Katsuhiko Jinnai in Haruhi's Endless Eight.

[Darth Joker]

Note: This post is VERY spoileriffic for anybody not familiar with what's gone on in Haruhi Season 2 thus far. Proceed at your own caution! :)

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Inspired by this article.

I'm inclined to agree with this article - Kyon really dragged the idiot ball on this one.

I'm also inclined to think that if you were to put someone sufficiently clever, devious, power-hungry, and villainous into Kyon's shoes in Endless Eight, that he or she would try to take advantage of the time loop situation to try to get rich ("Yuki, at the very beginning of the next iteration, tell me who wins these baseball games here, here, and there"), take over the world, and/or try to kill certain enemies and get away with it.

So, here's what happens... Q decides to spice up Endless Eight after being bored silly with it. Hence, he has Jinnai's mind/consciousness (circa the end of the first El Hazard OVA) wake up in Kyon's body the first morning of the first loop of Endless Eight. "Kyon" Jinnai has all of Kyon's memories - so he knows how he should appear to act when in front of the rest of the SOS Brigade. He is told that he is now in a potentially endless loop of time, and that Yuki will reliably transfer information from one loop to the next. He is also told that, as a side-attraction, Makoto Mizuhara is a couple of towns over, and within striking distance. However, he doesn't know how to end the loop.

None of the SOS Brigade members have a clue in this world that the mind of Jinnai is now inside of Kyon's body - Jinnai may fool up and give it away, of course, but the SOS Brigade members' various powers are blocked from letting them in on it.

Jinnai is given four missions...

1) Use this situation to get rich and/or famous at least once.

2) Use this situation to take over the world at least once.

3) Use this situation to kill Makoto Mizuhara - added points for doing it more than once.

4) Have Endless Eight end on a loop where at least two of the above is achieved. This means, of course, that he'll have to spoilers:

solve the homework problem

end of spoilers.


How many loops does it take "Kyon" Jinnai to successfully complete these missions?

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

None of the SOS Brigade members have a clue in this world that the mind of Jinnai is now inside of Kyon's body - Jinnai may fool up and give it away, of course, but the SOS Brigade members' various powers are blocked from letting them in on it.

Problem is, Yuki does nothing but watch and will know. She won't act on it, but it also means she's not going to help him. And Itsuki is the guy who figured out they were in a time loop on his own. He's insightful, intelligent and probably spends more time with Kyon than any of the others.

And without Yuki, he's really got no chance to effect the next loop, and without Itsuki, it's unlikely he'll know anything other than receiving a call from a blubbering Mikuru.

[OverMaster]

If we take the assumption of Kyon as the self-insertion character to be correct, this is quite a depressing turn of events. If we’re supposed to identify with a character who is unwilling to take the initiative in seizing control of his destiny and lacks the intellectual curiosity to tackle hard problems, that would be an utter disaster and by all rights, he should have to suffer due to his ineptitude. I just wish he didn’t drag us all along with him.

Kyon: Now half Shinji Ikari, half Homer Simpson?

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by OverMaster

Kyon: Now half Shinji Ikari, half Homer Simpson?

Nah, it's more that he couldn't figure out that what Haruhi wanted was something for someone else. He was looking for a Haruhi-centric answer, rather than something for himself.

[OverMaster]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Nah, it's more that he couldn't figure out that what Haruhi wanted was something for someone else. He was looking for a Haruhi-centric answer, rather than something for himself.

Eh, my comment was more of a meta-joke on the blog quote itself than an actual jab at Kyon. But I really should have been clearer about it.

[Darth Joker]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Problem is, Yuki does nothing but watch and will know. She won't act on it, but it also means she's not going to help him. And Itsuki is the guy who figured out they were in a time loop on his own.

In the 2nd El Hazard OVA, Jinnai convinced everybody but his own sister that he was a reformed and rehabilitated man. He's not a bad actor when he puts his mind to it. Unless Yuki is a mind reader, I think that he can pull this off for a few days at least.

And as for Itsuki? If he's so insightful, why didn't he manage to find a way to end the loop during one of the first 15,000 goes at it? Yuki gets the "observation" pass - Koizumi doesn't.

Anyway... Jinnai does get at least a full day (August 31st) and a stranger's body to use, in trying to kill Makoto...


OverMaster - Half-Shinji, Half-Homer... yeah, that's what Kyon was like in Endless Eight...

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

In the 2nd El Hazard OVA, Jinnai convinced everybody but his own sister that he was a reformed and rehabilitated man. He's not a bad actor when he puts his mind to it.

That's not much of a feat. Makoto and Fujisawa want to think the best of him. Makoto considered him a friend and Fujisawa sees Jinnai as his own personal failure as a teacher.

No one else knew him that well and will, by and large, trust Makoto.

Unless Yuki is a mind reader, I think that he can pull this off for a few days at least.

Problem is, the conversation where everythign comes out takes place somewhere about a week in. And Yuki will remember everything on mutliple loops. So he has to fool her for at least two weeks to get any help from her on sucsessive loops.

And as for Itsuki? If he's so insightful, why didn't he manage to find a way to end the loop during one of the first 15,000 goes at it? Yuki gets the "observation" pass - Koizumi doesn't.

It's not like it's anything approaching an obvious solution. And his personal guess was that it was something Haruhi wanted to do, but didn't get to. He did manage to figure out what was going on and that Yuki had full knowledge on his own, however. Two things the guy that did solve the problem didn't do.

[yeoman]

Oh, and, most importatnly, he can't let Haruhi know anything at all. His advantage there is that Haruhi hasn't known Kyon especially long at this point, and that she isn't particularly observant of other peoples feelings.

His disadvantage is that she's crazy smart and has subconsiously activated reality altering powers.

[Darth Joker]

Originally Posted by yeoman

That's not much of a feat.

After trying, and very nearly succeeding, in conquering the world?

Makoto and Fujisawa want to think the best of him. Makoto considered him a friend and Fujisawa sees Jinnai as his own personal failure as a teacher.

No one else knew him that well and will, by and large, trust Makoto.



Problem is, the conversation where everythign comes out takes place somewhere about a week in. And Yuki will remember everything on mutliple loops. So he has to fool her for at least two weeks to get any help from her on sucsessive loops.

Sigh, Yeoman, you just had to go and ruin my attempt to turn Endless Eight into something fun, didn't you?

[Darth Joker]

An idea I had...

At the end of the first day, "Kyon" asks to talk privately with Haruhi, and brings her to a place where you can see a lot of scenery.


Kyon: Haruhi... it's time that the truth was told to you.

Haruhi: The truth?

Kyon: Yes, you've been deceived by many of your best friends for quite some time now. But I - I am a faithful friend that can't bring myself to lie to you any more. You actually have immense reality-altering powers.

Haruhi: ... Kyon, what kind of silly game are you playing?

Kyon: I'm not playing a game at all. If you don't believe me, perhaps these words will resonate with you... I am John Smith.

Haruhi: ... ... You're serious then, aren't you?

Kyon: Of course. Now then, if you want visual confirmation of what I'm saying.... see that mountain over there?

Haruhi: Yes, what about it?

Kyon: Make it disappear.

Haruhi: W-what?!

Kyon: You can do it. Just close your eyes and imagine that it's gone - really believe that it doesn't exist any more.

Haruhi: That's crazy talk!

Kyon: Aaahhh... I'm so disappointed. I never thought the great Haruhi Suzumiya would be so scared of a little challenge.

Haruhi: S-scared! I'm not scared of anything!

Kyon: Good! Neither am I. Then try the challenge! I double dare you!

Haruhi: It's not about being scared! It's that it's a stupid challenge.

Kyon: Ah, so you're scared of stupid things. What a laughable phobia... ha ha ha ha!

Haruhi: Grrr.... fine, Kyon, I'll show you, and make that mountain disappear!

*Haruhi successfully does so, eventually shocking herself!*

Haruhi (proudly): A ha! See - it's gone!

Kyon: Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Just as I expected!

Haruhi: Kyon... where did you get that laugh?!

Kyon: Laugh? I was just clearing my throat. Chocolate covered cicadas don't go down easy, you know.

Haruhi: You ate the cicadas?!

Kyon: No, actually I plan to persuade you to mutate them into a race of giant bugs that will help us take over the world.

Haruhi: ... ... You're just completely fooling around, aren't you?

Kyon: The mountain disappeared, didn't it?

Haruhi: ... Yeah, you're right.

Kyon: So, now it's time to go catch some cicadas! Soon, the world will quake in fear at the sight of our Cicada Empire!


... Ok, that's mostly tongue-in-cheek. I hope people got a laugh out of it, though.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

After trying, and very nearly succeeding, in conquering the world?

Yes. Because both of them want to believe he's better than that.

Sigh, Yeoman, you just had to go and ruin my attempt to turn Endless Eight into something fun, didn't you?

Hey, if that's what you want then you should have Alielle in Tsuruya's body and had Gurren Lagann come out of the pool on day one.

Jinnai's good, but he's neither that good, and, as soon as his plans start to fall apart he cracks.

[Darth Joker]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Yes. Because both of them want to believe he's better than that.








Hey, if that's what you want then you should have Alielle in Tsuruya's body and had Gurren Lagann come out of the pool on day one.

Alielle in Tsuruya's body is indeed a great idea. Alas, Tsuruya doesn't show up in Endless Eight. I hope we get to see some of her in the next episode!

Anyway, in all seriousness, thanks for responding.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

Alielle in Tsuruya's body is indeed a great idea. Alas, Tsuruya doesn't show up in Endless Eight.

Because she's not important to it. Whose to say Mikuru didn't encounter her at all in those two weeks. Actually pretty likely given she's her only confirmed friend outside the brigade.