The Final Thoughts & Overall Series Impressions of Haruhi Suzumiya

[dojikyo]

Originally Posted by kemal_1915

Some critics about this show said that the plot and character were undeveloped and blah blah blah...something like that
but i want to ask how much development you are expected to have in a 14 episodes series?
I have seen so many anime which have none development in both plot and character in 14 episode.
Especially the very long series then how would you talk about them?
this 14 episodes are merely the introduction and beginning of "the saga of SOS dan". All thing will keep on coming!!
e.g.
what happen if Yuki accumulated junk data(aka emotion)? (in vol 4)
So you think Mikuru is a useless mascot? She also thinks so. How would she react to this? (in vol 6,7)
Where are the evil organizations?(both school setting and sci-fi setting) what will they do to haruhi? (in vol 7,8,.....)
In the beginning, except haruhi and kyon, SOS dan members don't really trust each other. How the group dynamics work in future and how they would become a team? (in vol...)
and many other things

So, it is a pity that they drop this story because all the undeveloped comment.

Brought back to these area by the appearance of an English Haruhi website. A possible license? For the most part, I like the series (I can't stand the bandwagoning) and am curious which licensor thought it would do well enough in the US to justify the licensing fee that Kyoto would probably want for it. They must be banking on Mikaru's moe melting watchers, Rei Ayanami fans (of which I am one) watch Nagato's character grow and Aya Hirano's unrivaled popularity. Haruhi is more a Genshinken than Bleach though.

Haruhi, the anime, is Haruhi the anime. Haruhi, the novel, is Haruhi the novel. You can't disprove the anime being underdevloped by using the novels. I do find it funny that for once someone is saying: "the anime is fine, look at the novels": instead of the conventional, "the anime sucks, look at the manga".

edit (yet again): The actual looks nice but isn't enough to get anyone hopes up. ie. Not definitive proof of a license.

Is it really necessary for "two overall series" threads?

[Chi-no]

Though it is random for some part, but overall I find this anime a good one. mainly is the characters and the starting and ending theme song too.

Haven't read the novels yet nor seen the manga too. Will try to get it to read them too...

[anselfir]

I think the characters were very much developed, since they acted in character and rather poignantly so in many moments. Mention Kyon, you get a distinct idea of what Kyon is like, and mention Nagato, you will recall a distinct personality. Development is kinda hollow if you do not count these as development.

[aldw]

After seeing this a few times, it's an ok series, but it has a lot of elements that seemed ripped out of Star Trek multiple times. Good music though.

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by aldw

After seeing this a few times, it's an ok series, but it has a lot of elements that seemed ripped out of Star Trek multiple times. Good music though.

Could you be more specific? I'd like to know what you think was ripped from Trek.

[Mirrinus]

Star Trek was rather cliche as it is...

Creativity nowadays is not about coming up with new plots or character types, but by how well such cliches are executed. Which I believe SuzuHaru does superbly.

[Vexx]

More like... it has a lot of science fiction elements (which Star Trek also borrowed for its storylines). I think people are being too well trained by the phony "intellectual property" goblins. There are very few original ideas in the world... the question is in the quality of execution and the selection of ideas to use.

Most of Shakespeare's works were "riffs"/homage/borrow/steals from other plays and such. He just executed well and his plays were archived carefully. At least read some Joseph Campbell or something about the lineage of stories (which go back thousands of years).

[Kaioshin Sama]

Here it is at last it finally hit me. I'm so glad the water's finally cleared down now surrounding this series that I can divine things without outside interference. (Fanboyism/Anti-Fanboyism, the usual foolery, whatever) I also feel I can finally express myself without any chance of getting mowed by a guy with a Giant Haruhi in his sig as well. Okay, Here goes.

The final episode of Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu marked the end of an era for me. The show served as the transition point between all the ill thought out series of late 2004-late 2006 that valued style over substance. It showed that the most stylized of series could in some way lend themselves to the deeper storytelling beneath the surface that I was used too from the 80's and 90's. It heralded the return to true character and storytelling that had been lost for a while (though it embody it). Though it was not synonomous with either the old, the current (at the time) or the to come era of anime, it was the beacon, the final stepping stone for a new beginning for a lost art. For that reason it has become a phenomonally popular point in time for discussion and speculation on the past, present and future of the art of anime. It is neither one thing nor the other, it is a period of its own, neither horribly forgettable nor impossible to forget, neither defining, nor unremarkable, it is simply and at the same time complexly a sign of better things to come. The first but certainly not THE ray of hope in a dark period for many anime fans.

How dramatic was that for everybody.

[Question]

Kunikida really sounded like Haruhi from Ouran Host Club, especially during the school festival episode.

Also Haruhi is distrubingly kawaii when she gives that evil smile.

Asakura was also disturbingly kawaii during the fight scence.

For someone with a poker face, Yuki is disturbingly kawaii.

[blitz1/2]

Here's my thoughts. I think that overall, it was okay. It wasn't very good nor was it bad. This may be because I did not read the manga and I found some parts of it confusing.

I still do not understand why people are so obsessed with Haruhi and made a religion out of it. Please enrich me with reasons why.

The parts that I actually enjoyed a lot in the show were the battles involving Yuki Nagato. All of those nice shiny, flashy colours keep me awake for some time.

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by blitz1/2

I still do not understand why people are so obsessed with Haruhi and made a religion out of it. Please enrich me with reasons why.

Read the books.

[Mirrinus]

1. It's based off a series of novels, not a manga. There are 8 volumes for the novel series released so far in Japan, and a 9th is due soon.

2. Many of its fans enjoyed it because it was extremely innovative. Unorthodox presentation and storytelling may not necessarily appeal to everyone, but many found it to be refreshingly enjoyable.

3. The whole religion thing is mostly just a joke (I think), coming off the idea in the show that Haruhi might be a god.

4. The story for the series is actually fairly deep. It may be difficult to get it your first time through, though, due to the anachronological broadcast order. Watching it again in the correct sequence may help, although I still advocate broadcast order for first-time watchers. Seeing it again a second time in a different order, and you may catch many things that you totally missed the first time through. Excellent storyboarding on KyoAni's part, I'd say.

5. As I said, the story is actually quite deep. The anime only just scratched the surface, covering only maybe 3 novels out of the series. Things get much more interesting when Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody (the only story in volume 3 of the novels not animated) drops a big bombshell on the plot, and just keeps getting better with Disappearance, Snow Mountain Syndrome, and Intrigues. In comparison to Kanon (judging by your sig, you'd know what I'm talking about), that would be like only showing Makoto and Shiori's route and stopping right there, when there's so much more material left to show. ^_^

[Phantastic]

Reading the novels totally spoiled it for me. But I still enjoyed this fantastic series. Can't wait till season 2 of Haruhi. Whee~

[Mirrinus]

Yeah, a part of me regrets reading the novels because season 2's events won't come as a surprise to me. On the other hand, because I read the novels I know that the original source material is very good, and with KyoAni's track record of sticking tightly to the source material, it's very likely that second season will indeed end up very good as well.

Man, can't wait to see some scenes in novel 4 animated!

[aldw]

Haruhi reminds me of both Trelane and Amanda Rogers, in that she is both powerfull (as are the two mentioned), likes to have fun and can be bratty at times (just like Trelane). In the two mentioned cases, there were beings keeping things in check such as the Q continuum and Trelane's parents to prevent Universal damage.

In Haruhi's case I wouldn't be surprised if something similar occurs if more chaotic events happen later on, for the Universe won't allow itself to be vapped, if you will.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by aldw

Haruhi reminds me of both Trelane and Amanda Rogers, in that she is both powerfull (as are the two mentioned), likes to have fun and can be bratty at times (just like Trelane). In the two mentioned cases, there were beings keeping things in check such as the Q continuum and Trelane's parents to prevent Universal damage.

In Haruhi's case I wouldn't be surprised if something similar occurs if more chaotic events happen later on, for the Universe won't allow itself to be vapped, if you will.

The problem with this theory, is twofold:
1. If there is a being greater than Haruhi, then Yuki's people would almost certainly have detected it.

2. Haruhi has thus far ceased to be an imminent threat to the universe after the events of the TV series. She is still a threat, but only potentially. The SOS-dan has successfully contained her in the medium term, and the only source of danger comes externally. In the mean time, the universe is almost as much a doormat as Mikuru, taking abuse from Haruhi's rule changing, Yuki's data manipulation, time-travellers ripping through space-time everywhichway, and paradoxes growing like rats.
No, I am afraid SOS-dan is the first, last and only line of defense between the universe and total annihilation. Deux Ex Machinas wouldn't come to their rescue, because they ARE the Deux Ex Machinas.

[aldw]

Not quite right, Haruhi is an evolved omnipotent, instead of being already born as such like the Goddess sisters of Tenchi Muyo, so the critical thing here is the ability to change, rather than the power itself. That is what interests Yuki's group.

Point that needs to be understood is that all probabilities exist in their entirety, regardless of whether they manifest or not. Paradox propagation doesn't occur because if it did, it would already have happened throughout the space/time continuum. This includes entities such as Haruhi. The very fact that the universe exists ensures that there will be something to counteract tendencies to eliminate it, otherwise it would cease to exist at all points in time.

[CrowKenobi]

Douglas Adams said it best:

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

I'd like to add this from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: (paraphrasing)

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by aldw

The very fact that the universe exists ensures that there will be something to counteract tendencies to eliminate it, otherwise it would cease to exist at all points in time.

Ah, but all you can prove is that the universe has not yet been destroyed. The fact that it still remains can't guarantee its future survival, even if there was time travellers from further ahead. Remember the time-loop that Haruhi generated? It was the SOS-dan that put a stop to it, not any other forces. And while the time-loop continued, Future ceased to exist. That's why Mikuru wasn't able to contact her superiors at the time.

Essentially, since Haruhi-wise it is easy to put the universe back exactly as it was after messing it up, the universe's continuous survival isn't that important at all.

If such a repairing-force exists, then it is the SOS-dan itself. Otherwise the time-loop would have been fixed MUCH earlier.

[LadyRin247]

i have seen most of the show. i really love but i dont understand it very well. if some on come please explain it to me that would be very helpful, Thanks!

Rin