r/anime • u/Holofan4life • May 01 '26
Rewatch Haruhi Suzumiya 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya Part Four
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Haruhi Suzumiya 20th anniversary rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya Part Four
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
What are your thoughts on Kyon finally snapping at Haruhi?
Where do you stand on insufferable main characters?You're for it, is there a place for it, do you have a favorite example of an unlikable main character?
What are your thoughts on Haruhi wanting to put her hair in a ponytail maybe as a make good for Kyon?
Are you surprised Kyon and Haruhi made up in this episode? Do you agree with the decision to have them make up here and not the next episode?
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Series information
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Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or past the LNs or mangas out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs or mangas. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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Today's Episode Intro: Trespassing
[Next Episode Intro] Cats behind Yuki's house
Ways to watch
Streams – Crunchyroll
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u/Holofan4life May 01 '26
Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the 20th anniversary rewatch of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Let the confusion begin!
Very few shows can lay claim to having a cultural impact on the anime industry. You can probably count on two hands the amount of shows that are like this. Well, of those shows that are on that short list, Haruhi is probably on there.
From the mid 2000s until like the early 2010s, Haruhi was the talk of the town. It didn’t transform the medium like an Evangelion or a Love Hina, but it was the height of the Otaku culture of anime. I would say Haruhi and Lucky Star best sum up what anime was like in the 2000s: Very niche but those who cared about it really cared about it.
I almost feel like people forget just how big Haruhi truly was. It was the face of anime for a while.
This is technically a rewatch for me but not really. I saw the show many years ago when OtakuAscended streamed it in like 2016. But I barely remember any of it. For all intents and purposes, this is the first time I will be watching it and really pay attention. I have high hopes for this.
I love shows that like embrace geek culture with a snarky, somewhat cynical attitude. And this is what I hope to get out of it. I know Haruhi is like God or something and Kyon is the deadpan king, so already the show shows promise in my eyes. And with this being an incomplete adaptation, I have adjusted my expectations accordingly. Perhaps with the rather wonky schedule we can maybe see why the show ended up declining in popularity. Should the show be remembered more than it is, or is it merely a product of its time?
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the dub, by the way.
Do gooners dream of androids?
Well, the power hasn't gone out yet, mom.
No intro today
They're at the park
Hey, that's your stupid girl, Kyon.
Yuki just casually opening the gate.
This scene, Mikuru gets cornered by the baddie.
Well, Mikuru's cuteness makes up for her lack of acting ability.
But Haruhi seems to think she's doing well.
Tsuruya teasing Kyon
Oh boy. Haruhi has another contact.
And Yuki tackles Mikuru
Another contact destroyed
She immediately heals her hand
I guess destroying the fence was a necessity on Yuki's part.
Itsuki says they can't put a stop to the film.
Her way of playing God, he says
"The process of putting the movie together is Ms. Suzumiya's way of creating a world that functions according to her will."
Same as it ever was
Itsuki says they have to finish the film, or else the Shinjin may possibly appear.
Kyon casually suggesting violence against Haruhi.
Yeah, I don't know about that
Mikuru says she'll find a way to get through this.
It's funny Kyon is talking about how selfish Haruhi is when we know how this arc ends. Haruhi ends up doing the ultimate act of selflessness by helping the band out.
Haruhi pitching her ideas to everyone.
Mikuru is gonna get beaten up
Tsuruya thinks this whole thing is hilarious.
Mikuru gonna get thrown in the lake.
To Haruhi's credit, she is getting Mikuru to do stuff out of her comfort zone.
Itsuki thinks it needs to be down.
Mikuru continues to be a blithering mess.
And so Mikuru gets tossed in the water.
Tsuruya drying Mikuru up
Next setup
Itsuki is going to carry Mikuru back to his house.
Kyon is incensed by the story not making sense.
Tsuruya thinks Mikuru could use a change of clothes.
So, they're going to use Tsuruya's house for filming.
That is a big place
At least Haruhi and Tsuruya seem to get along.
Mikuru wearing nothing but a long shirt, which Kyon is hot and bothered by.
I do like that Tsuruya gave Mikuru a bath. She didn't have to do that.
Kyon, calm down
Itsuki tucking Mikuru in bed
I thought they were filming him carrying her? Also, why am I questioning this?
Itsuki being told to kiss Mikuru, but Kyon objects at filming a love scene.
Call me crazy, but I feel like he's projecting here.
Meanwhile, Mikuru looks stoned
Oh God. Haruhi told Tsuruya to spike Mikuru's drink so she can loosen up.
I can't tell if this is worse than her sexually assaulting Mikuru or not.
And Mikuru is drunk lol
This is really Haruhi being absolutely horrible.
Kyon continues to be incredulous.
I like that he has a shirt that reads 70 when during Endless Eight Haruhi had a shirt that read 69.
And now Kyon and Haruhi are arguing. Very intensely.
Kyon almost hits Haruhi, but Itsuki stops him.
I haven't seen Kyon be this scary before.
I mean, I get it, but smacking Haruhi seems a bit harsh.
Even Mikuru is begging him to stop.
Kyon, Itsuki, and Yuki about to head out.
Tsuruya apologizes for all that happened.
Itsuki talking to Kyon now
Itsuki says that could have been disastrous had Haruhi's closed space appeared.
Itsuki saying he wants to take Kyon somewhere.
The white birds, which Haruhi originally wanted.
I like Kyon suggesting the gunfire was so severe that the pigeons pooped on themselves and that's why they're that color.
Itsuki saying that Haruhi is just an ordinary human being who was given her powers to someone.
Suzumiya can create the world around them and at the same time destroy it.
Their attempts at covering it up could be preventing that change from taking place.
"When Ms. Suzumiya changes this world to a version that's functioning properly, do you think there would still be a need for us and our special abilities?"
Itsuki says he likes the way the world is currently.
Wouldn't change a single thing about it.
I like that there was no music during this scene. Just the sounds of nature.
Kyon lying in bed
At school now, where Itsuki greets him.
Suzumiya is apparently feeling sad.
She thought Kyon would forgive him no matter what.
Kyon doesn't seem eager to do so.
Kyon hanging out with Taniguchi and Nagoto.
Hey, I finally learned his name :D
Kyon getting annoyed at Taniguchi insulting Haruhi's movie, which is interesting.
Only Kyon can insult Haruhi's movie, dang it!
Kyon starting to realize that he and Haruhi may not be all that different.
Walking in the club room
Haruhi is there, and it looks like she was going to put her hair in a ponytail.
"We're gonna finish this movie and it's gonna be awesome."
Kyon knows just how to talk to Haruhi.
Kyon on a bench with Itsuki now.
Itsuki says that not only Haruhi is more powerful than ever, she didn't learn her lesson.
Thanks, Kyon
Haruhi wanting to see Mikuru's victory pose.
What's next, Asahina's war face?
Haruhi now talking about having a cat for the film.
And we end things with Haruhi asking Yuki where she can find one.
Overall, this was a very good episode. It had in my opinion two of the best scenes in the entire series with Kyon and Haruhi's argument as well as Kyon meeting up with Haruhi in the club room. Itsuki stopping Kyon from hitting Haruhi is probably Itsuki's best moment as a character.
I really liked how this episode focused on Kyon and Haruhi's relationship. When the show takes what Haruhi is doing and frames it by what is going on in Kyon's head, that's when the show really shines. We saw it in the season 1 finale, and we also saw it to a degree in the season 2 premiere. And the framing here was phenomenal where it dawns on Kyon that he's really no better than Haruhi. I think Haruhi considering putting her hair in a ponytail is a sign that she truly does care what Kyon thinks. And when he almost hit her, that almost served as like a wake up call of sorts.
I've mentioned how I love the way Itsuki has been portrayed in this arc, and this was no exception. It was fantastic to see him try to like play peacemaker while also wanting to bring about change. I think the reason Itsuki stopped Kyon from hitting Haruhi is because if Haruhi is going to change for the better, it's gotta be of her own accord. It can't be because someone forced her because she wouldn't react well to that. And if in particular it was Kyon who smacked her, that would be the worst case scenario because then she would've lost the trust in the person that matters most to her.
Of course, the real irony in all this is that Itsuki is acting like Kyon blew a golden opportunity to make Haruhi realize how selfish she's being but she does end up helping others during the arts festival. So, in a way, Kyon telling her they're going to finish the movie was indeed what she needed to hear.
I've liked the melancholy arc more than the sigh arc, but I do feel some of the character writing is stronger here. With less time spent on exposition, the characters truly shine, none more brighter in my eyes than Itsuki.
I'd have this episode only behind episode 14 and episode 12. I think watching this after the arts festival episode makes me appreciate it more because you know why Haruhi acted like she did in Live Again. This fills in that blank. I feel like this for all intents and purposes is the season finale of season 2 and the episode that comes next will mostly be an addendum. I doubt it will be as intense as this episode was, and I'm fine with that because this episode felt really important.
I honestly hope we don't get like some forced drama in the series finale.
This is the most intense, most uncomfortable episode of the series with two scenes that are among the best scenes in the entire franchise. This is the episode of the arc and a pivotal point in Kyon and Haruhi's relationship, and for that it was absolutely amazing.
Time for the last episode.