Lan presents a collection of videos and clips from the Internet, mostly related to Anime, Manga, Japan, film and music. Reviews and general thoughts are also presented.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
My Top 10 Charts as of end of 2012
Anime series:
01. Samurai Champloo
02: Psalms of Planets Eureka seveN
03: His and Her Circumstances / Kare Kano (then into manga vols 8+)
04: Cowboy Bebop
05: Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
06: Fullmetal Alchemist (2nd TV series universe)
07: Cardcaptor Sakura
08: Ergo Proxy
09: Trigun
10: Macross Frontier
Manga or Japanese novel series:
01: Haruhi Suzumiya (novel series)
02: Spice and Wolf (novel series)
03: Nagasarete Airantou
04: Kare Kano
05: Love Hina
06: Excel Saga
07: Oh My Goddess!
08: Detroit Metal City
09: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Murakami novel)
10: Tetralogy of the Rat (Murakami novel series)
Anime movie series:
01: Whisper of the Heart
02: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
03: Kiki’s Delivery Service
04: My Neighbour Totoro
05: Akira
06: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
07: Evangelion + Petit Eva ~Evangelion@School~
08: Tokyo Godfathers
09: Princess Mononoke
10: Howls Moving Castle
Friday, 14 December 2012
The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya- novel 8- Wandering Shadow
*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
Wandering Shadow- the second (and last) short story of "The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya" (novel 8).
Set in early March 2004.
A girl named Sakanaka visits the SOS Brigade as their second client. She is a girl from class 1-5, the same class as Haruhi and Kyon. Her problem is that she believes there is a ghost haunting her neighbourhood, that causes the dogs that enter a certain area to act scared, and of which eventually fall sick.
Haruhi forces the shrine maiden costume on Mikuru and they all head off to Sakanaka's house via the local train. Sakanaka retrieves her dog, a West Highland White Terrier, and they all set off on a dog walk. Haruhi and Mikuru make so much fuss over the dog its almost like they have forgotten about the objective. They near the river when the dog stops in its tracks. Sakanaka explains that this is as far as he will walk, and its been this way for a week, and not just for her dog, but for other dogs too. Koizumi jots their position down on a map, then decides the group should walk back and approach the river side from another street. He then jots down their position yet again once the dog stop walking. They repeat this process one more time. The three points on the map form a curve, which Haruhi then deducts must form a circle which then indicates the area that dogs do not like. Sakanaka walks her dog home, whilst the SOS Brigade go off to investigate the centre point of the circle, which turns out to be near the row of cherry trees and the bench where Mikuru first admitted to Kyon who she really was, nearly a year ago.
Haruhi forces the shrine maiden dressed Mikuru to recite Buddhist incantations on the area. However they are interrupted by a jogger with his dog who seems unaffected by the area. Haruhi forces Kyon to explain who they are and what they are doing, and the guy explains that his dog too didn't want to enter the area about a week ago, but 3 days ago he pushed his dog to walk in and the dog felt OK after a while.
The SOS brigade give up, coming to the conclusion that whatever was in the area may still be scaring these dogs, but thats only because of whatever was there a week ago.
The case is deemed as unexplained until a few days later when Sakanaka didn't show up at school. Having phoned her, Haruhi informs the others that Sakanaka's dog fell ill and that the vets dont know whats wrong.
They visit Sakanaka's house once more. Yuki inspects the sick dog but pretends not to know whats wrong in front of Haruhi. She later tells Kyon that she would be able to sort it out with the help of Shamisen, his cat. She explains that there are damaged data lifeforms in the riverside area, and they are infecting dogs in order to expand their own memory capacities.
The next day the SOS Brigade visit the Sakanaka household once more, this time with Shamisen. Koizumi also brings along what he calls 'window dressing' to avoid alerting Haruhi to the supernatural; a stereo playing calm music, incense, and lastly the curtains must be drawn. This is to make Yuki's work seem like some sort of ancient Chinese or folk ritual healing technique that she once stubbled upon in a book. Another sick dog from a few doors down is present for the healing technique. Yuki speaks in code without the others being able to see her or hear her, which freezes the data lifeforms. She then transfers them into Shamisen. Any living being would have sufficed, but Yuki chose Shamisen because if anything went wrong, she would be able to deal with the situation better than if say one of them acted as the host.
The dogs recover and everyone is happy.
Later Kyon wonders if the cave cricket in "Mystérique Sign" and the data lifeforms can be attributed to Haruhi. He also wonders if in the ancient past, these data lifeforms attached themselves onto humans, which would later make them an intelligent species. Kyon also asks Yuki if humans revert to data lifeforms when they die. She struggles on how to answer him and instead replies "thats classified". Kyon then wonders if she pulled her first joke.
Koizumi did not do a proper clean up job when explaining to Haruhi what happened, and therefore she is still convinced there is a ghost in the area by the river. She decides the SOS Brigade should conduct a ghost hunt at night using cameras in a few days time.
---
7-10. The author well and truly put the nail in the coffin of Emiri Kimidori being a legitimate client for the SOS Brigade. So naturally the next story should be about their next customer, yet first legitimate client.
Thinking about it, this is the second time Haruhi has been present throughout a supernatural event. The first time was getting trapped in a mansion on the snowy mountain.
Its a shame White Day wasn't covered in this short story, but maybe it will be in the next.
Up next: The Dissociation.
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
Set in early March 2004.
A girl named Sakanaka visits the SOS Brigade as their second client. She is a girl from class 1-5, the same class as Haruhi and Kyon. Her problem is that she believes there is a ghost haunting her neighbourhood, that causes the dogs that enter a certain area to act scared, and of which eventually fall sick.
Haruhi forces the shrine maiden dressed Mikuru to recite Buddhist incantations on the area. However they are interrupted by a jogger with his dog who seems unaffected by the area. Haruhi forces Kyon to explain who they are and what they are doing, and the guy explains that his dog too didn't want to enter the area about a week ago, but 3 days ago he pushed his dog to walk in and the dog felt OK after a while.The SOS brigade give up, coming to the conclusion that whatever was in the area may still be scaring these dogs, but thats only because of whatever was there a week ago.
The case is deemed as unexplained until a few days later when Sakanaka didn't show up at school. Having phoned her, Haruhi informs the others that Sakanaka's dog fell ill and that the vets dont know whats wrong.
They visit Sakanaka's house once more. Yuki inspects the sick dog but pretends not to know whats wrong in front of Haruhi. She later tells Kyon that she would be able to sort it out with the help of Shamisen, his cat. She explains that there are damaged data lifeforms in the riverside area, and they are infecting dogs in order to expand their own memory capacities.
The dogs recover and everyone is happy.
Later Kyon wonders if the cave cricket in "Mystérique Sign" and the data lifeforms can be attributed to Haruhi. He also wonders if in the ancient past, these data lifeforms attached themselves onto humans, which would later make them an intelligent species. Kyon also asks Yuki if humans revert to data lifeforms when they die. She struggles on how to answer him and instead replies "thats classified". Kyon then wonders if she pulled her first joke.
Koizumi did not do a proper clean up job when explaining to Haruhi what happened, and therefore she is still convinced there is a ghost in the area by the river. She decides the SOS Brigade should conduct a ghost hunt at night using cameras in a few days time.
---
7-10. The author well and truly put the nail in the coffin of Emiri Kimidori being a legitimate client for the SOS Brigade. So naturally the next story should be about their next customer, yet first legitimate client.
Thinking about it, this is the second time Haruhi has been present throughout a supernatural event. The first time was getting trapped in a mansion on the snowy mountain.
Its a shame White Day wasn't covered in this short story, but maybe it will be in the next.
Up next: The Dissociation.
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
 |
| I've caught up with the Haruhi novels for now. The next volume should be released next June! |
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya- novel 8- Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!
*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!- the first short story of "The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya" (novel 8).
Set in late February 2004.
Koizumi informs Kyon that Yuki has been called into the Student Council office, and that they should also tag along. At the end of the school day Kyon walks there, meeting Yuki and Koizumi who have already arrived. The president is a tall second year. He is accompanied by Emiri Kimidori who is acting secretary. He coldly threatens Yuki to close down and vacate the Literature Club room. Because the SOS Brigade has not been officially registered by the council, this is their way of dealing with them. He claims that the literature club has done nothing to justify its existence this past year, and that at least one thing is required. He then takes another shot at Yuki, saying that quietly reading does not qualify a literature club. Kyon seems to think he can see an internal rage brewing within the mute Yuki as she simply stands there absorbing this jerks abuse. Haruhi, having caught wind of whats going on from Mikuru, turns up and barges through the Student Council room door. She starts taking over the conversation. She considers this president bloke as the biggest villain to her brigade, but eventually he settles things with them having to publish a literature club newsletter which would contain an anthology of essays and stories. They have a week to produce 200 copies of the newsletter and 3 days to distribute them, from a table in the main hallway without using any eccentric marketing techniques (an example being bunny girl costumes), otherwise the Literature club and therefore the SOS Brigade are disbanded, having to vacate the premises.
Haruhi and Yuki retire to the club room. Koizumi and Kyon hold back. The Student Council president takes off his glasses, sits at his desk and puts his feat up, then takes out a cigarette and lights it up. He considers it a pain having to put up such a charade. It is explained that he is an associate of the Agency, standing for school president sometime last year with Koizumi pulling the strings all the way. In fact this whole stunt is to keep Haruhi from getting board.
In Mystérique Sign, we were lead to believe that Emiri Kimidori's memories were manipulated by Yuki for the sake of saving the computer club president, but its now revealed that she is in fact yet another alien humanoid interface, sent to observe Haruhi. However her position changed after The Disappearance so she observes Yuki instead, and in between time she has since joined the Student Council.
Assigning herself with armband that says 'Editor in Chief', Haruhi spends the rest of the week getting the SOS Brigade to work as a literature club. She writes down the names of 4 story genres on paper cut outs, and places them face down in the palm of her hand. Everyone each then take one. Mikuru gets assigned with writing a fairytale, Koizumi gets a mystery story, Yuki gets a fantasy horror story, and Kyon gets a romance story (much to his disappointment). In a later conversation with Koizumi, Kyon is told that he was destined to write a love story because Haruhi wished it so, but this may not be true because at some point Haruhi tells Kyon that she wished Koizumi didn't pick up the paper with 'mystery' written on it, saying it was too obvious and boring for him.
Haruhi is desperate for material, so runs about the school on a daily basis seeking as much help as she can. She ropes in Taniguchi, Kunikida, Tsuruya, a manga artist from the art club, all the members of the computer club (for once they were more than happy to write geeky articles with video game and tech reviews) as well as others.
Yuki is the first to finish her story. Haruhi made sure that sci-fi wasn't a choice of what to write about given how easy Yuki would be able to write such a story, so being stuck writing outside her depth, this was Haruhi's way of pushing her personality up a notch. The result is a set of three one page incomprehensible short stories, which are sort of poetic and cryptic, yet may be a way of Yuki emphasising her emotions on paper.
Mikuru spends the whole week concentrating all her efforts on her fairy tale. After many rewrites and tweaks from Haruhi, it is finally finished. Haruhi decides it wouldn't be good enough to publish because it needs accompanying illustrations. Mikuru then spends the rest of the week drawing pictures, seeking help from the art class and reference material. Her final story combines several fairytales and a rebellious princess.
Koizumi decides to write a written version of the two mystery games he set up for the SOS Brigade.
After much deliberation and discussion with Koizumi, Kyon ends up writing a story about a date he had just before starting high school, with a girl named Miyokichi. He prints it out and gives it to Koizumi to read. He advises to give it a proper ending, otherwise it would come across as more of a mystery than a love story. Kyon does just this, and prints it out. Only he doesnt want anyone to read it, and is not absolutely happy with it. Haruhi barges in and sees Kyons manuscript. She sits herself down and reads it. She too isn't happy with its ending and pulls Kyon close by his tie. She demands why the ending is abrupt and forces him to admit that it was a true story. She starts beating him up for details about his date. Kyon tries to protect something in his top pocket and she catches wind of this. They scuffle whilst she tries to prise the piece of paper away from him, and they trip up with her landing on top of him. Mikuru walks in and gasps, apologising for interrupting them and runs out again.
Haruhi gets the piece of paper and its revealed that Miyokichi is actually a friend of Kyon's sister, and he had only taken her to the movies so that she would get her chance of watching an adult horror movie. She's a sixth grader that passes for a late teenager in both looks and mannerisms, hence why she got away with it.
Tsuruya's story, although not told, is described as being totally unprecedentedly hilarious. Kyon even says that it would probably make even Yuki smile or chuckle, if in private of course.
Haruhi even writes a passage which according to Mikuru when she reads it, is the fundamental principles of time-plane theory. She says in her time its one of the first things taught, but the original author of the theory was shrouded in mystery. Kyon wonders whether Haruhi's friend the genius boy, will sometime read the newsletter and learn the theory off by heart.
The SOS Brigade finishes the newsletter on time, with all 200 photocopies being produced and picked up. It turns out that Haruhi's running about all week acted as free advertising for them.
---
8-10. The best feature of this short story was the simple fact that we readers read the entire and unabridged stories from Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Kyon. Mikuru's illustrations were also used for each page of her fairy tale.
Up next: Wandering Shadow.
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!- the first short story of "The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya" (novel 8).
Set in late February 2004.
Koizumi informs Kyon that Yuki has been called into the Student Council office, and that they should also tag along. At the end of the school day Kyon walks there, meeting Yuki and Koizumi who have already arrived. The president is a tall second year. He is accompanied by Emiri Kimidori who is acting secretary. He coldly threatens Yuki to close down and vacate the Literature Club room. Because the SOS Brigade has not been officially registered by the council, this is their way of dealing with them. He claims that the literature club has done nothing to justify its existence this past year, and that at least one thing is required. He then takes another shot at Yuki, saying that quietly reading does not qualify a literature club. Kyon seems to think he can see an internal rage brewing within the mute Yuki as she simply stands there absorbing this jerks abuse. Haruhi, having caught wind of whats going on from Mikuru, turns up and barges through the Student Council room door. She starts taking over the conversation. She considers this president bloke as the biggest villain to her brigade, but eventually he settles things with them having to publish a literature club newsletter which would contain an anthology of essays and stories. They have a week to produce 200 copies of the newsletter and 3 days to distribute them, from a table in the main hallway without using any eccentric marketing techniques (an example being bunny girl costumes), otherwise the Literature club and therefore the SOS Brigade are disbanded, having to vacate the premises.
Haruhi and Yuki retire to the club room. Koizumi and Kyon hold back. The Student Council president takes off his glasses, sits at his desk and puts his feat up, then takes out a cigarette and lights it up. He considers it a pain having to put up such a charade. It is explained that he is an associate of the Agency, standing for school president sometime last year with Koizumi pulling the strings all the way. In fact this whole stunt is to keep Haruhi from getting board.In Mystérique Sign, we were lead to believe that Emiri Kimidori's memories were manipulated by Yuki for the sake of saving the computer club president, but its now revealed that she is in fact yet another alien humanoid interface, sent to observe Haruhi. However her position changed after The Disappearance so she observes Yuki instead, and in between time she has since joined the Student Council.
Haruhi is desperate for material, so runs about the school on a daily basis seeking as much help as she can. She ropes in Taniguchi, Kunikida, Tsuruya, a manga artist from the art club, all the members of the computer club (for once they were more than happy to write geeky articles with video game and tech reviews) as well as others.
Yuki is the first to finish her story. Haruhi made sure that sci-fi wasn't a choice of what to write about given how easy Yuki would be able to write such a story, so being stuck writing outside her depth, this was Haruhi's way of pushing her personality up a notch. The result is a set of three one page incomprehensible short stories, which are sort of poetic and cryptic, yet may be a way of Yuki emphasising her emotions on paper.
Mikuru spends the whole week concentrating all her efforts on her fairy tale. After many rewrites and tweaks from Haruhi, it is finally finished. Haruhi decides it wouldn't be good enough to publish because it needs accompanying illustrations. Mikuru then spends the rest of the week drawing pictures, seeking help from the art class and reference material. Her final story combines several fairytales and a rebellious princess.
Koizumi decides to write a written version of the two mystery games he set up for the SOS Brigade.
Haruhi gets the piece of paper and its revealed that Miyokichi is actually a friend of Kyon's sister, and he had only taken her to the movies so that she would get her chance of watching an adult horror movie. She's a sixth grader that passes for a late teenager in both looks and mannerisms, hence why she got away with it.
Tsuruya's story, although not told, is described as being totally unprecedentedly hilarious. Kyon even says that it would probably make even Yuki smile or chuckle, if in private of course.
Haruhi even writes a passage which according to Mikuru when she reads it, is the fundamental principles of time-plane theory. She says in her time its one of the first things taught, but the original author of the theory was shrouded in mystery. Kyon wonders whether Haruhi's friend the genius boy, will sometime read the newsletter and learn the theory off by heart.
The SOS Brigade finishes the newsletter on time, with all 200 photocopies being produced and picked up. It turns out that Haruhi's running about all week acted as free advertising for them.
---
8-10. The best feature of this short story was the simple fact that we readers read the entire and unabridged stories from Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Kyon. Mikuru's illustrations were also used for each page of her fairy tale.
Up next: Wandering Shadow.
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
Saturday, 8 December 2012
The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya- novel 7
*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
Set a few days after the Setsubun festival, early February 2004.
Kyon knocks on the club room door like usual. Theres no answer so he feels free to go in. After waiting a while for someone else in the brigade to appear, he hears a sound coming from the corner of the room in the broom closet. He ignores it at first, but then another sound emanates from it. He walks over to investigate and upon opening it, discovers Mikuru hiding inside. She seems confused but somehow relieved that Kyon found her. Someone knocks on the door to the club room. Kyon goes to reply but Mikuru panics and pulls him inside by his tie and shuts the door closing them tightly inside. Kyon is pressed tightly against her voluptuous body, and starts to fantasise before being brought back to his senses by the severity of Mikuru asking him to stay quiet.
A second later and the club room door opens. In walks in another Mikuru. This Mikuru looks around and wonders whats going on. Through the gap in the closet door, Kyon starts to watch this second Mikuru undressing from her school uniform into the maid costume, but the Mikuru he's pressed up against forces him to look away. Soon they hear the club room door opening once again. The other Mikuru addresses Yuki standing at the doorway. Yuki, upon entering the room, stares at the closet. She's not only sussed out whats going on, but starts to make a plan to relieve the situation. She asks the maid Mikuru to follow her out the room. Once that happens, the two in the broom closet burst out. This Mikuru seems surprised that Kyon doesn't recognise when she's from, so she informs him that she's from 8 days from now, and was told to travel back in time without knowing why. She tells him what he will be doing over the next 8 days, but nothing seems to indicate why he would send her back in time, or why she was given the instant go ahead to do so from her superiors. Kyon asks her if she ever met her future self these past 8 days and she says she didn't. Kyon thinks this would cause problems and decides to get her the hell out of the school building. Before leaving however, Kyon stops off at the school locker room. He opens his locker to find a second letter from adult Mikuru, informing him to look after this future Mikuru.
He takes her to his house for a bit, and afterwards decide to go to Yuki's apartment to ask for her guidance. They ask Yuki for her help but tells them that she will never synchronise with her past or future versions of herself ever again, due to her own volition. She explains she no longer wishes to be forced down a life path that is already determined. She wishes to not know anything and be free to make her own choices. In other words she's becoming more human. Yuki cannot help them, but invites them to stay for dinner. Dinner consists of tined curry with nothing added in the mix. They spend a pleasant but normal time together and decide that Mikuru should stay there. Kyon then goes home.
Next day Kyon receives another letter in his shoe locker. Its directions to a location for himself and future Mikuru to visit that same evening at 6:15pm. That evening Kyon visits Yuki's apartment once again, and Mikuru answers the intercom. Mikuru meets Kyon outside and she tells him she feels uneasy around Yuki. She says she can somehow sense Yuki's presence all the time and wonders if Yuki may be jealous of her personality (this is later denied by Yuki).
Kyon shows Mikuru the message in the letter. It tells the two of them to be at a specific location at 6:15. The instructions say that they must play a prank by nailing down a tin can in an exact spot on a footpath. They get to the place in time and do as the instructions says, then hide and wait until the specific time. Some bloke walks up to the can and kicks it, hurting his foot so badly that he needs medical attention. Kyon and Mikuru walk over and offer help to the guy by walking him to the main road and hailing a taxi for him to go to a hospital.
After this event, Mikuru will not accept staying around Yuki's apartment for another night, so they come up with a plan B by asking for Tsuruya's help.
Kyon remembered Tsuruya's words during the mountain trip and feels like it would be OK for them to confide in her. After arriving at her place they call on the intercom. There is no reply, but they are instead greeted in person by Tsuruya herself, dressed up in a kimono.
Kyon comes up with some ridiculous plan on saying that this version of Mikuru is her twin sister called 'Michiru'. Tsuruya laughs it off and accepts things as they are without asking questions. Later after having tea together Tsuruya accepts to having 'Michiru' stay round hers until needed. She then sees Kyon out, and he asks her if she thinks the members of the SOS brigade aren't normal. Tsuruya explains that she has no idea whats really going on with the brigade members, but firmly believes that they are not quite human, not like herself or Kyon. She says she has no wish to become a member either. The example she uses is of a baseball game, where she considers the SOS brigade as the players, with herself being a spectator of the team, cheering them on from the stands; and she prefers being in the stands than on the field.
Tsuruya leaves Kyon telling him to go do his best at saving the world, then laughs it off.
Kyon walks down the road, meeting Koizumi by what he calls a 'coincidence'. Koizumi explains he's in on the act of there being two Mikuru's around, and tells Kyon not to force Tsuruya in on their problems. Apparently the 'Tsuruya clan' are a prestigious rich family in Japan which sponsor Koizumi's 'Agency'. He then says that Tsuruya herself is in line to become head chief someday.
Next day Kyon gets another letter in his locker. This time adult Mikuru has assigned them to interfere with the SOS Brigade treasure hunt that is supposed to be happening that weekend, according to what 'Michiru' told him about anyway. The instructions ask Kyon and 'Michiru' to interfere with the treasure hunt by moving a stone by about 3 meters for unexplained reasons.
Kyon walks to class after reading the letter. Haruhi is still acting melancholy, looking out the window avoiding his eye contact. He asks her whats wrong, but she claims she feels totally normal, though she does cut herself off mid sentence. She doesn't seem to care that Kyon isn't going to be able to be at the club room later that evening either. Before leaving school that day, Kyon talks to a melancholy Taniguchi who is on cleaning duty. He tells Kyon how envious he is. Kyon thinks that his gloominess is reminiscent of Haruhi's mood. Kunikida pops up and explains that Taniguchi was recently dumped by his girlfriend from Kouyouen Academy, and for weird circumstances (that I have a feeling may a focal plot point sometime down the line). Kyon then wonders if Haruhi's also love sick. Then waves it off.
That evening Kyon meets up with 'Michiru' round Tsuruya's house. They need to follow the directions in the letter, but she doesn't need to use them because she knows it from memory. They arrive at a flat part of a mountainside and find a stone that needs to be moved according to the letter. Apparently the brigade are suppose to dig up the earth and find nothing. It takes the two of them a while to move the boulder. It starts to rain upon arrival back at Tsuruya's. Tsuruya tells Mikuru to have a bath together with her, and with a straight face, invites Kyon along too so that she could scrub his back. Kyon accepts this as a joke. She asks no questions as to what they did or where it was, and makes a point about not caring either way.
Just before they part ways, Tsuruya hands Kyon a scroll, telling him that its an old treasure map that she mentioned to Haruhi one time, but she's only recently retrieved it from storage. She explains it was made from a Tsuruya ancestor that liked to play practical jokes, and that this one was probably meant to be a practical joke on the clans family in the distant future.
Next day Kyon receives 3 more letters in his locker, relating to things that need to be done in a few days time. Kyon finds an expectant Haruhi in class demanding him to hand over the Tsuruya treasure map scroll. Apparently Tsuruya phoned Haruhi in advance, explaining that 'she happened to bump into Kyon as he was walking Shamisen outside her house, and gave him the scroll then' (Kyon started a lie to explain away his absence from the club, and started saying his cat Shamisen was sick and needed looking after).
That evening during club time Tsuruya joins them to talk them through the treasure map and to generally hang out.
On the day of the treasure hunt, they take a long route to the mountain by bus. Kyon and Koizumi spend all day digging anywhere that Haruhi deems as the best place to bury objects, namely, flat surfaces. They then get to the position Kyon visited before. Kyon is worried about whether Haruhi will notice the disturbed ground from where the stone was previously positioned, but Yuki sets the picnic mat there and sits down on it, so it seems that she knew to make sure no digging would take place here. Kyon didnt even tell her anything and still she knows! lol.
Haruhi looks out and sees that it would be quicker to get home by walking down the hill. So they do just that.
Watching Haruhi waltz ahead, Kyon and Koizumi talk about her recent mood swings. Kyon is convinced that she gets in a depressed like mood and asks him about it, only for Koizumi to deny noticing any strange behaviour from her. Kyon also chats with Yuki and finds out that Haruhi never cared for finding treasure, she just wanted a fun picnic.
They all go home and as soon as Kyon goes indoors he phones 'Michiru' regarding the letters instructions for the next day. Haruhi's plan is to do more city patrols and the timing is going to be tight. Kyon then phones Yuki but strangely her phone is engaged. He phones later and asks her to rig the short straw pulling so that he ends up with Yuki to walk around the city on numerous occasions. This has to be rigged because 'Michiru' told Kyon too much information about the future, and now things need to be ensured so that events end up exactly as she said. Whilst still on the phone to Yuki, he asks out of curiosity who she was speaking too when her phone was engaged. She answers the name Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon is slightly shocked, and tentatively asks what it was about. Yuki is apprehensive and tells him that she cannot disclose any details. Kyon wonders whats up but isn't too worried.
The day of the city patrol takes place. Haruhi draws tooth picks at their local cafe to decide who patrols with who. Kyon and Koizumi go together in the morning session, then Its Kyon and Yuki in the afternoon session, as per Kyon's prearrangement with her. During their time together, he leaves her at public library and meets up with 'Michiru', as arranged over the phone.
Kyon and 'Michiru' do as instruction letter 3 says, and that is to find a data stick hidden in a flower bed in a certain location at a certain time. They search for half an hour without luck, only for a tall stranger to waltz up to them holding it in his fingers. He asks them if they are looking for it in a sly evil manner.
Kyon is not happy with this guy out of instinct, and Mikuru doesn't seem to know him. This prick then hands the data stick over and walks away, like he's still a threat in their future. Both seem to think he's from an enemy faction from the future.
Kyon sees 'Michiru' back to Tsuruya's home before going back to the library and picking up Yuki.
Yuki and Kyon then meet back up with Haruhi. She suggests that they should do another scout of the city tomorrow as well. After being dismissed by Haruhi for the day, Kyon buys a small turtle as per the letters instructions, and does so at a nearby pet centre. The cashier also throws in a carry case sized tank for the little guy. The letter says he needs to obtain a turtle (any will do) so that he can throw it into the river at a certain time the next day. He wonders what all these instructions mean.
Kyon then visits 'Michiru' again around Tsuruya's house, and gives her the turtle to look after until tomorrow.
The next day arrives, and they all start by visiting the cafe. Naturally, Yuki and Kyon end up together for the scouting mission. Just like the day before, Kyon drops her off at the public library and walks to the river. Once he arrives he meets up with 'Michiru' whose just been given a lift down from the Tsuruya mansion. She's also got the turtle with her.
They walk down to a good spot by the river to throw the turtle in. Its around two minutes until he's suppose to throw it. He takes out the small turtle and goes to throw it when he's stopped by a boy. Its the same boy that lives close to Haruhi, who almost got run over by a van last month.
He asks if he can take care of the turtle. Realising that his instructions only told him to throw the turtle in the river and gave no ideas about what to do next, Kyon throws the turtle in the river and then walks in to retrieve it, and gives it to the boy along with the tank and the instructions on how to take care of it. He then tells the boy not to tell Haruhi about any of this.
Kyon and 'Michiru' walk to the main road when a speeding van stops dead in front of them, with the side door opening at double quick speed and people reaching out and snatching 'Michiru' right before Kyon's eyes before speeding off again.
Kyon is distraught and instinctively reaches for his phone and dials the first number that he can reach. Haruhi picks up the other end and Kyon frantically tells her that Mikuru has been kidnapped. Haruhi hears the severity in his voice but she is standing right next to her. So she calls this a practical joke to Kyon and hangs up.
Koizumi phones Kyon after telling the others he needs to visit the lavatory. He instructs Kyon that he has his people on the case. Next thing a black taxi pulls up in front of Kyon. Inside is Arakawa in the driving seat, and Sonou Mori in the back seat. This time round they are dressed in office clothes instead of butler and maid.
Arakawa steps on it and the car chase is on. Mori reveals to Kyon that the kidnappers are a group that consist of espers hostile to the Agency, time travellers who wanted to use 'Michiru' as a bargaining chip with the future authorities, and an entity of aliens different from the Data Overmind. She also reveals that the purpose of 'Michiru' being in this time period was to make sure they didn't kidnap Mikuru right in front of Haruhi. Arakawa and Mori eventually corner the kidnappers on a mountain side, along with help from the Tamaru brothers who this time round are police officers in their own police car.
The van is also the same one that tried to run over the boy last month.
The people in the van dismount. They are all teenagers around Kyon's age. One of them is the same creepy bastard Kyon and 'Michiru' met a few days previous. Another one of them that seems to be the leader is a girl, who is equally as evil. They give up 'Michiru' and are allowed to walk free down the mountain. They claim that they expected their plan to be stopped due to predetermined events, but wanted to try nonetheless.
Kyon takes 'Michiru' into the taxi. She was put to sleep as soon as she was kidnapped. Arakawa drives them to the library where they meet Yuki. She reveals to have letter number #5. Yuki follows the letter's instructions by waking 'Michiru' up from the drugged sleep. Kyon then sends her back to the future as per the letters instructions.
The next day, Haruhi calls the SOS Brigade to assemble and try to dig up the mountain again. This was never mentioned by 'Michiru'. Haruhi brings them to the flat area where the stone is, and asks Kyon and Koizumi to dig. This turns into a nice surprise for the boys, as the girls had secretly gotten together last night to made chocolates for them, placing them in a tin and burying it early that morning. Kyon remembers what day it is, February 14th. Valentines Day. This explains why Haruhi was acting melancholy at the beginning of the month, as she was making an epic plan for handing out chocolates. She also expects an equally as epic White Day a month later from the boys.
Kyon meets adult Mikuru at the appointed time at their usual bench in the park. She tells him that the man who kicked the can and went to the hospital was supposed to meet a woman there and raise a family with her. The strange pen drive type object was supposed to give someone the idea about time travel, while the boy who saw the turtle be thrown in the river saw the ripples it made in water and used this memory to make a theory about time travel, leading to the invention of the TPDD. Adult Mikuru explains that time travel means having to constantly make sure that past events turn out the way they should. This leads us readers to consider a few stupid things. Apparently now there can be more than one future, and that Mikurus future timeline is not as predetermined as it should be for a time travel story. And its not like there are multiple futures in this series, maybe just a handful.
Adult Mikuru warns Kyon that he will soon have to make a choice that could severely change the future. Kyon realises that this future Mikuru had been toying with her past self, forcing her to watch history as it happened. He tries to show his resentment against her, only to find that she has disappeared back to her future, leaving a box of valentines chocolates for him.
Next in this story, Kyon tells Tsuruya of his suspected position for finding real treasure, right underneath where the stone was originally positioned. Tsuruya goes there and digs up a 300 year old pot with some type of futuristic titanium-cesium alloy rod with circuits inside. This is most definitely a plot point in the future. Tsuruya deducts that it must be from an alien or time traveler.
At school, Haruhi begins a lucky prize draw out in the courtyard for someone to win a Mikuru valentines day chocolate. Mikuru is dressed as a shrine maiden for this, but is quickly taken to the club room and forced into her school uniform and basically thrown into the broom closet with Kyon frantically telling her to go back in time to 8 days ago. As soon as she does so, 'Michiru' arrives in the closet from traveling from 2 days ago from the public library (she can now be considered 'Mikuru' again instead of 'Michiru').
---
6-10. These Haruhi novels were once one of the most solid time travel stories out there, but unfortunately now its basically just 'wibbly wobbly timey wimey', which is shit. Time travel should include one path, where there is only one future, one outcome. It shouldn't make my head hurt. Adult Mikuru may be protecting her past which is being changed without her knowing about it. Surly if the past is changed then it never happened and wouldn't be in her memories, unless the future is fixed no matter what happens in the past, which is a bollox explanation.
This volume was epically big, and not much happened really.
Up next: Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
Set a few days after the Setsubun festival, early February 2004.
Kyon knocks on the club room door like usual. Theres no answer so he feels free to go in. After waiting a while for someone else in the brigade to appear, he hears a sound coming from the corner of the room in the broom closet. He ignores it at first, but then another sound emanates from it. He walks over to investigate and upon opening it, discovers Mikuru hiding inside. She seems confused but somehow relieved that Kyon found her. Someone knocks on the door to the club room. Kyon goes to reply but Mikuru panics and pulls him inside by his tie and shuts the door closing them tightly inside. Kyon is pressed tightly against her voluptuous body, and starts to fantasise before being brought back to his senses by the severity of Mikuru asking him to stay quiet.A second later and the club room door opens. In walks in another Mikuru. This Mikuru looks around and wonders whats going on. Through the gap in the closet door, Kyon starts to watch this second Mikuru undressing from her school uniform into the maid costume, but the Mikuru he's pressed up against forces him to look away. Soon they hear the club room door opening once again. The other Mikuru addresses Yuki standing at the doorway. Yuki, upon entering the room, stares at the closet. She's not only sussed out whats going on, but starts to make a plan to relieve the situation. She asks the maid Mikuru to follow her out the room. Once that happens, the two in the broom closet burst out. This Mikuru seems surprised that Kyon doesn't recognise when she's from, so she informs him that she's from 8 days from now, and was told to travel back in time without knowing why. She tells him what he will be doing over the next 8 days, but nothing seems to indicate why he would send her back in time, or why she was given the instant go ahead to do so from her superiors. Kyon asks her if she ever met her future self these past 8 days and she says she didn't. Kyon thinks this would cause problems and decides to get her the hell out of the school building. Before leaving however, Kyon stops off at the school locker room. He opens his locker to find a second letter from adult Mikuru, informing him to look after this future Mikuru.
He takes her to his house for a bit, and afterwards decide to go to Yuki's apartment to ask for her guidance. They ask Yuki for her help but tells them that she will never synchronise with her past or future versions of herself ever again, due to her own volition. She explains she no longer wishes to be forced down a life path that is already determined. She wishes to not know anything and be free to make her own choices. In other words she's becoming more human. Yuki cannot help them, but invites them to stay for dinner. Dinner consists of tined curry with nothing added in the mix. They spend a pleasant but normal time together and decide that Mikuru should stay there. Kyon then goes home.Next day Kyon receives another letter in his shoe locker. Its directions to a location for himself and future Mikuru to visit that same evening at 6:15pm. That evening Kyon visits Yuki's apartment once again, and Mikuru answers the intercom. Mikuru meets Kyon outside and she tells him she feels uneasy around Yuki. She says she can somehow sense Yuki's presence all the time and wonders if Yuki may be jealous of her personality (this is later denied by Yuki).
Kyon shows Mikuru the message in the letter. It tells the two of them to be at a specific location at 6:15. The instructions say that they must play a prank by nailing down a tin can in an exact spot on a footpath. They get to the place in time and do as the instructions says, then hide and wait until the specific time. Some bloke walks up to the can and kicks it, hurting his foot so badly that he needs medical attention. Kyon and Mikuru walk over and offer help to the guy by walking him to the main road and hailing a taxi for him to go to a hospital.
After this event, Mikuru will not accept staying around Yuki's apartment for another night, so they come up with a plan B by asking for Tsuruya's help.
Kyon comes up with some ridiculous plan on saying that this version of Mikuru is her twin sister called 'Michiru'. Tsuruya laughs it off and accepts things as they are without asking questions. Later after having tea together Tsuruya accepts to having 'Michiru' stay round hers until needed. She then sees Kyon out, and he asks her if she thinks the members of the SOS brigade aren't normal. Tsuruya explains that she has no idea whats really going on with the brigade members, but firmly believes that they are not quite human, not like herself or Kyon. She says she has no wish to become a member either. The example she uses is of a baseball game, where she considers the SOS brigade as the players, with herself being a spectator of the team, cheering them on from the stands; and she prefers being in the stands than on the field.
Tsuruya leaves Kyon telling him to go do his best at saving the world, then laughs it off.
Kyon walks down the road, meeting Koizumi by what he calls a 'coincidence'. Koizumi explains he's in on the act of there being two Mikuru's around, and tells Kyon not to force Tsuruya in on their problems. Apparently the 'Tsuruya clan' are a prestigious rich family in Japan which sponsor Koizumi's 'Agency'. He then says that Tsuruya herself is in line to become head chief someday.
Next day Kyon gets another letter in his locker. This time adult Mikuru has assigned them to interfere with the SOS Brigade treasure hunt that is supposed to be happening that weekend, according to what 'Michiru' told him about anyway. The instructions ask Kyon and 'Michiru' to interfere with the treasure hunt by moving a stone by about 3 meters for unexplained reasons.
Kyon walks to class after reading the letter. Haruhi is still acting melancholy, looking out the window avoiding his eye contact. He asks her whats wrong, but she claims she feels totally normal, though she does cut herself off mid sentence. She doesn't seem to care that Kyon isn't going to be able to be at the club room later that evening either. Before leaving school that day, Kyon talks to a melancholy Taniguchi who is on cleaning duty. He tells Kyon how envious he is. Kyon thinks that his gloominess is reminiscent of Haruhi's mood. Kunikida pops up and explains that Taniguchi was recently dumped by his girlfriend from Kouyouen Academy, and for weird circumstances (that I have a feeling may a focal plot point sometime down the line). Kyon then wonders if Haruhi's also love sick. Then waves it off.
That evening Kyon meets up with 'Michiru' round Tsuruya's house. They need to follow the directions in the letter, but she doesn't need to use them because she knows it from memory. They arrive at a flat part of a mountainside and find a stone that needs to be moved according to the letter. Apparently the brigade are suppose to dig up the earth and find nothing. It takes the two of them a while to move the boulder. It starts to rain upon arrival back at Tsuruya's. Tsuruya tells Mikuru to have a bath together with her, and with a straight face, invites Kyon along too so that she could scrub his back. Kyon accepts this as a joke. She asks no questions as to what they did or where it was, and makes a point about not caring either way.
Next day Kyon receives 3 more letters in his locker, relating to things that need to be done in a few days time. Kyon finds an expectant Haruhi in class demanding him to hand over the Tsuruya treasure map scroll. Apparently Tsuruya phoned Haruhi in advance, explaining that 'she happened to bump into Kyon as he was walking Shamisen outside her house, and gave him the scroll then' (Kyon started a lie to explain away his absence from the club, and started saying his cat Shamisen was sick and needed looking after).
That evening during club time Tsuruya joins them to talk them through the treasure map and to generally hang out.
On the day of the treasure hunt, they take a long route to the mountain by bus. Kyon and Koizumi spend all day digging anywhere that Haruhi deems as the best place to bury objects, namely, flat surfaces. They then get to the position Kyon visited before. Kyon is worried about whether Haruhi will notice the disturbed ground from where the stone was previously positioned, but Yuki sets the picnic mat there and sits down on it, so it seems that she knew to make sure no digging would take place here. Kyon didnt even tell her anything and still she knows! lol.
Haruhi looks out and sees that it would be quicker to get home by walking down the hill. So they do just that.
Watching Haruhi waltz ahead, Kyon and Koizumi talk about her recent mood swings. Kyon is convinced that she gets in a depressed like mood and asks him about it, only for Koizumi to deny noticing any strange behaviour from her. Kyon also chats with Yuki and finds out that Haruhi never cared for finding treasure, she just wanted a fun picnic.
They all go home and as soon as Kyon goes indoors he phones 'Michiru' regarding the letters instructions for the next day. Haruhi's plan is to do more city patrols and the timing is going to be tight. Kyon then phones Yuki but strangely her phone is engaged. He phones later and asks her to rig the short straw pulling so that he ends up with Yuki to walk around the city on numerous occasions. This has to be rigged because 'Michiru' told Kyon too much information about the future, and now things need to be ensured so that events end up exactly as she said. Whilst still on the phone to Yuki, he asks out of curiosity who she was speaking too when her phone was engaged. She answers the name Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon is slightly shocked, and tentatively asks what it was about. Yuki is apprehensive and tells him that she cannot disclose any details. Kyon wonders whats up but isn't too worried.
The day of the city patrol takes place. Haruhi draws tooth picks at their local cafe to decide who patrols with who. Kyon and Koizumi go together in the morning session, then Its Kyon and Yuki in the afternoon session, as per Kyon's prearrangement with her. During their time together, he leaves her at public library and meets up with 'Michiru', as arranged over the phone.
Kyon is not happy with this guy out of instinct, and Mikuru doesn't seem to know him. This prick then hands the data stick over and walks away, like he's still a threat in their future. Both seem to think he's from an enemy faction from the future.
Kyon sees 'Michiru' back to Tsuruya's home before going back to the library and picking up Yuki.
Yuki and Kyon then meet back up with Haruhi. She suggests that they should do another scout of the city tomorrow as well. After being dismissed by Haruhi for the day, Kyon buys a small turtle as per the letters instructions, and does so at a nearby pet centre. The cashier also throws in a carry case sized tank for the little guy. The letter says he needs to obtain a turtle (any will do) so that he can throw it into the river at a certain time the next day. He wonders what all these instructions mean.
Kyon then visits 'Michiru' again around Tsuruya's house, and gives her the turtle to look after until tomorrow.
The next day arrives, and they all start by visiting the cafe. Naturally, Yuki and Kyon end up together for the scouting mission. Just like the day before, Kyon drops her off at the public library and walks to the river. Once he arrives he meets up with 'Michiru' whose just been given a lift down from the Tsuruya mansion. She's also got the turtle with her.
They walk down to a good spot by the river to throw the turtle in. Its around two minutes until he's suppose to throw it. He takes out the small turtle and goes to throw it when he's stopped by a boy. Its the same boy that lives close to Haruhi, who almost got run over by a van last month.
He asks if he can take care of the turtle. Realising that his instructions only told him to throw the turtle in the river and gave no ideas about what to do next, Kyon throws the turtle in the river and then walks in to retrieve it, and gives it to the boy along with the tank and the instructions on how to take care of it. He then tells the boy not to tell Haruhi about any of this.
Kyon and 'Michiru' walk to the main road when a speeding van stops dead in front of them, with the side door opening at double quick speed and people reaching out and snatching 'Michiru' right before Kyon's eyes before speeding off again.
Kyon is distraught and instinctively reaches for his phone and dials the first number that he can reach. Haruhi picks up the other end and Kyon frantically tells her that Mikuru has been kidnapped. Haruhi hears the severity in his voice but she is standing right next to her. So she calls this a practical joke to Kyon and hangs up.
Koizumi phones Kyon after telling the others he needs to visit the lavatory. He instructs Kyon that he has his people on the case. Next thing a black taxi pulls up in front of Kyon. Inside is Arakawa in the driving seat, and Sonou Mori in the back seat. This time round they are dressed in office clothes instead of butler and maid.
Arakawa steps on it and the car chase is on. Mori reveals to Kyon that the kidnappers are a group that consist of espers hostile to the Agency, time travellers who wanted to use 'Michiru' as a bargaining chip with the future authorities, and an entity of aliens different from the Data Overmind. She also reveals that the purpose of 'Michiru' being in this time period was to make sure they didn't kidnap Mikuru right in front of Haruhi. Arakawa and Mori eventually corner the kidnappers on a mountain side, along with help from the Tamaru brothers who this time round are police officers in their own police car.
The van is also the same one that tried to run over the boy last month.
The people in the van dismount. They are all teenagers around Kyon's age. One of them is the same creepy bastard Kyon and 'Michiru' met a few days previous. Another one of them that seems to be the leader is a girl, who is equally as evil. They give up 'Michiru' and are allowed to walk free down the mountain. They claim that they expected their plan to be stopped due to predetermined events, but wanted to try nonetheless.
Kyon takes 'Michiru' into the taxi. She was put to sleep as soon as she was kidnapped. Arakawa drives them to the library where they meet Yuki. She reveals to have letter number #5. Yuki follows the letter's instructions by waking 'Michiru' up from the drugged sleep. Kyon then sends her back to the future as per the letters instructions.
Kyon meets adult Mikuru at the appointed time at their usual bench in the park. She tells him that the man who kicked the can and went to the hospital was supposed to meet a woman there and raise a family with her. The strange pen drive type object was supposed to give someone the idea about time travel, while the boy who saw the turtle be thrown in the river saw the ripples it made in water and used this memory to make a theory about time travel, leading to the invention of the TPDD. Adult Mikuru explains that time travel means having to constantly make sure that past events turn out the way they should. This leads us readers to consider a few stupid things. Apparently now there can be more than one future, and that Mikurus future timeline is not as predetermined as it should be for a time travel story. And its not like there are multiple futures in this series, maybe just a handful.
Adult Mikuru warns Kyon that he will soon have to make a choice that could severely change the future. Kyon realises that this future Mikuru had been toying with her past self, forcing her to watch history as it happened. He tries to show his resentment against her, only to find that she has disappeared back to her future, leaving a box of valentines chocolates for him.
Next in this story, Kyon tells Tsuruya of his suspected position for finding real treasure, right underneath where the stone was originally positioned. Tsuruya goes there and digs up a 300 year old pot with some type of futuristic titanium-cesium alloy rod with circuits inside. This is most definitely a plot point in the future. Tsuruya deducts that it must be from an alien or time traveler.
At school, Haruhi begins a lucky prize draw out in the courtyard for someone to win a Mikuru valentines day chocolate. Mikuru is dressed as a shrine maiden for this, but is quickly taken to the club room and forced into her school uniform and basically thrown into the broom closet with Kyon frantically telling her to go back in time to 8 days ago. As soon as she does so, 'Michiru' arrives in the closet from traveling from 2 days ago from the public library (she can now be considered 'Mikuru' again instead of 'Michiru').
---
6-10. These Haruhi novels were once one of the most solid time travel stories out there, but unfortunately now its basically just 'wibbly wobbly timey wimey', which is shit. Time travel should include one path, where there is only one future, one outcome. It shouldn't make my head hurt. Adult Mikuru may be protecting her past which is being changed without her knowing about it. Surly if the past is changed then it never happened and wouldn't be in her memories, unless the future is fixed no matter what happens in the past, which is a bollox explanation.
This volume was epically big, and not much happened really.
Up next: Editor in Chief, Full Speed Ahead!
Click here for easy navigation around my Haruhi articles
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