A Flicker

While aimlessly surfing the net instead of preparing homework, I came across news that the light novel The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi had been adapted into a full-length film. Since The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi is one of my favorite anime series (and definitely my favorite comedy), I eagerly streamed it.

Needless to say, I was not disappointed. The animation was fantastic, even through 480 resolution via YouTube; made expressly for fans of the series. The most surprising aspect was its length; this movie is almost three hours long, enabling it to be an meticulous, exact adaptation of the novel. The actors were either reprising their roles from the anime series or were extremely similar in tone; I could scarcely discern differences between the voices in Disappearance and Melancholy.

There is no need to describe the eventually time-convoluted plot. It suffices to say that it is everything a Haruhi production should be; rather intelligent, cute, and an absolute riot. There is a reason I love that series and Disappearance was exactly what a fan of the anime would hope for. Some complain about the pacing, and indeed it takes Kyon quite a long time to discover what is going on. I, on the other hand, immensely enjoyed it, being used to the elaborate pacing of classic black & white movies. There is little action but wonderful humor. I enjoyed almost every second.

Now maybe I'll watch Monster. Maybe not. It might be time for me to be distanced from anime anyway, but this is a good way to begin my goodbyes.