... I've developed a theory.
I'm debating with myself whether or not to post it because...
1) If well-received, it's going to make the KyonHaruhi shipdom
even more burgeoning, and even more searching for romance in every nook and cranny, than it already is.
2) If well-received, it at least makes Haruhi look smart again, if not sympathetic. I don't mind Haruhi looking villainous;
that can be fun from time-to-time; but I hate the thought of her looking outright stupid.
... Well, I'm going to throw this out there anyway, since my appreciation of Haruhi's character is greater than my annoyance at every scene being filtered through a KyonHaruhi shipper lens.
Perhaps a
big secondary goal of Haruhi's with this movie... is to utterly destroy any chance of KyonMikuru ever happening.
Think about it. This movie puts Mikuru right through the ringer; it wears her down and instead of simply making Mikuru look cute or sexy, it makes her look abused and worn out. Certainly, a whimpering Mikuru dripping in dirty water isn't as attractive a sight as a smiling Mikuru in a maid outfit serving you tea.
But, of course, there's the piece de resistance... getting Kyon, the cameraman, to film Koizumi kissing Mikuru "mouth on mouth!" (as Haruhi passionately demanded for). Perhaps Haruhi's thinking is that once Kyon watches Koizumi kiss Mikuru, then that's it - Kyon could never view Mikuru in the same light again. Maybe Haruhi is hoping that Kyon's interest in Mikuru will dwindle in the light of knowing that Koizumi's lips have touched Mikuru's, even if it was just for a movie scene.
All told, maybe a big part of the idea behind this movie production is Haruhi's elaborate scheme to make Kyon lose all romantic desire for Mikuru. If so... it's a bit evil, but it's also genius.
Now, if you run with this theory, Haruhi's reaction to Kyon makes perfect sense all-around. When Kyon tells Koizumi to not kiss Mikuru, it's doing three annoying things for Haruhi all at the same time...
1) On a basic level, Kyon is flat-out contradicting a direct command from Haruhi. In Haruhi's mind, I imagine that it's nothing less than a direct challenge to her authority and leadership of the Brigade. Anime-wise, it doesn't help that this came after the end of E8 which saw Kyon seemingly (in Haruhi's eyes) try to usurp her role as leader of the SOS Brigade with how he loudly invited everybody
but her over to his place to help him with his homework. A dirty coup d'etat combined with leaving her out of the action entirely... and now he's trying a coup d'etat
again. Yes, I can certainly see Haruhi getting quite upset at that.
2) Secondly, Kyon is foiling her diabolical scheme.
He's getting in the way of the piece de resistance.
3) Thirdly, Kyon is, once again, showing affection and caring for Mikuru here; more than he overtly shows for Haruhi.
All-told, that's quite the three-pronged emotional whammy all in one act: Insubordination, plot-foiling,
and showing more overt concern for Mikuru than for Haruhi.
However, Haruhi quickly regains her composure, and tries to make Mikuru more alert so that her plot won't be foiled. However, her means of doing that enrages Kyon even more, leading to the shouting confrontation between them.
At this point, it's probably clear to Haruhi that her plot is foiled beyond repair. So, she quickly conceives and takes hold of a Plan B! Since Plan B is total improvisation, it's not all that good. Plan B is trying to tear Kyon and Mikuru apart for good by telling Kyon that Mikuru is
Haruhi's toy.
Not surprisingly, Kyon takes this the way
I took it, and he gets enraged and throws a punch.
... It now occurs to me that Haruhi might see
all of this as Kyon's way of insisting upon the continuation of his close relationship (as Haruhi probably sees it) with Mikuru. Kyon here is the manly man doing all he can to keep his relationship with Mikuru alive, and by golly, if he has to pound even Haruhi to keep it alive, he will!
So, this is what Haruhi is looking at here (from her perspective)...
1) Kyon trying to pull a coup d'etat against her... twice now.
2) Kyon foiling her carefully laid plot.
3) Kyon showing way more caring for Mikuru than for Haruhi
4) In fact, Kyon liking Mikuru so much more than Haruhi that he's actually willing to pound Haruhi just to keep his relationship with Mikuru alive.
This is total, utter rebellion
and rejection in Haruhi's eyes. And from her best friend to boot. It's amazing how she could hold those tears back at all.
Well, that's my theory. What do other people here think?