The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Episode Count 28 (14 in Season 1)
Season Spring 2006
Genres Comedy, School, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Source Material Light Novel
Rating TBD
Streaming TBD

How the hell do you talk to someone about Haruhi Suzumiya?

That's a challenge in itself, because it represents so much in the anime space. It was the series that put Kyoto Animation on the map for many, it launched the careers of multiple famous seiyuu (Aya Hirano, Tomokazu Sugita, Minori Chihara, Daisuke Ono, etc), it set the stage for the light novel boom of the following decade-running, and it was itself a juggernaut of merchandising and cultural presence we only see sparingly today.

Haruhi Suzumiya was the culture in the mid-00s. It was everywhere, and much of what came after can draw a line back to it. That much cannot be understated.

So the question, I suppose, is this: why watch Haruhi Suzumiya in a culture that's forgotten about it? In the modern day, where everything has taken a cue from it in some way, shape or form to the point where it fell behind the curve of pop culture?

Well... because there's still nothing quite like it.

Haruhi is a lot of things. A quirky high school comedy, an urban fantasy sci/fi adventure, a slice-of-life vibes show, a time-loop story, a thoughtful character drama; hell, it even becomes a murder mystery at one point.

But what it always is, is unique. There is a vibe and a style here that no other anime, before or since, has been able to capture. It's Kyoto Animation's first masterpiece, and that means it was a show that had something to prove. That uniqueness, that drive, and that passion are still worth your time, even today. In a world that has forgotten Haruhi Suzumiya, she only asks you to come with her... to search for all the weird and abnormal things in the world, and to have fun with them. And you absolutely should.

- CCharmanderK



“You had to have been there.” That’s all I can really say regarding the impact of Haruhi Suzumiya on the anime world in 2006. This show hit like a Mack truck and held the attention of fans the world over, which, considering this show dropped in 2006, says a helluva lot. Go to any anime convention and you would see dozens of Haruhi cosplayers with their crimson brigade leader armbands, yellow headbands, and short skirts doing that dippy dance before heading off to an industry panel. Beneath all this hype, however, Haruhi Suzumiya feels like a show that got too high off its own supply. I mean, when you start getting into HOW a show should be watched (TV broadcast order, Chronological Order, DVD order…) and when you have 8 episodes that are all pretty much the SAME EPISODE with minor changes, you get a show that has gotten too complex for its own good, and fell by the wayside to the annals of history. But for some older anime fans, we’ll remember that summer of 2006 when Haruhi Suzumiya held our attention and threatened to never let it go.

- KhakiBlueSocks



I'll let the other writers sell you on the majesty that is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. What I want to focus on is the watch order because I wanted to know how to watch this series for years given that Wikipedia lists four different orders. Either no one would help me or they gave me bad advice. Here's how it works.

The series aired 14 episodes in Spring 2006. During the next episode previews, Haruhi and Kyon would both say different numbers. Kyon was correct, because he was saying the TV broadcast order (nicknamed the "Kyon order"). However, these episodes are intentionally out of chronological order, which is the order that Haruhi was going in (nicknamed the "Haruhi order"). The Japanese DVDs mostly released in the Haruhi order but are different enough to be classified as their own order. Got all that? Great.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya had a second season ordered in 2007. Nothing in 2008. Then in 2009, during a rebroadcast of the first season, a brand new episode randomly showed up! Welcome to the 2009 rebroadcast order, 14 brand new episodes aired in combined chronological order. Everyone was excited until they found out 8 of those episodes were the exact same episode with tiny differences.

SO, here's my question for first time viewers: How many times are you willing to watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?

If your answer is "Uhh, once?", 2009 rebroadcast order. The end. It's what on Crunchyroll.

If your answer is "Yeah screw it I can watch this twice", do what I'm doing: watch the Kyon order, take a BREAK. Wait until you're itching to rewatch the series and then do the 2009 rebroadcast order. It's almost time for me!

If your answer is "I don't know", here's what I suggest: watch The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00 (episode 25 in rebroadcast order) and then watch the episodes titled The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Part One and Two (episodes 1 & 2 in rebroadcast order). By that point you'll know if you like this show. If you DON'T, then continue on the Kyon order because it will end faster. If you like it enough to watch once but not twice, then continue on the 2009 rebroadcast order. If you LOVE IT, then do whatever you want but I say do the Kyon order then rewatch it in the 2009 rebroadcast order.

If this is too confusing, then just watch it in the order on Crunchyroll (2009 rebroadcast order).

BTW throw out the DVD order and the Haruhi order since for a first time viewer the 2009 rebroadcast order replaces both.

- 0215MADman