Just as Akiba says it, It's a Sony!
The airing of the first part of Sighs was a breath of relief since Endless Eight finally ended and a new story arc is now starting… this time, Sighs pretty much covers how the SOS-dan makes the amateur movie, “The Adventures of Asahina Mikuru.” This first episode was alright, but there are several things that bothered me about it. More after the jump.
Synopsis
As the School Festival approaches, Haruhi decides to make a movie with all the members of the SOS-dan with Mikuru staring in the movie. With that, she makes a list of roles in the movie and convinced two shop owners to get a Digital Camcorder and some props for the movie.
Thoughts
Overall, the episode was good, but not great… and there is one scene that made my blood boil… This is when Haruhi told Mikuru that she was serving the tea wrong and she almost spilled the hot tea onto Kyon… Are you serious?! That scene completely shown her as a spoiled brat…
Another thing that bothered me is the art style shift… It seems that Haruhi got K-ONified or something by Haruhi’s smile which looks very identical to Yui’s. I don’t mind that art style in K-ON! since it was unique and was alot better than Lucky Star, but having it in Haruhi does not make it look right. It’s just like using Lucky Star’s art style in Clannad… it just won’t look right… I wished they go back to the art style in the first season, but I highly doubt it and they will probably stick with this style.
The only part that was pretty funny is the Sony Camcorder… yes, It’s a Sony… but most of the episode wasn’t all that interesting, so I didn’t mark it that highly, but it’s still good enough to at least get a 7/10… I expected more out of this season, but it seems to disappoint most people after Endless Eight hell ended.
Verdict
7/10 ¶
I don’t know if I started noticing the K-ON style more during E8, or if they just started using it more, but it’s definitely made a huge shift. It doesn’t bother me too much, and I’d rather see it mock K-ON more than Clannad, but I do miss the old style.
If you compare Haruhi’s smile to Yui’s smile, you can see what I’m talking about… Basically, Kyoani used most of the expressions used in K-ON! in Haruhi S2… While some people like the new style, I am not too fond of it at all since it now looks out of place when the Mikuru episode airs after Sighs finish…
I want the old style back… the art style was outstanding… but the rate they are going…. it’s meh… It’s maybe because I am more picnicky since they messed up Endless Eight miserably.
It took 4 years for Haruhi to make a comeback…Obviously, people changed and some are gone from the original staff..
I think changes on design were unavoidable.