The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Episode 15 Discussion / Poll [2009 added ep. 5]

[Vexx]

wow... 27 pages in between creation and now? (<24hrs)

Problem is the maxim: good advert or bad advert .... its all GOOD advert because people are buzzing and eyeballs are on it. People actually drifting away would be bad from the marketing perspective.

Okay, obviously everyone has their line in the sand. Some people were wtf?ing after 2 eps, some after 3, 4... now my brain is wondering what the merit of this is at this point. Now I know how a teacher feels when watching 30 presentations on the same topic.

It is still *academically* interesting to watch the details from episode to episode but "entertaining" its not. Like npal, I think giving it a 1/10 is rather absurd unless you normally rate episode based on the accumulative effort of previous episodes. So... as a stand-alone implementation of the summer fun I give it a 6.

Why a 6? Because the quality of the animation and art for this series has been seriously deteriorating from the start of the new episodes -- they seem to be progressively shorting the budget. I don't believe its an "art style" interpretation but simply a *cheaper* sketchiness. I think I can count less than 3 "standard Kyoani glamour" moments in each iteration of Endless Eight -- usually Haruhi dripping water, a closeup still of Yuki, and sometimes one random (e.g. Itsuki).

[MeoTwister5]

Oh god a 5th iteration of the same episode next week? I can fully understand the complaints a lot of people are heaving at this season now. The Copehagenists are screaming in their graves.

[swtrooper42]

Man, I had a weird dream where I wanted a second season of a show really bad and when I finally got it, they just showed the same episode with minor changes over and over again. And then I woke up and found my nightmare was real.

It's an endless recursion of time. An endless recursion of time. An endless recursion of time. An endless recursion of time. An endless recursion of time.

From which there is apparently no escape.

[Jintor]

It's possible - minutely possible, and this may be warm fuzzy clouds of self delusion, but - it's possible that the anime version of the conclusion will lend it more punch.

[Myssa Rei]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Oh god a 5th iteration of the same episode next week? I can fully understand the complaints a lot of people are heaving at this season now. The Copehagenists are screaming in their graves.

Take note, we're actually expecting SIX. So you're one episode short. Also, we're also still not sure who among the directorial staff at KyoAni hasn't sat in the director's chair for Animation and Episodes, respectively, for Endless Eight.

[npal]

Originally Posted by Vexx

It is still *academically* interesting to watch the details from episode to episode but "entertaining" its not. Like npal, I think giving it a 1/10 is rather absurd unless you normally rate episode based on the accumulative effort of previous episodes. So... as a stand-alone implementation of the summer fun I give it a 6.

I'll only argue on the part that when something is so blatantly getting copy-pasted for 4 episodes, it cannot have the benefit of being rated totally isolated. I'll also argue that ALL episodes in every series (should) get rated not only as being able to stand on their own but how they relate to the previous episodes in terms of characters and plot. Otherwise I'd rate every episode of Endless Eight with at least 7, but rating like that would disregard plot and character stagnation as well as obvious repetition. While I do believe 1/10 doesn't feel really right, I can't invalidate very low scores in general.

[Justin Kim]

It is time to call in the governator. Or John Conner.

[CaptGloval]

I'm pretty sure this is my first post in this thread, but why do I have the feeling that it isn't? It's like I've seen this thread, with the same topics before, and I had engaged in discussion in it.

Anyway, after 28+ pages, only one noticed about the Vajra? The so far two references to Macross in Endless Eight have led me to conclude that the recursion occured during the summer of 2008.

Why is this recursion of episodes happening? Well, I overheard this guy calling up someone on his differently-designed-but-cool-phone:

Spoiler for eden of the east:

"Hello Juiz. I heard there's really going to be a new season of Haruhi later this year. I'd like it to have eight episodes of Endless Eight."

I wonder how much that cost.

[npal]

Originally Posted by CaptGloval

Anyway, after 28+ pages, only one noticed about the Vajra? The so far two references to Macross in Endless Eight have led me to conclude that the recursion occured during the summer of 2008.

I did, it sounded familiar but I was too disinterested at that point to care about the reference. Kyon's "BOMBER!" preview comment back in Season 1 was epic win, this... it's in the wrong place at the wrong time...

[GMT]

I don't know. I actually enjoyed watching this latest iteration through the do-while loop. I admit, when I lurked my way through here yesterday and saw all those '1's', I wanted to throw my laptop at the wall . . . but I went to go find the new episode all the same.

The subtle differences make it enjoyable. Plus the fact that I have to wait a week between episodes gives time for the anticipation and the wonder at what might come next to build (will he, or won't he?)

I probably wouldn't be so fond of this during a marathon session, though.

[Bri]

I can't help but love these episodes. The repetition doesn't bother me at all. It's not like Gundam seed Destiny where they recycled animation all the time. Kyoani succesfully brought back the unpredictibilty from the first season.

The way the directors play with the moods, the lighting and the music from episode to episode is amazing.

Also I didn't realise earlier how much these episodes resemble Urusei Yastura - Beautiful dreamer. I'm sure the "I love you" suggestion from Koizumi is a direct reference to Ataru Moroboshi's inability to say that to Lum and the way that movies time loop is resolved.

Anything Mamoru Oshii touches tends to draw controversy, not everyone likes the slow, symbolic, amospheric dialogue heavy style he uses. If Endless eight is heavily based on his work on Urusei Yastura then that would explain a few things.

[chrono92]

eight episode of endless summer holiday i think? the title says 'endless eight' btw.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Vexx

wow... 27 pages in between creation and now? (<24hrs)

Problem is the maxim: good advert or bad advert .... its all GOOD advert because people are buzzing and eyeballs are on it. People actually drifting away would be bad from the marketing perspective.

That's a fallacy of modern marketing that has backfired countless times!

Originally Posted by Vexx

Okay, obviously everyone has their line in the sand. Some people were wtf?ing after 2 eps, some after 3, 4... now my brain is wondering what the merit of this is at this point. Now I know how a teacher feels when watching 30 presentations on the same topic.

I completely agree!

Originally Posted by Vexx

It is still *academically* interesting to watch the details from episode to episode but "entertaining" its not. Like npal, I think giving it a 1/10 is rather absurd unless you normally rate episode based on the accumulative effort of previous episodes. So... as a stand-alone implementation of the summer fun I give it a 6.

That should be taken as granted along with the built-up for further episodes. Episodes in series do not exist in isolation, that is one of the invariants, in contradiction to movies (excluding sequels). And also filling 20 minutes with moe is not entertaining, rather boring and unfortunately the main objective of the studio in question for the past 3-4 years.

Originally Posted by Vexx

Why a 6? Because the quality of the animation and art for this series has been seriously deteriorating from the start of the new episodes -- they seem to be progressively shorting the budget. I don't believe its an "art style" interpretation but simply a *cheaper* sketchiness. I think I can count less than 3 "standard Kyoani glamour" moments in each iteration of Endless Eight -- usually Haruhi dripping water, a closeup still of Yuki, and sometimes one random (e.g. Itsuki).

Finally, someone else pointed it out!

[prnoct90]

My feelings are still that we will get 8 endless eight episodes, 4 sigh episodes and 1 special episode. which would have us end up with an episode list like this.

Spoiler for Episode List:

Apr 02 ep01 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 1
Apr 09 ep02 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2
Apr 16 ep03 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 3
Apr 23 ep04 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 4
Apr 30 ep05 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 5
May 07 ep06 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 6
May 14 ep07 The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya
May 21 ep08 Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody (NEW)
May 28 ep09 Mysterique Sign
Jun 04 ep10 Remote Island Syndrome Part1
Jun 11 ep11 Remote Island Syndrome Part2
Jun 18 ep12 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jun 25 ep13 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jul 02 ep14 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jul 09 ep15 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jul 16 ep16 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jul 23 ep17 Endless Eight (NEW)
Jul 30 ep18 Endless Eight (NEW)
Aug 07 ep19 Endless Eight (NEW)
Aug 14 ep20 The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya 1 (NEW)
Aug 21 ep21 The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya 2 (NEW)
Aug 28 ep22 The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya 3 (NEW)
Sep 03 ep23 The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya 4 (NEW)
Sep 10 ep24 The Adventures of Asahina Mikuru Episode 00
Sep 17 ep25 Live A Live
Sep 24 ep26 The Day of Sagittarius
Oct 01 ep27 Someday in the rain
Oct 08 ep28 Special Episode (NEW)

So if I'm right, Sign won't start until mid-August. I still think that we are going to get a true second season in the fall/winter though. They might need a break, but October 15th would be a perfect day for a new fall season.

[hongee]

Just hope they get this endless thing over and done with... I'll take anything else that comes...

[Dakota]

Happy 100 Painful votes!

[npal]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Happy 100 Painful votes!

Makes me wonder if it's a forum record there.

[Ashlotte]

Well if nothing its amply succeeded at creating a polarizing effect thats for certain...

I had to vote 10 this time just because I really couldn't stop laughing after they went and repeated this yet again...3 times was obnoxious admittedly, but to take it to this level...Yea I just can't help but to laugh.

[Sammich]

I'm slightly annoyed at myself that I'm actually enjoying this... It's quirky and I just have a 'thing' for that. It's clear they're not doing it for the art of it or any other reason one could consider noble but I can't help it, I like these episodes...

[Bri]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Why a 6? Because the quality of the animation and art for this series has been seriously deteriorating from the start of the new episodes -- they seem to be progressively shorting the budget. I don't believe its an "art style" interpretation but simply a *cheaper* sketchiness. I think I can count less than 3 "standard Kyoani glamour" moments in each iteration of Endless Eight -- usually Haruhi dripping water, a closeup still of Yuki, and sometimes one random (e.g. Itsuki).

I think this effect is largely exaggerated by the poor visual quality of the subs. The Mazui seem to use particulary bad source material. If you compare the animation quality of Haruhi S2 from a a good source (like the Yuki or AFK versions) and compare it to the TV broadcast versions of Clannad AS or Haruhi S1 then you wont see a drop in quality. I've checked episodes scene by scene and it's not better or worse. They do have reduced the intensity of daytime digital lighting effects but any scene that is out of direct sunlight uses the classic lush Kyoani effects.

The art does vary a little. Especially the swimming pool scenes in two episodes have been rather poor in terms of anatomy. No idea why, maybe some new key animators are still in training, not sure.