La disparition de Haruhi Suzumiya

I love this movie to death. I started watching the anime at the beginning of 2012 once I saw the first episode online then proceeded to purchase Season One, Two and the movie. While I do love the show, it all just feels like a prologue to this movie. It all flows perfectly and really is a thank you to the fans.

I am saying this because for those who have not seen the show, I can imagine that this movie would be extremely confusing. It constantly references events from the show and interweaves certain aspects of the plot around it. This movie can still be enjoyed by people who have not seen the show but many things will be missed or misunderstood. This movie is not a stand alone piece of content. It is something that needs context to be enjoyed and that context is acquired from the show.

In short, watch both seasons of the show before watching this movie and you will discover one of the greatest movies ever made.

I have been reading "The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya" manga for quite some time now. I have seen too many remixes and fan tributes to count, so you simply have to call me a fan. I was sooo glad to finally be able to see the animated version for the first time in my life. I have to admit. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It was a million times better! This is truly one of the most wonderful and endearing films I have ever seen in my entire life. I have seen tons of movies, so that's really saying something. This also happens to be the longest animated movie I have ever seen in my entire life.

I wouldn't have had it be any shorter. If nothing else, this has shown us that animated films of any kind can be epic. Honestly, I thought this was on the same level as Miyazaki films. This is probably one of the Top 5 movies I've seen in the entire past year! I have seen so many awful movies it was such a relief to see a true masterpiece like this. The first 17 minutes are basically nothing but setting up what has already been occurring in the series. In fact, I believe Kyon himself apologizes to the audience for such a long prologue! I finally found out that the character's name is pronounced "Key-On" and not literally Kyon as I always thought.

That's what I get for not watching the stuff first! Now, I really do like to think that Haruhi is in fact God. Koizumi himself says she is kind of a God but it's just a theory of his. This movie seemed to disprove the idea that she was. I mean, Kyon himself is talking about the man upstairs and people praying to him and obviously doesn't mention Haruhi. Well, it's more or less stated that Haruhi created the universe (or possibly recreated it) so that's enough of a God for me! She's a being of immense power, okay? It's also great when the characters talk about Jesus, Muhammad and Buddha and Kyon doesn't know which to pray to! I am glad to be familiar with the source material because I understood all the references that were made to the show. You have to be a fan!

The gorgeous animation is what makes this so wonderful, among many other things. These characters just come across as so real to me. I love how the setting is so mundane when it's really a series about magical beings changing the Universe. I am a fan now and forever. The pacing in this film is absolutely perfect. I feel not like a second of this was wasted. It's a pity this isn't mainstream enough to appear in movie guides. It should be on the IMDb top 250! It's also the longest movie I've seen based on a TV show. It's a truly epic journey in every sense of the word.

The scenes in this film are amazingly intense. Kyon could just come off a stalker in this. I love how Haruhi slowly gets her old personality back. I love the idea of another character explicitly in love with her. Well, Kyon did make out with her to save the Universe. Come on, there must be something developing from that, right? It's so intense when Kyon goes nuts over hearing where Haruhi might be. I so feel for him as he argues with himself about wanting to live in a normal world. Of course he doesn't! He even admits anyone would be crazy to admit that!

It's the true devotion he shows towards Haruhi and the other characters that make this so wonderful. Asakura works great as a villain too, as the series was lacking a villain for the most part. Everything is just so beautiful with wonderful details. Kyon is perfect as a narrator. As the only non superpowered being, he is the most relatable. He even says that after all that Nagato has done (won't spoil the ending) he'll confront the alien entities to stop her from being punished. This is a wonderful and unique film in every sense of the word. ****

This is a very long movie, but in my first viewing I found it captivating until the end. I watched this before I watched the TV-Series, which compelled me to watch the TV-Series. I found the movie much better, but I must admit the TV-Series was good as well. I can confirm its possible to watch this without watching the TV-Series, but I cannot confirm this is the best way to watch the movie. The mystery keeps you glued to your seat, the only issue with not watching the TV-Series is the very end lacks punch. ON my second viewing I found the end a lot more moving, which proved this was one of those movies you can keep on re-watching. The only issue with the 2nd viewing is the mystery was gone.

This was perhaps one of the best animated feature films I've ever seen. But you don't need me to tell you that.

To start off, the animation style was pretty much identical to the anime series'. It was dazzling to see in 1080 P. I can't describe it in words, so you'll have to see it to believe it.

The music was pretty well done as well. Using a combination of songs from the anime series and some newly composed songs, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya has a impressive repertoire. The background music is fantastic, and it fits very well with each scene.

Lastly, the voice acting is amazing as well. The five original voice actors from the anime reprise their role in the movie as well. Again, you'll have to listen to it for yourself to believe it.

If you're not a fan of the Haruhi series, this movie won't change your mind. But if you're a fan of the series or are interested in the series, this movie is well worth your time.

It gets a 10/10 from me.

The movie 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' was excellent. I went into this watching it with high expectations and it still passed my expectations. If you are already a fan of the Haruhi Suzumiya series then this movie should be seen ASAP.

However, if you have not seen the Haruhi Suzumiya anime beforehand, I suggest you watch the series first. So far there are 2 seasons, each comprising of 14 episodes; making a total of 28 episodes. If possible, all 28 episodes should be seen first. If not, then you will be going into the movie relatively confused(ie. not knowing the main characters and the bulk of the storyline). However, even without seeing the series, this movie can still leave a good impression and will likely lead the viewer interested to watch the original series.

Now, for the movie. The main theme/genre and storyline of this movie tie in with the original anime series. The screenplay itself has a lot of depth and successfully portrays the uniqueness that is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This movie had me thinking for a very long time. It may even take a second view to understand the movie completely, that depends on how focused and absorbed the viewer is into the movie though. Also, I noticed that it contains "movie-like" features. For example, the scenery and atmosphere is a little different from the anime, but it is for the better. It doesn't belittle the original anime, but it strengthens the movie.

Another thing to note about this movie is its length. This movie is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes long. This could be a good and bad thing. In my case, it is a VERY good thing. For any fan of the series I'm sure the longer the movie, the better. However, some do not feel comfortable sitting through a long movie. Trust me, in this case it makes it all the better. The sheer length of the movie provides a great amount of time for story buildup and more; which makes the impact of the movie all the more greater.

All in all, a great movie with amazing screenplay and animation. Definitely worth viewing.

10/10.