Reflections appear a lot in this movie.

There is finally a Blu-ray release for The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. As I said earlier, this is an amazing movie. After watching it again, I must say I do enjoy it more than Summer Wars, more than Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works, easily more than Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 1st, and even more than both of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies that have been released thus far.

It can't be that cold, Kyon. It's not even below freezing.

So what new insights and benefits can one derive from re-watching The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya via a high definition release compared to an amateur cam rip (besides the plainly obvious)? Well, for one thing, it is much more apparent how warm all of the scenes with Disappearance Nagato Yuki are. Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu is very much a winter movie, with a mostly gray palette and bitterly cold scenes. In contrast, Nagato appears to fill the clubroom with warmth. Likewise, although her apartment is spartan—almost barren—it radiates with a glow that one does not typically associate with the quiet and unassuming Nagato.

I gotta say, that is one awesome apartment.

Additionally, it's much more apparent now when Kyon sees himself reflected in Yuki's eyes. I've claimed before that this is very much her movie. I amend that statement now to say it is very much their movie. Without revealing too much about the plot or the movie's secrets, Shoushitsu gives us a privileged look into the mind of a girl we thought we knew—one we've perhaps taken for granted because she has been so reliable. In so doing, the motion Yuki makes with her arm towards the end of the film, when she is doing something almost indistinguishable from magic, seems to both beckon while at the same time waving farewell—an appropriate gesture she arguably makes to herself, to Kyon, and to us.

Chihara Minori sure knows how to make an entrance.

I've finally gotten around to checking out these Animelo concert videos I've heard so much about. Most of it is about what I expected, including performances by a number of singers I suspect were lip syncing. However, I also discovered Chihara Minori; I previously only knew her from Yuki Nagato fame and that one water bottle incident.

Ali Project is so weird.

Chihara Minori followed Ali Project on the first day of Animelo 2009. Ali Project was vintage Ali Project. I.e. SO WEIRD. I've heard Ali Project's music described as atonal warbling. I guess that's accurate. I, for one, enjoy songs by Ali Project, but they're so strange. I can see how many people might only tolerate Ali Project. The Animelo 2009 audience was interested, but I can't say they were enthusiastic.

Chihara Minori at full boost.

But then Chihara Minori strutted out in her space disco outfit with titanium fuck-me boots channeling the ghost of Olivia Newton-John (don't ask) and positively blew the roof off the dump. THIS is Yuki Nagato? You've got to be kidding me! Chihara Minori was awesome at Animelo 2009, electrifying the crowd out of its lull. I think she was even better than Banana Mizuki who was awesome herself. Chihara Minori's contrast with her Yuki persona could not have been greater. I also didn't know she sang the Ga-Rei Zero OP. "Paradise Lost" rules.

Planet doesn't seem to play nice all the time. Wakusei was down for a while due to an irregularity in one of the feeds. Deleting the cache fixed the problem, but I'd prefer this thing not require so much hand-holding.

I also re-added the blog of Chihara Minori (Nagato Yuki's voice actress) since her RSS 1.0 feed doesn't seem to have the same issue that her Atom 0.3 feed did. (Every single post kept reappeararing as new every day.)

In other news, it appears Hirano Aya is back to posting a lot. A lot a lot.