Hooray for fourth wall breaking!
Creative Staff:
Original Story: Nagaru Tanigawa
Manga: PUYO
Character Design: Noizi Ito
Translation: ZephyrRz
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
What They Say:
Huzzah! There are now ten volumes of Haruhi gags!
Between the SOS Brigade, the Sasaki Brigade, the Nagato household, and the members of the Agency, the tenth volume of the comedic misadventures of Haruhi and friends is more crowded than ever. Between dream interpretation, high school hijinks, and popularity contests, it’s everything you would expect from Haruhi–and less, and more, and–well, you know. Long live Haruhi!
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Yes, the Haruhi-chan series is still chuggin’ along with a tenth volume of cutesy-wutesy slice-of-life dealings. Or at least that’s the kind of content you’d expect by this point.
Now entering the double-digits volume-wise, you’d think ideas and concepts would begin to run stale, but oddly enough, and in typical Haruhi fashion, things aren’t always what you anticipate them to be. Checking between volumes 9 and 10, there is a noticeable change in PUYO’s art style, going for a more detailed approach in comparison to the more overly-simplified style that made up the majority of last volume. Besides detailed backgrounds and shading, panels are filled to the brim with screentones to accompany the more on-model characters, making for a nicer read all around.
That’s not to say that the style doesn’t match the series’ goofier tone, however. Stories have become an interesting balance between the mundane and the wacky, and even ethereal, as chapters cover topics ranging from Kyon at a Sasaki Brigade meeting, to the human interfaces adjusting to the winter weather. Certain chapters feels like they could have been lifted from the main Haruhi storyline, fitting perfectly in style and tone, while others are clearly one-offs, like the more experimental silent chapter, with the humanoid interfaces in a storybook-style setting. The overall tone of silly and slice-of-life is still there, but PUYO has done a good job of establishing the atmosphere for scenes as well as the punchlines for them, making sure that one never overshadows the other.
The vibe from earlier volumes hasn’t been abandoned altogether, either. Chapters involving Kyon’s strange dreams about the SOS and Sasaki brigade are as lighthearted and ridiculous as you’d expect, and there are plenty of in-jokes harping on Koizumi’s otherwise serious-business Agency members as well as Nagato’s surprisingly cold-blooded feelings towards being stuck in the fan-loathed arc that was Endless 8.
Overall, a good batch of pleasantly formulaic, and fresh, for this series’ tenth volume.
In Summary:
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan volume 10 is a noticeable step up from its previous volume both in terms of art as well as stories. Chapters feel more varied, as author PUYO begins to deviate from the standard cutesy slice-of-life style in favor of something slightly more refined, with stories ranging from silent and atmospheric, to something I’d actually expect to be within the main Haruhi storyline itself.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: December 15, 2015
MSRP: $13.00
