from zero to cult in…
Well, i finally had a chance to watch the first three episodes of the Melancholy of Sizumiya Haruhi. Very amusing, and very interesting (never mind the really top notch animation by Kyoto Animation.) There are so many levels of interesting things going on in this series…. I don’t tend to like stuff just because everyone else does, and Haruhi was certainly a series that i was just waiting to not grab me the way it did my friends, but… I do wonder if there is something about the series that i like that is different than what others seem to be going nuts over. There’s something really sad about Haruhi herself, and i can’t quite put my finger on it. The dance scene at the end, Haruhi’s rather amazing indifference to exposing herself (while at the same time having a solid understanding of it’s effect on people), the exploitation of Mikuru’s assets and youthful face… Good stuff, but this is not what interests me the most.
Of course, maybe it has to do with the fact that i twitch whenever any long haired characer cuts her hair short. I always find this… upsetting for some reason. I don’t know why.
The translations of the book Haruhi is based on is also worth a read (note that these books have been selling out fast in japan). I feel like there area lot of Japanese novels where, much like it used to be for manga, there are a huge number of excellent stories that it would be great to experience. It’s been a long time since i’ve seen an animated series come from out of nowhere and go cult status as fast as Haruhi did. She’d be proud, if you think about it.
So don’t forget your required membership in SOS-dan and practice your dance steps. You never know when you may be called upon to do them. 
April 29th, 2006 at 7:11 pm
W00t, first post.
I have no clue about the references you put in that last bit. I haven’t heard about Melancoly of Sizummiya Haruhi outside of this blog.
(sigh)
Being the broke so-to-be college student that I am, I don’t have the cash to buy anime. All I can hope is for Cartoon Network to pick it up, frail as that hope is.
Loved today’s strip, more backstory!
Jinto
April 29th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
I checked it out based on this blog post…and its rather crazy all right. Starting out with that whacky movie. One of the more unique anime i have seen in quite a while.
I still cant understand what happened in between episodes 3 and 4 though…..
April 30th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
[quote fredrin]Of course, maybe it has to do with the fact that i twitch whenever any long haired characer cuts her hair short. I always find this… upsetting for some reason. I don’t know why.[/quote]
I know what you mean. even if they still look cute with short hair, its just..[twitch].
April 30th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
[quote fredrin]Of course, maybe it has to do with the fact that i twitch whenever any long haired characer cuts her hair short. I always find this… upsetting for some reason. I don’t know why.[/quote]
I know what you mean. even if they still look cute with short hair, its just..[twitch].
May 1st, 2006 at 9:04 am
Fred,
You know you’re going to have to draw Sad Haruhi in Snow now.
May 1st, 2006 at 5:20 pm
“I still cant understand what happened in between episodes 3 and 4 though…..”
Chronologially? Episode 4 is actually episode 7 if you watch the episode the way Haruhi wants them (the previews are important here to understand that).
In terms of what actually happens, I believe we just have to wait and see then.
May 1st, 2006 at 5:41 pm
There *is* a sadness to Haruhi — almost as if she can’t really connect with anyone else in the universe… of course everyone views her as a force of nature.
If I recall, hair shorning like that is often done with cutting ties or the loss of something… as if she’s shed something of the past.
I just love her excited smile in ep4 and the way she looks at Kyon towards the end of the episode.
You might visit the animesuki.com site for Haruhi… there’s an entire section on just the ontology and sciences being sprayed around like hellfire in the series.
I picked up the novels and filed them in my queue for translation practice …. though I’m keeping an eye on a hobbyist group that is translating them (there’s a wiki for it).
May 1st, 2006 at 9:07 pm
sorry `bout the double post up there. for some reason or another, firefox isn’t liking your blog. xP
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:33 am
Welcome to Haruhiism.
It may very well be that you’re focusing on something different than what all the other Haruhiists are focusing on. However, I think that it’s more like people are drawn to what the animators put forth as the focul point (that being Haruhi’s eccentric and genki self) rather than the emotions in the background. Honestly, there’s still a lot of mystery, even with the 7 some novels worth of crazy information. People’s perceptions are bound to change as the series progresses.
I pray you don’t do Sad Haruhi In Snow… it’s just… too much… -_-