Haruhi finishes her movie.

Impressions:

This episode was really good I thought a great end to the movie arc. The one thing that just absolutely surprised me though, in this episode, was the amount of talk between Kyon and the supernaturals about not trusting each other. There was a lot of talk about how they didn’t believe each other’s theories, things like Koizumi telling Kyon not to trust Mikuru because she is getting close to him because it’s her job. Things like Mikuru saying he doesn’t trust Koizumi and he may lie, and then even Yuki basically saying there is no point in her telling him anything because she may be lying to him. This really seems to be the first case where there has been this much distrust amongst them or at least the first time they have shown such differences in their opinion and how those differences may mean more than simply believing something else, it means not trusting them and casting suspicions. I just wish they had time to explore something like that issue further.

I absolutely loved the end. Kyon telling Haruhi pretty much the truth about Mikuru, Koizumi, and Yuki and then having her just not believe him because it was too easy was hilarious I thought. Of course it’s not like he told her about her being a god or anything, but still pretty much telling Haruhi this very important information an just having her simply not believe him because it’s too easy was hilarious. This episode had a lot of really funny and great moments. I loved the whole thing with Shamisen. The fact that the cat actually talked and how he was actually making these almost philosophical questions about human conversation and the likes was very funny.

Final Thoughts:

Oh Haruhi….This season has been just so….interesting. It’s no secret that it has been one of the most ridiculous things to ever happen in anime for them to actually air eight episodes that were all the exact same thing except for five minutes at the end. The Endless Eight arc was pathetic. With it, it’s just put this huge scar on the whole Haruhi series. It was just so disappointing waiting almost three years for this season only to have over half of it be just nothing.

This season wasn’t all horrible. However there still seemed to be something off about it. Even the better parts of the season weren’t quite as good or didn’t have the impact as the first. However, I still have to give credit to Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody and then the movie arc. The whole season wasn’t too bad. It was really cool seeing in Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody that Kyon and Haruhi basically have a connection that far back and that he was a part of some of her pranks. I really wish they would have expanded that more. It seemed like something that was important enough to impact things a bit more, but there are always the books for that. And although it seems like it’s actually quite long for what it did, there were still a lot of good parts to the movie production arc, plus just the fact that you got to see what went into the movie, which was already a part of the first season, was good too. Plus things like Mikuru’s laser actually working and the cat talking were just hilarious.

It’s hard to describe exactly why, but really to me the “Haruhi” series will always be just the first 14 episodes. Even without the Endless Eight arc weighing down this season, and although I liked a lot of things about the movie arc and so on, there was just something about this season that didn’t quite live up to the previous one. Sure some of it may be attributed to the fact that when the first season aired everything was new, but there are plenty of other series that have multiple seasons and I still like them both or all, and effectively consider all seasons part of this series. However here, it’s not the quality of the episodes it’s really more the feel of them. There was just something off about this season. It was too different from the previous one. The first season will always be what I consider the entire “Haruhi” series to really be.

Kyon gets angry at the way Haruhi is treating Mikuru during the shooting of her movie.

Impressions:

Wow…this episode seemed huge. I mean, the previous episodes after the certain arc which shall not be named were all pretty good, but honestly they were just about average. However, the previous episodes at most had the excitement and drama limited to one small event of Haruhi’s influence like the contact lens. However here we have a HUGE almost falling out between Haruhi and Kyon. This is really the closest the show has gotten o have a fight between Haruhi and Kyon. I mean it really felt like there would be an episode or several where the two didn’t talk to each other and it would cause all sorts of problems. This wasn’t a little argument, it really got heated and it was really interesting to see.

I have to say I really loved the bit at the end where Kyon walks in on Haruhi trying out a pony-tail look again. It’s just such a perfect scene that exemplifies this weird relationship between the two of them. That scene alone seems to just say so much, how Haruhi is bossy and selfish, but while at the same time hurt and depressed that someone she cares about, Kyon, would go against her like that. She obviously cares about him from the fact she was doing that, because she knew he likes it. It was just so funny but at the same time kind of sweet and charming. The sad thing is they will never likely show much more than that, even though I think it would be great to see it.

Haruhi continues to push Mikuru to perform better in the movie and her influence causes things to get dangerous.

Impressions:

I thought this episode was great. Even without any huge enormous disasters impending, I think they are doing a good enough job showing the characters and utilizing quirks about them that it makes the episode fine. There is just something about seeing Mikuru get bullied and embarrassed that is just fun to watch. Although it sounds kind of mean, and probably is, it’s also true. She’s just so much cuter when she is in distress, and considering Haruhi, she is in distress a lot, which of course is a good thing for the viewers.

I’m curious what, if anything else will be affected by Haruhi’s powers for the movie. I remember back when the movie episode actually aired ho there was something odd about the lasers and people were saying they were real, but I don’t really remember anything else. Either something happens and it doesn’t make it into the filming of the movie or it was just something not mentioned or portrayed in that episode, but I would hope there are a bit more. While this episode is great as it is I think it would be even better with more moments like they had when Mikuru suddenly shot out the beam and everyone kind of freaked out.

Haruhi forces Mikuru to wear her movie costumes out in public as they begin shooting.

Impressions:

Although this episode arc still hasn’t done anything too drastic, no Haruhi absolutely flipping out or even apparently using any of her powers to affect things, I’m still finding it fun to watch. I was kind of expecting they would have some more serious moments left with the few episodes remaining, having Haruhi’s powers actually affect something. Generally it seems like some of the bigger moments have something to do with her but so far, although fun, the process of making the movie seems to have very little to do with Haruhi having these abilities or this influence and much more about her simply being kind of wild and not taking “no” for an answer. I really hope they have something like that in the remaining episodes. Even if it doesn’t necessarily involve the arc of making the movie, if it’s one or two episodes after that, I still think it would be good.

Now, as I said, even though this episode arc doesn’t have any serious things going on, it’s still very fun to watch. I just loved Mikuru’s reaction to having to wear the costumes and the fact that Haruhi didn’t see any reason why she shouldn’t go out in public like that. I feel so sorry for Mikuru sometimes, but it’s very fun to watch when that feeling appears. What I’m hoping above all else for this story arc now, not necessarily Haruhi’s powers affecting something, but simply us seeing enough new things. It would be different if we didn’t see how this movie turned out or something, but we do so for these episodes to really matter it needs to show us some of the behind the scenes stuff that we don’t know about.

Haruhi comes up with the idea to put on a movie for the upcoming School Festival.

Impressions:

I think this episode could have really been just about anything and I would have still really liked it, mainly as long as it wasn’t the same exact damn episode I’ve already seen half a dozen times. However even without taking that into consideration I still thought the episode was pretty good.

I’m curious as to what, if any problems or drama they are going to run into in their preparation for the movie. I mean, we obviously know they pull it off, seeing as how the episode was the first one aired in the original season, but they never really showed much about the events leading to it. Obviously this is what this episode was about, and what the next ones to come are going to be about but whether or not it’s just light hearted fun of them forcing Mikuru to do these weird thing or if something more interesting and exciting happens is still unknown. I would have, eight episodes ago, said I’d be fine with this season having some episodes where nothing huge happens and it’s just fun, but after the whole fiasco of the arc that shall not be named I’m hoping they put a bit more into the few episodes they have left.

Kyon goes through the same damn…….wait….IT FINALLY CHANGES!

Impressions:

FINALLY. Oh Dear GOD, FINALLY! It is a sad and pathetic feeling to be just overjoyed and relieved when something like Kyon finally saying something happens. I mean, wow. When Kyon got up, like he usually did and bitched about this feeling having happened again I was waiting with baited breath if he would finally do something. When he shouted out that he hadn’t finished his list, it was just amazing. Sad, but amazing. A show shouldn’t ever have that kind of situation where a viewer is relieved when the show doesn’t do the same thing it’s done almost a dozen times. I was just so glad and so relieved it was finally over…

I’m not going to say this much, because obviously others feel the same way and it’s just so pathetic of a great series like this to fall down like that. This whole arc was pathetic. It was nowhere near worth it to have this many episodes only to amount to something so trivial and just unimportant. I mean my god. It wouldn’t have even been worth it for this whole thing to have been four episodes. At least they could have shown something different in each episode, even if it still repeated. I mean, they could have still had the fact that things were repeating but have one episode show a couple more minutes of some activity, and then the next have another activity be shown and elaborate. It still would have been preferred to have none of this e an issue, and not repeat the thing so many times and take so many episodes up; still, it would have made it more tolerable if they varied it. SO MANY EPISODES WASTED! They just sure as hell better do better with the five episodes they have left.

What the hell do you think happens? It’s….the same damn thing…AGAIN!

Impressions:

Again, I’m not going to even say anything. This is ridiculous. I guess there’s only one more episode to go…

What the hell do you think happens? It’s….the same damn thing…

Impressions:

There really is nothing more to say on this…tragedy. It’s obviously going to end up being eight episodes. If only they had changed those eight episodes up more, even if it still reset it would be more bearable, but now…this is just ridiculous. At least show certain activities more detail different times or something, damnit this sucks. They are just wasting so many episodes on what could have been so much better.

AGAIN, Kyon goes through the same damn thing.

Impressions:

Ok, what is this some sick cruel joke played on the fans of Haruhi? What the fuck is this. This is the fifth time we are seeing this stuff, and a sixth to come, and even that is assuming it ends on the next episode. What the fuck. They spent half of the damn episodes of this new season doing what could have been done in two or three. It’s just getting me mad. There’s no reason for this. I have no more to write on this matter. It sure as hell better end on the next episode or I’ll be pissed just for the fact there won’t be very many other episodes. If the series were extended to 16 or 17 episodes and had these, I wouldn’t mind, but this repetition is eating into the time for original episode. Original not meaning they weren’t in the novel, but original as in we haven’t seen them animated a dozen times already…GAH!

Ok, I’m going to be extremely optimistic and hope the next episode ends it. From what I concluded the cause of all this, what Haruhi wants to do may boil down to the following. In the previous episode there were some weird flashes of Kyon in the theatre, seeing Haruhi as the girl talking to a guy on the beach. They showed an airplane flying in the background when they first met, then focused on that plane during the movie scene. Then, they showed it near the end. It could have something to do with Haruhi wanting to go the beach, or some kind of date with Kyon but that seems too out of place. Considering we’ve seen everyone after this all happens timeline wise, there isn’t much of a change in their relationship for something like that to happen. It could have something to do with the plane, like a trip, but that seems to not fit either. It can’t be something that’s just another activity; it has to be kind of outside the box. Before that scene of flashes I thought it maybe had something to do with the homework. They always show Kyon mention something about his homework at the end, and have always shown him asking Haruhi, maybe something along the line of a clichéd anime thing where friends all gather at one house and do it together and such. Whatever… I think it has something to do with the plane more, just because it was shown at the end of last episode in Kyon’s notebook and it appeared several times throughout the episode, like a little clue you have to catch.

Kyon goes through Haruhi’s two week repetition again, again.

Impressions:

Damnit, I was really hoping it would end here. I said before how it would have been fine for it to even have ended last episode, but this episode was pushing it a little. Now, it’s not even ending here. It’s ridiculous. It’s one thing to have the arc run that long, but to have it run that long but not show us anything different is an entirely other matter. There is no excuse…