The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Company type	Animated film
Industry	Animation, Film
Founded	February 6, 2010 (2010-02-06)
Founder	Kyoto Animation
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Animated film

is a 2010 Japanese animated drama film adapted from the fourth Haruhi Suzumiya light novel authored by Nagaru Tanigawa. The production was handled by Kyoto Animation, with the screenplay written by Fumihiko Shimo, and direction by both Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto. It debuted in Japan on February 6, 2010, followed by DVD and Blu-ray editions released on December 18, 2010.

In North America, the film's distribution rights were acquired by Bandai Entertainment, while Manga Entertainment managed its release in the United Kingdom. With a total duration of 162 minutes, it ranked as the second-longest animated feature at the time of release, only surpassed by Final Yamato.

Plot

Set after the events of the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya television series, the narrative takes place in December. The SOS Brigade, under the leadership of Haruhi Suzumiya, organizes a Christmas nabe gathering. On December 18, Kyon realizes that reality has been altered: Haruhi and Itsuki Koizumi have vanished, Ryoko Asakura has returned, Mikuru Asahina no longer recognizes him, and Yuki Nagato appears as an ordinary human. Kyon remains the sole individual retaining memories of the original timeline.

Inside the SOS Brigade clubroom, Kyon finds a bookmark left by Yuki containing instructions to collect "keys" to activate a program. He accepts a dinner invitation from this altered Yuki, who remembers him due to a prior favor. Through their interaction, Kyon uncovers more details about the changed reality. Asakura cautions him to be wary of Yuki’s emotions.

On December 20, Kyon is informed by Taniguchi that Haruhi is attending a different high school. Employing his alias 'John Smith' from earlier time-travel experiences, Kyon persuades Haruhi to believe his account. Excited by the idea of reforming the SOS Brigade, Haruhi gathers its members—the "keys" necessary for Yuki’s program.

When activated, the program transports Kyon back to Tanabata three years earlier. There, an older Mikuru introduces him to Yuki from that time, who discloses that she had stolen Haruhi’s powers on December 18 to eliminate supernatural entities and rewrite reality due to accumulating errors caused by monitoring Haruhi. Yuki provides an uninstall program that must be executed promptly after these changes.

Returning to December 18, Kyon attempts to run the uninstall program but is confronted by Ryoko, now acting as Yuki’s protector. Future versions of Yuki, Mikuru, and Kyon come to his aid; he awakens on December 21 in a hospital with reality restored. It is revealed that Kyon had been unconscious since his fall on December 18.

Yuki warns that the Data Integration Thought Entity might terminate her due to inevitable errors leading to dangerous behavior. Kyon threatens to disclose his identity as John Smith to Haruhi, suggesting she could manipulate reality to safeguard extraterrestrials if necessary. On December 24, rather than repeating time travel to save himself from Asakura, Kyon opts to join the Christmas party.

Voice cast

Character	Japanese	English
Haruhi Suzumiya	Aya Hirano	Wendee Lee
Kyon	Tomokazu Sugita	Crispin Freeman
Yuki Nagato	Minori Chihara	Michelle Ruff
Mikuru Asahina	Yuko Goto	Stephanie Sheh
Itsuki Koizumi	Daisuke Ono	Johnny Yong Bosch
Ryoko Asakura	Natsuko Kuwatani	Bridget Hoffman
Tsuruya	Yuki Matsuoka	Kari Wahlgren
Taniguchi	Minoru Shiraishi	Sam Riegel
Kunikida	Megumi Matsumoto	Brianne Siddall
Kyon's little sister	Sayaka Aoki	Kari Wahlgren

Production

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the fourth installment in the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya light novel collection, was originally intended to be adapted as part of the anime's second season. Production commenced at Kyoto Animation in June 2007, initially concentrating on scripting and storyboarding before determining the final episode count, which resulted in seven episodes. However, the project shifted direction toward a feature film adaptation, culminating in a 162-minute movie—ranking as the second-longest animated film at that time. Director Tatsuya Ishihara expressed a desire for a longer runtime but was content with the scenes that were included.

Directors Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto deliberately reduced camera movements to emphasize mood and underscore Kyon’s sense of solitude. Noriko Takao joined the team as a storyboard artist, bringing a feminine viewpoint that influenced character representation, particularly for Yuki Nagato. The storyboards were divided into six segments (A-F), with each director responsible for different portions. Dialogue was meticulously developed to maintain character authenticity.

Significant attention was given to characters Ryoko Asakura and Itsuki Koizumi, portraying them as individuals who "had not been chosen." Koizumi’s voice actor, Daisuke Ono, was guided to express a melancholy akin to a "sad clown." Takao highlighted this emotional theme throughout her storyboarding work, while Haruhi’s limited screen time was designed to feel "sparkling."

Kyoto Animation integrated 3DCG and photographic elements to enrich detailed backgrounds during expansive camera pans, thereby simplifying some traditional hand-drawn animation tasks.

Each storyboard section had an assigned animation director who reviewed the work before submitting it to director Ishihara, chief animation director Futoshi Nishiya, and super chief animation director Shoko Ikeda. Nishiya concentrated on character posing and facial expressions; Ikeda ensured consistency in character design and provided guidance on balancing intricate detail with expressive flexibility. Nishiya found Kyon challenging due to his complex emotional expressions; Ikeda noted that Nagato’s subtle gestures and nuanced emotions required particular care.

To authentically portray Kyon’s emotional progression, voice recordings were conducted sequentially following the story rather than using the typical ensemble recording approach. Sound director Youta Tsuruoka commended Tomokazu Sugita’s performance and remarked on the difficulty of filling such an extensive film with suitable audio.

Author Nagaru Tanigawa actively participated in script development, penned an epilogue exclusive to the film, and wrote the lyrics for the ending theme. Producer Atsushi Itō suggested an a cappella arrangement for the concluding song.

Release

On December 18, 2007, the official website for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime series was replaced by a faux 404 error page featuring five input fields—a reference to a significant date in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, the fourth light novel volume. This story was excluded from the 2009 rebroadcast of the anime, which only adapted episodes from the second, third, and fifth novels. Nevertheless, on October 8, 2009, a 30-second teaser trailer announced that The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya would be released as a feature film on February 6, 2010. A one-minute promotional video followed in December 2009. The film became available on Blu-ray and DVD in both standard and limited editions on December 18, 2010 in Japan.

In North America, distribution rights were acquired by Bandai Entertainment. Screenings with English subtitles began at San Francisco’s Viz Theater on May 21, 2010, followed by showings in Hollywood on June 24, 2010 and screenings in Hawaii through Consolidated Theatres and Artisan Gateway. An English dub co-produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment was issued on DVD and Blu-ray across North America on September 20, 2011. In the United Kingdom, Manga Entertainment released the film on DVD on November 7, 2011; however, plans for a Blu-ray edition were cancelled. Madman Entertainment handled distribution in Australia and New Zealand with DVD and Blu-ray releases on November 16, 2011. The European premiere occurred at Scotland Loves Anime in Edinburgh on October 17, 2010. Additionally, Animax Asia has broadcasted the film.

Music

The film's main theme is performed by Minori Chihara and was released as a single on February 24, 2010. The opening song, "Bōken Desho Desho?", is by Aya Hirano. The original soundtrack, which debuted on January 27, 2010, features compositions by Satoru Kōsaki alongside works from French composer Erik Satie, including Gymnopédies, Gnossiennes, and "Je te veux". This soundtrack was performed by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra and produced under the direction of Kōsaki.

Related media

A spin-off manga created by Puyo, titled , was published in Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace magazine from July 2009 until August 2016. An anime version produced by Satelight was broadcast between April and July 2015. Additionally, a visual novel named was launched on May 12, 2011 by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable platforms, taking place shortly after the film's storyline.

Reception

Upon its release on February 6, 2010, the film screened on 24 theaters throughout Japan, securing a position within the top ten at the box office and generating approximately 200 million yen during its initial week. It received the Best Theatrical Film award at the 2010 Animation Kobe Awards. The Blu-ray edition sold over 77,000 units in its debut week, leading the Oricon sales charts, while the DVD version moved close to 20,000 copies. Minori Chihara earned the Best Singing Award at the fifth annual Seiyu Awards in 2011 for performing the ending theme "Yasashii Bōkyaku."

In Thailand, the widespread flooding in 2011 restricted screenings to a single day at Bangkok's Lido Theatre on November 6; tickets were sold out immediately. After this event, Rose Media & Entertainment—the Thai license holder—held an auction of Haruhi merchandise, including limited edition Blu-rays and DVDs, with all proceeds directed toward flood relief initiatives.

External links

• Official website