The Order of Haruhi Suzumiya (In what order should this be watched?)

[Kittie Rose]

I kind of get what they're trying to do now.

The problem is, this is heavily biased since almost all of you are going to be watching it on DVD or downloaded eps.

There is a phenomenon with comics right now called "Writing for Trades", which basically means that the writers pay little regard as to how a comic will read on a monthly basis, and only to how it will read collected in a Trade Paperback/Graphic Novel form.

I think this is the same thing, except it's "Directing for DVDs" instead of writing for trades.

The "freakiness" of the messed up order only has effect when you watch them close together, like I'm trying to finish the whole series today, maybe, if I can. If I was watching it with a week between them, it would just be irritating and confusing that I have to wait an indefinite amount of time for the actual conclusion to one storyline.

I think it would have been better if it were aired in Chronological order, and stored on DVD in the messed up order.

[2H-Dragon]

Well I tried watching this in the airing order which was just weird. I quickly changed to the chronological order. Honestly I wouldn't, want to watch it any other way. While the ending may be an anti-climax. It was still a nice and clean ending. The plot is weird enough so just watching it normal makes you enjoy the fun stuff and your not wasting your time think who the fuck is that guy or wtf is happening. Another gripe is probably it's to get into, cause its so random.

The only good thing by watching by the messed up order is probably that you have a good reason to watch everything again. o_O

[Kittie Rose]

I get the feeling Episode 9 is just there to annoy people who try to watch it in Chronological order. It's a pretty pointless episode and pretty much nothing happens in it.

[mezrabad]

I've just gotten the first two US DVD's today and was bummed to find that it was in "Yuki" order. The baseball episode is at the end of DVD 2 and starts off with narration by Kyon indicating that something had happened to the world (resembling leg cramps). Of course, because tMoHS I through VI was just shown, the viewer knows to what he is refering. I much preferred the baseball episode aired after tMoHS II because it left the viewer in some suspense regarding what the heck did Kyon mean and what was it that Yuki was going to reveal about being an alien in the previous episode, etc. etc.

It also bothers me that the dialogue between Kyon and Haruhi for the previews is just "lost" ... like tears in the rain...

Anyway, I'm very disappointed they chose to do it this way, but it is probably true that businesses lose less money by not overestimating the intelligence of their potential audience. If the companies producing/licensing the series found that their viewers had been confused by the airing order then it makes sense to change it for the DVD. I just wish people, in general, were a little smarter...not the first time, either. I'm just glad I saved the fansubbed eps.

[KholdStare]

I'm going to go with chronological order just because I'm a tricky person. I don't think I could've understood all the episode or even finish them if I'm somewhat confused with an anime. Watching it in chronological order doesn't make it suck badly guys, and that's my point. If you're patient to watch and connect things, then do it in the original order, but watching it in chronological order won't screw anything up, promise.

In conclusion I'd say if you're new to anime (in which this anime would be really bad for you to start out with), then watch it in chronological order but if not, just watch it as the way it was aired. For me it's really similar to Haibane Renmei, and I love that anime, so I'd probably enjoyed it in the order it was aired.

[Raykun]

well Chronological order is a wat ill choose to watch but 14 is a way better ending

[mezrabad]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

In conclusion I'd say if you're new to anime (in which this anime would be really bad for you to start out with) then watch it in chronological order but if not, just watch it as the way it was aired.

You're absolutely right about that! Anyone new to anime watching this for the first time should probably do so in chronological order (maybe even save episode 00 for 11). My wife, for instance, would also agree with this. She's not an anime fan, but I just *had* to show her tMoHS. She, too, was confused by the airing order, despite her being pretty smart. Some people just don't think non-linearly, I guess. (I remember having to explain "Yesterday's Enterprise" from ST:TNG season 3 to her more than a few times, too, so, there ya go . . .)

Maybe they'll release an extra-special DVD collector's edition with the episodes in the airing order.

I also wanted to note that I said in my last post that I was sad about losing the "previews" from the TV airings because the DVD releases have the eps in chronological order and the previews narrated by Yuki. (with the exception of episode 00, of course). I just discovered the original TV previews in the DVD extras section! So, um, "yokata" and all that.

Order aside, I must say I was pretty happy with the voices chosen for all of the characters in the english dub. It sounds almost as if the original japanese voice actors were taught how to speak english perfectly and then re-cast as the english voice actors.

Originally Posted by KholdStare

For me it's really similar to Haibane Renmei, and I love that anime, so I'd probably enjoyed it in the order it was aired.

!!!!! Hey, are you saying Habenai Renmai was aired in a different order from the DVD release???? Guess I need to do some research. I enjoyed that in the DVD order just fine, but I'd be very curious to watch it in the original air order just to see how they told the story then.

As much as I enjoyed Haruhi in the aired order, I am suddenly reminded that the series "Firefly" was originally aired in the "wrong" order (per Joss Wedon) and am glad I saw it first on DVDs in the "right" order (per Joss Wedon). It's quite possible that many people will feel the same way about Haruhi.

[Agent86]

Originally Posted by mezrabad

As much as I enjoyed Haruhi in the aired order, I am suddenly reminded that the series "Firefly" was originally aired in the "wrong" order (per Joss Wedon) and am glad I saw it first on DVDs in the "right" order (per Joss Wedon). It's quite possible that many people will feel the same way about Haruhi.

It's possible. But remember that "Firefly" was created to be aired in the right order and it was the idiots executives at the network that decided to air it the way they did. Haruhi, on the other hand, aired in "Kyon" order as was the intention of KyoAni and Tanigawa.

[Raykun]

but but haruhi's order makes it easier to understand but kyon's order has a better ending ^^

[KholdStare]

!!!!! Hey, are you saying Habenai Renmai was aired in a different order from the DVD release???? Guess I need to do some research. I enjoyed that in the DVD order just fine, but I'd be very curious to watch it in the original air order just to see how they told the story then.

Nope, I was simply referring to the fact that everything clicked together at the end of Haibane Renmei for me, and I would assume it would be so for SHnY if I watched the 6th episode last.

[Sun Shine]

Originally Posted by 2H-Dragon

Well I tried watching this in the airing order which was just weird. I quickly changed to the chronological order. Honestly I wouldn't, want to watch it any other way. While the ending may be an anti-climax. It was still a nice and clean ending. The plot is weird enough so just watching it normal makes you enjoy the fun stuff and your not wasting your time think who the fuck is that guy or wtf is happening. Another gripe is probably it's to get into, cause its so random.

The only good thing by watching by the messed up order is probably that you have a good reason to watch everything again. o_O

#2 I completely agree. No point me writing whats already been written.

[zoozoc]

sadly, even the the messed up order pwns face, most ppl are too impatient to be able to deal with it, and because i want haruhi to do as well as it can (especially in the us, its doing fine in japan), i will have to vote for the chronological order.

[Raykun]

well any is fine cept i hope the main arc is in order thats all

[neutralizer]

Honestly, I think the order that the TV broadcasted it was the still the best only because the ending had a great impact. Even if it was confusing, once you finish everything or rewatch it again, everything makes sense. You start noticing little things that tie everything together.

[changeup]

For first-time viewers: TV series order

(just need to inform them not to give up before finishing the whole first episode~~~although for me, I loved this series five minutes into the first episode, upon hearing all Kyon's tsukkomi)

For veteran viewers, random order is fine. Each episode is enjoyable as its own.

I do not like the DVD order aka chronological order, although the last episode of this order "some day in the rain" may be the prelude of the upcoming 2nd season. Therefore if you want to watch the two seasons together in the future, this order may be prefered

[Raptor73]

This series should be watched in its original order for first time viewers, since the major climax of the series occurs in the middle in chronological order, which would take away some of the impact. Once season 2 is released, I would recommend chronological order for watching since episode 14 will no longer be the last episode overall and therefore it will cease to be the climax. This is assuming though that season two is made chronologically, if the producers decide once again to use a random order then it may be a better idea to watch it in its original airing order. I personally prefer the original order.

I recommend though for anyone who is easily confused or does not like complete and utter randomness to skip straight to episode 2 of the series and leave out the first episode until later, since it really doesn't matter at what point episode 1 is watched, the amount of sense it makes doesn't change much as you watch the series.

[Fweakin]

Like others, I recommend watching the series in airing order to begin with and then following it up watching in chronological order. Every time I've rewatched, I've watched chronologically so I could see the subtle points that completely pass you by when aired outside the linear timeline.

[therationalpi]

There are two ways to see the airing order, really.

At its best, the airing order creates suspense, mystery, and allows the series to end in a climactic way, by spreading around the exposition and lengthening the most important story-line. There's plenty of suspense built by splitting up Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya II and III, because it's quite a cliffhanger to leave Kyon just sitting across the table with Yuki. There's mystery created in several ways, like exposing the audience to characters that haven't been introduced to, like Itsuki in Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya. Similarly, the nature of Haruhi is obfuscated by things like Lone Island Syndrome II, where we find out that entire situation was a setup, which make us question Itsuki's theory which we learned of just a few episodes earlier. It goes without saying that there is some mystery created by seeing Yuki's power in BoredomoHS before it is fully explained. Finally, the series can either end in a high intensity way, or a low intensity way. In my opinion, which of those is preferable is a matter of artistic taste. Personally, I feel that the high intensity ending has a bigger impact, and spreading the most important story around helps to keep the audience through to the end. More importantly, I think that MoHS VI has more impact the more you know about the world.

At its worst, however, the airing order confuses the audience, artificially manufactures suspense and mystery, and loses the audience's interest before the last episode runs. Pick up any fiction book that you've never read before, and without looking at the dust cover, flip to a random page in the middle of the book. If you start reading there, you will indeed find a story that is mysterious, but very confusing. Who/What/Where/When/Why questions may not even be answered until you go back in the book and find the answers yourself. With that in mind, emulating that experience as a story telling device is very similar to what MoHS does. It artificially creates mystery by simply leaving the audience in the dark about information they really should know already. Moreover, cliffhanger situations are pretty cheesy. As such, the suspense is manufactured, and comes at the expense of the audience. Finally, if you look at MofHS I-VI as being the meat of the show, then it's very easy to lose the audience before the last episode is seen. If they are shown as a group, it makes for a concise and well told story. Told apart, however, there's a distinct possibility that the audience will forget what happened in just the last portion of the show. I am, of course, assuming here that the audience isn't watching all in one sitting. As such, combined with all the other difficulties of watching an out of sequence show, the audience may just walk away from the series without a second thought.

It's hard for me to make a decision either way. I watched it in Kyon's order first, but I did so all in two days. That really lessened the confusion and heightened the impact of the out of order viewing. Afterwards, I went back and watched it in Haruhi's order. I caught a lot of new stuff, and really enjoyed that way too. In truth, I love "Someday in the Rain" as a final episode. Slow endings really work well for me. Watching "Someday in the Rain" last really gives a feeling of nostalgia, and is a good open ending. "Life goes on as it always does," the episode says to me, "but that's not to say that nothing happens."

[Kyero Fox]

I hate the idea of watching any anime in any other Order than it was supose to be ...I voted.. duh well guess < _ >

[fuzzles]

I bought the DVD's and they came in chronological order how furious did that make me, i had no idea about the airing order or any of the other stuff, i'm pretty pissed about that darn you bandai! oh and to top it off I can't find the 4th volume so i have no freaking clue what happens after the murder mystery