As the song goes: She's got the whooooole world ..... in her hand. Somehow, this does NOT reassure me. Credit: Noizi Ito, Kyoto Animation

The Sexual Harassment of Haruhi Suzumiya or Now I Get It!

Perhaps I’m a bit slow on the uptake. Heck, sometimes it takes a looong time before I figure something out.

Some time ago I wrote a three part article The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya. In the first part I mentioned how taken aback I was over some scenes in episodes 01, 02 & 03. I still hold to the same reservations but now I more fully understand as to what it’s about.

I originally thought it had to do with some kind of wierd Japanese sexual humor. I now see they were nothing more than satiric pokes at the anime trope known as moe’. It’s nothing more than the title characters’ way (Being the pushy, inconsiderate ASS she can be.) of pointing out some of the Mikuru characters’ moe’ aspects. In this case, cute, tiny, and uh ….. generous secondary female characteristics. Still, it could have been handled differently (Being as I’m from Ohio & not ohayo, I like my women real & of legal age.).

While Mikuru is moe’, Haruhi is definitely Moe Howard!

Article copyright © 3-24-2011 Jay Agan

This article originally published at http://jaysteevee.blogspot.com/

Here are some Haruhi goodies I found on You Tube:

While our anime marketers usually leave the opening/closing numbers alone, it seems the Russians like to re-dub them in their own language.

Here’s the Russian version of God Knows.

These are in Russian with “gratuitous” English in order to preserve their Japanese character (Eyes cross, brain siezes up.).

Here’s a couple unrelated ones for the opening/closing of the second season. Quite funny as seemingly no editing was needed. They just “fell in” on their own.

K-On! is one of those girly little animes I know absolutely nothing about. As a child of the Cold War, if anyone told me 20 years ago I’d be chuckling over something to do with the Soviet anthem, I’d have told him he was nuts!

Here’s an Azumanga one you’ve probably seen before.

"Let's see ..... Excedrin? Qualude? Cyanide maybe?" Credit: Kyoto Animation

Just Who IS This Guy? The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 3

In this installment I’ll go into what I think is the biggest head whack of all in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. No it’s not Endless Eight. While a bold experiment, it fell rather flat with the fans in Japan (So much so, Aya Hirano & the studio made a public apology.). A lot of U.S. fans weren’t too happy with it either. Eight eps (Weeks?) of the “same” thing? Could have been worse. Be glad it wasn’t Endless EighTEEN! Maybe Kyoto Animation could come up with a “third” season. Take out 5 or 6 of Endless Eight, replacing them with eps from an untouched story arc(s) from the light novels.

For me, the biggest trip/mystery of the series is that Kyon person.

Who IS this guy? Kyon (A nickname given him by an unseen grandparent.) isn’t even his real name. No older relations are ever seen (Adults being peripheral, at best, in this series.). His little sister doesn’t have a name at all (Every one else refers to her as “little sister”. Even in the closing credits.)

Though not the title character, he is the main one. As “narrator”, everything is seen from his POV, filling in & keeping things rolling.

You’re not sure at times if he’s narrating, thinking, talking to someone, or just mumbling/whining to himself. These things run/meld into each other. It always takes me aback when another character unexpectedly replies. (Itsuke claims an inability to read minds & it’s not certain Haruhi can either. At times they “respond” when it seems Kyon wasn’t talking to anyone at all.)

Sometimes he acts surprised when something strange happens. Other times not. Does he know more than what he lets on? Is he really the hapless mortal he’s playing?

In spite of his “ordinaryness”, he figures greatly in Haruhis’ scheme of things. He did, after all, get the ball rolling (ep 1) when he suggested she (who must be obeyed) be more of a mover & shaker in life. (Coming from a guy who wanted to coast & slide through life, don’t you find that a bit…..odd?) For some reason she has “chosen” him & her jealousy is, at times, evident.

Kyon is the only one who stands up to Haruhi. The others are “forced” to go along as they’re observers for their respective factions (Could they actually be there to observe Kyon & not Haruhi?). In spite of Haruhis’ self centered obnoxiousness, she actually listens to him & takes his advice…..sometimes.

I wonder about this guy. Is he more of a force in the proceedings than we’re led to believe? (Here’s a guy who had all given up on anything wondrous happening in life, reduced to a jaded cynic (ep 1), only to have “IT!” dropped right in his lap.) Could he be the one making things happen & not Haruhi? Is this all nothing more than some fantastic form of (sub)concious wish fullfilment on his part?

Maybe I’m thinking too much. When it comes down to it, it’ only a “cartoon”, right, right?

Article copyright © 10-22-10 Jay Agan

This article originally published at http://jaysteevee.blogspot.com/

The "gang of five" with Kyon having a Maalox moment.

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya, Pt. 1

by

Jay Agan

When The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya first came out, I paid no mind. On the surface it looked like another of those countless moe/schoolgirl shows giving anime a bad name. I’m not into this type of sub-genre & the only Moe I’m a fan of is a one Mr. Howard of an ancient comedy trio you young-uns hardly know about. Not caring for any of that rule 34/jailbait fodder, I gave it a pass (I like my women real & of legal age. Some of you folks make me wonder.)

I figured it was also a Scooby Doo rip-off: Out of control little control freak forms an after school club investigating psychic phenomena & weird happenings. Ho-hum. Later, in passing, I read that three of the four she “forcibly” inducts into the club, are the very people she’s looking for. An esper, a time traveler, & an alien. A Scooby Doo rip-off with a twist. More ho-hum.

Leafing through a copy of Anime Rough Guide, I read a more concise brief about this show on p.227. Seems the title character is (unknowingly)……GOD! Oh? And it’s up to her four “friends” to see she doesn’t get bored &/or disturbed overmuch. Otherwise existance gets wiped & replaced with something else (Some theorize that “something else” was Lucky Star.). Attention Deficit Disorder was also mentioned. O….K….

As an ex-divinity student (I’m not a people person.), I got interested. If a story has a subject I find intrigueing I’m willing to let some things slide. I filed the show in the back of my mind & went my rollicking way. A few weeks later found me at the VGMX on Smokey Row in Columbus stoogeing around for flix (They actually had some Mexican horror films!). In the anime section I found the ep 00-03 disc of the first season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. 9.95 used, I snapped it up.

On viewing, I was pleasantly surprised to find not only is it a satire on theology & metaphysics, but also a multilevel elbow jab at:

1. Anime in general.

2. Various types of anime sub-genres/fans/”fetishes”.

3. Itself. (It is an anime, after all.)

A review of the principal “cast” pretty much sums up the plot as much as anything else.

Irritating, laid back esper, Itsuke Koizumi: Some in his organisation believes the title character to be God. Or at least someone with god-like powers. Main task is to undo/prevent some of the “damage” when Haruhi goes off the deep end.

Dead pan alien, Yuki Nagato: Humanoid interface/physical extension of the Integrated Data Entity observing this galaxy. Powers similar to Haruhis’ but can only manipulate data/reality already existant (Haruhi can create it out of nothing.). Believes Haruhi to be possible key to her/its own “evolution”. Also does “damage control”. Lots of it!

Nervous time traveler, Traci Lords……er, uh,….. Mikuru Asahina: Sent by her group to find out why they can’t go beyond a point three years in the past. Believe Haruhi to be the cause.

Put-upon Kyon: The poor slob who pays & pays for the mistake of putting a bug in Haruhis’ ear about her getting more pro-active in her life. And unfortunately, his & everyone elses’ as well.

Oblivious diety, Haruhi Suzumiya, (aka Goddess Dingbat): Literal center of the universe. Doesn’t know she’s God, but thats never stopped her.

I would like to conclude this first part, with a caveat. Some scenes in eps 01-03 are inappropriate for children. Wether Haruhi swings both ways or is just testing Kyon (He intervenes.), sexual harrassment, no matter who does it, is not a laughing matter. At first, I thought I was going to have to toss this. As not much is shown & Kyon mans up & intervenes, I let this slide. (In later eps. the title character just seems to regard Mikuru as a very unwilling dress-up doll. Then again what’s up with that ear bite in ep. 07? Some wranglers do that to control horses.)

Next installment will be a listing of the little “head trips” I found in this series. “See” you then……

Article copyright © 10-1-2010 Jay Agan

This article first appeared on jaysteevee.blogspot.com