The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010) User Reviews (30)

Brilliant piece of anime

[Dilemmayolk · 9/10 · 7 July 2011]

As a fan of the franchise, this was a wonderful treat for me. My expectations were very high ever since the Endless Eight fiasco in Season 2 but the film did much more than just fulfill those expectations.

What I really loved about this film was that it took its time, it did not rush into the situation but lovingly and subtly guide us through it. Never overblown, patient and mild, hauntingly realistic in some cases and plenty of time to express proper emotions rather than make the characters throw in goofy faces and tones.

Though predictable, the story was interesting and rather amusing. The movie was based less on Kyon's Journey, but rather him finding his true thoughts and beliefs at the end of it. These sorts of movies are quite rare, many exaggerate the adventure and its moral message does not reach the audience in the right atmosphere. So bravo to this movie.

Unfortunately, this movie will prove alien to anyone who is not familiar to the franchise, so any casual movie goer will find this film very difficult to follow and hollow in information and detail. Be warned. The movie does not stand alone.

The movie is a masterpiece to someone if they are a fan of the franchise, a puzzle to casual watchers, a surprise to Haruhi haters and probably the best piece of anime of 2010. I am looking forward to Season 3 now more than ever.

New chapter on Haruhi Suzumiya's saga

[ebiros2 · 7/10 · 11 June 2011]

This movie is not a stand alone piece, and not recommended for viewing if haven't already seen the entire "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu" TV series. You wouldn't understand why things happened the way it happens in this movie without this background information.

Kyon wakes up one morning and discovers that his world have changed literally overnight. He goes to school and there is no sign of existence of Haruhi. He suspects that Haruhi did something again that changed the world, but this time his hunch turns out to be wrong. He needs to find out who and how this change was brought.

Kyon thought he would have a more peaceful life without Haruhi, but he's in for a surprise when he discovers that he really isn't enjoying the "alternative" reality that excludes her existence from his life.

This is a well crafted plot where many of the past Haruhi sagas are woven into this entirely new story. It gives everyone an opportunity to see what the world would be like without Haruhi Suzumiya as we know her including Haruhi herself.

One thing I don't understand in this entire story is who shot the reprogramming needle towards the end of the story.

This is also one of the all time best anime movie to come from Japan. Definitely worth a watch if you've been following the Haruhi Suzumiya series.

The Movie is a MUST WATCH

[samratmedhi · 9/10 · 18 March 2021]

Damnn... haven't thought this movie can keep me to the edge of my seat till the end...but ...it did...it very well did....never seen anything like that...the story line is amazing ....can't be better... recommended to every ANIME fans out there ...watch is guys ..you won't regret and ...review it so that many more can go for it ....

A really wonderful film, anime or otherwise

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 3 November 2012]

I have always loved animation and anime from an early age. Having loved the show, I knew I had to see this film, and I loved it just as much. Initially I was worried about the length due to whether it would be long winded or padded out, but actually it is just right. This length ensured that the story and characters were developed well as well as maintaining your interest and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzamiya does that superbly. The storyline is compelling, with its great ideas developed perfectly without it feeling rushed or sluggish regardless of the length and you are left thinking about it for a long while afterwards. The characters are instantly likable, never annoying, jarring or stereotyped, basically true to the personalities they have on the show. The script has some light-hearted moments, but also some poignancy and a lot of depth. There is also some clever references to the show, showing that they have these great ideas without completely ignoring the show, which I have seen movies based of TV series do. To those who say that it is a good idea to see the show before the film, I absolutely agree, the thought of people being confused by any references to the show was what immediately came into my mind while watching. The music has a haunting ethereal quality to it, and the animation is superb, beautifully coloured and drawn with something interesting to look at in every frame. The voice acting is also fine, I do find the original voice acting to be superior to the dubbed version(though dubs are good for those introducing themselves to anime and for them to fully comprehend the story) but that is largely true to that of most animes. I know that I have added very little to what has been said already and so wonderfully might I add, but I have done my best. Overall, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a wonderful film in every way, anime or otherwise, it doesn't feel like a direct copy of the show but it doesn't ignore it either. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A non-spoiler review of this awesome movie

[korean-dude · 10/10 · 29 December 2010]

The movie 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' was excellent. I went into this watching it with high expectations and it still passed my expectations. If you are already a fan of the Haruhi Suzumiya series then this movie should be seen ASAP.

However, if you have not seen the Haruhi Suzumiya anime beforehand, I suggest you watch the series first. So far there are 2 seasons, each comprising of 14 episodes; making a total of 28 episodes. If possible, all 28 episodes should be seen first. If not, then you will be going into the movie relatively confused(ie. not knowing the main characters and the bulk of the storyline). However, even without seeing the series, this movie can still leave a good impression and will likely lead the viewer interested to watch the original series.

Now, for the movie. The main theme/genre and storyline of this movie tie in with the original anime series. The screenplay itself has a lot of depth and successfully portrays the uniqueness that is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This movie had me thinking for a very long time. It may even take a second view to understand the movie completely, that depends on how focused and absorbed the viewer is into the movie though. Also, I noticed that it contains "movie-like" features. For example, the scenery and atmosphere is a little different from the anime, but it is for the better. It doesn't belittle the original anime, but it strengthens the movie.

Another thing to note about this movie is its length. This movie is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes long. This could be a good and bad thing. In my case, it is a VERY good thing. For any fan of the series I'm sure the longer the movie, the better. However, some do not feel comfortable sitting through a long movie. Trust me, in this case it makes it all the better. The sheer length of the movie provides a great amount of time for story buildup and more; which makes the impact of the movie all the more greater.

All in all, a great movie with amazing screenplay and animation. Definitely worth viewing.

10/10.

Haruhi really is something...

[pittyacg · 10/10 · 10 April 2010]

I remember watching the first anime series without knowing anything about the way it aired. When I saw the first episode (which was the movie made by the SOS Brigade) I wanted do drop the series, thinking "WTF?". Well, fortunately, I didn't and I immediately became a fan.

Even though endless eight annoyed me big time, I really enjoyed seeing Haruhi in the 2009 version.

I couldn't help but wait for this movie. Well, firstly, I have to say that I don't live in Japan, so I watched it on a creepy quality version available on the net. Also, I haven't read the novels. Can't make comparison of stuff, but I don't want to anyway.

I would have rated this 9.5 / 10, because I think nothing can be perfect, but, in my opinion, this was close. I really liked the story and I can't understand how the one who wrote this can have such good ideas. The emotions are touching the viewer, thing that is really important (if not the most) in such a movie.

A short summary of the movie: It's almost Christmas and the SOS Brigade decides to spend this holiday together. Everything was normal until one morning, when Kyon is waking up in a world with Mikuru and Yuki normal people, and Haruhi nowhere to be found. Furthermore, nobody remembers that a Suzumiya Haruhi ever existed in their class.

The characters, like always, are great. It was so very nice to see a shy and "ordinary" version of Yuki, but I'll always remain a big fan of Haruhi.

In terms of animations, from what I could see (I told you, the quality was beyond awful), everything looked fine. The characters' design is really good, like always.

Heh, I don't think I can write any more. If you know and like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, you should definitely watch and like this. I don't know anything else to say but that I hope more Haruhi movies/series will be released as soon as possible.

So, 10/10. :)

Review for "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya"

[tonybsu1 · 29 August 2011]

This was perhaps one of the best animated feature films I've ever seen. But you don't need me to tell you that.

To start off, the animation style was pretty much identical to the anime series'. It was dazzling to see in 1080 P. I can't describe it in words, so you'll have to see it to believe it.

The music was pretty well done as well. Using a combination of songs from the anime series and some newly composed songs, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya has a impressive repertoire. The background music is fantastic, and it fits very well with each scene.

Lastly, the voice acting is amazing as well. The five original voice actors from the anime reprise their role in the movie as well. Again, you'll have to listen to it for yourself to believe it.

If you're not a fan of the Haruhi series, this movie won't change your mind. But if you're a fan of the series or are interested in the series, this movie is well worth your time.

It gets a 10/10 from me.

An excellent movie. For those who have seen the show that is.

[Reuben702 · 10/10 · 17 October 2012]

I love this movie to death. I started watching the anime at the beginning of 2012 once I saw the first episode online then proceeded to purchase Season One, Two and the movie. While I do love the show, it all just feels like a prologue to this movie. It all flows perfectly and really is a thank you to the fans.

I am saying this because for those who have not seen the show, I can imagine that this movie would be extremely confusing. It constantly references events from the show and interweaves certain aspects of the plot around it. This movie can still be enjoyed by people who have not seen the show but many things will be missed or misunderstood. This movie is not a stand alone piece of content. It is something that needs context to be enjoyed and that context is acquired from the show.

In short, watch both seasons of the show before watching this movie and you will discover one of the greatest movies ever made.

The movie the series deserved, but not the one we asked for.

[justbob1982 · 7/10 · 5 February 2014]

Version I saw: UK DVD release

Actors: 6/10

Plot/script: 7/10 Photography/visual style: 6/10

Music/score: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

Disappearance is a fine addition to the Haruhi franchise that began with Nagaru Tanigawa's novels before being adapted into two confusingly-ordered seasons of anime. It begins by depriving us of the main character, before bringing her back in a blaze of glory that reminded us how fun she had been all along. It's light-hearted fun with a surprising existential undercurrent that in no way spoils the ride. As long as you have seen enough to be familiar with the main characters, you don't even have to wade through all of the anime series that comes before, although it does help.

One wonders whether it is necessary, though. Arguably, this should just have been divided into 7 or 8 episodes and inserted into the series in place of the notorious 'Endless 8'. Some even say that it was, until someone came up with the bright idea that gave them a movie at comparatively little extra cost and effort. I'll leave that for you to decide.

For my full review, see my independent film blog on Blogspot, Cinema Inferno: http://cinemainferno-blog.blogspot.co.uk

See this movie!

[ericstevenson · 10/10 · 19 November 2016]

I have been reading "The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya" manga for quite some time now. I have seen too many remixes and fan tributes to count, so you simply have to call me a fan. I was sooo glad to finally be able to see the animated version for the first time in my life. I have to admit. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It was a million times better! This is truly one of the most wonderful and endearing films I have ever seen in my entire life. I have seen tons of movies, so that's really saying something. This also happens to be the longest animated movie I have ever seen in my entire life.

I wouldn't have had it be any shorter. If nothing else, this has shown us that animated films of any kind can be epic. Honestly, I thought this was on the same level as Miyazaki films. This is probably one of the Top 5 movies I've seen in the entire past year! I have seen so many awful movies it was such a relief to see a true masterpiece like this. The first 17 minutes are basically nothing but setting up what has already been occurring in the series. In fact, I believe Kyon himself apologizes to the audience for such a long prologue! I finally found out that the character's name is pronounced "Key-On" and not literally Kyon as I always thought.

That's what I get for not watching the stuff first! Now, I really do like to think that Haruhi is in fact God. Koizumi himself says she is kind of a God but it's just a theory of his. This movie seemed to disprove the idea that she was. I mean, Kyon himself is talking about the man upstairs and people praying to him and obviously doesn't mention Haruhi. Well, it's more or less stated that Haruhi created the universe (or possibly recreated it) so that's enough of a God for me! She's a being of immense power, okay? It's also great when the characters talk about Jesus, Muhammad and Buddha and Kyon doesn't know which to pray to! I am glad to be familiar with the source material because I understood all the references that were made to the show. You have to be a fan!

The gorgeous animation is what makes this so wonderful, among many other things. These characters just come across as so real to me. I love how the setting is so mundane when it's really a series about magical beings changing the Universe. I am a fan now and forever. The pacing in this film is absolutely perfect. I feel not like a second of this was wasted. It's a pity this isn't mainstream enough to appear in movie guides. It should be on the IMDb top 250! It's also the longest movie I've seen based on a TV show. It's a truly epic journey in every sense of the word.

The scenes in this film are amazingly intense. Kyon could just come off a stalker in this. I love how Haruhi slowly gets her old personality back. I love the idea of another character explicitly in love with her. Well, Kyon did make out with her to save the Universe. Come on, there must be something developing from that, right? It's so intense when Kyon goes nuts over hearing where Haruhi might be. I so feel for him as he argues with himself about wanting to live in a normal world. Of course he doesn't! He even admits anyone would be crazy to admit that!

It's the true devotion he shows towards Haruhi and the other characters that make this so wonderful. Asakura works great as a villain too, as the series was lacking a villain for the most part. Everything is just so beautiful with wonderful details. Kyon is perfect as a narrator. As the only non superpowered being, he is the most relatable. He even says that after all that Nagato has done (won't spoil the ending) he'll confront the alien entities to stop her from being punished. This is a wonderful and unique film in every sense of the word. ****

Went into it Completely Blind. What an Adventure

[JayWolfgramm · 7/10 · 16 December 2023]

Before watching this movie, I had not seen any of the "Haruhi Suzumiya" anime. I just watched this movie because I thought it looked interesting. Keep that in mind, I went into this film completely blind. So, how does this film hold up as an outsider looking in? It was a pretty good time.

The story begins of Dec 17th, and the SOS club are planning a big Christmas Eve party. The next day Kyon wakes up to find that things have all changed. No one in the school knows who Haruhi Suzumiya is. Kyon seems to be the only one in the world with memories of the way things used to be. It is kind of like an "it's a Wonderful Life", "Yesterday", or a variety of "Twilight Zone" episodes. The big difference with this one is that, where "It's a Wonderful Life" doesn't jump to the other reality until ~1 hr. 40 mins in the story, this movie has it happen at about the 12-minute mark.

This is where the movie is really funny for those people like me who had never watched the series. Up to this point, nothing strange had happened in the story. But as Kyon goes around explaining to people that some of them are robots, time travelers, aliens and espers, suddenly the audience is in the same POV as the rest of the school. Oh, and aparantly the cat can talk. Nothing in the first 12 minutes establishing this world prepare the auidence for how bizarre the world is. For some, that will be a major discouragment, they'll want to see the series before watching the film. And that is definitely the way it was intended to be viewed. But I think it is hilarious if you start with this film and have context whatsoever.

The movie could use its time better. At 2hr 30+ mins, this is a long animated movie, and some of that time could have been trimmed no problem. Kyon has a nasty habit of narrating everything. Sometimes it's helpful, but other times he is just stating the obvious. There is a time where he narrates something in his inner monologue, just to repeat it out loud right after. Stuff like that could be cut, and nothing would have been lost, and my bladder would be grateful.

The ending is also underwhelming. After going through so much hardship, you want a satisfying conclusion, but one is not given here. I won't go into spoilers, but just know that I thought the ending was dull.

The movie has a confusing beginning for those unfamiliar with the source material. It is overly long and has an ending that lacks payoff. But if you were to stand on my head and ask me "was it fun?". I would have to enthusiastically say "Of course it was, don't ask stupid questions with obvious answers."

Long, but very good

[peterfmodel · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

This is a very long movie, but in my first viewing I found it captivating until the end. I watched this before I watched the TV-Series, which compelled me to watch the TV-Series. I found the movie much better, but I must admit the TV-Series was good as well. I can confirm its possible to watch this without watching the TV-Series, but I cannot confirm this is the best way to watch the movie. The mystery keeps you glued to your seat, the only issue with not watching the TV-Series is the very end lacks punch. ON my second viewing I found the end a lot more moving, which proved this was one of those movies you can keep on re-watching. The only issue with the 2nd viewing is the mystery was gone.

A beautifully animated but overly long movie

[philip-baxter · 5/10 · 3 April 2011]

Having liked the original series of Haruhi, but hated the second (thanks to the truly dreadful 'Endless Eight' storyline) I came to the movie not knowing what to expect.

The storyline, what little of it there is, is basically summed up in the movie's title. Haruhi disappears, and it's up to Kyon to figure out what has happened. It feels like an episode of the TV series but stretched. Very stretched. The movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long, surely some sort of anime record, and it's incredibly slow from start to finish. It would have been trivial to have cut a good hour out and lost nothing from the story.

Cutting out an hour however, would have removed so much of the beautiful animation. Perhaps the absurd amount of frame and background re-use Kyoto Animation got away with in Haruhi Series 2 gave them cash to burn, as this is a wonderful looking production. Animation is great throughout, and while many of the backgrounds are very obviously re- touched photos, they still often look very nice.

Bizarrely for a movie about Haruhi Suzumiya, she's hardly in it, as the story revolves entirely around Kyon. Nagato shows up though, and is as dull and boring as ever. Quite how such a tedious character could ever been green lit continues to amaze me.

Once it was all over I left still unsure about the whole Haruhi thing. This movie must have cost a fortune but had a weak storyline told at a snail's pace, but it had it's moments all the same.

A great film for fans of the series

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 21 January 2013]

As Christmas approaches life for Kyon is going on as usual… in other words Haruhi has decided what they are all doing and telling the others what their roles will be. Then one day as he walks to school he starts to notice something strange is going on; half the school seems to have a cold and he is told it has been like that for a week. Then he learns something even stranger; Haruhi isn't there, what's more nobody seems to know her; there is no SOS club and its other members have no memory of it or of any of their antics in the club. Kyon starts to think he is going crazy but then he finds a clue that will lead him to this world's Haruhi and to a point where he will have to decide whether he wants to remain in a normal world or go back to how it was with aliens, time travellers, ESPes and most importantly Haruhi.

Having enjoyed 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumya', even the infamous 'endless eight' I looked forward to seeing this but was unsure about whether a two and a half hour movie would work… it did. It felt much shorter as the story is constantly interesting and I really wanted to know why the world changed and just as importantly how. There may be less laughs than the series but there is a greater sense of drama. This drama also includes a greater sense of danger which culminates in a surprisingly bloody scene; it isn't strong compared to many series but was much stronger than I expected in 'Haruhi Suzumiya'. I'm sure fans of the series will love this.

These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

Best Installment! In the Series!

[himurahidekaz · 10/10 · 12 May 2016]

I was a fan when this first came out and I was waiting for this movie ever since I finished season 2! So I did watch it on KissAnime and it was amazing! 10 Stars! The story starts off with typical Kyon walking to the club room and he sees Nagato there reading a book. Then Haruhi bursts in and demands they do a Christmas party 8 days from now. So Kyon has to buy more materials for the party. Then he suddenly falls asleep at his house! Then he wakes up and when he went to school couple of things went on 1. Haruhi is Not there 2. Koizumi Is Not There 3. Asakura is back! 4. Miss Asahina is a normal human 5. Yuki Nagato in the literacy Club not SOS Brigade! 6. Kyon is being rude So then the story continues on when after two days of filler plots he finds out where Haruhi Is located! He runs over to the school and waited for Haruhi. But this Haruhi does not know who she is or does Koizumi!(Then the internet shut down) So I was only able to watch up until that point but I bet this will be a good ending! Its a must watch for any Suzumiya Fan or hater! Or even a anime fan at all.

My review of the greatest movie of all time. *NO SPOILERS*

[deadboi · 10/10 · 22 April 2011]

The movie "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" was...perfect. It was the greatest movie of all time. Sure, you may not agreed, but that's what i think. But I totally recommend you seeing this.

First I need to point out that this is literally my first review ever written, so sorry if I really suck at this.

Anyway, this movie is very different from the anime. It's much more serious and it actually made me cry. If you haven't seen the anime, you will get a little confused. Since the plot is heavily based on it. So please watch the anime first. It will be much easier to understand. But if you already are a fan, you should see this movie right away.

Like I said before, i would say that this is the best movie of all time. And that's saying a lot coming from a guy who has seen "The Godfather", "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" and "Titanic". But this movie seems to have everything! Great music, lovable characters, smooth animation, good voice-acting and the list goes on! Another thing i should mention is it's length. This movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long. Which makes it the second longest movie in Japan. (Right next to "Final Yamato") You may think that this is way too long, but i would say that the longer, the better.

So overall, if you're a fan of the series or just want to see a good movie, check this one out. However, it's not for all ages. It's really sad and at times even scary. It should be rated PG-13. But still, check it out. It's a fun ride that you will never forget.

Score: 10/10

Superb Philosophical Anime

[gengar843 · 10/10 · 26 October 2020]

I watched the dub, and I watched without first seeing or knowing about the characters otherwise. I was never lost because references to past ideas did not infringe upon understanding the plot of this movie. The opening build was slow but I realized later this was completely necessary as a cornerstone to sympathizing with Kyon later. Once the alternate reality kicks in, however, there is a superb unfolding of shock. Then, an even better grasp on adaptation to circumstances before Kyon's perseverance (and fate) prompts him to the ultimate conclusion. What I really liked was the focus on happiness, and what is it that makes us happy. This was sharpened by the ideas brought forward of intentional emotional repression, which was further pinpointed in a Japanese fashion. SPOILERS AHEAD: So it was that Nagato's emotional repression caused an inevitable (in her own words) error of programming that led to the creation of a reality where she could express herself more as a human. And in that new reality Kyon was able to understand that he enjoyed Haruhi because he pined for the old reality. There are undercurrents of romantic love here but not put into words. It remains largely friendship and this cleanliness keeps the story on track. In fact, the philosophical impact would have been greatly diluted if this were merely a man sad over losing his true love (even if similar alternate -reality movies like SOMEWHERE IN TIME and PORTRAIT OF JENNIE are wonderful). The resolution here was jarring but not upsetting. I liked every bit of this film and recommend it to young and old.

A Masterpiece in the 2010s

[nintendoguy-08230 · 10/10 · 24 July 2018]

Truth be told, there's little about this film that isn't impressive. I'm not specifically talking about the fact about how this film is the 2nd longest animated film of all time, the flawless animation (especially considering its runtime), or how excellent it is overall as a film and finale to a superb television series.

As giving as little information as possible, the premise revolves around the protagonist from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", Kyon, and involves him getting in a situation where he realizes Haruhi Suzumiya, whom his life practically revolves around, suddenly disappears, and in a place where everyone knows Haruhi for her eccentricity, has never heard of her. This leaves Kyon not only puzzled, but also looking for answers to hopefully get to the bottom of the situation and have everything return to normal. This isn't really a spoiler as this synopsis is also on the back cover of the DVD and Blu-Ray cases. Anyway, the story itself is fairly straightforward for viewers and fans of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" anime though if you haven't seen said anime, I would not recommend you watch this film as it's almost like "Serenity" to "Firefly" as you would need to see the series first to understand context, characters, and various choices made throughout the film. Despite clocking in at 2 hours and 43 minutes in length (which shocked me when I first found that out) there was never a dull moment, in fact I believe the length is definitely a strong point of the film. I say this because a lot of animated films won't always take time to stop and smell the roses, or something similar, where this film has the excellent pacing of a well-known live action film such as "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", "Apocalypse Now", or "Blade Runner". There was one particular element of the film towards the end where I was a bit puzzled for a particular someone and how the logic behind them being there and how they were supposed to know about the events taking place (RA).

I saw the series and the film both in the English dub, and has quite superb voice acting where I cannot imagine better English voice actors from the list of actors usually involved in Funimation/Bang-Zoom dubbing productions; and I do plan on re-watching the series and film in the Japanese audio at some point down the line. At this point in mid-2018, roughly 8 and 1/2 years after this film was released, (even though we had "The Disappearance of Yuki Nagato") the chances of another season to adapt the rest of the light novels made after "The Disappearance" seems rather slim, though perhaps this fate is better than everything being produced in the "Death Note" franchise.

In the end, this is a film truly like no other, not just because of the length, the animation quality, the excellent and intriguing premise/conflict, but it's because of all these things that this film is as excellent as it is, and hopefully will sometime soon be considered a modern day animated classic.

A Very Fitting Series Finale

[Moltanic · 10/10 · 11 January 2013]

Grab a Snicker's folks, because this is gonna be a while.

I'll never forget my first time discovering the majesty of Haruhi Suzumiya. A good friend of mine sent me a link to the dance number that ends every first season episode. I laughed and discarded it as something out of a bizarre shojo anime, which isn't usually my thing. In the Related Videos section was Haruhi's performance of God Knows. I sent it to my friend who called it his favorite scene. I was surprised to learn that not only was he a huge fan, the show actually seemed pretty interesting.

Later that week we watched the first few episodes of the series together and I fell in love with its quirky, avant-garde sense of humor and oddball premise. I watched and enjoyed the rest of the series during the rest of the week and enjoyed it all (minus Endless Eight, that was a big f*** you to the fans). But the finale, The Sigh of Haruhi, left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt so anti-climactic. Not the way a series this fantastic should've ended.

Lo and behold last week when I discovered that there was a film to go along with the series. The trailer sure made it look interesting. Kyon wakes up one cold morning to discover that Haruhi is gone and no one remembers her existing. Not only that but Mikuru doesn't remember him and Nagato is a human with emotions. Koizumi is nowhere to be found. Kyon decides to go on a mission to uncover the source of this disturbance and correct it. Like I said, it sounded interesting. One thing my time in the anime fandom has taught me, anime films usually aren't nearly as great as the series that spawned them. So I went into this a tad bit skeptical.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film's run time; nearly 3 hours. I love long movies, but only when done right, and this movie is most definitely done right. The plot is gripping and the pacing is perfect. I was just as confused as Kyon when the film started and really felt for him every step of the way. The animation looks just like the regular episodes of the show, but in much higher quality. It was breathtaking to see the characters I love in 1080p. Admittedly, I didn't really pay that much attention to the music. I was too engrossed in what was going on to notice.

The movies ends just the way the series should have. I'm not really sure if this film can be considered a finale, but it is to me. I feel like we finally have closure while still leaving things very open ended. So all in all, I loved this film. It's not very welcoming to people who are new to show, but if you already love the show, this will take it to the next level. It did for me. 10/10

For fans of the series I think

[jonnytheshirt · 4/10 · 13 August 2012]

I love a good bit of Japanses film and Anime. This one has great animation, direction and style which looks excellent and reminds us of why animation should not be overlooked as a medium for film. I really enjoyed the setup of the story and the direction. Using angles not normally associated with animation it created a nice contemporary feel that appealed to a more mature audience. However around the 1.30 point of a 2.40 hour movie I had to turn off, my interest and care for the characters had waned at an alarming gradient, I unfortunately found the clichés and a slowly developing and rather unexciting plot not enough to keep watching, a rarity for me.

I couldn't recommend it as a stand alone Anime movie it could quite put you off the genre. This is really one for the fans of the series (which I have never seen).

More people should be watching this!

[otherjobstodo · 10/10 · 19 June 2020]

Well, this anime movie has it's own spirit to make you think and feel the worth to watch it. Sci-fi anime movies are not what I watch too often, but this one makes me feel like I should be more into that. John Smith has had it solved, his mystery to fun and life, he uncovers the likes of him and those who like him. An Android-human builts feeling for him, it's not unusual fiction, but the way Nagato dealt with affection (even if it's a malfunction) was clear enough to show her love for John. And some of the things, I am still confused about, like who the guy appearing after John was stabbed in his back. But it's worth watching. Relaxing one!

Holy shart

[existing-30526 · 10/10 · 21 April 2022]

This is one of the best films I have watched in a while.

One of the things that I really like about it is it's originality. Personally I have never seen a film similar to this one before.

If some of you want to watch it, I recommend watching the whole series firist. Yes even the full endless 8 thing. Film's way better with the setup.

Padded Out but Entertaining

[hatsunemiku-27340 · 8/10 · 12 September 2017]

First of all, this review comes from a person who hasn't seen the televised Haruhi series. I've read the light novels but I never got around to watching any of the anime for whatever reason. I recently purchased The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya from a used DVD store for a couple bucks which is probably the only reason I'll have ever watched this film.

One word to summarize my experience with Disappearance is "daunting". At 164 minutes, nearly three hours, this is the longest anime film I've ever sat through. Typically a movie that long, for me, requires two sittings unless I'm really into it. I watched Disappearance in one night, in one sitting, and I don't want to completely attest it to me being engaged because there were a lot of parts that I found boring.

The story is that one day series protagonist Kyon wakes up and everyone he knows is different. The stoic alien Nagato is now a shy, emotive girl. Time traveling Asahina Mikuru is the same but doesn't recognize him. And most of all, Haruhi Suzumiya isn't at Kyon's school any longer and attends a private academy. Why is the world this way and can Kyon return to his own reality? The story section is where the runtime becomes a problem. If I were to speed-read the light novel this is based on, I'd probably come out of the novel a half hour sooner than I would the film. The biggest problem with Disappearance is how much fluff I felt was attached. I had the distinct impression I was watching an uncut version of the film, one where an editor or the director didn't take the time to remove the extraneous scenes. It takes nearly a half an hour just to get to the actual story, the majority of the beginning of the movie is spent with slice-of-life and comedy bits that are good for introducing the characters to a new audience and giving a sense of comradeship, but nothing more really. Given the fact that the Christmas celebration isn't the focus of the finale and hardly plays into the story other than some minor motivation for Kyon, it's strange that the movie focuses so much on the minutiae of it all. Half the introductory scenes could have been cut.

The middle of the film drags as well though. There are quite a few scenes of nothing happening that are well directed and animated, sure, and also sometimes gives a glimpse into the character and his/her thoughts but I can't help but feel that much of it was pointless. While I was engaged in the mystery of what was happening and I do love the characters I was pulling my hair out at points wondering why in God's name certain scenes were drug out or even included in the final product.

The ending is abrupt. Like, really abrupt. It comes out of nowhere and doesn't feel satisfactory for the two plus hours you've had to trudge through to get to that point. And it leads to twenty-ish minutes of a conclusion that, again, is extended way beyond what it should have been.

This movie could have been two hours easily.

The animation and sound design are fantastic though. I love Kyo-Ani's animation and they're at the top of their game here. Everyone looks like human/bug hybrids but how can you not love those smug faces and want to protect those glowing smiles? The lack of music in certain scenes is a nice touch, it feels like the director understood using music for drama and not to fill dead air.

I feel that descriptions and analysis of Haruhi characters have been done to death so I'll slide by this. I love Haruhi as a character and I love the cast. I've spent years reading the light novels and some of the manga, they've been part of my anime conscience for nearly a decade. I don't feel that this movie had a lot of good development though alternate reality Nagato is amazing and I'm sad they bastardized her with that abomination of a spin-off. Nonetheless, memorable characters. Maybe not so much if you're just taking the film on its own, but definitely in the grand scheme of the franchise.

Disappearance isn't a bad movie in the least and has a lot of great merits. Everything about it screams quality but the amount of fluff and padding really weighs down what would otherwise have been an extremely worthwhile adventure. As it stands, I'd still recommend it but with the caveat that it may be best enjoyed in portions.

Fantastic movie that is heavily realiant on the show

[glumski · 10/10 · 31 December 2023]

Truth be told, I'm not a great fan of the original Haruhi anime and would only rate it a 7/10. This movie, though, is an absolute masterpiece that by itself is reason enough to watch through the series.

There's nothing about this movie that isn't close to perfection. The animations are crisp and stunningly gorgeous (especially compared to the series, which certainly shows it age). The cinematography is a sight to behold. The soundtrack brings back the best motifs of the show but also does its own thing. The voice acting, even (especially?) the English dub, is top notch. And the story itself... 'The Melancholy of Harumi Suzumiya' was a humorous show that rarely delivered more than light-hearted slice-of-life moments with some added craziness. I fully expected 'The disappearance of Harumi Suzumiya' to be very much the same, just on a higher calibre. It's not. The movie made me laugh. It made me cry. It brings the characters to life in a way that the show couldn't, and it has more plot twists than I could have foreseen. Most of all, this movie brought me happiness like only very few movies have managed.

However, as a stand-alone movie, I believe that it would fail its audience. Nevertheless, I cannot in good conscience rate 'Disappearance' any lower than 10/10; something I usually try to avoid. But this movie did it all, and it did it all perfectly.

A nostalgia film

[tinyfoe · 9/10 · 5 January 2023]

I was just laying on my bed on night and remembered that I have watched an anime on my tv when i was a kid but couldn't remember the name. However after some digging on internet, I finally found it back with the foggy memory of the plot. I really can't remember the full story of this movie, but i believe that there must be a reason that i remembered it for so long. The movie must have been very special to stay in my memory for so long. It is a great & amazing that has a great sci-fu experience along with a touching ending. I am now 20 and i came back to write the review to recommend all of u to watch as it is a much watch film even till today.