The [xyz] of Suzumiya Haruhi

[Yamamaya]

A whole basketball stadium of Haruhi cosplayers eh?

Sounds scary.

[Bobtheduck]

The movie will be 1 hour and 15 minutes of a still picture of Haruhi, slowly fading into darkness.

Not really, but it'd be pretty hilarious if it was. It'd probably be hailed as a great work of art though, I mean, Empire is hailed as a great movie and culturally significant and all it is is eight hours of a single shot of the Empire State Building.

I think the only thing Andy Warhol had to offer was that art is whatever the crap you want it to be, and doesn't have to be personal even. Art can be mass produced, it can be somewhat thoughtless, talentless... But I digress.

Can't wait for the movie, except I don't know when it will hit a form I can watch...

[Fish and Chips]

While I wouldn't watch Empire, I might be convinced to watch a film about people watching Empire.

I think the only thing Andy Warhol had to offer was that art is whatever the crap you want it to be, and doesn't have to be personal even. Art can be mass produced, it can be somewhat thoughtless, talentless... But I digress.

Can't wait for the movie, except I don't know when it will hit a form I can watch...

For an art class we took a trip downtown to a local gallery. Among more traditional portraits and sculptures was a 24-hour reel of a man lugging around a giant wooden elephant on wheels around suburbia.

I declined to write my interpretive on paper on it.

But back to the subject of Haruhi Suzumiya, those sales figures baffle me. And DVDs are expensive in Japan too, for bare minimum content. There's a vein of fandom here that frightens me, and it's a particularly large one.

[blkmage]

Actually, on thinking about it, the numbers seem within reason. Yeah, there's a hardcore segment of Haruhi fans that are frightening that's likely to sustain sales so that they're at least profitable. However, the numbers are nowhere near strong enough to be considered a superstar series, which Haruhi is definitely considered to be. Take a look at what the huge hits are this year: both K-ON! and Bakemonogatari sold more than four times the amount in their first week than this particular volume of Endless Eight.

Doing some very simple and rough extrapolation, that's about 75% less sales than it could have done and so the people hardcore enough to buy the DVDs are only 25% of the people who are hardcore enough to have bought DVDs before. Remember that in Japan, it's typically the otaku that buy DVDs and that a show's success lives and dies on the DVD sales. Hence, this is why shows in recent years are targeted to that demographic as opposed to trying to broaden the audience, which is why TV ratings don't matter as much.

I mean, we're comparing the numbers of a Haruhi DVD to a Hidamari Sketch OVA. Now, I like Hidamari Sketch, but I know that it's definitely not as popular as Haruhi and under normal circumstances, it definitely shouldn't be pushing sales comparable to it.

What I'm trying to say is that the number of crazies might be less than you think.

[blkmage]

So, some more information. Apparently, the break-even point for DVD sales of anime seems to be 5000 DVDs. First week sales of Haruhi in 2006 were at about 28000 and averaged out to be about 30000 for each volume. Again, 12000 is a huge drop, especially since DVD sales in Japan tend to be extremely heavy on the first week of sales. A 2008 show that had comparable numbers would be Kannagi.

Secondly, Nate was wrong, apparently, the movie will be two and a half hours (150 minutes!) [s]of Haruhi slowly fading into the background[/s]. So it looks like they'll be giving it a fairly thorough adaptation treatment.

[Roy Mustang]

Hosoda Mamoru to direct Haruhi film... NOT!

Every time I come across a news story like this, I lose a little more respect for KyoAni and Kadokawa.

Many Haruhiists are hotly anticipating the upcoming Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie, viewing it as a chance for KyoAni to make amends for the Endless Eight disaster. Recently, director Hosoda Mamoru claimed that he had been asked to direct the Disappearance film. This seems like a match made in heaven... Mamoru has already directed two popular anime films, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars, both of which are very similar in tone to Haruhi. Furthermore, many critics have hailed him as the next Hayao Miyazaki. Doesn't he seem like the perfect choice to revitalize the Haruhi franchise?

Apparently, KyoAni doesn't think so. Mamoru said that, even after he had accepted the offer, the producers decided to scrap him, apparently in favor of their own in-house directors. Meanwhile, Mamoru is already in the planning stages for his next film.

Regardless of how Disapperance turns out, a nagging question will always stick in the back of fans' minds: what if Hosoda Mamoru had directed it instead?

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Roy Mustang]

The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi trailer

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[blkmage]

Ah, I guess I should have posted that here too. Anyway, the trailer was great and brought me back to some very interesting moments when I was reading this volume half a year ago. I'm sure it'll make many people much more interested than they have been for the last few months.

[blkmage]

So, Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. I destroyed my eyes watching a horribly low quality version.

Since Haruhi is a series that generates a lot of ire, regardless of whether or not it deserves it, I feel like I need to preface my thoughts on the movie with some remarks. I watched Haruhi not too long after it aired back in 2006. At the time, it was a show that was very different from other shows at the time, in terms of both production quality and story. Yeah, some people like it and that causes them to be annoying. I'm not going to hold those people against the show, which is good.

At the same time, Kyoto Animation itself has gained some ill feelings directed towards it. Other than the second half of Clannad After Story, 2009 was not a very good year for KyoAni and their standing with people. Munto wasn't very good, K-ON! did really well but made a bunch of people rage anyway, and LOL at Haruhi's second season. I'm not going to hold this against Disappearance. To be quite honest, I'm more upset that 2009 has pretty much poisoned any conversation I try to have about the rest of Haruhi.

Now then, Disappearance is based on the fourth volume of the Haruhi light novel series. It is also the story that a lot of people consider the peak of the series, although I'm not so sure I agree. It's definitely where a lot of things really start for the series though and it is very, very good. If you enjoyed the light sci-fi stuff and were getting tired of high-school shenanigans, Disappearance will please you. Because it's not just wackiness all the time like the majority of the show, it has a different air to it.

And this is where I can understand why a lot of people are mad at Kyoto Animation. People aren't just mad that KyoAni is working on K-ON!. People are mad because KyoAni is really good at what they do and are doing things that are wasting that talent away, and this movie shows it. Instead of the action or comedy that we got in the show, we now have suspense. And so a lot of the movie is in its atmosphere.

The movie is pretty substantial, clocking in at about two hours and forty-two minutes. The first half of the movie will be most familiar, as Kyon is gathering just what's going on around him. For anyone who hasn't read the fourth volume of the light novels yet, the second half will likely surprise you. It's a fairly different take on the usual supernatural shenanigans and the cause of it will likely surprise you too.

Disappearance is really good. It's always been regarded as an excellent story and the movie is an excellent adaptation as well as being an excellent movie in its own right (unlike, say, the first Eden of the East movie). The thing is, I don't know whether I would have liked this as part of a second season of Haruhi or not. Now that I've seen it, it works really well as a movie and I can't really imagine it as a string of six or seven episodes.

And I really like Disappearance because I finally have something I can point to and say that this is the stuff in Haruhi that I enjoy. I am very glad that the stuff that we saw in the first and second seasons is mostly a dry well at this point and the remaining material is in the vein of this movie. So yes, Haruhi is very much back on the map for me, given KyoAni's excellent work. I'll be looking forward to finally seeing my favourite parts of the series in animation.

[Bobtheduck]

How's this movie doing in theaters? I was really worried during the, what I term the "Back to the Future 2" moment, but it came and went quickly. I loved this movie, and the big moment toward the end was beautiful, even if it was a bit familiar (which Kyon actually comments on)

I was really angry about endless 8, but I'm willing to pretend it doesn't exist and just love this movie. It was really the best movie I've seen in a while. I can't wait until the DVD is released for 8000 yen and we get our own version for 20 bucks a year later.

[blkmage]

The movie is doing very well. Anime movies are different in that they open on a limited number of screens, so we can't just do a simple revenue comparison. In terms of revenue per screen, Disappearance is third behind Strong World and Eva 2.0 in comparisons with other recent anime movies. As far as I've heard, it's still showing in theatres.

[Yamamaya]

So, Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. I destroyed my eyes watching a horribly low quality version.

Since Haruhi is a series that generates a lot of ire, regardless of whether or not it deserves it, I feel like I need to preface my thoughts on the movie with some remarks. I watched Haruhi not too long after it aired back in 2006. At the time, it was a show that was very different from other shows at the time, in terms of both production quality and story. Yeah, some people like it and that causes them to be annoying. I'm not going to hold those people against the show, which is good.

At the same time, Kyoto Animation itself has gained some ill feelings directed towards it. Other than the second half of Clannad After Story, 2009 was not a very good year for KyoAni and their standing with people. Munto wasn't very good, K-ON! did really well but made a bunch of people rage anyway, and LOL at Haruhi's second season. I'm not going to hold this against Disappearance. To be quite honest, I'm more upset that 2009 has pretty much poisoned any conversation I try to have about the rest of Haruhi.

Now then, Disappearance is based on the fourth volume of the Haruhi light novel series. It is also the story that a lot of people consider the peak of the series, although I'm not so sure I agree. It's definitely where a lot of things really start for the series though and it is very, very good. If you enjoyed the light sci-fi stuff and were getting tired of high-school shenanigans, Disappearance will please you. Because it's not just wackiness all the time like the majority of the show, it has a different air to it.

And this is where I can understand why a lot of people are mad at Kyoto Animation. People aren't just mad that KyoAni is working on K-ON!. People are mad because KyoAni is really good at what they do and are doing things that are wasting that talent away, and this movie shows it. Instead of the action or comedy that we got in the show, we now have suspense. And so a lot of the movie is in its atmosphere.

The movie is pretty substantial, clocking in at about two hours and forty-two minutes. The first half of the movie will be most familiar, as Kyon is gathering just what's going on around him. For anyone who hasn't read the fourth volume of the light novels yet, the second half will likely surprise you. It's a fairly different take on the usual supernatural shenanigans and the cause of it will likely surprise you too.

Disappearance is really good. It's always been regarded as an excellent story and the movie is an excellent adaptation as well as being an excellent movie in its own right (unlike, say, the first Eden of the East movie). The thing is, I don't know whether I would have liked this as part of a second season of Haruhi or not. Now that I've seen it, it works really well as a movie and I can't really imagine it as a string of six or seven episodes.

And I really like Disappearance because I finally have something I can point to and say that this is the stuff in Haruhi that I enjoy. I am very glad that the stuff that we saw in the first and second seasons is mostly a dry well at this point and the remaining material is in the vein of this movie. So yes, Haruhi is very much back on the map for me, given KyoAni's excellent work. I'll be looking forward to finally seeing my favourite parts of the series in animation.

Hmm maybe I should look up the low quality version. The only time I've sprung for one of those was Eva 2.0(trying to keep discussion of the illegality issue of it to a minimum).

Sounds very interesting. It appears KyoAni has finally cut out the crap.

[Yukio Masachita]

Whenever I hear good reviews about the Haruhi franchise, I feel dissapointed at myself for reading spoilers. I'm the kind of guy who can't take the tension of such complex stories, particularly as to why Haruhi has god-like powers, that I want to satisfy myself by reading summaries of the stories.

I'd still be interested in watching the movie though.

I have to say that the series are indeed deep, it's characters and the whole mystery around a god girl who isn't aware of her own powers and seems to have a self-contradictory belief issue and it gets more interesting as get to see the foil characters to Haruhi and the SOS Brigade.

Unless you've heard of the later light novels, I suggest you don't read this:
[spoiler]In the ninth light novel, Kyon meets a childhood friend of his named Sasaki. It later turns out she has god-like powers to manipulate reality just like Haruhi does except she is aware of them but doesn't want to change anything. She is also followed by an alien, time traveler and esper and she is aware of their backgrounds as well.

Like Haruhi, she doesn't believe in emotions, thinking their a fault in human development (My ***) yet the closed spaces she create are bright and sunny in contrast to Haruhi's gloomy and dark spaces and they have no destruction or any sort of change at all (Her not wanting change seems to contradict her view against human feelings otherwise she could rid mankind of it in a heart beat). Her group basically want Sasaki to accept and use her powers and transer Haruhi's powers to her somehow.

Having looked up the other new characters, I can see the series is becoming rather heavy of the existentialism. Sasaki and Haruhi think emotions are a "disease" and one of the characters, who is from a rival group of time travelers separate from Mikuru's, mocks addressing individuals by names and calls it pointless. Personally, hearing this makes me sick and I can see where it's heading soon...

I do want to experience the stories for myself (Watch the anime and read the novels) rather than read spoilers all the time, I just hope I won't get depressed, disturbed or anxious in the process since I'm sensitive to existential issues.

I hope the upcoming tenth novel will be the final one which uncovers the mystery behind Haruhi and Sasaki, as to who or what made them the way they are, once and for all and that it'll have a happy (but not twisted or ambiguous) ending. [/spoiler]