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Why Was the Haruhi Suzumiya Series a Big Deal?

Key wrote:

However, one aspect that I don't think has gotten enough attention in this thread is that it was the first true "meta" series to hit big. Unless I'm forgetting something obvious, series before it weren't as self-aware of what they were as Melancholy was. That kind of thing has been so commonplace these days (especially in isekai series) that it can be hard to appreciate how fresh that was at the time.

Yes, I came here because I was disappointed that the article didn't touch much on this (apart from saying it contributed to the LN boom). Haruhi had that infectiously optimistic anime girl lead paired with an unreliable narrator making snarky comments about all the anime tropes. Lots of people talk about loving Re:Zero, or Oregairu for the snarky, meta-commenting narrators, but Haruhi did it first.

I watched it a few years ago. I'd say the hype is overblown and it's much more of a "you had to be there" type thing. If you watched it while it was airing, it likely held more weight/had more impact.

Okay, now you've got me curious. I have seen all of SDF Macross but don't remember a recap episode (or at least one that was memorable). Which episode was it?

(But that's only the second-best recap episode ever. The best one belongs to Re:Creators.)

Which I find hilarious as per the nature of the show, we know things about Mikuru that most of the cast don't know and Kyon refuses to consider. 1 It's Mikuru's job and 2 We know she comes through everything perfectly fine.

Mikuru is her own boss and if she's fine with it then who's to say what she can't do it?
I suppose you could argue Mikuru is endangering Mikuru unnecessarily but seeing how it's stable time loop, I don't think she'd care. Also, I don't think she wants to be fired or wiped from existence.

It's complicated situation, one you have to think about, especially after Itsuki points out to Kyon in Sigh that Mikuru is exploiting Haruhi's abuse to make Kyon more likely to take Mikuru's side.

I love Sigh, sad that it doesn't get the recognition it deserves thanks to 8 of 8.
Koizumi: Take my side.
Mikuru: Take my side.
Yuki: I'm on your side.

Edit: I'm honestly glad to talk about a show that has more actual depth than just its premise. Themes and complex characters, I haven't gotten around to talking about plots yet. Or the humor or the action.

Day of Sagittarius III, that is its own post.

The moe-trend it started is what led to anime eventually eating its own tail and getting bogged down in creepy bullshit

In my eyes, the show itself does hold up spectacularly and I constantly see myself coming back to this series year after year. There is a charm and self-awareness to the series that, in my opinion, no other series has been able to capture... a je ne sais quoi, if I may. The music, the atmosphere, the character interactions... all of them masterful in their execution.

Yes, Haruhi is mean. Yes, she is selfish. But that's the beauty of it. In complete contrast to her repressed public persona, she is unbridled in her desires and won't hesitate to violate social contracts. It is refreshing to say the least, especially when contrasted with all the other characters who abide by social norms. Of course, that's only her initial appeal. She does change as others have pointed out. With regard to the student film thing, I hope people do realize that Haruhi's abuse of Mikuru was only escalating because Kyon was paying more attention to Mikuru. It doesn't justify her actions, of course, but it's definitely not unfounded. The fact that it yielded her the opposite reaction from Kyon - him hating her... Now, that was a brilliant metaphorical slap to her face (which was far more poignant than any physical slap would have been), reprimanding her for her selfish actions. Both of them came out from the experience having grown after reconciling with one another (note that she treats Mikuru far better after that). She's no monster, she's a jealous teenager... With a compelling backstory to explain how she came to be this way to boot! There is subtly to the writing that many aren't giving enough credit for.

That, and the well-incorporated existential philosophy, excellent plot twists that keep subverting expectations and brilliant foreshadowing. Seriously, the fact that Haruhi met Kyon in the past was already foreshadowed from the very first episode. I absolutely adore series that do this as it makes for a phenomenal re-watch, where insignificant lines become extremely pertinent. I still pick up new tidbits every now and then.

All in all, I find the act of relegating the show to a mere historical curiosity to be doing the show an extreme disservice. Haruhi is an excellent show that I would highly recommend to any fan of anime, new or old. It became a phenomenon because it was good. Not the other way around.

Sporkaganza wrote:

The moe-trend it started is what led to anime eventually eating its own tail and getting bogged down in creepy bullshit

Moe was a big enough thing by 2001 for Hiroki Azuma to be writing about it. Di Gi Charat aired in 1999. Haruhi may have been where English-speaking fans first heard the term "moe", but I don't think it can be blamed for it.

Oh, moe was definitely known to English-speaking fans before Haruhi came along. I'm not sure you could even reasonably argue that it expanded awareness of moe in the West since titles like Elfen Lied and the first Higurashi had already greatly expanded the genres using it. (Yes, EL, despite being one of the bloodiest of all TV series anime, also had strong moe elements.)

To this day, I still blame this series for "killing" the potential for more anime like "Cowboy Bebop" and "The Big O". Instead, it helped over-saturate the anime market with the moe aesthetic and ecchi.

Then there was the endless eight and the whole situation with Hirano Aya and the series soon got replaced by K-On.

Did it really lose momentum/popularity because the author went on hiatus or because Haruhi'a VA got into a scandal??

What has Kyoto put out that's been just an absolute stinker? Not anything that comes off the top of my head.

Not too surprising for ANN to overlook, but the fact that torrents were becoming more common had to have played a role in Haruhi's success outside Japan.

Moe was a big enough thing by 2001 for Hiroki Azuma to be writing about it. Di Gi Charat aired in 1999. Haruhi may have been where English-speaking fans first heard the term "moe", but I don't think it can be blamed for it.

"Coming from a verb that means 'to sprout,' 'moe' is a term used by otaku. It is applied to objects of infatuation. Some say the word comes from Moe Sagisawa, a character from the anime Dinosaur Planet (1993) whom fans had a thing for."

"I thought this was supposed to be a burning hot story set in a school."
"It was burning. The ferry and all those cars."
"No. That's not what I meant."
"The next episode will take place at school."
"Will there be passion?"
"Yeah. Burning passion."