by dm00
Hardback cover, paperback sticks with the single-color theme of past paperbacks
Volume five of the Suzumiya Haruhi novels, The rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya, has been out for a while now, and I finally read it. It consists of a couple of short stories, and a novella. The paperback appears to be out of print, but the hardback is available for paperback prices.
The stories are Endless eight (which only takes us through the last iteration — which is all it can do, since that’s all our narrator, Kyon, could know about to write down in his memoirs), and Day of Sagittarius, the story of the game contest with the computer club.
The novella is Snowy mountain syndrome, about a ski trip gone terribly wrong. The book has lots for Yuki and Tsuruya fans. In addition, Haruhi has mellowed a great deal and actually shows some consideration for others. It’s an excellent puzzle story, somewhat reminiscent of a Heinlein or Asimov short (you know the sort of story — it reads like the author was inspired by a Scientific American article, and writes a story about a nifty idea). Tanigawa is definitely growing as a writer.
…And it’s a bloody wasted opportunity. It advances the plot and development of the world and the characters. But the “math is hard” Barbies at Kyoto Animation chose to demonstrate their craftsmanship on eight variations of Endless eight instead of rising to the challenge of animating a story in which the resolution requires Koizumi to use a carpet as a blackboard.
Shaft could have done it, and it would have been a miracle of typography. And fanservice — the resolution of the puzzle involves a series of nocturnal visits among the cast members. Oh, it could have been wonderful.
Anyway, this series, after bobbling a bit with The sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya, just keeps getting better. I’m looking forward to the next volume.
Anyway, on to The wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya, which includes the story of “The adventures of Mikuru Asahina 00”, and has yet more for Yuki and Tsuruya fans….
dm00
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This is what I’m waiting for:
The Dai Kaiju of Haruhi Suzumiya (American release title: Haruhi vs Godzilla)- A humungous closed space forms just north of Tokyo, & something other than “blue meanies” is stomping around inside. This, as a result of Haruhi retiring after an extended bout with some bad movies & a peanut butter & anchovy pizza. Itsuke & company have more than their hands full.
I guess Kyon and company should be grateful she wasn’t watching Evangelion in her binge. Thanks for reading!
Just lent Evangelion Death & Rebirth and End of Evangelion to the chaplain of the local university. Wonder if he’ll ever want to speak to me again …..
I’m looking forward to reading this!
http://www.mangauk.com/?p=the-reappearances-of-haruhi-suzumiya
It’s great fun. The next book is also a pleasure, with a mixture of stories that have been animated and those that have not.
Thanks for reading!
This is definitely worth a watch, looking forward to the next installment.
We’re talking about the books here, but it is true that (save perhaps for a few iterations of Endless Eight) both seasons are fun. And the movie (The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya) is wonderful.
Thanks for reading!
Opinions of how they handled Endless Eight aside (I thought it was brilliant and enjoyed ever second of it), I think Snowy Mountain Syndrome would have come off as dull in animated form. I also think it’s the weakest of the stories and does little more than set up the opposition that shows up in the later books. So it’ll be necessary to animate it, when the time comes, but it’ll be a single, forgetable episode.
Oh, I’ll agree there were maybe three or four episodes of cleverness in KyoAni’s handling of Endless Eight (and one of the later episodes was excellent). I’ll even agree that some of the repetition was important as a preface to the film version of The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. But cut just one of the four or five forgettable episodes of Endless Eight and you have room for that single episode of Snowy Mountain Syndrome.
Thanks for reading!
Y’all should be glad it wasn’t Endless Eighteen!