It's not easy writing a review for such a well known and extremely successful anime. I'll do my best though.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is, I feel I can safely say, a milestone in Anime history. Much like Evangelion, Suzumiya brings new light and brilliance to something we didn't know could exist. It brings pure genius comedy and an excellent array of characters to keep you hooked.

What's so good about it you ask? Why's this anime good enough to be deemed a milestone. It's simple. Haruhiism. It's a religion named after Haruhi herself. Her character posses such a strong charisma that you can't help but feel attracted and entertained by her. Her comments throughout the show are comparable with no other characters in any series that I can think of. Kyon along side her completes the two so incredibly well that its near impossible to not want to watch the next episode to see how the two will interact.

Enough rambling, the story is awesome. It's presented to you out of chronological order. That means episode 4 comes after episode 6, and episode 8 comes before 5 (not the actual order of the show). Don't worry though, the episodes are out of order with purpose and intention, and it makes the anime all the more interesting.

The Animation is top notch. There's one episode where a particular character is singing and they have the lyrics/drummer/guitarist sinked perfectly. Beautiful fight scenes (though these are short and infrequent) too.

The sound/music is pretty decent, with the opening and ending pretty catchy. Nothing amazing though.

I only gave the characters a 9/10 because there isn't enough information given about everyone to really get to know the character. Sure each definitely has their own personality, but we don't "know" them by the time the show ends.

10/10 for enjoyment, without a doubt.

If you haven't picked this series up, do it now. It's one of those "must sees" and you will not regret it. (show less)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one peculiar anime, and by far remains on the top of my favorite anime list. Nothing epic about its story, but it actually makes you think and perhaps share Haruhi's sentimental: why do you exist in this world? what are you doing and why so? frankly this part makes me moody so i'd advise not to dwell on it...... rather, be entertained by Haruhi's bossy ways and the tiny things that the anime presents. it's interesting observing those little actions that pops up from time to time, like a person actually fidgets around after sitting for some time and a cat struggling to stay "clawed" onto a shoulder. it actually made the anime feel real and life-like. as for the songs, i'd give 11 out of 10 marks, especially those two songs God Knows and Lost My Music played during the summer festival in episode 12 of season 1. in fact, it's actually a video of God Knows on youtube that got me interested in this anime.

one of the things i like about it is listening to the narrating by the main male character Kyon, which is a combination of his musings, retorts, reveries, complains and so on. as it turns out, he's actually smart and knowledgeable despite his mediocre appearance.

if you're interested in watching the anime, here's a few things you'll have to know:
-this series im reviewing is the 2nd season, the first season would be the (2009) series.
-ep 1 of season 1 could be labelled as...... peculiar. don't worry you did not download the wrong anime. you'll understand what it is soon.
-it's interesting how the plot doesnt present itself chronologically in order. seems confusing at first but after finishing both seasons i stumbled upon the eureka moment of how the series actually go along.
-for this season, after watching ep 2 just skip to ep 9. ep 2 to 9 are practically the same, a.k.a. the endless summer loop, with ep 2 being intro and ep 9 putting an end to it. i'm not sure why'd they do this, it's probably the only dumb flaw in the whole anime.
-after finishing the anime, remember to watch the movie The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. if you like the series u'd love this as well. =D

*SPOILERS* try to read on only after you've finished the series if you don't wanna spoil the fun facts, seriously you'd spoil them if you read this beforehand:
-in episode 12 season 1 about the summer festival, you can actually see some background events which eventually lead to Haruhi going on stage.
-the last scene in season 2 last episode with Kyon revealing everything to Haruhi only to get screamed at is actually the continuation of the last scene from the last episode of season 1.
-the real full names of Kyon and his sister were never revealed. and no, Kyon's just his nickname given by his sister which somehow was picked up by his friends as well. (show less)

Saw this anime a couple of years ago but never actually had the chance to download and watch it-(lack of internet).What I say about this anime is that it reaches out to the thing many of us gave up when we got into high school or had other responsiblities like jobs and kids.The narrator,also one of the main characters,adds such a unique and brilliant,not to mention humourous,to the way he speaks and thinks that we instantly understand what hes talking about when he does.The story is very unique and entertaining and the unfortunate thing is its based of a series of light novels so once you finish the series and what to know more,and i know you will,you would have to read the light novels to continue.I can highly recommend them as I have read them and they are very entertaining.All in all the series is something that you have to watch if you love anime.Lovable characters,awesome story and a pulling on those things you think you gave up on makes this a top 5 favourite on my anime list and something you should add to yours too. (show less)

I found this anime very entertaining to watch because the main character 'Haruhi' was a very rare and unique character. She was always hyper, eccentric and is always looking out for adventures, mysteries and fun! The storyline was very interesting on how Haruhi creates a club called the SOS Brigade and drags all her members to particpate in school activites and festivals, as well as looking for mystries and adventure.The dialogue was was outstanding because the voices of the characters was perfect. The animation was excellent. I recommend this anime to anyone who just wants some good fun and enjoyment. (show less)