Series: The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzimiya – Complete Series 2
UK Release date: 4th July 2011
Distributor: Manga
Certificate: 15
Director: Takesi Koike
Genre: Anime
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Antoinette Thirgood
In this second series collection, The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzimiya continues to focus in on the strange powers Haruhi Suzimiya has and how this affects her companions, who all attend school together and have formed the SOS Brigade to investigate the mysterious events which seem to follow Miss Suzimiya around. Produced by Kyoto Animation and part of the franchise comprised of a regular TV series and also an anime film, this set continues the character development of the SOS group and combines both the fantastical and real as Suzimiya affects the plot in bizarre ways.
This DVD set is comprised of two main plot lines involving time travel and the affect Suzimiya’s subconscious has on reality. In the first development, Kyon is asked to time travel and meets the older Mikura Asahina, and has to find the time travel device or TTPD before he becomes trapped in the past with the younger Miss Asahina. This mission is a success, but as the summer holidays break, it soon becomes apparent that something strange is going on, as Kyon is struck by a mixture of strong paranoia and déjà vu , while Suzimiya instructs the gang to follow her summer itinerary of events.
The next development sees Suzimiya decide to make a movie using the SOS brigade as her cast with herself as the director. She plays on Miss Asahina’s attractiveness, using her to gain sponsorship for the film and, in general, bossing her around. She comes up with surreal ideas, often sexualising Miss Asahina. Kosumi has to explain to Kyon the consequences of Suzimiya getting carried away, as the lines between fantasy and reality again begin to blur. Kyon must again confront his feelings and concentrate on what he knows about Miss Suzimaya to save their reality.
There is also a disc with bonus anime features, such as manga versions of the main characters and shorter episodes jam packed with a different plot for each short…
The hint of romance between Kyon and Asahina is fun to watch in this series. Kyon often breaks his serious deadpan narration to exclaim his lack of control over Miss Asahina’s extreme ‘hotness’. With Miss Suzimiya insisting on playing on Miss Asahina’s sexuality and childishness and dressing her in skimpy outfits, fans of Miss Asahina will be pleased with these episodes. The plot dares to push taboos, as one episode even involves a drink being spiked and the threat of violence from Kyon, adding to suspense and revealing a darker side to Miss Suzimiya’s character.
The skill of the animators to convey emotion adds depth to the storyline, and the deadpan sense of humour which runs throughout shows the writers aren’t afraid of a little tongue-in-cheek self mockery. However, the Endless Eight section of the series leaves a little to be desired. Choosing to replay the same eight episodes under the pretence of déjà vu is a little tiring, with very little changing in the way of plot in each episode. The writers could be accused of laziness in using the same material over and over with little effort; three or four episodes would have sufficed instead.
On the ideas explored, however, viewers should not be disappointed. Miss Suzimaya’s consciousness affecting events in the other characters’ lives, such as her wish for something “unknown” that she is unhappy with, is interesting. Kosumi’s tantalising conversation with Kyon pushes him to think about why he gets annoyed with Miss Suzimaya, while also protecting Miss Asahina. It hints that we are closer to seeing Kyon admit his true feelings when he is forced to analyse his relationship with the two girls, adding a duality to the romantic plot which wasn’t there before. The appearance of a Miss Asahina from the future and the information about Nagato being able to transcend time leads to further questions on how the past, present and future will all come to fit together - there are a lot of facts discussed which have to remain “classified” and Kyon is often frustrated trying to piece it all together.
The extra features DVD is fun and shows surprising sides to the characters, some quite risqué, others enjoyable simply for the anime effects used in expressing what happens. In the main, the series has a good use of location. Mention of traditional Japanese events, such as Tanabata, and the purchase of traditional costumes and enjoying fireworks is also an interesting sideline to the main plot. Nagato and Asahina’s dress code competition on the extra features disc is a highlight.
This segment continues the development of characters well and tantalisingly reveals more about the odd collection of characters, while still leaving room for future twists and turns. The reason for Nagato, Kozumi and Asahina being there is further delved into and we also see a bit more from other characters in the school. Overall this series is a good comedy with lots of entertainment provided, often by the extreme mood swings of Miss Suzimaya. Her treatment of Miss Asahina and the romance hinted at with Kyon and the two ladies will be readily identifiable with many viewers.
Kyon’s narration pushes the plot along at a steady pace, the only criticism being the stalling altogether of events with Endless Eight, not enough is offered in variety between the plots to compensate for having to watch the same script re-play itself! An enjoyable watch but still definitely room for improvement in injecting more into the plot. What this series does do successfully is set it up well for lots more to learn about the characters in the episodes to come.
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