haruhi suzumiya in 9/3 newsweek

Quoting the September 3rd issue of Newsweek, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, has become a national phenomenon, thanks to more than 2,000 related clips, including parodies, now available on Youtube.” (I’m pretty damn sure Haruhi isn’t popular because of YouTube, but I disgress.) Appendix: found a scan. They didn’t go bunny girl!?!

22 Responses to “haruhi suzumiya in 9/3 newsweek”

  1. The SOS Dan is one step closer to ruling the world!!

  2. Oh Haruhi. I figure that she’s got a month before Japan forgets her completely and goes batshit over Kanon, even if the US doesn’t follow suit.

  3. Today MSNBC tommorow the BBC! Still the article hints at that the Japanese are going to launch a crackdown. Of all the idiotry this has biggest even if youtube does go something else will just rise from the ashes. They could simply put up more high quality clips, but it seems they think their sabers are sharp again…cadidiots.

    Crossing national borders for a copyright dispute won’t be easy let alone cheap. I hope the Nine from IBM can be called upon to defend youtube if need be. Still as in all good things recognition is slow in coming.

  4. Non-anime watchers usually think that an anime is popular just because of internet exposure, ad campaigns, violence or sex.

    “You are saying it’s popular because is actually GOOD?!!! No, that can’t be…”

    Oh, well…

  5. >>>(I’m pretty damn sure Haruhi isn’t popular because of YouTube, but I disgress.)

    Blame Kyoto Animation for its awsomeness. ^^

  6. Haruhi is NOT a national phenomenom. It is a cult favorite that caters and appeals mainly to the otaku fanbase. I doubt the average anime viewer could easily get into it.

  7. I can’t believe the article called it a cartoon. A cartoon?! It’s an *anime*. Calling haruhi a cartoon sounds just so degrading. lol.

  8. Knowing Haruhi, she’d probably go batshit crazy over this kind popularity and put clips of The Adventures of Asahino Mikuru on YouTube, much to Kyon’s dismay.

    Wait, they already do that.

    In any case, Newsweek needs to get their reasoning right; like you, I don’t agree that Haruhi’s famous because of YouTube (though it probably helped boost it’s popularity more with all the parodies and such).

  9. “Haruhi is NOT a national phenomenom. It is a cult favorite that caters and appeals mainly to the otaku fanbase. I doubt the average anime viewer could easily get into it.”
    ~~~~ ~~~~
    The DVD sales suggest otherwise.

    From Anime News Service,

    “8-29-06 (6:10PM EDT)—- Haruhi Suzumiya DVD Sales Good

    Kadokawa Entertainment is very impressed with sales of the Haruhi Suzumiya TV animation on DVD. The series is adapted from the number 1 best seller light novel released by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. 1.3 million copies of the novel are now in circulation. The Episode00 disc released in Japan on June 23 moved 70,000 units. DVD 1 followed on July 28 moved 90,000 units and the just released Vol. 2 hit the streets on July 25th. The measuring stick of 10,000+ units sold equals smash hit status. Top Kadokawa staff admit the Haruhi craze is no ordinary phenomenon. Marketing director Mr. Takafumi Ishibashi says DVD sales could exceed 500,000 units across 8 planned volumes if the trend continues. He says Haruhi could become Kadokawa’s big pillar like Bandai’s Gundam series. The radio drama is now being broadcast on CRK radio Kansai 558 at 24:30 every Friday now.”

  10. I can’t believe the article called it a cartoon. A cartoon?! It’s an *anime*. Calling haruhi a cartoon sounds just so degrading. lol.

    It’s the same thing, although “cartoon” implies something you’d watch Saturday mornings when you were ten.

  11. I bet Haruhi’s pulling the strings behind this one.

  12. I like to add to Skane’s comment.

    In korea, Haruhi books made top 100 seller list for couple of weeks around the time episode 4 to 7 aired. It actually was a steady seller even before the anime, though. Also, before that Newsweek article, several prominent Korean newspapers had articles mentioning Haruhi. Although Korea is much smaller compared to Japan or USA, to give an idea, consider it as Haruhi being mentioned in U.S. News and Wall Street Journal, somewhere in page 10 or something like that. That is rather large attention devoted to something that only few thousands in underground knows. Haruhi is an international phenomenon, and, together with Ouran High’s Haruhi, they are changing the anime world.

  13. Yeah, a “cartoon.” Idiots. They are denying themselves some great entertainment — and in SHnY’s case, real art — by continuing to be so ignorant.

    I agree that SHnY is not to the taste of every anime viewer, but in addition to otaku, I believe it should appeal to people who appreciate subtle humor and good dramatic art. If they can get over its being a “cartoon.” Sheesh.

    Actually, this article reminds me of the fact that whenever I know something about an event and then see it reported in the newspaper, the story always has errors in it. So I go on the assumption that every story in any newspaper or magazine contains errors. Depressing.

  14. While Haruhi’s popularity may not be owed to YouTube, the size of its presence there is both symptomatic of and a contributor to the cult-like air of its following.

    The last time I checked, cartoon was the English word for an animated feature. I know a lot of you don’t like the connotations, but please recognize that the word is being properly used.

  15. Great, Yuki is manipulating data again to keep Haruhi from getting too bored. Just let her think that she’s an international phenomenon, and she’ll pipe down for awhile.

    Anyway, it’s a cartoon. I don’t care if that’s what they call it, they call great American animation like Pixar or early Disney cartoons as well, so I don’t really care either way.

    Still, a Haruhi mention in Newsweek? WOW…

  16. I hate to burst your bubbles, but that scanned page on newsweek is tampered, haruhi’s pic was just put there by some poor misguided haruhi fan. The original is on 4chan.

    peace!

  17. Soon will Haruhi reign over the world!

  18. damn if those guys really knew how much pirated crap and stuff was on the internet we would all be doomed….imagine actually having to pay for that stuff *shudders* “im sorry mom i downloaded the complete “(insert anime)” again can i borrow $100″ ugh….thats where this is heading too

  19. Hell-I get 80% of my anime fix off the internet-and I’m sure not gonna pay for it!!

  20. You Sir, are the reason why I bleed buying DVDs…

    Sigh.

  21. It’s not like “Heck Im not gonna pay for the animes I downloaded” but more like “How can I pay for it?”
    First, many great animes never been lincensed or officially translated into English, you have no choice unless you can somehow master Japanese.
    Second, I watch like….to many animes, I do buy lots of animes, but cant afford to buy all of those I watched -> I know this is wrong, most of us know it is wrong, but I’d rather kill myself than forcing myself to not watching anime anymore –> I know it’s wrong but I still do it. Does this make sense? Maybe not.

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