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Impressions:

I didn’t really know what to expect from the last episode as I knew it would be the 6th episode chronologically, but after I watched it, it made much more sense. This event apparently strengthens Kyon’s and Haruhi’s relationship with each other, which can be seen in the later episodes chronologically. It was a satisfying end to the season (hopefully there’s more). Suzumiya Haruhi was supposedly cut short due to the Kanon remake, but I can’t remember where I got that information from. At first I was pretty pissed but now that I’ve seen Kanon I have realised it is an equally good show (as of episode one at least lol). Nevertheless, the last episode satisfied mainly because of the high amounts of destruction and a lot of Haruhi × Kyon bonding. The kiss near the end sealed the deal, though I wish it was made more romantic as described in the novels. There wasn’t even a good, clean close-up! Ah well, now it just means KyoAni HAS to do a follow up. Well, they don’t have to, but I’m sure all those Haruhiists out there were left wanting more after the last episode.

Well, that’s it for Haruhi. If you didn’t know, I wrote the summaries when I watched the episodes as they came out, which was some time ago, so the writing still might be different. I really just re-watched the episodes to get the screenshots and to refresh my memory to write this. So, let me talk about Suzumiya Haruhi as a whole series now. Firstly, if I were to give a biased rating (ie a rating based on how much I like the show) it would be 10/10. However, if I were to give an unbiased rating (ie combined ratings of quality, sound, character, story etc) it would be 10/10. The reason? I can’t find anything wrong with the show. The story was unique and of course interesting. The characters had strong personalities, each adding more enjoyment to the show. The music was catchy and could have been better, but that’s not enough to reduce a 10 to a 9. Also, the two songs in episode 12 makes up for the music. The character designs were excellent and the overall art very realistic (as they were drawn according to real places). The quality was superb too.

My favourite character has to be Haruhi (yes, our almighty god Haruhi-sama) because of her constantly being hyper and energetic. She is the type of person who goes for her dreams all the way to the end. Her eccentricity when inspired and displeasure when let down are very contrasted, which provides a ranging personality and very enjoyable scenes. Apart from Haruhi, Tsuruya is also an awesome character. She is obviously famous for her use of the adjective ‘mega’ and also, in 4coma, ‘nyoro~n’. Her hair is abnormally long and an unnatural colour, but hey, it’s anime! Her attitude towards life and everything is really cool, almost like Haruhi, though her refreshing points are her carefree-ness and necessity. As for Kyon’s ideal partner, it is Haruhi no questions asked. No, it is not Mikuru! Yes, Mikuru has big oppai and is very kawaii, but she is too girly and afraid of everything. She also seems to be Kyon’s relative somehow, so her closeness to Kyon is probably more like sibling love than romantic love. Kyon likes Haruhi. He just does. Accept it as a fact! He has no interest in Mikuru; he thinks she’s hot and wouldn’t mind getting together with her, but deep down he knows Haruhi is the one for him. Anyway, it’s getting late so ja mata ne!

Summary:

Still tired, probably from his experience in closed-space, Kyon finds himself unable to get out of bed by himself and lets his little sister drag him out. As he is cycling through his morning routine, he thinks about the three other SOS Brigade members apart from Haruhi and himself. Nagato Yuki, the artificial human made by aliens; Asahina Mikuru, the time traveller; and finally, Koizumi Itsuki, the ESP user. (For those of you who don’t know what ESP is, it stands for Effective Sensory Projection, or Extra-Sensory Perception. ESP can stand for many other things, but in this case, it refers to the ability to obtain information by means other than the known senses.) Kyon is still clueless about why he was dragged into this mess. The alien, time traveller and esper have gathered together because Haruhi had wished for it, but why was Kyon?

As he nears the school, his friend Taniguchi catches up to him. Kyon asks him if he’s a normal high school student. After a moment of thought, Taniguchi says he isn’t too sure, as a normal high school student wouldn’t push down a girl in an empty classroom (referring to episode where Asakura had tried to kill him, when Taniguchi had walked into the classroom at the worst moment, seeing Kyon holding Nagato in his arms.) Kyon makes up reason to why he had been with Nagato; how she had fainted with chronic anaemia, which Taniguchi immediately rejects. Taniguchi states another reason as to why Kyon wouldn’t be normal; he is one of Haruhi’s ‘people’. Kyon then asks Taniguchi whether he can use ESP. Taniguchi comes to the conclusion that Kyon has been infected by Haruhi’s poison, and that he doesn’t want to catch the disease.

After P.E., Kyon sees Haruhi in the classroom, still in her sport uniform. She says that it’s too hot and she’ll have to change again when she gets to the clubroom anyway. She also has cleaning duty later, so it’ll be easier to move in her sport clothes. She asks Kyon what she should make Asahina dress up as next, in a bored tone so unlike Haruhi. Kyon seems t be irritated at first by the suggestion to dress their sempai, but when Haruhi comes up with the suggestions of kitty ears, nurse or queen, Kyon begins to think about it. Haruhi knows that Kyon is probably visualising Asahina in the various outfits, and says he has a dumb face. First sign of jealousy, perhaps?

Later in the clubroom, Kyon is on the computer as Asahina is making tea (and Nagato doing what she always does: reading). Kyon enables the option of revealing all hidden folders and opens up a folder of the pictures of Asahina he had saved. He zooms in on a picture and sees a mole on Asahina’s left breast (the idea incited by the visit of the future Asahina). Asahina brings Kyon his cup of tea as Kyon quickly exits the image viewer. However, he is unable to properly conceal his collection of pictures and Asahina sees the folder which has her name on it. She asks Kyon what’s inside and why her name is on it. As Kyon obviously refuses to show her, she begins grappling for the mouse when Haruhi walks him, catching the two in an awkward position (Nagato also has her eye on them.) Haruhi asks Kyon if he thinks maids are moe, but Kyon replies with a “What are you talking about?” Haruhi informs him that she is going to get changed, but since Haruhi had never cared who she exposed herself to in the passed and changed even if there were guys around, Kyon assumes that she wouldn’t mind him staying in the room. Haruhi gets pissed and kicks him out of the room, surprising him and making him wonder about why the sudden change. When Kyon returns, Haruhi is in her bunny costume, complaining that although her arms are cool, the suit doesn’t allow much ventilation. Koizumi arrives and jokingly asks whether the SOS Brigade is having a costume party. Haruhi tells Asahina to sit and begins to braid her hair with a scolding look on her face (Asahina looks terrified the entire time). As Kyon plays a board game with Koizumi, he reflects back upon the days events and recalls nothing out of the ordinary, feeling slightly dissatisfied. He also thinks back a few days to when Asakura had tried to kill him and the other extraordinary experience, and decides that he wants everything to stay this way. But there’s one person who doesn’t share his view: Suzumiya Haruhi.

When Kyon gets into bed that night, he begins to explain why people dream. Sleep rotates between cycles of REM and non-REM stages (REM being the acronym for ‘rapid eye movement’). When the body is resting but the brain is still active, the person is in REM sleep and dreams, even though people don’t remember most of their dreams. Kyon begins hearing Haruhi’s voice, telling him to get up. His eyes snap open and he sees Haruhi leaning over him, still in her school uniform. Kyon rises and finds himself in a grey, empty world, which he easily recognises as closed-space. Haruhi is still clueless though, not knowing that she was the one who created such a world. Kyon asks if she had seen Koizumi, as he is an esper, but Haruhi says that she hasn’t. Kyon suggests they escape from the school, but encounter an invisible barrier around the school. As they head back into the school, Haruhi clutches Kyon’s sleeve, which provokes him to say that if she’s scared, she should cling to his arm instead, just to create a better atmosphere. Haruhi quickly replies with a ‘baka!’ The two make it to the clubroom and Haruhi runs up to the window, peering at the dark expanse before her, and says that it gives her the creeps. Kyon decides to make some tea and wait for Koizumi while Haruhi leaves the room to explore the building. Before she runs off, she tells Kyon to stay in the room, probably because she’s afraid she’ll lose him if he leaves.

As Kyon settles into a chair and takes a few sips of his tea, he spots a red orb floating outside the window. As he opens the window, the orb morphs into a glowing human form resembling Koizumi. The figure confirms that he is Koizumi and explains that the situation is abnormal. Koizumi can usually enter closed space easily, but this time, it has taken the power of all his colleagues just to appear in his incomplete form. The amount of time he can stay in the realm is also very limited. Kyon asks why only he and Haruhi are in the closed space. Koizumi continues with his explanation of the events, not answering Kyon’s questions, and tells him that what his Agency feared has already begun. Haruhi has finally given up on the current world and decided to create a new one. As he says this, we see Haruhi marching through the hallways bearing an excited smile. Koizumi comments on how no one knows what will happen when a world loses its god. It is possible for the current world not to end, if Haruhi wishes for it. He explains that both Kyon and Haruhi have completely disappeared from the normal world, and are now in the new world that Haruhi has created. Kyon asks again why he is in this place, astounding Koizumi with his lack of knowledge. Koizumi is surprised he isn’t aware of the reason, and so tells him that it is because Kyon was chosen by Haruhi. By saying ‘chosen’, he means that Haruhi has fallen for Kyon. He is the only person that Haruhi wants to stay with, and so she has brought him her into the new world. As Koizumi begins to shrink, indicating that his time is almost up, Kyon asks if he really has to stay in the world all alone with Haruhi. Koizumi makes a joke about Adam and Eve, saying that Kyon and Haruhi can repopulate the world by themselves. Before he disappears, Koizumi informs Kyon of the messages left by Asahina and Nagato. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault,” being Asahina’s, and “Turn on the computer,” being Nagato’s.

Kyon tries to turn on the computer in the clubroom, but finds that the screen stays black. He then notices the cursor in the top-left corner. Suddenly, a message appears from Nagato, asking if Kyon can see it. He replies saying that he can. Nagato explains that the connection between the ‘timespaces’ has not been completely severed, but it is only a matter of time before it does. That will be the end. Kyon asks about what he should do, and Nagato says that there is nothing he can do. The Data Integration Though Entity is in despair and the possibility for evolution has been lost. She explains that Haruhi has the ability to create data from nothing, something that the Though Entity cannot. If they could analyse this ability (‘they’ as in Nagato and the rest of the aliens), then they could find a clue regarding auto-evolution, or so they thought. (Still exploring, Haruhi notices a brilliant light streaming in from the outside). Nagato tells Kyon that he is betting on him. They wish for him to return to the old world as Haruhi is a vital observation subject. Nagato also individually feels she wants him to return, as she would like to visit the library with him again. The text quickly begins to disappear, and before the connection is severed completely, Nagato is able to send one last message: “Sleeping Beauty.”

It is now that Kyon also notices the light outside. The thing that is lurking outside is the same type of light beast from his first experience in closed space, called a ’shinjin’. Haruhi bursts into the room, ecstatically pointing out the beast outside. She thinks that it might be an alien or a resurrected super weapon left by an ancient race. Kyon simply grabs Haruhi’s hand and runs out of the building. Haruhi is truly excited for the first time in the year, but Kyon asks if she wants to go back to the normal word, and that they can’t stay in this place for the rest of their lives. Haruhi says he thinks it’ll work itself out. Kyon continues to dissuade her and asks her about the SOS Brigade. Haruhi doesn’t care about it anymore as the new world is far more interesting. Kyon says he wants to go back, which causes Haruhi to lose her elated expression. (Meanwhile, the shinjin is wreaking havoc in the school.) Kyon says he misses everyone in the old world. Haruhi is sure that theyl’l see them again as the world won’t be covered in darkness forever and the sun will rise tomorrow. Kyon says that he wants to see his friends back in the old world, not the new one. Confused, Haruhi lets go of his hand and stops running. Talking as if she had just been dumped by the only person in the world she truly cares about, she informs Kyon that she was under the impression he was fed up with the old world (is this what made Haruhi like him). Kyon says that he did want something more interesting to happen (places his hands on Haruhi’s shoulders), but he’s already had some amazing experiences the last few days. He tells Haruhi that the world revolves around her and that it’s definitely moving in an interesting direction. Haruhi thinks about this for a moment in silence, but is distracted by the shinjin appearing near them. This allows Kyon to think about what she thinks of Haruhi. Nagato thinks of her as the potential for evolution; Asahina calls Haruhi a time warp; and Koizumi proclaims her a god. But what does Kyon think? As more shinjins appear and start to surround them, Kyon thinks back to when the future Asahina had asked him about Snow White, then to when Nagato had said ‘Sleeping Beauty’. He finally realises the connection between the two fairytales and the situation he is currently in. As Haruhi is transfixed on the approaching masses of light, Kyon turns her to face him. He says that he thinks ponytails are moe, and the times she had done her as such looked so good it was criminal. As Haruhi is thinking ‘WTF???’ Kyon leans in without hesitation and kisses her.

The shinjins and the new world dematerialise, and the two are transported back to the normal world. Kyon finds himself back in his bed (which he falls out of) and thinks that everything had been a dream.

The next day as Kyon is walking to school, he tries to determine whether it had truly been a dream, or the current world he’s in is the new world that Haruhi created. He walks into his classroom and sees Haruhi with a ponytail. He asks her how she’s feeling and she replies saying that she had a nightmare last night, resulting in her not being able to get much sleep. So it seems that Haruhi is not aware that what happened was real. Kyon leans closer and says “Looks good on you,”‘ referring to her ponytail. Haruhi doesn’t respond. Throughout the day, he is thanked by Koizumi, Nagato and Asahina. Koizumi says he is privileged to have the chance to meet Kyon and Haruhi again. In the clubroom, Kyon asks Nagato about the number of aliens like her on the planet. Nagato says there are many, so Kyon asks if any will attack him like Asakura. Nagato responds saying that she won’t let anything like that happen. Asahina comes in and, upon seeing Kyon, rushes up to him and embraces him, tears welling up in her eyes, before quickly pushing herself off of him, saying that they can’t otherwise it might happen again. Kyon doesn’t realise that she is talking about how Haruhi had created that new world was because she became jealous of her. Kyon then tells her that she has a star shaped mole on her chest. Asahina checks and sees that there is a mole there, and begins hitting him to get him to tell her how he found out. Haruhi walks in, but this time she has a smile on her face as she has a new nurse costume for Mikuru to wear.

A few days later, Kyon has finally finished the paperwork for chartering the SOS Brigade into the student council. ‘Haruhi Suzumiya’s save the world by overloading it with fun Brigade’ turned out to be an inappropriate name, so Kyon had secretly changed it to the ‘Student Service Brigade’. It is time for the second city patrol, but this time, Nagato, Asahina and Koizumi all couldn’t go, so Kyon is waiting for Haruhi alone. He had arrived an hour early, because the last person to arrive will get fined. He sees Haruhi approaching and wonders if the scowl on her face is due to her being the last to come, or because of the absence of the other members. I’m pretty sure she’s happy though, as she finally gets to explore the city with Kyon this time, as she never got the chance last time. Kyon has a number of things he would like to talk to Haruhi about, but he decides first to talk about aliens, time travellers and espers…

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