The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

To start, a disclaimer... or perhaps rather, a chance to show off - the recent Blu-Ray release isn't the first time I got to see The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, as I also got to enjoy the film at its European premiere in Edinburgh back in mid-October - and what a fantastic occasion it was too.  Still, seeing the film on the big screen simply fired my desire to see its Blu-Ray release even more, and so here I am again having been able to watch it through a second time.

After an opening to the movie that sees everything looking as normal (or rather, abnormal) as ever for our protagonist Kyon in the face of her arranging an SOS Brigade Christmas party, all is as it should be in the build up to the festive season - a relatively normality that soon feels like nothing more than a pleasant dream for Kyon, as the very next day he wakes up to a decidedly different world.  While the previously healthy Taniguchi's now raging cold doesn't ring alarm bells and Haruhi's absence from school is surprising but not hugely noteworthy, the fact that all is not well soon steps up right in front of Kyon's face in the form of a blast from the past that he really didn't want to see.  With nobody having even heard of Suzumiya, Asahina not even knowing who he is and Koizumi's classroom having vanished entirely, it seems as though Nagato is Kyon's only hope... only to find that although she recognises him, she's a far cry from the cold, expressionless alien entity he's used to.

What has happened to Kyon's world and his bizarre normal life?  It seems as though it's lost forever, until a clue drops into his lap, setting him off on a journey to assemble the components required to return the world to its former state; a journey which takes in time travel and an ever-more elaborate set of circumstances which overlay some of his previous adventures, while simultaneously adding a further layer which is wide open for future exploration.

Anybody who knows me well will probably be aware that I'm a huge fan of the Haruhi franchise - its first season had me captured in rapt fascination from the outset, its second season had some excellent material within it, Endless Eight never existed at all (it was all just a bad dream, right?) and I own all of the translated light novels thus far.  Given that, it's unsurprising to hear me gush about this movie in absolute terms - it's a glorious effort that restores everything great about this franchise that was lacking from its second televised season, and then some.

Perhaps the most impressive feat for the film is that it takes its running time of dangerously close to three hours, and fills it in such a way that it never seems to drag, even on a second viewing.  The movie is extremely careful and methodical in the way that it sets up and unveils its premise, and does likewise in bringing it to its resolution, but never to the point of being ponderous - every time it threatens to go flat in story-telling terms, along comes the next clue or key event to shift things on once again. 

The movie is also a triumph in terms of characterisation, thanks to the original novel, in fairness.  Dumping Kyon outside of his normal comfort zone allows us to view him from a very different angle from the acerbic, quick witted guy we're used to, but without losing his charm at all.  The use of Asahina's adult version at a key point also removes the slightly irritating whiny nature of her youthful version, and of course there's Nagato, who grows more markedly than any other character as events swirl around both her "real" self and the normal, bookish girl who replaces her.

If you're not a fan of the franchise then there's really nothing new here for you that will turn things around I would wager, but for the existing fan this is quite easily the pinnacle of its story-telling (in anime form at least) thus far - its expertly driven at a character level, while its story also weaves in plenty of smart complexities but never to the point of giving you a headache or making you lose interest - indeed, a second viewing of the film allows you to appreciate some of the subtler hints, developments and moments that you can't spot the first time around.  I'd hesitate to call The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya perfect, but damn is it a close call.  Its running time makes it a long haul, but this film is worth every minute of that time.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 14 (aka Episode 24) (Completed)

The previous episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya finally gave us an opportunity to talk about a new instalment of this franchise in terms above and beyond dismay and controversy, which in itself made for a refreshing change after all the (justified) negativity of weeks past. Now, as this run of new episodes ends, so does the Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc (full movie screening aside).

Of course, the first item on the agenda for this episode is the origins of Shamisen the talking cat, and it probably goes without saying that there's always comic potential in talking animals, which gives us a reasonably amusing little distraction for a while.


From here, the big issue to be tackled is how to get Haruhi to understand that everything in the movie that they're filming is well and truly within the realms of fiction - A requirement that becomes ever more pressing as more and more out of place occurrences take place. However, even this state of affairs is overshadowed by disagreements which surface between the other members of the SOS Brigade as to what Haruhi actually "is", with Koizumi and Mikuru both vocal in their own understandings and beliefs about what Haruhi represents and exists as.

Regardless of such philosophical debates, as per usual it's left up to Kyon to resolve the whole mess, which he does in his usual inimitable simple yet effective style, before the end of the episode gives us an amusing little dénouement to this batch of new episodes.

So it is that we reach the conclusion of all of the episodes which make up the second season of new Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episodes, and what more is there to say about it that we haven't already discussed to death? After the brilliance of the single episode of Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody looked ready to set the tone for a new season of wonder, so Endless Eight wore us down with its pointless and overblown repetition, wasting week upon week to irreparably scar the reputation of both this franchise and KyoAni as a whole. After that came The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya (perhaps ironically mirroring our own sighs during Endless Eight), a fleshing out of concepts we'd seen to some degree the first time around, and even this took quite a while to warm up, only truly coming to fruition for its last two episodes.

However objectively we try to look at it, Endless Eight has stained and overshadowed anything to do with this series - No doubt it'll be talked about for years to come (and certainly watching and then 'blogging about those episodes was a unique community experience all of its own) while the rest of these new episodes will be forgotten. The fact that, Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody and a few smidgens of The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya aside, the rest of these new episodes were largely forgettable in the first place certainly doesn't help, and that point probably shouldn't be ignored in the larger brouhaha surrounding those infamous eight episodes. If we're honest, this wasn't The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya at its best, and it'll be interesting to see what the fallout from this particular series will mean for the Haruhi franchise further down the line.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 13 (aka Episode 23)

Watching new episodes of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya of late has felt almost like a never-ending litany of complaints and questioning of KyoAni's decisions, and even the end of the interminable Endless Eight story arc hasn't really been enough to dissipate these doubts. I have to give this latest episode of the current Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc at least some credit however for being by far the best dose of "new" Haruhi we've had in quite some time.

The subject matter of the episode is, of course, the continued filming of Haruhi's culture festival movie and the perils that it presents, but from its beginnings as more pure comic relief, with the hapless Mikuru having ever-more unpleasant situations thrust upon her, so this instalment takes a darker tone as Haruhi's demands become ever more questionable.


As if having her thrown into a lake isn't bad enough, Mikuru ends up being "drugged" with alcohol and humiliated even more by Haruhi until finally Kyon snaps and gives her an earful... several earfuls in fact, until Koizumi has to step in to prevent the entire situation descending into violence. This entire scene (and those both leading up to and following it) show us a very different side of both Kyon and Haruhi, with the former letting his normal internal monologue of smart-ass comments boil over into direct confrontation, while Haruhi shows her deeper insecurities and need to be accepted (if only in a slightly off-kilter way) by Kyon. This isn't really angle that we've seen delivered quite so explicitly by this series in animated form before, so it actually makes for a refreshing change of pace, particularly after those long, long summer weeks where we constantly lamented Kyon's inability to stand up and say anything to Haruhi during Endless Eight.

This perhaps still doesn't remove the question of whether this Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc requires quite so many episodes to cover (especially when there is so much more material that we could be enjoying from the original novels), but on this occasion at least (and for the first time in a while) I'm left finishing an episode of this series with a feeling of satisfaction and having seen something genuinely "new". It probably isn't enough to save many people's misgivings about this current series, but it's a start.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 12 (aka Episode 22)

As this series take on the Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc continues, so does Haruhi's movie shoot, as what appears to be her harmless enthusiasm takes a decidedly more dangerous turn for all involved as we hit our third episode for this chunk of the story.


After feeling a little disappointed by the last instalment, this episode does at least feel a little sharper - The humour is slightly more prevalent and on the ball, and the actual contents in terms of story progression has more purpose to it as well; at least, as much as we can hope for from a story arc that is, in essence, simply fleshing out something that was covered with more brevity by the original run of this series.

Of course, the major incident around which this episode is focused is the infamous "Mikuru beam", which rapidly progresses from a figment of Haruhi's bizarre imagination into a particularly dangerous affliction for Asahina which causes Nagato to leap into action before any lasting damage is done. That aside, what we get here is just the usual really - Haruhi's exuberance, Kyon's daydreaming and wisecracks and so on.

That reference to this episode as "just the usual" does once again bring us to the crux of the matter however - That this story arc simply doesn't need this many episodes. While there are some decent enough moments in this instalment, I still stand by my initial feeling that this story arc was more or less fine as it was in the original series, and that fleshing things out to this extent actually spoils it somewhat. Sure, I can't argue that some points needed clarifying for anyone who hasn't read the novels (which is why I'd rate this episode more highly than the last as it does just that), but it still feels less snappy and fast-moving than it should be to my mind. Again, maybe I'm just hungry for some more genuinely, 100% new Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 11 (aka Episode 21)

With all of the required gear together, Haruhi's hare-brained movie project for the culture festival is all ready to roll, and thus this latest episode continues the Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya arc as the cameras roll.

What this means in essence is that we're still filling in the gaps left by the treatment of this particular part of the story from the first series, building up to the beginning of filming and then giving us what I suppose you could call behind the camera scenes during filming of the film's commercials, as well as the opening scenes of the movie itself.

As per usual, there are a few good lines scattered throughout the episode (and not just from Kyon either), and Mikuru dual-wielding toy guns is funny in its own right, but at the back of my mind I find myself questioning whether The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya requires such an in-depth coverage in anime form - Perhaps it's just because I've read this particular novel as well, but I felt that the original series was "good enough" when it came to this part of the story, and seeing more of what happened during filming almost detracts from a little bit of that original magic.

Don't get me wrong, this is no Endless Eight, but it does mean that I'm still left impatiently waiting for some genuinely new storylines to step forth - We had it in spades with the first new episode of this series re-run but since then such hopes have felt rather barren, and with this series moving towards its close its hard to imagine that there will be time for anything other than fleshing out the current story arc. That lack of wiggle room for "the good stuff" somehow makes me frown at the thought of all those weeks of Endless Eight even more, and while it would perhaps be unfair to say these episodes only exacerbate things, it does feel a little lazy on KyoAni's part not to blaze some new trails if I'm absolutely honest.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 10 (aka Episode 20)

Now that the Endless Eight story arc is finally over, I suppose anything is going to seem like the heights of genius in comparison to such reptition; indeed, set against the low bar barely cleared by said story arc, this opening episode of The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya could be considered almost Shakespearean.


With the Summer holidays finally over (yes, yes, I know... insert your own witty comment here) it's back to school life for the SOS Brigade, starting with a sports festival which means embarrassment for the club's members as well as a decidedly difficult to explain relay race performance from Yuki.

With that done and dusted, attentions turn towards the forthcoming culture festival, with Haruhi once again considering how the SOS Brigade can make a splash at the event. The answer is, of course, to make a movie, which segues rather nicely into the elements of this story arc which were included within the original series. Thus, this instalment acts as a prequel of sorts to that classic episode depicting the finished move, allowing us to see a little of Haruhi's thought processes (assuming they're decipherable at all, of course) and also just how she managed to end up with a digital camera and firearms for the production.

I have to confess that compared to that wonderful episode that this is building up to from the original series (which remains a personal favourite of mine for its comical traits), this is actually a slightly dull offering that fails to live up to even that first new episode back from those heady pre-Endless Eight days. It isn't all bad though, as Haruhi's enthusiasm is largely as infectious as ever and both herself and Kyon have some great lines and exchanges which never cease to amuse or entertain. Overall then, a passable attempt as things go, but we're still not back to the classic Haruhi goodness of yesteryear.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 9 (aka Episode 19)

Something was strange... I somehow got that feeling. I was half-watching an episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I was half-heartedly hoping that the story arc would end, and I somehow got the feeling I'd see a new reply to my 'Blog soon.
- "Andy, new comment."
- You don't have to tell me that...
- "You're free today right? We're checking out the new Haruhi episode today at 6. Be sure to watch!"
- I haven't even posted anything...
- "I forgot to tell you... Endless Eight is over. OVER."

Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, at the eighth time of asking (do you see what they did there?), the Endless Eight story arc is over. Completed. Fin. And not a moment too soon.


Of course, that means sitting through all of those wonderful, fun summer events one last time - Will we one day grow to miss those moments? I wouldn't count on it. In fairness, the state of Mikuru's complete breakdown into incomprehensible babble at least brought me a smile, but perhaps that was simply for the relief of what was to come.

So what of the ending to this story arc, was it worth all of those repetitions? Jaded as we all are by this experience, I'm not sure that anyone can answer this question honestly right now, but at least it stayed true to the light novels even if it feels like a ridiculously trivial way to end something which has been going on for two months now. The trouble is, this story arc (and potentially these new episodes of the series as a whole) will forever be burdened by the weight of Endless Eight and what it was, and it will doubtless prove to be an inescapable blight upon this anime franchise as a whole. If only KyoAni had opted to make this into a triumvirate of episodes, they would have had another winner on their hands - "Setup, development, twist, conclusion" is the general rule of story writing, and there's certainly no room for a fifth step called "pointless repetition" no matter what Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei may have you believe.

But, what's done is done, and after this mammoth, near-mountainous anime viewing challenge we've finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. Now is the time to put all the swearing, cursing, tearing out of hair and death threats to one side, and let's hope that any remaining new episodes of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya return us to the true joys that this series can most definitely bring when it gets it right.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 8 (aka Episode 18)

I won't lie to you, this constant repetition of the same episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is having an adverse effect on my life. I wake up every morning thinking "Something was strange...", whenever I hear the phone ring I feel the need to call out "Kyon-kun, phone!", I end phone conversations with the phrase "OVER!" and as the sun sets and the stars come out, I mutter about "UFOs, UFOs...". All of this is without the time I was at the classified information with my classified information and then we decided to classified information in the classified information, but we ended up classified information instead. I wouldn't want that to happen again, that's for sure.


Anyhow, in case you haven't guessed this eighteenth episode of the series is yet another repetition of the Endless Eight arc - The seventh iteration, for those of you who have lost the will to count or otherwise fathom how much time you've spent watching almost the exact same thing repeatedly. I'm not really sure what more to say beyond that - This was perhaps one of the better iterations of this episode in terms of the soundtrack and the way some of the scenes were portrayed, but that's a bit like saying "Hey, that was the best session of waterboarding I ever had!". Indeed, even for those positives, some of the other scenes felt so overplayed as to be almost a parody of themselves... which I suppose they are in a sense. Even little jokes like the shop named "Endless" would have been funny had it not been for the fact that we've been going through this torturous state of affairs for almost two months now. The same could be said for those little lines and phrases I alluded to in my opening to this entry - Classic quotes in isolation, but now instruments of suffering to anyone who has been following this series week in, week out.

I suppose the big question now is - Will Endless Eight end with its eight episode next week? Honestly, I just don't know any more. I almost simply don't care any more, although it would be nice to come home from work to watch some actual, bona fide new episodes of this series.

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).

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 6 (aka Episode 16)

In the latest episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Endless Eight arc, Kyon finally breaks the time loop in which the SOS Brigade have become trapped by bludgeoning Haruhi to death with a pickaxe.


At least, that's what I'd like to be writing here. Sadly, I can't be the bearer of such fortunate news, for yet again this episode of the series chooses simply to regale us with another recursion of the same old events that we've seen more times than I care to recollect now. I can only assume that KyoAni are hoping for some kind of anime equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome to have kicked in by now, leaving them with a loyal legion of fans happy to repeat this episode forever more (and, of course, buy all the DVDs) - Sorry guys, it's not working on this 'Blogger, and I've now reached a level of disinterest with this state of affairs that even Kyon would be proud of.

As per last episode, there are some smidgens of hope to be taken from this episode - Yet more air travel-based imagery (planes passing overhead and a butterfly namely), and as we reach those desperate moments of Kyon and Haruhi's final meeting we're greeted with numerous repetitions where Kyon gets to his feet but says nothing, which makes a change from it just happening the once. I suppose.

At least last week I felt a little tension and almost excitement as I hoped (albeit vainly) for Kyon to speak up and bring things to an end, but this time around I'm left, much like Nagato, feeling nothing - I simply don't care any more, I just want it to be over. While I'm sure KyoAni would be pleased to think of their fans associating themselves so closely with Nagato in this scenario, and they'd doubtless tout it as part of their grand artistic vision, I'm afraid boring the living daylights out of your viewers really isn't the best game plan no matter which way you look at it. So, does anyone out there care what happens next any more?

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 5 (aka Episode 15)

"We've entered an endless recursion of time" Koizumi tells us.... Well, no fucking shit Sherlock, I think we've pretty much noticed that by now! Ahem, sorry, amuse yourselves for a moment while I take a deep breath....


Okay, that's better. So, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episode fifteen. Or was it fourteen? Or thirteen? It's so hard to tell these days, when every episode is almost exactly the same. Once was fine, twice made sense in the context of the story, three times was pushing it, but four times? Four times repeating the exact same course of events, with only some different animation and a couple of other little changes to hold our attention? Sorry KyoAni, but you haven't so much dropped the ball on this one as filled the ball with lead and dropped it directly and repeatedly onto your own heads until you were struck stupid.

With pretty much any series I watch, I can usually see or at least comprehend some kind of counterpoint to the criticisms I make about a given episode or show, but I honestly can't this time - Why would any production team think their viewers want this? Why would they even want to do it to themselves? I can only imagine how bored the voice actors, animators and script writers are right now. To make things worse, as we're reminded about how poor old Nagato remembers every instance of this endless summer, there seems to be no comprehension that we're suffering from the exact same thing as viewers! Perhaps that's the point in KyoAni's mind, but immersing yourself in a show has its limits - That's why I'm not running around naked outside the White House with a gun right now, although heaven knows this episode has me tempted.

Still, let's try and take something positive out of this, right? Kyon's deja vu is now stronger the ever, and an aeroplane makes a continuous appearance throughout, so we must be getting closer to a resolution of this time loop. Maybe. Hopefully. Let's just hope that the "eight" in Endless Eight doesn't refer to the number of episodes this story arc will fill.

So, there you have it, another week goes by and once again I feel as though this series has utterly wasted my time. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is rapidly turning into the equivalent of a little brother who endlessly asks "Why?" to everything you say. Only less interesting. Plus you can't punch an anime series in the arm to make it stop.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 4 (aka Episode 14)

Well, I guess if KyoAni are allowed to create the exact same episode as last time with some subtle variations, then I should probably be allowed to simply link to my entry for the last episode and go grab a beer.


Quite simply, this third instalment in the "Endless Eight" story arc of the series has nothing new to bring us - Yes, new animation and costumes, but is that really what we watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for? I think not. Although admittedly this basic repetition of the last episode did highlight some of that offering's good points, it does nothing to further either the story or the viewer's immersion within it (yes, this stuff has happened a lot of times - We get it), thus rendering it entirely pointless. While the last episode was a necessary repetition of much of what had gone before, there was nothing to be gained from this episode whatsoever, leaving me bored and restless aside from the tension of the final minute when we're left wondering if Kyon is going to speak up or think of something. He didn't, and The Sigh of Andy Hanley followed.

Let's just hope that KyoAni have got this pointless little charade out of their system now, and we can actually have some real progress next week. Shame on you guys, I thought you were better than this.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 3 (aka Episode 13)

I'm sure we've all had one summer that we wished could last forever, but what if that period of time really did last forever more?

After having my wrists slapped by commenters on my last entry regarding this series for calling it "filler", despite being dimly aware that something was afoot beyond simply filling up an episode slot, so the true story behind that episode comes to light here, as we go through the entire thing again, with Kyon noticing an odd sense of deja vu during the various fun activities being undertaken by the SOS brigade.


The reason for this is that is that Kyon and company have been doing the same things over and over again... Thousands of times in fact, living out that endless summer dream until the moment of realisation where the whole thing becomes a nightmare. Of course, Kyon's experience is probably nothing compared to Nagato's - Not only has she been through those activities tens of thousands of times, she remembers every single occurrence too. Still, more fool her for not thinking to mention it to anybody, despite her orders only being to observe any goings on.

So, with the scene set, this leaves us with a delicious question for the coming episodes - Will the other SOS brigade members find a way to break out of this endless summer, and if so how? Who knows (well, if you've read the relevant light novel then I suppose you do know), but as always Kyon is no doubt the key.

I suppose some kudos has to go to KyoAni for what must have been a difficult episode to script - You have to make everything basically the same for a large chunk of the episode to give the viewer a realisation of what is going on, but without reaching the point of boring them. This was actually achieved pretty well, thanks to slowly blending in that realisation via the vehicle of deja vu (and of course those signs of Nagato's boredom which did rouse my suspicions somewhat last episode), while also using some excellent changes of colour palette to accentuate the change in mood as the truth behind this loop in time comes to light. Beyond that, there's little more to say about this episode, as really it serves simply as a foil for the real story to come. I for one can't wait for more of it.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 2 (aka Episode 12)

New episodes of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are like buses - You don't get any for years and then they all start turning up at once. So, with Kyoto Animation still intent on maintaining chronological order for all episodes, we've had to wait a little while from that first new episode (episode eight of the series in full) until the second brand new instalment titled "Endless Eight", which slots in here as episode twelve of the show as a whole.


While it may be brand, spanking and indeed new, I think it's only fair to classify this particular episode as filler - With school out for summer, there's nothing at all for the SOS Brigade's members to do to pass the time... Until Haruhi intervenes that is. With a couple of weeks of the holiday left, she assembles the group with an ambitious plan of fun (yet surprisingly normal) activities for them to partake in until the end of the summer.

So, we get to see Haruhi and company at the swimming pool (read: fan service), catching bugs, going to an Obon festival, messing around with fireworks (kids, don't shoot fireworks from your bikes!), playing baseball and so on. In essence, this is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya as a slice of life series - It's almost as though an episode of K-ON! has somehow been injected into it. Surprisingly, this also seems to make Haruhi very happy despite its lack of weirdness, although there is an melancholy to the end of the episode, leaving us with the feeling that there are still things which Haruhi wished to do.

As filler goes this was a passable episode, but after the joys and wonders of that first new episode I found it a little difficult to get too enthused about this effort. Still, this should mark the beginning of a concerted period of new episodes, so the next few weeks should (if the rumours are correct) sate our The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for a while well and truly.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Season 2 - Episode 1 (aka Episode 8)

In case you've been trapped under a rock for the past twenty-four hours or so, and that rock has somehow blocked all Internet access and crushed your cell phone beneath its immense weight, allow me to be the first to tell you that Haruhi Suzumiya is back, back, back!!! In keeping with the typical kind of KyoAni and Kadokawa craziness when it comes to this franchise, a brand spanking new episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the current rerun of the original series on Japanese TV. In fairness, this all makes sense as this brand new episode, Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, actually takes its rightful place in the show's chronological order, although this means that we'll be returning to old episodes for a while again before any new Haruhi goodness comes our way.


Anyway, this particular episode has us join Haruhi and company on Tanabata, an occasion which Haruhi herself appears to have thought far too much about, calculating how long it would take the wishes which are typically made as part of this celebration to reach their respective Gods and using that as a basis for any wishes made. This state of affairs also seems to be most unsatisfactory to her, putting Haruhi into one of her legendary states of depression.

If only she knew of Mikuru Asahina's ability to travel through time... An ability that she has the need to show Kyon on this occasion, jumping back exactly three years in time with him. While present day Asahina seems to have little clue as to what's going on here (soon falling asleep in the process), furure Asahina knows exactly what is required, and before we know it present day Kyon is face to face with past Haruhi as she prepares to embark on creating her school ground signeage that was explained way back, right at the beginning of the story.

From here on in, the episode develops exactly the kind of mindfuck propensity that you'd expect from this series, as Kyon's interactions with Haruhi in this time appear to change her future, while Yuki Nagato's need to help Kyon and Mikuru return to their own time is equally mind-bending.

When a massive franchise like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya makes a big and much-hyper comeback like this, there's always a danger that it will fail to live up to that hype. At the risk of sounding like I've been swept away by the current wave of excitement, this new episode of the series doesn't disappoint at all after a slightly slow start - If anything, it's an utterly brilliant episode that not only fits into the chronology of the original series well but adds a lot to it into the bargain. I recently wrote a review for UK Anime of the original The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya light novel in which I posited that the concept of the franchise is of more important and interest than its (arguably quite shallow) characterisation, and I'd like to think that this episode proves the point I'm trying to make. Beyond the inevitable "moe elements" there's nothing hugely innovative or deep about Yuki, Mikuru or Haruhi, or even Kyon (however much I love his deadpan delivery), but once the actual story and the ideas behind it get moving it soon becomes utterly compelling. So it is with Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, and so I find myself waiting impatiently for the next dose of new Haruhi to land upon our screens.