The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Vol. 4

Actors: Tomokazu Sugita, Aya Hirano, Minori Chihara, Yuko Goto, Crispin Freeman

As the runaway hit The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya concludes, Haruhi remains as obstreperous as ever, barking orders at the members of the SOS Brigade. But the storyline about the mysterious powers she unknowingly commands recedes into the background. When the president of the computer club challenges the SOS Brigade to a duel playing "Day of Sagittarius 3," Haruhi accepts, although she's never even seen the game. The episode turns into an outrageous spoof of sci-fi anime, with Haruhi shouting commands from the bridge of an imaginary space ship. Yuki realizes the computer nerds rigged the game and reprograms it during the battle, ensuring an SOS victory. But the series stops, rather than ends, with the story completely unresolved: Haruhi and Kyon just walk off into the rain. Given the popularity of Melancholy in Japan and the U.S., a second season or a sequel may be in the works. (Rated 13 and older: cartoon violence, risqué humor) --Charles Solomon