I watched Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu around 2006, maybe 2007. I was a bit perplexed by the order of the episodes, yet I loved it and now I think that is the best way to watch the series, including the sequel.

Oh, the sequel…

The sequel was not something I was expecting back in 2009. It just popped up, taking fans like me by surprise (I guess I am a fan after all, but not a hardcore one.) Not only I found it much less interesting that the first season, but I also hated what they did with Endless Eight. However, I don’t hate it now. I don’t know if people who call all these weird decisions “art” are serious, but now I do think myself they’re artistic ones, but they’re also trollish. They can be both. After all, it’s a TV show. They had to work with a public in mind, and that public isn’t just the one that likes and accepts everything they’re shown. Of course people were pissed off, especially if you were a teenager.

I wanted to address Endless Eight and the overall production weirdness first, so that’s done.

Plot-wise isn’t that interesting, but the first season has at least one big interesting theme that hooked me in: the feeling that life is boring. Haruhi thinks that we as individuals probably aren’t anything special, every one of us living ordinary lives. Kyon, on the other hand, prefers a more mundane life, but at some point appreciates the daily experiences he’s been having in the SOS Brigade (excluding the paranormal stuff.) I’ve had feelings like Haruhi too in my life (never wanting anything extreme though: I don’t want to be involved in anything related to aliens, time travelers, or espers). So of course I related at least a bit to her. And the same way there’s interesting stuff happening around Haruhi without her ever being aware of it, I suspect we’re surrounded by posibilities that could make our lives more exciting. Reality is hard, of course, so we must work within our limitations. Finding aliens is hard, but creating a wacky club is completely doable!