Season 2 of Haruhi Suzumiya is now well behind us; It was a good run, with the exception of a certain eight episodes. I’m hopeful that Kyoto Animation is working busily on a third season, but seeing how long it took the second season to be released, we might be in for a bit of a wait. So what’s a Haruhi fan to watch now? I received an email recently froma fellow fan asking if I could recommend some other anime shows that were similar the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It took me some time to come up with some good suggestions, mainly because Haruhi Suzumiya is a such a unique anime series that doesn’t fit into any specific anime genre. These are just my opinions, but I think these anime shows share a lot of similarities to Haruhi Suzumiya and would fit the bill to help those suffering from Haruhi withdrawal

Lucky Star – this was a 2007 anime series about the lives of a group of four high school girls. It came out in the season following the one when the first Haruhi anime was broadcast and kind of filled the void for a lot of fans. Lucky Star had plenty of laughs and otaku culture references, including blatant Haruhi Suzumiya references. Best of all, one of the girls, Konata was voiced by Aya Hirano. It still amazes me how Aya could manage to deliver two such different voices.

Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu – FMP Fumoffu came out way back in 2003, but it still ranks up there as one of my favorite school comedy series. It was a spin-off of the Full Metal Panic series but you won’t find any international terrorists or giant combat mechs in Fumoffu. The lead female character, Chidori Kaname, shares a lot of similarities to Haruhi as she was very athletic, smart and cheerful (though also prone to mood swings like Haruhi). You can also compare the main male character, Sagara Sousuke, with Kyon as they are both serious type characters; however, Sousuke’s sense of normality is questionable and it’s often Chidori’s job to keep him in check.

Toradora! – Toradora was a school comedy/romance that came out in 2008. Although there aren’t any aliens, espers or time travelers in this anime, I did find the relationship between Takasu Ryuji (male lead) and Aisaka Taiga (female lead) very similar to the relationship between Kyon and Haruhi. And like Haruhi, Taiga is very cute in appearance but is prone to fits and odd behaviors of her own. I also thought that one of the other female characters, Kawashima Ami, was similar to Ryoko Asakura because of the dual personality she has.

Kannagi – also called Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens, the story is about Jin Mikuriya, an art student, who meets a living goddess named Nagi after she comes to life from one of his wooden sculptures. Nagi is quite an odd girl and believes her purpose is to exorcise bad spirits all over town. Meanwhile, Jin must try to keep her under control and try to explain to his friends why she’s living with him. Like Lucky Star, Kannagi also has some otaku references, and always delivers in the comedy department. If you’re looking for an anime starring a strange but lovable girl as the main character, then Kannagi is definitely worth checking out.

Bakemonogatari – is an anime also based on a series of light novels like the Haruhi Suzumiya anime is. It was released earlier this year (2009). The story revolves around Koyomi Araragi who gets himself involved in solving the supernatural problems of other people. One day at school, he saves a girl named Hitagi Senjougahara after she falls from some stairs but discovers that she weighs next to nothing. Of all the anime characters out there, I think Hitagi is the one that comes closest to Haruhi. Like Kyon, Koyomi struggled to get closer to the cold Hitagi at the beginning; but after getting on her good side, he realizes that Hitagi can be quite a handful as a girlfriend. Bakemonogatari is also similar to Haruhi Suzumiya in that it covers several short stories spanning multiple episodes – each story covering a new supernatural event and character(s).

Seitokai no Ichizon – is another light novel anime adaptation, it is a new anime that just came out this season (2009). Ken Sugisaki is the only male member of the five member school student council at his private academy. His motives for joining the council are less than sincere because his goal is to turn it into his own personal harem. The other four girls all have unique personalities, my favorite being the spunky Kurimu Sakurano (pictured) who acts as the president. But despite her efforts to motivate the others, their meetings often get sidetracked into random discussions. Seitokai no Ichizon reminds me a lot of the weird discussions that go on in the SOS club room in Haruhi Suzumiya; there’s also a funny Haruhi reference in episode one. If you liked Lucky Star, then also give this show a try.