Tweekums
As Christmas approaches life for Kyon is going on as usual
in other words Haruhi has decided what they are all doing and telling the others what their roles will be. Then one day as he walks to school he starts to notice something strange is going on; half the school seems to have a cold and he is told it has been like that for a week. Then he learns something even stranger; Haruhi isn't there, what's more nobody seems to know her; there is no SOS club and its other members have no memory of it or of any of their antics in the club. Kyon starts to think he is going crazy but then he finds a clue that will lead him to this world's Haruhi and to a point where he will have to decide whether he wants to remain in a normal world or go back to how it was with aliens, time travellers, ESPes and most importantly Haruhi.Having enjoyed 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumya', even the infamous 'endless eight' I looked forward to seeing this but was unsure about whether a two and a half hour movie would work
it did. It felt much shorter as the story is constantly interesting and I really wanted to know why the world changed and just as importantly how. There may be less laughs than the series but there is a greater sense of drama. This drama also includes a greater sense of danger which culminates in a surprisingly bloody scene; it isn't strong compared to many series but was much stronger than I expected in 'Haruhi Suzumiya'. I'm sure fans of the series will love this.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
ebiros2
This movie is not a stand alone piece, and not recommended for viewing if haven't already seen the entire "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu" TV series. You wouldn't understand why things happened the way it happens in this movie without this background information.Kyon wakes up one morning and discovers that his world have changed literally overnight. He goes to school and there is no sign of existence of Haruhi. He suspects that Haruhi did something again that changed the world, but this time his hunch turns out to be wrong. He needs to find out who and how this change was brought.Kyon thought he would have a more peaceful life without Haruhi, but he's in for a surprise when he discovers that he really isn't enjoying the "alternative" reality that excludes her existence from his life.This is a well crafted plot where many of the past Haruhi sagas are woven into this entirely new story. It gives everyone an opportunity to see what the world would be like without Haruhi Suzumiya as we know her including Haruhi herself. One thing I don't understand in this entire story is who shot the reprogramming needle towards the end of the story.This is also one of the all time best anime movie to come from Japan. Definitely worth a watch if you've been following the Haruhi Suzumiya series.
Ataru Moroboshi
Having liked the original series of Haruhi, but hated the second (thanks to the truly dreadful 'Endless Eight' storyline) I came to the movie not knowing what to expect.The storyline, what little of it there is, is basically summed up in the movie's title. Haruhi disappears, and it's up to Kyon to figure out what has happened. It feels like an episode of the TV series but stretched. Very stretched. The movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, surely some sort of anime record, and it's incredibly slow from start to finish. It would have been trivial to have cut a good hour out and lost nothing from the story.Cutting out an hour however, would have removed so much of the beautiful animation. Perhaps the absurd amount of frame and background re-use Kyoto Animation got away with in Haruhi Series 2 gave them cash to burn, as this is a wonderful looking production. Animation is great throughout, and while many of the backgrounds are very obviously re- touched photos, they still often look very nice.Bizarrely for a movie about Haruhi Suzumiya, she's hardly in it, as the story revolves entirely around Kyon. Nagato shows up though, and is as dull and boring as ever. Quite how such a tedious character could ever been green lit continues to amaze me. Once it was all over I left still unsure about the whole Haruhi thing. This movie must have cost a fortune but had a weak storyline told at a snail's pace, but it had it's moments all the same.
korean-dude
The movie 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' was excellent. I went into this watching it with high expectations and it still passed my expectations. If you are already a fan of the Haruhi Suzumiya series then this movie should be seen ASAP.However, if you have not seen the Haruhi Suzumiya anime beforehand, I suggest you watch the series first. So far there are 2 seasons, each comprising of 14 episodes; making a total of 28 episodes. If possible, all 28 episodes should be seen first. If not, then you will be going into the movie relatively confused(ie. not knowing the main characters and the bulk of the storyline). However, even without seeing the series, this movie can still leave a good impression and will likely lead the viewer interested to watch the original series.Now, for the movie. The main theme/genre and storyline of this movie tie in with the original anime series. The screenplay itself has a lot of depth and successfully portrays the uniqueness that is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This movie had me thinking for a very long time. It may even take a second view to understand the movie completely, that depends on how focused and absorbed the viewer is into the movie though. Also, I noticed that it contains "movie-like" features. For example, the scenery and atmosphere is a little different from the anime, but it is for the better. It doesn't belittle the original anime, but it strengthens the movie.Another thing to note about this movie is its length. This movie is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes long. This could be a good and bad thing. In my case, it is a VERY good thing. For any fan of the series I'm sure the longer the movie, the better. However, some do not feel comfortable sitting through a long movie. Trust me, in this case it makes it all the better. The sheer length of the movie provides a great amount of time for story buildup and more; which makes the impact of the movie all the more greater.All in all, a great movie with amazing screenplay and animation. Definitely worth viewing.10/10.
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