[Akka]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So... at face value, this scene was way too melodramatic. But from Kyon and Mikuru's perspective... I can kind of see the serious drama here. For once, Mikuru didn't strike me as just being a whiner; you really could tell how scared she was of being thrown in the water. Now I'm inclined to think that the poor girl simply has some serious psychological issues with phobias. She needs to see a counselor.

Hu, that's ridiculous. Nearly everybody would refuse flatly (and angrily) at the idea of being thrown in dirty water in autumn just so some spoiled brat would have fun.

We may find many of Haruhi's anthics to be fun because it's an anime and we don't have to deal with her in reality, but when judging the reactions of the characters in the show, we should try to imagine ourselves in their place.
Saying someone who is afraid to be thrown into dirty water has psychological problems... Hu...
It's not the one who doesn't want to be thrown in water who has problem in the head ; it's the one who want to throw others in.

I really liked how Kyon got a taste of his own snark medicine with what Taniguchi was saying to him about the movie. It also helps how Taniguchi's comment was understandable as he was peeved over how Haruhi so cavalierly dismissed him and Kunikida earlier on in the episode. Kyon's realization of how Taniguchi's snark really rubs him the wrong way is a reflection of how Kyon's snark probably rubs Haruhi the wrong way, was brilliant I felt. It was nice to see Kyon be truly self-reflective here, and try to empathize a bit with Haruhi.

Hu, actually, it's, again, Haruhi who has trouble with empathy, not Kyon.
Kyon had troubles to understand HIMSELF, not to understand HARUHI. What I understood is that the snark remarks irritated him because he realized that he actually liked Haruhi and was bored without her.

That being said, I'd be really tempted to let Haruhi spend one more day stewing in her depression if I was Kyon. Haruhi really needs to learn some things.

Yes, yes, yes, OHHHHH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES...
She really got it off FAAAAAR too easily. But well, it's a bit the very concept of the serie, so...

It's not even that Haruhi is being cruel; it's that she doesn't even realize that she's being cruel. She doesn't even seem to view other people as human beings with some basic human rights - no, scratch that, it's deeper than that. Haruhi doesn't even understand why Kyon is getting upset. Even if Haruhi doesn't view other people as human beings with some basic human rights, she should still be cognizant of the fact that most people do... including Kyon.

That's exactly what have been my point and why I called her a monster in past threads ^^

As a whole, I think that Sigh (the novel) took Haruhi too far. It took her over the edge, I think. While it was nice to see an intense Kyon vs Haruhi bit, the lead-up to it just stretched Haruhi's character beyond the breaking point for me.

Actually, Haruhi character hasn't been stretched. It simply has been true to herself. She IS like that - we could see it in the first season - it's just that we are seeing her a bit more in day-to-day life and not only the "fun parts".
Someone as hideously self-centered as she is, and who disregards others as only tools for her amusement, would be exactly like in Sigh.

I don't know - I just would have preferred it if Haruhi's actions were cold (cold enough to legitimately get a rise out of Kyon) but at least understandable. How can Haruhi think the way that she does in this episode? It actually makes her look breathtakingly ignorant and/or stupid, frankly. How Haruhi can be so good at school, and yet be this ignorant of what most people would call "common sense", is beyond me.

It's called "sociopathy"
And though it's not quite like how it happens IRL, it's actually a bit this principle.