Aside from what I mentioned earlier, I didn’t notice much that sets this iteration (#15521, which equals over 595 years as Kyon calculates) apart from the others. The brief conversation Kyon has with Yuki was done during the test of courage instead of at the batting center, and Kyon later doodles the number 8 on the completed list – I wonder if that’s a sign of how long this will go. I also thought I saw a few people in the background during the pool scene who resembled other characters from Kyoto Animation shows – specifically Nagisa and Ritsu – but those were distance shots where it’s hard to tell for sure, so it might have just been a coincidence. In any case, this’ll supposedly all end next week on the sixth Endless Eight episode, and while I of course will be watching, I’m not getting my hopes up.

85 Comments

  1. Isn’t it obvious how many times will this be repeated? Obviously, eight times. That’s why the title is Endless Eight ( endless because this, without doubts, is boring ). Why not reinterpreting the sense of the title. The ones living the loop are the fans. I mean the characters repeated it 15521 times. We will repeat it 8 times.
    Makes sense: Endless eight.

    Kils
  2. I’m starting to hope that it ends with Ushio and robo-tomoya bustin in there and saying “We’re tired of this shit.”

    And then they beat KyoAni till they pass out.

    DarkRyter
  3. i just don’t understand why they are even doing this. If you think about it, a regular season of anime is around 26 episodes. This on the other hand is less than 26. Now, 8 episodes out of this is roughly a little less than 1/3 or the entire plot. If this were any other series, it would be complete suicide for the entire series, because it’s 8 episodes with no new plot, no new character development, and no new anything. This can also be thought of as jumping the shark. Everyone bitches about this, and their are people that want it to end, but they completely wasted 8 weeks on this nonsense, and thats 8 weeks they cant use for anything new.

    I’m not bitching, i’m just saying why this arc is completely ridiculous.

    Darma Shoten
  4. Lol, it’s nice to see where loyalties lie with the Suzumiya fanbase xD.

    Yeah, kyoani is taking an unnecessary and weird step with this arc, but I think all their previous work warrants some forgiveness here. What was that saying?

    “You fly hundreds of planes a year without a hitch, but you have one little mid-flight nervous breakdown and suddenly that’s all anyone thinks about.”

    Kuya
  5. I guess they want to make a third season of this keem. I don’t see what’s all the fuss is about. They’re just repeating the same episode countless times. Its still Haruhi we’re talking about. Its still one of the best show out there (which just tell you how much BS is hitting the air nowadays) Now I have to take my foot out of my mouth since I just stuck up for KyoAni. Hell, this episode was so fucked up even Nagisa had to ‘fuzz’ up to see what the hell was going on…which means in the middle of clannad’s crap they repeated 2 weeks 15521 times. That’s unforgiveable. Haruhi needs to spend some time in hell for that. I’ll arrange her trip there shortly.

    Megas
  6. Actually. Now after pondering on this, I finally understand the message. Haruhi’s favourite number is 8. Yes! It’s just japanese people are shy, they tend to complicate things 2 much.

    Kils
  7. The technique thier using is an ingenuis marketing skill. Its like the pokemon series from pokemon red/blue/green to pokemon yellow. What was the difference you went on exactly the same pokemon adventure with the only noticable difference being a pikachu sprite following you around. Yet despite all this Yellow still sold I don’t dont know the numbers but let say thousand’s or maybe even millions of copies.

    S54
  8. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF…
    F this, and F that…
    6 times? F6 that…
    F them all…
    (replace F with ‘FUN’ or whatever word you want)

    I really hope it doesn’t go until 8 eps to really end the ‘Endless Eight’ saga…
    Or I will F KyoAni in their F’ing F holes…
    FFFFFFFFF….

  9. its funny that people complain so much on every single endless eight episode and yet they still watch the episode……..if this was such a bad idea then people would not be watching and the show would be forced off tv or they would stop doing it so obviously people are still watching so stop bitching and deal with it, beacuse your whining is going to do absolutely nothing

    sean
  10. Kyon is writing a infinite symbol?
    Suzumiya rocks! I’m living 1 month with “Endless eight”! eight????? the number?? the symbol???, I will survive this loop, and another and another…cause Haruhi is my alpha, my omega.

    Suzumiya rocks!

  11. “its funny that people complain so much on every single endless eight episode and yet they still watch the episode”.Wrong. People don’t watch it, they complain because this is madness. They complain because they wish this loop had ended some weeks ago.

    Kils
  12. It won’t necessarily go on for eight episodes. The novel short story was also called Endless Eight so obviously the broadcast details didn’t affect the title. As someone else said already, the eight is for the month.

    Shimei
  13. “Kuya at 8:09 pm on July 16th, 2009

    Lol, it’s nice to see where loyalties lie with the Suzumiya fanbase xD.”

    With the real deal… the light novel… maybe?
    At least for me.
    I didn’t even bother to watch after the 2nd episode of this “endless” thing…
    And I’m amazed by all of you who continue to watch this show. It’s like watching the same movie 6 times in a row. Their is no point to do so.

    Franckisted
  14. ““its funny that people complain so much on every single endless eight episode and yet they still watch the episode”.Wrong. People don’t watch it, they complain because this is madness. They complain because they wish this loop had ended some weeks ago.”

    and by golly, we must stand up to it via insults under the cover of usernames and small blog posts.

    In all seriousness, this is pretty clever. Aparently Kyoani/Kadokawa want to really make the audience feel the 595 years. That aside, it’s really redundant unless they are making this lead to an actual 2nd season/3rd or something else. Also, in Kyoani’s defense, the animation team is really solid in terms of adaptations. Most of the complaints that are against them really stems from the material they’re adapting.

    Enthusiast
  15. Everything about this episode was a cut above all of the other episodes. There were lots of nice different scenes in this ep unlike all the previous ones and for some reason the music in this episode seemed ten times better (Lots of nice piano pieces!)

    KyoAni, I have never lost faith in you and this episode surely won’t make me, I LOVE HARUHI!!!!! BRING IT ON ENDLESS EIGHT!!!

  16. i almost fell asleep watching this episode…
    although its still interesting to see the different variations of each loop such as
    the Itsuki in speedos and more of Yuki.

    Tireddd.
  17. @Franckisted

    The thing is Franckisted, and I’m sure it’s true for everyone, is that our lives do not revolve around The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. If someone were in the pitiable situation of having nothing else in their life but Haruhi, then I’d understand the outlash. But people that were such big fans of the series are so willing to kick KyoAni to the curb for this one misdemeanor, especially considering that many of us are watching this show -for free- off of whichever torrenting site. Their unwillingly giving us Haruhi, and we’re telling them to F off.

    I mean, for argument’s sake, what would happen if Kyoani knew what they were doing, and all of this endless 8 business made a full turnaround, and the end of the arc ended so spectacularly that people’s jaws would literally drop (again, suspend belief). What are the people that abandoned Kyoani going to say? Sorry, we didn’t mean it?

    Kuya
  18. “Most of the complaints that are against them really stems from the material they’re adapting.”

    Endless 8 in the Light Novel don’t last for 1 000 pages…
    It’s one chapter, aproximativly 45 pages.
    Not enough material to make… 6-7-8 episodes! One, or one and a half episode is largely enough.

    @ Kuya :

    Well of course our lives are not only for Haruhi. But, is it a reason to let KyoAni make whatever they want?
    We want a good Haruhi anime, we were waiting for the 2nd season and we didn’t complain very much for all the trolling of KyoAni around the second season ( “second season on september, no no no… on march, no no… april… no no june, second season tommorow… no no that was haruhi-chan and tsuru-nyan, second season july… no no that just some endless trolling.” Well at one point, enough is enough and all the “rage” build up for months (years? don’t remember when was the 1st season airing)… will just go out of control. :p ^^
    That’s only normal. 🙂

    KyoAni just adapt Suzumiya Haruhi from the Light Novel, so for those who have already read the original… they will be no surprise at the end of the E8 (anime). Unless KyoAni change the original work.

    But personaly, I don’t really care if their is a WTF-code-geass-end-scene at the end of E8 or not. I mean… airing 6 times ( maybe more) the same (or almost) episode… that’s just ridiculous. (fan or not fan of the anime/manga/L.N. , will it be Suzumiya Haruhi, or Death Note, or XXXHolic or whatever… it will be all the same “stop airing the same thing already”. )
    I just switched to other shows. I mean… summer anime season just begun, so we have tons of other anime to watch. 😀

    Franckisted
  19. “Well of course our lives are not only for Haruhi. But, is it a reason to let KyoAni make whatever they want?”

    I don’t think you “let” KyoAni do what they want.
    They do what they do regardless of what you want.
    In fact, if the rumors are true, they do it because their boss (Kadokawa) is forcing them to do, and they’re at least trying to do a good job of it by redoing the scenes and introducing variations.

    If you really want to complain and make your voice heard, go write them a letter.

    squirrel
  20. “they do it because their boss (Kadokawa)”

    self-kill? suicide? xD

    Well of course they make it regardless of what we told them. But I think that our opinion may play a [minor] role.
    PS: the “we” her refer to the “customers”. ( I mean for the TV cable, or the DVD release or all sort of other merchandise… )
    Imagine that most of the “customers” don’t like something (let say 8 identical episodes ^^ ), surely… they will not do it again in another anime.
    (that just an example, but that’s my point. 🙂 )
    Well, I’m stoping here, no point, like you tell, in “raging” here. *must send letter* Yupe!! 😛

    Franckisted
  21. You know what would be hilarious? If next week there was a new episode, and I don’t mean a closure to this arc, but a completely unrelated one. Not closing this arc after all this trollage would be hilarious.

    Zenzen
  22. We all know that Kyoani has some successful titles under its belt, i.e. Clannad, Air, etc. etc. etc.

    Because of their generally higher levels of animation quality and more often than not stellar presentations of such, I think they’ve earned a break. Yeah it was a super long time since the first season aired, and sure it’s bothersome to hear release dates being pushed back, but like I was saying earlier, this isn’t the focus of our lives xD. I mean, I’ve got a job to look for and classes to prepare for. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is an extravagance. I’m not angry at Kyoani for repeating episodes, I’m angry at San Jose for cockblocking me admission every semester. And even then, Kyoani isn’t entirely repeating episodes! Every following episode adds increasingly larger nuances to the whole thing.

    If all they did was literally replay the same episode every week, then I would be with everyone else for the most part. At the very least, think about how much better a new arc will feel once this one is over.

    Kuya
  23. KyoAni is getting away with it and fans are still watching, but he is a jerk for trolling. There are certainly better ways to create a great anime and repeating the same ep 5x (it will be 6x if they finally finish the loop next week) is not the way to do it. Especially in an anime like Haruhi where it took them 3 years to produce 2 seasons and half of the second season are just repeats of the first season and most of the remaining ep are now going to be one big long f@<ki&g repeat of itself. As for comments about getting to feel how Yuki feels, surely you don’t need 6 x 1/2hour to make a point and I watch Haruhi to be entertain not to get bored and frustrated. Sorry for the rant but I have just watched the last ep and it is either this or smashing the TV into pieces. KyoAni is just making me hate him and Kyon (for not doing anything, the lazy gerk) more everyweek and surely I can’t be the only one to feel this and how can this be good for the Haruhi franchise…We have waited too long for this 2nd season to come out for it to be as lame as this. End the loop already, Haruhi fans deserves better.

    aa
  24. as next episode could be the end of endless as blog entry ‘Loop de loop’ has suggested. Makes me wonder what kyon gonna do to haruhi to break the loop 🙂 hope its 18+ >:)

    brianleung8912
  25. @Kuya

    As much as the “true believers” in KyoAni can go on about how epic the end of this arc will be and how the rest of us “non-believers” will come crying back into the fold, there’s an issue…

    Have you read the light novel?

    ‘Cause unless KyoAni decides to completely screw all canon to the wind and come up with a new Endless Eight ending, you’re going to be greatly disappointed.

    Remember guys: being faithful & being gullible are two VERY different things 😛

    Kobukson
  26. Once more the fandumb over Endless Eight continues….

    I stopped watching this after the second E8 episode. I actually follow it in places like this blog, because it has been more interesting that way, but the repetition of comments and criticisms (from both sides of the fence) are starting to feel like Endless Sheight, itself. I am not immune, as I’ve tended to say the same thing, over and over. What follows is unlikely to be any different.

    In the planning stages, this must have looked like a really interesting idea: to convey the boredom Yuki is feeling through the seemingly mindless repetition by showing that repetition on-screen.

    At the same time, a studio that has been criticised for not giving people the Haruhi second season immediately after the first in 2006 (and giving them Key adaptations, Lucky Star, K-ON and Muntofail instead) has the opportunity to hit back by making the fans understand the full, horrifying reality of being “careful of what you wish for”.

    However, the viewing audience isn’t like Yuki. At all. Whilst Yuki is trapped in the repeating world, the viewing audience isn’t. They can tune out whenever they wish. And they have been. Sure, the die-hards are holding on for dear life, but with E8 running through the arrival of the new anime season, there are so many shiny new shows to take the innately inherent ritalin-munching anime fan attention away from Haruhi that it surely has to be suffering in terms of ratings. Not that that matters much, with so many people watching it online, these days, but still.

    And it certainly wasn’t going to please the KyoAni detractors. KyoAni can now (justifiably) stand up and say “see, we knew we wouldn’t be able to please you, so we’re never returning to Haruhi again”. One feels that they might have even done this to kill off Haruhi for good. Or, at the very least, the demands that they make more.

    *shrug* Whatever happens, now, will happen. I was hoping for a decent Vanishment arc, but that’s looking less likely with each episode, now.

    Mappy
  27. Well….I actually dun mind watching this for 8 times since i already read the novel of this story liao~ XD.Anyway,I Dun think i will give up yet since i will be loyal to my fav. animes(Eden Of The East,FMA,Hikaru No Go,Zero No Tsukaima,Shakugan No Shana,Seto No Hanayome…etc.I will always rewatched them over and over again so i dun think this will be any problem to me~ XD I already did repeated watching an anime (FMA + Movie) for over 10 times.

    So I Gt 1 Sentence For Haruhi : As A Loyal Anime Watcher,Please Continue To Give Us Something Totally Unexpected After Endless Eight & Haruhi Rocks Forever.

    I Hope Fans Who Given Up On This To Please Continue To Watch It Even Though It Will Be Boring For U Guys & Dun Give Up Hope! ^^

    3VABANKA1
  28. Just watched Endless Eight Part 5 (2nd season episode 6). It’s (almost) certain that next week episode will not repeat the same events from previous 5 eps. There are 2 reasons (for me to think so): 1) Kyon’s clock only reached 23:59:59 before screen went to the ending video and 2) This was the only Endless Eight episode directed by Tatsuya Ishihara (Haruhi series director, and also responsible for the two “pivotal” eps in season 1: TMoHS I and TMoHS VI). I bet next ep will start with Kyon calling Haruhi (or viceversa) exactly one second before midnight. I’m sure they have each other’s number on speed dial…

  29. Is it just me, or was the animation quality this time way down on the previous eps apart from a few very good short bits?

    Anyhow, for everyone trumpeting it as ‘eight’ eps I suppose they could always catch everyone off guard with seven. I hope they do, well, actually, I hope the sixth is the last, but then again, we thought the third would be the last too.

    Still, when (or is that now ‘if’) this is all done, I’m sure someone will cut together a side-by-side comparison.

    Blazing Chaos
  30. I was half-watching another episode of Endless Eight. I was half-heartedly cheering for this arc to end. And somehow I got the feeling that Kyon would be hearing from Haruhi soon.

    The phone rings.

    – Kyon-kun, DENWA!

    8
  31. @buh: NO!! THIS… IS… HARUHI!!! *kick*

    J/k haha Sorry I had to do that.

    I don’t mind really but it makes me feel bad for Yuki. She had to go through this 15521 times while we’ve only had it what… five times?

    Either way I can’t wait. I’m not gonna complain too much about it because I’m holding onto the small fleeting feeling I call hope that KyoAni will at least make the ending of the arc worthwhile :]

    ran
  32. I just dont get why they are doing this, especially when they are not following the novel. I mean, I am pretty sure the sales of the DVD’s will drop cuz the there isn’t going to be much value in watching the episodes again.

    Ailesgrise
  33. well i am going to add my share of trolling. kyoani= fail

    But if it ends its a win so wats going to happen is that they will change something in the ep next week and then on the last minute kyon finds a way and we have new footage. And then we have old eps for a while and then new ep sometime in september or something ( not sure when so dont be too mad at me). And also, I totally understand about kyoani getting a break. They have been putting out so many good anime series and u know they might want to chill and relax. And also there is the economic stuff happening so that might add to the equation and also I REALLY hope that all of the trolling ends next week with the maybe finale of the endless eight. It gets tiring to see the same trolling for 6 eps straight. And maybe kyon might stop doing his homework and then the endless eight stops and he might get screwed…

    >.<

    srimongka
  34. From a casual anime watcher’s POV: It’s frustrating to watch the same thing over and over and watch Kyon put any effort into stopping the loop. Poor poor Yuki.

    From a story critic’s POV: I think this is a good technique to make us anticipate the episode in which everything is resolved. The repeated episodes puts on the edge and frustrates us so that when that resolution does come, we can appreciate it much more than if the arc had ended earlier.

    Anona
  35. Did anyone else have really high hopes when it started looping the Haruhi-walking-out scene? I thought for sure he’d actually say something and stop the madness. When he didn’t I looked at how long the episode had to go and raged a little.

    Maldark
  36. ok I get how the director want us to feel bored like nagato

    But I got the lesson the 3rd episode into the arc…

    Why 8? is there really the need to put 8 episodes??
    Is that a important factor??

    From production point of view, this kind of repeatition does not reduce costs.
    From artistic point of view, this does not add as much depth as the follow arcs.

    Fillers that is outside of the original light novel story will bring serious flaming from the otakus. The director had to decide on either to make boring arc, or possibly disastrous fillers. So, IMHO, this is just a clever (or rather dumb) way, to produce high quality fillers.

    Ed
  37. I don’t get why they want to put us through this hell of watching the same thing over and over with slightly different art styles, dialogue and locations.

    Are they trying to make Haruhi shit?

    I really enjoyed the first season but so far this new season has been one of the biggest disappointments. What were they thinking!?!

    Adam
  38. I think the endless eight would have worked well as a four episode arc. Keep the first two episodes the same, nothing was wrong with them. They realized what was going on the second time around, Mikuru figured it out etc. And on the third, they should have had Kyon remembering little things, like Itsuki not having to prompt him to realize that Nagato was the one who remembered all the iterations.

    Also, on the third iteration, have Kyon stop Yuki for longer and say more than just stopping her and going on. Throw all the clues into the second and third and solve it by the fourth with Kyon remembering more each time. I watched the fifth or so episode of the arc where Kyon says he should bring his bike before Haruhi mentions it, and I think that’s what they should have done all along.

    Perhaps during the third or fourth arc at least, Kyon should have woken up ahead of Mikuru’s night time call, or arrived there before she called having acted based upon the previous loop. If they offered some progression, I probably would even want to watch five episodes of it.

    AW

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