• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

    2006

    published in Empire No.73, Sydney
    Volume 1

    2007

    Amazingly, anime keeps producing self-parodic work in escalating levels of hysteria. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is so deeply entrenched in the worlds of ‘otaku’ (hyper-nerds) and ‘moe’ (para-fetishists) it may be indecipherable to those outside of anime’s oft hermetic worlds. However this is a canny and perversely self-critical work, brimming with gags and self-deprecating humour. The story revolves around young Haruhi’s dogged love of the paranormal and the extraterrestrial, and the high school ‘SOS Brigade’ club she forms to fuel her obsessive interests. The initial episode is particularly sharp: it is made like an inept fandom homage film wielded by a delusional director. If you love anime and love to hate its fandom, this is for you.