The Good of Anime: Humans are The New Gods (From The New World)

Catchy song and pretty visuals too

The new world is on its appearance is a perfect society, there is no poverty, people have psychokinetic powers that had ridden the need in advancement of technology and live a peaceful life in a village that looks like it went to the wrong era in the past. A harmonious society with no aggression or conflicts with other human beings, as a result it should be a world smeared with as much sunshine and rainbows, right? Well that is certainly not the case if you had even seen the first episode or even just the first minute of it, behind those concealed doors is a dark reality of how this society was created. How did the evolution of humans had become to those who inhabit it.

The show is a drama, horror, sci-fi, supernatural, psychological show. This anime way deserve the attention it didn't get when it came out in late 2012. Especially when a show made by the same studio came out around the same time and sold like hotcakes with bacon on it, surely every one knows that mediocre piece of trash that somehow become super popular "sword art online". But I digress, show is definetely way surpass my expectation I had cause no one was hyping this show as a masterpiece, cough *sword art online again. The show absolutely delivered a disturbing science fiction dystopian society, has one of the most thought out stories I've seen in anime, the setting is well rounded and foreshadows future events like crazy. It is sort of slow pace in the beginning and in the middle it's like crawl speed but they are building the mystery up till the revelation in the end which is the best. The final act will make your jaw drop to the floor. 

Animation and Sound

I'll be blunt its not the best aspect of the show, which is a shame cause it has a great art direction, I'll just blame SAO that this show didn't get the budget it deserved. The animation dips a lot and characters faces never stay the same for the entire run. (especially ep 5 and 10). When they use surreal imagery or experiment with the animation like the flashbackss and the stories it looks great. When they show amazing art and backgrounds, it looks great. At times the normal animation does look nice, most of the time especially the 3 arc, but sometimes they kinda slump. The soundtrack is kinda overused as the the most prominent ost you'll find is an ominous choir and also some high tension strings. Thus its easily reconisable, plus its there is an actual orchestral piece in the ost called "from the new world" from some famous composer, 

When you uncover the truth the world becomes darker and darker

The Meat of the show (slightly spoiler territory)

The god-like psychokinesis power that the humans obtained while being an amazing ability has wrecked havoc in the present world. One day these people with only 0.3% of the population started killing people in violent gruesome deaths, raids were held, wars were fought with these people, while they are small in numbers they were omnipotently powerful and decimated mankind, numbers dwindled down to no more than 2 million people. Centuries later the world was later filled with all of mankind having psychokinesis powers or (PK). 

People pop like blood piniatas 

The enviroment has also changed drastically despite being only centuries since the new power was unleashed. The magic power (cantus) of humans often leaks out of the body and causes distortions and errors in nature that causes organisms to genetically mutate into disturbing looking creatures. Some animals like the balloon dog is just an animal that explode killing itself and everything around it, basically impossible to survive evolution and should be extinct. Also a huge bug that shoots gunpowder and basically suicide bomb itself. How does animals can survive just to be blown up. Humans have changed the world.

How should we control our species, how should we stop our species from destroying the world. By nurturing since childhood of course like we do now. Education breeds children to become the new generation zombies of morally good citizens.

The school is like a lab rat experiment. Everything the social ethics community does to children is messed up to prevent them being karmic demons or just destroy humanity. First, if they don't have they're PK gained by a certain age, they disappear (you not what that means) cause normal humans can't be controlled. Next, the stuff they learn like the fairytales they read are actually real events in the past to scare children, like do not go past the sacred barrier cause we don't want you to see the messed up world that might harm your psyche. Problematic children no matter if its depression, delinquency or just not being skilled in their powers enough, will just be axed without a blink of an eye. Thus many students disappear, won't the other students be slightly alarmed by these events and be suspicious of the grown ups, so they added a safeguard, students are subjected to hypnosis and tampering with they're memories.  If you want to get through high school you need to meet the criteria or you are selected out through trickster cat. (They just lure them into a empty place and just kill them, no warning, no consent). How cruel. The children are watched like they are ticking time bombs waiting to unleash their fury.

Although its terrible, they are still bombs that would destroy entire civillizations in forms of karmic demons (bat shit crazy motherf****** that kill them peoples everywhere). People are scared, people fear that the next generation will come to destroy them so they should do the necessary even if they are just innocent souls. You'll see why.

Kinda weird though but I'll say it, they are a society of love and they are modified to have pleasure to intercourse to relieve stress no matter which sex they are.

Don't worry no ones naked, its just to show that teenagers experiment and relieve stress. Same sex is because they won't accidentaly have unwarranted pregnancy. Unlike most anime this does not come out of nowhere, they foreshadow it in previous episodes that human have become as primal as monkeys. If your homophobic 10 min of this shouldn't harm you right, it's a new world.

The rat monsters are an important part of the story. They are loyal to humans cause they are noble to a ruler and treats them as gods. They are strays too which will attack and hunt. They have a queen that procures the species with babbies. They have colonies and with that they fight wars for territory. They are highly intelligent creatures and can speak human language. What they are will shock you. 

That is just the setting, the actual plot, you'll just have to find out yourself. Just know that there are many people dying in this, some you'll even get to see on camera whoo. The story actually has a lot of depth and the children grow up to be teenagers and then to adults (maybe).

We humans are parasites to the world.

If Haruhi is my favourite show, this show is my best show. This show is pretty dialogue heavy not bakemonogatari heavy  or tatami galaxy ridiculous but it's pretty fun to watch things unfold. The package was nice and closed with a pretty ribbon in just 24 episodes. Coming from a guy who can't stay interested in shows and put shows on hold until I don't bother to watch them anymore. After just two watches and one long pause I was in love. This show is amazing, anime needs more shows like this.


*I rewatched it. Kinda of a nice throwback. Still holds up to the greatness it upholds.

- first arc (child arc) builds the setting and the mystery. Foreshadow future events and explore the world in it.
- second arc (teen arc) gets the plot going and really gets you to know about the messed up world, Characters you know and love die off. Very emotional. This part is kind of slow though.
- third arc (adult arc) goes torwards psychological thriller, The pace seriously picks up. The antagonist is seriously the most horendous. The climax has one of the best scenes in the show and ends perfectly, even though the world is still messed up but how would you change it. Expect to be terrified.


So did I sell it well?

The Good of Anime: Aliens, Time Travelers and Espers Came True (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

Here is a first impression of it.

Are you special? How different are you from the rest of the world. You go to school, chat with friends, eat dinner with your family, gossip about your teachers, chat about your latest freak accident that you find the need to share. These things are happening all around the world, with people basically living the life you are having right now, a normal, normal sound life. If we think about our day like that everything seems grey, doing these things seem pointless anyway since the whole world is doing the same. Although we are thought to think we possess a special fruit that only we can give to the world, our talents, our intellect, our willpower but it will never show as something exceptional.

We are (not) special

                                                             
Do you ever feel like your existence is such an insignificant thing. You are a small organism in the earth filled with 7 billion people, surrounded by many species of plants and animals, in the vast solar system, in the gigantic galaxy looking under the microscope by an even larger universe. What could you bring? This might sound tad cynical but this is what this shows about.

But, but, but, what if you could be an extraordinary or even be around them, doesn't that sound like a fun way to live, to be the only person in the world that could interact with an extraordinary being. Better yet have all of them hanging out under the same roof, a time traveler, an esper, an alien and finally a god that could change the world depending on her mood, doesn't that make life interesting.

"I am not interested in ordinary humans"
quote by Haruhi

"There is something wrong with people seeking reality with fiction"
quote by kyon

This show stars with Haruhi and Kyon and with the deviant attitude of Haruhi, they formed a club called the SOS brigade (Spreading Excitement all Over the World with Suzumiya Haruhi Brigade), this clubs' purpose is to find time travelers, espers or aliens and extraordinary activity around the area to make the world more exciting. Without her knowing, those things are much closer than she expects.

How did the world become this way? What sort of power in the universe has caused such extraordinary things to appear. That thing is Haruhi Suzumiya. It is unknown to her that she has obtained god- like abilities that can change, destroy and reshape reality through her mood without her knowing. Due to her fantasies of having an extraordinary life, time travellers, espers and aliens have appeared in the world. However this is also a double-edged sword as she may come to destroy the world if her emotions don't come in check. She is an eccentric, anti-social, stubborn and impulsive person, she is quite mentally unstable as she shifts from melancholy to incredibly optimistic frequently. If she were to become bored with the real world "closed space" would appear and create a new world and destroy the old one.

Mikuru Asahina (time traveller)

Nagato Yuki (alien)

Itsuki Koizumi (esper)

Thus, Haruhi is needed to be observed dilligently so she won't accidentally destroy the world. The tine traveler, esper and alien has been sent by their higher ups to keep watch on her to make sure nothing happens, while also withholding their identidies as odd beings as it might cause her to intentionally change the whole world. They are there to keep her entertained and not let her get bored (albeit not very good job), all this sounds quite cheesy trust me its good. 

Finally Kyon (his nickname, real name unknown), is the spark that set Haruhi and him into this wild rampage. He is the person that without knowing set the motivation for Haruhi to create the club. He is a normal student, that haruhi considers uninteresting, but he manages to be the first person to chat with her. For an unknown reason Haruhi keeps dragging him into his world even with his relunctance. For instance every time there is a seat rotation he keeps having to sit in front of Haruhi, like it was fated. Kyon is forced into the club by Haruhi but he changes over time and becomes comfortable hanging around extraordinary beings, even though some requests by Haruhi seem unreasonable or impossible he still able to cope with her. He constantly makes snarky comments and monologues that helps to put spice to the show. He is also the only person that could speak to her normally and they build a relationship that they don't realise. I also like that he calls only Haruhi Suzumiya by her first name which is tad odd.

The Meat of the Show

The show is a sci-fi, slice of life, comedy and romance-ish mix. There are two seasons of the show consisting of 28 episodes and a almost 3 hour long movie. The show's plot centers around Haruhi's eccentric personality along with the shenanigans of the SOS brigade. As they search for extraordinary things that aren't there, solve mysteries, make a movie etc. It parodies many tropes found in anime and smashes them together and is somehow able to be self aware of what its doing. This show is quite episodic. Character development is also quite subtle. However its going to be a fun ride if you can connect with the characters and enjoy comedy. (Warning watch this show in dub and the endless 8 arc please skip 6 out of the eight episodes watch S2 episode (2,8,9) cause it is basically the same episode that loops again and again with different scenes which is stupid to watch through and who thought it'll be a brilliant idea to bore us to death) did I say this show is unconventional. Being aired out of chronological order is not already evident of that but also is able to mix all these genres together and be one of the best shows ever animated.

Many shows try to imitate the formula it created but none of them has succeeded in making another hit like this show did back in 2006. The two reasons is that Haruhi while tiresome and frustrating to watch I admit, brings so much life to the show, scenes trot along keeping you entertain while in the background Kyon gives his cynical monologues to contrast it, kind  of outstanding and really entertaining. Also the animation truly made scenes more memorable, scenes transitioned perfectly, thanks to the director's brilliance, some drawn-out talking scenes are helped with some unusual art direction. Pretty good for its time for a school anime.

The movie (The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya) is where the show shines as a serious drama and the bubbly atmosphere is toned down for this movie. In this world Haruhi obviously from the tittle has disappeared and Kyon decides if he should pick the world with crazy beings that he thought he hated or a normal life that he wanted. The movie is quite atmospheric and the pacing I say is quite slow at the beginning showing a world devoid of haruhi and the dullness of it. The second half is when the show picks up the pace and has the most intense scenes given this shows lighthearted nature. This movie's quite the contrast to the series but is still very satisfying. It has a fantastic soundtrack too.

At the time in 2006, this series is the pinnacle of what a TV series animation should look. Popping colours, incredibly detailed backgrounds, fluid animation and cinematography that is superb, the camera is never still for very long. The 2009 second season got a better budget and finally the 2010 movie is the series at its most beautiful. Made by Kyoto Animation, the king animation studio for shows with good budgets. Just look at these screenshots


Season 1 (2006)



Season 2 (2009)




The movie (2010)
- eyegasms galore

This is my favourite anime series, this just hooked with me because of the characters. I just find both Haruhi and Kyon to make this show one of the best. The sillyness of the TV series and the epicness of the movie is just groundbreaking. I recommend this to any new anime fan. You should watch it too if you could. For nostalgic reasons this is my favourite anime ever it might not be as fresh as before but its still good and I think Haruhi as a person is an inspiration to become passionate about our dreams even if we deem them impossible. I kind of see myself in Kyon too. Believe in Haruhism salute to the almighty god.


*Make another season dammit, they toyed with us in the movie that its going to continue, 5 years haven't happened yet. But still waiting.

How to Watch (brief summary of each episode)

* watch in chronological so it won't be too difficult to follow, most of the time you watch online or buy its going to be in chronological order so you won't need to worry about that. It was originally a light novel so these are short stories coupled together to create these episodes.

1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (part 1-6)- girl meets boy and they make club with supernatural stuff in it.
2. The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya- they play baseball, pretty harmless right?!?
3. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody- kyon travels to the past on Tanabata and meets young Haruhi
4. Mysterique Sign- some guy disappear, who will solve this mystery?
5. Remote Island Syndrome (part 1-2)- Christie mystery and Phoenix Wright, awesome.
6. Endless Eight (part 1-8, don't watch eight ep of this)- Summer never ends, ever.
7. The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya (part 1-5)- they make a movie, Hwazzah
8. The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina- the product of said movie, a parody of what not to do in a movie.
9. Live Alive- a school festival and a damn good concert
10. The Day of Sagittarius- Now let's play a RTS
11. Someday in the Rain- perfect execution of the mundane life and great platform for the movie, pay attention to Yuki
12. The Disappearance of  Haruhi Suzumiya (the movie)- an amazing film that the anime world agrees its a great Christmas film cause it's set in December the 18th. Kyon is shifted to an alternate dimension without Haruhi one day but retains all his memories and given a chance to change it back, will he do it?

Good Luck!