GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Sean Newgent First of all, this review comes from a person who hasn't seen the televised Haruhi series. I've read the light novels but I never got around to watching any of the anime for whatever reason. I recently purchased The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya from a used DVD store for a couple bucks which is probably the only reason I'll have ever watched this film.One word to summarize my experience with Disappearance is "daunting". At 164 minutes, nearly three hours, this is the longest anime film I've ever sat through. Typically a movie that long, for me, requires two sittings unless I'm really into it. I watched Disappearance in one night, in one sitting, and I don't want to completely attest it to me being engaged because there were a lot of parts that I found boring.The story is that one day series protagonist Kyon wakes up and everyone he knows is different. The stoic alien Nagato is now a shy, emotive girl. Time traveling Asahina Mikuru is the same but doesn't recognize him. And most of all, Haruhi Suzumiya isn't at Kyon's school any longer and attends a private academy. Why is the world this way and can Kyon return to his own reality? The story section is where the runtime becomes a problem. If I were to speed-read the light novel this is based on, I'd probably come out of the novel a half hour sooner than I would the film. The biggest problem with Disappearance is how much fluff I felt was attached. I had the distinct impression I was watching an uncut version of the film, one where an editor or the director didn't take the time to remove the extraneous scenes. It takes nearly a half an hour just to get to the actual story, the majority of the beginning of the movie is spent with slice-of-life and comedy bits that are good for introducing the characters to a new audience and giving a sense of comradeship, but nothing more really. Given the fact that the Christmas celebration isn't the focus of the finale and hardly plays into the story other than some minor motivation for Kyon, it's strange that the movie focuses so much on the minutiae of it all. Half the introductory scenes could have been cut.The middle of the film drags as well though. There are quite a few scenes of nothing happening that are well directed and animated, sure, and also sometimes gives a glimpse into the character and his/her thoughts but I can't help but feel that much of it was pointless. While I was engaged in the mystery of what was happening and I do love the characters I was pulling my hair out at points wondering why in God's name certain scenes were drug out or even included in the final product.The ending is abrupt. Like, really abrupt. It comes out of nowhere and doesn't feel satisfactory for the two plus hours you've had to trudge through to get to that point. And it leads to twenty-ish minutes of a conclusion that, again, is extended way beyond what it should have been.This movie could have been two hours easily.The animation and sound design are fantastic though. I love Kyo-Ani's animation and they're at the top of their game here. Everyone looks like human/bug hybrids but how can you not love those smug faces and want to protect those glowing smiles? The lack of music in certain scenes is a nice touch, it feels like the director understood using music for drama and not to fill dead air.I feel that descriptions and analysis of Haruhi characters have been done to death so I'll slide by this. I love Haruhi as a character and I love the cast. I've spent years reading the light novels and some of the manga, they've been part of my anime conscience for nearly a decade. I don't feel that this movie had a lot of good development though alternate reality Nagato is amazing and I'm sad they bastardized her with that abomination of a spin-off. Nonetheless, memorable characters. Maybe not so much if you're just taking the film on its own, but definitely in the grand scheme of the franchise.Disappearance isn't a bad movie in the least and has a lot of great merits. Everything about it screams quality but the amount of fluff and padding really weighs down what would otherwise have been an extremely worthwhile adventure. As it stands, I'd still recommend it but with the caveat that it may be best enjoyed in portions.

TheLittleSongbird I have always loved animation and anime from an early age. Having loved the show, I knew I had to see this film, and I loved it just as much. Initially I was worried about the length due to whether it would be long winded or padded out, but actually it is just right. This length ensured that the story and characters were developed well as well as maintaining your interest and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzamiya does that superbly. The storyline is compelling, with its great ideas developed perfectly without it feeling rushed or sluggish regardless of the length and you are left thinking about it for a long while afterwards. The characters are instantly likable, never annoying, jarring or stereotyped, basically true to the personalities they have on the show. The script has some light-hearted moments, but also some poignancy and a lot of depth. There is also some clever references to the show, showing that they have these great ideas without completely ignoring the show, which I have seen movies based of TV series do. To those who say that it is a good idea to see the show before the film, I absolutely agree, the thought of people being confused by any references to the show was what immediately came into my mind while watching. The music has a haunting ethereal quality to it, and the animation is superb, beautifully coloured and drawn with something interesting to look at in every frame. The voice acting is also fine, I do find the original voice acting to be superior to the dubbed version(though dubs are good for those introducing themselves to anime and for them to fully comprehend the story) but that is largely true to that of most animes. I know that I have added very little to what has been said already and so wonderfully might I add, but I have done my best. Overall, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a wonderful film in every way, anime or otherwise, it doesn't feel like a direct copy of the show but it doesn't ignore it either. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Reuben702 I love this movie to death. I started watching the anime at the beginning of 2012 once I saw the first episode online then proceeded to purchase Season One, Two and the movie. While I do love the show, it all just feels like a prologue to this movie. It all flows perfectly and really is a thank you to the fans.I am saying this because for those who have not seen the show, I can imagine that this movie would be extremely confusing. It constantly references events from the show and interweaves certain aspects of the plot around it. This movie can still be enjoyed by people who have not seen the show but many things will be missed or misunderstood. This movie is not a stand alone piece of content. It is something that needs context to be enjoyed and that context is acquired from the show.In short, watch both seasons of the show before watching this movie and you will discover one of the greatest movies ever made.

Jo Nijo This was perhaps one of the best animated feature films I've ever seen. But you don't need me to tell you that. To start off, the animation style was pretty much identical to the anime series'. It was dazzling to see in 1080 P. I can't describe it in words, so you'll have to see it to believe it. The music was pretty well done as well. Using a combination of songs from the anime series and some newly composed songs, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya has a impressive repertoire. The background music is fantastic, and it fits very well with each scene. Lastly, the voice acting is amazing as well. The five original voice actors from the anime reprise their role in the movie as well. Again, you'll have to listen to it for yourself to believe it.If you're not a fan of the Haruhi series, this movie won't change your mind. But if you're a fan of the series or are interested in the series, this movie is well worth your time.It gets a 10/10 from me.