The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Episode 4 Discussion / Poll [2006 TV ep. 10]

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

Okay, really it wasn't that outstanding an episode, come on guys. It had an interesting battle and some very average if any real character development for Yuki, but thats about it. If anything it felt like a bridge or lead-in to the finale than a special episode in its own right, seriously keep those 10's on hold, make the ratio thing work. It really makes it hard to pinpoint the outstanding episodes of a series if EVERYTHING is given a ten. That's why I always say that its best to review a show and/or its individual episodes once the show is finished, that way accuracy and meaning are maintained. Honestly I really shouldn't have given the episode a rating, but I don't think I can withdraw it, so just ignore it for now.

Spoiler:

Also how many times can everyone go through the same motion of, "Rofl, tis is teh best epi yet OMG!" with each new episode and comment on trivial aspects of the episode such as simple fan service sequences like the combat between Yuki and Asakura (Which was well animated and accurate) and the scene with Mikuru's mole, which while they may be highlights, certainly aren't anything spectacular that should not be expected at this point.

I don't know maybe I just have higher expectations than most people, and am more interested in solid character. Well anyway I'm off to read that Day of Sagitarius or whatever chapter. By the way I gave the episode a 7 because I thought it was just good, but I wish I hadn't now that I thought things over, I should have waited.

Well, if you've read my seemingly random reply to your post earlier on, you should know that we are basically rating the show on how much we liked it.

And since we liked the previous episodes enough for 10s, any better episodes will instantly be 10s. Rating systems are more for fun than actual reliance.

[npal]

@Kaioshin_Sama

I believe the ratings work good enough, no need to bitch about how other people vote. If you check the previous episodes, you'll see that there is a variation of ratings. Just because, for this episode, people who usually vote 8 or 9 chose to vote 10, doesn't make ratings fail. It means that the episode was good enough for people to vote like that. Not only that, but you can't enforce your way of judgment for other people. If one person that every episode deserves a 10, he can vote for it without needing to worry about ratings.

Now if you think this episode didn't deserve a ten, just state your reasons and vote likewise.

The "pinpoint the outstanding episode" also fails as an argument. If every episode of a series is average, how can you really find the "outstanding" episode. Likewise if a series always delivers a very good episode, obviously it's hard to pinpoint the excellent episode because the series itself is excellent.

Plus the whole argument fails when so many people agree that this episode is excellent. You can vote however you like, just don't make it sound like everyone of us is an idiot when he votes and yours is the way to do it. Unless you consider yourself above 140+ people's judgment. For a guy who likes Mecha/Shounen/Action, you seem to demand a lot of Haruhi.

Oh well, Yuki's no fun at all. She shouldn't have changed Taniguchi's memory. It's always fun to see class gossip in an anime and the main character getting all worked up about it

[Vexx]

Every other series I've ever watched, my ratings would typically be between 6 and 10. If the series dropped below that ... I usually stop watching unless its down to the last few episodes. I don't have time to waste on consistent trainwrecks (e.g. Soul Link). Negima I kept watching because it was never quite bad enough though my overall assessment was still "a very long slow trainwreck" (unlike Canvas 2 which waited til the end credits for its "wtf" moment). Utawarerumono is earning a consistent "8"+/-1.

This series is unusual and I'm not sure where you're going to find better work outside of the "top 5" quality anime ever produced. The character development is a bit spotty, focusing mostly on Kyon and Haruhi but that's about the biggest problem I can find with it. Minor quibbles are the "injokes" (references to other anime) which I don't really think belong here but, really, thats all.

I can count the series I've rated 9+ average on about one hand. Granted, if you don't like science fiction or have trouble following the non-linear data stream this show might not rate as highly (I'm not quite sure how some people can have trouble understanding the Mikuru visit) ... but I keep comparing it to Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams -- perhaps a couple of other great authors of the 19th or 20th Century.

As long as you're using consistent criteria for your ratings, I've got no problem with you giving an ep a 7, 8, 9, or 10. If you gave ep 10 a 7 and I find you gave, lets say, the 3rd episode of Inukami a 9 (or a below par Naruto/Gundam ep) ----- your credibility will be mud with many people.

[arcticphoenix16]

as far as i know, Yuki did not modify Taniguchi's memory. She only changed everything regarding Asakura.

The dialogue went like:
*Taniguchi runs out
Yuki: interesting person
Kyon: oh man... what do we do now?
Yuki: don't worry, I made Asakura transfer out
Kyon: THAT'S YOUR CONCERN???


Episode wise, it had alot of funny little comments here and there (which could be interpreted in the wrong way. Did I hear Haruhi has "urges"?). I thought the future Mikuru scene was done very well, if you go back to episode 3/2, take a close look at the photos and you can see the birthmark.

[C.A.]

We will find out whether Taniguchi lost his memory in Yuuutsu V.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by arcticphoenix16

as far as i know, Yuki did not modify Taniguchi's memory. She only changed everything regarding Asakura.

The dialogue went like:
*Taniguchi runs out
Yuki: interesting person
Kyon: oh man... what do we do now?
Yuki: don't worry, I made Asakura transfer out
Kyon: THAT'S YOUR CONCERN???


Episode wise, it had alot of funny little comments here and there (which could be interpreted in the wrong way. Did I hear Haruhi has "urges"?). I thought the future Mikuru scene was done very well, if you go back to episode 3/2, take a close look at the photos and you can see the birthmark.

Yeah.. no evidence that Taniguchi lost any memory ... Yuki only said she was adjusting the datafield concerning Asakura's disappearance.

In this episode, we have some echoes of Kyon being a "male lead idiot" in not catching Haruhi's drift when she's being pitiful at the start of the episode.
Speculation based purely on anime as it stands:
I almost feel like she pulled Mikuru in as a "test of strength" for Kyon to see if he was worthy of her. When he falters (storing Mikuru's pics instead of deleting them), she gets depressed. Whether or not its romantic, she seems to think he's the first one since 3 years ago with the potential to be a *companion* in her world.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by arcticphoenix16

Episode wise, it had alot of funny little comments here and there (which could be interpreted in the wrong way. Did I hear Haruhi has "urges"?). I thought the future Mikuru scene was done very well, if you go back to episode 3/2, take a close look at the photos and you can see the birthmark.

Yes Haruhi has urges lol, she said shes a healthy young female after all.

If you watched even episode 00, Mikuru's birth mark can be seen. I noticed that the first time I watched the show lol

I've been expanding screen shots trying to look for a specific star shape, but only this episode theres actually a star shape.

[Orchunter226]

Hmm, not that I think about it, I wonder if Haruhi was crying when Mikuru saw her. At first I thought she just had an angry look, but we never see her face. And Mikuru looks surprised when she sees her (wich I doubt if she just looked mad since it's common). So she may have been crying and didn't want Kyon to see.

[C.A.]

Woah Haruhi-sama crying? I wouldn't like to see that, it will heart breaking, definitely not want to have it happen too. The world may probably end a short while later lol

[martino]

It's still better than having Mikuru cry!!!

[npal]

Originally Posted by martino

It's still better than having Mikuru cry!!!

Seconded

[LCeh]

Originally Posted by Vexx

In this episode, we have some echoes of Kyon being a "male lead idiot" in not catching Haruhi's drift when she's being pitiful at the start of the episode.
Speculation based purely on anime as it stands:
I almost feel like she pulled Mikuru in as a "test of strength" for Kyon to see if he was worthy of her. When he falters (storing Mikuru's pics instead of deleting them), she gets depressed. Whether or not its romantic, she seems to think he's the first one since 3 years ago with the potential to be a *companion* in her world.

Mmm, that's an interesting notion...I am not sure if it was hinted that she found out Kyon secretly trying to save the pictures though, although that would certainly explain why she got pissed suddenly.

[npal]

^ I thought that was pretty hilarious I think she got jealous though. I mean, it's one thing to lecture someone about taking liberties they shouldn't with other people, about others' privacy, and another to make all the fuss to get the pictures off the net but save them for yourself Tsk tsk Kyon, my boy, just take Mikuru on a date for God's sake and get on with it You're being a bit too obvious.

[LCeh]

At the beginning of the ep, Kyon talked about reviewing their bahavior on Saturday, what was he referring to? When did Haruhi say they were reviewing their behavior?

EDIT: Nvm. I thought the search for mystery happened after this episode chronologically. I got confused for a second there, I thought the previous ep of this one was the one where they handed out fliers.

[diekirai]

Originally Posted by LCeh

At the beginning of the ep, Kyon talked about reviewing their bahavior on Saturday, what was he referring to? When did Haruhi say they were reviewing their behavior?

remember when haruhi had the SOS brigade meet up to search for mysterious things in pairs?
(i think it was episode 5... the one where mikuru and itsuki revealed their identity after yuki did)
it didn't go the way she had wanted so she wanted them to review their behavior.
i think mostly in the episode she was jealous that other girls paired with kyon ^_^;;

[npal]

Wasn't that, maybe, about the episode when they went out to look for aliens and such and Kyon was paired with Mikuru, then Yuki, etc to Haruhi's dismay? Or am I wrong?

Edit: ^ Yes that

[Vexx]

aye.. chronologically this is Kyon's *first* very serious exposure to the fact that his comrades are, in fact, not nuts and occurs soon after the "short straw" escapade.

[Haruhara]

As a Yuki fan I think this was my favourite episode, and it looks like there going to be more of her next ep too.

As a quick question for those who read the novels, has it ever been explained what Yuki actually is? I know she told Kyon everything, but I mean is it known in layman's terms how she is able to do all that matrix hacking stuff?

But even if I don't really understand her, I still get all giddy every time she does that hyper speed incantation thing.

[Urzu 7]

Originally Posted by Lumir

O.O

Kyon: "Super Size Me!"

xD

Yeah, I laughed so hard at that!

Very good episode, very good series.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by Haruhara

As a Yuki fan I think this was my favourite episode, and it looks like there going to be more of her next ep too.

As a quick question for those who read the novels, has it ever been explained what Yuki actually is? I know she told Kyon everything, but I mean is it known in layman's terms how she is able to do all that matrix hacking stuff?

But even if I don't really understand her, I still get all giddy every time she does that hyper speed incantation thing.

Yuki belongs to a race/species of entity that has no physical body and are merely a presence. They are called the 'Data Entities'.

Data Entities can manipulate matter and energies at will, everything in the universe is 'data'. They grow and evolve by accquiring more data and information.

The Data Entities have reached a point of where they have no new data to accquire and stopped evolving. For that they started searching the Universe for new data that can help them gain the next step of evolution.

They found hope on Earth, humans got their attention. There are alot of lifeforms in the Universe, but only Earth has humans which have high self awareness and the ability to mainpulate data in a way to create new data. They started monitoring Humans, but Humans are still not enough for them to gain a next step of evolution.

Then one day, 3 years ago, an explosion of data occured(on a bow shaped penisular on Earth) and in the middle is Haruhi. Haruhi was able to create 'junk' data out of nothing, something even the Data Entities couldn't do. They believe Haruhi may hold the key to the next step of their evolution.

They decided to send someone to investigate on Haruhi, but first they need to make sure that this creation can interact with Humans. For that they created Yuki, the 1st Data Entity in the form of a Human.

Yuki's chanting is her way of setting up 'programs' to manipulate 'data'.