Overview

Folks, I'm going to give you a warning up front... check your sanity at the door if you decide to watch this series, because it's not going to benefit you any to have it. With that having been said, let me introduce you to Haruhi Suzumiya, a young woman who, I swear, has absolutely no concept what-so-ever of just how insane she is. It's almost as if Haruko Haruhara (of FLCL fame) had been distilled and super-concentrated. Now, if that's not a scary thought, I dunno what is. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya follows the misadventures of the SOS Brigade, a group of hapless high school students dragged - kicking and screaming - into service by Suzumiya.

Review

On the outset, I have to say that if you liked FLCL, then there's a good chance that you're going to enjoy MoHS every bit as much, if not more. High school has just started for 'Kyon', and his new classmates are all pretty average... except, of course, for the girl that sits behind him. A young beauty by the name Suzumiya, there's something a little off about her... like the fact that she introduces herself by quite bluntly stating that she has no interest what so ever in dealing normal humans, just aliens, time travelers, and espers. As it happens, Kyon used to dream of much the same thing, though as he grew up the dreams began to fade, as the dreams of youth do... but it's enough, though he knows it's insane, to strike up a brief conversation with her.

Now, I should mention that I'm kinda skipping an episode here, but that's alright. Thing of it is, the series itself is so damned out of order that it's hard to tell what's happening when. The 'first' episode actually takes place (I'm guessing) about halfway through the timeline of the series, while the second episode is the real introduction. In truth, it's all just part of what Suzumiya is, so the sooner you remember this truth, the better: What Suzumiya wants... she gets. There's just no use arguing with her.

Which brings me to the characters. Now, as I've alluded to... The only thing more impressive about Suzumiya than her utter insanity is the fact that she's completely unaware of it. Then there's Kyon, who, despite his misgivings, lets himself get dragged along by hurricane Suzumiya, along with the other three members (so far) of the club. Next up is second-year student Mikuru Asahina, shy, cute, passive... and a chest stacked like a lumberyard. That is actually a relevant statement, by the way - she 'joined' when Haruhi 'voluntarily arrested' her away from the Calligraphy club for her cute face and big chest. And then there's the quiet bookworm, Yuki Nagano... you'd better believe there's more to her than just that. Rounding out the club is Itsuki Koizumi, who transfered in after the start and was immediately claimed by Haruhi for being 'mysterious.'

That's actually the goal of the SOS Brigade, to explore mysteries... though it's easier to just say that it's a way to keep Haruhi from getting bored. They say that idle hands are the devil's work tools... I say that there are certain people you never, ever want to hear say, 'I'm bored.' They're two of the most dangerous words in the universe, spoken by the correct person... and Haruhi Suzumiya is definitely one of the 'correct' people.

Overall

As this is just a preview, I'm not going to get too into depth on my comments, but a serious warning... The series, due to the way that it is intentionally told out of order - episode 1 comes from the middle of the series, for instance, and episode 4 is actually episode 7 - is severely disjointed at places. As a result, the first episode, made to be a fan-film produced by the SOS Brigade, is utterly confusing. On top of that, it's intentionally poorly paced - remember, this is a High School club making it. While it wouldn't have been a problem had it been in the right place in the series timeline, because it's the first episode I'm afraid that it's going to drive a lot of potential viewers away. The other major problem is that the 'members' of the SOS Brigade apparently have absolutely nothing the the way of free will when it comes to Haruhi - they simply can NOT override her.

Don't let that stop you from watching the series, though. It's unbelievably funny, and extremely well written. Like FLCL, it's a parody/satire piece, knocking on just about every single anime stereotype there is. Skip the first episode if you have to, but don't give up on the series until you've at least tried watching the second. Also, I'd recommend keeping an eye on the 'preview' bit at the end of each episode for real story order.