The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi

Shortened definition:

Haruhiism is the religion based on the belief that a melancholic girl named Haruhi is god. If she is not appeased, she will destroy and re-create the world at her own will.

FULL definition:

Haruhiism is an inexplicable (for non-Haruhiists) devotion to one of the following enitites:

1) Suzumiya Haruhi
2) Hirano Aya
3) Any other member of the SOS団
4) The SOS団 itself
5) Derivative works of the SOS団, or involving the SOS団.

This includes, but is not limited to, the serialised novels that detail the SOS団, including the anime and manga derivatives of those novels. It also includes the members of SOS団 themselves, and to a lesser degree those members’ friends.

Typically, Haruhiists (those who practice Haruhiism) experience a strong desire to understand, to share or to observe details involving the above entities. Typical Haruhiist activity includes speculation and discussion of the SOS団 and its derivates, its members and their peers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the posting of such speculative material, the discussion of the most recent SOS団 activities, and the desire to capture as many images of the SOS団 as possible, displaying them in a hypnotic jumble that, while frightening to the outside observer, creates a feeling of peace and/or devotion in a Haruhiist.

The requirements of Haruhiism are not stringent; all that is needed is a belief in the SOS団 or one of its derivates, and membership is self-declared and entirely voluntary. Members are, technically, free to leave at any time; however, this is a very rare occurence. It has been said that noone can truly cease to be a Haruhiist. Further speculation points to a theory stating that everyone is, in fact, a Haruhiist; they just have not come to realise it.

This is often cited as the reason for the strong bonding between Haruhiists and the rapid expansion of the religion as a whole.

-END OF DEFINITION-

The Holy Symbol of Haruhiism, the Emblem of the SOS団

The SOS団 (SOS Brigade) stands for 世界を大いに盛り上げるための涼宮ハルヒの団, Sekai wo Ooini moriagerutame no Suzumiya Haruhi no dan^?). An alternative adaptation into English can be given as Save the world by Overloading it with Fun: Haruhi Suzumiya’s Brigade, in order to retain the acronym.

Hirano Aya, Suzumiya Haruhi’s Seiyuu (Voice Actress) became EXTREMELY POPULAR ALL OVER JAPAN once the second episode of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, which I will abbreviate SHnY) due to her singing the Opening Sequence to the anime, titled Bouken Desho Desho? (Its an adventure, right? Right?). From this newsweek article we can see that YouTube.com played a big part in this.

The words at the bottom right hand corner read “A cartoon named The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi became a national phenomenon thanks to more than 2000 related clips, including parodies.” Bouken Desho Desho live-action featuring Hirano Aya and the OP in the anime itself is embedded here below. The mathematical, physical and chemical formulas seen in opening animation are positronium, Lambda baryons, benzene ring, cyclohexanes, infinite number, Titius-Bode law, Planck’s constant, Drake equation, time-dependent Schrödinger equation, Hubble’s law, infinite product, definition of information entropy, large numbers, stationary Schrödinger equation, E=mc², probability axioms, definition of Laplace operator, the wave equation in one space dimension, and small numbers.

Hirano Aya entered Japanese showbiz at the age of 9 and was spotted for her vocal and singing talent. She became a full-time Seiyuu at the age of 14, and is currently 19. She did the voice for Suzumiya Haruhi at the age of 18 (hmmz that means she is abt the same age as me, coz SHnY aired arnd April XD)

(I duno wth she is saying, but i do noe she’s cute enough to do the voice for Mikuru’s, SOS Brigade Subordinate #2 :p )

(welll… there ARE chinese subtitles… but this interview basically shows not juz guys like her, and she can change voice quickly. She gave the 1st guy the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, and the other guy Captain towards the end XD)

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi is a GROUND-BREAKING ANIME that EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH. It is serialised from a light-novel series by Nagara Kanigawa, a law graduate. It condenses physics (and thus mathematics and philosophy) into a high school setting, featuring an eccentric girl (or rather, concept) and causing millions all over the world to “worship” her. That includes me, a devoted Haruhiist

Those hu dont noe how the hell to access anime/fansubs or whatever can catch the translated version of the 1st volume of light-novels in the Suzumiya Haruhi series HERE.

YouTube.com has the full series of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, but the quality stinks..

My Personal Declaration of Haruhiism:

“Live life for Haruhi-sama!
Overload the world with happiness in Her name!
Only She is the one to unveil the supreme truth!
For truth is beauty, and beauty is Suzumiya Haruhi-sama!
OBEY or HEADS will ROLL!”

Links:
Animesuki Suzumiya Haruhi Forum, Bastion of Haruhiism, birthplace of the English Definition for Haruhiism
Stalking Suzumiya Haruhi (Scenes in the anime are actually based the area around one of the schools Nagara Kinagawa attended)
English Fansite

Suzumiya Haruhi is god.