April 3, 2026, marked exactly 20 years since the release of the first episode.
Kadokawa celebrated the 20th anniversary of the "Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" anime by releasing a special anniversary video and a new visual. The video lasts about three minutes and is a condensed retrospective of the series with key scenes and character lines set to the iconic compositions "Bouken Desho Desho?" and "Hare Hare Yukai."
Simultaneously, a new art featuring the seven main characters appeared on the official website. The illustration was prepared by Noizi Ito, the artist of the original light novel series.
In addition, voice actors, including Aya Hirano, Tomokazu Sugita, and Minori Chihara, recorded a congratulatory video, which was also published on Kadokawa's YouTube channel.
"The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" was released in 2006 and quickly became one of the most influential anime of its time. In 2009, a second season was released with a reworked chronology of events. In 2010, the full-length sequel, the film "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya," premiered, which is still considered one of the strongest works of Kyoto Animation.
Despite a long hiatus without new anime projects, the series retains its cult status. The anniversary campaign shows that Kadokawa is in no hurry to forget about the franchise and may be testing audience interest before a potential return.
