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ship_manifestoTitle: Life, When Your Girlfriend Is God
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ypaladinofchaos
Fandom: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Pairing: Haruhi Suzumiya/Kyon
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for the whole anime series, short as it is.
A Proper Introduction
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. An innocuous title, and one that might give you the wrong impression of this series. Make no mistake, this is an anime that is in no way “Melancholy”.
What it does refer to, however, is something that several characters within the series fear- literally, Haruhi Suzumiya’s melancholy.
But why is that, you ask?
Because she is, for all intents and purposes, God, and because if she’s depressed, she could (and it is implied she has done it before, and almost does it again in the series) destroy the world.
Or if she’s bored with the world.
Sounds nuts?
Yeah, well keep going.
It’s gonna get weirder.
The episodes are almost completely out of chronological order- episode 1 (known sometimes as Episode 00) is placed firmly in the middle of the timeline for this series, while episode 2 is the true beginning. Episode 9 is the last episode chronologically, but episode 14, which takes place only a little after episode 2 in terms of time, is the last episode of the series.
So yeah, it gets weirder. And I haven’t even started in on the aliens, time travelers, or ESP-ers (the term for psychics in this series) that pop up in this series.
And, planted squarely at the center of all of this madness, is Kyon, our narrator character, who is for some reason “chosen” by Haruhi.
As for what that means...
Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, you’ll probably be wanting some dirt on the two, huh?
First off, Kyon, amusingly enough, is not his real name. That is the name that his aunt has given him, and the name his sister calls him. Due to this, everyone calls him Kyon.
What is real name is, no one ever says.
Kyon, begins the series by narrating a video that their club, the SOS Brigade (more on that in Haruhi’s section). Kyon is shown early on to be sarcastic and generally plays the straight man to Haruhi’s absurdity. He keeps a normal perspective on the increasingly strange events that he is continually dragged into, and entertains the viewer with a running commentary.
What’s interesting about Kyon is that he is completely normal. He has no special powers, no secret identity or origin.
He’s just a regular guy (complete with the odd hormone fueled thought about Mikuru Asahina, the sexy mascot of their club).
On the other hand, Haruhi Suzumiya... well, let’s take a look at her, shall we?
Haruhi Suzumiya, creator of our world and a fervent believer in aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers.
Haruhi is bold, outspoken, and very rarely hears other peoples words (in Kyon’s words, “she only hears what she wants to hear”). She constantly chases after the abnormal and the supernatural. She’s blunt to a fault, and isn’t above using others for her own gains (in one amusing scene, she forces the computer club president into a compromising position with one of the SOS members to blackmail him into giving her a computer).
And then of course, there are her powers. When she’s angry or depressed, she creates “closed space”, in which giant luminescent beings rampage about in an echo of her fury. She has no idea this is happening, but psychics, such as Itsuki (discussed below), do, and actively move to stop closed space from expanding before it encompasses the world.
Haruhi’s powers are not limited to just this, however. When she wills something to happen, more often than not, it does. She wishes for aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers to appear before her, and they do, in the form of Yuki Nagato (the alien), Mikuru Asahina (the time traveler), and Itsuki Koizumi (the ESP-er), all of them odd and strange in their own ways.
Haruhi Suzumiya has “no interest in ordinary humans”, after all.
Which leads to the question that I, and quite a few characters in the series, are forced to confront.
Why force Kyon in on these schemes, if he’s “ordinary”?
That, my dear reader, is the question I will try to answer.
I have to warn you right off the bat- I’ll be following the anime sequence of events, which is actually completely out of chronological order. I might bring up seemingly random points that only fit into the big picture at the end.
So I ask that you bear with me as I try to lead you through.
Haruhi and Kyon’s first interaction shown in the series is small, but nonetheless interesting. When she boasts about their video, she doesn’t talk with the other members of the club in the room- she talks directly to Kyon, staring at him and standing in front of him. It’s a small hint that he is the most important member in her circle.
The next episode starts of with Kyon narrating about his life, his acceptance of reality for what it is (that is, that there is no such thing as aliens, time travelers, or esp-ers). The whole time, the screen is filtered grayish, and is fairly monotone-
Until he turns his head and looks at Haruhi.
Color floods the screen- her eyes sparkle, and he stares, commenting that she is “a striking beauty”.
Of course, Haruhi has just demanded that all aliens, time travelers, and ESP-rs come and join her immediately, so he’s also fairly off-set by her.
Still, this is just a small, subtle trick that I think sets off their relationship nicely- until Haruhi, Kyon had pretty much lived his life as a typical teenage boy. She brings change to his world.
His first attempt to talk to her (he says himself that while it was definitely a lapse of sanity, he sat in front of her and assumed it would be acceptable) however, is brushed off completely.
The next few scenes are Kyon’s friends telling him, quite bluntly, that they know her reputation for weirdness and tell him not to get too interested. Despite their words, Kyon seems not to hear them, and is always looking at Haruhi. He states he’s not interested- but he keeps looking nonetheless.
In fact, he says that, for a month, he noticed several of her peculiarities- odd, for someone “uninterested” in her. He notices that she changes hairstyles, that she temporarily joins clubs but leaves soon after, and doesn’t even care if boys are in the room while she changes.
Before Golden Week (a week encompassing four Japanese holidays), Kyon decides, randomly, to question her about the hair. After a short conversation, Haruhi stares at him for awhile, before asking “Have I met you before?”
Kyon says no, and the conversation ends. But soon, another follows, then another. At one point, Haruhi states that all men on the planet are worthless, and that she wants an alien. The notion that Haruhi is only interested in oddities and abnormal things plays a big part in why it’s so curious that Kyon has been “chosen” by her.
Not long after, the seating arrangement is changed, and Kyon believes himself free from Haruhi forever.
Until it turns out that she has been assigned to sit behind him.
Now, while Kyon considers it coincidence, there’s one simple fact about this series.
There are no coincidences. When something odd happens, it’s because Haruhi willed it to happen, unconsciously or no. Now, obviously she doesn’t control all events, but if she truly wills it, it will happen.
I think of it as the “And Haruhi said, Let there be light” principle.
In this case, I believe she, unconsciously or perhaps even consciously, wanted to keep talking to Kyon and thus willed herself to gain the seat behind him.
Not long after, another conversation with Haruhi sparks a new idea for her- if no club at the school is “weird” enough for her, she’ll start her own.
Kyon barely knows what to make of it, and right as class ends, she drags him out of the room at top speed, and immediately tells him to assist her in making the club. When Kyon asks why, she just keeps listing off things for him to do.
Once again, it’s subtle, but think about it. Why would Haruhi want a normal guy like Kyon to join her “weird” club?
To share in the adventure, of course.
She wants him around now, and, for better or for worse, Kyon is stuck with her.
And so, inevitably, Kyon is thrust into the SOS Brigade, as Haruhi dubs it, dedicated to saving the world by overloading it with fun.
And though Haruhi doesn’t realize it- the SOS Brigade really is saving the world by letting Haruhi have her fun. Otherwise, she might be bored and destroy the universe.
But once again, I get ahead of myself. So I’ll talk about what happens next.
In the next episode, which takes place a month later, is about Haruhi signing up the SOS Brigade for a baseball tournament. There comes a point where Itsuki comments that Haruhi “was depending” on Kyon to come through for her in the game. Once again, the series makes a point to mention that Haruhi is relying on, focusing on, Kyon.
Another interesting point is after Haruhi decides to break out their secret weapon- cheerleading outfits for herself and Mikuru. At first, Haruhi starts talking about how Mikuru would look prettier with a ponytail, but then she glances at Kyon and decides against it.
Now Kyon, naturally, was goggling at Mikuru, and that probably factored into Haruhi’s decision not to make Mikuru more appealing. Also, it’s a foreshadowing of a Kyon/Haruhi moment in the future (or, chronologically, it already happened, but the series hasn’t covered it).
At the end of the game, Haruhi and Kyon stand side by side. Haruhi’s not too happy with having to forfeit, but Kyon talks her out of that funk and she smiles brightly.
“If it’s okay with you, then I guess it’s fine.”
In the next episode, we jump back in time, to the first official outing of the SOS Brigade. Haruhi orders Kyon and the others to meet up on Saturday and spend it looking for the paranormal. They decide to draw lots in order to decide who goes with who.
The first group consists of Kyon and Mikuru, while the second group are Haruhi, Itsuki, and Yuki. Haruhi, upon seeing that she’s gotten an unmarked stick and that it is Mikuru and Kyon who are alone, looks decidedly displeased.
Kyon, on the other hand, is quite happy with the arrangement, wondering if he can turn this into a date with Mikuru. As if reading his mind (and who’s to say she can’t?), Haruhi angrily shouts that he is not on a date but on an assignment, and then grabs her drink so tightly it could almost shatter.
She’s angry at him, and almost blatantly jealous about this turn of events.
After Mikuru and Kyon walk, and Mikuru first explains about her time traveling and why she’s observing Haruhi (including another mention of Kyon being “chosen” by Haruhi), they return to the group, where they redraw straws.
And once again, Haruhi and Kyon are not paired up, and once again, Haruhi is displeased with the outcome. This time, Kyon and Yuki are paired. The two go to the library and Kyon falls asleep, forgetting the meeting and promptly getting an angry phone call from Haruhi.
The SOS Brigade’s outing yields nothing, and Haruhi is extremely irritated. The group dismisses itself, but not before Mikuru whispers in Kyon’s ear, thanking him for listening to her. Haruhi stands nearby, but absolutely refuses to look at Kyon. She demands to know what he did today, but Kyon shoots the question back at her.
In a huff, Haruhi stomps off. The next day, she doesn’t even show up at the club meeting.
And then- and I’m truly sorry about this- they skip forward again in time. The SOS Brigade is off to visit a wealthy relative of Itsuki, who owns a private island- which greatly interests Haruhi.
Of course (and much to Kyon’s relief) the first two days pass relatively smoothly, save for a sudden typhoon on the second day. But on the third day, the butler, Arakawa, approaches the SOS Brigade with a problem- the master, Keiichi, hasn’t come out of his room or answered any calls.
Immediately, Haruhi calls to Kyon. Not to Mikuru, Yuki, or Itsuki, but to Kyon and Kyon alone. Afterward, she calls to Mikuru and Yuki, but it should be noted that this is an afterthought, a “You too” moment.
They rush up to Keiichi’s room, and upon finding the door locked, Itsuki, Kyon, and Arakawa are forced to break it down. And to their horror, they find Keiichi’s body, stabbed in the chest, lying on the floor.
And the episode ends. Because the next episode is less about Haruhi and more about the other members of the SOS Brigade, especially Yuki, so it’s not very relevant.
So we skip ahead, to episode 8, which is continues where episode 6 left off, with the SOS Brigade discovering Keiichi’s stabbed body. The group is shocked and disturbed, and retreat to the girls room to contemplate.
Haruhi is completely silent for awhile, before she finally stands up, and calls to Kyon. Once again, she’s asking for Kyon’s company over the other, far more eccentric members of the SOS Brigade.
They go to talk outside, and when Kyon mentions that Haruhi had been wanting something interesting to happen, Haruhi admits that she didn’t actually expect anything to happen.
This is the first glimpse into something that Haruhi rarely shows but always has- common sense. After they discover they cannot go into Keiichi’s room again (police orders), Haruhi decides they should check to see if the boat is there.
So Kyon and Haruhi brave the storm, and upon nearing the docks, find the boat absent. As they stand there, Haruhi relents her grip on Kyon’s wrist and grips his hand instead, which Kyon reciprocates without hesitation.
Now remember, this is Japanese society. Holding hands is reserved almost exclusively for romantic couples. Haruhi had a firm grip on Kyon’s wrist- there was no need to move it, except that, upon seeing that they really were trapped on a remote island, Haruhi needed comfort, and Kyon gave it unquestioningly.
It shows a depth to their feelings that they have never displayed before.
Right then, Haruhi spots a suspicious shadow on the other side of the island, and drags Kyon along to check it out.
As they walk along the cliffside, however, a portion of rock breaks off and Haruhi begins to fall. Kyon, holding her hand, loses his balance as well and falls too. But instead of bracing himself for impact, her grabs Haruhi and shields her with his body, causing him to hit the rocky ground instead of Haruhi.
There is no clearer instance of Kyon being so very protective of someone else. He is actively risking his life so that Haruhi won’t be injured in the fall.
As Haruhi comes to, she begins shaking Kyon rapidly, her face twisted in desperation, saying his name in fervent tones. When he comes to and assures her he’s okay, her face lights up.
They take shelter in a nearby cave, drying themselves off (with a rock separating them, naturally), and Haruhi begins to voice her theory about how Keiichi must have died, but Kyon points out flaws, leading Haruhi to a disturbing realization.
Kyon asks about it, but Haruhi says nothing, and then Itsuki’s voice is heard, and the scene changes.
Later on, Itsuki and Kyon are discussing the incident, and Itsuki reveals what Haruhi discovered but didn’t wish to disclose- that, when Itsuki, Arakawa, and Kyon broke the door down, they accidently drove the knife into Keiichi’s chest (it had stabbed in where his notebook was, and thus hadn’t gone all the way through the first time).
Haruhi was protecting them.
Protecting Kyon.
She tossed aside her idea of becoming a detective to keep him from discovering the truth about what he had done. Of course, this “truth” is not the real truth, and a final twist is revealed, that gives this seemingly dark tale a humorous ending.
Despite the humorous twists to this episode, that dark moment when Haruhi truly thought Kyon had accidentally killed a man shows just how deep her feelings go. She was willing to “bury the truth inside her own heart” for the sake of protecting him.
Afterward, Kyon and Itsuki are talking on deck again. Itsuki asks when Kyon figured everything out- Kyon replied “from the very beginning”, because it was just too weird to have someone murdered on that island, even if it was what Haruhi had been thinking of.
Itsuki’s eyes bore into Kyon, and he airily comments, “You have faith in Suzumiya-san.” Faith in the idea that Haruhi would never truly wish for someone else’s death.
Kyon doesn’t reply.
The next episode shifts six months after the start of the series, making it the final episode chronologically. The SOS Brigade, sans Haruhi, are relaxing in the clubroom. Kyon comments that it’s nice and quiet without Haruhi.
Maybe even too quiet.
The next thing he realizes, much to his surprise, is that it’s been six months since he met everyone. It’s a small reminder that Kyon, for all his complaints and disbelief, has grown accustomed to life with the SOS Brigade and with Haruhi.
Things change as Haruhi bursts in, happily clamoring about a new heater she’s managed to acquire, and demands that Kyon go out and get it.
Of course, it’s cold and looks like it’ll rain soon, so Kyon protests, but eventually relents, since it’s not nearly as outrageous as anything else she’s forced him to do.
As he gets up, though, Mikuru offers to go with him, an offer Haruhi shoots down. Mikuru pauses for a moment, before grabbing a scarf and tying it around Kyon’s neck. Kyon, surprised, smiles at her.
And then Haruhi cuts in, her face twisted in anger, ordering him to “hurry up!”
Jealous, much?
For awhile, the episode is fairly listless, until Kyon returns to the clubroom with their new heater, only to find the room deserted, save for Yuki. Kyon plugs the heater in, and lays his head down on the table, promptly falls asleep.
When he awakes, he discovers Haruhi’s shadow standing over him. Haruhi immediately backs off, and looks as though she’s been caught doing something improper- and considering what Haruhi has done in the past, she really shouldn’t look like that.
After a bit of defensiveness on Haruhi’s part, she demands her cardigan back. Kyon blinks, and then realizes that he has two cardigans lying on his shoulders- one is Haruhi’s, the other is probably Yuki’s.
Now, it’s interesting enough that the silent, passive Yuki left some comfort for Kyon, but what’s even more interesting (for this manifesto, anyway) is the fact that Haruhi added her own cardigan. He doesn’t really need the extra warmth- after all, he did just drag a heater up the hill to their school.
But Haruhi wanted to offer some comfort, so she did.
After that, Kyon complains that he has no umbrella to shield himself from the rain.
“One should be enough.” Haruhi responds, and in contrary to her normal behavior, is looking away from Kyon, almost bashfully.
So they go off, standing side by side, sharing an umbrella, looking very much like a couple, even arguing like one, albeit quite mildly. Then, in a rush, Haruhi steals the umbrella.
Kyon groans, commenting that he already got her heater for her, and without thanks. But then, contrary to his grumbling tones, he smiles. And Haruhi turns then, and smiles back brightly.
And then they rewind time again. Remember the SOS Brigade outing, and Haruhi’s subsequent absence from the clubroom the next day?
That’s where the story picks up again, and opens with Kyon entering the classroom, and finding a rather laconic Haruhi in her seat. He questions her about her absence, and gets a gruff response.
Kyon decides then to try and convince her that she should give up her obsession with the abnormal and learn to enjoy life like a normal high school girl. When she asks how to do that, Kyon responds that she should find a nice guy and walk around the city with him.
Her response in an unusual rant that gives an interesting insight into Haruhi’s psyche.
Haruhi: “Men are worthless. Feelings of love are just a temporary lapse in judgement. Like a kind of mental illness. Even I... get in the mood for that stuff every now and then. I am a healthy young girl, after all. My body has its urges.”
Why was it necessary for her to talk about that? Why did she say that even she can “get in the mood for that stuff every now and then”? And right after the SOS Brigade had its first outing in the city?
It’s open for interpretation, and here’s mine. I believe that Haruhi felt unusually inclined for a romantic outing, and the fact that she was unable to be paired with Kyon on Saturday caused her to become bitter about said feelings.
Kyon comments that it’s the first time he’s seen her so defeated, and that he finds her defeated face kind of cute.
What’s more, the class representative, Ryoko Asakura, offers this-
“Perhaps Suzumiya-san is feeling lovesick?”
Haruhi bounces back soon enough, but not before Kyon’s life is put in danger. After that, Kyon is requested out of the clubroom by a future (well, even farther in the future) version of Mikuru. When he returns to the classroom, Haruhi seems almost irrationally upset that he was absent, stating that “I waited to eat since I thought you’d be back soon!”
Kyon makes a snide joke, and in response, Haruhi drags him out of the room to go an investigate another mystery.
The next episode is all about the SOS Brigade playing the Computer Research Society in a game than it does on Haruhi and Kyon, but they make a point to bring up two moments for the two.
The first being, Kyon demanding that Itsuki, Yuki, and Mikuru do not rely on their abnormal abilities to help them win at the game. When Itsuki responds that, if they lose, Haruhi might lose control and end up destroying the world, Kyon replies “I don’t care”.
Itsuki smiles then, and begins a rambling talk about “the invisible bond of trust” between Kyon and Haruhi. He has faith in her control, Itsuki comments, and Haruhi has faith in Kyon to lead them to victory in the game.
Kyon says nothing again, neither denying nor confirming this. Then, during the game, Haruhi is raving about wanting to charge head on in- however, if the club leader is defeated, that side loses immediately, and Kyon argues with her against it.
Instead of arguing back, Haruhi pauses, and defers to his judgement.
A small, but sure sign of trust between the two.
The next episode is much more Haruhi/Kyon focused, though it might not appear to be. The school is having a cultural festival (where the movie from the first episode is being played), and Kyon is merely wandering around. Haruhi isn’t even seen for more than few seconds until halfway through the episode.
But when she appears, Kyon is utterly shocked. She’s up on stage, carrying a guitar, and flanked by Yuki and two other girls who he doesn’t know.
Before he can think, she starts to play her song. And he is blown away. (By the way, if you'd like to watch/hear the song, I've found a clip of this scene in its entirety)
In the aftermath, Kyon gets the story behind Haruhi’s unexpected appearance on stage, about how she offered to help a band which was down two members and desperately wanted to play their songs. As if by magic, the band members appear, thanking Haruhi for her efforts. They compliment her skill, and, humorously, offer to give her a free pass to their next concert, along with Kyon, whom they stare at significantly.
Later, when Haruhi disappears from the classroom during lunch, Kyon “randomly” decides to go for a walk.
“To digest”, he says. “Don’t read too much into it”, he says.
Sorry, Kyon, but this is a manifesto, and I’m going to have to.
So let’s look at that. He’s never simply “gone for a walk”. And it just so happens that he walks around and spots Haruhi and approaches her?
Methinks the man doth protest too much. (God, Shakespeare must have rolled in his grave again from that one)
So he comes upon an unusually contemplative Haruhi.
Haruhi: “I kind of wonder if that was really good enough. How should I put it... I started wondering what I’m doing with my life.”
Kyon says nothing, but only glances at the window of the SOS Brigade’s clubhouse. The look is significant- he knows what she’s been doing with her life- making it fun for herself, and (despite everything) fun for him.
But Kyon also understands why Haruhi is in such a funk. He says he doesn’t, but inwardly, these are his thoughts.
Kyon: It’s because... you’re not used to being appreciated by other people.
After a brief bit of light arguing, Haruhi snaps out of her funk and immediately grabs Kyon’s hand, a small, but intimate gesture, taking off toward another adventure.
Then, once again, the series goes back in time. During one point, a shopkeeper tells him “don’t let [Haruhi] get away”, obviously thinking they were a couple. Something about them together has people thinking such things. Next, Haruhi begins talking about why she is the way she is- that she wants to live a unique, interesting life, ever since she realized that she was one person amidst billions of others, a mere drop in a vast ocean. Kyon feels he should say something- but what can he say?
He says “I see”, and hates himself for it.
In the next episode, the final episode, everything comes to a head. Kyon has learned the abnormal identities of his fellow club members, about Haruhi’s power, and is left with just one question.
Why him? Why is he among this group?
The day is fairly normal, save for a rather melancholic Haruhi. At one humorous point, Kyon is glancing through some risque pictures of Mikuru Haruhi had taken (which he had pretended to delete), only to have Mikuru pop in on his shoulder. As he tries to keep her away from seeing what he was looking at, she continues to press against him-
And Haruhi opens the door, none too pleased. After stalking in, she demands that Kyon leave. When he doesn’t, she literally tosses him out, leaving him bewildered.
She never had a problem with changing in front of boys before, after all. Kyon thinks little of it, though, and lets the day pass without doing much.
But when he goes to bed, he wakes up to find Haruhi standing over him, and the two of them trapped within closed space. They wander about, with Haruhi holding him at arm’s length, until they come upon the clubhouse. After a bit of waiting, Haruhi ventures off alone.
Moments later, Itsuki’s form appears, explaining that what they feared has happened- Haruhi has grown tired of the world and wishes to create a new one.
Kyon asks why he’s there, then, and Itsuki seems almost surprised as he answers.
“You have been chosen by Suzumiya-san. The only person from the old world Suzumiya-san truly wished to be with.”
An Adam and Eve scenario.
There has never been a clearer portrait of Haruhi’s feelings. She wants him around for more than just adventures- she wants him with her, now and forever.
The blue monsters within closed space begin demolishing the school, and Haruhi is ecstatic. Kyon, on the other hand, resists, taking Haruhi by the hand and running, speaking as he does so. “I may complain... but I actually liked how my life was.” He tells Haruhi he wants to go back.
Haruhi lets go of his hand, and looks shocked. “Weren’t you fed up with that boring world? Didn’t you want something more interesting to happen?”
Kyon grips her shoulders, staring into her eyes, and assures her that the world was heading in an interesting direction. Haruhi looks unconvinced, and Kyon begins to think. Everyone has their view on what Haruhi is to them (God to Itsuki, for example).
“Then what about me? What does the person Suzumiya Haruhi... mean to me?”
After a bit of rambling on his part (which he admits), he states it clearly.
“Haruhi is Haruhi and nobody else.”
They say that he trusts her, and now we know he accepts her too, unconditionally, for who she really is.
He also says one more thing.
“That ponytail... looked so good it was criminal.” (Remember the scene with Mikuru and the ponytail?)
And with that, and a blue giant towering overhead, he kisses her passionately, and the world snaps back into place, the End averted.
The next morning, as he wonders if it was a dream, he sees a sign.
Haruhi in a ponytail.
He smiles, approaches her, and comments,
“Looks good on you.”
In the final scene, Kyon awaits Haruhi for another SOS outing, only this time, it’s simply the two of them. Kyon comments that he has a number of things he wants to talk to her about, especially aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers, when they go to the café.
Almost like a date, wouldn’t you say?
To me, Haruhi/Kyon is really what the whole series is about. Haruhi has found something in Kyon- an equal, maybe, or a partner. Whatever she has found in him, it’s obvious she doesn’t want to let that go. He was the first person to truly talk to her in the series, and that formed a bond between them that Haruhi treasures deeply. Every adventure, she wants him to be a part of. She opens up to him in ways that she cannot to anyone else.
Kyon, for his part, keeps a check on Haruhi by managing to discourage or halt a few crazy schemes (he is noted as the only person who can do this), but also holds a deep trust in Haruhi. He’s most likely the less certain of the two in this relationship (his attentions are not always on Haruhi), but at several points, he steps up for her (most notably during the island murder mystery).
The series constantly emphasizes the idea that Kyon has been "chosen" by Haruhi, a recurring theme with this pairing.
I love this pairing, not only for the external reasons (if he makes her unhappy, we all die), but just for the dynamic. Haruhi’s wacky ideas are balanced by Kyon’s straight man demeanor, her melancholic moods can be reversed by Kyon. They don't show their relationship off, but give it away quietly, subtly, and often, when it's simply between the two of them.
In short- they fit together, and that’s what really matters.
Because this series if quite new, it's fandom is much less established than most. Still, because of its popularity, the fandom is growing quite rapidly. I'll admit that part of my reason for doing this was to attract people to the fandom.
Author:
ypaladinofchaos Fandom: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Pairing: Haruhi Suzumiya/Kyon
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for the whole anime series, short as it is.
A Proper Introduction
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. An innocuous title, and one that might give you the wrong impression of this series. Make no mistake, this is an anime that is in no way “Melancholy”.
What it does refer to, however, is something that several characters within the series fear- literally, Haruhi Suzumiya’s melancholy.
But why is that, you ask?
Because she is, for all intents and purposes, God, and because if she’s depressed, she could (and it is implied she has done it before, and almost does it again in the series) destroy the world.
Or if she’s bored with the world.
Sounds nuts?
Yeah, well keep going.
It’s gonna get weirder.
The episodes are almost completely out of chronological order- episode 1 (known sometimes as Episode 00) is placed firmly in the middle of the timeline for this series, while episode 2 is the true beginning. Episode 9 is the last episode chronologically, but episode 14, which takes place only a little after episode 2 in terms of time, is the last episode of the series.
So yeah, it gets weirder. And I haven’t even started in on the aliens, time travelers, or ESP-ers (the term for psychics in this series) that pop up in this series.
And, planted squarely at the center of all of this madness, is Kyon, our narrator character, who is for some reason “chosen” by Haruhi.
As for what that means...
Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, you’ll probably be wanting some dirt on the two, huh?
“I’m 100% genuine... ordinary high school student. No special powers or anything.”
-Kyon, Episode 14
The Normal Guy
-Kyon, Episode 14
The Normal Guy
First off, Kyon, amusingly enough, is not his real name. That is the name that his aunt has given him, and the name his sister calls him. Due to this, everyone calls him Kyon.
What is real name is, no one ever says.
Kyon, begins the series by narrating a video that their club, the SOS Brigade (more on that in Haruhi’s section). Kyon is shown early on to be sarcastic and generally plays the straight man to Haruhi’s absurdity. He keeps a normal perspective on the increasingly strange events that he is continually dragged into, and entertains the viewer with a running commentary.
What’s interesting about Kyon is that he is completely normal. He has no special powers, no secret identity or origin.
He’s just a regular guy (complete with the odd hormone fueled thought about Mikuru Asahina, the sexy mascot of their club).
On the other hand, Haruhi Suzumiya... well, let’s take a look at her, shall we?
“Nothing fun will happen if you sit around waiting.”
-Haruhi, Episode 13
Your God
-Haruhi, Episode 13
Your God
Haruhi Suzumiya, creator of our world and a fervent believer in aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers.
Haruhi is bold, outspoken, and very rarely hears other peoples words (in Kyon’s words, “she only hears what she wants to hear”). She constantly chases after the abnormal and the supernatural. She’s blunt to a fault, and isn’t above using others for her own gains (in one amusing scene, she forces the computer club president into a compromising position with one of the SOS members to blackmail him into giving her a computer).
And then of course, there are her powers. When she’s angry or depressed, she creates “closed space”, in which giant luminescent beings rampage about in an echo of her fury. She has no idea this is happening, but psychics, such as Itsuki (discussed below), do, and actively move to stop closed space from expanding before it encompasses the world.
Haruhi’s powers are not limited to just this, however. When she wills something to happen, more often than not, it does. She wishes for aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers to appear before her, and they do, in the form of Yuki Nagato (the alien), Mikuru Asahina (the time traveler), and Itsuki Koizumi (the ESP-er), all of them odd and strange in their own ways.
Haruhi Suzumiya has “no interest in ordinary humans”, after all.
Which leads to the question that I, and quite a few characters in the series, are forced to confront.
Why force Kyon in on these schemes, if he’s “ordinary”?
That, my dear reader, is the question I will try to answer.
A Series Of Increasingly Absurd Events (Or, Kyon/Haruhi in canon)
I have to warn you right off the bat- I’ll be following the anime sequence of events, which is actually completely out of chronological order. I might bring up seemingly random points that only fit into the big picture at the end.
So I ask that you bear with me as I try to lead you through.
Haruhi and Kyon’s first interaction shown in the series is small, but nonetheless interesting. When she boasts about their video, she doesn’t talk with the other members of the club in the room- she talks directly to Kyon, staring at him and standing in front of him. It’s a small hint that he is the most important member in her circle.
The next episode starts of with Kyon narrating about his life, his acceptance of reality for what it is (that is, that there is no such thing as aliens, time travelers, or esp-ers). The whole time, the screen is filtered grayish, and is fairly monotone-
Until he turns his head and looks at Haruhi.
Color floods the screen- her eyes sparkle, and he stares, commenting that she is “a striking beauty”.
Of course, Haruhi has just demanded that all aliens, time travelers, and ESP-rs come and join her immediately, so he’s also fairly off-set by her.
Still, this is just a small, subtle trick that I think sets off their relationship nicely- until Haruhi, Kyon had pretty much lived his life as a typical teenage boy. She brings change to his world.
His first attempt to talk to her (he says himself that while it was definitely a lapse of sanity, he sat in front of her and assumed it would be acceptable) however, is brushed off completely.
The next few scenes are Kyon’s friends telling him, quite bluntly, that they know her reputation for weirdness and tell him not to get too interested. Despite their words, Kyon seems not to hear them, and is always looking at Haruhi. He states he’s not interested- but he keeps looking nonetheless.
In fact, he says that, for a month, he noticed several of her peculiarities- odd, for someone “uninterested” in her. He notices that she changes hairstyles, that she temporarily joins clubs but leaves soon after, and doesn’t even care if boys are in the room while she changes.
Before Golden Week (a week encompassing four Japanese holidays), Kyon decides, randomly, to question her about the hair. After a short conversation, Haruhi stares at him for awhile, before asking “Have I met you before?”
Kyon says no, and the conversation ends. But soon, another follows, then another. At one point, Haruhi states that all men on the planet are worthless, and that she wants an alien. The notion that Haruhi is only interested in oddities and abnormal things plays a big part in why it’s so curious that Kyon has been “chosen” by her.
Not long after, the seating arrangement is changed, and Kyon believes himself free from Haruhi forever.
Until it turns out that she has been assigned to sit behind him.
Now, while Kyon considers it coincidence, there’s one simple fact about this series.
There are no coincidences. When something odd happens, it’s because Haruhi willed it to happen, unconsciously or no. Now, obviously she doesn’t control all events, but if she truly wills it, it will happen.
I think of it as the “And Haruhi said, Let there be light” principle.
In this case, I believe she, unconsciously or perhaps even consciously, wanted to keep talking to Kyon and thus willed herself to gain the seat behind him.
Not long after, another conversation with Haruhi sparks a new idea for her- if no club at the school is “weird” enough for her, she’ll start her own.
Kyon barely knows what to make of it, and right as class ends, she drags him out of the room at top speed, and immediately tells him to assist her in making the club. When Kyon asks why, she just keeps listing off things for him to do.
Once again, it’s subtle, but think about it. Why would Haruhi want a normal guy like Kyon to join her “weird” club?
To share in the adventure, of course.
She wants him around now, and, for better or for worse, Kyon is stuck with her.
And so, inevitably, Kyon is thrust into the SOS Brigade, as Haruhi dubs it, dedicated to saving the world by overloading it with fun.
And though Haruhi doesn’t realize it- the SOS Brigade really is saving the world by letting Haruhi have her fun. Otherwise, she might be bored and destroy the universe.
But once again, I get ahead of myself. So I’ll talk about what happens next.
In the next episode, which takes place a month later, is about Haruhi signing up the SOS Brigade for a baseball tournament. There comes a point where Itsuki comments that Haruhi “was depending” on Kyon to come through for her in the game. Once again, the series makes a point to mention that Haruhi is relying on, focusing on, Kyon.
Another interesting point is after Haruhi decides to break out their secret weapon- cheerleading outfits for herself and Mikuru. At first, Haruhi starts talking about how Mikuru would look prettier with a ponytail, but then she glances at Kyon and decides against it.
Now Kyon, naturally, was goggling at Mikuru, and that probably factored into Haruhi’s decision not to make Mikuru more appealing. Also, it’s a foreshadowing of a Kyon/Haruhi moment in the future (or, chronologically, it already happened, but the series hasn’t covered it).
At the end of the game, Haruhi and Kyon stand side by side. Haruhi’s not too happy with having to forfeit, but Kyon talks her out of that funk and she smiles brightly.
“If it’s okay with you, then I guess it’s fine.”
In the next episode, we jump back in time, to the first official outing of the SOS Brigade. Haruhi orders Kyon and the others to meet up on Saturday and spend it looking for the paranormal. They decide to draw lots in order to decide who goes with who.
The first group consists of Kyon and Mikuru, while the second group are Haruhi, Itsuki, and Yuki. Haruhi, upon seeing that she’s gotten an unmarked stick and that it is Mikuru and Kyon who are alone, looks decidedly displeased.
Kyon, on the other hand, is quite happy with the arrangement, wondering if he can turn this into a date with Mikuru. As if reading his mind (and who’s to say she can’t?), Haruhi angrily shouts that he is not on a date but on an assignment, and then grabs her drink so tightly it could almost shatter.
She’s angry at him, and almost blatantly jealous about this turn of events.
After Mikuru and Kyon walk, and Mikuru first explains about her time traveling and why she’s observing Haruhi (including another mention of Kyon being “chosen” by Haruhi), they return to the group, where they redraw straws.
And once again, Haruhi and Kyon are not paired up, and once again, Haruhi is displeased with the outcome. This time, Kyon and Yuki are paired. The two go to the library and Kyon falls asleep, forgetting the meeting and promptly getting an angry phone call from Haruhi.
The SOS Brigade’s outing yields nothing, and Haruhi is extremely irritated. The group dismisses itself, but not before Mikuru whispers in Kyon’s ear, thanking him for listening to her. Haruhi stands nearby, but absolutely refuses to look at Kyon. She demands to know what he did today, but Kyon shoots the question back at her.
In a huff, Haruhi stomps off. The next day, she doesn’t even show up at the club meeting.
And then- and I’m truly sorry about this- they skip forward again in time. The SOS Brigade is off to visit a wealthy relative of Itsuki, who owns a private island- which greatly interests Haruhi.
Of course (and much to Kyon’s relief) the first two days pass relatively smoothly, save for a sudden typhoon on the second day. But on the third day, the butler, Arakawa, approaches the SOS Brigade with a problem- the master, Keiichi, hasn’t come out of his room or answered any calls.
Immediately, Haruhi calls to Kyon. Not to Mikuru, Yuki, or Itsuki, but to Kyon and Kyon alone. Afterward, she calls to Mikuru and Yuki, but it should be noted that this is an afterthought, a “You too” moment.
They rush up to Keiichi’s room, and upon finding the door locked, Itsuki, Kyon, and Arakawa are forced to break it down. And to their horror, they find Keiichi’s body, stabbed in the chest, lying on the floor.
And the episode ends. Because the next episode is less about Haruhi and more about the other members of the SOS Brigade, especially Yuki, so it’s not very relevant.
So we skip ahead, to episode 8, which is continues where episode 6 left off, with the SOS Brigade discovering Keiichi’s stabbed body. The group is shocked and disturbed, and retreat to the girls room to contemplate.
Haruhi is completely silent for awhile, before she finally stands up, and calls to Kyon. Once again, she’s asking for Kyon’s company over the other, far more eccentric members of the SOS Brigade.
They go to talk outside, and when Kyon mentions that Haruhi had been wanting something interesting to happen, Haruhi admits that she didn’t actually expect anything to happen.
This is the first glimpse into something that Haruhi rarely shows but always has- common sense. After they discover they cannot go into Keiichi’s room again (police orders), Haruhi decides they should check to see if the boat is there.
So Kyon and Haruhi brave the storm, and upon nearing the docks, find the boat absent. As they stand there, Haruhi relents her grip on Kyon’s wrist and grips his hand instead, which Kyon reciprocates without hesitation.
Now remember, this is Japanese society. Holding hands is reserved almost exclusively for romantic couples. Haruhi had a firm grip on Kyon’s wrist- there was no need to move it, except that, upon seeing that they really were trapped on a remote island, Haruhi needed comfort, and Kyon gave it unquestioningly.
It shows a depth to their feelings that they have never displayed before.
Right then, Haruhi spots a suspicious shadow on the other side of the island, and drags Kyon along to check it out.
As they walk along the cliffside, however, a portion of rock breaks off and Haruhi begins to fall. Kyon, holding her hand, loses his balance as well and falls too. But instead of bracing himself for impact, her grabs Haruhi and shields her with his body, causing him to hit the rocky ground instead of Haruhi.
There is no clearer instance of Kyon being so very protective of someone else. He is actively risking his life so that Haruhi won’t be injured in the fall.
As Haruhi comes to, she begins shaking Kyon rapidly, her face twisted in desperation, saying his name in fervent tones. When he comes to and assures her he’s okay, her face lights up.
They take shelter in a nearby cave, drying themselves off (with a rock separating them, naturally), and Haruhi begins to voice her theory about how Keiichi must have died, but Kyon points out flaws, leading Haruhi to a disturbing realization.
Kyon asks about it, but Haruhi says nothing, and then Itsuki’s voice is heard, and the scene changes.
Later on, Itsuki and Kyon are discussing the incident, and Itsuki reveals what Haruhi discovered but didn’t wish to disclose- that, when Itsuki, Arakawa, and Kyon broke the door down, they accidently drove the knife into Keiichi’s chest (it had stabbed in where his notebook was, and thus hadn’t gone all the way through the first time).
Haruhi was protecting them.
Protecting Kyon.
She tossed aside her idea of becoming a detective to keep him from discovering the truth about what he had done. Of course, this “truth” is not the real truth, and a final twist is revealed, that gives this seemingly dark tale a humorous ending.
Despite the humorous twists to this episode, that dark moment when Haruhi truly thought Kyon had accidentally killed a man shows just how deep her feelings go. She was willing to “bury the truth inside her own heart” for the sake of protecting him.
Afterward, Kyon and Itsuki are talking on deck again. Itsuki asks when Kyon figured everything out- Kyon replied “from the very beginning”, because it was just too weird to have someone murdered on that island, even if it was what Haruhi had been thinking of.
Itsuki’s eyes bore into Kyon, and he airily comments, “You have faith in Suzumiya-san.” Faith in the idea that Haruhi would never truly wish for someone else’s death.
Kyon doesn’t reply.
The next episode shifts six months after the start of the series, making it the final episode chronologically. The SOS Brigade, sans Haruhi, are relaxing in the clubroom. Kyon comments that it’s nice and quiet without Haruhi.
Maybe even too quiet.
The next thing he realizes, much to his surprise, is that it’s been six months since he met everyone. It’s a small reminder that Kyon, for all his complaints and disbelief, has grown accustomed to life with the SOS Brigade and with Haruhi.
Things change as Haruhi bursts in, happily clamoring about a new heater she’s managed to acquire, and demands that Kyon go out and get it.
Of course, it’s cold and looks like it’ll rain soon, so Kyon protests, but eventually relents, since it’s not nearly as outrageous as anything else she’s forced him to do.
As he gets up, though, Mikuru offers to go with him, an offer Haruhi shoots down. Mikuru pauses for a moment, before grabbing a scarf and tying it around Kyon’s neck. Kyon, surprised, smiles at her.
And then Haruhi cuts in, her face twisted in anger, ordering him to “hurry up!”
Jealous, much?
For awhile, the episode is fairly listless, until Kyon returns to the clubroom with their new heater, only to find the room deserted, save for Yuki. Kyon plugs the heater in, and lays his head down on the table, promptly falls asleep.
When he awakes, he discovers Haruhi’s shadow standing over him. Haruhi immediately backs off, and looks as though she’s been caught doing something improper- and considering what Haruhi has done in the past, she really shouldn’t look like that.
After a bit of defensiveness on Haruhi’s part, she demands her cardigan back. Kyon blinks, and then realizes that he has two cardigans lying on his shoulders- one is Haruhi’s, the other is probably Yuki’s.
Now, it’s interesting enough that the silent, passive Yuki left some comfort for Kyon, but what’s even more interesting (for this manifesto, anyway) is the fact that Haruhi added her own cardigan. He doesn’t really need the extra warmth- after all, he did just drag a heater up the hill to their school.
But Haruhi wanted to offer some comfort, so she did.
After that, Kyon complains that he has no umbrella to shield himself from the rain.
“One should be enough.” Haruhi responds, and in contrary to her normal behavior, is looking away from Kyon, almost bashfully.
So they go off, standing side by side, sharing an umbrella, looking very much like a couple, even arguing like one, albeit quite mildly. Then, in a rush, Haruhi steals the umbrella.
Kyon groans, commenting that he already got her heater for her, and without thanks. But then, contrary to his grumbling tones, he smiles. And Haruhi turns then, and smiles back brightly.
And then they rewind time again. Remember the SOS Brigade outing, and Haruhi’s subsequent absence from the clubroom the next day?
That’s where the story picks up again, and opens with Kyon entering the classroom, and finding a rather laconic Haruhi in her seat. He questions her about her absence, and gets a gruff response.
Kyon decides then to try and convince her that she should give up her obsession with the abnormal and learn to enjoy life like a normal high school girl. When she asks how to do that, Kyon responds that she should find a nice guy and walk around the city with him.
Her response in an unusual rant that gives an interesting insight into Haruhi’s psyche.
Haruhi: “Men are worthless. Feelings of love are just a temporary lapse in judgement. Like a kind of mental illness. Even I... get in the mood for that stuff every now and then. I am a healthy young girl, after all. My body has its urges.”
Why was it necessary for her to talk about that? Why did she say that even she can “get in the mood for that stuff every now and then”? And right after the SOS Brigade had its first outing in the city?
It’s open for interpretation, and here’s mine. I believe that Haruhi felt unusually inclined for a romantic outing, and the fact that she was unable to be paired with Kyon on Saturday caused her to become bitter about said feelings.
Kyon comments that it’s the first time he’s seen her so defeated, and that he finds her defeated face kind of cute.
What’s more, the class representative, Ryoko Asakura, offers this-
“Perhaps Suzumiya-san is feeling lovesick?”
Haruhi bounces back soon enough, but not before Kyon’s life is put in danger. After that, Kyon is requested out of the clubroom by a future (well, even farther in the future) version of Mikuru. When he returns to the classroom, Haruhi seems almost irrationally upset that he was absent, stating that “I waited to eat since I thought you’d be back soon!”
Kyon makes a snide joke, and in response, Haruhi drags him out of the room to go an investigate another mystery.
The next episode is all about the SOS Brigade playing the Computer Research Society in a game than it does on Haruhi and Kyon, but they make a point to bring up two moments for the two.
The first being, Kyon demanding that Itsuki, Yuki, and Mikuru do not rely on their abnormal abilities to help them win at the game. When Itsuki responds that, if they lose, Haruhi might lose control and end up destroying the world, Kyon replies “I don’t care”.
Itsuki smiles then, and begins a rambling talk about “the invisible bond of trust” between Kyon and Haruhi. He has faith in her control, Itsuki comments, and Haruhi has faith in Kyon to lead them to victory in the game.
Kyon says nothing again, neither denying nor confirming this. Then, during the game, Haruhi is raving about wanting to charge head on in- however, if the club leader is defeated, that side loses immediately, and Kyon argues with her against it.
Instead of arguing back, Haruhi pauses, and defers to his judgement.
A small, but sure sign of trust between the two.
The next episode is much more Haruhi/Kyon focused, though it might not appear to be. The school is having a cultural festival (where the movie from the first episode is being played), and Kyon is merely wandering around. Haruhi isn’t even seen for more than few seconds until halfway through the episode.
But when she appears, Kyon is utterly shocked. She’s up on stage, carrying a guitar, and flanked by Yuki and two other girls who he doesn’t know.
Before he can think, she starts to play her song. And he is blown away. (By the way, if you'd like to watch/hear the song, I've found a clip of this scene in its entirety)
In the aftermath, Kyon gets the story behind Haruhi’s unexpected appearance on stage, about how she offered to help a band which was down two members and desperately wanted to play their songs. As if by magic, the band members appear, thanking Haruhi for her efforts. They compliment her skill, and, humorously, offer to give her a free pass to their next concert, along with Kyon, whom they stare at significantly.
Later, when Haruhi disappears from the classroom during lunch, Kyon “randomly” decides to go for a walk.
“To digest”, he says. “Don’t read too much into it”, he says.
Sorry, Kyon, but this is a manifesto, and I’m going to have to.
So let’s look at that. He’s never simply “gone for a walk”. And it just so happens that he walks around and spots Haruhi and approaches her?
Methinks the man doth protest too much. (God, Shakespeare must have rolled in his grave again from that one)
So he comes upon an unusually contemplative Haruhi.
Haruhi: “I kind of wonder if that was really good enough. How should I put it... I started wondering what I’m doing with my life.”
Kyon says nothing, but only glances at the window of the SOS Brigade’s clubhouse. The look is significant- he knows what she’s been doing with her life- making it fun for herself, and (despite everything) fun for him.
But Kyon also understands why Haruhi is in such a funk. He says he doesn’t, but inwardly, these are his thoughts.
Kyon: It’s because... you’re not used to being appreciated by other people.
After a brief bit of light arguing, Haruhi snaps out of her funk and immediately grabs Kyon’s hand, a small, but intimate gesture, taking off toward another adventure.
Then, once again, the series goes back in time. During one point, a shopkeeper tells him “don’t let [Haruhi] get away”, obviously thinking they were a couple. Something about them together has people thinking such things. Next, Haruhi begins talking about why she is the way she is- that she wants to live a unique, interesting life, ever since she realized that she was one person amidst billions of others, a mere drop in a vast ocean. Kyon feels he should say something- but what can he say?
He says “I see”, and hates himself for it.
In the next episode, the final episode, everything comes to a head. Kyon has learned the abnormal identities of his fellow club members, about Haruhi’s power, and is left with just one question.
Why him? Why is he among this group?
The day is fairly normal, save for a rather melancholic Haruhi. At one humorous point, Kyon is glancing through some risque pictures of Mikuru Haruhi had taken (which he had pretended to delete), only to have Mikuru pop in on his shoulder. As he tries to keep her away from seeing what he was looking at, she continues to press against him-
And Haruhi opens the door, none too pleased. After stalking in, she demands that Kyon leave. When he doesn’t, she literally tosses him out, leaving him bewildered.
She never had a problem with changing in front of boys before, after all. Kyon thinks little of it, though, and lets the day pass without doing much.
But when he goes to bed, he wakes up to find Haruhi standing over him, and the two of them trapped within closed space. They wander about, with Haruhi holding him at arm’s length, until they come upon the clubhouse. After a bit of waiting, Haruhi ventures off alone.
Moments later, Itsuki’s form appears, explaining that what they feared has happened- Haruhi has grown tired of the world and wishes to create a new one.
Kyon asks why he’s there, then, and Itsuki seems almost surprised as he answers.
“You have been chosen by Suzumiya-san. The only person from the old world Suzumiya-san truly wished to be with.”
An Adam and Eve scenario.
There has never been a clearer portrait of Haruhi’s feelings. She wants him around for more than just adventures- she wants him with her, now and forever.
The blue monsters within closed space begin demolishing the school, and Haruhi is ecstatic. Kyon, on the other hand, resists, taking Haruhi by the hand and running, speaking as he does so. “I may complain... but I actually liked how my life was.” He tells Haruhi he wants to go back.
Haruhi lets go of his hand, and looks shocked. “Weren’t you fed up with that boring world? Didn’t you want something more interesting to happen?”
Kyon grips her shoulders, staring into her eyes, and assures her that the world was heading in an interesting direction. Haruhi looks unconvinced, and Kyon begins to think. Everyone has their view on what Haruhi is to them (God to Itsuki, for example).
“Then what about me? What does the person Suzumiya Haruhi... mean to me?”
After a bit of rambling on his part (which he admits), he states it clearly.
“Haruhi is Haruhi and nobody else.”
They say that he trusts her, and now we know he accepts her too, unconditionally, for who she really is.
He also says one more thing.
“That ponytail... looked so good it was criminal.” (Remember the scene with Mikuru and the ponytail?)
And with that, and a blue giant towering overhead, he kisses her passionately, and the world snaps back into place, the End averted.
The next morning, as he wonders if it was a dream, he sees a sign.
Haruhi in a ponytail.
He smiles, approaches her, and comments,
“Looks good on you.”
In the final scene, Kyon awaits Haruhi for another SOS outing, only this time, it’s simply the two of them. Kyon comments that he has a number of things he wants to talk to her about, especially aliens, time travelers, and ESP-ers, when they go to the café.
Almost like a date, wouldn’t you say?
Why I Ship Mortals And Gods
To me, Haruhi/Kyon is really what the whole series is about. Haruhi has found something in Kyon- an equal, maybe, or a partner. Whatever she has found in him, it’s obvious she doesn’t want to let that go. He was the first person to truly talk to her in the series, and that formed a bond between them that Haruhi treasures deeply. Every adventure, she wants him to be a part of. She opens up to him in ways that she cannot to anyone else.
Kyon, for his part, keeps a check on Haruhi by managing to discourage or halt a few crazy schemes (he is noted as the only person who can do this), but also holds a deep trust in Haruhi. He’s most likely the less certain of the two in this relationship (his attentions are not always on Haruhi), but at several points, he steps up for her (most notably during the island murder mystery).
The series constantly emphasizes the idea that Kyon has been "chosen" by Haruhi, a recurring theme with this pairing.
I love this pairing, not only for the external reasons (if he makes her unhappy, we all die), but just for the dynamic. Haruhi’s wacky ideas are balanced by Kyon’s straight man demeanor, her melancholic moods can be reversed by Kyon. They don't show their relationship off, but give it away quietly, subtly, and often, when it's simply between the two of them.
In short- they fit together, and that’s what really matters.
Beyond The Series (Fanart, Fanfiction, And Sites)
Because this series if quite new, it's fandom is much less established than most. Still, because of its popularity, the fandom is growing quite rapidly. I'll admit that part of my reason for doing this was to attract people to the fandom.
General Sites
sos_brigade The other major Suzumiya Haruhi LJ comm.
![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kyonharuhi The only Kyon/Haruhi focused LJ community.
SOS - An English site dedicated entirely to the series.
Though not Suzumiya Haruhi focused, if you're curious about this series,anime_downloads has uploaded the series. Simply check the tags or memories to find it.
AniDB's Article about The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, which includes several links to find the fansubbed versions of the series.
The Week Of Suzumiya Haruhi by Angel Kamiya
The Fetishes, Vengeance, And Jealousy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Aya Kaiba
The Library Incident by TheEdwardz
Carrot by Spiked Jin
Fluctuations In Data by Hd Phnz
The Wrong Impression by alextfish
The Melancholy of Kyon by Diamond Avatar
Servitude bykirisaku
The Blunt Force Trauma of Suzumiya Haruhi by Brian Randall, linked to byinklesspen
Eric Adrock has written numerous drabbles that, while not necessarily Kyon/Haruhi, are very good, and deserve mentioning. Besides, the number of fanfics in this fandom is quite small as of now.
And I've written a few myself-
For The Greater Good
Fanart
sos_brigade The other major Suzumiya Haruhi LJ comm.kyonharuhi The only Kyon/Haruhi focused LJ community. SOS - An English site dedicated entirely to the series.
Though not Suzumiya Haruhi focused, if you're curious about this series,
anime_downloads has uploaded the series. Simply check the tags or memories to find it. AniDB's Article about The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, which includes several links to find the fansubbed versions of the series.
Fanfiction
The Week Of Suzumiya Haruhi by Angel Kamiya
The Fetishes, Vengeance, And Jealousy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Aya Kaiba
The Library Incident by TheEdwardz
Carrot by Spiked Jin
Fluctuations In Data by Hd Phnz
The Wrong Impression by alextfish
The Melancholy of Kyon by Diamond Avatar
Servitude by
kirisaku The Blunt Force Trauma of Suzumiya Haruhi by Brian Randall, linked to by
inklesspenEric Adrock has written numerous drabbles that, while not necessarily Kyon/Haruhi, are very good, and deserve mentioning. Besides, the number of fanfics in this fandom is quite small as of now.
And I've written a few myself-
For The Greater Good
Fanart
I was only able to collect a few singular pieces since again, this fandom is new and this pairing's following rather small, but I hope these appeal to you. DeviantArt most likely has some more fanart if you'd like to look.
A Kiss To Awaken The One by ~Ko-Taru
If I Could Change The World by ~kittycatmatt
Ponytail by ~hinan0
http://haruhi.djbouche.net/
http://www.haruhiism.org.uk/
Both of the above links were linked bysoruk Thanks again!
If I Could Change The World by ~kittycatmatt
Ponytail by ~hinan0
Misc.
http://haruhi.djbouche.net/
http://www.haruhiism.org.uk/
Both of the above links were linked by
soruk Thanks again! 
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Date: 2006-10-10 08:26 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-10-10 08:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 12:13 am (UTC)And I think he was bit jealous of Koizumi because Koizumi took his place.no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 03:15 am (UTC)And I agree totally on the jealousy thing.More Fan-art
Date: 2006-10-10 01:00 pm (UTC)Two that are worth checking out are http://haruhi.djbouche.net (http://haruhi.djbouche.net/) and http://www.haruhiism.org.uk (http://www.haruhiism.org.uk/).
There's also been some other fan-works including an impressive English version of "God Knows...", though Chrissii pulled that after someone tried to claim it as their own on 4chan. A shame, but understandable.
Re: More Fan-art
Date: 2006-10-10 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 02:45 pm (UTC)Amazing essay! Going in my memories.
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Date: 2006-10-10 07:25 pm (UTC)Another fanfic
Date: 2006-10-10 04:22 pm (UTC)Re: Another fanfic
Date: 2006-10-10 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 07:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-10 06:08 pm (UTC)Plus, anything that is a part of this fandom has my attention. xD
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Date: 2006-10-11 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 08:58 pm (UTC)http://a.scarywater.net/afk/
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Date: 2006-10-11 10:07 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-10-11 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-13 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-13 07:04 pm (UTC)Enjoy the recs!
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Date: 2006-10-14 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-24 02:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-07 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-26 04:31 pm (UTC)Your take on the Kyon/Haruhi pairing is well put together and has evidence to back it up. I must admit that after wathcing the series, this pairing has become another of my OTP's!
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Date: 2008-08-08 07:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-27 11:03 pm (UTC)Then some unnecessary sh*t.
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Date: 2009-04-18 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 05:07 am (UTC)