Anime Review: Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, The

Review Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, TheWritten by WarpshadowRating very good

Among the anime community there are several sub communities. The ones that keep abreast of what is currently airing in Japan are shouting the praises of Haruhi from the rafters. Like most shows with this level of hype it isn’t all that it is made up to be although it is still really fun to watch.

Kyon (a nickname although we are never told what his real name is) is a young man who doesn’t believe in strange things like aliens or the like. So when at the first day of high school a Haruhi proclaims that all aliens, time travelers and espers in the class should contact her Kyon wants nothing to do with the girl. An odd comment that Kyon makes gives Haruhi the idea of forming a school club known as the SOS brigade and of course drags Kyon into being a member of the club.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a romantic comedy that has few equals in the anime world when it is running on all four cylinders. Haruhi is a boisterous and forceful character that manages to break from the stereotypes associated with such character types. Kyon’s sarcasm as a narrator (this show was adapted from a series of novels) is also great fun to listen to. They work well with each other and the other characters. The story is also meticulously told as small details refer back to other things that happen in future or previous episodes.

Yet the show doesn’t always run on four cylinders. The main narrative of the show is only six episodes long in a fourteen episode series and the rest is filler, enjoyable filler but filler none the less. The makers of the show even resorted to shuffling the order of the episodes to prevent it from trailing off at the end.

Don’t let the show’s shortcomings keep you from watching it though. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a show that breaks new ground on old stereotypes and besides you probably want to know what everyone is talking about.