The hugely popular 2006 anime, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya took the anime world by storm when it came out. Based on the light novels by Nagaru Tanigawa, the story is about an average guy and the adventures that the eccentric leader of the SOS Brigade drags him into.

The series took a downturn in the second season when eight versions of the same episode were aired in what is known as Endless Eight. Needless to say, many fans were not happy with that particular arc. Haruhi (or maybe I should say Yuki) made a comeback a year later with the release of the first movie, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Speculations about a third season of Haruhi have been thrown around since then, but those were thrown out the window when Aya Hirano, the voice behind Haruhi Suzumiya, announced that she had a pituitary gland tumor and would no longer be taking on any more voice acting roles. The announcement that she was also ending her music career was a further blow to the possibility of Aya being in another installment of the Haruhi series.

Despite Aya’s medical condition, speculations about a third season have resurfaced recently with the success of the 10th volume of the light novel and the appearance of a special Haruhi website. With the anime adaptations covering only a portion of the Haruhi light novels, there is still plenty of material to cover, and the interest they generate might be enough to warrant a new season. The new Haruhi website, which appeared recently, might also point towards a third season. The site initially asked everyone to write a wish, and if 15,498 wishes were made, there would be a surprise. That number was reached not long afterwards, and the site now indicates that there will be an announcement regarding the series during Tanabata (July 7).

For those of you who don’t know, Tanabata is a star festival which celebrates the meeting of two lovers who are only allowed to see each other once a year. Tanabata plays an important role in the Haruhi story, so one can assume that if this mysterious announcement isn’t about a third season, that there is likely to be at least another movie or perhaps an OVA release. Of course, none of this can be confirmed until the actual announcement next month.

Ever since 2006, there has been one authoritative ‘religion’ among anime fans and that has been Haruhiism. Unless you’re new to anime, you no doubt already know about the sometimes melancholic god, Haruhi Suzumiya. Recently though, a new deity as appeared on the scene and she goes by the name Madoka Kaname. From the series Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Madoka has quickly gained a large following of worshippers under the Church of Madoka. Considering the popularity of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Haruhiism looks like it’s going to have to battle it out with the Church of Madoka in the near future for the title of the top anime religion.

For someone who likes both Haruhi and Madoka, it may be hard to pick one or the other, but the easiest way is perhaps to take a look at the differences.

First off, let’s consider the deities on both sides. While both are cute teenage girls, they have completely different personalities. Haruhi is a dominant person that likes to boss people around, but she manages to get things done. On the other hand, Madoka is sweet and kind, perhaps too much so as she is often ignored. Both sides have their good and bad points, so it all depends on what you’re willing to put up with.

A god wouldn’t be a god if they didn’t have any divine powers, and these two certainly aren’t lacking in that area. Haruhi has the ability to create as well as destroy universes until she gets one that she likes. That means that your whole existence could be gone in the blink of an eye, but on the bright side, at least you can’t complain or feel bad about it. Madoka doesn’t have quite as much raw power as Haruhi, but she does provide something that Haruhi can’t, hope. While hope doesn’t exactly sound as appealing as creating and destroying universes, at least it gives people the chance to change their future for the better.

The central idea underlying both religions is also drastically different. Haruhi stated with the formation of the SOS Brigade that their purpose was to overload the world with fun, and that has become the main purpose of Haruhiism. The Church of Madoka doesn’t sound as appealing, leaving you only with the lines “Don’t forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember her, you are not alone.” You could say that worshipping Madoka is in some ways like the worship of Jesus, as long as you remember them and their sacrifice, then they will always be there for you.

Whether you’re a devoted Haruhiist, or newly converted Madokaist, both sides have some good things to offer, it just depends on preference. Of course, there’s always Belldandyism for anyone who doesn’t like either religion.

For all of you Haruhi fans out there, you’ll be happy to know that the single for the season 2 opening song “Super Driver” by Aya Hirano will be released on July 22. You’ll be even happier to know that the full song has made its way to youtube early for everyone to enjoy.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD3mZlJrsxE

Personally, I liked the songs from the first season better, but Super Driver does have its charms. If you like the song or if you’re just a Haruhi or Aya fan, the single can probably be preordered on amazon, cdjapan, or other sites that sell Japanese goods.