What's with Endless Eight?

(I'm sorry if I start a Flame War...)

I'm currently on the first season of Haruhi Suzumiya. All over the site, I had read about the infamous "Endless Eight" arc in the second season. From what I know, it's a "Groundhog Day" Loop spanning eight episodes, where only three episodes are required to watch.

So what's with Endless Eight? Why did they made it so long? What did Word of God said about it? What is the point?!?

edited 21st Feb '11 6:20:10 PM by chihuahua0

The point was to see if they could get away with it.

Honestly, at this point its not really something worth dwelling on. If you didn't see it when it was airing, then if you want to watch Haruhi and get tired of it, you can skip to the last E8 episode.

I think it was an interesting experiment, and while I certainly wouldn't want it done again, having it done once was good.

Uh, do you mind spoilers? It turns out that Nagato remembers each and every one of the 15000+ repetitions, so they made it 8 episodes in order to force the viewers to experience the agony of having to repeat the same thing over and over.

I don't have any quotes on that, but I believe that's why.

Whether or not it was a worthwhile decision is up for debate.

Tumblr here.

Endless Eight, in the original novels, was a thirty-page story regarding Haruhi putting the last two weeks of August into an endless loop - as in, around 550 years of the last two weeks of August by the time Kyon figures out why she's reluctant to let school start again and fixes the loop. There were eight episodes made, with minor variations in event sequence and animation; theories vary as to why. Some people insist that Kyoto Animation just hates its fans; some people think it was to market The Movie The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi, which largely deals with the consequences of Endless Eight.

It's been fun.

So it was a Publicity Stunt, combinded with There's No Such Thing As Bad Publicity?

You'll be fine with just two.

Kyon-kun, denwa.

By demand of the publishers of the novels.

"Thanks for your purchase."

I can't find a source on this.

You'll be fine with just two.

Nah, three. You should watch the first one where they don't know about the loop, any of the middle six (I think its the...3rd or 4th thats the best) and then the last one.

People make a big deal out of the original story being only 30 pages, but it was also not all that great as far as Haruhi stories go. The format of a TV series works better for it, honestly.

Though by no means were 8 episodes necessary.

Endless Eight is basically Kyo Ani getting drunk with their own power over fandom and deciding they can do anything with its star franchise.

And getting proved to be absolutely right.

Of course, it turns out that they can, could, and did.

The complete Haruhi BD set is the highest selling and highest grossing Anime BD set ever (though Kara No Kyoukai may change that once all the numbers are in), and Shoushitsu was not only the longest "traditional" animated movie (ie not CG or some really weird arthouse thing) ever made, but has sold well over 100,000 copies.

Basically, otakus are sheep.

The point is bore people to death. Speaking seriously, it was probable one of their Viral Marketing (not the first one) that also serve of the double propose of having [[Filler 14 new episodes without having to adapt more stories). Considering they were going to follow the chronology this time and they wanted to make Disappareance a movie, they had no more stories to adapt. They were all made by different animating teams, as well, so they also served as a testing ground for experimentation(too bad some are just awful).

Also a nitpick: There is no 'Second Season', technically. The so called "new season" was just new episodes aired in the middle of the 2009 reairing. When watching it, do not expect it to have a proper season format, because it has not. The last arc will end like any other without a climax or even a 'ending' feel.

One more thing. One need to watch the last episode of Endles Eight, really. This is how the novel was done (since it is Kyon narrating from afterward, and he has no memories of the other repeats). The first episode has it merits, though. It is your average Moe Slice of Life but it is entertaining on it own (think of it as a filler summer episode). The character in the middle have all the same script and has no difference from the last one, save the end. I watched all of them and would recomend the 2nd (the first repeat) and the 6th(the most one with most differences, despite having the same script), for they are better animated (the 3rd is probably the worst).

PS:Wow, so many posted while I was writing it! There were no post when I started.

edited 21st Feb '11 6:37:49 PM by Heatth

So which one of the middle six should I watch? I heard that the third one is the Fanservice episode.

EDIT: Oh.

edited 21st Feb '11 6:38:16 PM by chihuahua0

Reverse Psychology Marketing

I think the 2nd one was the best of the middle ones, if I recall correctly.

edited 21st Feb '11 6:39:29 PM by Sackett

Well, I, personally, see it as Kyo Ani realizing that sometimes, the audience has to hate what you're doing now for what you're going to do next to have the proper emotional impact. And then they up and went a tad too far with that.

"Canada Day is over, and now begins the endless dark of the Canada Night."

Aw, boo! I spent all this time making this:

And then it turns out to be a perfectly friendly discussion.

Stupid TV Tropes! Quit being so boring!

edited 21st Feb '11 6:42:07 PM by Sporkaganza

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

All are Fanservice. The 3rd is the worst, though. Not for he fanservice, but for the bad animation. My favorite is the 6th(5th repetition). The most differences in the random background activities. The 2nd(first repetition) is good as well, as it is the 'base' one (most similar art style and the standard summer activities). I would watch these two.

PS:I afraid I am not too certain about the 6th one, though. I think it is the 6th, but it may as well be the 5th or 7th. ^^; It is the one with the courage test.

PPS:It does matter because some of them suck, while others are awesome.

edited 21st Feb '11 6:42:32 PM by Heatth

Haha, I changed my post in the time it took you to reply =3

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

I still call it a second season. It's new episodes made long after the initial batch was done and released. That counts as a separate season in my book, even if they also count as midquel of sorts.

Old news is old...

But yeah, season 2 is okay if you only watch the first and last episodes of the Endless Eight arc.

Why I am afraid of fences.

Yeah. Watching all 8 episodes is pretty much only for the really hardcore fans. (I did it, so... yeahhhh)

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

Haruhi's epic Ass Focus on Episode 7 almost makes it worthwile.

Almost.

edited 21st Feb '11 6:46:42 PM by NapoleonDeCheese

As well as the E8 DVDs sold, they were still much less than the first season's average or Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody.

They weren't afraid of experimenting with Endless Eight because they knew they'd win back any fans they lost through the movie.

"Every opinion that isn't mine is subjected to Your Mileage May Vary."

@Sporkaganza: The comic is funny.

How did you make it, and how did you make it so fast?