The Butt Shot of Haruhi Suzumiya

Object in view may be larger than it appears. Open in new tab
for a "better" look. Possibly the best part of Endless Eight.

The Butt Shot of Haruhi Suzumiya


First a disclaimer:

No, I'm not getting this blog into ecchi or cheesecake and certainly not porn/hentai.

This is an experiment.

What I'm attempting is to see how effective renaming an illustration can be in aquiring blog hits.

Example:

When one is looking for a particular illustration, does he go to a search engine and enter 123xyz.jpg? Of course not. What he enters is what he's looking for. Character or actor name, title, scene description, and any other particulars he has in mind. If what he's looking for is named 123xyz.jpg, there's a good chance it's not going to come up and you'll be less one hit on your blog.

I rename any illustrations on this blog with as many particulars as possible so as to lead seekers here. As an example, right click any of  this articles' illustrations and open in new tab. You'll notice the "names" to be quite long. While this probably mainly attracts "picture snatchers" it: A. Gets me one more blog hit closer to the "head of the line" on search engines. A hit is a hit after all. And B. If at least one out of every ten seekers bothers to read the article the image is with then it's done its job.

Oh yes. I also load up a blog post with as many relevant labels as possible.

An "animated" gif for you.

As an aside, I chuckle every time I try to "snatch" a picture somewhere else and a "warning" pops up condemning me as a "leacher" or some such. Kind of makes me wonder how HE got the image in the first place. Maybe it just happened to appear in his downloads file for no particular reason. Suuuuuure ...

As we all know, sex "sells". Certainly in anime and as any anime fan knows, the Haruhi Suzumiya character is still a hot property even though the show has ceased airing several years now. I thought that in using this particular illustration from the show, I can get a good idea of how effective the renaming of a picture can be.

HEY! ... Watchu' lookin' at!?!

I got the image at the top of this article from the website konachan.com. It's a booru type website that specializes in anime "wallpapers". As few people make wallpapers out of hentai, the site has comparitively little porn on it and what there is, is of a more "tasteful" kind. The site has a "safe mode" option if you want to avoid that sort of thing.

Again, I'm not trying to break into the porn field. I'm sure there are a LOT of folks out there who can do it so much "better" than I.


The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya 1, 2 and 3.

Wikipedia article on The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya here.

The Endless Eight of Haruhi Suzumiya: C'mon! It Wasn't THAT Bad here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, you're already there.

Haruhi Suzumiya/My Little Pony: OH! THE ... BLASPHEMY!

No clothing ... Could this ... be hentai?

Haruhi Suzumiya/My Little Pony: OH! THE ... BLASPHEMY!


Came across these ILLustrations while cruising the net.

This is about how I feel right now ...

Why ... OH WHY ... do they do this? Why do they continue with ... this ... this blasphemy!?

Because ...

THEY ARE ... EVIL!

Darn Bronies!

Transcendent ... Everywhere ... And will one day administer DIVINE punishment!

Wikipedia article on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic here.

Wikipedia article on The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya franchise here.

Three part article, The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya 1, 2, 3.

Hitler is a brony here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Nyoron Churuya-san ... Why?

Oh gee ... Another Haruhi related
article ... nyoro~n ...

Nyoron Churuya-san ... Why?

Why? Why indeed. Not as to the existance of this short, SHORT show (Talk about Short Attention Span Theater! Each episode is around a minute long!), but about the QUESTION (S) it raises:

1. Why ... is Miss Tsuruya/Churuya shrunk down to the size of a bread box? We know why Ryoko is (To keep her from killing Kyon!). It's never explained. Is it for the purposes of "cute"? I already thought she was. I miss the tall giggler with green hair down past her posterior ... & a fang.



A study in contrasts. The original Tsuruya holding the
doll-like Churuya. Credit: Michio O of Deviantart

2. Why ... does she have a fixation (Over riding OBSESSION!) on smo-chee ... er ... uh ... smoked cheese?

3. Why ... does she have a "thing" for Kyon? I'm really getting to be annoyed at this jerk. He has all these babes after him (One of whom happens to be ... GOD ... for heavens' sakes!) & he hasn't a clue about what to do with such luck. Which brings me to:

4. Why ... is Kyon so cruel to her? Denies her company as well as the cheese (I assume she's still in the same age group despite her tiny stature.), makes things off limits/out of reach, replacing her with a lookalike figure, etc. The rest of the SOS bunch (All talking in flat monotones. Everyone's a "Yuki" ... including Yuki.) aren't nice to her either, what with their excluding/making her the "fall guy" in their activities & all.

5. Why is Ryoko affectionate toward Kyon as well? I thought she was out to eliminate him. I know I am! She even goes so far as to decoy Churuya or "one up" her. Kyon treats her pretty much the same way.

Nyoron Churuya-san is an all too short, puzzling, disjointed, jumble of an anime. Makes no sense at all, leaving me confused & up at nights. So ...

6. Why ... do I bother watching it every so often.

... and ...

7. Why ... DO I ENJOY IT SO MUCH!

Oh yeah! ... What the heck does nyoron mean?

Here we go ...


The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya parts 1 , 2 , 3 .

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Gendo Ikari vs Chuck Norris: An Interesting "Search Word" Indeed

Propane, propane accessories ..... & LCL.

                                
                   Gendo Ikari vs Chuck Norris: An Interesting "Search Word" Indeed

     
      While searching my blog stats for the next installment of  Interesting Search Words I came across the above. Gendo up against Big Chuck? No way! Keep in mind, ole Chuckles is so manly that when he does pushups, he doesn't push himself up, he pushes the earth down. Ikari wouldn't last two seconds with Mr. Norris.

Nobody messes with Chuck. Not even Gendo Ikari or SEELE.

     
      Lillith/Rei vs Chuck would be more of a real match up. Norris' A T field is at least just as powerful & his LCL has the consistency of concrete. He's the only guy who could out & out survive Third Impact.

      When I think about it, just who was it who "cut the throat" of the Lillith/Rei/Yui entity & releasing all those souls anyway? It couldn't have been wimpy boy in the powered down Unit 01. No, it had to have been Big Chuck himself. No one else could do it. NO ONE!

Oooooo! Bunnies! L-R foreground: Yuki Nagato, Mikiru Asahina, Haruhi Suzumiya.
Background: Itsuke Koizumi, Kyon. Credit: Kyoto Animation

     
      Of course I can't take any of this seriously including the Evangelion franchise. I mean, after all, everyone knows that the one true God is Haruhi Suzumiya. Third Impact would be impossible as she would just wish it away. Then again, with her yearning for wonderful, crazy things to happen, she'd just might let it! Even doing a "Third Impact" of her own! (Does what she did "three years ago" count?)

      Great! Just Great! All this time I've been worried about hovering, blue haired, albino school chicks when the real "menace" was a guitar playing whack goddess in a bunny suit! Sheesh!

      Wish she'd do something about those ponies .....


Wikipedia article on Chuck Norris "facts" here.

"Actual" Chuck Norris "facts" here.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ooooo! Goodies in the Mail! here.

End of Evangelion: This Is (Really) Disturbing here.

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pts  1  2  3.

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Missing Goddess: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

A recovering Kyon with two sets of the cast from the differing realities. Clockwise
from Kyon: Haruhi Suzumiya, Itsuke Koizume, Mikuru Asahina, Yuki Nagato, again
Mikuru Asahina, Yuki Nagato, Itsuke Koizume, & demented deity Haruhi Suzumiya.
Credit: Kyoto Animation

                         
                       Missing Goddess: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

                                                                  by

                                                                      Jay Agan

      I swore when I started out getting anime to round out my vid collection I would never get into what I term "pedo" shows. There's a substratum in anime fandom with a bad rep & for good reason. Why anyone would be "attracted" to underaged girls (And "toons" at that!) & be so open about it is beyond me (I am not counting, of course, underaged fans. It's these "neckbeards" giving me the creeps.).

      Besides, why would I be watching ANY of these "girly" little shows? MEN! (With a capital MEN!) Are into manly things. Sci-fi, horror, action/adventure etc. What need have MEN for these "poofy" little cartoons?

      Over time I was getting & watching some of them anyway. I YouTubed some on the recommendation of others & found a few interesting.

      The Peanuts-like "straight 'n simple" approach/humor of Azumanga Daioh. The satire of Lucky Star. A sci-fi with X-Files element sendup of Stratos 4. The theological whackness of Hell Girl, Angel Beats, Serial Experiments Lain or ..... The Melancholy of  Haruhi Suzumiya.

      Which brings me to my latest aquisition: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.

      If you're familiar with the Haruhi series, you already know about the convoluted strangeness of what appears on the surface to be another of those silly schoogirl series. Interesting twists/turns & anomalies make this franchise more than fascinating. The ongoing story of an unknowingly god-like being & her four friends making sure she stays that way & the damage control following. So far, the franchise has been generally lighthearted but Disappearance takes a more noirish turn.

      Kyon, the main protagonist, wakes up one cold December day in an alternate reality. Is it the same world altered or a completely different one? He's not sure but what is sure is Haruhi (Whack goddess of all creation.) is nowhere to be found. Or is she?

      It's up to Kyon to find/figure a way out of this mess & the cause. Find them both he does. Gathering the "keys" (I'm not going to spoil it for you.) & the cause (Wish fulfillment on his part? Someone else tired/fed-up with Haruhis' chaos inducing madness?) he solves the problem only to find a new one (Caused by a "returning" menace.) which solution is delayed for a time at the conclusion of the picture. Thus opening the way for a continuation of the series/movies. I hope.

The "gang of five" back together again & some alternate protagonists sadly
exiting stage right. L-R: Haruhi Suzumiya, Mikuru Asahina, Yuki Nagato,
Itsuke Koizume, Kyon, Yuki Nagato, Itsuke Koizume, Haruhi Suzumiya.
Credit: Kyoto Animation

     
      Warning: This film is about two & a half hours long. Think of it as five back to back Haruhi eps. It helps if youv'e read the light novel of the same name (#4) beforehand. Or for that matter seen the series, eps 1-6 (Ep. 5, DVD order, in particular. Also ep. 8 "Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody", 2009 order.).

      From the "fish out of water" first half to the sci-fi noir of the second, you'll find this both enjoyable & more than slightly mind bent.

Article copyright © 10-12-2011 Jay Agan

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.

The Endless Eight Of Haruhi Suzumiya: C'mon, It Wasn't THAT Bad!

Just think guys! We only have about 15,000 more to
go! Credit: Kadokawa Shoten

                The Endless Eight Of Haruhi Suzumiya: C'mon, It Wasn't THAT Bad!

                                                                by

                                                                    Jay Agan

      When Endless Eight was broadcast & later put to disc, a LOT of fans were not happy. So much so I understand Aya Hirano & some folks at Kyoto Animation made an apology. But was it as bad as all that? I disagree.

      Those who saw the initial broadcasts in Japan & on the net "gave warning". Others, after the discs came out, had their gripes too. Wether one saw it in "bite size" pieces of an ep or two or all at once (Masochists!), the howls & whines were uniformly strident.

      "It's too long!"

      "It's all the same!"

      "My brain hurts!"

      Yeah. They all complained. But they STILL watched it. There had to have been SOMETHING about it they liked.

      Then there's me. I like it. Not all at once though. As I got my copy of the "second season" months after the controversey died down, I was "forewarned" & knew what to expect. Thus was able to relax & "take it as it came".

      Aside from the superficial differences ("Camera" angles, outfits, minor variations in dialogue, etc.), there were the "executions". The first ep. being a nice, happy story of some kids having a blast of a summer vacation then subsequent eps "deteriorating" into Hitchcockian or Stroheim-like, semi-surreal madness at points. Sometimes even seeming noirishly "dark". It was "deja vu all over again" & again & again. With the characters being slowly ground down &, in Kyons' case, to despair towards the end of the last ep.

      There was definite room for improvement. Fewer episodes. Dialogue varied more. Events replaced with others &/or the order of them changed. It could be the directors may have been instructed to stick exactly with the script but given lee-way on everything else. A little more "flexibility" would have been nice.

      A few years from now this may become a "cult classic". The story arc everyone HATED but watched anyway.

                                         Article copyright © 7-22-2011 Jay Agan

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 1 here.

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 2 here.

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 3 here.

The Sexual Harassment of Haruhi Suzumiya here.

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.
     

The Sexual Harassment of Haruhi Suzumiya or Now I Get It!



She'll never leave that poor kid alone. Mikuru may be moe' but Haruhi is
Moe Howard! Credit: Noizi Ito, Kyoto Animation


                                  The Sexual Harassment of Haruhi Suzumiya

                                                                   or

                                                           Now I Get It!

                                                                   by

                                                                      Jay Agan

      Perhaps I'm a bit slow on the uptake. Heck, sometimes it takes a looong time before I figure something out.



As the song goes: She's got the whooooole world ..... in her hand. Somehow,
 this does NOT reassure me. Credit: Noizi Ito, Kyoto Animation


      A few months ago I wrote a three part article The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya. In the first part I mentioned how taken aback I was over some scenes in episodes 01, 02 & 03. I still hold to the same reservations but now I more fully understand as to what it's about.
     
      I originally thought it had to do with some kind of wierd Japanese sexual humor. I now see they were nothing more than satiric pokes at the anime trope known as moe'. It's nothing more than the title characters' way (Being the pushy, inconsiderate ASS she can be.) of pointing out some of the Mikuru characters' moe' aspects. In this case, cute, tiny, and uh ..... generous secondary female characteristics. Still, it could have been handled differently (Being as I'm from Ohio & not ohayo, I like my women real & of legal age.).



One can only guess as to the incident that would get this bunch into a line up.
One good guess as to whose fault it is. Hint: It's not that of the pairs on either
end. Credit: Noizi Ito, Kyoto Animation

      
      While Mikuru is moe', Haruhi is definitely Moe Howard.

                                                  Article copyright © 3-24-2011 Jay Agan
     
      Here are some Haruhi goodies I found on You Tube:

      While our anime marketers usually leave the opening/closing numbers alone, it seems the Russians like to re-dub them in their own language.

      Here's the Russian version of God Knows.

      Here's a couple unrelated ones for the opening/closing of the second season. Quite funny as seemingly no editing was needed. They just "fell in" on their own.

      K-On! is one of those girly little animes I know absolutely nothing about. As a child of the Cold War, if anyone told me 20 years ago I'd be chuckling over something to do with the Soviet anthem, I'd have told him he was nuts!

      Here's an Azumanga one you've probably seen before.


Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.

Lucky Star, Yak! Yakkity! Yak!

Yes ..... they talk ..... a LOT! Oh, look! They're talking now!
Tsukasa, Konata, Miyki, & Kagami. Photo: Kyoto Animation

                                          Lucky Star, Yak! Yakkity! Yak!

                                                                 by

                                                                    Jay Agan

      At first, that's what I thought it was. At second, it still is. But now I get it.

      My first attempt at viewing Lucky Star ended the same as my efforts at watching Gone With the Wind. Disaster! I couldn't make it past the cream horn eating debate in episode one so I went on to other things. 24 episodes of four girls CONSTANTLY discussing such weighty matters as girl talk, dodging homework, dieting, girl talk, the weather, boys, girl talk, pop culture, hair care, girl talk ..... No way was I going to be able to take this one in! And after that zippy opening credits number, what a let down! (The "Konata drop" at the end of the cheer line never fails to get a chuckle out of me.)

      Call it senility, stupidity, temporary dementia, what have you ..... a few weeks later I gave it another try. Got past the cream horn "speed bump" & after going through the first four eps I started to actually enjoy it. (No. It didn't get me in touch with my "feminine side". And no, you DON'T want to meet her!)

      The show centers around obsessed otaku Konata Izumi & her level headed (Kagami Hiiragi) & not so level headed (Tsukasa Hiiragi, Miyuki Takara) foils. In their typical & sometimes atypical everyday activities we get an observation or ten on media culture & to what degree it affects (Infects?) the world. As Kagami exasperatingly observes more than once to Konata: "It all comes down to THAT with you, doesn't it?"

      Others in the cast are a slightly off center homeroom teacher (Nanako Kuroi), an authority figure  who drives like a maniac (Yui Narumi, Konatas' policewoman cousin.), & Konatas' lolita complex "afflicted" dad (He doesn't try to act on it overtly. Surprisingly, his flakey daughter is a stabilising force. eg. the "..... too close, you're freaking me out!" scene in episode 18.) Shades of Azumanga Daioh! Second season eps put some attention on Konatas' even more diminutive freshman cousin (Yutaka Kobayakawa) & her friends.

Fear & loathing on the (un)Lucky Channel.
Akira & Minoru. Photo: Kyoto Animation

      The cast is rounded out by the two members (Akira Kogame, Minoru Shiraishi) of the "show within a show", Lucky Channel. Ostensibly to comment & inform about Lucky Star it's mostly about Akiras' (Slipping in & out of "character".) jealousy, grumbling bitterly over her flagging acting career & bullying Minoru as a result (He later explodes in ep 21.).

      The constant, obvious, visual/verbal references (No subtext here!) are more than a clue that this show is a running commentary/satire on anime/manga/gaming in particular, & pop culture (Japanese & otherwise.) in general. It's also a continuous ad for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, another Kyoto Animation property.

      Being that the show is about otaku "culture" (Before dabbling in anime, I used to think otakus was a Frito-Lay product. I like the Cool Ranch & Barbecue flavors.) we see most everything through the eyes of the "showcased" Konata. Through her we are given a first person accounting of the trials, tribulations, & FINANCIAL dificulties rabid fans go through, & how manipulative some can be in their desperation to indulge . (I like it that she could con two friends into canvassing the huge Comiket convention for her {ep 12}, & have her buddies accompany her to the Kyoto Animation studios during a field trip {ep 21}.) In ep 16 we see Konata in action at her job in a "cosplay" cafe (It was a kick to hear Wendee Lee switch horses in midstream & reprise her Haruhi role.).

      Though we are taken through about 2+ years of classes, the high school scene is only a backdrop for the above mentioned references (Too numerous to count.). One has to be a true fan to "get" even half of them (I got about a quarter.). I was more interested in Konatas' "relationship" with them. The character is really wrapped up in it (Aren't you glad YOU're not like that?).

      Lucky Star has everything: Nonstop talk, comedy, nonstop talk, anime/pop cult. references, nonstop talk, product placements, nonstop talk ..... Not my kind of anime but enjoyed watching just the same. You just have to get past the discourse. Fade to white .....

                                        Article copyright © 2-17-2011 Jay Agan

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied (with permission) in whole or in part. Please be sure to give proper credit & backlink.

Just Who IS This Guy? The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 3

Credit: Kyoto Animation

                                                      

                                               Just Who IS This Guy?

            
                                     The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 3

                                                                    by
         
                                                                       Jay Agan

     In this third & last installment I'll go into what I think is the biggest head whack of all in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. No it's not Endless Eight. While a bold experiment, it fell rather flat with the fans in Japan (So much so, Aya Hirano & the studio made a public apology.). A lot of U.S. fans weren't too happy with it either. Eight eps (Weeks?) of the "same" thing? Could have been worse. Be glad it wasn't Endless EighTEEN! Maybe Kyoto Animation could come up with a "third" season. Take out 5 or 6 of Endless Eight, replacing them with eps from an untouched story arc(s) from the light novels.

    For me, the biggest trip/mystery of the series is that Kyon person.

    Who IS this guy? Kyon (A nickname given him by an unseen grandparent.) isn't even his real name. No older relations are ever seen (Adults being peripheral, at best, in this series.). His little sister doesn't have a name at all (Every one else refers to her as "little sister". Even in the closing credits.)

    Though not the title character, he is the main one. As "narrator", everything is seen from his POV, filling in & keeping things rolling.

    You're not sure at times if he's narrating, thinking, talking to someone, or just mumbling/whining to himself. These things run/meld into each other. It always takes me aback when another character unexpectedly replies. (Itsuke claims an inability to read minds & it's not certain Haruhi can either. At times they "respond" when it seems Kyon wasn't talking to anyone at all.)

    Sometimes he acts surprised when something strange happens. Other times not. Does he know more than what he lets on? Is he really the hapless mortal he's playing?

    In spite of his "ordinaryness", he figures greatly in Haruhis' scheme of things. He did, after all, get the ball rolling (ep 1) when he suggested she (who must be obeyed) be more of a mover & shaker in life. (Coming from a guy who wanted to coast & slide through life, don't you find that a bit.....odd?) For some reason she has "chosen" him & her jealousy is, at times, evident.

    Kyon is the only one who stands up to Haruhi. The others are "forced" to go along as they're observers for their respective factions (Could they actually be there to observe Kyon & not Haruhi?). In spite of Haruhis' self centered obnoxiousness, she actually listens to him & takes  his  advice.....sometimes.

    I wonder about this guy. Is he more of a force in the proceedings than we're led to believe? (Here's a guy who had all given up on anything wondrous happening in life, reduced to a jaded cynic (ep 1), only to have "IT!" dropped right in his lap.) Could he be the one making things happen & not Haruhi? Is this all nothing more than some fantastic form of (sub)concious wish fullfilment on his part?

    Maybe I'm thinking too much. When it comes down to it, it' only a "cartoon", right, right?

Article copyright © 10-22-10 Jay Agan

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt. 2

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya Pt 1

Go to MAIN PAGE.

                                                   
DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.