The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010) is the latest release in the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise which was originally released (and still continues) as light novels. The fans of the franchise know very well that the anime series has had its ups and downs: while the first season was nearly as perfect as it could get, the second season was riddled with intentional redundancy - unlike anything else I've ever witnessed before. The makers have now resurrected the franchise by animating the most popular volume of the light novels into a 3-hour ride full of astonishment and development.
Writing a compact plot synopsis would be a futile attempt so I'm going to simply refer to what others have written about the TV show that preceded this film. The film leaves behind the show's "pseudo-scifi" (meaning that the science fiction becomes hard this time) and comical aspects so that the focus remains on the complex plot that serves as a great way to explore the main character, Kyon. It's not only Kyon who faces a drastical amount of character development in the film, but the advancement of the central storyline brings forth new things about the characters in a way that is - as much as I hate to use the word - surprisingly deep.
The film is a great visual achievement as well. The melancholic art direction and editing - which were seldomly used in the show - dominate the picture in an enthralling way that fits to the grim content. The simple fact that the film is incredibly well animated for 160 minutes makes the film a special and asthonishing case in the anime industry.
The film left me nearly speechless. It's unlike anything I've experienced while watching an anime film since, well, End of Evangelion and the second Rebuild of Evangelion film. Excluding the latter title, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is certainly the finest animated effort in the film format in the last 10 years.
Score: 10 out of 10
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