The popularity and lasting success of some anime franchises cannot be denied, with modern titles like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen raking in endless profit while setting viewership records with seemingly every new release. Before then, shows like My Hero Academia and Tokyo Ghoul dominated the anime scene during the 2010s. However, there are popular shows, and then there are game changers.
One anime franchise can outsell another without being nearly as impactful on anime culture, or as influential on other artists and creators in the scene. In the 2000s and very early 2010s, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of those game changers. Both in Japan and around the world, Haruhi Suzumiya left a lasting effect on the world of anime and manga, and on the viewers who were captivated by it.
However, nearly two decades on from the series’ premiere, Haruhi doesn’t appear to get the love she used to, nor does the show receive quite as much respect as it deserves for being a pillar of anime fandom. And a new Japanese survey is backing that up, having reported that a large percentage of Gen-Z anime fans know nothing about The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
A New Survey Finds Most Gen-Z Anime Fans in Japan Are Unaware of Haruhi Suzumiya
Past Anime Royalty Is Slowly Being Forgotten
Characters from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Younger anime fans might not be familiar with Haruhiism, but in the 2000s, Haruhi Suzumiya hit the global anime fandom like a freight train. Before fans took to TikTok en masse to share videos of themselves recreating anime dances or scenes, garnering millions of likes in the process, a far smaller community of Western fans posted similar videos of themselves on YouTube, reaching a smaller audience who felt themselves part of a growing, but ultimately niche movement.
In Japan, Haruhi swept through otaku culture all the same, and helped to deliver that culture overseas. In the process, the series influenced countless creators, including Chainsaw Man artist Tatsuki Fujimoto, who credits The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for turning him onto the world of anime and manga. However, despite veteran anime fans often looking back at Haruhi’s reign over anime culture with warm nostalgia, the newer generation of fans haven’t been quite as taken by her.
Crunchyroll · Anime Knowledge Edition The Official Crunchyroll Anime Quiz
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
Binge Complete Your Anime Watch Level
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Are you an anime sensei — or still on episode one?
A recent survey by Trill reports that more than 50% of Gen-Z anime fans claim to have never heard of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, while another 32% are aware of the series but have never seen it. Shockingly, only 14% claim to have watched the show. While it only makes sense that older titles won’t have the same pull with newer audiences, such low numbers for a show that was once anime royalty is jarring.
The survey studied Japanese audiences, but similar findings could be expected of Western audiences as well, considering the lack of discourse about the show in highly populated online discussion spots. The 2006 supernatural slice-of-life series helped to shape anime culture around the world, and it deserves better.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Is Currently Available to Stream on Crunchyroll
Haruhi Suzumiya
Fortunately, newer anime fans who may be unaware of Haruhi can find her rather easily. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and the follow-up 2010 film The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll in North America. Those newer fans may want to dive into the series with as little information as possible, as the series’ contains a stretch of episodes that no unsuspecting viewer could ever possibly see coming.
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Though The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is undeniable anime royalty, the new generation of anime fans is allowing the series to slowly be forgotten, and it deserves much better considering its lasting impact on the industry and culture.
