The General Discussion of Haruhi Suzumiya

[arias]

Originally Posted by Riker

Actually, I think volume 6 (chinese) is out in Taiwan. Some guy posted the stuffs he bought at the 台灣角川 light novels festival, and in the picture were volumes 1-6 and some Shana merchandise.

http://www.walkersnet.com.tw/fiction/news.asp


However, I don't know when Comics Connection will import the novels over.

Gah, I checked my collection and you're right.

[Kinny Riddle]

Originally Posted by arias

Gah, I checked my collection and you're right.

Heh, I just bloody bought volume 6 a few weeks ago, or I wouldn't have translated "Live A Live" in time before the anime episode airs, lol.

[C.A.]

Woah guys! Remember someone posted that there's a secret page on the website? It was totally empty except for a broken gif, now check it again!:

http://www.haruhi.tv/mikuru/

[LCeh]

Glad to see that Kyon is finally willing to share some of his goodies with the rest of the world.

[shaolinx]

is this anime REALLY gonna be only 14 eps? tooo short! need more !`~~~

[Jinsoo]

Yep. 14 eps. But it's better left short. If strung out more, the story would completely fall apart due to fillers and bad writing. Plus, I'd go insane since I'm not nutsy coo coo over this anime like everyone else is. It's starting to remind me of Naruto >_>; So many fans before and they're all going "NARUTO ROX!" And then when it came to the States, 10x more Narutards. They should've left Naruto in Japan, IMO.

And if they bring MoSH to the States, oh boy. It'll probably end up like Naruto >_> And its fan base would probably crash into the ground just like Naruto. And no longer will Haruhiists be called Haruhiists. They'll probably be called Harutards D: Besides, with a series only 14 episodes long, I doubt it would really be successful here in the States.

[08:28] <homestar> Harutard: OWE MAI GAWD LOOK, IT'S MELONK HOLY OH HAIROOHEE
[08:29] <Jiz|SLEEP> XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[darkchibi07]

Originally Posted by Jinsoo

Yep. 14 eps. But it's better left short. If strung out more, the story would completely fall apart due to fillers and bad writing. Plus, I'd go insane since I'm not nutsy coo coo over this anime like everyone else is. It's starting to remind me of Naruto >_>; So many fans before and they're all going "NARUTO ROX!" And then when it came to the States, 10x more Narutards. They should've left Naruto in Japan, IMO.

And if they bring MoSH to the States, oh boy. It'll probably end up like Naruto >_> And its fan base would probably crash into the ground just like Naruto. And no longer will Haruhiists be called Haruhiists. They'll probably be called Harutards D: Besides, with a series only 14 episodes long, I doubt it would really be successful here in the States.

But look at the bright side! If the Melencholy of Haruhi Suzumiya does get really popular in the States, then we know it's not because it's some long-winded, derivative shounen action or Advent Children, but it's a freakin' well-constructed, godly animated series with a lot of wit and humor. And that's combined with some intellectual ideas that's not ridiculously pretentious (I'm looking at you, Evangelion ), and excellent character development of the main characters.

I predict this series is going to be a huge breakthrough in our anime fandom since Fullmetal Alchemist or even Cowboy Bebop!

[Jinsoo]

I think it'll get even more overrated than it already is if it comes to the States. Cos everytime something labeled awesome in Japan comes to the States, it just turns out painfully bad or fans that can't even pronounce the title right, and that's no good. Sure, it's animation is awesome, but well constructed? It's like a puzzle and you need to rewatch them in a certain order once it's done. It'd be better off being less confusing if it just went in order IMO. Plus, I don't think there'd be so much haters of this show if they didn't toss in Ep 0.

I brought this anime to one of my school's anime club meetings once. Only 2 actually liked it out of the 15 that was there >_>; Everyone was begging me to switch it to something more entertaining. And I'm not one of the two just to let you know. It's hard to like an anime that starts on the wrong foot like MoSH did. Not a lot of people got that it was a student film by the characters, but either way, I don't think they should've opened the series with that. It's basically a big turn off for most people if put in the very beginning.

I found anime even more funnier than MoSH, ever seen the dub for Gakkou no Kaidan? That stuff's hilarious. Now, if they grabbed here in the US. I'd like it if they did they same with what they did to GnK. Threw away the original script and wrote a whole new hilarious one but still keeping the basic plot. That way, it'd be much more appealing/interesting, IMO. Plus, MoSH is almost like GnK. Except GnK has elementary kids and just ghosts. But the do have a talking possessed kitty :X

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Jinsoo

Yep. 14 eps. But it's better left short. If strung out more, the story would completely fall apart due to fillers and bad writing. Plus, I'd go insane since I'm not nutsy coo coo over this anime like everyone else is. It's starting to remind me of Naruto >_>; So many fans before and they're all going "NARUTO ROX!" And then when it came to the States, 10x more Narutards. They should've left Naruto in Japan, IMO.

And if they bring MoSH to the States, oh boy. It'll probably end up like Naruto >_> And its fan base would probably crash into the ground just like Naruto. And no longer will Haruhiists be called Haruhiists. They'll probably be called Harutards D: Besides, with a series only 14 episodes long, I doubt it would really be successful here in the States.

Okay.. I'm probably going to get buried here, but I'm getting a bit tired of comparisons to Naruto. Comparing Naruto to this show is like comparing the daily soap opera "General Hospital" to the series House.... (actually I was thinking the works of Mark Twain to Dan Brown - the latter very popular but a hack writer). And no, its not a matter of taste --- you might as well argue that American Idol has lasting social value. Naruto is very popular but so are Happy Meals....

The real problem here is what was just implied by a previous post: the show may be too complex for "average anime watchers", especially those who need their entertainment spoonfed to them.

[Anime Online]

Good animes should cross cultural, geographical and language barriers, and be enjoyed by all.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by Anime Online

Good animes should cross cultural, geographical and language barriers, and be enjoyed by all.

So, Haruhi isn't a good anime then ? Because Haruhi isn't really supposed to be easily understood by the west, the entire story is really Japanese, even some asians can't get it.

[Jinsoo]

I'm pretty sure if it came here to the US right now, and people watched ep 12 and saw Hard Gay and a couple of people go "DOMO~!!! HAADO GEI DESU~!" other people would go, "HUH?" Cos when my friend saw ep 12, that's when she 1st heard about Hard Gay >_>; She was all like, "That guy is creepy." and I said, "That's Hard Gay he likes to shake his pelvis but it's beyond me why he's in this show..."

>_> Hard Gay is everywhere now, just like Haruhiism.

And MoSH, according to what Anime Online said. Isn't a good anime. Well, IMO, it wouldn't be a good anime if went to the west, best left in Japan just like all them shounen anime >_>; *CoughsNARUTORUROUNIKENSHINFMA* Even though I liked RK, face it, it's overrated ._.

And MoSH isn't something I could watch with family. Since I watched it with friends and all of them got pissed off at me for showing it to them >_<; Only a select people can actually enjoy this anime, which is why they're called Haruhiists D:

BTW, American Idol sucks :X Just a gimmick to throw around more scandals.

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by C.A.

So, Haruhi isn't a good anime then ? Because Haruhi isn't really supposed to be easily understood by the west, the entire story is really Japanese, even some asians can't get it.

Sometimes it's best not to aim for the lowest common denominator...

MoSH isn't aiming for the normal crowd, even for the Japanese. We should judge the quality of the show by determining whether it has achieved what it intended to do, (usually, pleasing the intended audience) rather than how many random people would enjoy it.

Otherwise, "War and peace" can't be a good book because the majority of the world don't like to read it... No matter how the literary world give their praises.

It's possible to have mass appeal without selling out, but that doesn't mean to have a limited market = bad.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by Jinsoo

I'm pretty sure if it came here to the US right now, and people watched ep 12 and saw Hard Gay and a couple of people go "DOMO~!!! HAADO GEI DESU~!" other people would go, "HUH?" Cos when my friend saw ep 12, that's when she 1st heard about Hard Gay >_>; She was all like, "That guy is creepy." and I said, "That's Hard Gay he likes to shake his pelvis but it's beyond me why he's in this show..."

>_> Hard Gay is everywhere now, just like Haruhiism.

BTW, American Idol sucks :X Just a gimmick to throw around more scandals.

Its inappropriate to put anime and reality shows together lol, but:

The only reality show thats actually good would be American Chopper, that's real reality. Getting people to join a competition, win cash and such, that's not reality.

Haruhi itself is a reality anime, at least the show ponders the question: What is reality and is reality what we perceive?

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

Sometimes it's best not to aim for the lowest common denominator...

MoSH isn't aiming for the normal crowd, even for the Japanese. We should judge the quality of the show by determining whether it has achieved what it intended to do, (usually, pleasing the intended audience) rather than how many random people would enjoy it.

Otherwise, "War and peace" can't be a good book because the majority of the world don't like to read it... No matter how the literary world give their praises.

It's possible to have mass appeal without selling out, but that doesn't mean to have a limited market = bad.

Yep, thats why I'm asking whether its a bad anime or not, because its clearly selling out to many.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by C.A.

So, Haruhi isn't a good anime then ? Because Haruhi isn't really supposed to be easily understood by the west, the entire story is really Japanese, even some asians can't get it.

Thats an interesting remark. I hadn't thought of the show as too "eastern". I actually class the storyline with such items as Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" or Douglas Adam's tinkerings. I recall a couple of Faulkner books that played with point-of-view reality. In other words, philosophical science fiction built around the relationships of some *very* different people who develop bonds despite their backgrounds.. and the evolution of their character.

The little injokes and references are nice and fun to spot but not relevant to the central meat of the story.

So I don't think its an "eastern" or "western" problem so much as a "joe sixpack doesn't want to have to think" problem. A lot of monkeys never attended the "monolith meetings" --- sorry, I have a somewhat dim view of people who don't exercise that glob in their skulls.

"Good animes should cross cultural, geographical and language barriers, and be enjoyed by all."
Sounds noble... but thats how we get "Happy Meals" and elevator music.

[C.A.]

lol I think I'm being bashed here

My post was a response to Anime Online's post, saying that good anime should cross cultural, geographical and language barriers, and be enjoyed by all.

But Haruhi is definitely Japanese in culture, geography and language, not crossing much barriers at all. So does this mean, according to Anime Online's post, Haruhi isn't a good show?

I find myself attracted to the show purely because of its intriguing plot, its the main reason why I love the story so much and why I think the show is great.

[Vexx]

Apologies.. didn't mean for it to sound "bash-y", was sort of agreeing with you but found it interesting/odd that you think of the show as being very "japanese". I don't tend to think of it as "japanese" .... now whether thats because I've gone native after years of exposure or aspects I'm just thinking of as "science fiction" are mislableled.. I'd like to explore that.

What are the aspects that make you think of the show as very japanese? (outside of the dressing of "school, etiquette" etc?)

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant

...Otherwise, "War and peace" can't be a good book because the majority of the world don't like to read it... No matter how the literary world give their praises.

isn't the reason the majority of the world doesn't want to read it is because it's such a thick book?

Originally Posted by Vexx

"Good animes should cross cultural, geographical and language barriers, and be enjoyed by all."
Sounds noble... but thats how we get "Happy Meals" and elevator music.

and dubs by 4Kids.

Originally Posted by C.A.

I find myself attracted to the show purely because of its intriguing plot, its the main reason why I love the story so much and why I think the show is great.

I was first interested in the show becasue of the avatars and sigs that started popping up here and I wanted to know what show that girl is from (all the early avys and sigs were of Haruhi). When I finally matched them to the show, I found the eps (1 & 2) and downloaded them and watched them. Unlike a lot of other people, I got immediately what they were doing with "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina" and laughed my arse off. It was after watching Yuutsu 1 that I was hooked.

Originally Posted by Vexx

...I don't tend to think of it as "japanese" .... now whether thats because I've gone native after years of exposure or aspects I'm just thinking of as "science fiction" are mislableled.. I'd like to explore that.

I agree with that. IMO it's because they are using so many western scientific terms and really haven't used any Japanese mythological ideas to explain what is going on.

[C.A.]

Well, the show features itself in many aspects of Japanese lifestyle and culture, basically the show is in Japan itself lol

Episode 00 itself, is a compound parody of cliches and stuff found mostly/only in Japanese shows/anime. Most people are turned off by this episode because they don't know anything about it.

Honestly, I don't know how to type this post, because there's too much Japanese references there for me to start with lol.

EDIT: I'll just add a few random stuff to support why I think the show is very Japanese:

In episode 2, Yuuutsu 1, Haruhi's hair accessories change colour according to the days of the week. Japanese days are named after: moon, fire, water, wood, gold, earth and sun, basically the 5 elements + moon and sun. Haruhi's accessories follow the colour of the elements, moon = yellow, fire = red, water = blue... etc.

Then there's the Golden Week Japanese holiday.

[arias]

Originally Posted by Jinsoo

Yep. 14 eps. But it's better left short. If strung out more, the story would completely fall apart due to fillers and bad writing. Plus, I'd go insane since I'm not nutsy coo coo over this anime like everyone else is. It's starting to remind me of Naruto >_>; So many fans before and they're all going "NARUTO ROX!" And then when it came to the States, 10x more Narutards. They should've left Naruto in Japan, IMO.

And if they bring MoSH to the States, oh boy. It'll probably end up like Naruto >_> And its fan base would probably crash into the ground just like Naruto. And no longer will Haruhiists be called Haruhiists. They'll probably be called Harutards D: Besides, with a series only 14 episodes long, I doubt it would really be successful here in the States.

I don't know how much more wrong you can get; and if you continue to use stereotypes to deal with SuzuHaru fans then I have to say that you yourself appear to me as an obvious anti-mainstreamist in dire need of attention. Let me first correct some objective facts and then educate you on the subjective.

First, Naruto is FAR more popular than SuzuHaru, which has something more like an intense cult-like following of fans. Naruto registers about 200,000 downloads a week, while SuzuHaru has about 35,000. It has actually LOST audience; starting from 95,000 downloads for its first episode and is stabilizing in the mid 30,000s (which is also the number for Ah! My Goddess, School Rumble and other such mid-table anime).

There is nothing particularly mainstream about the popularity of SuzuHaru. Thus, I think you are just over-influenced by the small number of very devoted fans here on this board, as well as elsewhere. It's just that lovers of this series love it VERY much, despite being somewhat low in numbers.


Second, Naruto's depreciation in quality was an after-effect of its immense popularity. I read the series ever since it first came out (in Asia) and it was really quite original with its skills and lame humour. However, its immense popularity gave way to lame stories that continually drag on and on and on... That's what I feel anyways. Authors who have their works explode into the realm of popularity face ALOT of pressure from their editors and fanbase to construct a storyline that the consumers demand. That's why fanpolls are used as well.

This results in stuff like Inuyasha (otherwise known as The Neverending Story IV) or even the current running of Ah! My Goddess (which is also somewhat debatable in its literary intention of episodic stories).. Leaving Naruto in Japan would make no difference. You are quite naive to think of things like this.


I am convinced that bringing SuzuHaru to the States would NOT result in a popularity boom to anywhere near the heights of Naruto. You have to know that Naruto is a STAPLE anime, like rice for AZNs (like me :B). Plenty of kids and alot of teenagers who watch anime, watch Naruto on TV and such. There is NOTHING in SuzuHaru that will attract this bulk of the viewing population. Just consider the various staple anime --- Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Pokemon... SuzuHaru does not belong to this category.



I think some of the more vicious anti-SuzuHaru viewers have already conceived of some fans as Harutards. I can certainly think of one distinct person on this board who has continually come on to post mocking insults of SuzuHaru fans.. even now. Very childish poster. It is important to understand that this series is not widely popular in any sense; but the love from its fans is extremely intense --- almost like that for Rozen Maiden.

And why not?


It is beautifully animated. It has interesting characters. It is superbly well-directed.

It is definitely not the action-fare that the typical young anime viewer will want to watch; and I've seen complaints about lack of action, or "boring" in posts on this board. But that has never been what SuzuHaru is about... just a simple read of the novel will let one understand that. As I have said many times, I think the author is beginning to stretch out the SuzuHaru series in the later volumes; and if this continues without significant inter-character or plot progress, I *WILL* give up on this series even though I really like it alot.

A distinguishing characteristic of an expert is knowing when something's done; and not overdo things. I think many creators lack this dimension of expertise, and I'm beginning to think SuzuHaru might fall into the same trap. But who knows?