The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya review

If you're reading an anime blog, chances are you've heard of Haruhi. One of the biggest recent hits from Japan, the series appeals to pretty much everyone, and has been released in fairly awesome LE sets in the US and- for once- the UK. It's big- very big. But is it actually any good?

Short answer: yes. Yes, it is very good. If you haven't seen the series yet then there's a fair chance you won't be particularly bothered, so I guess there's not a whole lot of point in my reviewing it. Regardless, here is what I think.

There won't be any spoilers beyond what you can glean from the back of the DVD cases.


The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was originally just one of a light novel series, which became popular enough in Japan to merit an anime adaptation. Having not read any of the light novels, I don't know any of the story beyond the anime, so for all I know it might make a lot more sense if the "bigger picture" may be seen.

I'll rephrase that; the story does make sense, but feels lacking somewhat. The basic premise is that Haruhi, a high school student, is searching for aliens, time travelers, espers, anything that can alleviate her boredom. To help achieve this end, she sets up a club, naming it the "SOS Brigade", and engaging in all sorts of wacky activities. Little does she know, however, that in the SOS Brigade itself, an alien, a time traveler and an esper have gathered to monitor Haruhi.


It sounds like a lot of fun, but our protagonist, Kyon, finds it anything but. Dragged into the SOS Brigade and all of Haruhi's crazy schemes, at times it seems to him that he's the only "normal" person there- which ironically is actually the case. The truth about the others in the club is revealed to him early on, which I found refreshing- to reveal the major plot twists at the START of the story?! Having gotten the premise quickly established, the series is able to move on to more wacky hijinks and adventures, which it does with great style.


Although there is an overarching plot to the series, it mainly comprises one- and two-episode stories. They're all well done, and despite being stand-alone, frequently reference events from previous stories. With a basic explanation of the characters, you could easily sit someone down to watch Remote Island Syndrome, for example, and they would still be able to enjoy it.

However, this is also where the series falters slightly. Originally, Haruhi was broadcast with the episodes in non-chronological order. By breaking the series into many smaller stories, it would have been much easier to shuffle them up. But this also leads to a slight lack of drive and focus when the series is watched in chronological order. Episode seven was originally the last episode of the jumbled-up series, and so at that point, the awesomeness has happened and the series has reached a natural conclusion. Except you're only halfway through. The rest of the series is fun, and still worth watching, but given that you've already seen the "end" of the series, it's not as compelling as it so obviously could have been.


But you'll keep with it, if only for the fantastic cast of characters. Haruhi is loud, enthusiastic and generally a little irritating, but still a likable and fun to watch character. She finds her antithesis in Kyon, a perfectly normal boy who'd rather be left alone and not have to take part in whatever Haruhi has lined up next. It's through Kyon's eyes that we view the series, and much of the humour comes from his dry observations of the goings-on around him. The other club members- cute and innocent Mikuru; silent and detached Yuki; and the knowledgeable and intelligent Itsuki, are all rather stereotypical types to portray in this kind of show, but are played off well against one another, and rarely do they annoy too greatly. As support characters, they fit the bill perfectly, and although there is the odd situation where you're left wondering why this person didn't do something you know would have made more sense, it's never a problem.


If you're wondering about the art in this series, it's by KyoAni. If you're sitting there thinking "so what?", this means it's very good. Character designs are unique and appealing, whilst the environments are rendered in pleasing detail for a TV show. Sometimes the show breaks out what is obviously CG (I'm sure that computer effects are integrated more subtly throughout the entire show), but fortunately these moments are those that really demand something a little more out-of-the-ordinary, and end up looking spectacular. It's a first rate job, but it's a shame that the transfer on the DVDs I watched was less than perfect.


The sound in this series is also very good, with catchy, if fairly generic opening and closing credits. The ED, of course, is the famous Hare Hare Yukai, and the dance performed by the characters in the credits has become a worldwide internet phenomenon, but the song isn't all that great. Insert songs are generally good, and you'll know what's coming up whenever a certain piece kicks in.


Overall, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has become a huge fan favourite, and it's not hard to see why. Firmly supported by impressive technical achievements, the story is let loose to have fun and is always a pleasure to watch, even if it's not really that compelling. If you haven't checked it out yet, I would definitely recommend it.


For this review, I watched the standard edition UK DVDs released by Beez. Funky packaging immediately sets them apart, with some neat designs on front and back covers. The menus are also well designed, and the range of extras is impressive compared to some modern releases, with promo films, picture galleries, "making of" films and original TV adverts accompanying the obligatory Beez trailers. However, these discs did suffer from a less-than-perfect transfer, with colours looking a little faded at times and a fair amount of detail lost in fast-moving scenes. Despite the box art being nice, there were no physical extras at all. On the one hand, a special edition release was made to cater for that audience, but on the other, it would have been nice to have a leaflet or something in the case. There are 4 volumes, and they retail at £20 each.

Overall rating:
4 - 5 - 4 - 2
15/17 - Fantastic

Special thanks to Max in his White Room, who lent me the DVDs ^_^