THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA
April 13th 2012 06:06
Created by: Nagaru Tanigawa (Story) & Noizi Ito (Illustration).
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Screenplay by: Fumihiko Shimo
Producers: Atsushi Ito & Hideaki Hatta
Starring: Crispin Freeman (Kyon/John Smith), Wendee Lee (Haruhi Suzumiya), Michelle Ruff (Yuki Nagato), Stephanie Sheh (Mikuru Asahina), Johnny Yong Bosch (Itsuki Koizumi), Sam Riegel (Tanaguchi), Brianne Siddall (Kunikida), Kari Wahlgren (Kyon’s Sister/Tsuruya) & Bridget Hoffman (Ryoko Asakura)
Produced by: SOS Brigade
English Adaptation by: Kadokawa Shoten Co Ltd & Bandai Entertainment Inc in assoc with Bang Zoom!
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 164 minutes Rating: M
It could be safely said that Haruhi Suzumiya is something of a phenomenon; not only in her own world but within the real world as well. There has been the two seasons of the anime series, various light novels and manga, a manga adaptation called the Disappearance of Yuki Nagato along with a chibi anime version of Haruhi and the SOS Brigade…and no doubt there are probably others that I haven’t yet come across… Oh and let’s not forget the ASOS fan films that came as extras on the discs of the original first season of the anime, featuring Patricia Ja Lee they were an effort to promote and enhance the standing of Haruhi and crew which from what I can gather worked a real treat in terms of market response.
But perhaps after all the hype the Haruhi bubble has finally gone critical mass and imploded in on itself, much like the Japanese economy did back in the nineties in the wake of the Kobe earthquake. I’m sure that there are some serious diehard Haruhi fans out there shaking their heads at this remark and scoffing that I would even dare voice such an opinion. As I myself just remarked earlier Haruhi is a phenomenon, an ongoing one with all manner of items and products espousing her tales, adventures and message…but rain to is also an ongoing phenomenon and just because it enhances the growth of plants and is vital to survival doesn’t necessarily mean that every time it rains it’s a good thing. Look at flash flooding…or getting soaked from a sudden shower. Sadly the bubble has collapsed; Haruhi is no longer the good thing she was when she first made her appearance. And the signs were already there that this was the case…
Season two of the anime series was somewhat painful, in fact no I’ll amend that to extremely painful with the story arc endless eight. Why the studio felt it was necessary to do seven episodes of the same thing baffles me, especially when the manga explained it so succinctly in about two chapters. Perhaps they felt that the audience might not grasp what was going on after about the third repetition and needed another four just too really drive things home? Who knows…sometimes the unfathomable is best left to being just that…unfathomable. But what I hear you ask does this have to do with this particular feature? Like I say season two was the first sign, this feature is the clincher that the bubble has imploded.
In terms of production values the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a spectacular work, the quality of the animation is superb and it’s something that has been consistent throughout the first series and right into the newly released feature film. Couple with this is the truly atmospheric backing music which serves to enhance the particular moments throughout the film, the various emotional and climatic troughs and peaks which this story is peppered with. But as I have often said, and as I will continue to say great effects, great animation shots, great music are all very well but they can fall to pieces if the story isn’t all that good. And sadly the story here is somewhat confusing…
I won’t say that it’s bad, that it’s a complete waste of space but I do confess that I find it rather confusing and there were points in the film that I was just left scratching my head and wondering. If you’ve encountered the Haruhi phenomenon you’ll know what the titular character is capable of even though she’s unaware of it, if you haven’t then I’ll explain. In essence Haruhi has the ability of ultimate plot contrivance; whatever she wishes for can literally happen because the universe quite literally revolves around her. Ironically though she is completely unaware that she has this ability or the fact that gathered around her in her group the SOS Brigade are people of the kinds whom she’d most like to meet…namely aliens, time travellers and psychics.
When this film opens everything seems fairly normal…or as normal as things can be when Haruhi is involved, the gang are gearing up for the upcoming Christmas season and as usual Haruhi has some rather harebrained ideas sparking off in her head. But all is not well…not by a long shot and before our hapless protagonist Kyon can fathom what is going on he finds that his world after the passing of a single day has suddenly and irrevocably changed…and not for the best. Although it’s uncertain if can be said if things have changed for the worst or if they’ve suddenly gone all bizarro world on him.
The interesting thing is that whilst all is bizarre and strange yet at the same time somewhat familiar, after all the world hasn’t changed that drastically, there are elements that jar, that point to Kyon that he isn’t completely off his rocker. Although you can empathise with him thinking that he has lost the plot. Key element that jars is the sudden return of Ryoko Asakura, the psychotic human interface of the Data Integration Thought Entity that attempted to kill Kyon in the first season but was stopped by Yuki. Second jarring point is the source of this change…if one of the characters is so powerful that they can steal Haruhi’s abilities and rewrite reality then you have to wonder then what stopped them from using this capability especially in the situation caused by endless eight back in season two? It’s almost as if the writers were reaching for something to explain what could possibly cause such a massive paradigm shift and came up with something that in my estimation was a tad bit half baked. Or is it?
The third and final jar is the fact that for a feature film it doesn’t really end. Oh sure the drama ends, the end theme kicks in and the credits roll so technically it ends. Story wise though you get the feeling, well I certainly did, that this was just a preliminary…that there is more to come. A second feature film to tie in with this? Who knows but like I say the final moments didn’t seem right, their wasn’t really a sense of closure to this somewhat strange story. In fact there was that impending sense that there is a sequel in the works…if so I can see further confusion on the horizon. And whatever did happen to all those peeps dressed in medieval gear during the close of the second season?
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Screenplay by: Fumihiko Shimo
Producers: Atsushi Ito & Hideaki Hatta
Starring: Crispin Freeman (Kyon/John Smith), Wendee Lee (Haruhi Suzumiya), Michelle Ruff (Yuki Nagato), Stephanie Sheh (Mikuru Asahina), Johnny Yong Bosch (Itsuki Koizumi), Sam Riegel (Tanaguchi), Brianne Siddall (Kunikida), Kari Wahlgren (Kyon’s Sister/Tsuruya) & Bridget Hoffman (Ryoko Asakura)
Produced by: SOS Brigade
English Adaptation by: Kadokawa Shoten Co Ltd & Bandai Entertainment Inc in assoc with Bang Zoom!
Running Time: 164 minutes Rating: M
It could be safely said that Haruhi Suzumiya is something of a phenomenon; not only in her own world but within the real world as well. There has been the two seasons of the anime series, various light novels and manga, a manga adaptation called the Disappearance of Yuki Nagato along with a chibi anime version of Haruhi and the SOS Brigade…and no doubt there are probably others that I haven’t yet come across… Oh and let’s not forget the ASOS fan films that came as extras on the discs of the original first season of the anime, featuring Patricia Ja Lee they were an effort to promote and enhance the standing of Haruhi and crew which from what I can gather worked a real treat in terms of market response.
But perhaps after all the hype the Haruhi bubble has finally gone critical mass and imploded in on itself, much like the Japanese economy did back in the nineties in the wake of the Kobe earthquake. I’m sure that there are some serious diehard Haruhi fans out there shaking their heads at this remark and scoffing that I would even dare voice such an opinion. As I myself just remarked earlier Haruhi is a phenomenon, an ongoing one with all manner of items and products espousing her tales, adventures and message…but rain to is also an ongoing phenomenon and just because it enhances the growth of plants and is vital to survival doesn’t necessarily mean that every time it rains it’s a good thing. Look at flash flooding…or getting soaked from a sudden shower. Sadly the bubble has collapsed; Haruhi is no longer the good thing she was when she first made her appearance. And the signs were already there that this was the case…
In terms of production values the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a spectacular work, the quality of the animation is superb and it’s something that has been consistent throughout the first series and right into the newly released feature film. Couple with this is the truly atmospheric backing music which serves to enhance the particular moments throughout the film, the various emotional and climatic troughs and peaks which this story is peppered with. But as I have often said, and as I will continue to say great effects, great animation shots, great music are all very well but they can fall to pieces if the story isn’t all that good. And sadly the story here is somewhat confusing…
I won’t say that it’s bad, that it’s a complete waste of space but I do confess that I find it rather confusing and there were points in the film that I was just left scratching my head and wondering. If you’ve encountered the Haruhi phenomenon you’ll know what the titular character is capable of even though she’s unaware of it, if you haven’t then I’ll explain. In essence Haruhi has the ability of ultimate plot contrivance; whatever she wishes for can literally happen because the universe quite literally revolves around her. Ironically though she is completely unaware that she has this ability or the fact that gathered around her in her group the SOS Brigade are people of the kinds whom she’d most like to meet…namely aliens, time travellers and psychics.
When this film opens everything seems fairly normal…or as normal as things can be when Haruhi is involved, the gang are gearing up for the upcoming Christmas season and as usual Haruhi has some rather harebrained ideas sparking off in her head. But all is not well…not by a long shot and before our hapless protagonist Kyon can fathom what is going on he finds that his world after the passing of a single day has suddenly and irrevocably changed…and not for the best. Although it’s uncertain if can be said if things have changed for the worst or if they’ve suddenly gone all bizarro world on him.
The interesting thing is that whilst all is bizarre and strange yet at the same time somewhat familiar, after all the world hasn’t changed that drastically, there are elements that jar, that point to Kyon that he isn’t completely off his rocker. Although you can empathise with him thinking that he has lost the plot. Key element that jars is the sudden return of Ryoko Asakura, the psychotic human interface of the Data Integration Thought Entity that attempted to kill Kyon in the first season but was stopped by Yuki. Second jarring point is the source of this change…if one of the characters is so powerful that they can steal Haruhi’s abilities and rewrite reality then you have to wonder then what stopped them from using this capability especially in the situation caused by endless eight back in season two? It’s almost as if the writers were reaching for something to explain what could possibly cause such a massive paradigm shift and came up with something that in my estimation was a tad bit half baked. Or is it?
The third and final jar is the fact that for a feature film it doesn’t really end. Oh sure the drama ends, the end theme kicks in and the credits roll so technically it ends. Story wise though you get the feeling, well I certainly did, that this was just a preliminary…that there is more to come. A second feature film to tie in with this? Who knows but like I say the final moments didn’t seem right, their wasn’t really a sense of closure to this somewhat strange story. In fact there was that impending sense that there is a sequel in the works…if so I can see further confusion on the horizon. And whatever did happen to all those peeps dressed in medieval gear during the close of the second season?
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