Haruhi Suzumiya Favorite Character Poll #2 (Multiple Choice)

[steelbound]

Voted for:

Yuki
Haruhi
Kyon's Sister
Mikuru

If I had to vote for only one it would have been Yuki. SF reading alien that'll take a spear to protect someone is pretty much the pinnacle of cool.

I came to the realization by the end of episode 14 that Haruhi is the most tragic figure in the show. Maybe that was the point to the episode rearranging.

Kyon's Sister is pure sweetness.

Personally like Mikuru alot but then again that's her point. Still don't understand what the time travellers were thinking by sending Mikuru back, aren't they tempting fate by using someone that Kyon will think is very attractive?

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by C.A.

I voted for:

Haruhi: I don't call myself The Absolute Haruhist for nothing, loved her ever since the end of episode 1 lol.

Kyon: Haruhi-sama chose the correct man.

Yuki: The funniest character of the show, its hard to be so funny and amazing at the same time.

Mikuru: I think of her as the most tragic character in the show, she can't love anybody, not just Kyon.

Tsuruya: She has such a charming personality, probably one of the most genki characters ever created.

Boy does that look familiar...

Looking back at the first character poll, I only voted for Haruhi, Kyon, Yuki and Mikuru. This time I voted for those four again and added Tsuruya! As for the whys:

Haruhi: You gotta like her attitude of knowing what she wants and not letting anyone get in her way of achieving it (except when Kyon throws a choice barb in her direction.)

Kyon: Joe Everyman, with a spine. Doesn't let Haruhi cramp his style no matter what she does (and comes with his sarcasm-sequencer(tm) switched to full auto).

Yuki: Lt. Commander Data only wishes he was this cool. You just had to melt when Yuki stared at Kyon in episode 11 wanting to win.

Mikuru: The Megami of Moe. 'nuff said!

Tsuruya: A barrel of laughs and a sunny disposition! A great combo!

[Daniel E.]

Seems like Tsuruya has already improved her standing when compared to the first poll.

And with only 66 members voting so far.

[Shini_GamI]

I voted for
Suzumiya Haruhi - well, without her, SOS-Dan wouldnt established, right?
Kyon - He kinda makes me laugh lolz
Nagato Yuki - i like the way she talks, acts and abnormal abilities =D
Asahina Mikuru - Ohh, how could we not have a maid in the team! Kawaii desu yo!
Koizumi Itsuki - ok, Espers.... he's a saviour ^^
Kyon's sister - this is kinda ridiculous, but i voted for her because she reminds me of Sia in Shuffle, cause of her voice... well since the voice acting were the same.

[C.A.]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Boy does that look familiar...

Looking back at the first character poll, I only voted for Haruhi, Kyon, Yuki and Mikuru. This time I voted for those four again and added Tsuruya! As for the whys:

Haruhi: You gotta like her attitude of knowing what she wants and not letting anyone get in her way of achieving it (except when Kyon throws a choice barb in her direction.)

Kyon: Joe Everyman, with a spine. Doesn't let Haruhi cramp his style no matter what she does (and comes with his sarcasm-sequencer(tm) switched to full auto).

Yuki: Lt. Commander Data only wishes he was this cool. You just had to melt when Yuki stared at Kyon in episode 11 wanting to win.

Mikuru: The Megami of Moe. 'nuff said!

Tsuruya: A barrel of laughs and a sunny disposition! A great combo!

I didn't vote for Tsuruya too at first, I guess we have more in common than our avatars lol

@ steelbound: Yea maybe Haruhi is more tragic than Mikuru, I used to think the same. But episode 14 is the chapter that tells me that Haruhi isn't as tragic as Mikuru lol, because she's much more likely to get Kyon

[Kaioshin Sama]

I voted Haruhi, why? Well its not to often you get to see what is basically yourself only a girl run around on the screen in front of you, its almost like being in two places at once, which if you ever hallucinate (Which I do after just waking up) is the coolest thing ever.

I wish I could anti-vote for Yuki, she did absolutely nothing for me and the whole her being an ornament for the room comment by Kyon was a pretty accurate descriptionm since she did jack all most of the time and then occassionally stepped in to fix a problem and mumble some barely understandable (I don't mean confusing terms I mean the voice actress was barely comprehensible and quite mumbly) description as to what happened. God I hate the Rei Ayanami type characters with a passion. I have to say Yuki may just well be the most boring anime character I have ever seen, she was used much better in the novels I think, but barely does anything in the anime.

[C.A.]

Nah Yuki has been the security system of the clubroom and the entire school. She has been very active in her job of observation and situation control, she's like an all important background running program.

I'm not a fan of quiet girls too, but Yuki is different she's a slapstick natural lol

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by C.A.

Nah Yuki has been the security system of the clubroom and the entire school. She has been very active in her job of observation and situation control, she's like an all important background running program.

I'm not a fan of quiet girls too, but Yuki is different she's a slapstick natural lol

That's exactly why I didn't like her, sure she is important but for the most part didn't do anything in the anime, how can I like a character I know nothing about. I know for a fact she gets very interesting in the novels, but that didn't get covered in the series but god I wish it did, then I might have given the series an 8 or even a 9 for a final ranking. Part of the problem with the series that keeps me from giving it a higher ranking is a lot of characters went underdeveloped because the vast amount of character development was cast on Haruhi and Kyon, since the first novel is all about them. It's a shame really, this happens so often with modern anime where characters end up being horribly underdeveloped and you know they are interesting, but they just never get too do anything. It happened in Seed Destiny as well, whats the point of having such a large cast if all you focus on is Kira, Lacus and Shinn. That's why I like older stuff, They are longer, and everybody gets there chance to shine, like in Zeta Gundam or Gaogaigar (Even Mike Sounders has his moments) too name some good examples.

[C.A.]

Its even more weird then, Yuki got to present herself in Mysterique sign, Yuuutsu IV, Day of Sagittarius and got on the same stage as Haruhi in Live a Live. She was the character that get the most screen time besides Kyon and Haruhi.

If you want to hate a character for under development, why not Itsuki?

He's part of the SOS-dan, appears so rarely in the show, he only appears once in the OP and he didn't do anything much except for dialogue. Tsuruya probably has as much screen time as he did.

[moonforcex]

1. Haruhi (its like a must vote)
2. Mikuru <3 Cute and innocent + good body
Mikuru was the star in this anime series for me. Alot of the jokes involve messing around with her. I did feel most connected to this character due to the fact that she objeys all Haruhi's order. She very obidient and easily the best looking character which doesnt hurt. I do feel for her a bit for all the abuse she had >.<
3. Kyon's sister (sia's voice actress ^^ I love Sia :P)
4. Isuki ~ he acts so cool and pretty funny

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by C.A.

Its even more weird then, Yuki got to present herself in Mysterique sign, Yuuutsu IV, Day of Sagittarius and got on the same stage as Haruhi in Live a Live. She was the character that get the most screen time besides Kyon and Haruhi.

If you want to hate a character for under development, why not Itsuki?

He's part of the SOS-dan, appears so rarely in the show, he only appears once in the OP and he didn't do anything much except for dialogue. Tsuruya probably has as much screen time as he did.

Yeah I see what you mean, it is weird because despite all that I feel I still know nothing about the character and could care less what happens with her. Throughout all this stuff she still didn't really move and just kept on playing the silent bookworm. I don't deny Yuki is important she's just uninteresting and just kind of there most of the time in the series, I honestly think its the voice actor, my Opera Voice Function sounds less like a robot and doesn't mumble either. I've heard the voice actor has been criticized for other series too, I think it may have been for Tenjho Tenge. Also later on in the novels Yuki does indeed become a very intriguing character.

I was just about to mention Tsuruya, apparently no screen time equals popular and intriguing character according to this poll. Yet somehow Tsuruya still manages to be more interesting than Yuki. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand it, but thanks for pointing out Itsuki and Tsuruya for me.

[C.A.]

Well its easier to agree and more fun to do that lol

Yuki is the same in the novels, just that everytime Kyon enters the club room, he either doesn't mention her at all or just leaves a line saying that she's back at her seat. If you missed that line you forgot that she's there, that's exactly how Yuki is and Kyon has said it throughout the novels/show, that you won't notice she's there or she said something unless you put in an effort to look/listen to her.

But in the show it magnifies this effect because Yuki stays in the screen all the time and she's either out of focus or covered by foreground characters. And somehow we notice her because we are such powerful observers and shows that we really put in an effort watching the show lol

So in both novels and the anime, Yuki spent the most of her life doing 'nothing', just that in the novels you totally forget her presence in the room and in the anime we get to see that she's actually there but doesn't matter if we don't notice her.

EDIT: About Yuki's development, actually Yuki is also the 3rd most developed character through the anime after Haruhi and Kyon.

Yuki changed from the usual specs+uniform+cardigan+book combo to a range of other clothes and starts using computers. She found that computers are fun and wants to join the computer club. She found trust in Kyon and always gets his permission before doing something. She also learnt to help instead of ignoring.

Mikuru and Itsuki almost has no development compared to Yuki. Mikuru wasn't too bad, she develops certain feelings for Kyon, but Itsuki is himself from his first appearance to the end, except that maybe he found SOS-dan was fun.

[dkellis]

One of the reasons I like Yuki is precisely because you hardly notice she's there. Which is what happens to me most of the time, despite my best efforts occasionally.

We all latch on to the characters we identify with. For example, I don't like Haruhi because she's almost the polar opposite of what I am/like. The greater part of her personality, the not-listening-to-others, the loudness, the willingness to go out in public and promote in a bunnysuit, the imposition on others... I don't get the way she thinks. I admire her philosophy, but look askance at her methods.

But I'm well aware that if I somehow change my worldview and my own personality, it's very possible for me to like Haruhi far more than I do now (which is not much).

In the meantime, I identify with Yuki. She watches, and listens, and observes. She learns. If it's important, she takes action, but otherwise she is content to sit unobtrusively in a corner.

Also, she's an avid reader.

[C.A.]

I would disagree on Haruhi with the lack of thinking things through, in fact she plans and thinks through everything she does lol

Like Itsuki said, everything Haruhi does, comes with a reason. She thinks and plans everything she wants to do and she gets them done.

EDIT: Damn lol, I called Haruhi-sama 'he', I deserve punishment

[dkellis]

Originally Posted by C.A.

I would disagree on Haruhi with the lack of thinking things through, in fact he plans and thinks through everything she does lol

Like Itsuki said, everything Haruhi does, comes with a reason. She thinks and plans everything she wants to do and she gets them done.

Good point. I suppose what I meant was not thinking about how her actions will bother other people.

Editing post to rectify that.

[npal]

Oh well... I tried to keep my votes to 3, which was tough.

So I voted

Kyon: He's the reason this anime was funny anyway
Mikuru: MOE ultimate
Kyon's sister : MOE ultimate in the making

Of course that leaves out Yuki. Now that I think about it, I should have just voted her, too... And maybe Asakura, too. Oh well... I kinda liked most characters, but I thought I had to point out who I liked more than the others.

[Kineas]

I voted for Mikuru, Asakura, Itsuki, Tsuruya.

I can't completely deny that I'm not trying to be different by not casting my vote for the other popular main characters (Kyon, Haruhi, Yuki), but I feel that what makes a story great, or rather more than just merely above average would be heavily dependent on how the author fleshes out the supporting cast.

By making the effort to give the second-tier characters a distinctive personality that readers/viewers can identify with without needlessly increasing their screentime or fanservice qoutient is something I would normally desire from the author before I would really fall in love with a story.

Mikuru: Mikuru fanservice helped to hook hapless male viewers into the series before the real story revolving around Haruhi and Kyon begins to enthrall viewers/readers. At least it did for me, who began by watching the anime.

Asakura: Asakura's eye-candy for me. Also, although Asakura was a rather shortlived character, her involvement in the plot wasn't minor in the least. (No more eye candy. )

Itsuki: I would think that Itsuki as a character has a lot of potential for further development, but perhaps the author's desire to leave Itsuki relatively undeveloped would stem from the knowledge that a developed Itsuki might just outshine Kyon. As of now, Kyon obviously is still the most prominent personality in the SOS-dan, with Itsuki filling up the role of very-useful-sidekick-from-behind of his own accord. Come to think of it, Kyon's development is really quite minimal, (Feel free to disagree) coming mostly from "Getting to understand Haruhi and everyone else better". Also, Itsuki's long-winded rants about obscure subjects do raise my interest in those subjects. I wouldn't have read so much about time travel and other scientific principles (Being a social science major) if not for this show, frankly speaking.

Tsuruya: With her minimal screentime, her personality as a character is already so embedded into so many of us. For me, her merciless laughter in Episode 1 directed at Mikuru sealed it for me. Now here's a real minor supporting character that is more than just a good-looking wallflower/yesman.

Spoiler:

And the author actually has Tsuruya figure out that the members of the SOS-dan aren't normal humans by herself later in the Snowy Mountain Syndrome chapter! OMG LOL-FANG-TAN!

[Lotiman]

Tsuruya in maid cosplay!!!

[Kikaifan]

Haruhi and Tsuruya: For the exact same reasons as everybody else.

Kyon: The normal/stoic guy stuck in an improbable situation in which he's largely limited to being a sarcastic jerk, but he still manages to care about the rest of the SOS-dan along the way.

Itsuki: His pretentious philosophical babbling doesn't actually explain much, but it does confuse his friends... just like me. I didn't really think he was that hard to understand (maybe related to the epic nerdfests on the very subjects he addresses with my fellow armchair philosophers back in high school), but I applaud him for talking above Kyon's level of imagination constantly. Being Haruhi's yes-man isn't exactly commendable, but he's funny in that role. Could be I'm just backlashing against the hate he got after episode 13, but I found myself liking him a lot more when the whole thing wrapped up.

Yuki: I'm with the 'no character to begin with means that even the slightest twitch counts as development' crowd. She's more interesting when she's in motion because she's so plain at rest. And I gotta admit, I'm a sucker for all that reality hacking. 'Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology'... or maybe 'Sufficiently advanced physics is indistinguishable from magic sufficiently advanced to be indistinguishable from technology.'

Or maybe it should come full-circle. 'Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from physics sufficiently advanced to be indistinguishable from magic sufficiently advanced to be indistinguishable from technology.'

[Lost]

Originally Posted by Raph

Lost, that's a bit too negative a way of discussing I guess. lol. For instance, I don't like Kyon's sister, because her voice is still too annonyingly fake for my taste . But I can't blame people for finding her cute.

I agree with you on Shamisen. That's a third role. But I don't agree on Haruhi. Her voice IS impressive all way long, in my humble opinion.

And thats perfectly yours to make. Thank you, point taken. As long as we keep cool heads and respect one another's opinions, CG wont have too much work on h-- hands.

Kikaifan makes a true point:

Originally Posted by Kikaifan

Yuki: I'm with the 'no character to begin with means that even the slightest twitch counts as development' crowd. She's more interesting when she's in motion because she's so plain at rest.

Yep. It just that silent passive face that basically started by looking for acceptance and leadership and decision making at every turn, and at the end being indicative of finding "a voice of her own" ~ starting to be capable of wanting/liking/desiring as it is. Its so much like seeing myself falling in love with the stuff I now love all over again.

Plus I dig this kind of "onset of self-awareness" kinda themes. A little like Rand in WoT; or so many other main characters in books/animes ~ start out ordinary and all, and then get special powers. Only, with Yuki, those special powers are what we take forgranted.

You might say I've learnt something about treasuring my independence from Yuki. And I do like quiet girls.