I'm dying to see it! Even after a pretty disappointing second season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the trailer for The Vanishment/The Disappearance was enough to get me excited about the franchise again.
But it'll be ages before I can see it in the US! Has anybody been able to catch it in Japan? And if so, how was it?!
Seen it, but unfortunately not in a quality that I'd have preferred.
So you were disappointed with Season 2? Well who wouldn't be, what with the artistic disaster that was "Endless Eight" devouring it whole. But let me tell you, THIS makes up for it. It's fantastic! Feature length, easily, must have been about two hours long, a season's worth of plot packed into a roller-coaster ride.
The best thing about "Disappearance"? It's all CANON, this isn't just some fluffy movie that is some isolated body, never mentioned or acknowledged from the series afterward. Stuff happens, stuff that's going to matter to the Suzumiya narrative as a whole. Questions get answered, viewer suspicions are reinforced, and by Haruhi, is it an emotional ride or what?
Basically, picture this. Things are hunky-dory in Kyon-town, Haruhi is planning a Christmas party and she's happy as a clam. No reason for her to flare up and cause trouble, not in the given circumstances anyway. But come the morning of December 18th, Kyon makes his way to school and finds Taniguchi down with a cold that he certainly didn't have yesterday. In fact, a lot of people seem to be coming down with something, and Kyon suspects it must be bad when he notices the ever-stubborn Haruhi Suzumiya has even opted out today.
But nothing really seems entirely out of the ordinary, until Kyon sees someone waltz into the room who certainly oughtn't be...someone who COULDN'T be...someone who he's paralyzed with fear to see again...Ryoko Asakura...
Kyon starts freaking out a bit. Unabashed, he demands of her what she's doing there, and says for the whole class to hear that she once tried to kill him. But none of it reaches a peak until a student arrives and fills Haruhi's chair, claiming to have always sat in it. He asks about Haruhi, but gets blank, worried stares back. Ryoko checks the class list. It shakes Kyon more than anything else: Haruhi isn't listed.
And so, Kyon runs from the class, to find answers, to understand the reason and remedy for the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya...
~~~~~
I'll just say right now, it makes up for Season 2 entirely. I don't live in Japan, but I'll say if you look hard enough, you should be able to track it down yourelf...
Agreed...the quality is bad, but there's a version floating around. Also, Bandai has already acquired the rights to both the movie and Season 2 and is planning to show subbed screenings of the movie in San Francisco in May and a Theatrical run in Hawaii.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-04-15/bandai-entertainment-a dds-the-disappearance-of-haruhi-suzumiya
All in all, despite the bad quality, the movie was incredible and I really enjoyed. Though I will say it didn't make up for Season 2, mainly because I'm one of the nutjobs that actually enjoyed Endless Eight. I wish I was still living up in the San Francisco Bay, though. I'd love to see the movie in theaters. Here's hoping they do a full theatrical run of the dub (which, based on the Season 1 dub, I really wouldn't mind seeing) or expand the sub's theatrical run to other cities if it does well in Hawaii.
http://www.pixelatedgeek.com/author/fullmetalx
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Endless Eight should have being only three episodes long to get the point. I understand the logic behind it but taking it that far was a mistake. Anyway the rest of the series, which is the making of the SOS brigade film, was quite fun and answered the question about the talking cat which is necesary to understand some point in the film.
The movie was great and complement the series perfectly. In fact is perfectly fit into the series as an arc, it could be even cut into six episodes and it would be perfect anyway.
"I think there is a difference between a work of art and an Oscar." Roger Corman
^ I agree with every single word you said.
shareI just saw it.What i can tell you is that the disapearence concludes the story perfectly.I personally wont look out for any other episodes or movies for the simple reason that this is how i want this story to end.It makes it's point very clear and is "dressed" with one of my favourite songs Erik Satie's Gymnopedie.
Final Word:To those who adored the series:no reason not to check this out.
To those who considered it of a missed opportunity(with it having a great premise and all)kinda like what i though:you may be surprised..
Oh and its available on isohunt,very easy to track.
That song alone was my reasoning in watching the entire TV series, second season and finally the movie. Satie's works in this movie fit so well, it brought a tear to my eye to hear it played in this anime. Totally sets the mood.
Gnossiennes No.1 played when he first meets up with Other World Haruhi, and I believe theres another one of Satie's works in there too. The soundtrack for this movie couldn't have been more perfect for its dark cold nature.