Now that the second season has really started with this episode, we have been able to obtain a broader idea on what KyoAni has in store for us. Putting aside the complaints fans have about his episode after reading the novel, let us observe Haruhi's interesting behaviour in this episode. What are we interested in? Well, let us put aside the fact that this is anime and that KyoAni has also taken the hint, I have observed that Haruhi has been displaying subtle hints off affection towards Kyon. (not that its a big surprise)

Haruhi's telling Mikuru to get on Itsuki's bike seemed to be less of an organized split up and more of her jealousy of Mikuru's ability to steal Kyon's attention. All of us have noticed that Kyon always enjoys Mikuru's presence, and more than ever, in the baseball episode, Kyon continued to stand up for Mikuru against Haruhi. It would be a wonder if Haruhi didn't get completely outraged and bothered by it. Thus, crowding with Nagato on Kyon's bike is the best way to kill these two birds with one stone. Get Mikuru out of the way and get an excuse to get close to Kyon. Well, because Nagato's there, she can't help but hang closer to Kyon can she?

Ok let's take a break from our heavy thinking and enjoy the sight of 3 moeblobs jumping into the pool right in front of the "No diving" sign.

Kyon, as usual continues to be irritated by Haruhi's antics. His attitude towards life is like that of an old man's for some reason.

Back to topic, going to the pool is usually a surefire way to get the attention of a boy, and with Haruhi's figure and two-piece bikini, this task is made all the more easier.

You only find these curves on girls who take to the olympics. Anime characters truly are always blessed with some of the best bodies people can ever dream of. Of course, Haruhi probably knows this better than everyone.

"They'll listen to anything I say, so if you have anything just go to them!"

Haruhi continues to play "come on, stare at me already! Don't tell me you don't like the looks of me in a bikini?". Haruhi... you continue to do things that annoys Kyon the most. Such as asserting your position as brigade leader.

Of course, Haruhi's not about to give up yet. She'll continue to make sure she sees Kyon for the rest of the two weeks of summer. So she lined up all her huge brain could pour out. Needless to say, this list was destined to get bigger.

Summer group outing
Pool
O-bon dance
Fireworks festival
Part time work
Batting practice
Insect hunt
Courage test
Fishing
Beach Volley Ball
Stargazing

Haruhi, clearly angry over the fact that Kyon is never early for the brigade meetings so she can be alone with him, continues to punish Kyon financially until he gets it in his head to come early. (yes 15 mins early is clearly not enough)

Next up is another chance to grab attention. Buying Yukatas! If you don't like the bikinis and swimsuits then you're probably the conservative type. You might like some Yukatas then! One cannot help but think she's just completely fueled by trying to gain Kyon's attention when going into overdrive this summer.

Let us put aside our thoughts again to absorb and savour this miraculously beautiful summer scenery. Mikuru looks like she was just adorned by Tokugawa Ieyasu as her front woman before he goes to meet the arriving Jesuits to show off Japanese superiority over the dirty white barbarians. Nagato is wearing a man's Yukata (though I must say she looks pretty damn good in it omnomnom.) Haruhi is well, her colours are probably just meant to stand out for Kyon to notice.

"I did this when I was young,
it was a faded memory,
I put on a mask on my head and went
ULTRAMAN ULTRAMAN SEVEN"

Ok, back to topic. Did anyone notice? Haruhi took this chance to push Kyon (and not Itsuki) to go to another stall. She was definitely thinking "omg I get an excuse to touch Kyon! I must do it now before I lose the excuse" and goes "Of course! move it!" *pushes Kyon*

"Hehe Kyon look at me! I'm so smart!" I what Haruhi was saying while radiating with the brightness of a thousand suns. Haruhi is obviously enjoying this and being oblivious to other brigade members.

"Kyon here's a little treat for you from me ♡". She doesn't even make the effort to share with anyone else.

Let us once again rest our minds and savour the image of a foreigner enjoying a popular Japanese customary pastime.

Let us also observe that Kyon thinks he's a VF-25 on wheels.

FIRE ALL MISSILES! THE VAJRA MUST DIE!

3 seconds to impact.

2...

1...

=D TAMAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I'm sure some incoming data lifeforms have died from this.

Someone tell me what that snakey thingy is anyway. Is it really a firework?

Next up was the insect hunt. Haruhi, being all head over heels over Kyon, starts to think about cooking for him and wonders if he likes tempura, making Kyon wonder if she actually wants to eat cicada tempura. Of course, Haruhi quickly shrugs it off and goes of to catch insects.

"I'll show you what a good wife I can be! Look at my ability to catch insects!" Nothing like a bit of capability to secure any type of food in case we are threatened with starvation.

Of course, let us offer our "awwwww"s and our "owwwwww"s to Mikuru who's having trouble controlling her own feet.

Let alone trying to catch cicadas.

"Wahahaha. Look Kyon, I could fill the table with dinner when there's nothing but cicadas left to eat! But since that's not the case, we must release them lest they come upon us with the plague."

"Kyon, since you failed to take all my hints I'm going to punish you properly. No one's going to give you attention now. From today onwards, we SOS brigade are a family of frogs, and you Kyon, are the TOAD".

Of course, the punishment is indeed effective.

Except that Kyon has no idea that its punishment, nor why.

"Today I'm going to show you how good I am at batting. Kyon. Make sure you stare long and hard at me, and see how well I can bat and feel attracted to me. Wahahaha"

"Look at the awesome fireworks above the skyline of Kyoto! Owww Kyon how I wish it was just the two of us."

Let us once again put aside our thoughts and just relax and savour the sight of a foreigner staring at wonder at the many things Asia has to offer.

"Kyon! Look properly at my awesome and l33t fishing skillz! If you can cast your line far enough, you should put your hook in the center of the river! That's where all the fish are!" Its actually the opposite. "Do you like fish, Kyon? I'll catch lots for you if you want! What a good wife I would make! Even Suzu would cringe in embarrassment upon realizing my skills!"

You fail, Haruhi. How the hell did you manage to swing your rod so hard that the worm fell off its hook? And to make it worse, it fell on the very place that would corrupt Mikuru's innocence and beauty, and cause her to scream in terror and fear at the thought of being defiled by such a nasty creature.

"Kyon, look at my incredible bravery. I am not afraid of the dark! So you have nothing to worry about if you come home late! See, even the ghosts and zombies pose no threat to me!" Though, its not like ghosts can do anything to harm people or dead people would suddenly rise out of their grave to correct their name on the gravestone.

"Unlike this girl to whom you always pay attention to, she would cry upon the thought of the world ghost. See? Girls like this would only apply a heavy hand to enforce a curfew upon you, if only for the sake of their sense of security. That's not what you want, Kyon."

... The detective looks like someone very familiar.

"Kyon, we're teenagers right? You're supposed to slowly steal a look at me when everyone else is asleep and shyly touch my hand on the armrest! Instead, you fell asleep with everyone else. You're boring. Kyon." There's a reason why there's only you guys in the cinema you know.

"Be happy Kyon! I'll give you another chance to stare at me in my swimsuit. Not everyone gets this incredible opportunity. As a bonus, I'll even show you my belly button! Something the other two girls don't even the have the guts to do."

"Look at me Kyon! I got another strike! You must be admiring me so... Imagine if this was the world bowling championships, I'd so pull you on to TV when I win and put a victory sign at the camera! Isn't it great to have me around, Kyon?" Lookie. Itsuki is having trouble with the ball. Very uncharacteristic of him.

Observe the 3rd line. That's Nagato's line. This is what I'd like to say to her if I was there. "Nagato, I think you're doing it on purpose."

"Kyon look at my Ranka pose! And stop staring at Mikuru! Unlike that useless moeblob, I would be able to inflame the passions of a thousand SMS reservists and protect all of us from all the most vicious aliens simply by singing!"

"ITEZA GOGO KUJI DON'T BE LATE"

"Kyon... I'm tired... let me lean on you please..."

"Does anyone else have any ideas?"

"Looks like I've run out of chances to go out with Kyon. This is so silly, why do I keep having to bring the brigade along just to get Kyon out? They are just getting in the way! And to top it off, I can't believe we don't have more summer activities than what we just listed here. This is outrageous! I just blew all my allowance this summer again. Humans should invent more pastimes that don't need money!"

"Someone please come up with an idea... I'm begging you. Isn't there anything left? There's gotta be something right?"

"Kyon you'd better get used to paying for me now. And this is punishment for not coming up with anymore ideas. You should be ashamed of yourself for not being able to think up more things that we can do during this summer. Now I can't believe we're going to waste the rest of our summer lazing around." There's only one day left... >.>

Seemingly dissatisfied, Haruhi walks off with the rest of the brigade.

And I feel worried for Kyon's procrastinating tendencies. Though I'm not a lot better. So now I think most of you are pretty convinced that Haruhi is indeed looking for fun, but not the kind of fun she says she's interested in. She says she wants to meet aliens, espers and time travellers, but the reality is that she's head over heels for the most normal of normal human beings.

On a side note, This story just ends like this, and it seems like KyoAni just chose to instead turn what would be an epic of Kyon trying solve a problematic problem into a moe fanservice episode. Those of you who are more well informed will realize that the chapter in the Suzumiya Haruhi series of books is called "Endless Eight" for a good reason. Perhaps the next few episodes will fill us in?

written by astrobunny \\ baseball, beach, bowling, cicada, endless eight, fanservice, fishing, haruhi, imouto, itsuki, kyon, love, mikuru, mizugi, nagato, obon, second season