Suzumiya Haruhi Series

Jan 7, 2008

Master10K

Recommended

Preliminary (45/? chp)

Read Vol. 1 - 9

Haruhi Suzumiya is a collection of Sci-fi, Comedy themed Light Novels (10 in fact) that fans of the popular anime series would read to get more depth to the story. So there’s really no need to go into detail of the story and overall premise of the Novels. As you may already know the story revolves around an omnipotent high school girl Haruhi Suzumiya, with powers (unknown to her) but told from the point of view of high school boy Kyon (real name unknown).

The anime series only scratches the surface, as it only tells one of the 4 known main stories ... “Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”. The other 3 being: “Disappearance…”, “Intrigues…”, and “Dissociation…”. Whereas the 1st only focuses on introducing and revealing the main characters and concepts of the story, the other stories tend to go all out in bringing forth complex stories involving time-travel, dimensional rifts and other sci-fi concepts. To help supplement these stories the remaining Light Novels contain episodic mini-events that only loosely follow the main stories. The main problem is the jumbled up nature of these stories and it does require some thinking into knowing the order of events. At least the seasons make it easier to overcome this issue.

The characters are what make these Light Novels worth reading and each of the main characters seem to have purpose into making this an enjoyable read.
- Kyon the guy that the story follows and it’s his witty comments and cynical attitude that will make him an instant fave.
- Haruhi is an eccentric and emotionally unstable girl that causes many problems for Kyon and the rest of the world.
- Mikuru is a clumsy, well-endowed girl that is there for fanservice and a means of time travel.
- Yuki is a cute, emotionless alien whose there to rely on whenever something happens.
- Koizumi is an esper that doesn’t play much of an active role except when it comes to his long explanations and annoying Kyon.
The best thing is when you see how each of these characters subtly develops, after a while but still remain a bit of a mystery. What’s also interesting is how the side characters tend to play a major role in the story and at times even become the source of speculation (e.g. Tsuruya).

Overall this is a Light Novel that any of the thousands of die hard Haruhiist would enjoy. There’s enough content to keep anyone busy with for a while and for those who like to use that thing called a brain would definitely enjoy it, with all the complex mathematical, physics and sci-fi concept involved. There are quite a bit of dull moments to be found, with excessive explanations and it can be difficult to tell what’s being thought and what’s being said out loud however these issues don’t take away the overall feel of the story.

^_^

Open

Gift

Aug 7, 2008

ShanaSakai

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/? chp)

This series of novels is very compelling. I must say I was very captivated by how the plot works. It's very confusing if you don't know anything about it though; I recommend watching the anime first before trying to decipher the light novel.

Plot: Not too many loopholes. If you're a fan of the "What's Going to Happen Next" genre then I suggest you read this. The cliffhangers, although leaving you unsatisfied, will feed your desire to read about the next.

Art: Hah, the art totally rocks. The cover and front flaps basically sums the story up. The in-book art are black-and-white manga-like drawings that are high ... quality, but I can't argue with that. I'd rather have a novel with a few pics than none at all.

Character Development: This is where you get to know the story better. I think I'll start with Kyon.

Kyon: Your average bored high school student. Although he sounds very bored at first, as the story goes on he has matured into what we all know as the SOS's conscience. I am very compelled to give out spoilers here; but for the sake of those who haven't read I won't. All I can say is that he is the impromptu leader of the group, and the unofficial savior of the world. You'll get to know why.

Haruhi: Ah. Here's the happy-go-lucky leader of the SOS Dan. As we all know, she formed the group just by dragging everyone in. But as time goes by, the Sealed Realities decrease one by one, and she begins to feel that everyone is a friend, even Mikuru. Little by little she realizes her love for Kyon, as too many hints are dropped here and there.

Yuki: This silent humanoid interface alien is slowly begging to be human. I won't say anything further, but she is the character who (in my opinion) is the one who developed the most. She is beginning to realize the word "Friend", and for those of you who want to know more about her, listen to her character song, "Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite". That'll explain a lot.

Itsuki: He hasn't changed much really, maybe just the fact that he is beginning to work side by side with the other groups covering Haruhi. Though he always talks a lot, he now has sense in him, and doesn't do much bootlicking either (maybe that's the reason why Kyon doesn't blame him often nowadays).

Mikuru: Aside from the physical features we all know too much about, she also changes in the emotional department. She is braver now; she is now willing to take risks even though she doesn't know the consequences (pretty ironic for a time traveler). At first she was an outsider compared to Koizumi and Nagato, but because of her changes she is now willing to work with them (even though at first she refuses to work with Yuki).

All in all, very nice novel series. I suggest recommending it to your friends as well.

Open

Gift

Jan 7, 2008

maxcherry715

Recommended

Preliminary (45/? chp)

Here it is, the true story of what started it all. Haruhism has taken the anime world by storm and it is all because of this light novel series. But, how did such a marvelous movement branch from this you ask? To tell you the truth, that is what I would like to know.

Now I know my statement above would lead any person to believe that I am disappointed with the origins of Haruhi, and in a sense I am, but nowhere near as harsh as I first let on. What I merely mean is that, the anime took a morsel of the story and ... made a full course meal out of it. The morsel being the only sweet part of the series.

The anime consists of parts of this light novel series; the first novel which is the core of the anime and six short stories that are taken from three different novels. That is a minuscule number compared to the total number of content
(nine novels so far). So what was left behind, well, to put it simply, the main character in my opinion. Yes, I know you are confused as to what I mean but
give me time to elaborate. The main character of a story is the main focus of said story, which one would assume would be Haruhi Suzumiya, but as I read through the various musings of Kyon (the narrator) the story seemed to switch its concern. Haruhi seemed to be missing during most of the scenes and when she did show up it was just Kyon berating her character.

So who filled the void of the missing main character, well none other than the most uninteresting character of the series. The parody of an otaku's true love, Mikuru Asahina. Yes, the constant praise of her beauty and the angst that it created for Kyon filled page after page in this novel series. Every now and then Yuki Nagato and Itsuki Koizumi show up and make stories interesting but not nearly enough to save some of the stories.

And therein lies the missing two points that would of belonged to the score. Asahina, who I hate so well, has the stage and she comes through with constant idiocy, which is great for those who are into that sort of thing. But, I just do not find her entertaining, especially when it is written, at least fan service keeps me attentive. While Yuki is practically a demi-god (though she seemed to be the Deus Ex Machina in most of the stories) and Kozumi has an intriguingly mysterious aura and agency backing him, the author chooses a ditsy time traveler and her older self to focus on. I shouldn't even have to mention the fact that the character the title comes from doesn't even seem to be mentioned in many parts of the stories.

I wanted to love this series, I truly did. That is why it pains me to write of it so. It still holds the unique charm of the anime and when the great characters are included, it shines. But, I found myself wanting to skip over entire chapters (which as an avid reader is against my nature) that were just boring me with repetition. It was filled with great initial concepts, that just fell hard by the time the conclusion was revealed.

It isn't a bad read. The writing is not complex but it is solid and there are many humorous jokes. Kyon maintains his sarcastic charm and all the other characters maintain the reason why we love this franchise in the first place. But, I just could not get into it. It seems as though the author wanted to scrap all of his good ideas and keep the story as simple as he could mid way through each story. I guess Mikuru fans would be pleased with this work, but for all the others I leave you with this one question, WHERE IS HARUHI?

Open

Gift

Jun 12, 2011

Moudaijoubu

Recommended

Preliminary (8/? chp)

"I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, sliders or espers here, come join me. That is all."

(Note: This review is based on the first book "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", not considering the following novels such as "The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya" nor "The Boredom of Haruhi-" and so on and so forth.)

Most everyone knows the tale of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kyon, and the SOS Brigade: They search out the world for the extraordinary. Little does Kyon know that all the extraordinary is Haruhi herself.
The story of Haruhi Suzumiya is so completely wonderful. When ...

Open

Gift

Jul 12, 2022

TAMNI-GT

Recommended

Preliminary (65/? chp)

INFO: In order not to become a confusing and incoherent writing, I will use "Suzumiya" to refer to the series, "Haruhi" for the character and "Suzumiya Haruhi" for the two consecutively

First, I will be making a prediction based on my own selfishness, since the aesthetic terms would only hypocritically camouflage my intentions..... if you are a crazy fan of literature and its philosophies that work in conjunction with the harmonious musical writing that is poetry , you are in the wrong place and you will probably be very disappointed in this regard.... However, if you just want a creative and innovative work, I feel you ...

Open

Gift

Aug 18, 2021

William278

Recommended

Preliminary (11/? chp)

Read volumes 1-11. Review is spoiler-free.

The Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series can be summed up by one word: compelling.

First, what it isn't. Haruhi isn't packed with explosive action - but it does have it.
Haruhi isn't focused on asking the reader to solve impossible mysteries - or a confusing narrative - but it does have those.
Haruhi isn't a science fiction epic - but it can be when it wants to.
Haruhi isn't focused on just time travel - or galactic battles between aliens - or intense fights between powerful opponents. But it has all of those.
If you somehow haven't watched the anime, glanced at the manga, heard ... about the various spinoffs - let alone read these novels, then you might be confused about the point I am trying to make. You may, in fact, think that this is a clusterf*ck of stupid themes and tropes - and by all accounts, it should be. Any lesser work would crack under the weight of its own ideas and become yet another boring, aloof arthouse flick. Haruhi, however, is not a lesser work. Nagaru Tanigawa's fantastic writing and Noizo Ito's iconic illustrations come together in an unbelievable, brilliant way that left me with a profound impression. Readers at the time thought so too - and if anything, it's worth watching the anime or reading the novels just to experience something considered such an important slice of Japanese pop culture's history that continues to influence works today, both in written and television media.

On to the novels themselves, though: Like most people, I saw the anime show first, so the first few novels will probably feel quite familiar - albeit a bit less scrambled than the broadcast order of the show. It was no less compelling, though, and I was delighted by being able to see new scenes not shown in Kyoani's adaptation. Seeing The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film adaptation for the first time is one thing, but reading the source material was equally impressive and one of the highlights of the novels. One of the notable things about the anime is that there aren't particularly any villains in the story so to speak; Haruhi's greatest demon to conquer may just be Haruhi herself. However, in later novels new foil characters are introduced who play an important role. I was skeptical at their inclusion at first, but these characters are fleshed out quickly and become entangled in thought-provoking plot after plot - and the payoffs are consistently fantastic. Another highlight was The Intruiges of Haruhi Suzumiya - I'm avoiding spoilers here, but just know this: It's 250 pages of fascinating time-travel mayhem and buildup for a wind-cuttingly breathtaking payoff. I'd also like to briefly touch on one other thing that I don't see discussion on - the time period it's set in. Haruhi adopts this wonderful early-2000s setting, before the age of mobile devices and instant messaging and I have to say I find this time period wonderful. It's an era that's slowly becoming retro and carries this strangely calm, analogue vibe. I love it!

Much like the show though, Haruhi does have it's weaker parts. The second novel - The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya - was a weaker arc in the series (not helped by Kyoani's controversial Endless Eight adaptation, which is actually one of the best chapters in the novels!) - and Sigh is definitely the weakest of the books here, opting for more exposition and character building. By no means did it sour my experience, but I imagine it might put some people off from continuing to read after a fantastic book #1. I'll also say this - it's not going to be for everyone. Your enjoyment will hinge on if you enjoy the "air system" of slice of life character-focused works - particularly when the characters here have such contrasting and interesting personalities.

In a day and age of fast-moving online media, I don't take the time to sit down and read a novel these days. But Haruhi is worth your time - and there's really no better opportunity to do so given the recent Yen Press reprint, return of the author at the end of 2019 for the fantastic Intuition of Haruhi Suzumiya and recent uptick in promotional events and crossovers from the series.

I mentioned before about it being worthwhile just to experience something that was such a hit in the mid-2000s, but I think Haruhi is worthy of more than just being recommendable as a museum piece, but as a truly fantastic read that has withstood the weight of 18 years of works that have stood upon its shoulders. Read it - or watch it.

Open

Gift

Mar 28, 2010

Selphie-

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/? chp)

~I have read volume 1 and volume two at the point of writing this~
If you really want to experience The Haruhi Suzumiya Phenomenon then this [the light novels that started it all] Is a defiant must.

Kyon is a normal High School Student.He comes to his first day of high school to experience a normal high school experience.But when his turn to introduce himself is finished,and the teacher goes on to the next one,Kyon-and the rest of the class,are speechless.

"If there are any aliens,time travelers,or espers here,come join me.That is all"

wouldn't you be speechless too?

The anime adaption of these novels only takes some of the ...

Open

Gift

Aug 10, 2019

Rust_Cohle

Recommended

Preliminary (9/? chp)

The first volume seemed very interesting to me but the second one became very boring and I left it, the narrator becomes obnoxious and heavy after a while it would have been better than the author several points of view in the narration, I know that the narrator It is the reflection, and fantasy of the author: a boring and nondescript guy who is dragged by a pretty and cheerful girl to a fantastic world, but he becomes selfless pretending to prefer his boring daily life instead of the girl and the wonderful adventure world that she offers, and why? Well, because of cowardice

Open

Gift

Jul 1, 2018

Leegf

Recommended

Preliminary (11/? chp)

I might be a bit careless in relation to spoilers.
Before reading novel series I had watched anime, two times. Basically, first volumes brought me almost nothing new. By the way, if somehow you haven't yet watched anime, I'd recommend you to start off with it first. Kyoani made an excellent job on it.

The story opens with a main character's monologue. Thoughts of Kyon which will guide you through all the chaotic mess awaiting you. So, one perfect day Kyon happened to think about talking to a certain girl... From this and now on, his life would never be the same. All the supernatural stuff ... he'd long time ago gave up on appear to be real.
It is done in such an engaging way. Supernatural stuff with a slice of life flavor. Or vice versa. What I really find great, it has a touch of sci-fi in it. Almost everything bizarre that happens doesn't remain unexplained. What's even more cool, there are several theories upon what is happening and it's up to reader to choose what to believe. The author is very good at leaving here and there tiny hints, which may provoke in you a huge line of thought or may not. Honestly, you may just leave it be and regard the whole series as a comedy.

You may refer to Kyon as being a link between SOS Brigade and readers. Story is told from his perspective. Basically, he's a narrator. I like this part. Slowly, you grow to understand and even befriend him. I mean, how couldn't you, if you're always inside his head. Sometimes even thinking about what he's thinking. If I were to describe him, first thing popping up in mind - nice guy, considerably smart. Still, it's a poor description, because there's something more to him. Or I just imagine things. Generally, I'm okay with the way Kyon is. I believe there's only one cliche problem with him. He doesn't get girls' hints. Well, otherwise there wouldn't be such an intrigue the whole series.

The series is built upon various interactions between characters. Every character is cool in his/her own way. Even though there're some cliche characters... they are cliche only on the first glance. Or not. Or cliche partially. However, I adore all of them. I won't be pretty much wrong calling Haruhi almost literally the Sun. Well, everything reloves around her in the series. And Haruhi is the type of character which will force you to like her or hate her. You can't possibly remain indifferent. As for me, I loved her. She's so damn simple and in the same way hard to follow. She always has some reasons for her actions. She's a weirdo but a smart one.
I think it'd be possible to create a separate story with every character of SOS Brigade on their own. Haruhi series went further than that, deciding to create a spicy mix. Mikuru, Yuki, Koizumi - all of them offer various perspective and feel to the story. New characters pop up rarely in the story. I grew so attached to SOS Brigade, that I even felt sceptic upon their appearance. Magically, they were another bunch of non-less cool characters. So, the chance of getting annoyed or bored with characters is low. Don't forget to check out 'Rainy Day' once you've finished series.

The setting is done in such a way that almost anything could happen. I can't help myself to praise time-traveling aspect of the story. It is not present in the story just for for sake of being present. It is a thick and good elaborated part. It simply beats roughly half of all time-traveling stories. Or even more. I can't say that for sure, it's just the feeling I got.

Can't say much about art, I mean illustrations. They are few. With every volume the quality of illustrations was better.

I really miss the series. Afterword of the last volume doesn't bring lots of hope. I just really hope Nagaru Tanigawa will get a grip of himself and will eventually resume writing. There's a lot more to tell.
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya brought me a lot thoughts, sincere joy and many other emotions. It is extremely unboring and enjoyful. I could talk and talk more about it, but what's the point? Go just read it.

Please, Nagaru Tanigawa make a comeback. We are waiting.

Open

Gift

Suzumiya Haruhi Series
Edit

What would you like to edit?

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Write a Review
Reviews

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Suzumiya Haruhi Series Edit What would you like to edit? SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Write a Review Reviews

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Suzumiya Haruhi Series
Edit

What would you like to edit?

Write a Review
Reviews