[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

In all honesty, Haruhi's 'meaness' IS the major draw for me. Her one-mindedness at having fun at any and all costs makes her a big departure from the two most used female archetypes in anime: a) the sweet, kind, and upbeat heroine (ala Mikuru) or b) the emotionless ice queen (ala Yuki). While I do not mind the archetypes' countless reincarnations, and yes, I still enjoy these archetypes if they're done well if my love of KKM is of any indication, having an anti-heroine of sorts as the protagonist this time around is a nice breath of fresh air.

Would I like to be a friend to such a character in real life? Hell no, just like I wouldn't want to be in the same room as Darth Vader. But like the ol' masked man himself, their not-so-pure deeds are the things that makes their characters interesting because they are fictional characters. In fact, for me, Haruhi's selfishness makes her more human than the rest of the cast, even more so than Kyon. After all, who hasn't met a bully (or god forbid, been one) when they were in school?

And her character makes sense. If one is gifted in practically everything one does, to the point where one excels without putting too much effort, wouldn't one find every ordinary thing in the world kind of dull? That's the way I see Haruhi. Does it excuse her 'evil' actions? No way Jose, and thus I can see why some people would get turned off by her 'my fun before anyone else's' attitude. But if that's what makes her a one-dimensional character, then I'd rather her be that rather than be a fickle character who doesn't follow her beliefs (however muddled or convoluted it might be) if by chance the directors shows her helping someone just for the sake of helping them.

In fact, if KyoAni did that without reasonable background, I would be the first to say that they would've ruined Haruhi's character, and by extension, the entire show itself.



Don't get me wrong. I like the classics, as SDF Macross had been my favorite anime for the longest time, only relatively recently dethroned by Juuni Kokki. But as of now, I try to judge an anime by its own merits rather than comparing it to shows of yesteryear. I mean, I can go on and on about this show not being as deep and immersive as Macross or 12K, but that kind of mindset would not only detract a lot of fun from this particular show, but also anime-watching in general.

Perfection also makes for a boring character. I'm reminded of an old episode of The Little Mermaid cartoon (Yeah I know, I'm old and remember weird stuff). Where Sebastian's brother showed up and was a total snob much like Haruhi, and was good at everything he did (Haruhi doesn't seem perfect at everything by the way, maybe sports and the like, but who's too say she didn't bomb that exam horribly and Kyon really did all the work in the detective scenario.) Anyway back on topic, Sebastian's brother continued to do incredible things and outshine Sebastian at every activity but when it came down to it at the end his brother admitted defeat to Sebastian and Realized that Sebastian was better than him. When Sebastian asked how that could be, Sebastian's brother said he was better at the most important thing than him "Making Friends and being a Good Person". Maybe I remember this episode because it was one of the best morality tales I have ever seen. In the end his brother was really sad despite the fact that he could do all these amazing things, much like Haruhi. In the end they embraced and Sebastian said he would be his friend. I think maybe what she truly desires is friends and that is subconciously why she founded the SOS. Maybe she is really lonely because everyone is so scared of her. I hope the story covers this idea somewhat, as it may hold the key to Haruhi finding what she wants in life.