The state of the online world isnt something Im terribly fond of nowadays but a little over a decade ago the Internet was a captivating wonderland. A large part of my juvenile personality is owed to numbing my developing brain on Ray William Johnsons =3 series Salad Fingers asdf movies YouTube Poop NicoNico Douga MADs Newgrounds videos Chris Chans descent to insanity etc. So perhaps a Pandoras Box is a better fitting term. Whatever the case I was simply one of millions of other kids discovering the magical explicitness and eccentricity of the Internet. And chances are if you had the slightest familiarity with anime and the Internet ten fifteen years ago this videohttps://www..com/watch?v=indP8fT494 left an eternal impression on you. And if you were like me greater chances are that you didnt even know what this or anime really were but Cupids Arrow had struck and you fell inside the rabbit hole. Barely ripe in my 20s I find it somewhat awkward to be nostalgic over things that seem so recent and Ive always hated when people uttered the classic colloquialism Only 90s kids will remember. These days I find myself unfortunately more and more disconnected from this medium for several reasons too trivial to discuss in this already boring enough prologue. However rewatching or simply musing over Haruhi Suzumiya and some of my first anime sparks a little more reason and motivation for my connection with this medium to stay alive. 520https://steamuserimagesa.akamaihd.net/ugc/595883498857759515/DAD02B0E23AF09845C80D22BFBBC8C6CC3AD3A7B/ The Seinfeld is Unfunny Effect In retrospect Haruhi Suzumiya isnt extraordinary in the school sliceoflife genre. At least under the scope of todays standards. I find that the series suffers from the Seinfeld Is Unfunny Effect. That is Haruhi Suzumiya was an unforgettable experience during its conception in 2006 but fell from its livelihood as more similarlypremised shows came out. Perhaps this sounds little more than baseless poor defense but I truly do find this as the case. The otaku metahumor the strange outoforder airing release one of the first if not the first pioneers of lightnovel adapted anime the eccentric twist on a usually mundane school story and of course the smashhit choreographed dance ED. All of this may certainly sound ordinary by todays standards but for me the memory of its freshness remains ripe in my mind. Thus I believe that coming into Haruhi Suzumiya with this generational/standard gap in mind is imperative. Hopefully this all doesnt come off as condescending or criticism of newer fans. I suffer from this effect for multiple older shows that I never watched during its conception thus I look at these otherwise pioneering genrechanging series as simply too mundane from being desensitized by their imitators. Simply put I wanted to emphasize the matter of right place right time in regards to common questioning of Haruhi Suzumiyas popularity and cult status in the community. Now onto the actual meat of the tale of an eccentric school club. 520https://s1.onedio.com/id55e7756c92d9fa2778771f2c/rev1/w500/o46x47/sdb4796b976895ee392698077f19624e674124686.gif Aliens Time Travelers and Espers Though Ive established some context behind Haruhi Suzumiyas popularity somewhat prim and proper I wont be able to dissect the pure eccentricity of this show so orderly and neatly. One reason behind its infectious popularity that I left out was its eccentric genre amalgam. Labelling Haruhi Suzumiya as a school show isnt technically wrong but diving into the show youll find splashes of detective murder mystery and downright bizarre supernatural battles accompanying school festivals and baseball games. Add in the unchronological airing order and you have a dysfunctional story of the most unexpected and outofplace events taking place inside the mundane premise of an afterschool club. This may be befuddling and outlandish to unsuspecting viewers but thats the real charm of this show. Certainly some aspects have definitely not aged well such as Haruhi frequently subjecting Mikuru to sexual harassment but this weird bizarre mishmash that doesnt care about concrete story lines is practically screaming at you Have fun. Even now some of the episodes dont get any less strange but it simultaneously warps me into their world sharing the SOS Brigades fun weird and abnormal adventures. Haruhi Suzumiya the infamous sociopathic SOS Brigade leader is a character you love to hate and hate to love. It may be a bit laughable to analyze such a seemingly onedimensional and insane character but Haruhi is quite literally the epicenter of the story. Delving into a dissection of Haruhi is meaningless without the mention of Kyon though. Kyon the miserable narrator forcibly drawn into Haruhis eccentric activities is one of the more quaint beloved aspects of the show. His cutting cynical remarks and passive personality resonated with and amused many fans with his character acting as dry humor clashing against Haruhis courses of eccentricity. Note the clashing because Haruhi is just that. Where as Kyon is the laidback guy sitting at the back of the room and staring off out the window with his head cupped by his up straight arm Haruhi is his antithesis. Obnoxious egotistical arrogant stubborn shorttempered Haruhi is just about anything but the ideal moe girl archetype that flourished and idealized at the time. But that everything makes Haruhi Haruhi and one of the most hatefully beloved characters in anime. Her vehement orders superbly supplemented by Aya Hiranos phenomenally strong and charismatic voice acting and stoneset personality breathe life into every episode. After all if Haruhi didnt want to find aliens time travelers espers or anything just as nutty what would this show even exist for? 520http://pa1.narvii.com/6732/9a01f217db8151c7562c3c891cca9e9a04a07ea600.gif Broadcast or Chronological? Admittedly though episode quality isnt exactly consistent. Some episodes are moderately more enjoyable than others which leads to a brief discussion about the ageold question: Broadcast or chronological order? Simply put its up to you. Ignoring the technical context of the original Japanese airing release heres a handydandy charthttps://image.myanimelist.net/ui/5LYzTBVoS196gvYvw3zjwBT1b05rTWnBjv9y3yVK34s regarding which order to pick. In my own experience I initially watched the shows broadcast order then rewatched in chronological. Both have their strengths. As the chart I provided mentions broadcast order maximizes the Haruhi experience with the messy narrative structure perfectly complementing the mystery nature of the series. Starting off with the infamous The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00 first time viewers will certainly be somewhat flabbergasted as to what exactly theyre diving into. However I think it perfectly shows what Haruhi Suzumiya is. A love letter to otaku culture via the amateurish filmmaking and mahou shoujo cosplay the unexpected course of events in the story and just a strange experience. Conversely the chronological order serves the story on a platter easytodigest. However I found that the story weakened after a while in this order. Though one saving grace is that my favorite episode in the franchise Live Alive is towards the end and makes for an extremely delectable cherryontop. That all said dont stress too heavily on which order to roll with as each order makes for differently enjoyable experiences. 520https://64.media.tumblr.com/46ae95826fd13fc267ab3ee293144ad4/tumblromlfwthlAK1tw58h4o1540.gif Join the SOS Brigade today Owing the shows charm to solely Haruhi would be unjust to the other members of the SOS Brigade. Though not all of them have the same amount of charm. Take Mikuru for instance. In obvious essence Mikuru is no more than the moe mascot. She has my upmost sympathies but her subjection to sexual harassment is easily the worst aspect of the show. Other than supporting a confused Kyon on scarce occasions Mikuru has a bareboned character that I certainly dont hate but cant feel anything but bored of. Then again shes sometimes credited for the boom of moe so theres that I suppose. Moving onto Koizumi I cant help but think of him as a homeostasis of the club. Kyons usual levelheadedness dissipates into irritation when confronted with Haruhis unreasonable demands Mikuru whimpers in submission Nagato quietly turns pages in the corner of the room and Haruhi is Haruhi. Similarly to Kyons cynical and dry remarks I adore Koizumis playful allknowingly winking conversations with an often irritated Kyon. Judgmental and calm Koizumi acts as the Brigades mediator and the club would certainly fall into chaos had his presence not been there. The character that surprised me the most however was Nagato. Her kuudere archetype doesnt contribute to the shows unique nature at the time but her character contributed massively to its enjoyment. Deadpan and unfathomable Nagato is often an unintentional rebuttal to the clubs eccentricity her passive reading depicting her presence in the clubroom like an unnatural homestay. However her own quirks pop up time to time simultaneously painting her more than an apathetic precision machine and adding another flavor to the comedy already rich in metahumor. Her supernatural identity is the most fleshed out out of the Brigade members often bringing in dense fantasy exposition that breathe the supernatural aspect of the show. Unfortunately I cant delve into the Endless 8 arc from the 2009 sequel or The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya which continues to be my favorite anime movie of all time which the former sets up Nagatos character in a very unbearablymeta manner and the latter superbly fleshing out that setup. To get the most out of both the Haruhi anime franchise and Nagato its imperative to watch all 3 If Mikuru is Haruhis outlet toy for her sadism if Koizumi is Haruhis reliable yesman and if Nagato is....just there then what is Kyon to Haruhi? Cat and dog oil and water black and white? Their clash of personalities and bickering overshadows their relationship but theres a beautiful subtlety underneath. Ironically what Haruhi seeks out in Kyon is not an alien time traveler or esper but a human confidant. Haruhis monologue about her insecurity of not being special being part of the crowd in the baseball stadium as a child paints a richer shade in the context of their relationship. Just why does Haruhi forcibly pull Kyon the hardest into her shenanigans and voyages for the supernatural? Perhaps Kyon acts to remind Haruhi of her humanity and mundanity that she shuns. Kyons rationality biting criticisms and being the only person who has the balls and gall to stop her in her unstoppable stride is just what Haruhi needed after all. And for Kyon as much as he sighs rolls his eyes grumbles and monologues about Haruhis irrationality he himself slowly realizes that this irrationality paints a vivid color in the mundane life he ohso wishes to return back to. And as the story progresses the consequences of their relationship become apparent. Haruhi surprisingly heeds Kyons words at times her irritation at Kyon fawning over Mikuru disguised jealousy and of course the Live Alive concert scene. 520https://i.pin.com/originals/a5/7e/37/a57e372fbc2c217c371013098769e368.gif God Knows I fucking love this show Perhaps dedicating a section to a single episode sequence of a school festival concert is a bit too grand but Im here to gush about my adoration for this show. And at the root of my adoration is the God Knows sequence. Filling in for an injured band member Haruhi takes the Light Music Clubs request to play for their cultural festival concert for no real concrete reason. After Kyon visits the various cultural festival attractions and booths he settles down in the school gymnasium only to see Haruhi up on stage tuning her guitar and setting up her music sheet stand in an expectedly outrageous bunny girl outfit once again nodding to the metahumor. My reaction to what preceded and succeeded from over a decade ago is still so so fresh. Expecting another outlandish shenanigan from Haruhi I couldnt help but halfgrin as to how bewildering Haruhi would perform And I was both right and wrong. Haruhi performed outrageously as KyoAni outrageously animated a stupidly gorgeous action sequence that legitimately sent me into stunned silence for its entirety. Kicking off with a vibrant hihat the band explodes into Nagatos rad guitar solo briefly panning to the agapemouthed audience just as the real viewer audience was before segmenting to Aya Hiranos vibrant singing. As she rings out line after line with strong soul the audiences cheering and uniform clapping become louder as Kyon continues to watch silenced and mouth agape. This all however is just a dessert for the finale of the sequence. The bass break is accompanied by Haruhis calmbeforethestorm voice and unified clapping before the peak of the song reaches. Panning closely to Haruhis face KyoAni went hell on animating Haruhis scrunchedup face shifting mouth supposedly KyoAni filmed Aya Hirano and her bandmates performing the song prior and rotoscoped their movements. Ringing out a powerful KIZUATOOOO NAZARUUUU the camera pans out for a breather before quickly focusing back on to Haruhis sweating determined face as she exclaims a Watashi and proceeding to the final section of the song the audiences clapping stronger than ever. As the song ends with Nagatos rad riffing once again appearing Haruhi glistens with a smile devoid of smugness arrogance pride and sincerely thanks the audience. I cant do this sequence nearly enough justice by writing this. It was random. Out of nowhere. Nonsensical. I mean who would go so far to so superbly animate such a mundane thing like a school festival concert? Then again this show is all about the unexpected. But this random sequence was the shows icingonthecake. Haruhis development shines as she willingly helps someone out for no selfserving reason and the school recognizes her as not the cultist weird girl and even Haruhi herself was shocked by this. This sequence in hindsight though was just bizarre in the end. It didnt add to the story or have any other concrete reason to have happened but thats the beauty of it. Many fans praise this sequence for its timeless animation by KyoAni and the cinematography which I certainly agree with to an extent theres obvious reused character animation riddled here but the real charm of the God Knows sequence lies in its soul. The soul of KyoAnis painstaking work on this the soul of Aya Hiranos singing the soul of Haruhis determined spirit. Im by no means an anime connoisseur but my opinion is setinstone. That this action sequence will always be the greatest anime sequence Ive bore witness to. It was this sequence that my vague preconception of anime born only from Dragon Ball Z Naruto and One Piece at that point was torn down in that anime was something special. My rewatch count of this sequence easily ranks in the hundreds and God Knows how many times I listen to the song every week. 520https://i.pin.com/originals/c0/91/03/c09103855dd381cc0d6b8c47a1aecbb3.gif Conclusion A first experience is an unforgettable experience. Haruhi Suzumiya is a personal testament to that statement. Though suffering from the Seinfeld is Unfunny Effect the misadventures of the SOS Brigade remain gold in many hearts over a decade later. Though the show certainly suffers from flaws such as uncomfortable sexual harassment. Haruhis character is a bit difficult to stuff inside that box. You love to hate her and hate to love her. Owed to Aya Hiranos rich voice acting Haruhi flourishes with irritating charisma thatll forcibly drag you into the SOS Brigades dysfunctionality. The story is a charmingly shaky mess. Whether you watch in broadcast or chronological order youll be boggled by the variety of situations the episodes revolve around. Often they also playfully jab at otaku culture and longstaying tropes such as the island murder mystery supernatural battles grandiose space battles amateur filmmaking cosplaying and more. The characters also suffer from similar shaky charm. Though a few characters dont crack out of their monotone shells others more than make up for their peers. Nagato plays off the classic kuudere archetype while possessing her own charming quirks and mannerisms. Koizumi is the mediator with a vague backstory of nothing more than a secret organization and often treats the audience with his playful conversations with an unwilling and irritated Kyon. Kyon and Haruhis relationship is one not explicitly fleshed out relying on subtlety but by the end Id be doubtful if you hadnt stepped upon the HaruKyon ship. Well after gushing all of this out can I truly recommend this deartomyheart flawed show to an unsuspecting anime fan who wasnt caught in the late Y2K Hare Hare Yukai dance epidemic? In short it depends on how you come into this show. Chances are youd have watched quite a few shows with similar premises metahumor or tropes and Haruhi Suzumiya wouldnt offer much besides its banger OST sparse moments of great animation and great voice acting. However if youre coming in curious what this 2006 anime had to offer at a time when obnoxious Blingee sparkle edits dominated the Hellish Age of Torrents prospered Linkin Park AMVs thrived and the Caramelldansen plagued perhaps youll find just as much as enjoyment as I did. To maximize your enjoyment I highly recommend pushing through all the anime installments in the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise with The Dissapearance of Haruhi Suzumiya being serious catharsis not to mention a beautiful Christmas movie. To close this off I offer you an introduction to this cult classic show: Im Haruhi Suzumiya from East Junior High. First off Im not interested in ordinary people. But if any of you are aliens timetravelers or espers please come see me. That is all