Ordinary Liveblogs Don't Interest Me! Let's Watch Haruhi!

And now, for your reading... well, hopefully pleasure... I'm liveblogging the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya! I've never watched it before, so my liveblogging will remain blind throughout... unlike my Lucky Star one, for which the "blind" aspect fizzled quite quickly, eheh.

I was mainly inspired to get this because of Lucky Star, so. We'll see. I'm not going to be doing this for the myriad other series referenced by that series, though. That would break the bank, I think. [wink]

Unless there are significant objections, when I reach its point in the cycle again, I'll be using the broadcast order, based on one person's advice. Also, this is the 14-episode thing, which doesn't have Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, the Endless Eight series, or the Sigh series. (Well, it was a Complete Collection back in '06...)

Next Time: The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina! Hey, wait, I thought this was Haruhi?

I am now imaging how hilarious a liveblog of Endless Eight could be.

It'd be entertainingly rageful, anyway.

A blind liveblog of Haruhi? This should be interesting.

So how much do you know ahead of the game? Given that you're a troper, I doubt this can be completely spoiler-free.

Bits and pieces that I saw here before I had any inkling that I might decide to get it, which I've mostly forgotten; the stuff on the List of Episodes on The Other Wiki, which I've mostly forgotten; and that several scenes in Lucky Star reference it. (For one thing, I'll be looking for the scene that we get a parody of at the café, where the guy orders from the Nagato cosplayer waitress.)

Well well. Now I'm definitely following this.

Ditto. This should be fun.

I first watched Haruhi in the chronological order, so I'm looking forward to seeing your impression of the broadcast order.

Hoo boy.

I'll do that the second time I watch it. (It'll be easier that way, of course, since this order looks like it's going to make me jump back and forth between discs a little...)

I watched it in chronological order too. Which on one hand meant I got all the arc plot done before the one-offs, which made the series as a whole a less exciting, cohesive experience.

On the other hand it meant I got invested in the characters early on, which made the one-offs fun as opposed to seeming like filler episodes between the big arc.

edited 14th Jul '10 5:14:08 AM by Drakyndra

Oh come on, can't they promote anything other than The Third The Girl With The Blue Eye at the beginnings of their DVDs?

The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00

The opening theme here is "Koi no Minoru Mikuru Denetsu" The voice is kinda odd.

The episode begins. There's a street here, and some shops. Pigeons coo in front of a stone sign. Now here's a more modern sign, identifying the place as the Iwaigawa Shopping Strip. Some pretty BGM plays. In front of a produce stand, there's a girl in a figure-hugging red outfit that shows off some cleavage and everything above it, some hose, a red bowtie, and red bunny ears. She's holding a sign of some sort, but it's not being translated yet. I expect they'll get to that. A male voice identifies the girl as Mikuru Asahina. I was right; the sign tells us that the Napa cabbage is half price for a limited time. The male voice tells us that Mikuru seems like a normal, kind, and extremely cute girl, but that, well, instead of being strictly normal, she's a battle waitress from the future.

Okay, that's definitely a shift from the genres I've been watching and reading in anime and manga.

The voice tells us not to asks why she's from the future, or a waitress, because that's not important yet; they're just minor details you have to have "shoved down your throat" so he can get the story going.

Mikuru starts talking. Oh dear. I'm not particularly one to complain about dubs, but... what is that? A Cream impression? That register is totally unconvincing for the voice type speaking in it. And her name is in the episode title, so I assume I'll be hearing a lot of it. I hope the other voices are better than that. The male voice seems to be, anyway. Maybe it'll grow on me. At any rate, I see why they gave Patricia Martin her role at the café.

Anyway, she politely asks the people around to check out their napa cabbage. The male voice brings up the battle waitress thing again, but only as a means of voicing our potential confusion about her bunny-girl costume. Well, it's because this is her part-time job, and it apparently involves dressing like that to promote produce. A couple of elderly women remark about the price of the cabbage, and say they should hurry and buy some. A man pulling something remarks to Mikuru that she's working hard. She responds that she's trying her best. The male voice — hey, I think I'll call him the "narrator"; I hope it catches on — remarks on the cheerful way she said that, and on her outfit that screams "trying too hard". But her innocent charm sells the cabbage out in record time.

Mr. Kiyozumi Morimura offers her her pay packet, apologizing for the meager amount compared to her work. She's sure it's more than enough, thinking she should apologize to him, as that's the only way she can help. She bows, sticks the packet partway into her Victoria's Secret Compartment, says a goodbye, gives her next destination as the butcher's, asks to be accused excused, and leaves.

She apparently turned into a mascot for the shopping strip, loved by all the people in the neighborhood. The narrator even cheers her on, telling her to bring back the customers who started flocking to the megamart (megawarehouse store) last year. He says the fate of the small businesses could be riding on her shoulders. (Or possibly a little lower...)

But that has nothing to do with the story. She's slowing anyway, not "bouncing" as much. The narrator brings up the "battle waitress" thing yet again. (Why is he saying it like it's some big revelation after he's told us twice now?) Her objective is to secretly watch over someone, and keep him from harm. And that someone... is Itsuki Koizumi. He looks like a normal, carefree high school boy, but he is, without realizing it, an esper. He needs a trigger or catalyst to awaken his powers. (I've be willing to guess that this something is "a friend being put in danger".) Mikuru shadows him in a pretty obvious manner, still in her not-particularly-inconspicuous outfit... and still carrying the sign. The narrator points out that she looks like a girl with an unexpressed and unacknowledged high school crush, but she was probably sighing because she saw that Itsuki was safe.

Mikuru finishes her other job, which also requires that scanty outfit (hey, the narrator pointed out that aspect of it; I'm just relaying it), and returns to Suzuki Stationery, where she lives in the back. Mr. Yusuke Suzuki (who's 65; I mean, I guess that's what the number means) welcomes her back, and notices that she seems tired. Mikuru attributes this to the customers. He's glad to hear they're busy, and tells her to have a good evening.

She enters the room and drops onto her knees. The narrator tells us that with her work done, she can remove that sleazy (almost non-existent) outfit, and change into more comfortable clothes for bed. She takes off her ears, starts to pull her outfit off from the top, and...

...before we can see anything more than a bit more breast, the screen turns blue. :D Gotcha, didn't they?

When it turns back, Mikuru is in short-sleeved night attire. The narrator says that the camera was stopped at that point, so we shouldn't bother asking to see the footage, as though we thought it had been merely cut; they don't have it. Mikuru lays her head on the pillow.

Somewhere, someone is wearing a cape, a pointy hat, and shoes, and standing on some sort of walkway — a dock, perhaps? — in front of the water. It's Yuki Nagato, but you probably knew that without the narrator's help by now. She's standing there dramatically, but the narrator doesn't know why. You might say she's not ordinary, and maybe a little weird; the narrator tells us she's actually an evil alien witch. He goes on to tell us outright that she's planning something diabolical involving Itsuki, but says there's no reason for her to still be at school when he's gone home. It was early evening, but now, it looks like midday. He says you can do what you want but putting in scenes like that makes it difficult for editors.

Had the rug pulled out from under you yet?

So Mikuru and Yuki have a battle scene, with no apparent reason given. The viewer's imagination is going to be expected to come up with the reason why, as well as their first meeting, the narrator tells us, and remarks that the reason will remain unexplained. He says that if the movie makes any sense, they'll be lucky.

Mikuru is in her battle waitress outfit, striking a fighting pose. Yuki stands there calmly. Mikuru tells Yuki that Koizumi Itsuki won't be someone she can control; she'll protect him. She's suddenly dual-wielding pistols. She "fires" them. Yuki withdraws her wand, called Starring Inferno. Mikuru says it's time to use her secret weapon. She throws down her pistols, removes a contact (I guess) so she has one blue eye. "Mi-Mi-Mikuru Beam!" It flashes, blacking the camera's view for a fraction of a second. As Yuki rushes her, the narrator explains that the narrator explains that it's a super-dangerous laser beam. The camera can't seem to decide whether to look at the sky, or at Yuki on top of Mikuru. The narrator is wondering what's going to happen next. Someone else calls for a cut, and tells Yuki that wasn't part of the script.

And now we're at Ohmori Electronics. Mikuru is back in her bunny suit, holding a microphone, and Yuki is holding a sign that probably says "Ohmori Electronics". Mikuru starts to say something about the store, but talks up the owner instead, and says the store's been around since his grandpa opened it. She then tells the people about the stock, that they have everything from batteries to refrigerators. (Okay, I guess refrigerators are electric, but aren't those usually considered appliances?)

So now, Mikuru is walking in the middle of the street after her defeat. She recalls that the Mikuru Beam didn't affect the alien witch, and wonders what she'll do.

She goes to her room. She's not a transforming hero; she has to change her clothes. (And we get about as far into that as we did before, and then it cuts to her leaving in her bunny-girl outfit.)

At the same time, here's Itsuki, looking blankly at the world as usual. Yuki emerges from an alley with a cat on her shoulder. He asks who she might be. She says she's an alien who uses magic. He asks if it's so; she says it is. He asks what she wants with him; she explains that she's after his hidden powers. The boy asks what she would do if he said she was being a nuisance. She is prepared to use force to get the powers, seemingly not caring so much about being considered a nuisance. the boy asks how, and she demonstrates, raising her wand. A lightning bolt shoots from it, and Mikuru pushes him out of the way. The bolt misses both of them, but Mikuru runs into a pole. Ow. She says she won't let her way. Yuki says she's won that round, but she won't be so lucky next time. She tells her to make funeral arrangements (or to find herself a a name for the afterlife), for the next time will be her last. As she leaves, Itsuki asks the girl in the bunny-girl outfit who she is. She claims to be just an innocent bunny girl passing through, and runs off (in the direction of Yuki?), leaving Itsuki to wonder who she is. The narrator stops in the middle of telling us about Itsuki watching Mikuru to question the skyward tilt.

He tells us at the beginning of the next scene that some more story has been left out, and he's not sure what's happened, but is sort of kind of sure that the flames of battle have flared up again. Mikuru says she won't ever run away, even in times like that. She tells the evil bad alien to leave the planet at once. We get a whole bunch of zooms in on Mikuru's face. Yuki tells her that she is the one who should leave this time frame, because she (and at least one other; I don't know how broad her "we" is) will seize Itsuki and his powers, as well as take over Earth. Mikuru won't let her, and will risk her life to stop her. Now there's a girl with long green hair behind Yuki, and a man. Yuki tells her to prepare herself, because she'll take it. The green-haired girl gets in front and laughs evilly. A side view reveals that there was yet another man. The three approach Mikuru. Apparently, she knows the girl, Tsuruya. She tells Tsuruya to get herself back together. Tsuruya bursts out laughing, because she can't take her seriously in that outfit. She says the alien is controlling her, and approaches Mikuru again. The narrator attributes the control to EM waves or something (hey, he's as unsure as I am!) Mikuru doesn't know what to do, so they throw her in the water. Then, while she's splashing around, Itsuki shows up suddenly (the narrator doesn't know where he's been, and notes that he may have been caught in a shot earlier) and helps Mikuru out. She complains about the cold water.

Itsuki asks what she's doing there. She gives a muddled explanation, but someone reminds her she's supposed to faint at that point. She "faints" into Itsuki's arms, and he tells her to get a hold of herself, and picks her up. The narrator points out that you'd normally call an ambulance or have a passerby get help, but this boy decides to carry her himself. (He seems jealous of the situation.) The narrator notes that Yuki & co. left without finishing Mikuru off or interfering with Itsuki. He notes, with some confusion, another tilt, along with all the mysteries, contradictions, and plot threads left dangling at the midpoint. He's also surprised that they're only halfway through.

Now we're treated to a pretty drawing of Mikuru.

And we're back, in Itsuki's house, it seems. It bothers the narrator that Mikuru looks like she's just gotten out of the bath, even though she's being carried, implying that Itsuki washed her himself while she was unconscious. Itsuki lays her on a futon. The narrator suppresses his murderous rage as Itsuki covers her with a blanket. He reminds us (and himself, more than us) that we're watching a movie. Then Itsuki bends over to kiss her on the lips, as the narrator says that if he gets any closer, somebody off-camera's going to kick him.

But before it happens, Yuki stands in the window, telling them to hold it right there, and that Mikuru shouldn't be his choice, but her, because mingling of their powers with unlock his potential. He asks her to explain. The narrator asks whay he isn't surprised at Yuki showing up in the window. (Uh, because the script told him she was going to show up? ) She only explains that he has two choices: her, in which they evolve the universe into what (she thinks) it should be, or to be with Mikuru, and destroy the future. This worries Itsuki. The narrator wonders if her earlier line was to Itsuki. Itsuki understands that he's a key, and a key only has power in someone else's hand: power to unlock a door, and when the door is open, something will change. But because he doesn't have enough information, he's not going to decide yet. Yuki agrees that now is not the time to decide, and the time to give him that information is not far off. She notes that we see lack of information as an obstacle, and leaves.

Hey, it's another commercial, like the last. This time, it's for the Yamatsuchi Model Shop. Probably along the lines of model airplanes and stuff. It opened last year after the owner left the corporate workforce. He based his store on his hobbies. But sales haven't been so hot, so take pity on him and buy stuff, okay? She is instructed to hold a gun, and she warns people not to shoot things like that while pointing it at other people, and that they should shoot empty cans or something instead. She's instructed to shoot it. A few rounds go off before...

..the scene switches to Mikuru in her waitress outfit cooking while an adorable little girl holds a kitty. Then she waves at a leaving Itsuki. The narrator explains that we've probably lost all interest in following the story, but they've started living together. (I assume Suzuki at least knows that she's got a new place?) Now Mikuru is flipping a (blanket? rug?) over a railing and starting to beat it while the little girl talks to her. Now she cautiously opens a bathroom door (whoa, a swinging door instead of a sliding?) behind which Itsuki is standing, with only steam to preserve his modesty. (The narrator notes that it's become like a housewife drama, which make you wonder about the sci-fi battle scenes. Itsuki, Mikuru, and the girl play Uno. The narrator wonders if they're spicing up the middle with moé. Now Mikuru and Itsuki sit half a foot away from each other in front of a window. They put their hands to their side, Mikuru unintentionally putting her hand on his, then withdrawing it.

Now for a close of the girl holding the kitty. The narrator wonders who she is; Itsuki's little sister, perhaps? She's told to introduce herself, and she does: she's Shamy! She holds the cat up to the camera. The narrator notices that this cat is probably the one that was on Yuki's shoulder.

Speaking of, Yuki transfers into Itsuki's high school. She puts something into a shoe storage unit. Or something. Look, it's one step up from a show cubby, since it has a door, but there's no lock. The narrator explains that she's going to try to ensnare Itsuki with her sex appeal, but it seems to him that she's going after him fairly.

Mikuru also transfers there. You may ask why she didn't do that earlier, given that she's supposed to protect him, but the narrator doesn't know. So now the genre is romantic comedy... or love triangle. At school, they uphold a truce of sorts, but outside, they're back to battling it out... in fights to the death that lack any sense of excitement. (One scene is on a playground. The kids are standing and sitting around watching kinda boredly.)

The final act arrives with a note: "Let's settle the score." The directly apparently felt they needed to end it, no matter how. Mikuru sees now. (Sees what?) Tsuruya enters to deliver a line reading that reminds me of when Akira read Kuroi's lines for Minoru. In any case, she asks Mikuru if she has a creepy old stalker, or if her doctor said she had athlete's foot. Tsuruya is having trouble maintaining her composure as Mikuru reveals that it's time to battle to evil alien witch. Tsuruya slowly loses it as she tells Mikuru that she's counting on her to save the Earth. She bursts out laughing at the ridiculousness. The narrator points out that there's sort of a continuity error there: given that the two knew each other at the lake scene, was it supposed to happen after the transfer, maybe? That would set the whole "living together" sequence later, as well... and when you don't know what else to do, look at the sky.

Now for the climax. Yuki says they have to resolve this by the end of lunch break. Mikuru agrees with that, but is sure Itsuki will choose her. However, Yuki won't acknowledge his free will. The narrator wonders why she doesn't just go and get him if she wants him that badly. Mikuru won't let her do it; that's why she came from... THE FUTURE!

Cue the bunch of zoom-ins.

Now they get into position, and start shooting colored beams at each other. Something sets off Roman candles, making Mikuru cower; a girl (the one for whom the show is named, perhaps?) tells her to fight back. A teacher comes bursting through the door, asking what's going on.

The narrator asks us not to mind that; the battle's continuing, and Mikuru's been cornered. Yuki tells her it's time for her to give in. Starring Inferno's star flashes. It's a lame special effect, the narrator admits, but wants us to use our imaginations. Itsuki sees to Mikuru, and tells Yuki to stop it. The cat says to stop talking and get on with it, and just use the mind control powers she apparently has. Someone offscreen tells the cat, Shamisen, not to speak. Yuki taps him on the head with SI, shutting him up, and covering it by calling it ventriloquism. (Okay, but in that case, she also has voice-changing powers along the lines of Haley Eisenberg in those cola commercials.) Yuki tries the mind control shtick, but Itsuki blazes with light, blowing away Yuki into a Twinkle in the Sky. "Curses."

He helps Mikuru up, saying that it's over.

His powers have awakened, and Yuki's at the far end of the universe. Peace has returned. Cherry blossoms are falling all over the place. All's well that ends well. Thanks to our heroes. Another tilt up?

A female voice claims that the story was fictional, as were the characters and stuff in it. Oh, except for the ads.

And now we're in the screening room. The female voice finds she has t say it again. Mikuru and a guy are there, as well as Yuki and Itsuki. The voice asks Kyon why she has to say that, as it should be obvious. Another girl stands up, saying it's finished. She has a red armband that says "Ultra Director" on it. She turns around.

Ladies and gentlemen, our title character! Though she isn't actually named yet...

She thinks it totally rocked! The SOS Brigade doesn't know the meaning of "impossible"!

So apparently, our narrator was Kyon. He's unsure about it being shown. OTC is sure it'll be packed when they show it at the arts festival. She thinks they should charged admission; she'll ask the film club. It they do that, they'll get their money back from it and have enough for the next one! Kyon thinks he'll skip the festival and take a nap.

And now, "Hare Hare Yukai"!

Interesting so far. I'm looking forward to a not- Show Within a Show episode.

Next time: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya I!

edited 26th Jul '10 8:52:01 PM by Nyperold

The opening theme here is "Koi no Minoru Mikuru Denetsu" The voice is kinda odd.

Might've been better to dub this particular song, since it's sung in-character (Yuko Goto, of course, can sing much better than that in real life).

Okay, that's definitely a shift from the genres I've been watching and reading in anime and manga.

Clearly you've been watch/reading the wrong stuff.

Mikuru starts talking. Oh dear. I'm not particularly one to complain about dubs, but... what is that? A Cream impression? That register is totally unconvincing for the voice type speaking in it. And her name is in the episode title, so I assume I'll be hearing a lot of it. I hope the other voices are better than that.

It's Stephanie Sheh, and I thought she did a pretty good job of sounding like Goto.

He looks like a normal, carefree high school boy, but he is, without realizing it, an esper.

Really, "psychic" or "psionic" probably would've worked better, but "esper" was just too damn established when it got licensed. Blame Strato.

Yuki taps him on the head with SI, shutting him up, and covering it by calling it ventriloquism.

Sucky improv there. Not that it would've made the movie much better even if she had rolled with it.

It might be good to watch this episode again when you're near the end of the series (like, after the episode "Live Alive"). The story of this movie's making is a full novel in itself; it was adapted into the last five episodes of season 2.

edited 26th Jul '10 9:35:42 PM by ShayGuy

Well... I wouldn't say the wrong stuff; I just haven't strayed that much from the slice-of-life genre. I mean, Lucky Star has a ghost for a fraction of an episode, and that's as far out as it gets, and the other series are even more like reality. (Of course, the supernatural stuff was just in the movie; the real stuff like that comes later, I understand.)

I think I might like the voices better when the characters are having conversations instead of reading lines.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya I

In the darkness, snow(? Maybe sakura petals?) falls. Kyon tells us in voiceover that he thinks the topic of how long someone had believed in Santa is too stupid even for idle conversation. (This is where some wag can say that explains why it's come up in Azumanga Daioh, Ichigo Mashimaro, and Lucky Star, among others.) Now we see bicycle spokes turning. The bicycle's rider is Kyon himself. The voiceover continues by telling us that if we're still curious about how long he believed in some fat guy in a funky red suit, he tells us that he never did. Ever. He parks his bike, takes his bag and walks, crossing the street. He relates that he knew the "Santa" he saw in kindergarten was fake. We see some sort of yellowed footage. He never saw his mommy kissing Santa Claus or anything, but even as a little kid, he knew better than to believe in this man who supposedly only worked one day a year. Kyon ascends some steps.

Having said that, he admits that it wasn't until later that he realized that (deep breath) aliens, time travelers, ghosts, monsters, ESPers, evil syndicates, and the anime/manga/fantasy heroes that fight those syndicates (whew) were also fake. Well... that's not true either, he always knew it, but didn't want to admit it. He'd always wanted to see one of those things to just appear and say "Hey!" But This Is Reality, and the laws of physics just don't allow for them. He eventually stopped watching the shows because they just made him disappointed in reality.

So his apparent destination was a high school entrance ceremony. He continues, relating that he got to the point where he could think about those things while still accepting reality. But by the time he got out of junior high, he'd outgrown that kind of thing, and got used to living in an ordinary world.

And then, he met... her.

Who? Why, the title character, of course! It's not The Melancholy of Kyon, after all! The students are standing up and introducing themselves, and it's her turn. She gives her name. She's apparently not interested in ordinary people, but aliens, time travelers or ESPers, she wants them to go see her. Awkward silence. Kyon wonders if that was supposed to be funny. He turns around. She sure seems serious. He considers her amazingly beautiful. Well, I can't disagree too much. Anyway, she sits, leaving the rest of the class dumbfounded. Then they move on. Kyon relates that he bets the rest of the class thought she was kidding, but it was no joke. Haruhi is always dead serious. And that was how they first met. Looking back, he wanted to believe it was just a coincidence.

(OP: "Boken desho desho?")

...Okay, that was trippy. Also, I think this the only series I've seen so far to have the OP or ED translation and the romaji for at the same time. The others — Azumanga Daioh, Hidamari Sketch, Ichigo Mashimaro (yes, I have vol. 3 of that now), and Lucky Star — alternate between episodes, showing the translation for one episode and the romaji the next (well, Azumanga Daioh reset the cycle for disc changes; episodes 5 & 6 both used the translation, because the first was on disc 1 and the other was on disc 2.) So that's kind of interesting.

Kyon notes that when Haruhi is just sitting quietly, she seems just like any other extremely beautiful high school girl, and the seating arrangement just happens to place him in front of her. He asks if we can blame him for wanting to exploit that to get to know her better. He turns and asks if she was serious about the stuff she was saying. She asks him to clarify, and he does. She asks if he's an alien or something. He says he isn't, but he just... decides to let it go. She asks why they're even talking, and says he's wasting her time.

Kyon tells us he found out that several of their classmates had been in her junior high class. One, played by Sam Riegal, advises him (while eating his rice) that if he's got the hots for her, to forget it. She's "beyond eccentric". He can't remember a day when she wasn't doing something completely wacky. He asks if Kyon remembers the Quad Scribbles Incident. He doesn't, so the guy explains. Apparently, she got ahold of a... thing that draws lines on an athletic field (seriously, why is it so hard to find out what that is with a simple search?) and used it to draw some weird symbol on the school grounds. (The SOS symbol, maybe?) The other guy remembers reading about it in the paper. (Okay, not the SOS symbol. ...It's like no kanji I've ever seen, except the symbol on the far right bears some resemblance to one I've seen.) She apparently did it by herself, and admitted to it. The character played by Sam Riegal relates another time when he got to class early, and found the desks out in the hall, as well as the time she painted a star on the roof, and another when she... I can't tell because Kyon is wondering what Haruhi is doing. She throws a... tennis ball? at some sort of dome. Anyway, it had something to do with reanimating corpses.

He continues, relating that she's pretty popular with the guys, given that she's easy on the eyes. She's also highly athletic (which explains Konata) and intelligent. She's also had a string of brief relationships, lasting from 1 week down to 5 minutes. There's a... flashback? in which she says she has no time to deal with ordinary humans. Kyon wonders why she says "Okay." The other guy doesn't know, either, but says that she doesn't turn a guy down when he steps up to ask her out. He repeats his earlier advice. Kyon wonders to himself why he would forget what he hadn't even thought about.

He then sees a race. The S.R. dude figures there's only one girl to go after: Ryoko Asakura. He places her in the top 3 on the freshman hottie list. Well, she is pretty. Kyon asks if that means he's already checked 'em all out. Indeed it does. He's ranked them all from A to D, and memorized the names of all the ones on his A list. The other guy asks what Asakura gets, and he replies that she gets AA+. He figures her personality is probably wonderful, in addition to her being gorgeous.

All of that was happening while Haruhi was still acting pretty normal. For that month, even Kyon was feeling pretty good. But her eccentricities were already making themselves known.

1. A different hairstyle every day. Every day, she ties her hair in more places, but on Monday, it resets. Kyon is curious about what she looks like on Sunday.
2. Normally, when changing from seifuku to P.E. uniform, boys use the odd-numbered classrooms while girls use the even-numbered ones. Haruhi doesn't wait until the boys have left. This leaves Asakura to rush them out of the room, and other students to draw the curtains. Haruhi's mindset seems to be that guys were pretty much the same as a bag of potatoes.
3. Joining every team and extracurricular club offered. She turned down every sports club that wanted her to join, and changed extracurricular clubs based on mood, never remaining a member of any.

Before he knew it, it was the day after Golden Week.

Okay, Kyon is his nickname? And he wishes people to stop calling him that. Hey, I'll call you what you want to be called if you'll say what that is. 'Cause that's gonna bug me. Not as bad as when somebody comes into a chat room with a screen name, then tells people not to call him by it, but still...

He sees Haruhi in ox horns, and guesses that it's Wednesday. And with that thought, something must have snapped inside him. He asks her if she changes her hairstyle to ward off alien invaders. In voiceover, he tells us that he was talking to Haruhi. She asks when he notices. He lets on that he noticed a while ago. She sees, and lets on that she has a theory that each day of the week has its own image with a specific color that only goes with that day. She rattles off the list while Kyon tells us that it was almost like they were having a normal conversation. Kyon tells us that he kind of understood that. He says that if you turned it into numbers, Monday would be 0 and Sunday 6. She says that's right. But Kyon feels that Monday's more like a 1. Haruhi doesn't think anybody asked his opinion. She turns back to him, and they stare at each other. After a while, she asks if she's met her somewhere before, like maybe in the past. (If I'm remembering what I've read correctly, he will meet her before.)

Kyon tells us that an event is usually triggered by something trivial. He was surprised that she even gave a half-decent answer. He thought she'd say something along the lines of "Shut up, loser! Who cares?" Hey, if you want to see all your options at the end, save often!

So, when she came to class with her long hair chopped off to the now-familiar length, he was disturbed by it. He figured it was rash to do so. She looks at the camera and says, "Not really."

Since that day, he started talking to Haruhi every day before homeroom. He asks if it's true about dumping every guy she's dated. She asks what gives him the right to ask that. She doesn't know about anything he's heard. She figures if he wants to believe it, it's probably true. He asks if there wasn't even one she was serious about. She replies in the negative, since they all took themselves too seriously, and none were aliens, time travelers, or ESPers. Kyon points out that that's how people are, normally. She asks why they keep asking her out over the phone, figuring it should be face-to-face. Kyon decides to just agree with her. Haruhi says it's not important, anyway. Kyon asks what is. Haruhi says that it seems all the men in this universe are pathetic, and this perception is what's irritated her throughout junior high. Kyon asks what kind of guy she would have been into. He names "alien", which she responds to in the affirmative. As long as he isn't an ordinary human, she doesn't care if it's a boy or a girl. Kyon wonders what's wrong with being human. (Nothing, as long as you're a time traveler or whatever.) She feels that would make life more interesting.

At the bell, Haruhi gets up and walks off. The S.R. character approaches Kyon and tells him he should reveal what kind of magic spell he's using, because he's never seen Suzimiya talk that long before. He asks what Kyon said. Kyon is unsure, himself, figuring it was all pretty random. The other guy comes up and says Kyon's always gone after the strange ones.

—>A little louder, please, so everyone can hear you.

Asakura comes up, wanting to know how he did it, as Haruhi never answers her. (Her dub voice kinda reminds me of Miyuki's mother, but noticeably different.) She asks for tips, but he doesn't know what it is he's doing. She thinks it's a good thing, though, that Haruhi seems to have a friend, as she'd been worried. Kyon seems unsure of that classification. Asakura tells him to just keep doing what he's doing, as she might warm up to the rest of them. So she's counting on him! In fact, she's planning on having him be their messenger to Haruhi or something. He's not particularly happy about this. She says, "Pretty please?" before going over to another group of girls. They look at him and giggle. The S.R. character claims buddy status. Kyon tells us everyone's turned into an idiot.

Apparently, they're changing seats now. He picks a number out of a cookie tin. It gives him a window seat, second from the back. He thinks this means the end of proximity to Haruhi. However... she got the window seat... on the back row.

A new conversation ensues, about her checking out of the clubs. He wants to know if there are any interesting ones. Instantly, she says there are absolutely none. Kyon is surprised at the speed. She repeats her answer. Kyon notes to us that she likes to use "absolutely" a lot. She had thought it would get better in high school, but found that it was the same throughout. She wonders if she's in the wrong school. (No, dear, I'd say "the wrong outlook" is more your problem.) Kyon wonders to us what her criteria are. (I wonder if he's been listening, since it's come up like 20 times. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating.) She relates that there was a club called the Mystery Research Club, but it turns out the mysteries they researched... were novels, not actual cases. She also had high hopes for the Supernatural Phenomenon Research Club... but they were just occult freaks. She asks what he think of it. He doesn't think anything of it. Haruhi finds herself frustrated with boredom. ...Man, she just sounded more like Konata than she has at any point I've heard so far. Which isn't that much, but hey. She thinks there should be some strange, cool ones out there. Kyon says you can't help it if there aren't any, especially since us normal humans have to be happy with what we're given. He points out that we have all the things we have because some ordinary human wanted to do something we couldn't before, ordinarily. She tells him to shut up. Kyon tells us that it was probably that conversation that sparked the idea.

So Kyon is nodding off in class, when suddenly, Haruhi grabs the back of his shirt collar, and pulls him in a way that makes his head hit her desk. He stands up and yells, "What's wrong with you?!" She exhibits the first smile this episode, and announces that she has an idea. She can't believe she didn't realize it before, as it seems obvious in hindsight: if it doesn't exist, she she make it herself! What, you might ask, along with Kyon? A club! He hears her, but says she's gotta calm down. She thinks he should be happier about that development, but he points out they're in the middle of class. People are staring. Haruhi sits.

The bell rings, and Haruhi is dragging him by the tie with alacrity. She's decided that he's going to help. He mentally compares it to being bullied out of lunch money. He asks what she needs help with. Starting her club, it seems. He wants to know why he's the one to help, and wants her to let go of his tie. (Perhaps it's because you're the closest thing to a friend she has?) She wants him to handle the paperwork. He wants to know what kind of club it is. She figures making the club first is a better idea than deciding what kind it'll be. She assigns him the task of finding members while she looks for a suitable room. She takes off.

He goes over the rules for the creation of a club. There's nothing he can really do. How do you get people to join a club without first letting them know its purpose? He doesn't think it'll contribute anything positive to school life.

But he's dragging down the hallway again, anyway. Apparently, she's found a suitable room. It's the cultural room. She explains where they are. She also explains that while it's technically the Literary Club's room, it has no members, and is up to be cut if that doesn't change. She also points out a new freshman member, a girl with short purple hair and shiny glasses. Kyon figures that means it hasn't been cut. Haruhi figures it's the same difference. Kyon asks what they'll do with her, and Haruhi relates that she said she wouldn't mind it. She apparently doesn't care as long as there's a place to read. Haruhi figures some people are just strange like that. Kyon thinks to himself a "Look who's talking." The girl looks up, allows her glasses to become transparent, and says "Yuki Nagato" before going back to reading. Kyon makes sure that Yuki is actually okay with that room being used for another club, which she seems to be, even if it means she gets kicked out. Haruhi takes this to mean the room is theirs, and cheerily tells him that he'd better show up, or it's the death penalty. Not wanting to die, he understands.

Now they're off in search of members. Haruhi figures they only need two more people. Kyon wonders if she included Yuki, as though she's an accessory who comes with the room. She also has a couple of leads on random people she can bring in.

The next day, the bell rings, and she tells him she'll meet him there, and takes off. With no choice, he shuffled over to the club room. There, he asks Yuki what she's reading, so she shows him. He asks if it's interesting, and after a few seconds, says it's "unique". (Referenced in Lucky Star, but with Soujirou and Konata.) He asks what part is unique; she finds all of it to be so. He figures she really likes books, but she says "A little." Kyon asks if he can go home, right before Haruhi comes through the door. Haruhi apologizes for being late, and explains it's because it took her forever to catch the girl she brought. She seems a bit disoriented, and kind of scared. Kyon finds her really beautiful, as well. She asks why she's there, who they are... and why Haruhi is locking the door. Haruhi introduces the girl as Mikuru Asahina. Kyon asks where she kidnapped her from. Haruhi says she didn't kidnap anyone; she came here on her own. She found her daydreaming in the juniors' room. During recess, Haruhi makes it a point to walk every inch of the main building. She remembered seeing her around a couple of times, and, well... Kyon realizes that's why he hadn't seen her then. Kyon realizes that she said Mikuru was a junior. He asks why Haruhi picked her. Turns out it was because she's a "total little cutie". Kyon thinks she sounds like a pervert. Haruhi figures that moé is an important concept to keep in mind. Kyon asks what she said. She's of the mindset that stories with strange, supernatural things going on, you need to have at least one person displaying moé traits. She says that's just the beginning, and grabs Mikuru's breasts and jiggles them around as she goes into why this is relevant to the concept. This causes Mikuru to panic. Meanwhile, Yuki seem unfazed. Kyon separates Haruhi from Mikuru. Haruhi goes on, offering to let Kyon feel Mikuru's for himself, but Kyon passes on that. Kyon gives us a So What You Are Saying Is.

Haruhi figures Mikuru would make a good mascot. She asks if Mikuru is in any other clubs. Calligraphy, she says. Haruhi decides she can quit it, as it'll get in the way. After some consideration, and looking at Yuki reading quietly, she understands, and agrees to quit the Calligraphy Club and join that one. However, she doen't know what the Literary Club does. (Wild guess, here, but I'm going to go with "read and discuss books".) Haruhi points out that it's not the Literary Club, and Kyon explains that they're borrowing the room, and have no idea for a name, and no stated purpose. He also points out the real Literary Club member. Haruhi says she has it.

The club's name is... The SOS Brigade. The Spreading excitement all Over the world with Haruhi Suzumiya Brigade. (Sekai wo Ooini moria gerutame no Suzumiya Haruhi no dan.) Kyon tells us it's okay to laugh now. He says it should be The Spreading excitement all Over the world with Haruhi Suzumiya Organization, but they don't have the right to form an organization yet, and they still don't know what the point is. (Besides, that would make it only SOSO.) Face Palm on the part of Kyon.

("Hare Hare Yukai")

Next Episode: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya II!

should be interesting to follow, though I'm not sure how you're going to deal with the wonky broadcast order. Heck, even the 2 part episode has a another, unrelated episode in the middle of it!

I'm quite curious to see you cover later episodes, but I get the feeling that you'll never get there if you keep writing this much about each one.

Yeah, maybe, and adding the fact that this is nowhere near the only liveblog of mine in progress...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya II

So school's been on like Donk — er, going for about a month, and Kyon's been enjoying his hikes as much as he can, though he feels a little like Sisyphus. Then something hit him. No, not the cars in the foreground. More like a metaphorical 8.0 earthquake, bringing his normal life to a halt. (We see scenes from the last episode, like Haruhi's hair decs, and her starting to change clothes and the boys being rushed out of the room.) Okay, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic at first, but something was starting to happen. Now we see Haruhi deciding to make her club, drafting Kyon, and naming it. Thus begins his neverending hell, thanks to her.

Asakura greets him en route, but she's in a hurry because she forgot she had class duties. Kyon notes that it's hard to believe a girl like her is in his class, along with Haruhi, who smiles when she sees him, and runs up to him, asking if he can think of anything they'll need right now. Kyon doesn't know what she means. She wants a mysterious transfer student. (Man, she really sounds like Konata here!) Kyon deadpan begs her to start conversations with clarity of context. Haruhi thinks an MTS is exactly what they need. Kyon wants clarification on her idea of mysterious before she kidnaps anyone else. It's apparently based on time: anyone who transfers in now has to be mysterious. Kyon brings up the possibility of a TS just being there because of a dad being relocated due to work. Haruhi thinks it wouldn't be normal. Kyon almost wants to know what she considers normal, but is almost afraid to ask. Haruhi continues wondering if they'll get anyone like that, and Kyon takes this as her not caring what he says at all.

(OP: "Boken desho desho?")

There's a rumor floating around that Kyon and Haruhi are up to something. The Sam Riegal character wants Kyon to level with him, wondering if they're dating. Kyon denies it, wanting to know what they're up to himself. SR warns him that if they mess up the school, the least they'll get is suspended. He plans to least protect Yuki and Mikuru from getting involved in the craziness.

The number of things in the formerly-nearly-empty room has increased. For one thing, a black triangle with "Brigade Leader" on it, as well as more... householdy things? Kyon wonders if she's planning on living there. Haruhi thinks it'd be great to have a computer there. She points out the disparity between living in the information age and lack of a computer. She can't forgive "them". Kyon wonders to himself who she might be referring to. Haruhi wants then to go get one, but Kyon asks how, wondering if she's going to rob a computer store. No, they're going to the computer club room.

Haruhi enters, dragging Mikuru in with her, and greets everyone cheerily. She anounces her desire for a computer and its peripherals. She asks for the president. The guy nearby guesses that'd be him. She says the only reason she'd schlepp (yes, schlepp) all the way over there was for a computer. She only needs one out of the whole bunch, so it should be okay, right? Umm... the guy asks who they are. Haruhi gives their club name, her own name, and points out her henchmen, #1 (Mikuru) and #2 (Kyon). She tells him to just hand one over and nobody'll get hurt. The guy refuses. Haruhi brings Mikuru over to him, grabs his wrist, and forces his hand to her breast, much to both their displeasures... especially his, when she takes a picture of the contact. He kicks him, turning him around, then kicks him onto Mikuru and takes pictures.

Okay, Haruhi the show, I'm still figuring out how I feel about. Haruhi the character... I'm not too fond of at the moment. Cuteness is not equaling forgiveness right now.

So, the photos she took? If they aren't quick about handing over a computer, the pictures will show up all over campus. The poor guy protests that it was forced, and he's innocent. Haruhi wonders aloud how many people will believe him. The dude brings up his fellow club members... so Haruhi just figures she'll tell everyone that they all ganged up on her. Kyon asks her if she's out of her mind. (Well, at least, if they were paying attention, they know he doesn't sympathize with her methods.) She asks if they're going to hand it over. After some straining, he collapses to his knees and tells her to take whichever one she wants. Two of the club members go to comfort him. Kyon thinks it's like a bad comedy skit. Haruhi twirls and looks around. She asks which is the latest model. He asks for a reason why he should tell her. Well, would you look at that. It's the same reason she's able to wrangle a computer from them in the first place. He points out the newest model. Oh, but she got a list of all the newest models from the computer store the other day, and it seems that model's not listed. After a look around, she selects the one that, according to the club president, they just bought. He protests, but she shows him the camera, and he tells the thief to take it.

If she comes in again, he should shoot her with a lightning bolt.

Kyon is showing signs of a headache as he agrees with the guy. Haruhi has Kyon get the computer.

I really hope it's Vista. It's too much to hope that it's ME, I suppose.

It was then that they discovered that the Literary Club had no internet connection, so she had the computer club run a LAN cable over, and set them up so they could connect using the school's domain.

Can you say "extortion"? Gooood.

He sees Mikuru sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest. He gently tries to get her back with the others, but she whimpers and pulls her knees up further. Then Kyon tells her that maybe she shouldn't get involved with the brigade thing, since Haruhi might try something else with her if she stays. Mikuru wipes a tear, and guesses it's alright, but finds out if he's going to stay. He's slightly surprised by her question, but doesn't answer. She guesses the probability of that happening on this time plane is unavoidable. "...Huh?" She's also worried about Yuki being there. He asks her what she said. She realizes, and says she was just babbling, and that despite her inexperience, she feels she'll get along with everyone there. She also gives him permission to use her given name. (I poked into the Japanese audio, and yes, that's with the "-chan" honorific.)

What's next? SOS Brigade website creation, it seems. Kyon asks who's going to make it; of course, she assigns him the task, since he appears to be sitting around bored all the time. She has to go recruit more members, and wants him to have the site finished in the next couple of days, as the club's dead in the water until then.

Kyon finishes his bento at the computer. He's building a website. He kind of enjoyed making it. He already had the software installed by the Computer Club (I thought Notepad came with Windows? ), so it wasn't too hard to figure out. He makes an opening splash page. As for content, well... it's hard to know what to put there when you still don't know what the club's purpose is. He asks Yuki if there's anything she wanted on the site. There's not. Kyon wonders to himself if she goes to class.

She closes the book, which has a bunch of keys on it. The bell sounds, and Kyon awakens, realizing he's got to go to class. He turns, and finds Yuki behind him. She lends him the book, called Hyperion, by Dan Simmons. (Thanks, katakana!) What it has to do with anything, we'll see, I guess. He accepts it wordlessly, and she leaves the room, looking at the book. (Say, wasn't there a class you had to be at?)

Kyon is still not sold on the Brigade, but finds himself eagerly going to the room. Habit? I don't know if that comes with eagerness or not. Once there, he greets the two who are already there. Mikuru, looks at him, smiles, and nods. Kyon wonders to himself if they can be that bored. He sits down. Mikuru asks where Haruhi is. Kyon doesn't know, and remarks that she wasn't there when he got to 6th period. He speculates that she's probably extorting gear from somewhere. Mikuru worries about being forced into a repeat of yesterday. Kyon says he won't let it happen again. Mikuru seems delighted with them, and will be counting on him, then. Kyon feels it an honor.

In comes THIEF Haruhi herself. She's carrying two bags, one pink, one green, and seeming very pleased herself. She closes and locks the door, goes over to Kyon, and hands him a sheet of paper, telling him to look at it. "SOS Brigade: An Explanation of Our General Policies". She gives them to the others, as well. She pulls a dark gray one-piece outfit from the other bag. She says they're going to wear it to pass out flyers. Kyon asks "Where?" first. Not my first question, but whatever. Haruhi says it'll be at the main gate, as a bunch of students are (still hanging out on campus/going home now). Now Kyon asks what exactly they'll be wearing, but Haruhi answers my question. It won't be Kyon wearing it, but Mikuru. Mikuru seems surprised. Haruhi reveals the ears to match: it's a Bunny Girl outfit! Haruhi proceeds to change Mikuru's clothes with Kyon still there. He suddenly remembers his promise, and tells Haruhi to stop. Not that she listens. Mikuru tells him not to look, so he has no choice but to unlock the door and leave the room of his own volition.

Kyon watches the P.E. students run. He muses that Haruhi is like an evil overlord. He hears that he can come in. Haruhi is outside the room herself. She's wearing the dark gray one shown earlier, while Mikuru is wearing the red version. Their hosiery is a lighter shade of gray. We get a close-up of the melons of Haruhi Suzumiya (the important bits covered by the outfit, of course), as well as her hose-clad hip. Haruhi thinks they'll get some attention. Kyon doesn't think that'll be a problem, and wonders if Yuki wasn't into it. (He wonders if Yuki was spared, in the sub.) Mikuru is standing between the viewer and us. If this were certain cartoons, Yuki would be in a bunny suit when she moved, but she's not. Because she got full sets, she could only afford two. Kyon asks where she got them. "Online" is the answer. Haruhi drags her out the door against her will, and Kyon wordlessly apologizes, as he finds himself unable to act. He also finds that her outfit is killing him, and his passion's going through the roof.

Yuki silently points out the mess of chair, policy and the girls' clothes on the floor. He sets to picking Mikuru's up, feeling residual heat from them. He picks up the handwritten policy statement and begins to read. It turns out they're seeking out mysteries in this universe. (As he reads, we watch the two shilling the club, but are told off by two men, possibly the principal and vice-principal? Haruhi doesn't take kindly to this, and they take her away.) Haruhi welcomes those who have experienced, are experiencing, or plan to experience bizarre phenomena, but the mystery must be able to freak them out. (I assume she would especially welcome those who have experienced bizarre phenomena in the future, or plan to experience them in the past.) Kyon is starting to understand why the brigade exists.

Haruhi comes in, upset with the teachers for stopping them. Kyon thinks to himself that if two girls in bunny outfits came by, everybody'd check that out. Anyway, Mikuru started wailing, Haruhi got detention, and a "handball freak" named Okabe came by. Kyon is sure they didn't know where to keep their eyes focused. Haruhi dismisses the club, throwing her bunny ears down and removing her cuffs. Kyon realizes what's about to happen, and books just before Haruhi removes her torso-cover. (Though the window's open... will Yuki do anything about it?) She urges Mikuru to change, as well.

Afterward, Mikuru hands Kyon his jacket, and asks him if he'd be willing to marry her if it turns out she's unable to be a bride otherwise, and walks by. Kyon doesn't know what to say. She looks to him like someone who didn't get into college, or who bought her dream house, only to lose her job. And then he notices that she calls him "Kyon", as well.

By the next day, the name "Haruhi Suzumiya" had become infamous. Then Kyon's unnamed friends come up to beside him in class. The SR dude remarks that Kyon's become one of her gang of weirdoes. Kyon notes to himself that his name and the name of Asahina were floating around, as well. The other guy relates what he saw, noting that the one in red was Asahina.

Asakura comes up, asking what the Brigade is. Kyon directs her to ask Haruhi, as he neither knows, nor wants to. Asakura thinks they're having fun, but points out that yesterday was a little overboard.

Mikuru didn't show up that day. Haruhi is upset about the lack of e-mail response. Kyon thinks to himself that nobody's going to want to be associated with them, after that. He admits that it got attention. Haruhi notices the lack of Mikuru. (If she weren't still in high school, I might say "downing some Asahi", but...) Kyon speculates to himself that she might not show up again, and hopes she wasn't too traumatized. Haruhi asks why she didn't come, and notes that she even got a new outfit for her. Kyon tells her to wear it, then. She says she will, but thinks it's no fun if Mikuru isn't there. Kyon thinks, but doesn't say, that maybe Yuki should wear it; she probably wouldn't complain, and he'd like to see, himself.

Haruhi complains about the lack of activity. She thinks everyone's keeping their mysteries to themselves. Kyon thinks to himself that there just aren't enough mysteries in a normal high school like theirs that they'd get an immediate response. He internally psychoanalyzes her, thinking it'd be good for her to find a guy, or join a sports team. She leaves. He starts to leave, as well, when Yuki asks if he read it. He doesn't know what she means until she tells him "Book." He hasn't, and asks if he should return it. She says it won't be necessary. Kyon tells us that she avoids the pitfalls of idle conversation. She urges him, albeit emotionlessly, to read it as soon as he gets home. He says he will, and she goes back to reading.

He gets home, and flips through it. As he does, a bookmark falls out. It says, "I'll wait at the park across Kouyouen Station at 7."

As he rushes for the door, a little girl with a popsicle asks where he's going. He says he's meeting someone at the station, and tells her not to talk with her mouth full.

Yuki is seated on the lit end of a bench. A bicycle is heard, and she stands. He apologizes, and asks if today was the day. She nods. He asks if she waited yesterday. She nods. He asks why she chose that location. She says to follow her.

They go to a building, ride the elevator, and go to some room with a kotatsu. Kyon is seated at it, and Yuki, having brought something, is seated there, as well. Kyon asks about her folks. She responds that they aren't there. He wonders if they stepped out. Yuki clarifies that she is the only one who was ever there. She pours them hot tea as he asks what she wanted to see him about. She serves him, and tells him to drink. He sips, and asks if it's good. He says it is, and thanks her. She pours some more, and he drinks it. She pours some more... he's getting full. He asks again why he's there. She lets on that it's about Haruhi... and Yuki herself. Yuki is trying to find the words, but it's difficult, which may result in errors. She relates that they're not ordinary human beings. Kyon says he already figured it out, but Yuki didn't mean that they lack universally-accepted personality traits, but the fact that she was created by the Data Integration Thought Entity, which runs the galaxy, for the purpose of interfacing with organic life forms. In layman's terms, she would be considered an alien. He takes some time to process this.

I guess that's enough exposition for this episode, and we'll find out about Haruhi herself in another one, as it's time for...

("Hare Hare Yukai")

Next time: We're changing discs! It's The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya!

edited 4th Dec '10 10:08:18 PM by Nyperold

Wasn't it THIEF, not Thief?

Hmm. Yeah, it seems like that may have been the case. I'll edit it.