From ANN –
Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Film Announced for 2010
an announcement of a Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film in the spring of 2010.
Ray’s Take: I gotta say, I’ve lost my faith in Haruhism after the stunt KyoAni pulled, especially after the the former director of Haruhi apologized and KyoAni just shook off all responsibilities. Artistic trial is one thing, torture and trolling is another. Fans are people; they’re not slaves to be abused. Wake up, please.
Let’s hope the movie doesn’t repeat any sequence for too long…
I’m looking at this as their shot at redemption. While Endless Eight didn’t bother me as much as other people, I agree it was a bit… long (to say the least).
@ dcbebop – it certainly does take a lot of patience to sit through 8 weeks. I do wish them some success at least because it’d be a shame if the franchise is stuck in a rut because of one big mistake.
“especially after the the former director of Haruhi apologized”
Have you ever thought he apologized intentionally to spite KyoAni for firing him? Because it seem to have worked for you. Don’t believe everything you hear, even if it’s what you like to believe.
@ Vallen Chaos Valiant – direct personal statements need to be fired only after much thinking. I am not stupid and it is rather obvious that this could be an attempt at spite. It’s so obvious that it needs not to be restated again. While not denying that possibility, I see an attempt at unnecessary testing of fans’ patience and a pattern at promising something and breaking the promise and just because you love their efforts doesn’t mean my conclusion is merely what I like to believe and has no merits. After all, your opinion is merely what you like to believe and yet it has merits.
We are aware of the possible ulterior motive involved. It doesn’t change the fact that KyoAni first produced something that might require an apology.
@ moritheil – from almost all indication save the minority opinions, they have done something that requires an apology, spite or no spite. And yes, at the back of our minds, we all knew that an apology could be a spite, even though the footage was not supposed to get out and spread around.
For my money, doing The Disappearance as a feature seems unnecessary, and perhaps even a crude end point to a bizarre marketing campaign. However, if they in fact find a way to make Disappearance work in a manner surpassing expectations, I’ll be willing to let bygones be bygones. While I’m not holding my breath, there’s always space in my heart for projects that make me feel at least something other than indifference (something far too many current series instill in me time and again) , even if it is mild rage.
@wintermuted – I’d love to let bygones be bygones, especially given the winter that the anime industry is in. A creative effort can go wrong and the creative person may refuse to acknowledge it, but it’d be a shame for such a great story to go down as something that ended in disappointment. KyoAni certainly know how to tug heartstrings well.
So now they get to charge in theaters, something that should’ve been free to watch had they not wasted half the season on repeats PLUS they’ll get the eventual DVD revenues… It’s both brilliant and terribly evil. And for that, I hope it flops.
@RP – we don’t know what went on in their meetings and how they decided the marketing. It is almost spiteful to promise things that never come true, especially when it becomes a pattern. That said, with a movie they could do a lot more and create something that may become an anime classic over time. Also, given the plight in the industry, perhaps they felt this was necessary. Then again, it isn’t like their DVD sales is tanking: it just isn’t selling as well as last time.
Yeah, I’m willing to take a leap and say that Disappearance as a story has all the elements to work as the Beautiful Dreamer of its generation if done well enough. Here’s to mild hopes.