So, I want to give Haruhi a try...

[Khaiden]

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I've always had this impression of Haruhi as an annoying, arrogant and overrated bitch.
But, then again... all I've seen is a few clips and her annoying MUGEN character.
So, I figured to really get to know her and see if I'm wrong, I should watch her anime series, and see if I even end up liking it or not.

Should I do it?
What really is there to expect?

I'm sure at least some of you have watched it, it has spawned a monumental amount of memes on the internet, and this is a GREAT forum to ask, because if I posted this on an anime forum, I'd need to hide in a bunker from the nuclear(flame) war.

 

[Geki night]

Well, the episodes were aired in a nonlinear order, but it's still an awesome anime. :castlerock:
Oh, and good luck on endless eight.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=960iND7z5YA"]Yuki vs Ryoko[/ame]


So yeah, I'd recommend it.

 

[UkiyaSeed]

Watch it. It is good. :thumbs: But try watching the 2009 order if you don't want to get confused.

 

[m121akuma]

I would actually say you're better off watching it in the original mixed-up broadcast order. When watched in the chronological order, the show's main plot is entirely wrapped up within the first 6 episodes, after which the show then goes into smaller one episode stories, with a two-parter thrown in in the middle. It's not necessarily BAD that way, but it means that the show just sort of peters out, while in the broadcast order, the main plot always feels like its hanging in the air, as the characters always refer to it throughout the series, but you don't get the full meaning of everything they say until the last episode, which both wraps up the story and gives a solid emotional climax. It feels far tighter and more interesting in broadcast order, and in my opinion, is the superior experience. After watching through the original season, then you can watch the new 2009 episodes episodes, although as other people mentioned, "Endless Eight" can be a chore after a little while.

 

[DigDoug]

It's by no means the Godsend that so many people make it out to be, but it's fun to watch. Keep in mind, I've only seen the first season, so I don't know anything about what comes after it.

 

[FlashNeko]

The biggest problem with trying to watch Haruhi now is, as mentioned, the official releases all have the episodes in production order, which spoils a lot of the plot really early on.

If you can find a way to watch it all in its original broadcast order, you'll be getting a much more accurate experience of what the show was supposed to be like.

Also, a warning if you decide to try the second season, it's mostly repeats of the first season's episodes with one or two new ones snuck in due to... well, to really explain would be a bit of a spoiler.

 

[Khaiden]

Alright then, I'll do my best to watch the first season in broadcast order, afterwards, I'll see what I do with the second season.

 

[ultimatemegax]

Just now found this thread.

My two cents would be to get the entire set of 28 episodes and watch them in the order they were "re-aired" in the 2009 showing, to be in full chronological order. If you like the show, it sets you up perfectly for the movie.

The reason the first 14 episodes were re-arranged was that they only did one of the novels the anime was based from and the others were short stories, so the novel's conclusion was the best way to end the series.

I enjoyed the series a lot (yes, even Endless Eight), but it's not everyone's cup of tea. There are shows I don't like and others do, so if you don't like it, don't feel bad.