The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an anime that needs no introduction. If you’re the least bit familiar with the anime medium, chances are you've heard of this series.

The first thing that surprised me about this series was how plot-heavy it was. The main arc takes up 6 of the 14 episodes, and is an adaptation of the first volume of the novels titled The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. To my knowledge as someone who has not yet read the novels, the other episodes are adapted from scattered chapters in the later volumes of the novels, and though more of the main storyline could not be adapted due to time constraints, I feel each episode still adds to the experience in its own way. There’s a mostly serious but self-contained murder-mystery arc that consists of two episodes (Remote Island Syndrome Part One and Two), and other episodes serve to develop or provide more insight on the characters (The Day of Sagittarius, Live Alive) while some are just plain funny (The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00). All things considered, I don’t think there was a single episode wasted.

The characters are probably the most divisive part of the show. Kyon is the cynical, level-headed protagonist and narrator of the series. His narration keeps the show moving along at a brisk pace, and his inner monologues provide more insight on the other characters and his true feelings for them. He’s the voice of reason in the cast, and is constantly questioning the other characters’ actions and the often shaky logic behind them—​and sometimes the show itself. For the non-critical types out there, this may make him come off as whiny, but for viewers like me whose minds are never at rest when watching, he becomes one of the most relatable characters in anime—​or any fiction for that matter—​as his inner thoughts mirrored my own when watching so closely it was almost scary at times (plus, it’s not exactly whining if it’s all in his head, is it?). It feels like Kyon is somewhat of a self-insert of the author, and his observations are based on things that the author has observed in other media and his own while writing it, and he wanted to make a character that called attention to these things for once in an attempt to reach out to like-minded viewers. Kyon is far from perfect, but that’s part of what makes him so relatable for me. He’s knowledgeable but not beyond his years, he’s grounded in his morals but mostly only when others are watching, he’s observant but still oblivious when it comes to such things as a certain someone’s feelings towards him (and the fact that he himself might be more than just a regular high school student).