In the movie in epiosode "0" it is apparent that all three of the characters had some sort of powers because each had a sceen that did not match the cheesy special effects. And then there was a talking cat too. I am wondering if Kyon and Haruhi might not be a Yin and Yang thing, representing the opposite sides of the same ability.

[Onizuka-GTO]

I am wondering if Kyon and Haruhi might not be a Yin and Yang thing, representing the opposite sides of the same ability.


hey...thats...a thought...

perhaps the reason Kyon doesn't display any powers id because...that is his power?
To make things "normal" again, thus by his standard everything is normal.

Haruhi is Chao, Kyon is Order!

mmmmm.....sounds similiar to alot of mortal relationship i've known. :rolleyes:

[Xellos-_^]

Join the Mikuru Liberation Army! Down with the oppressing Haruhi!

Oh no you,

Knights of SOS come forth and defend your Goddess :D :p :heh:

[panzerfan]

Kyon and Yuki got out of this ep relatively intact. Strangely enough, I can understand how Kyon feels when he picks up Haruhi and Mikuru's items from the ground. (Should be renamed melancholy of Kyon... the guy's face tells it all)

Oh no you,

Knights of SOS come forth and defend your Goddess :D :p :heh:

Luckily, there are still some of us that rather stay out of it for the sake of our own sanity. Those of us that wish for universal health care, fixed gasoline prices, tax returns and the scent of paycheques will sit by the fense as chaos reign supreme.

Although I don't really think kyon's order /Kosmos.

[SoldierOfDarkness]

Luckily, there are still some of us that rather stay out of it for the sake of our own sanity. Those of us that wish for universal health care, fixed gasoline prices, tax returns and the scent of paycheques will sit by the fense as chaos reign supreme.

Although I don't really think kyon's order /Kosmos.

Ditto *sitting on a fence with panzerfan and hands a bag of popcorn*

It is fun to watch those that are on the other shore's struggles.

Difficult to watch the series though since no one is bothering translating it and reading off OMNI's blog doesn't cut it too well either.

[PastPrime]

Ditto *sitting on a fence with panzerfan and hands a bag of popcorn*

It is fun to watch those that are on the other shore's struggles.

Difficult to watch the series though since no one is bothering translating it and reading off OMNI's blog doesn't cut it too well either.
a.f.k is fansubbibng it, although it will probably be a few more days before they get episode three.

[panzerfan]

Ahh life is good if you can watch raws. It forces you to listen which is nice. (sadly though my reading comprehension <<< listening comprehension)

(stand up to get soft drinks)

[Onizuka-GTO]

Ahh life is good if you can watch raws. It forces you to listen which is nice. (sadly though my reading comprehension <<< listening comprehension)

(stand up to get soft drinks)

I know what you mean, I remember when i first started to watch Anime & I used to have to listen carefully to the dialogue and the scenes to figure out what was going on.

Now these days im so lazy, all i have to do is read the subs.

(stand up to get a beer)

[mp3chan]

I almost gave this episode 10/10 but since I don't like the excessive glowing effect in Yuki's apartment and the contrast in that scene is abit too high, (the rest is still superb), originally I want to give this 9.5/10 but since it's impossible I rounded it down to 9/10 :p

[SoldierOfDarkness]

a.f.k is fansubbibng it, although it will probably be a few more days before they get episode three.

Actually I didn't realize the series was "M" on animesuki.

[Onizuka-GTO]

I almost gave this episode 10/10 but since I don't like the excessive glowing effect in Yuki's apartment and the contrast in that scene is abit too high, (the rest is still superb), originally I want to give this 9.5/10 but since it's impossible I rounded it down to 9/10 :p

curse your imperfection nick picks! :rolleyes:

Anyway, I give this a....10! yay! :)

[dkellis]

Pacing felt a bit off, and animation looked slightly inconsistent. That, and the uncomfortable feeling I got with all the Mikuru-bullying...

It may be kind of weird that I thoroughly enjoyed the boob-grabbing scene in episode 2, but the abuse Mikuru went through here just made me feel sorry for her. Maybe the BGM had something to do with it (sad music compared to silly percussion).

(... for some reason whenever I try to use apostrophes or slashes in this post, Firefox acts up. Not sure why.)

[apr]

I felt severe unease watching this episode, so I'll join dkellis on the side of the twisted people. I laughed out loud and thought the second ep's groping was hilaaaaarious, but it was hard to enjoy it in ep three.

It's starting to dawn on me just how cut off Haruhi is from reality. I really need the rest of the show + major thinking + help, in order to be able to rewatch it in the right mindset, where I stop thinking of it as comedy. I'm sure it's just fabulous if you've read the novels. :/

Haruhi 03, put simply, scares me.

[panzerfan]

Haruhi is so cut off from reality, making whatever she does all the more real... I was disturbed with the PC acquisition thing. That is ruthlessness in its true form in some ways. Her extreme actions exceed any other anime characters in 2k6 (a formidable match to Haruko, FLCL), the animation so fluid that it is OVA+ level, the dialogues so natural that it feels as if it is live...


Haruhi wins... while making enemies out of everywhere all the way.

[dxgarten]

Considering some of the things that Haruhi plans to say if the Computer society club doesn't cave in to her demand, I can't help but feeling sorry for Mikuru either. I hope Kyon will have more success in helping Mikuru in the future but it's hard to see what he can do. :heh:

[apr]

I thought I'd put in a tiny novel vs anime question here, which isn't really a spoiler or anything, just being nice in case someone here would take offense to such a harmless and pleasantly asked question:
Why did they make Haruhi take the photos? In the novel it's Kyon doing the clickety stuff, which takes part of the blame off Haruhi, making her slightly less evil. Oh well, at least they eased it a bit by removing the part where the club president tells her how they had to pay for the computers with their own money.I don't really read the novels, just needed the kanji on paper to be able to figure out WTF was going on at times.

[Sushi-Y]

I thought I'd put in a tiny novel vs anime question here, which isn't really a spoiler or anything, just being nice in case someone here would take offense to such harmless and pleasantly asked question:
Why did they make Haruhi take the photos? In the novel it's Kyon doing the clickety stuff, which takes part of the blame off Haruhi, making her slightly less evil. Oh well, at least they eased it a bit by removing the part where the club president tells her how they had to pay for the computers with their own money.I don't really read the novels, just needed the kanji on paper to be able to figure out WTF was going on at times.
I don't think it really matters either way. I think having Kyon take the pictures would actually make Haruhi worse since she's ordering someone to do her dirty work.

Oh, but for those of you worried about Mikuru's chastity at this rate, don't worry, this is probably about as worse as it gets. Haruhi's "the-world-revolves-around-me" attitude remains constant though. (An example: Haruhi thinks crabs should have shells that are edible too so that she can eat them more easily, and blames the crabs for not learning anything through evolution)

[Xellos-_^]

Oh, but for those of you worried about Mikuru's chastity at this rate, don't worry, this is probably about as worse as it gets. Haruhi's "the-world-revolves-around-me" attitude remains constant though. (An example: Haruhi thinks crabs should have shells that are edible too so that she can eat them more easily, and blames the crabs for not learning anything through evolution)

I agree with her on the crabs. Thats why I mostly eat crabs that are in the middle of molting and the shells are soft :D Damn I am getting ngrey.

[philip72]

That, and the uncomfortable feeling I got with all the Mikuru-bullying...

It may be kind of weird that I thoroughly enjoyed the boob-grabbing scene in episode 2, but the abuse Mikuru went through here just made me feel sorry for her.

Don't worry, that will be about as bad as it gets.

However they did tone it down quite a bit for the anime. Haruhi was far more evil and thuggish towards the computer guys in the novel (if you can possibly imagine it) and poor Mikuru was considerably more scarred by the events than she was in the anime.

Haruhi's certainly no angel anyways, that's for sure.

[SoldierOfDarkness]

I don't think it really matters either way. I think having Kyon take the pictures would actually make Haruhi worse since she's ordering someone to do her dirty work.

Nah it just wouldn't be the same without her doing it. Can you imagine the scene with Kyon doing it? I would agree with just having Haruhi because that's just so her.

(An example: Haruhi thinks crabs should have shells that are edible too so that she can eat them more easily,

Reminds me of that Dilbert episode where the "boss" complained about eating clams and how after going through a dozen of them he gets exhausted to the point he then realizes after being questioned that clams have "shells":heh:

and blames the crabs for not learning anything through evolution

That would go against everything evolution stands for:heh:

Though I must admit, Haruhi is the most unethical character I've ever seen in such unusual fashion. Episode 2, holy crap, she's like the combination of all the worst and evil minds in the world mixed into an innocent-looking girl who has no boundaries or limits:uhoh:

[disorderman]

That's actually quite an important clue. Since Haruhi called the Taikutsu episode "episode 7", that hints at the possibility that Yuutsu (volume 1) will actually take 6 episodes to finish (makes sense page wise). So it's likely what they're doing is sliding in events from the later volumes to "space out" the "major" events that's going to happen in the latter parts of volume 1.

Maybe something like:
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu I
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu II
Suzumiya Haruhi no Taikutsu
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu III ?


Maybe like this:
1話　朝比奈ミクルの冒険
2話　涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱Ⅰ
3話　涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱Ⅱ
4話　涼宮ハルヒの退屈
5話　涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱Ⅲ
6話　涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱Ⅳ
7話　笹の葉ラプソディ
8話　涼宮ハルヒの溜息Ⅰ
9話　涼宮ハルヒの溜息Ⅱ
10話　射手座の日
11話　涼宮ハルヒの消失Ⅰ
12話　涼宮ハルヒの消失Ⅱ
13話　涼宮ハルヒの消失Ⅲ
14話　涼宮ハルヒの消失Ⅳ

[Thelastguardian]

holy crap, she's like the combination of all the worst and evil minds in the world mixed into an innocent-looking girl who has no boundaries or limits:uhoh:
You may say that, but Haruhi is not evil, in traditional sense. More like rampant disregard of other's well being ;) .

Actually that's not exactly right.

She backed off multiple times in various parts of the series when Kyon seriously confronts/reasons her on multiple occasions.
For example, in the next episode (4 or 7, who cares), Kyon put a stop to Haruhi's rampage through the minor league.

Or the Itsuki's mansion scene where Kyon put a stop to Haruhi's filming because Mikuru is closed to her limit (after falling into the pond).

Or how Kyon forced Haruhi to put in the disclaimers at the end of the film. The disclaimer was NOT for parody.


You may even argue that, without Kyon, the world would be destroyed long before the animation starts. But that's another story.

As the story goes on, you will see different side of Haruhi. Some are nice, some are funny, one or two even made me go "wow I never knew she is like that inside her mind". The story needs time to develope its characters.

There is a method in her madness. More than method, actually. She is a very rounded character.

If I have to complain, I would complain about Mikuru. She gets the short end of the stick in terms of character developement. Therefore out of the four primary supportive characters, I like her the least.

Not that she doesn't have any developement, but *cut off for viewers' sake*

Now that I think about it, when Mikuru said "It seems that in this space time plane, this is imminent", does she mean
Going through the humiliations
or
Falling in love with Kyon due to his, ahem, kindheartedness?


Those aside, the pacing of this episode left much to desire. Animation is still top-notch, but the pacing....

To Sushi-



I think what Mikuru is about to experience in 2nd volume is going to be much more torturing, both mentally and physically, to her.

Humiliations aside.

Imagine your body structure gets modified regularly by someone's will just because that someone wants your eyes to emit photon/neutron/whatever he/she thinks up to film a slapstick movie. And the only way to cure that each time is to let an mysterious alien that is magnitude more advance than you can ever understand to inject some god-knows-what nanoparticles into you. All the while you might kill the person you treasure most. The worst thing is you can't say NO, STOP IT! I HAVE ENOUGH to the person or else you risk the destruction of this and your own worlds.

Talk about suckage. No wonder she cried horrible during one of the filming scene.

But Kyon was there with her. I guess that's what pulled her though.

[SoldierOfDarkness]

You may say that, but Haruhi is not evil, in traditional sense. More like rampant disregard of other's well being .

Actually that's not exactly right.

That's the problem, when I commented that I wasn't sure how to explain the other part where she's not evil because simply she's not. She's not out to harm or kill anyone of that matter. It's all about fun.

[apr]

One word: Asperger.

[Vexx]

You'd have to define Haruhi as "innocent" as in the pure definition of the word: uncomprehending of the impact of actions. Innocent beings pull the wings off of flies out of curiousity or push The Shiny Red Button to see what happens.
I don't think she's that extreme but she just assumes that everyone else sees the natural need for certain things to happen the way she does.

edit: hmmm, I've worked with Asperger syndrome teens ... and Haruhi doesn't qualify, at least not any more than marginal. She has full emotional spectrum, doesn't talk "that way" --- she just assumes everyone else wants to have fun, too. She thinks Mikuru is having fun.... Asperger types are really hard to be around --- you know.. the guy in the back of the hobby store that is shouting in a monotone and quoting from page 223 of the D&D manual closed in front of him.

[melange]

I would kind of agree with the other comments on the pacing, which though not bad was slightly 'off' compared to the even wham-wham-wham staccato of episode 2. But thats more because of them having to start bringing in the more 'serious' parts of the novels which are slower than the comedy parts.

About Mikuru-bullying...

1. Kyon's involvement: Actually I disagree that having Kyon take the pictures makes Haruhi even more to blame. If Kyon does take the pictures (like in the novel) it makes him complicit in whatever Haruhi does, whether or not Haruhi did order him to do it or not. In fact, there are many times I spotted in the novels when Kyon could have said something about Haruhi's forcing Mikuru to cosplay but didn't because to some extent he enjoyed seeing Mikuru cosplaying even though Mikuru obviously did not like it. I don't think Kyon's complicity in whatever Haruhi does, no matter how much he insists 'it has nothing to do with me', can be ignored.

Using a very bad and very inflammatory example (I apologize in advance for this *bows*) ignoring Kyon's complicity in following Haruhi's blackmail orders in the novel would be like ignoring the complicity of say the ordinary Germans who followed Hitler's orders during the Holocaust knowing it was wrong but feeling themselves forced by circumstance. This is not to say that Kyon/the ordinary Germans are as guilty but they are still to a degree complicit in the 'wrong-ness' when they followed the orders.

Again I am sorry for the example but I could not think of a less inflammatory example at the present moment (it's late). I hope people will not be offended by its usage as it was merely meant as an example in an ethical discussion.

2. Frankly the 'computer blackmail' scene isn't that disturbing in the anime or in the novel for me. I couldn't help but laugh. Though of course they are 'cruel', I found most of the Mikuru-bullying scenes funny in the black humor type way but it's actually another Mikuru-bullying scene in the 2nd novel that left me with a bad taste in my mouth and really soured my enjoyment of Haruhi.
When Haruhi whacks Mikuru on the back of her neck so that her contacts will 'pop out' and Kyon stops her saying, "Mikuru isn't your toy!", Haruhi responds, "I've decided that Mikuru-chan is my toy!!" Kyon grips his fist and was only stopped from punching Haruhi by Itsuki.

I did not expect the her to actually use words like that and I found myself wanting Kyon to punch her.:frustrated:

[Thelastguardian]

I can't believe they leave that cliffhanger out in the opening though XD

I would have thought that the studio would finish that part and leave the fans discussing the impact and what this symbolizes for the week to come. Pity.



I did not expect the her to actually use words like that and I found myself wanting Kyon to punch her.:frustrated:

Me second. At first anyway.

After I gave it some thought, however, I realized that Haruhi meant no harm.

First of all, I bet if she can, she will do Mikuru's role. She doesn't mind, eh, getting groped for blackmail purpose, wearing sexy bunnies cos, be the epitome (or pinnacle) of weirdness etc. . She just assumes that Mikuru(and everyone else) is the same as her. Therefore she thought Mikuru has no problem with those "accidents".

Furthermore, perhaps Haruhi said that because she is jealous of Mikuru.
If you read the novel, you will see that Kyon really cares for Mikuru. And it shows. Thus it is reasonable deduction that Haruhi became subconsciously jealous of Mikuru. Thus the abuses, or that idiotic line to make Kyon mad, or both.

Finally, one must note that it was Kyon who originally made Haruhi to act so hyperly. She must had been shock when Kyon told her to stuff it.



Because there are so many ways I can interpret Haruhi actions, I became fascinated with her character. The author used many devices, obvious and hidden, to illustrate her character. Add this to the different sides of her personality. I became fascinated with her character and, the rest is history :) .

[melange]

Me second. At first anyway.

After I gave it some thought, however, I realized that Haruhi meant no harm.

First of all, I bet if she can, she will do Mikuru's role. She doesn't mind, eh, getting groped for blackmail purpose, wearing sexy bunnies cos, be the epitome (or pinnacle) of weirdness etc. . She just assumes that Mikuru(and everyone else) is the same as her. Therefore she thought Mikuru has no problem with those "accidents".

Furthermore, perhaps Haruhi said that because she is jealous of Mikuru.
If you read the novel, you will see that Kyon really cares for Mikuru. And it shows. Thus it is reasonable deduction that Haruhi became subconsciously jealous of Mikuru. Thus the abuses, or that idiotic line to make Kyon mad, or both.

Finally, one must note that it was Kyon who originally made Haruhi to act so hyperly. She must had been shock when Kyon told her to stuff it.



Because there are so many ways I can interpret Haruhi actions, I became fascinated with her character. The author used many devices, obvious and hidden, to illustrates her character. Add this to different sides of her personality. I became fascinated with her character and, the rest is history :) .
Haruhi's unconscious jealousness was also something I noted many times and yea I did think that the partial reason for Mikuru-bullying is related to that. Haruhi has shown herself immensely perceptive/sensitive whenever it comes to Kyon and his 'roving eyes', even if its not apparent to either Kyon (nor even Haruhi herself).

If it mitigates it any I only read that part which bothered me last night at the tail-end of my novel-reading time just before I went to bed and today was a busy day so I haven't had much time to think about the reasons/possible interpretations of that one. A big gently smiling Haruhi still graces my desktop and will continue to do so for a long time. Its just the sudden impact of those words didn't agree with me, just like for others it was the Mikuru-blackmail.

Haruhi is a very controversial character in that sense but it is precisely that which makes her the interesting and fascinating character like you say. As a 'character type' I think Haruhi is quite unique. Earlier some posters (Sushi-Y was it? I don't remember :heh:) have tried to fit her into the tsundere type but they admit its hard to do so. Haruhi really isn't a traditional tsundere-ko in any sense. I remember the short article at the back of the 1st novel about how it won the prize referring to Haruhi as an 'unprecedented character' which I find is really apt.

Edit: About Asperger:
I didn't know anything about it until I googled it after reading it here but one thing particularly caught my mind:
Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness.
That's definitely not Haruhi. :heh: She abhors sameness and is all about change and loves things different from the routine.

[npal]

I can't believe how many sadistic individuals watch this series :p

[panzerfan]

Haruhi is a modern interpretation of a classical Greek hero(ine) if we think about it. Luckily the take's not Shakesphereian since her greatest strength would be the perfect downfall. After thinking of Haruhi outside of anime context, I find her to be most befitting of the epic heroes.

Much like the flawed deities, Haruhi's personality is not taken out from straight cookie cutter. Her obsession and that undying thirst for change exceeds all else and it manifests itself in the display of her everyday antics, her mental states and her 'divine' power. That creativity which rivals that of Prometheus proves itself to be as horrifying as the gift of fire was to the gods (look at where the Greek gods are today?)

Kyon is unique in his role as not mere narriator but the bridge to observe the kind of 'madness' that is Haruhi. Haruhi, ever so curious of it all, becomes so destructive to the surrounding (as humanity is) as she refuses to conform and instead confronts/alters the very nature (again, humanity). Justifying means with ends, she relentlessly pushes her agenda of countering boredom. (Sounds almost hedonist utilitarian)

Haruhi becomes fascinating to me because... to me she embodies humanity. Ever so curious, ever so eager to play with fire, ever so headstrong, so proud, so uncompromising, maybe even nearsighted that she... we human... become monsters... freaks of nature in retrospect.

Maybe, that is why humanity has yet to realize its powers just as Haruhi remains oblivious towards her abhored abilities. What a storm in a teacup.
Kyon does not shy in being the one that has the power to present and subsequently interpret the acts of the heroes... in some ways putting things into stone. He carries the weight of commentator which is from nearly of no significence to being the key influence with our conclusion on what we've been given. That in itself proves to be an interesting power... think of the power that Homer and all subsequent scribes and monks have had just in transcribing/retelling oral epics into how we know of them today.
Kyon's ventage point in observing Haruhi and the SOS is omnipresent in some ways. His narriation at time levitates him from the scene as he speaks directly to the audience and his access to all the actors seemingly fits everything into an acrylic case, just as Plutarch and his imitators have had the advantage of time as their mean of being omnipresent in their story retellings.

The strength in a pen or narriation though is relative (Leon Trotsky and an ice dagger illustrates that pretty clearly...) and it shows in Kyon's involvement. Funny in some ways and all too real as well >.< (though a bit bloody an illustration). I am liking him more and more as Haruhi progresses.

(I thought about Mikuru using this starting point and what melange said and I feel strangely horrible over what I deduced about her. I guess this is becoming outside the bounds of ep3 so yea...)
A chill goes through my spine actually thinking of complicity as mentioned above as well as end justify the means as melange describes above. I don't have a coherent point to make yet but I am unsettled.

[melange]

Haruhi is a modern interpretation of a classical Greek hero(ine) if we think about it. *snip*
and it shows in Kyon's involvement. Funny in some ways and all too real as well >.<
Nice. It seems that you've managed to pin down Haruhi's (and Kyon's) archetype :D
The flawed god/kami seems to fit Haruhi nicely and would jive well with Japanese mythology. Your mention of 'storm in a teacup' brings Susanoo the thunder god to mind. Wild and impulsive he frequently broke all the rules and was pretty much self-centered (at least in his youth), in a sense reminiscent of Haruhi.

Yet it seems that on the face of Itsuki's ramblings he defines a god as a 'creator' who exists outside of creation, away from the kami who are gods who can exist within creation, and argues that his personal opinion is that Haruhi is not a god but 'god-chosen' (I am guessing this whats referred to in the scene of Haruhi looking up at the night sky in the opening). Whether or not this is the author's definition of 'god' or not is uncertain and it is very probable that its just more 'denpa' talk he threw in to complicate matters/make things more interesting.

It seems evident that the more 'denpa' talk we get from Itsuki et. al. the more philosophical/speculative the discussions on Haruhi's nature can get. As such I'm beginning to wonder whether a separate thread for speculations such as these should be created as it definitely doesn't fit an episode discussion thread nor does it really fit the series prediction thread where similar stuff was brought up...

[Sushi-Y]

Now that I think about it, when Mikuru said "It seems that in this space time plane, this is imminent", does she mean
Going through the humiliations
or
Falling in love with Kyon due to his, ahem, kindheartedness?
You mean her line "おそらく、これがこの時間平面上の必然なのでしょうね" after the computer "acquisition" scene? I'd write that as "Most likely, this is an inevitability of this time plane, isn't it?" but anyway, I think she's just referring to the treatment that she was just subjected to, not about Kyon.

To Sushi-

I think what Mikuru is about to experience in 2nd volume is going to be much more torturing, both mentally and physically, to her.

Humiliations aside.

Imagine your body structure gets modified regularly by someone's will just because that someone wants your eyes to emit photon/neutron/whatever he/she thinks up to film a slapstick movie. And the only way to cure that each time is to let an mysterious alien that is magnitude more advance than you can ever understand to inject some god-knows-what nanoparticles into you. All the while you might kill the person you treasure most. The worst thing is you can't say NO, STOP IT! I HAVE ENOUGH to the person or else you risk the destruction of this and your own worlds.

Talk about suckage. No wonder she cried horrible during one of the filming scene.

But Kyon was there with her. I guess that's what pulled her though.

That's true, although Haruhi's treatment of Mikuru in this episode was mean, it was still within the "can be laughed off as a joke" level. Some of the things Haruhi did in volume 2, on the other hand, really begins to push against that "funny/not funny" borderline (although she didn't really mean it). But then again, it all adds to the realism of Haruhi's character, don't you think? Haruhi's not Haruhi unless she's always dashing ahead at full-speed, ignoring all traffic signs.


When Haruhi whacks Mikuru on the back of her neck so that her contacts will 'pop out' and Kyon stops her saying, "Mikuru isn't your toy!", Haruhi responds, "I've decided that Mikuru-chan is my toy!!" Kyon grips his fist and was only stopped from punching Haruhi by Itsuki.

I did not expect the her to actually use words like that and I found myself wanting Kyon to punch her.:frustrated:
Haruhi didn't mean it, of course. Remember, although Haruhi may appear like she's always doing things by her own methods, she's actually a perfectly logical person inside. What makes Haruhi unique is her ability to totally ignore those logics.
As for reason for the irrisponsible outburst, just like Koizumi told Kyon later, Haruhi wasn't angry because her authority was being challenged, she was angry because she was disappointed, because she believed that Kyon would always be there to support her, that he would be the last person in the world to betray her. And we know that when people feel betrayed, they often let their emotions get the better of them (especially for the impulsive types, like Haruhi). So an irrisponsible comment or two under that condition shouldn't be surprising.
Of course, we don't even know if the anime would even bother to go back to volume 2 again, so maybe we won't get to see that scene at all.

Haruhi's unconscious jealousness was also something I noted many times and yea I did think that the partial reason for Mikuru-bullying is related to that. Haruhi has shown herself immensely perceptive/sensitive whenever it comes to Kyon and his 'roving eyes', even if its not apparent to either Kyon (nor even Haruhi herself).
Earlier some posters (Sushi-Y was it? I don't remember :heh:) have tried to fit her into the tsundere type but they admit its hard to do so. Haruhi really isn't a traditional tsundere-ko in any sense.
That's right, normal tsunderes have "tsun" and "dere" parts, but in Haruhi's case, it's more like "tsun" and "stealth dere". :heh: (That other scene you mentioned above there is a good example of Haruhi's "stealth dere")

Haruhi actually cares about Kyon more than anyone else. Although she pretends that his opinions mean nothing to her, every now and then, we can catch tiny glimpses here and there showing that she actually does care about Kyon's inputs a great deal, whether consciously or unconsciously. That's Haruhi's "stealth dere". In reverse, Kyon is the same too. He always complains and complains and complains about Haruhi, but deep inside, he really enjoys being with her. Volume 4 should demonstrate this quite well.

Either way, all of this makes Haruhi, and Kyon, even more attractive as characters, don't you think? ^^;

Ah, I should add something about this episode too. Er... um... ah...
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/407/te00008rq.th.jpg (http://img158.imageshack.us/my.php?image=te00008rq.jpg)
Am I the only one who thinks Yuki's hands are very sexy? ^^;;

[Eclipze]

:topicoff:
Haruhi didn't mean it, of course.
Eh, I don't think thats a good reasoning/defence for Haruhi's actions.
To give an example, a terrorist in Iraq just wanted to blow himself up and kill the people in the US ambassy. But just so happens that some innocent people (by-passers) get too near and die as well. The terrorist didn't mean it (to kill innocent bystanders who weren't targeted), but that doesn't mean that he is not to blame for the deaths of those innocents, correct?

And we all know that Haruhi is usually dead serious with what she says. So, while she may not mean to treat Mikuru badly, but she is still serious about treating Mikuru as a toy (which in essence, is the same thing): afterall, we're talking about a girl who has no time for normal people. It isn't beyond believable boundaries to say that she thinks of Mikuru as nothing more as a tool for whatever she wants (episode 2 should be evident enough).

[npal]

And then they accuse me of forming a Mikuru Liberation Army. :p If I was Kyon, I'd give Haruhi a piece of my mind. Poor fellow.

[Xellos-_^]

And then they accuse me of forming a Mikuru Liberation Army. :p If I was Kyon, I'd give Haruhi a piece of my mind. Poor fellow.

Kyon needs green hair sempi to slap some backbone into his back :D

[panzerfan]

:topicoff:

Eh, I don't think thats a good reasoning/defence for Haruhi's actions.
To give an example, a terrorist in Iraq just wanted to blow himself up and kill the people in the US ambassy. But just so happens that some innocent people (by-passers) get too near and die as well. The terrorist didn't mean it (to kill innocent bystanders who weren't targeted), but that doesn't mean that he is not to blame for the deaths of those innocents, correct?

And we all know that Haruhi is usually dead serious with what she says. So, while she may not mean to treat Mikuru badly, but she is still serious about treating Mikuru as a toy (which in essence, is the same thing): afterall, we're talking about a girl who has no time for normal people. It isn't beyond believable boundaries to say that she thinks of Mikuru as nothing more as a tool for whatever she wants (episode 2 should be evident enough).

That is the duality of the subject matter. Utilitarian will simply either say that a 'greater good' can be generated or that these acts of abuse has no downside from the perspective of the result as to prevent them. On the other hand moralists, relative or absolute will argue to infringements to fundamental 'rules' of these acts are not tolerable/wrong and gains do not take away from the impact of those infringements.

Strangely enough, creativity is a process that goes after the end gains at any cost. Justification to self becomes the only requirement to fulfill for one to embark on the process. It sounds rather mad but the Pol Pot killing field, the great purge or the burning of Rome become grotesque pieces of 'art' in that sense (and revulting they are to look at...)

That same kind of fire drives Haruhi. Sushi-Y mentioned about how Haruhi's logical inside but defies the logical conclusions. Where have we seen this irl?


Looking at the visage that is yourself proves to be difficult... putting complicity aside there's the burden of arrogance to be answered. To make matters worse shames that adult put shroud/clothes over in silent recognition and to see such ugliness, unabridged and naked...blatently displayed.

In kyon's defense, he has a backbone. As a matter of fact Yuki and Itsuki have that as well. However, to put into context (and not spoil the story) let's just say Haruhi holds significent deterrence in her hands to keep the SOS at bay.

[Eclipze]

Episode 3 subbed is out by a.f.k.:)

[Seyluun]

Thanks to them.
I wonder why only one team sub this by the way?

[Xellos-_^]

Thanks to them.
I wonder why only one team sub this by the way?

Most of the more better shows only have one or two groups subbing them. MO and Fate only has 2 groups each. Maybe the subbing groups are learning thier lesson about over subbing a series. We don't need to have 5 different groups subbing the same series.

[monir]

I almost gave this episode 10/10 but since I don't like the excessive glowing effect in Yuki's apartment and the contrast in that scene is abit too high, (the rest is still superb), originally I want to give this 9.5/10 but since it's impossible I rounded it down to 9/10 :p
If I may be a nit-picky here myself, the round about of 9.5 should have been 10.:D Nontheless, I agree with the grading 9. Only episode 1 deserved a 10 for all the weirdness and the hilarious OP. Too bad the Mikuru-version of the opening song isn't kept through out the series. :heh:

[friendshipz]

just want to say this, i sincerely show my deepest sympathy to mikuru..
by our headstrong haruhi that unintentionally putting her to shame. (._.)"
giving it a 6/10, didnt really enjoy this esp..

[kj1980]

While less funny than the previous two, we get a glimpse of the more serious side of the story as Kyon was called into Nagato's condo.

Glad I kept the HD recorder set to record all of Suzumiya Haruhi this season. I would've cried in vain for missing it after spending several days in the hospital due to food poisoning.

[eVaX]

Woo, episode 3 subbed! Thank you a.f.k. Now I'm gonna go cry by myself at work while I have to wait until later tonight to watch it. :(

[Shinji103]

I loved the part where Haruhi locks the clubroom door and Kyon and Mikuru both go "OH ^HIT!!!!" And later when Kyon bails out of the clubroom when he sees Haruhi strating to strip down. LMAO Those scenes were hilarious. :D :D :D

[Thelastguardian]

I would've cried in vain for missing it after spending several days in the hospital due to food poisoning.
Owie. I was just wondering that why didn't you vote in the F/SN thread :^).

Glad you are all right now.

[DannoHung]

Oh man, oh man, oh man.... can't wait till the next episode! ARGGGH!

[Seyluun]

Just watched the new ep, and read the whole thread. Here is my take on the debate: Haruhi is Cthulhu in a more appealing package ;)

[Shadowscar]

They left a big cliff hanger there on skipping the explanation of what Suzumiya Haruhi is, (i know some ppl have explained it before but im trying to skip that and waiting to learn from show)

lol i cant stop laughin when ever i see the computer part that was just brilliantly done, sad how easily that would prob work in real life to some extent

[Cheese Ninja]

I just watch 1, 2, and 3. I'd read the synopsis a while back and thought it was just wacky comedy, so I was a bit surprised in the first episode when there was a talking cat, and it looked like Itsuki actually used some sort of power.

After watching all 3, visiting here, and rewatching bits of 1, I understood that Yuki beat on Mikuru, because the first time, she actually did use her eye beam, and that was the only time her eye actually changed color. After visiting these forums, and looking at the episode 1 thread, I rewatched the Yuki/Itsuki conversation, with Itsuki's "he" and a knowing look at the cameraman. Mikuru's comments in this episode were very telling, where as her episode 2 comments just added to mystery.

This series is too funny, and more than a bit mysterious as well. It seems to me (I haven't read the novels, so I wouldn't actually know.) that Haruhi herself is aware of the strangeness to the degree that she's endlessly searching for those mysteries, but not the details. Maybe that's part of why she's so short-tempered and frustrated with the common world. Despite her not seeming particularly melancholic outside of Kyon watching her standing around in the 2nd episode, it's in the title, and I don't think it's a ruse. She didn't understand why Yuki physically attacked Mikuru in the first episode. Or why Kyon forced her to repeat that it was a complete work of fiction during the credits, despite Haruhi thinking that she made up a lot of the story her own.

Somehow I must resist reading the spoilers here, I probably shouldn't visit too often.

I voted a 9.

[NeoSlicerZ]

Wow.. words cannot express how sorry I am for Mikuru after this episode.. and it seems to be only a foreshadowing of what is to come (only ep 3), seeing Mikuru crying so pitifully yet accepting her fate? I retract my GTO statement from ep 2, Suzumiya Haruhi is far different... I wonder why Kyon was given Hyperion though. Parallels between the Shrike and Haruhi?

[Julius Firefocht]

This episode is excellent, as usual. I do feel sorry for Mikuru though. The amount of abuse she is put through would make anyone weep. And Haruhi's efficiency and ruthlessness in achieving her goals make many of our world leaders look like angels in comparison. :)

I do find the part where Mikuru asks Kyon if he will take her if she can't be a bride rather cute. And of course, Haruhi and Mikuru in bunny girl suits is an automatic win.

9/10 for this episode.

[MarmoO]

Heh, I had to completely change my view of this anime. It looks it is much closer to drama or even a tragedy. Suzumiya really is like a kind of Greek goddess and she really meant what she said, she doesn't care about normal people, she see them more like a tools, Mikuru is there only to be a mascot, she is a tool to bring attention. I mean, in Haruhi’s eyes she really is a tool, unable to feel emotions on the same level as Suzumiya or Kyon do. Mikuru isn't a normal moe character, she is forced to be one, it states her behavior in second episode in complete new light. I really didn't enjoy third episode as a comedy, but with this one I have even higher expectation than before.

[mp3chan]

I noticed in this episode a.f.k overwrites the japanese characters completely maybe to make the text more readable. Well, I don't mind :heh: There seems to be some guest seiyuu in this ep for computer guys.

Much appreciated and keep going ;)

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9821/afk18nv.th.jpg (http://img137.imageshack.us/my.php?image=afk18nv.jpg) http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/4530/afk27ok.th.jpg (http://img462.imageshack.us/my.php?image=afk18nv.jpg) http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6584/afk32xz.th.jpg (http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=afk32xz.jpg)

[dxgarten]

Haruhi's efficiency and ruthlessness in achieving her goals make many of our world leaders look like angels in comparison. :)

That's it! That's the word I was looking for to describe Haruhi's action in this episode: ruthless. She basically presses on regardless how others may suffer because of it. She's still a fun character but it's hard not to feel sorry for the others while she steps on them to do her bidding.

[DannoHung]

Haruhi is a force of nature, men must yield before her path lest they be swept away by her incontrovertable power.

[Onizuka-GTO]

Haruhi is a force of nature, men must yield before her path lest they be swept away by her incontrovertable power.


haruhi bless YOU!

Amen/kyon my comrade¬!
:D

[Shirobane]

Aha! so we get into the meat of the series! So let's get the petty stuff out of the way first. I throughly enjoyed the episode, there was some pacing issues that some of you have noted about, but I didn't notice it as much (maybe because I haven't actually read the novels yet...)

i'm beginning to think that maybe episode 00 was an introduction to the characters after all since Yuki has blatantly told Kyon that she's an alien (possibly a magician too) and Mikuru mumbled something about time planes. In keeping with the recent trend we could assume that Itsuki will probably be a hidden Esper and Tsuyura could be a mind-controlled zombie who comes out of her character to laugh at Mikuru...ok well maybe not.

Animation is again top notch, especially the alien encounter glow that sets the mysterious mood in Yuki's apartment. Also, Haruhi's ability to smile cutely while extorting the computer research club is simply gold.

Ok now for the parts that could get me in trouble in which I will spoiler so that those who choose to avoid my thoughts can do so :D
Ok I have to admit that the extortion of the computer research club was kind of cruel upon Mikuru. HOWEVER I don't feel sorry for Mikuru, my reasoning as follows: To me, Mikuru is simply a tool to build upon Haruhi's character. Reason being is that her character never changes regardless of the abuse she takes from Haruhi. Quite literally, Mikuru alternates from:
1. Mikuru is Cute
2. Mikuru is Crying
Because of her static behaviour, this leads me to believe that her purpose in the story is to further other characters...in other words, a tool. In a more elegant way of saying it, a literary device.


Keep in mind that this is creative work, where ethics and morals need not necessarily apply. If we were to be self-righteous, there would be many complaints about how killing/imprisoning/kidnapping/blahblahblah a sub-character to further the character development of a main character is unethical and morally wrong.



Also, Eclipze I don't think your example is very fitting of Haruhi's character as the intent to harm is already inherent in the action. Regardless if you didn't mean to harm someone else, the intent to harm is already present in that case. In Haruhi's case, she's more like a child trying to get your attention by pulling the tail of a cat who is clearly not enjoying the aggrivation. You (for example are the owner of the cat) aren't very happy since the child is basically torturing your cat, so you scold them. Mission success for the child as (s)he has obtained your attention now.

Speaking of which: @TheLastGuardian & Melange
a little preamble beforehand: Damn you Melange, I clicked on your spoiler! Anyways, I'm not too sure of the context on your ch2 example, but could we consider that as reckless as Haruhi is to the feelings of everyone around her, Kyon is as reckless towards Haruhi's feelings? This is an assumption based on the narration that kind of villifies Haruhi whenever possible and that after Kyon's "trigger" Haruhi seems to attempt to grab Kyon's attention whenever possible.

[dan88]

Forget Mikurui. I'll take Yuki, she can take me to her apartment and make me tea any time. :D
Tea FTW!!!

I definitely feel that Haruhi is attracted to Kyon but I somehow feel I've missed why she suddenly became interested in him. Was it, as is seems, purely because he showed some interest in her and took the time to talk to her? Kyon is curios about Haruhi but has not show any real romantic interest in her.

I've warmed to Kyon's character, particularly his honesty when he said he sort of want to see Mikurui in the bunny costume. It seemed a very human reaction and he did not gloss over his failing. He always seem to think and react how I know I probably would, for better or worse. To be honest Haruhi would be fun to be around and I can imagine secretly enjoying being dragged around by Haruhi and her wild plans.... and why not, it certainly wouldn't be boring. We need more Haruhi's in the world!!





Actually there is a young girl I know who started an anime club and tends to want to rope me into things like plays.... (at my age!)
She is a good girl (with a bit of a temper) but I think I might start calling her Haruhi. :D

[Thelastguardian]

could we consider that as reckless as Haruhi is to the feelings of everyone around her, Kyon is as reckless towards Haruhi's feelings?
Since you are spoiled already, why not go the whole way.

Yes, yes. You got it. That is the corresponding effect- a product that catalysis Haruhi's erratic behaviour.

Kyon views(ed) Haruhi as a problem to contain and solve, not as a human being who, as nutty as she is, has her weaknesses. As (we)he will see throughout the stories, this is probably the worst thing he can do.

Trust me when I say this leads to a lot of unnecessary troubles.

But it is his inconsideratecy that scores him a ____, so I say his troubles are worth every cents. :)

Was it, as is seems, purely because he showed some interest in her and took the time to talk to her? Kyon is curios about Haruhi but has not show any real romantic interest in her.
Yes...mostly...something else also...
remember what she said when they first talked.

Edit: Oppsie, no harm done :)

[Shirobane]

Ah it makes sense now, but I swear this is the last time I'll be spoiled! Thanks for the insight!
Oh and you might want to complete my spoiler tag, I don't want to be peppered even more because of spoiling than I'm gonna be after my comments on Mikuru:uhoh:

Edit: Thanks Thelastguardian :D

[melange]

I can't believe how many sadistic individuals watch this series :p
Sadism is part and parcel of a lot of humor :heh: Look at those cartoons like Bugs Bunny, Loderunner etc. Look at moments in anime such as Magikano (poor Haruo) and Love Hina (Keitaro being sent into orbit by Naru). Look at the many jokes that are commonly told; a lot of them predicate at least one poor individual or group who ends up being laughed at. It can be said that in indulging in humor we are all sadistic to some degree :heh:

Actually there is a young girl I know who started an anime club and tends to want to rope me into things like plays.... (at my age!)
She is a good girl (with a bit of a temper) but I think I might start calling her Haruhi. :DIs she watching this show? :D

[dan88]

Was it, as is seems, purely because he showed some interest in her and took the time to talk to her? Kyon is curios about Haruhi but has not show any real romantic interest in her.
Yes...mostly...something else also...
remember what she said when they first talked.
mmmmm...... I see. It makes sense based on where the show seem to be going in Ep3.


Actually there is a young girl I know who started an anime club and tends to want to rope me into things like plays.... (at my age!)
She is a good girl (with a bit of a temper) but I think I might start calling her Haruhi.
Is she watching this show? :DI will give her a copy of anime and teasingly suggest there is a similarity. :D

[Onizuka-GTO]

I will give her a copy of anime and teasingly suggest there is a similarity. :D

*lay flowers at dan88 tomestone*

I hope you rest in peace, and may your soul find forgiveness as haruhi will find forgiveness for you....after she had her way with as well as that lass who sent you to her.

:D :D :D

[melange]

*lay flowers at dan88 tomestone*

I hope you rest in peace, and may your soul find forgiveness as haruhi will find forgiveness for you....after she had her way with as well as that lass who sent you to her.

:D :D :D
Its more likely that Haruhi wouldn't care less... "dan88? Who's that? Oh it doesn't matter!" :heh:

[Shirobane]

She'll obviously not have the time for "Normal" human beings

[DannoHung]

Yeah, but at that point, he'll be a ghost.

[panzerfan]

Like always, the dead had all the answers I was missing. It wasn't that they weren't eager to talk. Quite the contrary. The dead had plenty to say. And once they started, they would never shut up. Their words would keep you awake at night.

Just as Max Payne's narriation describes, the dead answers alot more than the live. Here's to another self-narriator!

[evil-samurai]

Wow! Haruhi sure is a wicked evil bitch :heh: and she is really! enjoyable to watch :heh:

Poor Mikuru :( I dont know what I'm more sad about, the fact her character doesn't have a huge backbone to it and is kinda simple >.> (though mabye they might expand on her character a bit..) or that she gets kick around by queen bitch >.>

Well I love Kyon voice, though I wish his character was a bit less go with flow of things and didn't have the same tone of voice nearly all! of the time. Even though I would rather a few things to be different, he is still enjoyable to watch :) This Episode was ok but still ep.1 is the best in the show, I would love! to see more of the filming process with the characters ^^

[Sinestra]

ok that blackmailing of the computer club had to be one of the most cruelist things i have seen in a long time (even though i laughed through the whole thing) Those poor bastards didnt even have a chance to log off their porn. Suzumiya is a force you hope doesnt notice you and just strolls by. You know that saying you've called down the thunder now reap the whirlwind well in this case she ismore like a hurrican the likes the world has never seen. She does treat people like tools i mean when Asahina said if i become ruined marriage will your take me almost broke my heart. But she started talking about timelines and stuff could she be from the future and Nagato telllng Kyon shes an alien (by the way what was up with all the tea) I think this series is just going to get wilder from here. Im also voting Suzumiya as the cutest tyrant ever even watching her for some reason reminds me of watching the history channel about Hitler's SS



All hail the SOS oh god please dont hurt me

[SoldierOfDarkness]

I dunno guys, I couldn't help but just laugh at the entire episode. If I vote good for this episode and laugh at Haruhi's antics, does that make me a bad person?

[Shirobane]

Ah, I should add something about this episode too. Er... um... ah...
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/407/te00008rq.th.jpg (http://img158.imageshack.us/my.php?image=te00008rq.jpg)
Am I the only one who thinks Yuki's hands are very sexy? ^^;;


hmm hand fetish eh?:naughty:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2517/vlcsnap1716103oj.th.png (http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1716103oj.png)


Personally I'm a fan of Haruhi hands :p (No I'm not biased:eyespin:)
But a cookie to whoever can answer correctly on how Haruhi gets such <insert adjective> feminine fingers (if she were real.)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6526/vlcsnap1694488qk.th.png (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1694488qk.png)

Hint: it has been shown in the anime already.

...Yes I'm bored.

[rainnydaiis]

^ Hehe welcome to the club ^^

And yeah her hands are pretty... compared to a lot of different animes HAHA

[Sinestra]

hmm hand fetish eh?:naughty:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2517/vlcsnap1716103oj.th.png (http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1716103oj.png)


Personally I'm a fan of Haruhi hands :p (No I'm not biased:eyespin:)
But a cookie to whoever can answer correctly on how Haruhi gets such <insert adjective> feminine fingers (if she were real.)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6526/vlcsnap1694488qk.th.png (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1694488qk.png)

Hint: it has been shown in the anime already.

...Yes I'm bored. i dont know how to answer that i just feel dirty when i think about it but that cookie sure sounds nice

[Onizuka-GTO]

I dunno guys, I couldn't help but just laugh at the entire episode. If I vote good for this episode and laugh at Haruhi's antics, does that make me a bad person?

no. it just makes you an honest haruhiist.

:p

[Sushi-Y]

Personally I'm a fan of Haruhi hands :p (No I'm not biased:eyespin:)
But a cookie to whoever can answer correctly on how Haruhi gets such <insert adjective> feminine fingers (if she were real.)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6526/vlcsnap1694488qk.th.png (http://img111.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1694488qk.png)

Hint: it has been shown in the anime already.

...Yes I'm bored.
AK-47... I mean, piano?

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7941/ashi00000yw.th.jpg (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ashi00000yw.jpg)
I thought Haruhi's legs were the attraction point in this episode. ^^;

[Eclipze]

Also, Eclipze I don't think your example is very fitting of Haruhi's character as the intent to harm is already inherent in the action. Regardless if you didn't mean to harm someone else, the intent to harm is already present in that case. In Haruhi's case, she's more like a child trying to get your attention by pulling the tail of a cat who is clearly not enjoying the aggrivation. You (for example are the owner of the cat) aren't very happy since the child is basically torturing your cat, so you scold them. Mission success for the child as (s)he has obtained your attention now.
While my example of a terrorist may be out-of-place, your example of a attention-seeking child isn't that much better either.
I believe it can be agreed upon that Haruhi is a rather oblivious and sub-conciously selfish person. She has admitted that she considers herself as a superior existance, while showing minimum consideration/respect for others around them. She thinks that the world revolves around her: She will get whatever she wants, her way.

In a way, a better example to describe Haruhi would be a self-centered person who is oblivious to his surroundings. Seen hollywood movies before, where a rich jerk who goes round taking whatever he wants, and treats the women he sleeps with as mere sex objects?

Haruhi does infact fit into this description: She doesn't care what other people feel, and she thinks what she does is right. She would go to the extend of abusing whatever resources (or people) she can get her hands on, as long as it aids in the accomplishment of her objective.

Even when the people she is using starts to breakdown (cry), she would think of it as a perfectly acceptable thing: "oh, its just another _normal_ human reaction, nothing to worry about". When she gave out the club flyers in this episode, she actually expected the people who received the flyers, to join enthusiastically. She didn't even consider the possibilities outside how she believes people should react. "I am Haruhi, therefore *points fingers* you, you and you will do my bidding, no questions asked. Oh, Miss big boobs, please go place the hand of the computer club's president on your chest while I take photos of them, so that I can blackmail them for a brand new computer".
Really, I agree that Haruhi is a very unique and interesting indivisual, but like others, I also agree that Haruhi's actions can't be morally justified. Is it so hard to admit that Haruhi isn't a good (in terms of morals) person?

Anyways, on the episode itself. The computer blackmail part was fairly funny (in a crude way), there was the serious plot development scenes, and the animation was, as usual, top-notch (I can't imagine KyoAni screwing up). But overall, it was a fairly "bleh" episode. I'll give the episode a 7.

[ayyo]

ヤレヤレ. While I'm not trying to attack you or insult you or anything, let's take a deep breathe and remember it's only an anime (or novel, whatever). I think you're taking it too seriously if you go as far as to compare Haruhi to terrorists. It's the same as critics complaining Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~ is evil and wrong because they show child labor.

If I were to defend Haruhi's character, I would say she isn't trying to hurt anyone. Certainly you can say she isn't a very moral person, but then we would have to degrade the topic into what is right vs what is wrong, in an anime no less.

The problem is only that you obviously don't like her character, or to say, not compatible with your 'morals' vs an anime character's. Thats fine and all and I'm sure other people respect your opinion, but its probably a bad idea to express your opinion in such a way in a fan forum of said character.

--------

Anyway, I enjoyed the episode. :p In my opinion, the only thing that was to be taken semi seriously was the last remark by Yuki. The first result of the first scene (When she was sitting in room by herself) was overshadowed by when Kyon basically gave the "huh... ok.." look after telling her she should leave, and the crying scene was overshadowed by Haruhi stripping all of sudden, and result of second scene (when she was walking out of the room) was overshadowed by her comment of if he will take her when she can't marry because she isn't pure, and by Kyon's comments afterwards.

[Wandering_Youth]

Wow, this show is strange yet funny. None of it makes sense but I can't stop laughing at the antics Haruhi keeps on doing.

As if I'm not already a bit confused on this anime, I went and checked out the thread "All about Suzumiya Haruhi" to find that there's this Haruhiism thing going around the anime culture in Japan. I was questioning myself if this was all just bull. :eyespin:


Ahaha, poor Aashin keeps getting harassed by Haruhi in almost every episode so far, which are, imo, the funniest scenes next to all the blackmailing going on.


This is anime is rocks!

[rooboy]

By the way, is the Hyperion series just a random reference, or is there some deeper meaning/symbolism to it? A simple yes or no answer would be appreciated from people who've read the novels. Near the end the thought of OMG, Yuki's part of the TechnoCore!!! came across my mind. In Hyperion, there were 7 pilgrims (each with a unique personal history) on a voyage to visit the Shrike, a sort of mechanical god of pain. Perhaps the members of the SOS-dan each possess a unique history and are on a voyage to get pain inflicted upon them by some ultimate creator? XD;Technically I believe the book she got was actually Fall of Hyperion, not Hyperion. I only mention this because Ummon and the Technocore are introduced in Fall of Hyperion (I believe, it's been a couple of years since I've reread it) and the amount (and breadth) of symbolism cranks way up. While it could be a random book, my guess would be that it was specifically chosen. Having not read the Haruhi novels, my guess would be that it's relevant because of either: the Hyperion series' delving into the nature of God or the Shrike and the Time Tomb's relationship to the Time/Space continuum (they move backwards in it). To a lesser extent it could also relate to Ummon and the rest of the Technocore (after all, Ummon and his speech are a Zen thing) and they create their own humanoid interfaces (like Yuki). I doubt any hints from the Hyperion books will really be apparent until after the anime series is over (or until someone who has actually already read both comes forward). about a lot of points.

EDIT: If the book is actually Hyperion. Then the symbolism could be very obvious: Hyperion is about a group of disparate individuals who go on a pilgrimage together.

[Cheese Ninja]

I've gotta wonder if Asahina has nothing that could stop Haruhi from taking advantage of her, after all, we know from the first episode that she has an eyebeam. That would be a bit heavy-handed, I'm thinking something more subtle.

Haruhi is overly obsessed with her goal, and won't let something like morals get in her way. She treats every small step towards it as absolutely essential. (just an aspect of her headstrong demeanor, the computer wasn't really important enough to validate that) It makes her a bit cruel sometimes, but I'm having trouble faulting her for it. Maybe because she's melancholic...?

[Eclipze]

ヤレヤレ. While I'm not trying to attack you or insult you or anything, let's take a deep breathe and remember it's only an anime (or novel, whatever). I think you're taking it too seriously if you go as far as to compare Haruhi to terrorists. It's the same as critics complaining Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~ is evil and wrong because they show child labor.

If I were to defend Haruhi's character, I would say she isn't trying to hurt anyone. Certainly you can say she isn't a very moral person, but then we would have to degrade the topic into what is right vs what is wrong, in an anime no less.

The problem is only that you obviously don't like her character, or to say, not compatible with your 'morals' vs an anime character's. Thats fine and all and I'm sure other people respect your opinion, but its probably a bad idea to express your opinion in such a way in a fan forum of said character.
Eh...since this IS anime, why go through all the trouble trying to justify an anime character's actions? I do like Haruhi for her unique-ness and all, but its like people are going out-of-their-way to say "Haruhi = Goddess. Haruhi is always right".

Lets agree to disagree. She doesn't INTEND to hurt anyone, but she WILL if she has a need to do so. If for example, the school club-forming board directors says to Haruhi: "We will allow you to start your own SOS brigade club as long as you help us blackmail a certain individual."

....she WILL do that.

Let me stress my point. I like Haruhi as an anime characte, even though I dont like the way she does things. I accept her for the anime character she is, but it seems like Haruhism-members try too hard to argue the flaw of Haruhi into another good trait, which is clearly not the case. Again, its no different from defend an obnoxious self-centered jerk's actions. It just doesn't work.

Oh, to be precise, this is a Suzumiya Haruhi series discussion sub-forum. The forum isn't created by Haruhi fans, it is part of Asuki's boards. While there are hardcore S.Haruhi fans lurking on these boards, there are some who simply watch the anime. And I believe we are suppose to be having rather well-thought discussions about the anime/characters? As far as I can tell, the last thing the mods want is for the sub-forum to turn into a big fanclub itself, with S.Haruhi lovers who communicate through 1-liners.

Again, I am not bashing Haruhi. I just get this uneasy feeling that people are turning a blind eye to the flaw of a character and counter-argue a character critism by saying stuff like "oh, she is innocent, you can't blame her". Really, I don't really care if Haruhism is good or anything, but just don't go to the extend of senseless praise, ok?

[Shirobane]

My example simply outlines what is inherent in every decision she makes, her intention is not evil but her methods may be questionable in terms of morality as dictated by society. However, I don't believe that she's immoral by blackmailing the computer research group or the abuse she inflicts upon Mikuru but rather that her character is amoral. Thus my example, where if a child is harassing a cat, would (s)he understand the implications? Does morality play a role in that decision? Probably not, all the kid wants to do is get your attention and finds out that the cat makes some weird sounds when being harassed that could serve to his/her cause.

Secondly, being reckless of other peoples' feelings is not the same as not caring. In fact being "reckless" is similar to "not being receptive of" in this case. I believe that Haruhi is simply not very receptive of their feelings. Case in point Mikuru was crying at the end of the flyer promotion scene, but it could be mistaken as Mikuru being afraid of the outcome of being escorted to the principal's office. (at least I wouldn't put it past Haruhi)

Selfish? I'll concede that point...for now.

Is Haruhi a particularly bad person for doing the things she has done? In my mind she comes across as misguided if anything else. Because she's a bit reckless with the feelings of other people around her, it would seem that she lacks the feedback required to make a "moral" (as dictated by society) decision. Mindyou it's not as if she completely ignores Mikuru's existance and considers her a manipulable object. As translated by a.f.k. (paraphrased) Haruhi feels it's no fun to do their advertising if Mikuru-chan isn't there. This alone indicates that Haruhi acknowledges Mikuru and maybe even considers her as a friend :eek:

Eclipze you'll have you cite me the time code and episode in which Haruhi says that she considers herself of superior significance if you could. As I have no recollection of that passage.

Ah and ayyo, I don't think Eclipze meant any harm from his post, it's simply discussion in progress :D. It's hard to find shows that could spark some real debate past "zomg <xyz> is so hot and everyone else sux!!!!111one" so I kinda relish the discussion.

AK-47... I mean, piano?
ja jang!
http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/8715/vlcsnap1706788ao.th.png (http://img238.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap1706788ao.png)
A cookie for you!
Indeed it is the piano. Rejoice guys that play the piano, you have girly hands (as noted from several ladies who have commented on mine T_T ...at least they didn't use the word "girly")

Edit: God I'm long winded, I've fallen behind again =/
Edit2: I'm also not attempting to make anyone like the show by means of large flowing paragraphs, I feel there is at least SOME merit to discussing Haruhi's character.

[Vexx]

Despite the fact I love Haruhi's character ... I can see Neitzchean undertones to her viewpoint ... she is "beyond" good or evil in her view. She simply wields the power of her will to achieve her goals. I don't know enough about how this series continues to know if she would actually seriously hurt someone or not. ... I guess that's part of the riveting anxiety and whether Kyon is a mitigating agent or not.

[ayyo]

No harm done. Yeah it's a discussion, but it's kind of overdoing it to compare to terrorists. Anyway,

Eclipze, I get what you're saying 100%, and its hard enough to convey into words, so time to pull statistics-out-of-ass.

What is happening and what you're feeling about 'Haruhism' is that, lets say out of 10 viewers that really enjoy watching the show, 9 out of 10 fanboys it, and odd person out will feel the other 9 people are overdoing it with their fanboyism. It happens to best of us and it happens at random. Using an example, I was sadly picked at random to be the odd person out of 10 for Shuffle! and I thought everyone else was extremely overdoing it with the clubs, labeling Kaede this, Kaede that and even drawing freaking comparisons from Shuffle! to Fate/stay night, despite me enjoying it. Unfortunately, you were also picked to be the odd person out here, so I know how you feel :) Visible examples are how there are currently like 8 blogs praising it and 2 other blogs going 'But its not that good =\'.

Solution? Ignore the comments and enjoy watching the show for what it is and enjoy spewing fanboyism for the other animes where you weren't picked to be the odd person.

And yes, technically, duh, its a "Suzumiya Haruhi series discussion sub-forum" :rolleyes:, but its a play on the idea of all the "Haruhism".

[Shirobane]

Despite the fact I love Haruhi's character ... I can see Neitzchean undertones to her viewpoint ... she is "beyond" good or evil in her view. She simply wields the power of her will to achieve her goals. I don't know enough about how this series continues to know if she would actually seriously hurt someone or not. ... I guess that's part of the riveting anxiety and whether Kyon is a mitigating agent or not.
Ooo Nietzche, I've been meaning to find a book of his theories but I keep putting it off, you wouldn't know of a book that underlines Nietzchean concepts would you? :D

[Thelastguardian]

EDIT: If the book is actually Hyperion. Then the symbolism could be very obvious: Hyperion is about a group of disparate individuals who go on a pilgrimage together.
And what, Haruhi is the Shrikes that is made to torture other characters? :D

Let's not go there.

Frankly I agree with Eclipze. Haruhi can be a jerk, bitch, and etc. . But if those traits turn you off- I am sorry to say that you are missing a very large part of literature.

Lord of the Flies doesn't shy away from those traits; Neither did Fahrenheit 451. I can go on forever with all the famous fictions, but let's make one thing clear- the characters(and their traits, good and bad) make the story possible, not the story makes the characters possible.

That's why I gave up on Harry Potter lol . (Unless they come up with the manga/anime adaptation of it XD )

If you ignore parts of Haruhi's personality, you are missing the whole story.

[Eclipze]

^^ I'm glad this issue is understood. But meh...if a person wants to dislike Haruhi (or any other character) for any reason, like the poster who said he wished Kyon to punch Haruhi, its ok. I get a little uneasy when fans impose (I use this term lightly) their "fanboyism" upon an opinion that differs from theirs. If he wants to punch Haruhi for a certain deed she's done, let them be. It is especially weird when the reasoning is out of line in terms of justification. (this is the part where I feel especially uneasy as a poster).

Eclipze you'll have you cite me the time code and episode in which Haruhi says that she considers herself of superior significance if you could. As I have no recollection of that passage.
While not specifically said by Haruhi herself, she does imply that attitude by saying "I have no interest in normal humans". "Are you an alien? If not, I wont talk to you". You can rephrase them to "I wont talk to you unless you are special enough to talk to".

...you get the idea.

I have no problems with Haruhism/fanboyism. They can infact provide some really interesting discussion and fun, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.

[Vexx]

I can't think of a particular book I recommend, though my son is currently reading "The Portable Neitzche" by Kuff for high school at the moment.

You could probably google or wiki for some thumbnail descriptions. He had some interesting ideas but lets just say his ideas are easy to misuse. :)

[SoldierOfDarkness]

no. it just makes you an honest haruhiist.

:p

I see....*Votes 10* Seriously, I haven't had this much fun before, 1/4 of my body was crying for the little girl but 3/4 of myself just laughed and begged for more.:heh: Guess I know which consciousness won.

Haruhi is basically an anime female version of Dogbert, just more fun. Dogbert's belief was that everyone was placed on Earth just to serve him, Haruhi pretty much fits that description.

Anyways, on the episode itself. The computer blackmail part was fairly funny (in a crude way), there was the serious plot development scenes, and the animation was, as usual, top-notch (I can't imagine KyoAni screwing up). But overall, it was a fairly "bleh" episode. I'll give the episode a 7.

Oh yeah, especially the...."I'll just say that the club wanted to **************" First time I heard a **** on anime.

Of course it can't be morally justified but that's the way it is.

[rooboy]

Ooo Nietzche, I've been meaning to find a book of his theories but I keep putting it off, you wouldn't know of a book that underlines Nietzchean concepts would you? :DWell, he wrote a lot of books (about a fair number of subjects).

Thus Spoke Zarathustra ("God is Dead"), The Birth of Tragedy (his first work, about the differences between Greek schools of thought), and The Antichrist (an attack on Christianity) are some of his more controversial works.

I think what you're probably looking for; however, are Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, and The Twilight of the Idols.

[Shirobane]

While not specifically said by Haruhi herself, she does imply that attitude by saying "I have no interest in normal humans". "Are you an alien? If not, I wont talk to you". You can rephrase them to "I wont talk to you unless you are special enough to talk to".

...you get the idea.

I have no problems with Haruhism/fanboyism. They can infact provide some really interesting discussion and fun, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.
hmm, while not trying to be pompous here, there are times where I can walk a mile in Haruhi's shoes in saying that people are mundane. Of course not everyone is boring, but for some people, it seems that life does not extend past "that primetime show." But really, wouldn't it be more fun talking to an alien rather than to another person who's sole life purpose is to watch that prime time show? Albeit Haruhi is much more passionate about that than I would ever be...

[DannoHung]

Haruhi is the God Emperor of Anime. Her actions cannot be judged as those of mortal men, for she has knowledge of the Weirding Ways.

*offers melange up to the mahdi*

[Shirobane]

I can't think of a particular book I recommend, though my son is currently reading "The Portable Neitzche" by Kuff for high school at the moment.

You could probably google or wiki for some thumbnail descriptions. He had some interesting ideas but lets just say his ideas are easy to misuse. :)
Indeed, I clearly understand what grounds I'm about to step on. I promise to use the information wisely and not conquer all of your puny minds...er I mean not use it for global domination :p

Thanks Vexx and rooboy for the suggestions

[Kaoru Chujo]

Having watched the raw a couple of times, I've now had the pleasure of watching a.f.k.'s sub, which just increased my enjoyment. OMG Haruhiiii!

But the thing that most struck me this time was the animation. The way the KyoAni staff get the rhythms of people's movements is just amazing. Like in the OP, where you see Haruhi's, um, waist as she strides across the screen. Just the rhythm of her walk says so much.

And especially toward the end of the pre-OP intro, where she rushes out into the hall to ask Kyon what else the club needs: the way she rushes out and then slows down, and her body sways in just the right way to emphasize her character. This is beyond excellent.

[Sorrow-K]

Never mind the hilarious comedy and the near unsurpassed level of raw wit this show has shown in its first three episodes. The thing that's really impressing me is the directing. It's phenomenal.

This continues to be one of the most revolutionary things I've seen in anime for a very long time. Everything about it, from the atmosphere to animation to characters to comedy just seems to work in such a unique way. And the story is starting to become intriguing and mysterious as well. I just cannot remember the last time I've been so exciting about an anime.

[melange]

My goodness. I go to sleep for a while and this thread has exploded. :heh:
^^ I'm glad this issue is understood. But meh...if a person wants to dislike Haruhi (or any other character) for any reason, like the poster who said he wished Kyon to punch Haruhi, its ok. I get a little uneasy when fans impose (I use this term lightly) their "fanboyism" upon an opinion that differs from theirs. If he wants to punch Haruhi for a certain deed she's done, let them be. It is especially weird when the reasoning is out of line in terms of justification. (this is the part where I feel especially uneasy as a poster).

While not specifically said by Haruhi herself, she does imply that attitude by saying "I have no interest in normal humans". "Are you an alien? If not, I wont talk to you". You can rephrase them to "I wont talk to you unless you are special enough to talk to".

...you get the idea.

I have no problems with Haruhism/fanboyism. They can infact provide some really interesting discussion and fun, but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed.
You're talking about me by any chance? :heh: That's what I felt at the moment and I don't really feel it now (the urge to punch Haruhi) but I'm beginning to think that the purpose of that passage which I felt questionable (and the passages that other people felt were questionable to them) were precisely there to make the reader question his liking of Haruhi. Haruhi has a superiority complex (the Nietzche (sp) reference is a good one) and is a morally ambivalent character. There's no way around that. That's what makes her standout as a character. Its her biggest draw and her biggest flaw. Anyone watching/reading SHnY will have to deal with her seeming amorality and react to it. While watching Haruhi's antics could make you laugh and it often does, you will have to question the inherent sadism present within yourself when you do so.

Haruhi is the God Emperor of Anime. Her actions cannot be judged as those of mortal men, for she has knowledge of the Weirding Ways.

*offers melange up to the mahdi*
Anno... while I love Haruhi as much as the next guy, I still want to be around to finish watching the show and reading the novels so please spare me :heh:

Nice Dune reference anyway :D Though Yuki could very well be mistaken as a target for the Butlerian Jihad...:eyespin:

[Shirobane]

My goodness. I go to sleep for a while and this thread has exploded. :heh:

You're talking about me by any chance? :heh: That's what I felt at the moment and I don't really feel it now (the urge to punch Haruhi) but I'm beginning to think that the purpose of that passage which I felt questionable (and the passages that other people felt were questionable to them) were precisely there to make the reader question his liking of Haruhi. Haruhi has a superiority complex (the Nietzche (sp) reference is a good one) and is a morally ambivalent character. There's no way around that. That's what makes her standout as a character. Its her biggest draw and her biggest flaw. Anyone watching/reading SHnY will have to deal with her seeming amorality and react to it. While watching Haruhi's antics could make you laugh and it often does, you will have to question the inherent sadism present within yourself when you do so.



:p of course, you snooze you lose lol. With the impending change in atmosphere, I wonder how many of those who took to SHnY as a comedy actually heeded the warnings of the novel veterans...

[melange]

:p of course, you snooze you lose lol. With the impending change in atmosphere, I wonder how many of those who took to SHnY as a comedy actually heeded the warnings of the novel veterans...
Darn.. Haruhi is relentless T_T She throws sleep out the window! Well considering that the warnings of the novel veterans are buried within 100s of other posts, its very likely that most haven't seen those warnings :heh: I guess Kyo-ani is also trying to remedy an overwhelming change of atmosphere by splicing in the short stories from novel 3 like Sushi-Y and others have suggested in order not to alienate those coming in for the comedy. Hopefully when the serious bits hit people will recognize that they just make SHnY even better. :D

[npal]

Well, the reason I watch the show besides the comedy element (which is starting to seem crude in my eyes) is in hopes that SOMEONE will put SOME sort of sense into Haruhi, preferably Kyon, although I doubt that will happen :p

[DannoHung]

Having the very useful ability to turn my Morals and Ethics on and off on a whim, I am able to fully appreciate Haruhi's egotism and the havoc left in her ponderous and ultimately irresistable path. Furthermore, mental scars aside, I should like to point out that Haruhi's harm is transient and fleeting. I sincerely doubt the Great One would truly wish to bring undue, irrecoverable harm to any of her subjects. All is within the great plan.

*thumps chest twice and extends fist outwards*
MY LIFE FOR HARUHI!

[RedFrame]

Dude.. she just make a complete stranger to grope Mikuru breast.....
what is happening to this world...aiyooo *sigh*
thats the only thing that would make put 1 instead of 10 .
edit:
But add 9 for the perfect grade detail character :D

[npal]

Having the very useful ability to turn my Morals and Ethics on and off on a whim, I am able to fully appreciate Haruhi's egotism and the havoc left in her ponderous and ultimately irresistable path. Furthermore, mental scars aside, I should like to point out that Haruhi's harm is transient and fleeting. I sincerely doubt the Great One would truly wish to bring undue, irrecoverable harm to any of her subjects. All is within the great plan.

*thumps chest twice and extends fist outwards*
MY LIFE FOR HARUHI!

First statement: Yes, every blind follower of someone can say that :p
Second statement: Yes, I can picture Hitler thinking just that :p "Transient and fleeting in my great plan" :p

[Julius Firefocht]

Never mind the hilarious comedy and the near unsurpassed level of raw wit this show has shown in its first three episodes. The thing that's really impressing me is the directing. It's phenomenal.

This continues to be one of the most revolutionary things I've seen in anime for a very long time. Everything about it, from the atmosphere to animation to characters to comedy just seems to work in such a unique way. And the story is starting to become intriguing and mysterious as well. I just cannot remember the last time I've been so exciting about an anime.

The directing has to be good. After all, it's done by the Super Director Suzumiya Haruhi!

[Shiokaze]

The blackmailing scene was priceless. When Mikuru-chan walks out of the room saying "If I become ruined for marriage, will you take me?" to Kyon-Kun, I felt really bad for Mikuru-chan. Anyways, this episode rocked on a whole. Can't wait for the next episode. I can only hope that baseballs are the only things that Haruhi will hit the bat with. :heh:

[Knavinusa]

I had to give this one a 9 as well. Despite the pacing, everything else in the episode was perfect. Like everyone else, I couldn't help but laugh at Mikuru's misfortune (as mean as it is). :p

[Akuma-sama]

Very, very good episode. Haruhi as a bunnygirl just made it hotter :D

The more I see it, the more I think the "spinning legs" scene in the OP isn't a mistake after all. If you look in the background; Kyoanim is obviously putting a lot of effort into this show, so they wouldn't make a stupid mistake like that. Plus, you can see Electron symbols at that time in the background, so...

...sorry if I'm not exactly witty, it's 7 AM, just woke up and I'm writing on 6 hours of sleep (everything seemed to wake me up... meh) :heh:

[kj1980]

At the scene where they show Mikuru's back as Kyon was saying "Asahina-san, your back looks as if you've just failed an university entrance exam or a salary-man who just bought a house with huge mortgage payments only to be fired from the job soon after," my thoughts were "Asahina-san, your back looks as if you've just been gang-raped and too embarassed to talk to anyone about it."

Yes, I'm evil.

[DannoHung]

First statement: Yes, every blind follower of someone can say that :p
Second statement: Yes, I can picture Hitler thinking just that :p "Transient and fleeting in my great plan" :p

Millions of people brutally killed is sort of the opposite of transient and fleeting, no matter what dialect of English you're using. I was thinking more along the lines of, "Don't look so down fella, arms break, but they heal too." orrr... "Ah, you would've had to demolish that building in 50 years time anyhow." orrr.... "Nuclear Fallout only lasts... what? Oh... yeah, that IS a long time, hmmm..."

[Vexx]

Mikuru seems to be drowning in her fate ... as if she just views it as her task in the job of diverting Haruhi. That was a nice little scene where she asks Kyon if he will take her under his wing even if she ends up "ruined for marriage", though his metaphors describing his thoughts as she walks off looking so disheveled and lovely got a little odd.

Haruhi looked really hot through most of the episode.... I think it has to do with her total "innocence" when she moves, rips her clothes off, wears the bunny suit. She just seems completely unaware of the concept of embarrassment. And that was quite a deft kick she delivered.

At first, I was very Haruhi-oriented but Mikuru and Yuki "leveled up" in this episode... three goddesses representing aspects of I-don't-know-what-the-hell-what-yet :)

Kyon clearly finds the situation "interesting" (he's not reallly upset that he's surrounded by 3 lovely girls) even if he just loves to complain. I can see how the impending arrival of Itsuki(sp?) might piss him off :)
Despite the eccentricities and bizarreness, I still find the character behavior and reactions to be very natural and believable (as in I mean, the "strings of the puppeteers" are invisible).

[dan88]

Haruhi only abuses people who are weak and wishy washy.

Mikuru had her breasts groped and other perversions forced upon her but just caves in. It is hard to respect her if she does not stand up for herself. Her reaction would seem to be a little over the top too.

It is the same with computer club guys. They made no attempt to grab the camera or even stand up to Haruhi. tbh who at the school would actually believe what Haruhi says anyway and Mikuru is hardly going to claim they did anything to her. I think she realised they were wimps that could be pushed around and just used the easiest quickest tactic to get what she wanted.

Haruhi is clearly quite intelligent and well organised and would use different tactics on different people. This demostrations one of the dangers of isolating people or letting them isolate themselves. She doesn't care what other people think (except maybe Kyon) and so has no reason to be nice to people.

[Kinny Riddle]

The anime continues its excellent adaptation of the novel. I liked how they censored Haruhi saying the word "gang rape" with comical effect (blackmailing the whole Computer Society guys that they gang raped Mikuru, that is). :D

After reading the first novel, I can see why Kyo-Ani wanted to skip to the beginning of the third novel, and introduce the other interesting side characters first, as the end of the first novel pushes the main characters' relationships forward a lot.

[Vexx]

Haruhi only abuses people who are weak and wishy washy.

Mikuru had her breasts groped and other perversions forced upon her but just caves in. It is hard to respect her if she does not stand up for herself. Her reaction would seem to be a little over the top too.

.

I think you're missing Mikuru's Purpose if you're going to diss her like that. She has a specific purpose in keeping Haruhi "entertained" for lack of a better word, she knows her assignment: though she's appalled and personally humiliated, she's grimly determined to execute her task. Hmmmm, no I think she's completely on target with her reaction --- she's been groped, now she's been groped and had the computer prez tossed on her in compromising positions.... dragged around in a risque outfit. I think she fully expects that Haruhi will have her "ruined for marriage" before the situation is done and she just needed the support of knowing *someone* (Kyon) would accept her even if her worst case expectations came true.

[npal]

Millions of people brutally killed is sort of the opposite of transient and fleeting, no matter what dialect of English you're using.

Depends on WHO is using the dialect :p In Haruhi's (and Hitler's mind) it would seem transient and fleeting :p.

@Vexx, right, and Kyon must act like a man and support her if it comes to that :D

[Green²]

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/5327/haruhisuzumiya36ae.th.jpg (http://img86.imageshack.us/my.php?image=haruhisuzumiya36ae.jpg)


Kyon Loser! ******* LOSER!

For christ sake man, put on the god damned bunny suit, and take it like a man!


Mysterious experience:

Hi, I'm Kyon. Who one day got dragged into a club along with some other people one day. Yet this one wacko member of the club kept abusing other club members to the point where they were counting on me to protect them from further abuse from the wacko member. Even most wierd, when the wacko member later one day began to abuse the other members, at the time when my fellow members counted on me the most, I abandoned them. Not that I wanted to abandon them, but that I was afraid of what the wacko member might've done to me. Not that I didn't want to get into a bunny costume, as I'm really into that stuff anyway, but just that, why should I be the one to be abused by this wacko member? Even worse, if I'm more willing to give into the will of this wacko member, I might have to suffer even further abuse. And I'm not even sure if even god knows what the wacko member will stick up my crack next. Yet should I comply now, yet not comply later, there's no telling on what this wacko member will do to get back at me,.. as cause if this wacko member can even go as far to extort a computer from another club through the extreme extortion of that club **** ****** another student, *gulp*,.. GAHHHH! I don't know what to do! Please for the love of god, help me SOS!

Hoping to hear back soon,
Kyon


P.S.
Could you also pass word to that other member of your club named Kyon, that I think he's a LOSER!
THX. Bye-bye ^_^

[Suyo]

Hmm, looking for the opinions of people who have not read the books, and do not know the out come of this.

Yuki claims Haruhi and herself are "aliens". I'm not sure if this is should be taken seriously or if it is to show us that Yuki and Haruhi are both basically just nuts.
Do you guys think she is just nuts or if they are really "aliens"?

Again, please anyone who does actually know from reading the books, don't spoil it.. just looking for some more opinions. This just doesn't seem like this kind of series, and kind of changes my feelings towards it a little from what my first impressions were.

[Cats]

Animation... Perfect... hopefully it's going to be like this in the next episodes :D
Plot/Humor... Perfect... feel sorry for Mikuru :(... but what the hell... that was the funniest scene ever :p
Characters... Perfect... still missing characters... but at least we get good development for the current ones ;)

This hole copy pasting from real places is great... if they keep this up even if they make some mistakes on the animation I'll still classified it as perfection...

Hmmm.... Could they actually be crazy enough to air the episodes in random order :eyebrow: ... well I pray they are :D

Overall Rating : Perfect 10

Question : Since this is probably going to remain a mystery to the anime... what did Haruhi say in the censored moment ?

Kyon Loser! ******* LOSER!

When he tried to save Mikuru she started screaming "Don't look !!!"... what's the poor guy suppose to do :( ...

IMHO he did the right thing... even if it was partially wrong... at least this way we don't have stupid over perverted character scenes :eyebrow:

Again, please anyone who does actually know from reading the books, don't spoil it.. just looking for some more opinions. This just doesn't seem like this kind of series, and kind of changes my feelings towards it a little from what my first impressions were.

I think you should add Mikuru to the list :eyebrow:... remember what she said at nerd central...

I don't think there are non novel readers here that don't know the answear. *points to melange's sigy*

[Eclipze]

To be perfectly fair, Kyon can't fit into the bunny suit...unless they get a extra large, male-version. No, I'm not defending him, but at least he was truthful with his bunny-girl fetish (or something).:heh:

[Onizuka-GTO]

i bet we can relate to kyon, because he speak the truth...wai. that could be his special power! kyon can speak the truth! :D
sorry, still trying to figure out why haruhi finds kyon the normal human worthy of her attention when she doesn't waste time for...er..normal..humans :D

[Suyo]

I think you should add Mikuru to the list :eyebrow:... remember what she said at nerd central...

I don't think there are non novel readers here that don't know the answear. *points to melange's sigy*

Maybe I'm just slow, but I don't see how that gives anything away >< I mean, theres a question mark there :p


istill trying to figure out why haruhi finds kyon the normal human worthy of her attention when she doesn't waste time for...er..normal..humans :D

Wondering the same, all I can think of is attraction.. I don't get why she would even make the SOS in the first place if she refuses to interact with humans (in ep 2 she is very crude at first to Kyon) since obviously that's what a club is for (and she is just looking for people with an -interest- in the same things). Maybe just looking at minor details too much.. but alot doesn't make sense -yet-.. at least to me ; ; But why would you refuse to be social with "normal" humans then go out and advertise a club you are running is looking for members.

[Eclipze]

^^ I guess Haruhi lowered her standard (Gasps!) from only talking to aliens/time travellers to "people with extraordinary encounters".

Afterall, she made to club looking for people who fit the description as stated above.:D

[Green²]

Question : Since this is probably going to remain a mystery to the anime... what did Haruhi say in the censored moment ?
Broken down to "gang-raping" on the chan, I think. Though it got flooded off the page,.. and probably too liquored-up to probably remember exactly. But sounds about right for Haruhi.

When he tried to save Mikuru she started screaming "Don't look !!!"... what's the poor guy suppose to do :( ...

IMHO he did the right thing... even if it was partially wrong... at least this way we don't have stupid over perverted character scenes :eyebrow:
Eh, but just think of Kyon in a bunny suit. :heh: :eyebrow:


To be perfectly fair, Kyon can't fit into the bunny suit...unless they get a extra large, male-version. No, I'm not defending him, but at least he was truthful with his bunny-girl fetish (or something). :heh:
There's nothing a little bit of duct tape can't fix. Though in Haruhi's case, she'd probably weld it on.

[Shiroth]

Kyon once again stole the episode. If the show didn't have the 'Kyon talking to himself' pieces, then i can't see the show being as good as it is - still you have the other main characters doing there special parts to the show.. like Yuki. <3

Well, looks like we get Itsuki nexed episode.. and Yuki without glasses, yay.

I haven't enjoyed a good Baseball episode since Comic Party: Revolution.. episode 04 should be a good one.

[Katapan]

This episode would definitely have gotten a 10 from me if Kyon was the one wearing a bunny suit. Oh, how I wish to find Kyon-dressed-as-a-bunny-girl fanart one day... Noo, that wasn't a request... Really...
Well, I guess Mikuru's torture makes up for it. :x

To be honest, I was kind of disturbed by Yuki's revelation, as I was just expecting some crazy humor staying within reality, but after thinking again it doesn't sound bad at all, it may even not come into play before a few episodes. With maybe just a little less humor than before, this is getting a 9 from me, but I am still totally devoted to Haruhiism.

[npal]

Oh well, I finally voted a 9. It's a 10, minus one for Mikuru's maltreatment. Should have been two but I will justify the bunny costume since Haruhi herself wore one, too. :p

[Xellos-_^]

Hmm, looking for the opinions of people who have not read the books, and do not know the out come of this.

Yuki claims Haruhi and herself are "aliens". I'm not sure if this is should be taken seriously or if it is to show us that Yuki and Haruhi are both basically just nuts.
Do you guys think she is just nuts or if they are really "aliens"?

Again, please anyone who does actually know from reading the books, don't spoil it.. just looking for some more opinions. This just doesn't seem like this kind of series, and kind of changes my feelings towards it a little from what my first impressions were.

i think there is a rumor going around that Ep1 is a basic summary of the entire story. So if you go by what the movie say about each member then

Yuki = Alien witch, Mikuru = Time traveler, Haruhi = God :twitch: :eyespin: :heh: Scary isn't it.

[SoldierOfDarkness]

From what information I have gathered, it is

Yuki = Alien which has been confirmed in episode 3

Mikuru is indeed a time traveller and is investigating something which is Haruhi, hence when she was arrested into the club and saw Yuki, that's what she understood apparently.

Itsuki is indeed some sort of esper guy with powers.

Then we have Haruhi as the director so I guess that would equal god

This is sorta suspected as when you look at the endings, especially at the end of episode 2, Kyon is like the only normal-looking guy there. Itsuki looks way too happy for a guy :heh:

It makes sense that episode 1 is the whole summary, I mean their freaking jumping all over the place with this series, I mean eps 4 is suppose to be 7?

[npal]

i think there is a rumor going around that Ep1 is a basic summary of the entire story. So if you go by what the movie say about each member then

Yuki = Alien witch, Mikuru = Time traveler, Haruhi = God :twitch: :eyespin: :heh: Scary isn't it.

If THAT is God, I'll join any anti-God entity out there right away :p

[melange]

I don't think there are non novel readers here that don't know the answear. *points to melange's sigy*Ara... guilty as charged. :heh:

Anyway because of the hilarity of the 1st episode a lot of people are under the impression that this series would be out-and-out comedy but it is not! Comedy is a very large part of it but not the be-all-end-all. Frankly for me thats what makes the show even better, though it may not fit with what other people are expecting.

[Xellos-_^]

If THAT is God, I'll join any anti-God entity out there right away :p

I am going have to burn you at the stake then.

*applies for job as chief inquistor of SOS.

[mr.muffin]

Finally managed to watch Episode 3... took ages to download.

Didn't find Ep3 as good as the previous 2. Maybe I was expecting a funnier episode. Didn't really like all the abuse Mikuru was taking too. Although I admit the blackmail scene was really funny. I found the ending rather weird, where Nagato revealed to Kyon that she was an alien. Wondered why she kept making Kyon drink more tea too... :confused:

A good episode overall. Helped me relieve some exam stress. Plus Haruhi in a bunny suit was nice. :o

[panzerfan]

Here's my rebuttal to Nietsche and anti-god... If we take things from the horse's mouth.
God is dead, but so is Nietsche.
Ironically though both have books that attribute to them.

Replying to Kyon and his actions, Sisyphus and his uphill roll of the boulder is indicative enough that headstrong defiance/resistance serves little purpose other than a demonstration of willpower (with no audience it's pointless). You never get used to having your head chopped off but you cannot change something by standing aside however... and so Kyon marches himself into that clubroom, following perhaps... Don Quixote.

[rooboy]

If THAT is God, I'll join any anti-God entity out there right away :p
I believe the intention is that she has the power of a god, not necessarily that she _is_ God. It's kind of like Kamichu, only the girl's not nice and sweet, but sort of amoral and self-obsessed.

[mr.muffin]

Wondering the same, all I can think of is attraction.. I don't get why she would even make the SOS in the first place if she refuses to interact with humans (in ep 2 she is very crude at first to Kyon) since obviously that's what a club is for (and she is just looking for people with an -interest- in the same things). Maybe just looking at minor details too much.. but alot doesn't make sense -yet-.. at least to me ; ; But why would you refuse to be social with "normal" humans then go out and advertise a club you are running is looking for members.

Just to add on some of my thoughts.
Maybe Haruhi has an interest in Kyon cos he was the one that inspired her to start the SOS Dan. Maybe in her view that elevated him to an "above normal" status. Or maybe she's just this really self-centered (crazy?) girl who is just using all the SOS members to further her own goals. Perhaps to her the ends justify the means, even if it entails advertising for the SOS in bunny suits. lol

[Vexx]

9 out of 10 for me.... mostly because the animation seemed a bit off in some parts.
(though the Haruhi kick is pretty amazing animation if you look at it frame by frame)

I'm beginning to see what Mikuru is about and how important her role is ... and why she's willing to take such maligning AND how Kyon provides her some anchorage... her conversation with Kyon has a tragically heroic twist to it in ep3.
This looks like its turning into some nicely interlocking relationship stuff.

[Decel]

Just to add on some of my thoughts.
Maybe Haruhi has an interest in Kyon cos he was the one that inspired her to start the SOS Dan. Maybe in her view that elevated him to an "above normal" status. Or maybe she's just this really self-centered (crazy?) girl who is just using all the SOS members to further her own goals. Perhaps to her the ends justify the means, even if it entails advertising for the SOS in bunny suits. lol
I think she acknowledges that Kyon has a higher-than-average consciousness of reality, partly agreeing with her that typical humans are boring, yet refuted her that not all humans are (ep 2).

As for Mikuru, she sees in him a caring and worried individual that is helping her out. I wonder how popular she is in the school in general. She looks to be a reclusive person.

Concerning Haruhi's treatment of Mikuru, I have the guilty pleasure of appreciating it, and Kyon too on a certain level.

[panzerfan]

Kyon, whose name no one care to recall, follows none other than the spectre of Don Quixote as Sancho Panza did. (I like the sound of that)

A successful Don Quixote, oxymoron at that... maybe, that's Haruhi?

[melange]

As for Mikuru, she sees in him a caring and worried individual that is helping her out. I wonder how popular she is in the school in general. She looks to be a reclusive person.
Mikuru is pretty popular among the guys in school.

[Julius Firefocht]

Mikuru is pretty popular among the guys in school.

She has to be, for the reasons Haruhi already spelled out in the 2nd episode.

[Sushi-Y]

Mikuru is pretty popular among the guys in school.
She practically has a fanclub following, so yeah.

[npal]

I believe the intention is that she has the power of a god, not necessarily that she _is_ God. It's kind of like Kamichu, only the girl's not nice and sweet, but sort of amoral and self-obsessed.

I'd still join the anti group anytime. No, I'd probably be the FOUNDER of that anti group :p

Mikuru FTW :D :love:

[Cats]

Maybe I'm just slow, but I don't see how that gives anything away >< I mean, theres a question mark there :p

I think it's because of all this gif making that my eyes become extremely sensitive :twitch: ... I even see the pixels now :eyespin: ... oh well :rolleyes:


When the question mark flashes a little part of the quote flashes
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2666/haruhisig22dg.gif (http://imageshack.us)


Concerning Kyon

I think Kyon is suppose to represent the general public (your average viewer) like Watson in Sherlock Holmes... basically even if things go totally weird or eccentric... if Kyon keeps it real, and acts realistically then the public will buy it... or at least give it some credibility...

Anyway to put it simply Kyon is there to eliminate the cheese factor :p

[Decel]

She practically has a fanclub following, so yeah.
Really? Was it mentioned so far? I don't recall hearing it, which is why I asked.

[dkellis]

Watching through the episode again, I do believe that the BGM did influence me greatly on why I felt so uncomfortable with Mikuru's crises. It's hard to take a bullying scene seriously when the music is going "oom-PAH oom-PAH", but when it's serious, sad violins, and Mikuru sadly asking Kyon if he'll help her if her life is ruined because of this, humour begins to feel inappropriate.

[DannoHung]

Yeah, the Ska piece during the blackmail scene was great.

[Xellos-_^]

I'd still join the anti group anytime. No, I'd probably be the FOUNDER of that anti group :p

Mikuru FTW :D :love:

HERTIC

I will burn you att he stake :D

[Jaden]

:O I've actually read the first Hyperion book...was going to a place with rather limited internet for three weeks, figured I'd need something to read and just randomly bought it. And it's the only real scifi novel I've read, ever.

Anyways, this episode was awesome because of the ruthless mikuru exploitation and the revelation in the end. Up to this point I thought this series is just fooling around in high school without any big twist. =P

[AvatarST]

Question about an ooold post in the thread...

Humiliations aside.

Imagine your body structure gets modified regularly by someone's will just because that someone wants your eyes to emit photon/neutron/whatever he/she thinks up to film a slapstick movie. And the only way to cure that each time is to let an mysterious alien that is magnitude more advance than you can ever understand to inject some god-knows-what nanoparticles into you. All the while you might kill the person you treasure most. The worst thing is you can't say NO, STOP IT! I HAVE ENOUGH to the person or else you risk the destruction of this and your own worlds.

Talk about suckage. No wonder she cried horrible during one of the filming scene.

But Kyon was there with her. I guess that's what pulled her though.

Who? I'm curious. Kyon? That Itsuki dude? Yuki? Haruhi herself?

[Onizuka-GTO]

I think it's because of all this gif making that my eyes become extremely sensitive :twitch: ... I even see the pixels now :eyespin: ... oh well :rolleyes:


When the question mark flashes a little part of the quote flashes
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2666/haruhisig22dg.gif (http://imageshack.us)


Concerning Kyon

I think Kyon is suppose to represent the general public (your average viewer) like Watson in Sherlock Holmes... basically even if things go totally weird or eccentric... if Kyon keeps it real, and acts realistically then the public will buy it... or at least give it some credibility...

Anyway to put it simply Kyon is there to eliminate the cheese factor :p

talking about detail. for some really strange reason. in the last scene of of kyon and yuki. I keep noticing when you looked out from yuki's patio window you can see the red light falshing on the buildings and in one instants a plane was flying across the screen with kyon in it but you could only see the navigation lights, when the scen cut to yuki you 'll see the plane continue flashing across.

talk about detail!

:D

[melange]

Question about an ooold post in the thread...
Who? I'm curious. Kyon? That Itsuki dude? Yuki? Haruhi herself?
From what I remember it was referring to Mikuru.
Really? Was it mentioned so far? I don't recall hearing it, which is why I asked.
Sorry, I guess I mistakenly answered from info not yet mentioned in the anime :heh:

[AvatarST]

From what I remember it was referring to Mikuru.

Yes, I know that. I'm asking who the person who Mikuru treasures the most is.

[Adigard]

Yes, I know that. I'm asking who the person who Mikuru treasures the most is.

From what we've seen thus far in EP3? That should be obvious ^^

And from what has been spoiled elsewhere by the novel readers, and from what you quoted...

Kyon

//EDIT: Since you weren't very precise in your earlier post... I wasn't sure if you meant who the alien was, or the person ^^;;
//EDIT2: After reading AvatarST's follow up post... I originally saw the Bolded section... but wasn't sure if that was your doing, or the original poster... so I didn't think twice about it ^^;; Behold the power of quoting ^^

[AvatarST]

Ahh, I was just making sure. And yeah, I highlighted that part but I guess I wasn't too clear.

Man, I feel sorry for Mikuru. On top of all the abuse she's had she'll most likely get unrequited love as well. ^^;

Poor girl.

In any case, I rate this ep. a 9. Great, but I liked ep. 2 better and that was a 10. Real funny stuff again, Haruhi's awesome and totally nuts at the same time, and you can't help feeling sorry for Mikuru...

[porchoky]

I kinda feel sorry for everyone. kyon is getting kicked around mercilessly by haruhi, haruhi is sort of dissapointed in that nothing is happening, and mikuru..

[celcius]

This ep doesn't disappoint, but I liked ep2 better.

Haruhi is sooooooo evil~!! And I love her for it!! <3

[dxgarten]

Ahh, I was just making sure. And yeah, I highlighted that part but I guess I wasn't too clear.

Man, I feel sorry for Mikuru. On top of all the abuse she's had she'll most likely get unrequited love as well. ^^;

Poor girl.


Hear, hear. This is one of the rare cases where I don't want

the male lead to hook up with the female lead. It's impossible though especially with a show where the title is based on the name of the lead female's name.

[rooboy]

Hear, hear. This is one of the rare cases where I don't want

the male lead to hook up with the female lead. It's impossible though especially with a show where the title is based on the name of the lead female's name.
I haven't read the novels, but I'm not entirely sure that should be a problem. I'm pretty sure this isn't, strictly speaking, a romance, so there's no real reason to hook Kyon up with Suzumiya. I would think there's a better than even chance that Kyon doesn't really hook up with anyone.

[Kamui4356]

Ahh, I was just making sure. And yeah, I highlighted that part but I guess I wasn't too clear.

Man, I feel sorry for Mikuru. On top of all the abuse she's had she'll most likely get unrequited love as well. ^^;

Poor girl.
Based on some of the comments kyon made in episode one, it might not be. ;) It seems like there might be some relationship there, or at least the prelude to one. Of course, having not read the novels it's speculation, so why am I using spoiler tags?:heh:

Anyway, while it was a good episode, it just doesn't have the same rewatch value as one or two, so I rated it one point lower. As for the scene with the computer club, it was clearly their fault. :eyespin: If they hadn't resisted in the first place, they might have gotten away with giving Haruhi an older computer. However, they made things difficult on themselves and forced her to extort their latest model. :eyespin: Or maybe not...:heh:

[Vexx]

I haven't read the novels, but I'm not entirely sure that should be a problem. I'm pretty sure this isn't, strictly speaking, a romance, so there's no real reason to hook Kyon up with Suzumiya. I would think there's a better than even chance that Kyon doesn't really hook up with anyone.

We should just mark the whole thread SPOILERS!!!! BEWARE!!!

Maybe "hook up" isn't the right word .... but "comrades in loonytown".
I can certainly see Kyon drifting towards Mikuru only to be pulled back by a Haruhi-quake leaving Kyon a little like the Saturnian moons ..... backn'forth never quite arriving at either girl. All are necessary for the maximum amount of "fun overload".

That drawing in the novel is certainly intriguing (no I haven't gotten past the first chapter though on my own) of Kyon and Suzumiya.

[Onizuka-GTO]

I haven't read the novels, but I'm not entirely sure that should be a problem. I'm pretty sure this isn't, strictly speaking, a romance, so there's no real reason to hook Kyon up with Suzumiya. I would think there's a better than even chance that Kyon doesn't really hook up with anyone.

well.... you know what they say....mmm....what was it again? oh yeah.

"opposites attracts?"

:D

All i can say is:

Kyon I SALUTE YOUR NOBLE SACRIFICE FOR ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE¬! ;)

ah. sorry if i sound like i know something. these are all just speculations. please ignore them. :)

[eVaX]

Hmm, I failed to really put this on the top of my head but Haruhi's VA really came out on top for this episode, whereas Mikuru has taken top awards for the first 2.

Every time she makes that sound with that evil smile smile of her's, I feel all warm and tingly.

I do wonder where she learned such ruthless extortion tactics though.

[melange]

I do wonder where she learned such ruthless extortion tactics though.It's innate :D

[Shinji103]

It's innate :DHow frightening. XD

[rooboy]

well.... you know what they say....mmm....what was it again? oh yeah.

"opposites attracts?"
We should just mark the whole thread SPOILERS!!!! BEWARE!!!Maybe "hook up" isn't the right word .... but "comrades in loonytown".
I can certainly see Kyon drifting towards Mikuru only to be pulled back by a Haruhi-quake leaving Kyon a little like the Saturnian moons ..... backn'forth never quite arriving at either girl. All are necessary for the maximum amount of "fun overload".I have no idea what to spoiler and what not to anymore. :)
I think you're missing my point. I'm not saying Kyon couldn't, eventually, at some juncture, hook up with Haruhi. I'm not saying he's not attracted to Haruhi (I would think he would have to be at some level to keep putting up with her). I'm just saying it's not the point of the series. In the same way, while there's a chance in Bleach we'll find out if Ichigo hooks up with Inoue or Rukia, it really wouldn't be a surprise if they just don't show it. It's not an essential part of the plot. Spurious. Irrelevant. Could be completely left out and still make a good show. :) It was a response to the post that said This is one of the rare cases where I don't want
the male lead to hook up with the female lead. It's impossible though especially with a show where the title is based on the name of the lead female's name.I was just trying to point out that it's entirely possible that Kyon doesn't "hook up" with anyone. Hook up has become my new favorite catchphrase, thank you dxgarten. :D

[RedFrame]

From what we've seen thus far in EP3? That should be obvious ^^

And from what has been spoiled elsewhere by the novel readers, and from what you quoted...

Kyon


Animesuki is sure is dangerous place
c##p... i cant help myself from opening all the spoiler :D:p

[SoldierOfDarkness]

I have no idea what to spoiler and what not to anymore. :)
I think you're missing my point. I'm not saying Kyon couldn't, eventually, at some juncture, hook up with Haruhi. I'm not saying he's not attracted to Haruhi (I would think he would have to be at some level to keep putting up with her). I'm just saying it's not the point of the series. In the same way, while there's a chance in Bleach we'll find out if Ichigo hooks up with Inoue or Rukia, it really wouldn't be a surprise if they just don't show it. It's not an essential part of the plot. Spurious. Irrelevant. Could be completely left out and still make a good show. :) It was a response to the post that said I was just trying to point out that it's entirely possible that Kyon doesn't "hook up" with anyone. Hook up has become my new favorite catchphrase, thank you dxgarten. :D
Probably better safe than sorry, next thing we know some guys will come in and complain about how were spoilering episode 3 for them.

Though it's clear that he's defintely attracted to Haruhi, though with episode 3 he seems defintely attracted to Yuki. I mean the guy did notioned about how it would be nice to see her in a bunny outfit.

But it wouldn't be bad for Kyon and Haruhi to hook up but of course, you never know, he might not hook up with anyone of that matter.

THough with this show, any crazy thing is possible

[Vexx]

Probably better safe than sorry, next thing we know some guys will come in and complain about how were spoilering episode 3 for them.

Though it's clear that he's defintely attracted to Haruhi, though with episode 3 he seems defintely attracted to Yuki. I mean the guy did notioned about how it would be nice to see her in a bunny outfit.

But it wouldn't be bad for Kyon and Haruhi to hook up but of course, you never know, he might not hook up with anyone of that matter.

THough with this show, any crazy thing is possible

(corrected the name, d'oh)
I think Kyon is a normal guy who prefers to see pretty women and is just realizing in his gut that he's surrounded by three women who are each very pretty in their own way. ... blame the bunny suits I guess :)

[Leo_Otaku]

Poor Mikuru ^-^" She is too afraid to fight back I guess. I'm totally going to get the SOS Haruhi H on my car XD.

This anime is so amusing ^-^

[npal]

I think Haruhi is a normal guy who prefers to see pretty women and is just realizing in his gut that he's surrounded by three women who are each very pretty in their own way. ... blame the bunny suits I guess :)

That's Kyon. Or is Haruhi really a guy? :twitch: :p

[Shirobane]

We should just mark the whole thread SPOILERS!!!! BEWARE!!!


Indeed! It seems that I go to school for several hours and I return to find that ep 3 discussion has become a spoiler hell :p
RedFrame, I feel your pain.

This is one of the rare cases where I don't want
the male lead to hook up with the female lead. It's impossible though especially with a show where the title is based on the name of the lead female's name.
But Haruhi is obviously more fun that Mikuru, Kyon would probably end up bored rather than serving as a slave to Haruhi :D


Though it's clear that he's defintely attracted to Haruhi, though with episode 3 he seems defintely attracted to Yuki. I mean the guy did notioned about how it would be nice to see her in a bunny outfit.

But it wouldn't be bad for Kyon and Haruhi to hook up but of course, you never know, he might not hook up with anyone of that matter.

THough with this show, any crazy thing is possible



Well in that case, wouldn't he also be attracted to Mikuru since he's basically been talking about protecting her throughout the first parts of the episode. I think that Kyon's attraction to Yuki and Mikuru (and even Haruhi as mentionned before that there has to be some degree of attraction for Kyon to keep putting up with Haruhi) stems from the fact that Kyon is a guy and his checking out the girls around him is only a subsect of the male archetype. I mean come on, there isn't a guy on the planet that hasn't checked out a cute girl before right? :D

Yet again, it's Kyon's narrative that makes him very easy to realte to.


Edit: Bah I'm slow, Vexx already beat me to the punch >.<

[DannoHung]

That's Kyon. Or is Haruhi really a guy? :twitch: :p

Well, you know that there's going to be Futanari Haruhi Doujin at *some* point.

Might as well be weirded out by it now.

*shudder*

[melange]

Well, you know that there's going to be Futanari Haruhi Doujin at *some* point.

Might as well be weirded out by it now.

*shudder*
Ah.. so thats the real reason why Haruhi enjoys stripping Mikuru! :heh:

About who Kyon could possibly be attracted to... I don't see why they particularly need to be 'spoilered' since all of the discussion above mainly draw from the 3 episodes to date and noone has jumped in with a novel reference. The sub is already out so there's also no worry about raw watchers/sub watchers time lag...

[npal]

Well, if he likes being dragged around and having to walk through hell to please an incomprehensible mind, he can as well hook up with Haruhi :p I still think Mikuru is better. Even Yuki has her advantages :D

[dxgarten]

Hook up has become my new favorite catchphrase, thank you dxgarten. :D

You're welcome. :D

I think Haruhi is a normal guy who prefers to see pretty women and is just realizing in his gut that he's surrounded by three women who are each very pretty in their own way

I think at this point in the story it's safe to say that's pretty much it. Suddenly joining SOS must not be such a bad extracurricular activity for him.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Hmm, I failed to really put this on the top of my head but Haruhi's VA really came out on top for this episode, whereas Mikuru has taken top awards for the first 2. Every time she makes that sound with that evil smile smile of her's, I feel all warm and tingly.... Credit to Hirano Aya (http://hashihime.atspace.com/Hashi_seiyuusC.html#hiranaya), who is Haruhi's VA:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/amorpsyche/hirano_aya.jpg

She's 18, had her first role at 15 as Monkey Momo in Tenshi no Shippo, is in four animes this spring (Haruhi, MagiPoka, NANA, and Himawari), actually sang the classical pieces her character sang in Canvas2, and is a first-year university student.

Mikuru's VA, Gotou Yuuko, is in my avatar and sig.

[Pepperidge]

Episode 3 really surprised me. That alone isn't saying much, because the first two both surprised me in completely different ways as well, but episode 3 really seemed to set a different tone for the show. It doesn't seem to be discussed much here, but I'm really starting to get the feeling that at its core, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is quite a dark satire.

I mean, Kyon's line "is this supposed to be a comedy?" makes it pretty clear that the extortion scene (or any aspect of Mikuru's exploitation, for that matter) definitely wasn't being played for laughs, despite the comedic music. There's definitely a lot more to this show than meets the eye, and the writing seems to work on many many levels. I'll keep watching in hopes that this trend continues and the show doesn't get crushed under its own weight. I generally don't go for this kind of series (ever), but so far Haruhi is something extremely unique. Personally, I think that a lot of the elements being emphasized or obsessed over are quite deceptive, which in itself is highly reflective of the first episode being done the way it was.

But maybe it's just me.

[Onizuka-GTO]

Well, if he likes being dragged around and having to walk through hell to please an incomprehensible mind, he can as well hook up with Haruhi :p I still think Mikuru is better. Even Yuki has her advantages :D


Yuki definitely has advantages! its the Rei Ayanami complex all over again!
:D

ah.....she's so nostalgic, (my lost youth! GIVE ME BACK MY YOUTH!)

but she also has this cute non-verbal communication style.

While people keep going on about mikuru, I think those who like Yuki are the quiet ones here. Probably cos they know that Yuki could easily kick the arse of all the others except the Goddess herself. :D :D

As for what Pepperidge said, yeah we all obssessing over the superficial antics at the moment, but im sure its that magic underlaying mysterious story thats what pulling us under, it's just the icing on the sponge chocolate fudge ice cream filled cake, we can't wait to get into it.

mmmmmm.... get into cake.....

:p :D

[Pepperidge]

I don't mean so much the story as the underlying themes, and I'm really getting the feeling that they contradict the superficial aspects of the show completely.

This show is moe, but at the same time anti-moe.

[Onizuka-GTO]

I don't mean so much the story as the underlying themes, and I'm really getting the feeling that they contradict the superficial aspects of the show completely.

This show is moe, but at the same time anti-moe.


ah.. so....philosophical.
I see, this show is also comedy, but at the same time anti-comedy.

no wait.

It's also comedy, but at the same time serious science fiction.

no. that doesn't work.

It's...ah. fudge it.

IT'S THE HARUHI EFFECT!!
:D
HARUHIISM BANZAI!

[Eclipze]

Probably better safe than sorry, next thing we know some guys will come in and complain about how were spoilering episode 3 for them.
Err, I don't think anybody has rights to complain about spoilers regarding the very same episode. The only time a spoiler is not allowed would be if:
1) Its a novel spoiler.
2) Its a future episode spoiler (derived either from novels or some megazine).

[Danj]

This show is moe, but at the same time anti-moe.

Ooh.. forget Zen Buddhism, here comes Zen Haruhiism! :heh:

[rooboy]

Poor Mikuru ^-^" She is too afraid to fight back I guess. I'm totally going to get the SOS Haruhi H on my car XD.

This anime is so amusing ^-^My guess would be that Mikuru is not really as innocent as she appears (if she really is a time traveller). If her job is to divert Haruhi, then she seems to be doing a good job of it. She seems almost too perfectly moe to be real. Though whoever said that the time traveller bit (sorry, I'm too tired to go look back for the thread and find it) explains a heck of a lot in episode 2 was right. I didn't even think about it at the time, but a lot of the things Mikuru does make a lot more sense when filtered through that aspect.I have to admit, after the first episode I couldn't see what the big deal was, it was well animated, and kind of funny, but it didn't seem like the kind of show to get excited about. Tonight I'm going to have to rewatch the first two episodes (normally when I watch anime it runs in a tiny window while I do other things) and actually maximize the screen. I had no idea there was this much packed into this series. I'm kind of hoping Tokyopop's novel brigade takes off so that they can bring this kind of stuff over.

[Vexx]

Yeah... "the duality of Zen Haruhiism" is probably the shortest description of this show one could muster (ignoring the other option of "whacked out, man!")

@rooboy

thats sort of my take on Mikuru at the moment as well... she's been assigned a job she really doesn't enjoy but she's being a tragically good trooper about it. The mysterious remark when she spotted Yuki becomes less so under that context. Makes her even more moe (must hug and protect).

[Thelastguardian]

@rooboy

she's been assigned a job she really doesn't enjoy but she's being a tragically good trooper about it.


Nah, she does enjoy it.When her future-self came back to help the main character, she reminisced about all the events and how fun those times were.

[Reppa]

Funny stuff. :D I just want to know why Kyon is able to talk to her. Is he like a deamon or somthing like that?

[panzerfan]

That he is so normal that he in turn becomes abnormal...

[philip72]

So is Haruhi chaos and Kyon order?

[rooboy]

I think it's more because he provides a kind of focus to her crazy-ness. As an example. She wants to meet unusual people, so she sits around and waits for them to come to her. Kyon suggests she join a mystery club. Haruhi's brain spins and decides to form her own club. Kyon is able to get her to go from sitting and thinking about what she wants, to actually going out and doing it.

Plus, I'm still partially convinced that Kyon has actually been created by Haruhi for this purpose. While he's a separate entity now, the only reason I think he exists is because Haruhi created him to help her achieve her goals (whatever those are, besides meeting weird people and randomly groping Mikuru). I forget who originally posted this idea, but it would seem right in line with the series.

EDIT: LOL! Though I like this reason too:
That he is so normal that he in turn becomes abnormal...

[MihawkXGP]

This episode was brilliant. I really enjoyed it. Especially the way a certain person got that computer-that was great. 10/10.

[PastPrime]

I have been wondering if Mikuru might be this series equivelent of Chibi Usa. Saying that it was inevitable that she would fall in love with a younger version of her father.

[Cats]

I have been wondering if Mikuru might be this series equivelent of Chibi Usa. Saying that it was inevitable that she would fall in love with a younger version of her father.

Are you suggesting Kyon is Mikuru's fa:twitch:... fa:twitch:... father:eek:... so who's the mother :confused: ... Haruhi :rolleyes:... meaning poor Mikuru got ruined for marriage by her own mother :eyebrow:

So is Haruhi chaos and Kyon order?

Maybe Kyon is just part of Haruhi's imagination... you know... she wished for the perfect guy... or she wished she would meet the perfect guy

[Daniel E.]

Just finished watching eps. 3 and all I am gonna say is:

Best show I have seen this season. :D :D

I can only hope that the anime gods will forgive the fact that it took me more than 3 weeks to notice someone as Haruhi. :heh:

[SoldierOfDarkness]

Are you suggesting Kyon is Mikuru's fa:twitch:... fa:twitch:... father:eek:... so who's the mother :confused: ... Haruhi :rolleyes:... meaning poor Mikuru got ruined for marriage by her own mother :eyebrow:



Maybe Kyon is just part of Haruhi's imagination... you know... she wished for the perfect guy... or she wished she would meet the perfect guy

Well
Mikuru is from the future afterall so it's not that impossible:heh:

[Onizuka-GTO]

mmm.... maybe...maybe...Mikuru will look at Yuki & Kyon and go... "Mama! Papa!"

lololololol

:D :D :D

[Kamui4356]

Well
Mikuru is from the future afterall so it's not that impossible:heh:
It's also not impossible that Mikuru is... her own mother!:twitch: It could also be that she should have been kyon and Haruhi's daughter, but because Mikuru went back in time, kyon falls in love with her instead, and she never existed on her native time plane!:eyespin: Isn't time travel great? :heh:

Seriously though, she'd probably be from too far in the future to be the daughter of any of the other characters. Great great granddaughter perhaps?

[Adigard]

Noein is currently presenting the thesis on theory #1... but since this is a light novel... I'm going to guess the author hasn't answered the question.

[Kaoru Chujo]

I just want to thank people for their disciplined use of spoiler tags. I can read the thread without worrying too much about getting spoiled by novel-readers or even speculators.

[Shirobane]

Haha, well if there's anything to be said, this is the most spoiler tags I've ever seen in an episode discussion :heh:
I congradulate you on having the discipline in not clicking the spoilers :D

[mr.muffin]

Haha, well if there's anything to be said, this is the most spoiler tags I've ever seen in an episode discussion :heh:
I congradulate you on having the discipline in not clicking the spoilers :D
Damn! Wish I had that kind of discipline! ^^"

[Onizuka-GTO]

Damn! Wish I had that kind of discipline! ^^"


don't worry, you not the only one tempted by spoilers.

*clicks another spoiler button*

those whores, open for everyone. dammit. :mad:

[SoldierOfDarkness]

I just want to thank people for their disciplined use of spoiler tags. I can read the thread without worrying too much about getting spoiled by novel-readers or even speculators.

Actually if you watch episode 1 and nitpick some pieces of it, the whole story is right there.

[rooboy]

Though is there any reason why Yuki spilled the beans in front of kyon?
I believe she is recognizing Kyon as sort of an influence on Haruhi. She is trying to impress upon him how important everything is so she can later on influence him (and hopefully, through him, influence Haruhi).