Ah, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It’s hard to say anything about this series that hasn’t already been said elsewhere – this is a very well-known anime (and manga) series. It’s also rather… different… from most other series. To say that it’s “unique” would be putting it mildly!
The plot is simple on the surface (high school story) but complicated underneath (involving, of all things, time travelers, aliens, and “espers” – that is, people with ESP/psychic powers). Oh yeah, and also a girl named Haruhi Suzumiya who sometimes has bouts of melancholy – with unexpected results (to say the least).
Nevertheless, the animation is very well done and the voice acting is top-notch, so this is a series that is a pleasure to watch. This is a series that is equally likely to make you laugh, make you stop and think about the nature of life in the universe, or just make you squirm with embarrassment.
Unfortunately, the English version of this anime seems to be a bit… sporadic. Although the first season box set is available, I have yet to see anything from the 2nd season available in English thus far – and it’s been quite a while since both the 1st and even the 2nd season came out (in Japan, of course). So if you end up liking this series (as I did) you may find yourself in agony waiting for the next episode to come out on DVD.
Still, this is a lovely anime, and well worth watching – highly recommended for anyone who enjoys anime.
