The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was once one of the most popular anime, but now it is mostly remembered for its bizarre release circumstances.
Despite that, it is as great now as it was back in the day, and the visuals are still better than most modern anime.
It is a culturally important work, and modern otaku should definitely go and check it out.
Once upon a time, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of the most popular anime. The times have changed: the show hasn’t had any new content since 2010 (outside of a spin-off in 2015, but fans didn’t really like that one), and the popularity slowly faded away. It’s still very well-known, but a lot of newer anime fans don’t really get into it. They’re making a mistake, though: the show is still as great as ever, and definitely worth watching.
Production circumstances
There were actually more reasons for Haruhi’s fading popularity than just the lack of anime content. There were no light novels released between 2011 and 2020, either. The second season of the anime was hated by many people who watched it weekly. That was primarily because of the Endless Eight arc that consisted of eight episodes (so almost two months of air time) with nearly identical script, which, however, were redrawn from scratch every single time. That made many people drop the show and killed the hype behind it. Combine it with the fact that the series has multiple watch orders: Season 1 aired in non-chronological order, and Season 2 actually followed the chronology — except some of its events were happening between different arcs of S1, and so the first one was reaired alongside to fill in the gaps. With all of this, it makes sense that the series is mostly remembered for its bizarre production.
It’s not all so bad
It is actually quite unfortunate: the series is incredibly worth it. The Endless Eight is actually not that bad on a binge (and extremely fun if you try to spot all the little details and differences), and the rest of the anime is great as well. Perfectly combining slice-of-life school club shenanigans, supernatural mystery themes, and an amazing cast of well-developed characters, Haruhi more than deserved its popularity — and it is still as great today as it was almost two decades ago.
The movie in particular is still regarded as one of the best anime movies of all time, and rightfully so. Besides, with the series being animated by Kyoto Animation, the visuals hold up to these days — and are actually better than those of most modern anime as well.
Cultural impact
Furthermore, Haruhi was one of the most historically important works in the entire medium. Influencing many series that came after it, like Hyouka and Bunny Girl Senpai, its impact can still be seen to this day. It is definitely worth remembering for more than just being a weird 00s show with production gimmicks, and worth watching even if you’re a newer fan. Besides, the movie, while not a conclusive ending for the series, provides a good stopping point for the viewer.
There’s no reason not to watch it.
Summary:
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was once one of the most popular anime, but now it is mostly remembered for its bizarre release circumstances.
Despite that, it is as great now as it was back in the day, and the visuals are still better than most modern anime.
It is a culturally important work, and modern otaku should definitely go and check it out.
Once upon a time, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of the most popular anime. The times have changed: the show hasn’t had any new content since 2010 (outside of a spin-off in 2015, but fans didn’t really like that one), and the popularity slowly faded away. It’s still very well-known, but a lot of newer anime fans don’t really get into it. They’re making a mistake, though: the show is still as great as ever, and definitely worth watching.
Production circumstances
There were actually more reasons for Haruhi’s fading popularity than just the lack of anime content. There were no light novels released between 2011 and 2020, either. The second season of the anime was hated by many people who watched it weekly. That was primarily because of the Endless Eight arc that consisted of eight episodes (so almost two months of air time) with nearly identical script, which, however, were redrawn from scratch every single time. That made many people drop the show and killed the hype behind it. Combine it with the fact that the series has multiple watch orders: Season 1 aired in non-chronological order, and Season 2 actually followed the chronology — except some of its events were happening between different arcs of S1, and so the first one was reaired alongside to fill in the gaps. With all of this, it makes sense that the series is mostly remembered for its bizarre production.
It’s not all so bad
It is actually quite unfortunate: the series is incredibly worth it. The Endless Eight is actually not that bad on a binge (and extremely fun if you try to spot all the little details and differences), and the rest of the anime is great as well. Perfectly combining slice-of-life school club shenanigans, supernatural mystery themes, and an amazing cast of well-developed characters, Haruhi more than deserved its popularity — and it is still as great today as it was almost two decades ago.
The movie in particular is still regarded as one of the best anime movies of all time, and rightfully so. Besides, with the series being animated by Kyoto Animation, the visuals hold up to these days — and are actually better than those of most modern anime as well.
Cultural impact
Furthermore, Haruhi was one of the most historically important works in the entire medium. Influencing many series that came after it, like Hyouka and Bunny Girl Senpai, its impact can still be seen to this day. It is definitely worth remembering for more than just being a weird 00s show with production gimmicks, and worth watching even if you’re a newer fan. Besides, the movie, while not a conclusive ending for the series, provides a good stopping point for the viewer.
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