surprising-haruhi-sales.jpg

The widely held belief that the Haruhi franchise is a spent force seems to have been shattered by the news that the latest novel in the series, “The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya” (Suzumiya Haruhi no Kyougaku), has sold a record 341,000 copies.

The two-volume novel’s limited edition version went on sale May 25th to a great deal of excitement, as might be expected of the first new Haruhi novel in 4 years.

Oricon in fact reports first week sales of 341,184 copies, over twice the previous best selling light novel’s first week performance:

341,184 – “The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya”
151,194 – “Ore no Imouto 8”
121,410 – “Index 23”
109,643 – “Hanamonogatari”
101,356 – “Infinite Stratos 7”

It should also be noted that earlier reports about the success of the title (reportedly 1 million copies were shipped/printed) fell for the usual press release trick of substituting “inventory shipped to distributors” for “copies sold to consumers.”

Kadokawa in this case was even more sneakily combining inventory for the two volumes (bundled in the limited edition) into one figure to arrive at a more impressive number – not that it really needed to bother considering how impressive actual sales were anyway.

Online there is much surprise at such an unexpectedly strong showing from a series many had thought to be on its way out:

“So they can squeeze some more life out of it still.”

“Amazing. Who says it was done for?”

“Haruhi is restarted… but a new anime is impossible, with the current seiyuu at least.”

“Every bookshop was showing off great piles of it. It didn’t look like it was selling to me.”

“For an industry which calls 10,000+ sales a hit, this is fantastic.”

“All I remember is being recommended this by a friend only to read it and find it is utter trash.”

“It’s still selling. If it gets another anime I hope they change the seiyuu though.”

“For season 3 please change the Haruhi seiyuu!”

“So what the hell was the author doing all those years?”


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    Avatar of AnarchystBR
    Comment by AnarchystBR

    >“All I remember is being recommended this by a friend only to read it and find it is utter trash.”

    Why do the japanese have such bad taste?

    Avatar of shoranhimura
    Comment by shoranhimura
    15:02 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (-0.2)

    the point is : they dont have taste at all sometimes u.u

    Comment by Wisteria Berlitz
    15:08 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    depends on the reader's interest

    Avatar of shoranhimura
    Comment by shoranhimura
    15:28 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (-0.2)

    true, but something that sells a lot cant be really considered bad right? I mean, its not good to some ppl but cant be bad either, right?

    Comment by Anonymous

    "something that sells a lot cant be really considered bad right?"

    false, just look at the infinite stratos anime... it may be fine for an average mindless show, but it is far too popular for how crappy it actually is... lack of plot, lack of character depth, lack of character development, lack of originality, etc... yet people still seem to think highly of it

    point being... "good" and "popular" are not synonymous terms

    Comment by Anonymous

    personally i like Infinite Stratos, lot better than k-on!! (2nd season), denpa onna, Queen's blade, ALL lolified/bishoujo-fied sengoku animes, every gundam after Wing series. But apparently everybody here loves those series.

    Avatar of DoubleX31
    Comment by DoubleX31
    18:21 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol you mean why does that person you're quoting have bad taste?

    Who else do you think bought those 350,000 copies of Haruhi? Importers?

    Avatar of shoranhimura
    Comment by shoranhimura
    15:00 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.4)

    I just Love te 2ch like reaction: if it's trash and they hate it, they bash it! if it's good and thay like it, they bash it anyway!

    Avatar of fxc2
    Comment by fxc2
    15:07 02/06/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    And then wonder why the publishers never listen to them...

    Comment by Anonymous

    why will they bash it if they like it?

    Avatar of DoubleX31
    Comment by DoubleX31

    In this small subset of 2ch comments, only one person seems to hate it.

    The other half just want a different voice actor for Haruhi and the remainder are surprised that it's selling so well.

    I'm actually surprised you're generalizing all of 2ch cause one person hates Haruhi.

    Comment by Wisteria Berlitz
    15:09 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (-0.2)

    I might get it soon,I already have Index23 and Oreimo8

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:14 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.7)

    "widely held belief"

    Where else but Sankaku? The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie was in the top 10 box office list in its first week of relief.

    Avatar of NakkiNyan
    Comment by NakkiNyan
    16:31 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    It was a damn good movie too, I think the story just can't be stretched out into a series very well so it needs a lot of material or a short time span to tell the story... Like that mistake they called season 2.

    Comment by Anonymous
    17:07 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Mistake? I can't even begin express how brilliant EE is combined with Shoushitsu. You had a problem with just 8? Try over 15000.

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:43 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    I want to kill you.

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:28 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    I thought EE was fucking great, too. By the end, I felt legitimately depressed for Nagato. The way they did it was the only way!

    Comment by Anonymous

    why is piece of shit this upvoted

    ----------oh wait I'm on sankaku

    Avatar of AmusementEngineer
    Comment by AmusementEngineer
    15:17 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    “Haruhi is restarted… but a new anime is impossible, with the current seiyuu at least.”
    “It’s still selling. If it gets another anime I hope they change the seiyuu though.”
    “For season 3 please change the Haruhi seiyuu!”

    I chuckled. 2ch reaction is predictable indeed

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:22 02/06/2011 # ! Drivel (-0.7)

    Why oh why, won't this shit end....

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:49 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.4)

    For that reason is that the author made a new novel, because the story never ended

    Avatar of Kamigoroshi
    Comment by Kamigoroshi

    You first need to terminate the brainwashed otaku zombie army who gladly throw out their Yen out of the window for this shit. Only then Haruhi will burn.

    Avatar of Satu
    Comment by Satu
    15:24 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    now it'll be decades until it comes out translated in english.

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:41 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    baka translations

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:42 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    read and then buy

    Avatar of Godot
    Comment by Godot
    15:30 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Great! Somebody start with the translation already.

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:32 02/06/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    So much hate for Haruhi's Seiyuu.. It wouldn't be the same without Aya...

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    15:49 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Precisely... these people really are starting to annoy me. I'm going to assume generally that these selected quotes are just a few, and assume that in general, Aya's actual skills are recognized as different than her as a person.

    I don't know who else could do Haruhi as well as Aya did, and plus, how exactly did anything Aya do affect Haruhi in any way? The problem is, if this is how these idiots think, in theory anime creators will end up listening and not bring her back, to which I can only hope and pray whomever they do get, if it's not Aya, is a wonderful and great voice actress.

    Avatar of Shippoyasha
    Comment by Shippoyasha
    16:45 02/06/2011 # ! Quality (+0.8)

    All the hate actually makes me root for her that much more. XD

    Avatar of Oyashiro-Chama
    Comment by Oyashiro-Chama
    17:08 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.4)

    hate really makes the world go round, if it weren't for hate we wouldn't have space shuttles or even computers for at least another 30 years.

    Comment by Wisteria Berlitz
    17:59 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    @Shippoyasha,same
    @Oyashiro-Chama,curious here...mind explaining?

    Comment by Anonymous
    18:00 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Sooo... Thanks URSS and thanks USA? Is that the point?

    Avatar of Gitami
    Comment by Gitami
    18:44 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Yes, we learned MAD from them, redefining genocide from Hitler, efficient national organization of factory production and logistic from the kaiser, biological warfare from British blankets.

    Comment by Anonymous
    18:49 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    competition but not hate makes us grow. in this case, there really isn't a very valid reason to hate aya for me at least. i mean she's still a decent seiyuu to me, i couldn't care less what she does with her private life.

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    05:09 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Only teenagers believe it's hate that runs the world, because they lack perspective. Anon 18:49 is actually correct, that competition is what truly causes growth and advancement. You see something you wish to do and aspire to surpass it. The human ego is separated by a very fine line between itself and that which gives us confidence. Many people incorrectly believe they are the same, but the closest analogy is that they are two sides of the same coin, and even that isn't quite correct. To be confident is not to be arrogant, except there are those who lack self esteem who will perceive confidence as arrogance.

    One example is Donald Trump. He said "I am a success. I am a successful person." and people perceived that as arrogant. Why? He is a successful person, and he's successful because he won't let anybody not LET him be successful, he will overcome anything in his way. Not only did he succeed once, but then lost his money and earned it back again with interest.

    Wanting to be as good as someone you admire can manifest as jealousy, which is based on ego. And that can lead of course to blaming or hating the source if the person doesn't maintain their focus on themselves. When people judge themselves based on others is when hate enters the fray. If they judge themselves based on their own actions and desires, then they take full responsibility for any of their mistakes.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:18 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    people should listen to this guy

    Avatar of Mr.Demon
    Comment by Mr.Demon
    00:53 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yeah... is like hating the haters...XD

    Avatar of RoxbiT
    Comment by RoxbiT
    17:18 02/06/2011 # ! Drivel (-1.0)

    She deserve it though.

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    18:40 02/06/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    I have to hear this... why? What EXACTLY did she do to deserve this and how do you justify that? Some idiots will say that to ask this is to be a mindless fan, defending her, which I find ironic. Because it's the mindless who think that a person deserves mindlessness in return by saying things like "She deserves it though" when all she did was become someone that people loved, and then became something that violated their expectations by being something unforgivable: human.

    And don't use Sankaku as a reason. Artefact's affection for Aya has peppered everyone here with a completely incorrect perception. Anyone who would read Japanese news here would think they're nothing but otaku, natural disasters, cosplayers and Aya...

    Comment by Anonymous
    00:24 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    This comment is full of win *(^_^)*

    Comment by Wisteria Berlitz
    01:30 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    HouseLife,your comments are filled with knowledge

    Comment by Anonymous
    17:30 02/06/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    Aya is like chocolate. You know it's bad for you but you just can't resist.

    Avatar of Kaarme
    Comment by Kaarme
    17:41 02/06/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    You are insulting chocolate.

    Not that I'd have anything against Aya either. I don't give a damn about the other bs going on around her as long as she does her voice acting properly.

    Avatar of Shima-kun989
    Comment by Shima-kun989
    18:26 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    true true, in the end the 3d person is irrelevant, what matters is the 2d person voiced by her

    Comment by Anonymous
    22:51 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    i hate hirano aya but she is the ONLY voice for haruhi if there is another season it has tto be her and is her only way of redemption

    Avatar of obro
    Comment by obro
    22:39 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    chocolate is bad????

    Avatar of Ota-Kool
    Comment by Ota-Kool

    So why change the seiryu? Is it because of her unacceptable antic?

    Avatar of Gitami
    Comment by Gitami
    18:46 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    She need to return to her roots, she can make fans love her again.

    Comment by Anonymous
    18:53 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.4)

    agreed!! wouldn't be haruhi without aya's voice!
    now imagine if kugimiya rie would fill in...

    Comment by Wisteria Berlitz
    19:06 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Kugimiya Rie can dub in the non-tsundere voice too,but just doesn't fit

    Comment by Anonymous
    03:36 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Doesn't matter since Haruhi is tsundere as well.

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    05:16 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Anon 3:36

    I deny this statement. I don't believe Haruhi has ever spoken with the 'double-start,' which is the identifying factor of the default tsundere.

    "B-Baka! I-It's not like I like you or anything!"

    It's one reason I like Haruhi so much. She's represented wonderfully as what "tsundere" in reality is really like: a girl who doesn't know how to express her feelings in every instance, but also may not even understand that she HAS such feelings, yet that doesn't mean she's constantly contrary to what she wants.

    Comment by Anonymous
    12:06 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    She may not fit Kugimiya's standard but she's still tsundere. And that's the whole point, isn't it?

    Comment by Anonymous

    Try imagine someone else.. like Tomatsu Haruka.
    Her voice can fit in & she can sing too.

    Comment by Anonymous
    19:22 02/06/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.4)

    I don't really get what's the big deal with what the seiyuu does on her free time anyways, she's still a good voice actor. Even if she is a complete attention whore otherwise... I don't really want them to change her, can't really think Haruhi with another voice, or Konata for that matter.

    Comment by Anonymous
    20:20 02/06/2011 # ! Drivel (-0.8)

    Fuck that bitch lol

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:54 03/06/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Actually, I think nayuta (from niconicodouga?) could do a pretty good job of voicing Haruhi.

    But yeah, they should really keep Aya. It's awkward when shows change voice actors like that.





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