Reused screen shot ftw!
Minnie: This is more of an open-ended post for discussion more than a real post, but after watching the first “new” episode of Haruhi Suzumiya, I just had to ask this question: What happen to Kyon? I don’t know if it’s just me but my lovely, sarcastic narrator feels different than before! Does anyone else feel the same way?
A couple of things I felt was different about Kyon:
♥ His hair looks slightly shorter at various shots (not that he couldn’t get a hair cut but it’s the inconsistency of it all)
♥ He makes expressions I haven’t seen before (lovey-dovey and blushes… what?)
♥ He kept thinking ’so cute’ toward Mikuru way too many times… (me no want Mikuru/Kyon!)
♥ He seems too carefree around Mikuru as well… (ditto!)
♥ A bit too obedient toward Haruhi this episode (the present and the past; isn’t he a bit more rebellious?)
♥ Half the time I feel like things he usually thinks in his head are said out loud and vice versa (maybe it’s the subs?)
♥ Last but not least, is it just me or is Kyon more accepting toward the whole play on Koizumi/Kyon thing? (or is it the various yaoi fangirls infecting my mind again)
Maybe it’s because I love Kyon too much and being nitpicky here but I just feel that my Kyon is not the same anymore. 
I’m probably overthinking this but oh well~ Aside from that, this first new Haruhi episode is pretty solid and plot-driven which I like, but the BGM is distracting and the animation is not up to par to the first season! Let’s wait until the second episode until we pass judgment on it okay? Stay tune for my fellow blogger Koala/Garrick’s episodic post on his favorite anime.
Absolutely none of that sounds new. Rewatch the first season or something, and open your eyes this time.
Oh, and the animation is easily up to par with the first season, and you are fucking insane for saying otherwise.
Someone sounds like a delusional KyoAni fanboy.
Ignore rude people, Minnie. Or simply delete comments. I do that sometimes.
Moving on, you are absolutely right about the animation quality. I am quite surprised at how KyoAni is not spending all its money on animation quality for its first second season episode. Then again, it might be the streaming. I don’t have time to download the episode to check though. We can ask Miken since she downloads episodes.
In regards to Kyon, he feels off during that one scene where Mikuru drops him that note. He is not acting very Kyon-like with the blushing, the smiling, etc. He acted more like a fanboy *cough* which is a disappointment. However, if you must be happy at something for Kyon, he became more like himself again once he met middle-school Haruhi. Maybe Haruhi activates the Kyon we know and love while Mikuru turns it off? That is possible. Oh and I totally noticed the hair thing you said! It’s not just you.
Just in case you haven’t figured it out- lots of Mikuru this episode made me happy!
Also, I can’t wait for Garrick’s review!
I know Steve. People who matter don’t care and people who care don’t matter.
It’s hard typing a negative post in a polite, intelligent manner, only to get responses like that. I’m glad you agree on many of my points though. It’s not just me being a Kyon fangirl after all! We’ll ask Miken about quality later then? And yes, I knew you would be happy to see Mikuru with so much screen time! 
I can’t wait for his insanely long review either. ^_^
well.. isn’t the animation kind of K-On-ish?
Well, that’s all I have to say about this new episode. I wasn’t happy with the animation here, but at least, it brough Haruhi back for all hardcore Haruhi fans <.<’
I also don’t want a Mikuru/Kyon.. I got for Itsuki/Mikuru though x3
(Mimiko’s back a while.. though BUSY.. damn exam… <.<’)
@Minnie: I don’t care if you’re right or wrong regarding digitalboy, but using polite and intelligent to describe your own post is far more annoying than anything he said.
His rhetorical choices notwithstanding, I think digitalboy’s correct that most of the features you’re complaining about were all present in the original series — not the least Kyon’s attraction to Mikuru in both her forms. As to Kyon/Izumi, I don’t think any situation arose in which Kyon’s old “you’re too close” was necessary.
I’m not sure about the animation quality, I don’t seem to be very sensitive to that (and a lot might be blamed on the quality of your source). But to some degree, Kyoto Animation raised the bar on animation with some of the series they produced around the time they made Haruhi, and now we take that new standard for granted. Haruhi herself was not as animated or hyperactive as in some episodes of the original series, but then, it was an episode in which she was subdued for a reason.
Gotta agree with digitalboy and dm00 here. Kyon hasn’t changed one bit. All of that was his character in the first series. And the animation looks as superb as ever. I think people’s expectations have grown way out of the realm of reality. This episode is as good as Haruhi has ever been.
To Mimiko: K-ON-ish? Actually, yes, that’s it. Haruhi looks more like Yui now that I think about it… I am also an Itsuki/Mikuru fan so I know what you’re talking about.
To Taan: Maybe intelligent is the wrong word but being polite is always essential in both commentary and reviewing. If you’re not polite in reviewing, you can’t expect the commenters to be polite as well. It’s the same the other way around. And when I mean intelligent, I mean you don’t sound like someone off the street, not anything to do with someone being smart or not smart. ^^;;
To dm00: I think Kyon’s attraction to Mikuru was played on too much this episode, but I agree with your Itsuki/Kyon comment now that I wake up. I might have been too sensitive to yaoi-ness over the past two years (I watched Haruhi 2 years ago, not 3 like most people). I don’t think it’s more with being animated… it’s more like the colors are not as bright and the character designs not as crisp… and a subdued Haruhi is welcome in my book.
To Michael: I’m more sensitive to animation than most people, especially when it comes to my favorite anime/characters. I guess it shows how much I like this show (despite me complaining about Mikuru or about its overhype-ness) since I care enough to look closely at the animation than shows I don’t like as much and the animation is definitely not up to its original. Everything I point out in Kyon I didn’t catch the first time viewing until I watched it a second time for screen shots. It’s the same with everything you miss when you’re just casually watching anime/tv shows until you look at it closer. Then again, I am a bigger Kyon fan than most people. My brother who didn’t care much didn’t catch anything. ^^;; Though I am being nitpicky this episode because Kyon is my favorite character…
To everyone: After reading Fuyu’s excellent post in regards to rude commenters (I’m not going to do a post like she did), I have no tolerance for rudeness. You may disagree (thanks Michael and dm00 for that) but I will not answer back if you are being a jerk in regards to a mere question. You want to be a jerk? Know me for a while like Duke (17 years now) or wait for me to flame something in a post since then you have the right to flame back, which won’t happen because I don’t write flame posts (Duke loves it though) unless certain conditions are met. Thanks~
Maybe you mean ‘formal’, Minnie? You sound a lot more carefree, informal over e-mail than you do in a blog entry.
Mimiko, you are a goddess. Are you a loli? Anyways, I agree with you. Haruhi Suzumiya is looking more like K-ON. I wonder if this is on purpose?
Overall this felt like a very good return to Haruhi. Kyon still has some excellent and flippant back-talk. This is essential to the Kyon-Haruhi world balance and to the give the right character dynamics.
Yes something’s a little different with Kyon… is his face slightly prettier in this episode compared to last season? But otherwise all the visual art seems true to form. Both the sound and picture are better on DVD — and some rips for streaming are much better than others. Will just have to wait and see on this.
The plot was terrific! Excellent time-travel weirdness with an unexpected and wonderfully high-tech-low-tech solution. We also got to pick up on the creation of Haruhi’s ‘crop circle’ style drawings that were mentioned in the first episode of season one.
And there is the discussion of the continuity and interdependence of time compared to the explanation that Mikuru provided in the first season. Loved that nuance and am wondering if time paradox is going to play some mind-numbing role in this season. Am hoping for yes and maybe for the nature of the 3-years-ago-world-creation-time-singularity. Please!
I know right?! The first episode and they already bring plot to the season! I love all Haruhi episodes but I slightly prefer the plot-driven ones over the lovable filler ones. ^^ This is a good first episode. If I were to blog it, I would have given it a solid 8/10 so far.
The time stuff is intriguing and I wish to know more about it~
Yes, Kyon looks slightly prettier too. I forgot to mention that in my post. Thanks Faded Love <3
Yes, I really like the plot-driven episodes. Characters in Haruhi are always more than they seem and there is an ongoing need to deceive. Well and some things are simply, “Classified Information.” What could be better for plot?
Here I liked the idea that there is some special significance of Tanabata to Haruhi. Is she somehow connected to the governing deities of this festival? The wikipedia entry is tantalizing in its explanation of the relation of Orihime and Hikoboshi. See if you agree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata. I for one find it suggestive that Kyon and Haruhi meet up years before… on July 7. Perhaps we’ll see two more such meetings for the intervening years?
And I can’t help adding that the message written on the school grounds and the writing on the Tanabata paper seem to be the same. Different ‘pensmanship’ and the one is displayed upside down compared to the other… but I think the same.
So it would seem that Haruhi is telling Orihime and Hikoboshi that “I am here.” Will she have to wait for 16 (or 32) years for an answer? Perhaps time travel will come in very handy?
I was also disappointed at the character design. Having watched the original series so much that I seemed to be stuck in a groundhog day in a summer of august, I found the new styles too different. I think KyoAni should have stuck with the original character designs. Oh – and the adult Asahina-san seemed a lot “smaller” than when we first saw her (you know what I mean). It’s not that I’m that kind of guys, but the series (and the novels specifically) mention that Asahina-san was a very well-endowed person. This kinda threw me off.
Having said that, Kyon did have a thing for Mikuru the whole time.
Remember this episode takes place only a couple of months after meeting Haruhi for the first time. And in the novel he doesn’t explicitly say “How cute…” but he keeps mentioning a lot that she’s cute.
Expect to see more character development later in the series. The fact that he was too obedient with Haruhi was perhaps because he HAD to do it (after all, this was the reason he came to this “place” anyway).
One of the things I liked a lot about the new episode was the music. This is one of the things that first stood up when I watched it. When Haruhi felt melancholic, an appropriate song was played. This set up the mood very well.
Personal interpretation: Haruhi is melancholic because three years ago she expected to see immediate results, and now that she thinks that her wishes will take 16 years to become true, she starts to feel like all her efforts were practically done in vain. This could put anyone melancholic.
Another wonderful scene was when they were talking to Nagato. The otherworldish music perfectly fit her character. And in the second part, after the voyage had finished, the music was changed to reflect more humanity and emotion, without removing the otherworldly part. It was beautiful.
And Nagato’s glittering eyes were nothing short of glorious. Can you spell “I love you”?
Overall, this was a pretty decent adaptation of the Light Novels. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Good point on the music, Rick, and I agree that they’re using it well. It gives a slightly different quality to the episode, but it’s certainly effective just as you describe. Now I’m wondering if they used music less often in season 1 soundtrack — or whether it was just less conspicuous.
I have a feeling that I’m going to be going back and forth with Season 1 to compare. A lot.
I actually find the new music very distracting. XD I don’t like it. I prefer season one. However, I am not inflexible to changes so I’ll give it a couple of episodes to get used to. ^^;;
I must say I do like the otherworldly music during Nagato’s scene though. *nods*
And, yes Rick, we talked about it before. The character designs look more like K-ON’s which is quite a let down… *sigh*
To Faded Love: You’ll have to ask those Tanabata questions to Koala who is the real Haruhist. ^^;; I’m just a Kyonist. XDDDDDDDDD