Summary
Continuing with the movie filming, Yuki directs the SOS brigade to where they can find stray cats. Haruhi is upset that they couldn’t get a black cat but decides to just go with it. She names the cat Shamisen. According to Haruhi, Shamisen is a talking cat that assumes the role of Yuki’s familiar. When Haruhi dismisses the gang for the day, they are all suprised when Shamisen speaks to Kyon, in a very deep and masculine voice I might add.

Everyone is getting ready for the cultural festival when Tsuruya and Mikuru pop up in Kyon’s class. They hand Kyon a coupon for Mikuru’s soba shop and Tsuruya steps aside. Mikuru, having difficulty conveying her thoughts without sounding hateful, asks Kyon not to trust Koizumi too much. Later, Yuki explains that it is because both of their organizations theories are conflicted with the existence of the other.

Wierd stuff keeps happening, but the filming is completed. All that is left is to edit the video clips and they are done. The problem is, they do not know how to and they only have one night to do so. Both Haruhi and Kyon fall asleep. When they wake up, Kyon is suprised to see that the film editing had been completed by someone.

They then show us what happened in the 2nd SOS outing with only Kyon and Haruhi present. Kyon tells Haruhi everything he knows about the supernatural and about the other three SOS members but Haruhi doesn’t believe him and storms off. She of course, waits for him outside.

Onibaku

Sweet Jesus that was a long summary! What surprised me the most was how much content this one episode had. I have to say, Shamisen was really cute despite the big voice that he had. It kind of makes you wonder if half of his body is made of vocal chords.

I was particularly happy with this episode because it shed a little more light on Mikuru’s theory on Haruhi. Season 1 did give a general description of what her theory was but this time they explained that Haruhi is merely someone who can sense things that were naturally there and that the time travelers are there to stop Haruhi from discovering them. An example would be like someone discovering and describing the laws of physics thousands of years before Isaac Newton did. This would mean Mikuru’s role is to make sure that the natural genius (Haruhi) does not reveal things before they are actually discovered (Mikuru Beam anyone?). Another thing that hit me was the rivalry between Mikuru’s and Koizumi’s firms. I never realized that their firms were in “bloody” battles with each other and other firms.

One other thing that bothered me was when Yuki said “There is no guarantee that what I say is true. At least for you.” What does she mean by that? What this would imply is that what she says to Kyon specifically can or cannot be true. This also means that she could actually be manipulating him through what she tells him. She did say that her job was to only observe, but how can we tell that’s the truth? What if she really is manipulating him by telling him small things like that. My brain hurts, I don’t want to think about it too much. You guys have any thoughts on what she meant? Also, who do you think finished editing the movie?

I rather liked the director this episode. I also liked the animation style and delivery of this episode, especially in the final scene. The final scene shed some light on what happened that day because the anime left it to be desired in the first season. I dunno if it’s just me but I like angry Haruhi so much better than the always smiling Haruhi. Overall, great episode. It’s just too bad that this will be the last new episode. At least, that’s what we think. Who knows, they may suprise us yet again.

Summary
With Tsuruya and company in tow, the SOS brigade starts filming again. As the filming progresses Haruhi puts yet another contact on Mikuru. Yet again, Yuki attacks Mikuru and removes the contact. The contact was not exactly the same as the Mikuru beam but instead, was more of a slicing type of beam. Haruhi then asks for a scene where Mikuru is to get forced into the water by her friends. Bravely or seemingly unwilling to disobey Haruhi, Mikuru agrees. Haruhi now wants to film a love scene with Koizumi and Mikuru. Tsuruya requests to visit her house since it is nearby and it looks like Mikuru will catch a cold. Haruhi asks if they can film there and Tsuruya agrees.

Now inside the Mansion-like house of Tsuruya, the SOS brigade continues filming. Haruhi then directs the kissing scene and asks Koizumi and Mikuru to kiss. They were just about to when Kyon stops them. He noticed that something is not right with Mikuru. He then realized that someone put alcohol in her drink. Tsuruya apologizes and says she was told that her acting would improve. Haruhi then lightly bonks Mikuru with her mini megaphone in order to wake her up. Kyon is not pleased. He begins an arguement with Haruhi that eventually leads to Kyon raising his fist to her but Koizumi stopped him just in time. The next day, rather than being angry, Haruhi seems depressed and Koizumi asks him to make up with Haruhi. Though Kyon does not want to, he goes to Haruhi and says “we are going to make this movie a success”. Haruhi smiles and says “of course”.

Onibaku

Now THAT was a good episode. There were so many story elements that it was hard to take screenies. First of all, the difference between Kyon and the other characters stood out in this episode. Everyone who knows, what Haruhi is seems to be in fear of her. Koizumi shows his fear through his actions, Mikuru agrees to do anything Haruhi wants and even Tsuruya seems to put up a slightly fake smile around Haruhi in Tsuruya’s house. I’m not saying that she knows what Haruhi is, but she does seem a little biased.

In terms of the Kyon-Haruhi pairing, if your into that sort of thing, i’d say this was a golden episode (note there was no opening sequence). Kyon usually makes snappy comments at Haruhi occasionally but for the most part gives in. This episode, Kyon actually had a fight with Haruhi. Personally, i’m a firm believer in the saying “fighting is a sign of closeness” unless of course it is against someone you really hate but that’s another point altogether. Instead of her subconsciousness going wild and destroying things in closed space, she was depressed. She probably knew she did wrong and was thinking about a way to apologize to Kyon. Maybe that’s why they showed a short clip of her holding her hair in a ponytail like what Kyon is into right?

Towards the end, Koizumi had mentioned that Haruhi may have been given the godlike powers by the “god” rather than her being the god herself. My personal theory is that Haruhi is not the god, rather, it is actually Kyon is the “god”. Now if you have read the novel then I will tell you why I think Kyon is the “god”, if not skip this paragraph. SPOILER: There was a girl Kyon was interested in during his middle school days. In the later volumes you may have read that she had Haruhi’s powers at that time. Why is it that it is girl’s that Kyon is close to? Why Kyon? He is the key to the powers, or owner of the powers altogether.

-Sorry if some of the pics are a little blurry, the RAWs have been terrible.