Michael is Low on Hit Points
What Haruhi Suzumiya means to me, courtesy Disappearance (spoiler free)
- Posted April 16th, 2010 at 11:20 PM ET
- Subjects Haruhi Suzumiya
- Tags impressions
- Image sources
1- Yuki, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya [Gelbooru] - Video searches
none
Last night, midnight, bored; we're there more often then we care to admit. Clicking around the 'net, searching for nothinginparticular. I'm staring at my MAL account, trying to figure out what I'm not in the mood to watch right now the least. I don't feel like firing up anything I'm currently viewing. Clickity click some more, clickity cli- OH, what is this? The "Top Anime" page teases my inner fanboy. Ranked #1: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya...
Ah! that's right... the camrip's making its way around, isn't it. Did someone sub it? Let's see... Oooh, Mazui delivered again. Fond memories arise of Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, of Her returning after so long a wait. But I'm holding back with Disappearance. It can wait. I can wait... for HD... or SD, just as long as it isn't some damn dirty camrip.
Side note: I watched the Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0 camrip, but things were different. I knew 1.0 wouldn't stray from its source, that I could get away watching the rip raw, not even waiting for a sub that probably wasn't coming anytime soon. I never regretted doing that, but really, all I really gained out of the 'screening' was getting that... that, necessity of seeing it RIGHT THIS MINUTE out of my system.
Not Haruhi. Not a chance. Whole different deal here. But I'm bored, so clickity click over to Mazui's site just to... oh, i don't know... just to look at the torrent link or the post to see if there are any camrip screenshots, or... I can't remember. It's all innocent. It never even crossed my mind to actually go and download. But then the bastards at Mazui had to go and write this:
"To the people who've read the translation of the book a hundred times and think they know this movie, let me tell you now: you do not. This movie is presented in a way that puts more power behind the words than any translation alone could do justice to. "
Well fuck... looks like I suddenly need to see it RIGHT THIS MINUTE. You know, I'll just download it to see how bad the camrip is in action. Curiosity. Fire up the torrent, and think to myself, well, it's midnight. Disappearance is, oooooh, 2 hours and 45 minutes approximately. LOL, if the downstream is fast enough (like a few minutes in waiting), maybe I'll stay up and watch it tonight. You know, make a little "event" out of it.
And low and behold, the DL is finished in mere minutes. It's a sign! Nooo. Now for the test, double clickity click and... that's pretty bad. The movie screen only occupies 2/3 of the real estate at best. Strobe aint that bad, sound is surprisingly decent, but come on!
I close the file... well, let's think about this. I want to, but I shouldn't. I need to quell this "necessity." Here! I'll watch the first 5 odd minutes, or enough to see the opening credits (plus music). I'm not blaming the obvious outcome of this on the ol' "Once five minutes were up, I just couldn't stop." That's bullshit. No, it was back when I read that quote by the Mazui staff that I knew -- right then and there -- that I would be watching the whole thing tonight. I had lost long ago.
There's more to the feeling of the moment. I'm all alone, and it's midnight dark and midnight quiet. I watch anime on a nice HD LCD TV (abbreviation chain bonus!) across from a meh futon in my little media room upstairs. Since the camrip isn't using the full screen dimensions and feels "further away," I pull the futon mattress off the frame and plop it and me down right in front of the TV.
The atmosphere is right. The mood is right. The camrip has a certain... pioneering spirit to it? I'm "in" on a special screening or something, making it more of a "special event," along with the aforementioned mood elements. It just feels perfect. The stars are aligned. Don't ask me to further explain the "why" of this feeling. That's just the way it is. I'm weird like that. It's one of the perks of being weird.
So the day after all of this (which is today (well, tomorrow, by the time you actually read this)), I'm still wondering to myself on how the movie really came out. I know what I feel, but is what I feel true? Am I simply being swayed to this conclusion because of my intimacy with the franchise? And after thinking on it all day...
yeah, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya really is a masterpiece.
I'm betting most of you haven't seen the film yet. No one is talking about it on Nano. None of my MAL friends are listed as having seen it. I don't blame you for waiting. But let me say a few spoiler free things about it:
First -- again -- it is a masterpiece. Next, it isn't a masterpiece because it's well animated or pretty (who knows?, the camrip only hints at what "could" be a very pretty film). Either way, Disappearance doesn't need pretty visuals. Watching a damn dirty camrip doesn't hurt the movie at all. Not one bit.
Emotionally, I was completely drawn in. Kyon's lows were my lows, his highs my highs. When it got tense, I got physically tense. When it got exciting, I was practically hopping up and down. The second season didn't do that to me. It didn't do it to me with all its HD pretty. Hell, the first season didn't even do that to me. This was different. This was the culmination of every emotional fibre the series has worked for so far, executed to astonishing perfection.
I don't care if no one else sees it like I do. I don't care if you all think I'm a kook. The Haruhi series doesn't have some terribly deep real life connection to me. It didn't "change my life," didn't "change the way I think" or "teach me something" or anything else superbly important. Yet it is superbly important to me, in ways I'm afraid I can't clarify or don't know how to clarify.
Maybe, it's when I'm this vested in a series, when I'm watching a film truly worthy of the title "masterpiece" completely on its own merits, when I'm all excited, when I'm anticipating, when I'm nervous on how it will all go down, and when I'm snuggled up on the floor right in front of the TV watching some inner beauty over outer beauty pioneering camrip of a film late at night, I'm a damn kid again! Joyous as can be.
And that's what Haruhi Suzumiya means to me.
1 Shinmaru
I watched Disappearance the other day -- the book is easily my favorite in the series, so there was no way I could stand waiting to see this movie while a subbed copy (even if it is of dubious quality, visually) floated out on the 'net. And like you I loved it. Everything about this story just works for me -- Kyon's journey, Yuki's arc, the way Haruhi and Itsuki figure into the story, the visuals (even on that shitty camrip), EVERYTHING. I just love this damn story.
If this movie were released in a theater close to me, I would see it in a heartbeat, and I would cheer my ass off during the final scene.
2 Roger Oskaner
Dissapearance will wash away all the bad feelings EE gave everyone, it's the fan favorite volume for a reason. Simply a fantastic movie.
Ah, I'm getting all excited reading your post, now I wanna rewatch it, but I'll wait for the ripped release for that.
And I just know this thing is going to get big when it starts getting properly released and everything.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Shinmaru
Seeing it in a theatre would be amazing. Actually... according to your MAL page you live in SoCal and if I'm correct... there is a theatre screening coming to San Francisco's Viz Cinema (source: ANN)... but that's still a far ways away, aint it? I was excited for you for a moment while I was looking that up!
@ Roger Oskaner
I skipped through a second time to see some scenes again and wow, there are little tidbits all throughout this film... you know, little things I missed the first time. Definitely rewatching it day 1 when the BluRay comes out.
I mentioned in the post watching the Rebuild of Eva 1.0 camrip, but I didn't mention that I was disappointed with the film. However, after a rewatch of the proper HD release, I thought a bit better of it. Now taking that, and remembering that I already am completely won over by Disappearance... seeing it in clear HD should be... oooh, I can't wait!
3 Yumeka
I watched the movie as soon as I heard about the camera rip, April 4th I believe, before it was subbed and fixed up by Mazui. I just couldn't wait.
Speaking as a fellow Haruhi fan, I agree that the movie is a masterpiece (and wow, I can't believe it's ranked #1 on MAL already!) I've read all the novels a couple of times already, but actually watching The Disappearance seemed more fulfilling. I'm hoping to see the movie again when it comes to San Francisco at the end of May. There's a good chance I might not be able to though...but I can always watch Mazui's sub.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Yumeka
When I first heard of the camrip awhile back, I told myself there was no way I'd go down that route. I've learned 'waiting' since I gave up weekly watching (except for sequels, like K-ON!!), so I figured everything would go smoothly with Disappearance... it's all Mazui's fault for posting that comment. I don't know why, but that quote did it to me.
Good luck with your opportunity to see it in the theatre.
4 Glo
I have been trying really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really (takes breath/rests fingers) really really really really really really really really really really really really.....
REALLY hard NOT to watch this. GREAT. WAY TO MAKE IT EVEN HARDER.
And no, I didn't copy and paste any of those "reallys".
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Glo
Aw shucks, I weren't tryin' to make it hard on ya.
I do feel your pain though. I should probably put up some flashy-text warning sign at the top telling people who want to wait for the DVD/Blu-Ray not to read this for the life of them. Not only did I include Mazui's quote which is the thing that crushed my resolve, but I added my own fair share of willpower shattering statements to boot.
I kinda feel a little bit bad now...
5 dfdsfd
Believe me bro, you're not alone feeling that way.
Re Michael is LoHP
@dfdsfd
Awesome! It's great knowing that something you enjoy is out there also giving a jolly good time to others.