Misleading genres isn’t really new in light novels, Well, if you put a series like OreImo in a watch order, you’d probably still get a good sense of its timeline, feel, and action… if there is any.
But if you have never encountered something like a The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya watch order, then you definitely haven’t witnessed how wacky KyoAni concepts can get. Not to mention that at the time, the entire existence of the series is to just dunk on every genre that it happens to touch per volume using yes… good old science fiction.
If you think that a Fullmetal Alchemist watch order, Pokemon watch order, or Digimon watch order is already good enough, then prepare for a rather short, but wild rollercoaster ride of interdimensional proportions. And maybe question your notion of reality as well.
Recommended watch order
KyoAni, in its infinite wisdom, has actually jumbled up all the episodes of Haruhi Suzumiya on purpose! Now, if you watch them by broadcast order, there is actually still a sense of continuity between episodes. But if you’ve read the novels before that, you’d instantly notice that everything is out of whack, and that to get an apples-to-apples comparison of the original material and adaptation, you have to tweak your viewing experience a lot for the chronological order.
1. Chronological order
As hinted, this is the watch order based on the timeline of the novel. The second season is actually a bit tamer when it comes to the deliberate incorrect ordering of the episodes. But be prepared for the absolutely stupid shenanigans of the first season.
Oh and, if episodes two to nine of the second season look the same to you, bear with it. Trust us, there’s a visual payoff to all of this mental torture.
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 02
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 03
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 05
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 10
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 13
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 14
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 04
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 01
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 07
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 06 (Part 1)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 08 (Part 2)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 02 (ver A)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 03 (ver B)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 04 (ver C)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 05 (ver D)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 06 (ver E)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 07 (ver F)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 08 (ver G)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 09 (ver H)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 10
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 11
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 12
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 13
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) Episode 14
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 01 (yep, S1E1)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 12
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 11
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (1st Season) Episode 09
- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (movie)
- The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (spin-off, 16 Episodes + OVA)
2. By release order
You’ll probably be lost at some of the events, with a two-parter even interspaced with a completely unrelated episode before getting to the conclusion. Even the very first episode will leave you kind of speechless. But for maximum impact, we could probably, maybe, kinda recommend this better.
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 1st Season (2006)
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2nd Season (2009)
- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)
- The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (2015)
The rest of the ONAs as well as Nagato Yuki-chan can be completely skipped. But if you crave more of the Haruism wave, you can still check The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya or Nyoron Churuya-san if you want to.
It should also be noted that while The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan can be fairly enjoyed on its own, the bigger context of the initial setting requires watching the The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya beforehand. Just in case you fall completely over heels with our almighty blue-haired matchmaker, that is.
Plot of Haruhi Suzumiya
“But, if any of you are aliens, time-travelers, or espers, please come see me. That is all!”
Kyon is a freshman in his newly enrolled senior high school. He’s quite the simple, youth, who only wants to live a quiet, boring life, without all the troubles and apparent excitement related to this age. But then, right out of the blue, one of his classmates opened an introduction with such bombastic flair, and ever since then has been the talk of the campus with flashy and attention-grabbing eccentricities.
Guess who’s going to have to deal with all of this? Indeed, her closest seatmate, who is none other than Kyon himself. Eventually, she decides to form a club called the S.O.S. Brigade, in an effort to attract or make contact with the entities she previously mentioned, dragging poor Kyon all the way.
Unbeknownst to her, while leading her eventual ragtag group of probably unwilling henchpeople (Kyon included, of course), the universe has already assembled her dream team within her club. Who or what exactly is at work to create this miracle? Well, maybe Kyon has an idea who.
‘Agency’? ‘Data Overmind’? Too many light novels read… oh wait.
While the series can be enjoyed as a wackier version of your traditional slice-of-life adventure, we understand that the Haruism wave isn’t exactly for everyone. The time and era of its references show quite plainly, especially with the significant three-year time gap between the first and second seasons. But, if you’re up for some traditional high-school vibes sprinkled with whimsical science fiction here and there, then Haruhi Suzumiya may be for you.
And no. If you think that the movie will reel some of your doubting friends in, think again. It’s not exactly the usual non-linear romp that everyone can instantly jump to. Ah well, the original light novels managed to stretch it out a little bit more at least.
Ready for more longer-form adaptations to supplement your anime craving? May we suggest diving into our best shounen anime list!
