see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Bandai
: Anime, Comedy Anime
: 100 min.
: English, Japanese
: English
see additional details...
|
|
Kyon decided that when he started high school, he would put away his childish obsessions with aliens, psychics, and all things paranormal. Unfortunately for Kyon's plan, on the first day of school he meets the beautiful Haruhi who believes in little else! Soon, he finds himself forced into Haruhi's brand new after school club devoted to all things metaphysical, and while at first it seems like none of the other students want to talk to Haruhi about her quackery, after a while Kyon wonders if he's the only one who hasn't been recruited into her "SOS Brigade." Kyon had been hoping to put exactly these sorts of things behind him, but could it be that not participating would make him the odd man out in this strange new school? ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
|
| A Big Hit, But Unpleasant If You Take It Seriously
by wesjfrank
September 13, 2007 - 5:31 PM PDT
|
|
|
1 out of 3 members found this review helpful
|
I seldom run across an anime that falls as flat for me as this one did There are a number of anime series that combine serious drama or fantasy with traditional Japanese slapstick, sometimes jarringly so. In Ai Yori Aoshi, as one example, the main characters have a finely written love story to play, while the other characters provide over-the-top humor. Unfortunately, when one of the funniest characters tries to interact with the dramatic characters you notice what she is: a sad, drunken loser.
Melancholy takes this contradiction to an extreme. It is well-animated, with everything but the high-school girls done in a "natural" style. The central character and narrator, Kyon, is a decent fellow, rational, articulate, mature for his age. In both the Japanese and English versions of the series, his ongoing narration is engaging, funny, and thoughtful.
Haruhi, the title character, is not on stage as much as Kyon. In fact, the other characters deliberately handle the science fiction side of the story arc without her. That part of the series is excellent, visually interesting and imaginative.
When Haruhi is in a scene, unfortunately, you might wish you were watching an Animaniacs cartoon or a farce like Excel Saga, because in that context Haruhi's bizarre behavior and indifference to the feelings of everyone around her would fit.
Against the quasi-serious backdrop of Kyon's narration, Haruhi Suzumiya comes off as horrid, self-centered, and cruel. She sneers at, shouts down, and threatens everyone she meets. She lies, blackmails, steals, vandalizes, cheats, and generally behaves so obnoxiously you wonder why anyone tolerates her presence for as long it would take to flee the room. In the first episodes, after listening to a few minutes of Kyon's quiet, slice-of-life storytelling, Haruhi will begin violently abusing and bullying Mikuru, a shy female character. Given Kyon's kindly comments about Mikuru and his affection for her, you wonder why he doesn't physically intervene to protect her from what, in other circumstance, would constitute assault and sexual battery.
Of course, if you are an anime veteran, you would recognize that these are all standard tropes of Japanese comedy. On this side of the ocean, after all, who cares if Harpo Marx chases women around or the Three Stooges hit each other with hammers? Well, you might if it occurred in the middle of a scene from ER, Law & Order, or MASH. Overall, enjoying this show requires that you keep up a precise division of your suspension of disbelief between drama and comedy. Since it was a big hit in Japan, apparently the audiences found this a easier task than I did.
Much of this would be forgivable if more of the episodes were original in their comedy or if the dramatic arc developed better. Unfortunately, I don't recall a single original gag in any of the nine episodes I watched. The writers didn't seem to be trying too hard either. One episode is entirely devoted to a baseball game routine you've seen a hundred times. Another just follows Kyon as he walks down the street to fetch a space heater, with a few minutes devoted to, once again, Haruhi bullying and crudely exploiting the terminally bashful Mikuru. Then, as you wait for something interesting to occur in the last five minutes of the show, Kyon takes a nap. The science fiction side of the story livens up a couple of early episodes, but it never goes anywhere.
The relationship between Haruhi and her club members is apparently what sold the show. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya has legions of devoted fans and has won several awards for its animation.
In any review, I like to be able to tell the reader why they might like the show, even if I did not. Unfortunately, I cannot figure this one out. Kyon is an enjoyable character and I would not mind a series based just on his observations on high school life. The fantasy backdrop here would make a solid, imaginative tale on its own. However, I found myself getting irritated every time Haruhi appeared on the screen, screeching and bullying everyone around her. I looked forward to her leaving, so something entertaining could happen. That's a bad sign for any audience member, so I will leave the positive review to someone who "gets it."
|
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.67)
15 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
cHallahan
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.