Friday 24 July 2009

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 7 (aka Episode 17)

Hello one and all, and welcome to this week's session of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya "Endless Eight" self-help group. I know that times are still hard for you all, but if we work together to do our breathing exercises and share our worries then I'm sure we can all talk one another down from the precipices of anger, frustration and disappointment in which some of us may have found ourselves.


Anyway, I'm sure you all know the drill now... "Something was strange"... "Endless recursion of time"... "Classified information" "There it is again.... deja vu!" and so on. But ooh look, their clothes are different! And some of the lines have been changed! Excuse me while I find an industrial sized crate in which to contain my enthusiasm.

Oddly enough, this episode somehow felt even further away from a resolution than last week's instalment, perhaps because it's even beginning to sound like the show's voice actors are rushing through their lines so that they can race off to the nearest bar and drown their sorrows. Mind you, this change in delivery does put paid to my carefully constructed theory that the real reason for this constant repetition is that Aya Hirano has been captured by North Korea as a symbol of Japanese decadence, and that KyoAni are cunningly trying to keep this a secret until they can persuade Hideaki Anno to build them a real-life Evangelion out of washing-up liquid bottles and bendy straws so that they can rescue her. Come to think of it, that would probably make a pretty good anime... KyoAni, you seem a little short of ideas right now so if you want to license that idea for a series just drop me a line.

Last episode I asked whether anyone cared about what happens to this story arc any more and got twenty-two responses - Considering that I wrote about the episode as well, I suppose that means the answer is yes. Then again, my three reasons for continuing to watch this Endless Eight story arc are (in order of importance):

- To write about it on this 'Blog, because it's what I do.
- Because I'm a terrible completest so I can't leave it alone, like some kind of horrible scab on my nose that simply won't heal.
- Because I want to see if the arc finishes before my MyAnimeList score for the series hits 1. It's currently down to 2, so it's not looking good for KyoAni.

Anyway, to conclude this self-help session, just remember - One day we veterans of Endless Eight will gather to reminisce and laugh about this time, before having a group recital of the entire episode (because let's face it, most of us can remember the entire script after having seen the thing so many god-damned times).

20 comments:

AidanAK47 said...

The madness continues I see....
I stopped watching the show after the second repeat and am waiting for somebody to shout "Endless eight is over!" then I will watch the last episode of this arc and get it over with.

I read the light novels and guys, let me tell you this. Don't expect anything groundbreaking at the end of this. Prepare to be disappointed and infuriated. I am amazed that they turned a story that was a single chapter in the novel into a seven....wait! lets make that eight episode arc! Its a pity because after this is the stuff that we all want. The good stuff. Well as long as KyoAni doesn't try to screw with us again but it's unlikely that they would be able to. Looking at the light novels I can't really see this happening again but maybe I underestimate them.

KyoAni must really hate the fans. It's the only explanation I can come up with. They are sitting laughing at us right now. Somebody needs to punch them for this, Come on! ANYONE! We have put up with this crap they have been shoveling for long enough! Somebody punch the president of KyoAni and place it on youtube so we can laugh! Somebody hack into there computers and upload loads of horse porn on them! Because they are getting away with this! We must be able to sue them or something.....

Anonymous said...

i also feel like this episode was farther away than the last... ugh i'm barely watching them anymore, just fastforwarding to the last scene in the restaurant... this is kinda ruining what still probably is my favorite anime... but, i think theres gonna be one more of these no-action from kyon ones, and then the next one after that will see the conclusion... thats eight of them... i think. unless the 5 so far have warped my mind to an endless duhhhhhhh stage....

Mr. Black said...

I feel lik Kyon was closer last week than this week, lik when he completed her lines and things lik that

Anonymous said...

Well, I think their gonna keep this up throughout the summer!
...........
.................
........................

Then we'd have an endless summer of Haruhi too lol

Ok, no. But seriously, I just skpped the episode in 5 minute increments until something new showed up and since it didn't, I pretty much skipped the whole episode.

Its sad, cause I love Haruhi, and I continue to hope that they won't disappoint me, but they're getting really close.

Let's see if next week something changes :(

Anonymous said...

AidanAK47 said...
"Looking at the light novels I can't really see this happening again but maybe I underestimate them."

The next arc is supposedly disappearance of Haruhi, which also deals with time traveling. So it won't be much of a stretch. If any.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think that there WAS a break through in this episode: We FINALLY got to see Kyon's reaction to Koizumi's comment on telling Haruhi "I love you" etc.

I was just thinking of doing a recital of this episode...in perfect cosplay of course.

I will watch this to the bitter end, and when that end finally arrives I will swallow my bloody tears. /so down

Anonymous said...

i feel the next episode should be the last one...since they say its endless eight...that would mean eight is the end xD? or maybe 9 since one episode had nothing to do with this aweful filler such a waste of episodes ;~;

kadian1364 said...

This Endless Eight business seems to be doing your blog good Andy, since the comments flow in like good wine, or something.

I thought about saying more, but I'll hold my cards close and wait until it's all over to say my piece.

Misao said...

Well, I finally gave up on this unbearable recycling after the fifth repetition, which damn near killed me. My partner sat through this last one - well, had it on while doing something else - waiting to report if anything happened. Now she has joined me in my current exile from the previously much admired Haruhi & co.
Anyway, I had to thank you for being a "completest" and for keeping up the blog entries, as reading them is the only way now that I intend to follow the progress of this utter insanity.

Anonymous said...

Sorry if i'm using profanity and all but i can take it anymore. I dunno what the hell happens in the end, but most probably it'll be Kyon asking Haruhi out or something.
So GAWD, KYON GO FUCKING ASK HER OUT ALREADY. GO ASK HER OUT TO GO TO A FUCKING DATE, THEN AT NIGHT BRING HER TO A HOTEL AND FUCK HER.

You know what? JUST DO ANYTHING.
RAPE HER,MOLEST HER, SHOUT AT HER, CONFESS TO HER,SAY THAT URE A BITCH OR SOMETHING.


JUST FRIKIN GET THE HELL OUT OF THAT RESTAURANT.IF URE GONNA BE LIKE "Haruhi must've given a clue...but what...what am i supposed to do?!" AGAIN THEN I SWEAR I'M GONNA GO THROUGH MY LAPTOP SCREEN AND GET INTO THE RESTAURANT AND KICK URE BALLS AND RIP IT OFF. THEN I'LL SHOW URE BALLS TO HARUHI BEFORE SHE EXITS AND SQUEEZE IT WITH MY HANDS AND MAKE IT EXPLODE. THEN I'M GONNA SMEAR IT OVER YOUR(Kyon) AND HARUHI'S FACE AND SMACK YOU TWO TOGETHER SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN KISS AND SO THE FUCKING SHIT RETARDED NO LIFE ARC WILL END.

Oh and some last words.

FUCK YEA.



mmhmm...yea so this post will probably get deleted and my IP will be banned from this blog.
But you know what? I don't care.


AidanAK47, maybe you should just keep this post, and then show it on your next review or something.

Just put it in as an example of a fan's rage or something.

All right well see ya (maybe forever =O)

Anonymous said...

Nothing epic happens to resolve this arc, so expect ot be dissapointed. I just don't get why they did the same stuff in every damn episode again. Didn't Nagato mention, that there was some kind of variation in those 15000+ Recursions (like not going to the festival, doing different kinds of part-time work)? Why has every episode to be exactly the same? Wouldn't it de better to let them do different things every episode or showing Kyon to actually try to break the recursions by doing different things in every episode (Nagato is not affected by the memory loss, so she could tell him what he did last time and that and mybe even why it didn't work). That way it wouldn't have become the catastrophe it is now.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, this is kinda bullshit. There wasn't even a real loop in the light novel, it started off as "hmmm, it feels like I've done this before" and at the end, time loop broken, not, 7 light novels later.......

My guess is that instead of KyoAni being intelligent and figuring out that the chapter was called Endless Eight to signify the endless recursion of time, they took it as 8 episodes that seems to be endless because NOTHING HAPPENS!!!!!!

And yes, the end is so boring you should just skip the episode (if it ever comes) so that you will at least remain in suspense as to how the time loop is broken, trust me, when you see the end, you'll be pissed they made you wait anymore than possibly two episodes for it.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they will even do more than 8 looping episodes just to watch us going insane and to laugh at us or they take endless 8 for real and let the episode return until the real month august is over (so that means about five looping episodes to come). Wouldn't that be funny, Aha hahahahahaha (goes off to fly to japan and kill ... JUST SOMEONE from KyoAni).

Mattdiox said...

You would think. That after seeing the fans opinions on this recursion of episodes. The would of said. 'Right f**k this lets just skip it to the end and get on with it before they bust through the doors and use tMoHS DvDs to give us an endless eight in our intestines.' But no! They can't let those precious episodes go to waste.

Anonymous said...

ive been able to tolerate them so far bar the last one i mean the slow but surely nearly getting der give it at least a little bit of suspense but the last 1 was rushed thru notihng happens differently nothing groundbreaking at the end the one before i was like come on nearly der right in front of you and then epic fail repeat without nearly as much tension

im now terrified im not sure if endless 8 means ends next episode or as episode 1 isnt really part of this we have to watch another repeat with no progress being made i mean if i HAVE to watch another repeat cant it at LEAST be more like the previous one with kyon working stuff out so it leaves u to think


much love

Unknown said...

Hanner I just wanted to say, please keep watching lol. Im waiting on you yelling 'ITS OVER' so I can download and watch the last episode of the Arc. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

another wonderful repition yay sarc but i am certain that the next episode is the last

Anonymous said...

You've been so wrong.

ninotoreS said...

I just download the episodes and scan through now. Done it since the second repeat.

Frankly, we fansub watchers should be grateful, because the viewers in Japan don't have the luxury of downloading a video file and fast forwarding it.

Every week the viewers in Japan who are committed to the show are forced to sit through this bs EVERY TIME, in the off-chance that something new will happen.

I really can't see how this mindlessly idiotic stunt hasn't lost the show massive ratings in Japan. I adored the first season when it aired, but if I was one of the aforementioned vewiers in Japan, I would've given up on the show weeks ago.

Why would the show's creators do this? Just to fill out the season? Or do they just hate the show and simply don't care? And if the latter is the case, why did they sign on for it in the first place?

Idiocy abounds. I've lost of respect for KyoAni over this. Of all the logical explanations for this fiasco and the thinking behind, all of them have one thing in common -- it demonstrates a gross lack of professionalism.

Anonymous said...

i totally understand everyones hatred of the endless eight so let me tell you when it ends, if u havent already known, it ends on the 9th episode. By the way, anyone know if there's gonna be a season 3? cause the ending for season 2(i've seen it, and no kyon does not ask her out) was weird. When they were finding a place for the setting for the movie, it ended. So i assumed there was episode 14... No episode 14... Now what? Will they make a new episode? Cause from what i heard. Thats the ending, unfortunately, not a very good one. So can anyone tell me if its true that it's the ending or there's gonna be a new episode or season to look foward too :3 thx