I’m not going to summarize the events of this episode nor are the screencaps a balanced set - the hard work’s been done by Omni and Garten already. Suffice to say that this episode was almost identical to Ch 7 and epilogue of the volume 1 of the novel. I think only Haruhi’s demand that Kyon fan her and the whole section “Even under the intense radiation of the sun’s rays… a sheriff’s gun in a Western movie” were cut and that Haruhi did wear her bowtie, cuffs and tights.
Yuki yuki wai wai!
Stripey’s loli-siscon 4tw.
Kyon’s story was such BS lol!
(And Yuki looks tiny relative to Kyon.)
But it does seem congruent with the Alternative Yuki of Vol.4 (or so I’ve heard).
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This is just like those evil villian’s machines with a big red “SELF DESTRUCT” button.
As awesome as this is, I think Rin Tsuchimi still wins on skinship points.
Is Yuki jealous!!?
It’s all fun and games until the goushujinsama returns!
Mikuru Scoot.
(Is the bottom screencap an example of one point (vanishing) perspective?)
Demonstration Alpha of "Kyon ≠ Potato"
Haruhi: Get out! I’m changing!
Haruhi face black black. Oooh I like. I like very much.
Mikuru cower everytime Haruhi touch her. Oooh I also like.
Time for my guest appearance on Higurashi!
Very Evangelion Ep 25/26.
In the sealed dimension.
Let’s go to the library (together) again.
*rolls around on the floor, screaming MOOOOOOÉ!!!*
What!? After everyone says “Congratulations! Congratulations!” then
I’ll be left with my chair of despair? Or worse, a movie with a depressing
ending: “Kimochi waruiii~~~”!?
Huzzah!
:D
It was great to see Haruhi tie a ponytail in response to her “dream.”
Kyon was so cool when he said: “It suits you.”
Was a real “awwwww” moment for me.
Enomoto and Nakaishi!
I won’t let them (the other data entity humanoid interfaces harm you).
*rolls around on the floor, screaming MOOOOOOÉ!!!*
Dance, Mikuru, dance!
*Imagines Haruhi in bunnygirl suit cracking whip*
LOL!
Though I don’t think the evil stepmother thing got through into the anime either.
Ah, it’s so peaceful when Haruhi is cosraping Mikuru.
A nice point to end off. It did sort of feel like an ending even if we do know that the story does go on. But nonetheless it’s the end point of the first stage where Kyon learns about the backgrounds of the SOS-Dan members and traces out his relationships with them. It’s also the ending point of the first volume of the novels.
Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot. The hook was the first episode which was so bad that it was an instant classic. It was utterly craptastic but also so self-conscious and deliberate that I loved the artifice. Kyon’s sarcastic narration was an important element of that and the ED dance sealed it for me.
I found myself liking the two leads. Kyon is a great wisecracking harem lead who actually shows some interest in all three cute female members. Haruhi’s tsun-tsun really appealed to me as did her megolomaniac - particularly when terrorising Mikuru. Some of the things that Haruhi does or says to Kyon - ah, echoes of happy RL memories for me. <3
Mikuru’s moé didn’t do much for me as I really dislike the “ano~~~” helpless clumsy girl type character which is why I always laughed heartily when Haruhi was tormenting her. But I think Yuko Goto has put up a fabulous performance - particularly in that horrendous Koi no Mikuru Densetsu. It doesn’t take any skill to sing badly, it takes some to a lot of skill to sing well but for a person who is able to sing well to deliberately sing badly over a sustained period is a whole new and higher level of skill. I loved her adult Mikuru voice (and more confident persona) much more. Even so, IMHO I still think Goto’s best role to date is her Psycho Kaede performance in SHUFFLE! which really elevated the series from competent eroge conversion (harder to do than it sounds) to OMFGWTFBBQ levels of tension.
Minori Chihara also does well as Yuki. It might have been my imagination but there are times when I felt there were subtle variations in Yuki’s supposedly deadpan voice that spoke volumes e.g. I thought she sounded so cutely pissed off when Kyon accused her of cheating in the Day of Sagittarius. This episode’s “ç§ãŒã•ã›ãªã„” was also just so t3h w1n. Because Yuki’s characterisation limits her expressive range to a very restricted band, I think the seiyuu has to show great skill to be able to convey emotional variation without breaking character. Yuki’s probably harder to play than even Kirika (in the DVD booklet, Houko Kuwashima said that Kirika was one of the most exhausting and difficult roles she’d ever done because she had so few words and such a restricted volume / pitch range to convey all the things the director was demanding of her). I really like Yuki for her quiet intensity - the still waters run deep. (added: Basically it’s the same reasons why I liked Rei Ayanami and admired Megumi Hayashibara’s voice acting for that role.)
Tsuruya and Kyon’s sister were also great treats. Itsuki (obligatory homo side character), Taniguchi (obligatory stupid and horny friend) and Kunikida (obligatory normal friend) weren’t annoying so that was good.
The way the series uses stereotypical archetypes in anime series as well as blending run of the mill themes - slice of life, high school setting, science fiction etc. reflected the source’s strengths but KyoAni has really delivered in realizing its potential e.g. that fabulous concert in Live A Live. (Also the space battle in Day of Sagittarius and Yuki vs Ryoko which weren’t described in any vivid detail in the source text.)
I certainly hope there will be another series and that KyoAni will once again deliver the goods. *Goes back to rolling around on the floor while screaming my affection for Yuki.*
A last hurrah for Fang-tan would have been nice, but imouto was back. I can’t wait for the second season hopefully they will have enough bank and time by fall. Oh yeah Haruhi-sama was wearing a pink skirt, coincidence…?
Ah, thank god that Kyon’s imoutu got a last appearance - and promptly showed the viewers that he’s completely whipped. :D Although I’m starting to wonder if Kyon’s watched Simuon, given how he dealt with that sealed dimension thing there… and more Yuki shots as well.
Not a bad way to end the series, for now, given the.. ah… lack of boredom that Haruhi may feel now that Kyon’s keeping her entertained, or at least under control emotionally.
>>> *Goes back to rolling around on the floor while screaming my affection for Yuki.*
So my wife was right, as usual.
By the way, Mahler’s Symphony no. 8, part I. ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ was the music that was used during the rampage of ’shin jin’. That symphony is famous for requiring huge number of performers, thus the nick name ‘Symphony of a Thousand’. The text is very appropriate.
Latin:
VENI, Creator Spiritus,
mentes tuorum visita,
imple superna gratia
quae tu creasti pectora.
English:
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
hahhahahahah, nice one on the guest appearance in higurashi thing.
Maybe it’s the influence of closed space, or the confluence of ESPers, aliens and time-travelers, but for once I agree with your likes and dislikes of the series…completely.
Creepy, huh?
Crusader, well - we can’t have everything all the time. The total absence of Mikuru in the previous episode did make me miss her (just a wee bitty bit). Pink skirt - all that’s left is for her to wear a red ZAFT top, thigh-highs and boots! LOL
Haesslich, yes - it’s not just the kiss but also Kyon telling her that although she might not realize it, there are many around her who care for her and think that she is very special.
wontaek, your wife understands the moé power of Yuki very well indeed - is it from first hand observation? :P and many thanks for your erudite info on Mahler - it does fit so well. I found myself thinking of a parallel to the use of Handel in Evangelion ep 22.
crimson, I just couldn’t resist. Fear the cute ones.
Erica, indeed! :) Oh, and this series certainly could have done with just a sprinkling of yuri (Haruhi molesting Mikuru doesn’t count).
Well in the last ep chronologially nine I think, Haruhi sama did have thigh highs and we all know she has the bank to go cosplaying and is familiar with gundam. ;)
Where’s the talking cat from ep 0?
I’m not too sure what to say about this episode. I do know however, that I am very glad I avoided all the Ep14 discussions. Reading animeblogs/forums the past few days have been a traumatic minefield experience.
I just about wanted to roll on the floor( literally) after the Yuki moments. Let’s go to the library indeed…
All in all, TMoSH is one more anime I can add to my list whereby it has not only satisifed my critic’s heart, but my fanboy’s as well.
So much goodness flowing through my mind. :)
I’m still awed with KyoAni’s detail. Case in point: Like the fact that there was a blurry-motion in the picture of harrassed-meido!Mikuru - I’m guessing that was Yuki? And also when Haruhi was making braids and buns & ponytails & whatnot with Mikuru’s hair, the motion was all spot-on.
Second season, where art thou?
Does anybody know what goes on in the novels after the events that transpire in this last episode? Is there enough material left to make another season?
Originally Posted by randomshinichi:
“Does anybody know what goes on in the novels after the events that transpire in this last episode? Is there enough material left to make another season?”
~~~~ ~~~~
Check out the novel translation project.
Hmmm,
So, after the end, were Haruhi to sit in her usual seat, Yuki would be her right hand man…err…woman?
An idea for my fic has appeared.
AniOta from AnimeSuki Forums, posted a possible theory on why Yuki waved her mouse around during the LAN gaming. Aww… ain’t she cute…
“Kyon seems to have fun waving the mouse around…”
yeah, maybe yuki was trying to understand what kyon was trying to do that time..
NGE reference pointed out by someone else. :P
“Kimochi waruiii~~~â€
Yuki’s performance reminds me of an old film study lecture about how sometimes even an expressionless face/voice can still convey emotion if there’s a preceding text to it. For example, a still shot of a deadpan face followed by a piece of pie had viewers interpreting the person was hungry, and if the picture of the pie were to be replaced with a picture of a grave, the same deadpan face could be interpreted as being looking sad instead.
So while Yuki’s voice and face may have been devoid of any emotion or expression throughout the series, the combination of Kyon’s narration and scene cuts (for example, the scene cutting immediately to Yuki’s face when Mikuru was playing around with Kyon) allows the viewers to read a number of emotions from her character.
More snarkisms from the AnimeSuki Forums,
Pony
The above is a snark in reference to KyoAni.
Bad End
The above is a snark in reference to ‘Dating Sims’
Skane, the pony snarkism just reminded me of Wordsworth. orz
Fat Cat Lim, thanks for the note on use of visual cues. I’m wondering if anyone else also heard Yuki’s irritation for “I am not cheating” or firmness in “I won’t let them.” and if they are also Nagatoists. ;)
hmmm… the pic above the mikuru scoot would effectively be 3 point perspective drawing… a “birds eye view” type of thing…
and yuki == moe~
:3
i so wish it wasn’t over, but at least the “last” episode ended it on a good ending, especially making the books ending look even better :D