The Total Series Rating of Haruhi Suzumiya

[Vexx]

There should be a logarithmic scale to work with so that we can give it a 9.5 or a 9.9 .... "10" should be "infinite" so that you vaporize and become one with the Universe after seeing it

[Re[Sublimity]]

I loved it. Perfect 10. Even if the order of episodes was a challenge to watch by, I loved every random moment of the S.O.S. Brigade and Haruhi's outrageous plots. I loved the episode where we really hear Hirano Aya's beautiful voice. By singing in the School festival episode, 'I Lost my Music' and 'God Knows...' Simply loved it.

^ ^

[kazune-kun]

Animation: 10
Characters: 9
Voice Actors: 9
Story: 8
Theme Songs/Soundtrack: 9.5

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

10/10

I loved everything about it.

[Tatsumiko]

Animation: 10

Story : 8.9

Music : 9

Characters :

Haruhi / 10 XD
Mikuru / 10 <3
Yuki / 8 (didnt liked the long storytelling in ep 04...cool powers though)
Koizumi / 6 (got sick of the "You and Haruhi" this and that)
Kyon / -90 (he can go straight ta hell)

[Echoes]

The characters are designed perfectly, together they form the perfect crowd, yet each one is so unique, which always leaves you wanting to know more about them.
I was especially fond of Haruhi, but unlike most series, there was not one character I truly disliked, or even felt indifferent towards.
Characters: 10/10

The story starts off as a normal school anime, with focus on the eccentric Haruhi, but it turns out to be much much more. It also includes one of the boldest twists I've seen in anime, which certainly paid off.
Story: 9/10

The animation is perhaps the finest I have ever seen, or at least very close to.
I found it absolutely perfect, no complaints at all, purely beautiful, a work of art.
Animation: 10/10

The voice-actors did an excellent job, I loved everything from Mikuru's squealing and Haruhi's enthusiastic rambling to Kyon's commentaries and narration.
Voice-actors: 10/10

I also loved the approach the show took. Even though Haruhi was featured as the main character of the show, everything was shown from Kyon's point of view, with his insightful and humorous commentaries.
Originality: 9/10

In addition, the music was great, and the general "feel" always kept me in a good mood while watching, a truly enjoyable experience. I voted perfect 10, which I think the show deserves beyond any doubt.

[Twisted Reality]

I am not even going to bother with the idea that there can be anything remotely approaching an objective and mathematically defined criteria for rating video games, anime, movies or whatever. Numbered ratings are a stupid illusion based on non-existent criteria.

So that said, I'll just give this show a 10/10. It's not very easy to find shows that compare to Haruhi.

Haruhi proves to have a broad appeal multi-genre appeal and the actual humor used simply transcends tired cliches. (Loser protagonist accidentally peaks up a girl's skirt and then ends up hammered into the stratosphere.) And really, I'd rather anime not bother with humor if it's just going to resort to the usual tricks, or simply ends up being unfunny. Haruhi is just genuinely funny. You weren't always laughing aloud, but there were plenty of times when you were simply infected with amusement.

The attention to the setting and fresh camera perspectives also gave you the feeling that you were seeing something new. Not the deal-clincher, but it's better than seeing the same recycled pieces of otherwise bland background.

Haruhi has got plenty of philosophy without getting too heavy-handed and avoids degenerating into needlessly confusing introspection and contemplation. Kyon's beginning narration in episode two was also an excellent way to kick-off the show's mood and basic conflict.

The mystery, sense of wonder and novelty are all there too. Nothing actually is what it appears to be on the surface. The asynchronous episode-order adds to this and proves to be a great way to adapt the novels.

Is Haruhi perfect? Probably not. Personally, I find it near-impossible to find flaws with the show. To actually do so, I'd have to nitpick minor details and then subtract an arbitrary fraction from a perfect 10. Even then, I'd only be doing it to make it seem like I'm being objective. In all honesty however, I've found few shows that compare to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It's only 14 episodes long, but it's a well-done 14 episodes.

[Twisted Reality]

Originally Posted by Tatsumiko

Animation: 10

Story : 8.9

Music : 9

Characters :

Haruhi / 10 XD
Mikuru / 10 <3
Yuki / 8 (didnt liked the long storytelling in ep 04...cool powers though)
Koizumi / 6 (got sick of the "You and Haruhi" this and that)
Kyon / -90 (he can go straight ta hell)

Wait? How can you hate Kyon and Koizumi?

Kyon kicks ass. I actually sympathized with his pragmatism, sarcasm and apathy. You're not really aware of him because he's blinded to his own impact on the Haruhi universe. It's an observer bias, and you're seeing the world through it. Part of this bias is his futile attempts to sarcastically isolate himself from the insanities that threaten his "normal" high school life. (Haruhi? She's just some girl who dragged me into her life and ruined my reputation in the process.)

The thing is, Kyon doesn't *really* want a normal high school life. He wants to believe that he's put his childish things away, and just as he believed he was becoming a normal and mature adult, he meets a childish magical girl of all things. And he's transfixed. He's found something that actually breaks him out of his apathy and a life of academic toil and superficial friendships. And he lies to the audience about not wanting this lifestyle by covering it up with sarcastic internal monologues.

---

Koizumi also kicks equal amounts of ass because he's such a shifty character. He is attracted to Haruhi, as a boy is attracted to a girl. But he realizes that he doesn't have a chance with Haruhi and instead opts to watch her from afar and take care of her. Sadly, he's not even really her friend, just a trusted adviser. Koizumi is the one that keeps Kyon honest about his feelings towards Haruhi, and doesn't allow him to brush her off as being simply an insane girl and tries to get him to sympathize with Haruhi's emotions. One suspects that because he sympathizes with Haruhi, because of his job, he more than just knows her, he loves her. Of course, it can never be a romantic love.

Koizumi is always smiling, but that smile is something he puts on to do his job and control his emotions. He really has no choice but to become what he appears to be: Haruhi's toadie and a psychological counselor with a penchant for philosophy. And although he only has, at best, superficial relationships with the SoS Brigade, these are the closest things he has to a normal friendship. He's isolated from the Brigade, but still feels loyal to its members regardless. (If you've read the novels, you're not even sure if he's purposely losing those board games to Kyon. You can also see scenes in the anime where he's losing to Kyon.)

Koizumi also has a philosophical streak, which peels back more layers to show ever-deeper mysteries. Yuki's initial revelation may have been a big plot twist, but Koizumi also creates smaller subtler twists in the Haruhi universe. Not all of the possibilities he reveals are absolute truths, but instead serves to show that nothing is ever as it appears in the Haruhi universe. And this brings a great deal of mystery to the show.

[Twisted Reality]

double post -- again

That stupid back button on my mouse causes me too many troubles involving double posting.

[mcruz1014]

Animation: 9.5

While it didn't seem at all groundbreaking or revolutionary, the artwork and animation in this show were very excellent. As to be expected from Kyoto Animation.

Characters: 9

You'd be hard pressed to find more likable and quirky characters in any movie or television program. While a few of the characters seem to fall into certain anime stereotypes, they are all developed carefully and transcend those stereotypes at one time or another. I especially love the two protagonists, Kyon and Haruhi. All of the scenes between them are golden.

Voice Actors: 8

Don't know much about seiyus, but all of the characters are well cast. My only complaint was that Asahina was annoying to listen to sometimes.

Music: 9

Fun opening and ending themes. The tracks that played during episodes set the tone of the show well. The episode where Haruhi joins the band shows off Hirano Aya's vocal talents.

Overall: 9.5

I never read the novels, and being American, I was a little late to the Suzumiya Haruhi hype machine. Normally, I wouldn't bother to watch comedy anime like this, but the things I had heard and read in forums compelled me to watch. Needless to say, this show quickly became one of my favorites, and I cannot wait for season 2. The only thing stopping me from giving it a ten was the length of the series, and the broadcast order of the show (since I watched the show after all the episodes had been subbed, I was able to watch in chronological order, but I can imagine how watching the episodes on a weekly basis must have been for fans new to the series who hadnt read the novels)

[Atheuz]

Animation Quality: It's Kyoto Animation - Definitely 10!
Voice Actors: It gets a 9 here just because of Haruhi's voice actor.
Script: Though confusing at start when watched anachronically, it becomes understandable as you continue watching and you eventually fall in love with it. 10
Adaption from Novels: Somewhat changed the stories, but overall it's the same. 8
Editing: 10

Overall: 9,4 or approximiately ~9

[Raykun]

Animation : 10
Voice : 10
Novels : 10
Everything else ;10

overall 10 its such a great show

[Sepirts]

The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is undoubtedly my favourite anime of all time. I don't know what it did, but I agree it changes your life style.

I gave haruhi a 9, because for I, spent a good chunk of my life being super confused, watching episodes 1-8 in order. I felt it added unnecessary confusion, and really wasted my time.

Other than that, I really wish yuki as a character would have progressed a little more, because although she sort of developed a sense of humor (kinda)

and some sort of emotion, she still left an impression to me as lifeless.

That being said, she's still my fav character.

I really like how haruhi changed across the short 14 episodes, from depression to happiness.

Kyon, probably the most boring character ever, was a great character to throw into the mix,

and Koizumi always seemed to impress. The rest of the extras were a nice touch, but I wish we saw more of Tsuruya.(sp?)

Overall, it was a heck of a lot better than most of the anime I've seen, and I eagerly hope they don't close the book on haruhi after 14 short episodes.

[Sun Shine]

Animation: 8
Characters: 6
Voice Actors: 8
Story: 9
Theme Songs/Soundtrack: 8
Originality: 10
Enjoyment: 8

A very good anime that was really enjoyable. The only problem I had with the series was with the characters, I really liked the personalities and ideas behind Haruhi's and Kyon's characters but the other SOS Brigade members fell into steroetypes and personalities and actions were all too predictable which was a shame especially with a strong story.

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by Sepirts

The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is undoubtedly my favourite anime of all time. I don't know what it did, but I agree it changes your life style.

I gave haruhi a 9, because for I, spent a good chunk of my life being super confused, watching episodes 1-8 in order. I felt it added unnecessary confusion, and really wasted my time.

Other than that, I really wish yuki as a character would have progressed a little more, because although she sort of developed a sense of humor (kinda)

and some sort of emotion, she still left an impression to me as lifeless.

That being said, she's still my fav character.

I really like how haruhi changed across the short 14 episodes, from depression to happiness.

Kyon, probably the most boring character ever, was a great character to throw into the mix,

and Koizumi always seemed to impress. The rest of the extras were a nice touch, but I wish we saw more of Tsuruya.(sp?)

Overall, it was a heck of a lot better than most of the anime I've seen, and I eagerly hope they don't close the book on haruhi after 14 short episodes.

Actually, Yuki gains more a personality in the novels later on [in probably what will be season 2].

I know it's just opinion, but I don't really think Kyon's boring. His witty commentary and timely sarcasm really adds a fresh perspective to the story that, I think, would have made the anime a lot less interesting had it been taken away.

Well, I guess I'll rate this anime, since I haven't yet.

Animation: 10.
Personally, I found the animation in this anime to be top-quality [Kyoto Animation, of course]. Especially the concert scene, which in my opinion was amazing. I can't really add more than that

Characters: 9.
I loved the characters in this anime. Each character, even the side characters, has their own quirks and personality traits that makes each interesting. The only problem I have with this anime is that the first season seems to, more-or-less, introduce the characters. I can expect more character development in season 2, of course.

Storyline: 8.
Basically, the same as the characters. The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya seems to be an introduction to the Haruhi storyline. Although it seems to be an introduction, it was done brilliantly, and the final part of the story felt as if it was complete, although we all know by now that it isn't.

Sounds and Music: 9.
I loved the voices in this anime. Even the side characters' voices were well done, and they were able to hold interest even in parts where there wasn't any background music. The background music added the right touch of feel or personality to each scene [I really want to find the OST]. The music was interesting, yet managed to stay in the background. I loved the concert scene.

Extra:
It was a wise choice to air it out of chronological order. It made it all the more interesting.

Although I it'd probably average out to a 9, since I believe in the phrase, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts," I'll give it a 10 [actually, a 9.5-9.8]. It's not perfect, but I loved it, and after around a year, it's still my favorite [and the animation quality still beats out the newer anime, which is amusing].

Edit: Hard to believe people rated it a 1. Either trolls, or they really, really didn't like this.

[Raptor73]

This series is currently my favourite series of all time. It completely amazed me how good it was. My first impression from reviews were "There is no way the series could be that good", oh how wrong I was.

Animation: 10/10
Superbly animated, down to the smallest detail.

Characters: 10/10
Each and every character was well-crafted. Even the minor characters had interesting personalities.

Story: 9/10
What could be more interesting than watching a high school girl create a club and run around looking for the mysteries of the universe? Not much, however I still prefer the novels.

Music: 10/10
The music was well used and did not dominate any one scene. The OP/ED songs were very catchy and had me searching for hours trying to find somewhere I could get them.

Overall: 10/10
I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone.

[EternalDragonWarrior]

10/10

It's the anime that made me an otaku, it can't get any better than that.

[Kyero Fox]

Perfect 10! I love this ANime and I think its full of win and God... I mean Haruhi ._.

Kyon is simply my fav character because hes like me in ways of Personality I don't belive in ghosts time travelers and all that such bull. But there has to be something else out there in the Univers

Haruhi is my 2nd fav female ANime character of all time X'D my #1 is hinata from Naruto

the English voice acters are PERFECT I couldn't think of any better VAs for them than the ones they picked .. thats why Im sticking to getting the complete english series on DVD.

[ReizoSan]

I am not sure if TMO: HS reaches the dizzy heights of 10/10 but it falls just bellow at 9.5 to me, The animation is very well done with great voice acting in the Jap and EVEN then English dub which i am shocked to say so but it's not that bad (watched a missing episode which was in english dub )
then the characters all have there unique parts which i like in an anime, i just hate characters who are just too alike in there personality.
the concept and story behind TMO:HS is really unique and is like nothing else that out there which to me is very refreshing, every episode had good moments and i never got bored of it at any moment, i would say if the TMO:HS season 2 is the same or dare i say it better then i would give the overall series rating at a 10. this is decently one of the best anime series in a while.

[The Chaos]

I give it ....9/10...Because It 14 Ep Too Short But Really Wonderful anime....
I hope I see The next Season SOON ........