The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya...wtf?

[Callos_DeTerran]

Alright, I can't take it anymore! What the fudge is 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'? What's it about? Why should I watch it? Hell, WHERE could I watch it if I was so inclined?

I've been seeing it pop up frickin everywhere and I have no idea what it is! Or even why people like it! And now theres a second one?! Somebody explain to me what the hell this new forum fad is about before I pop a brain vessel! (Though I may have already have if I used chat-speak in the thread na *hits the ground*)

So please...somebody explain this thing to me.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Chill, friend. Chill. It's a cartoon from Japan, which is bizarrely superpopular on both sides of the Pacific. Not that it's surprising that it's popular, I mean, just that the degree to which it caught on is rather insane.

Anyway, in technical details, it's a 14-episode seinen (18-30 demographic) anime series from Kyoto Animation, based on a rather longer series of illustrated novellas by Nagaru Tanigawa. Roughly, it's a slice-of-life sitcom about a hyperactive high school student named Haruhi Suzumiya, narrated in snarky, fourth-wall-hating fashion by her friend Kyon. There's a lot more to it than that, and you can expect some paranormal or sci fi elements to come in, but if I tell you details, it'll be spoilers.

We have a whole big thread about it, but it's rather unfriendly and confusing to outsiders, so I recommend finding a place to view the anime and appreciate a nice, well-written, hilariously funny and beautifully-drawn show that may or may not live up to the massive hype. Alternatively, you can read fan-translations of the novellas here (http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Suzumiya_Haruhi).

Really, I'm rather surprised you haven't heard all about it yet. It's been the king of anime culture for the last year and a half or so.

[kamikasei]

What (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=the+melancholy+of+haruhi+suzumiya&btnG=Google+Search) is (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Melancholy_of_Haruhi_Suzumiya_(anime)) it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruhi_Suzumiya_%28franchise%29)?

It started out as a series of light novels (short books with illustrations). Then there was an anime adaptation. Now there's another one due, hopefully, soon. I believe the whole first season is available in dubbed and subbed DVD form now, if you look on Amazon perhaps. Otherwise there are of course a variety of ways of obtaining any media before its official release. The novels are being translated (http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Suzumiya_Haruhi).

It's good. It's funny. It's hard to describe. Haruhi Suzumiya is at the centre of it, but she's not our viewpoint character. It's very strange and mixes a lot of styles and genres together along with a ton of references. It's also very Genre Savvy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenreSavvy). The anime consists of 1314 (I am an idiot) episodes aired out of chronological order (or rather: five episodes are the core story and are aired in order, but mixed in with other episodes with are set at various points after the main arc). The first episode is not much like the rest, and mostly makes sense in retrospect.

It's a bad idea to describe it too much because it works best with minimal expectations. I suggest you just find a copy somewhere and watch it.

[Frosty]

Wikipedia and TVtropes to the rescue!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Melancholy_of_Haruhi_Suzumiya_(anime)
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuzumiyaHaruhiNoYuutsu?from=Main.MelancholyOfHaruh iSuzumiya

[Callos_DeTerran]

Chill, friend. Chill. It's a cartoon from Japan, which is bizarrely superpopular on both sides of the Pacific. Not that it's surprising that it's popular, I mean, just that the degree to which it caught on is rather insane.

Anyway, in technical details, it's a 14-episode seinen (18-30 demographic) anime series from Kyoto Animation, based on a rather longer series of illustrated novellas by Nagaru Tanigawa. Roughly, it's a slice-of-life sitcom about a hyperactive high school student named Haruhi Suzumiya, narrated in snarky, fourth-wall-hating fashion by her friend Kyon. There's a lot more to it than that, and you can expect some paranormal or sci fi elements to come in, but if I tell you details, it'll be spoilers.

We have a whole big thread about it, but it's rather unfriendly and confusing to outsiders, so I recommend finding a place to view the anime and appreciate a nice, well-written, hilariously funny and beautifully-drawn show that may or may not live up to the massive hype. Alternatively, you can read fan-translations of the novellas here (http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Suzumiya_Haruhi).

Really, I'm rather surprised you haven't heard all about it yet. It's been the king of anime culture for the last year and a half or so.

*Twitchtwitch* My anime exposure purely comes from the series that I chose to watch or that catch my eye. This one apparently has not but it's nice to know to expect tMoHS related things at the anime convention I'm going too.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Oooooh yes. Oh good lord yes, expect that. If you do not see at least one group of people performing the dance from the show's end credits (http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee66/animemecha/Suzumiya.gif), you're not at an anime convention.

[Rogue 7]

...considering that there's a twenty-some-odd page thread directly above you, you could have asked there.:smalltongue:
To start, as always, let's link TVTropes. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuzumiyaHaruhiNoYuutsu) is an incredibly good anime and series of books that came out in Japan a few years ago, which got spread over here as well. Though it's pretty much unknown outside of Otaku circles, it's something of a phenomenon, but I find that's because, yes, it is that good. I won't bother with plot synopsis- you can read the TV Tropes entry for a much better one than I can give, but I'll say why I like the show. A. The characters are great. Haruhi's a bit of a controlling b****, but if you can get past that, she's got a lot of good qualities and moments of awesome. Kyon's just plain funny, and Yuki is so cool it scares me. And Tsuruya's hot, full stop. B. Great plot- the mythology that the show takes place in is great and makes a lot of sense (well, in-context anyways. Out of context it comes across as wonderfully absurd, which is always fun) C. It's freakin' hilarious. Side-splittingly hilarious. Kyon's snarkery makes for wonderful listening, and the situations that get set up are great. And also, it just looks great- it's a hugely well-animated series. And that's enough of me pimping the show. Go out and watch it. Now.

Edit: EPIC LEVEL NINJA'D!

[Nerd-o-rama]

By the way, if you actually do care about spoilers, I'd avoid the TVTropes and Wikipedia links. There's a lot in the show that's a surprise, which isn't to say it's one of those pointlessly and pretentiously confusing anime (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_%28TV_series%29)...just that there's one big twist that it's easy to take the impact out of.

[Rogue 7]

Actually, reading over the TVTropes entry, the description spoilers everything important. Can't say the same for the rest of the site, so if you start clicking around you'll find out.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Well, then they definitely improved it since the last time I was there. Or I just compulsively highlight spoiler tags, I can't really tell.

[Rogue 7]

Heck, they even lampshade it on the "You Should Know This Already" page. Along with the other shows that are inexplicably popular among tropers (Avatar, specifically, not that I'm complaining)

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Comrade Gorby: With no offense to Callos, three threads on SHnY is a bit too many. The genderswap one I didn't fold into the main thread because I see it as being as much about the GS phenomena and other fan works as anything else (plus it would have completely taken over the primary thread to the point of derailing it). The main thread is, of course, the main thread. Thusly, I will be locking this one. Please feel free to continue the conversation in the main SHnY thread.