Phew, well here we are at the finish line. We have one episode to resolve the conflict with Kyon’s emotions and wrap everything up. So how does the Disappearance of Nagato Yuki do in this aspect? Well, both good and bad. This is actually an ending I’m REALLY torn about for a lot of reasons. The premise of this episode is how they spend the rest of their summer vacation after the trip to the beach and the test of courage.
They go bowling, to the batting cages, and various other activities that take up the time and leave Kyon very little time to talk with Yuki and get his feelings straightened out. This changes when the group goes to a festival, because as the show itself says “Japanese people love festivals.” Yes, they actually say that. Threw me for a loop.
So as they’re there, Kyon is gradually more and more bothered by the awkwardness between Yuki and himself. He talks to Ryoko and Ryoko mentions that he isn’t the only one feeling awkward. Yuki is as well, that’s when it hits him that he is affecting her and that it’s best that he just get everything off his chest.
So he drags her off to talk to her. Sadly, she can’t hear much of what he’s saying very well for the first bit. He says, pretty much to the Nagato that confessed to him that he could of come to love her. So wait, basically, what you’re telling me is that he could of fallen for the more stoic, quiet, serious main series timeline like Yuki? What about the shy Yuki though?
So if he’s only interested in the more stoic one, does that mean that this timelines Haruhi still has a chance? Because, he totally likes him. It’s painfully obvious even more so then in the main series. She looks REALLY upset when Kyon pulls Yuki away despite the fact she tosses on a big fake smile afterwards.
What’s the entire point of the series if there’s not going to be any real romantic conclusion? I mean, I guess you could say that there was romantic conclusion between Kyon/Stoic Yuki. However, what are the real chances of that personality ever surfacing again? Slim, none? So after this part of the episode, we get our conclusion with them deciding to do some actual literature club activities like writing books.
Then the credits and a special scene, one that mimics an earlier part of the episode to scary degree. Then as the scene progresses, Ryoko asks Kyon a very important question. In all that fun they were having that summer, did he do his summer homework?
I have NO idea why i laughed as hard as I did. I had to be laughing for a good five minutes after the episode over that. It just felt like it was making a nod to Endless eight in the greatest way it knew how too. Ending on the thing that caused that entire conflict to begin with. The final episode left me with a lot of conflicted emotions. I’m both happy and sad, confused and angry but content. Was it a good ending? Was it a bad ending? Let’s see if I can find my answer as I move through the series overview.
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Final Thoughts
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki was a fun look into what the world could of been like in Haruhi Suzumiya if you took out a lot of the supernatural elements and made it a pure slice of life. If whatever event that happened three years prior to the main series timeline that gave Haruhi the powers of a God had never happened. If the event with ‘John Smith’ had still happened, but there was no time travel to tell her to go to North High involved.
I have to say though, even as a slice of life. Even taking away all the supernatural elements to the show, it’s still a lot of fun. The characters personalities with the exception of Yuki and Ryoko are generally the same. So there are plenty of chances for the show to make tribute to the original series.
The animation is cute, if not a little jarring at first. As the company changed between the two series. The animation was bound to be different, but moving from KyoAni to the moe in this series can be a little off putting. Not to say the art isn’t good, it’s just different and I think that was one of the hardest things to get past. The music is generally the same as it’s always been. There were multiple times during the series that I heard music from the original series.
The highlight of the series though is the Disappearance arc. Where it’s JUST long enough not to overstay it’s welcome, and creates that unsettling feeling for three episodes. While making us care about this ‘other’ Yuki. The use of static and dream like states is very unsettling but beautiful. It’s some very clever choices by the animation team that makes those episodes stand out above the others.
As for the ending, I don’t know. The series worked to build up all of these character relationships. The relationship between Haruhi and Kyon in which Haruhi remembers the John Smith incident and he doesn’t. Seeing Ryoko not be a murderous alien cyborg…thing, whatever it is that Yuki’s race is in the main timeline. They’re never very clear about that. She’s actually a very sweet and caring girl when you take that out of the picture and it’s a lot of fun.
Even if she did jokingly threaten to stab Kyon in that one episode, pretty sure that was just a bone for the fans though.
Overall, It was an enjoyable ride. A nice slice of life that brought back the old cast and gave us a new view of them. If you like Haruhi for it’s characters then this show is most definitely for you. If you like it for it’s supernatural elements, stick to the main timeline. Personally though, after sleeping on the ending. I can say that while it wasn’t the romantic fulfillment I wanted, it was a good ending none the less. Which is why, the Disappearance of Nagato Yuki net’s itself a 8/10.
Now to go back and watch the whole thing again with the English cast.
~Midnight