[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya epsiode 8: The mystery is solved…at last
Opinion seems to be divided on this show at the moment. Most viewers either love it or hate it but me being the awkward old bugger that I am, I sit on the fence. As disappointing as the series has been of late, this was a good episode as it resolved and unfinished story arc so I’m happy with the way it’s going for the time being.
Thankfully it concludes the Remote Island Syndrome subplot, and does it really well. Playing out like a proper detective show (it looked like a comedy anime parody of a Jonathan Creek episode, in a good way), Haruhi and co went about the investigation and and discussion with a succession of theories as to how the master of the house had wound up dead in a locked room. Goodness knows why the studio messed around with the episode order but here it is anyway, so who am I to complain? Besides, Mikuru-chan was bedridden from shock during the whole thing - she needed a break from the stress of hanging around with Haruhi as much as I needed a break from the moe.
All in all this ep didn’t explain one hell of a lot though - it merely reinforced the idea that Haruhi’s will can affect physical events: she wanted a murder-mystery weekend, she got one. This has been explored in previous episodes but at least it’s done in an intelligent way and is all the more entertaining for it. As always it’s Yuki who delivers another bit of deadpan humour (the immortal line “but you told me to not let ANYONE in…” reminding me of a particular scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) and the story having enough substance to make the explanation near the end genuinely surprising.
Despite all this I’m still of the opinion that Haruhi Suzumiya, for all its sci-fi mumbo-jumbo, is still a straightforward zany comedy. Sure, this ep actually made me think for a change but it’s still a mainstream comedy show to cater for the masses. The artwork and animation’s great, the music’s poppy and catchy and I couldn’t help but raise a smile on numerous occasions. Beyond that however, it’s a bit of quirky fun but nothing more: enough to keep me watching but unlikely to be remembered years down the line.
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