Ask John: Why Are Some Anime Series Broadcast Out of Chronological Order?

Question:
What is the motivation for the Japanese anime industry to broadcast series like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Rental Magica out of chronological order? Do these shows make more sense chronologically or in broadcast order, or is that entirely subjective? Is this a “vision of the artist” issue?

Answer:
In the absence of consistent, clear explanations from anime directors and creators behind shows that have released episodes in a non-linear progression, I can only surmise. My guess is that different motivations for this tactic apply to different series.

In the case of Berserk, a series that’s first episode chronologically follows the 24 that come after it, the first episode serves as an exciting and fascinating hook, causing viewers to want to know how Guts became the man we’re introduced to in the first episode.

The Tenjho Tenge anime uses a more complex flashback structure that moves back and forth between extended scenes in present and past tense in order to simultaneously show viewers the present circumstances of the characters, and the events that led them to their present circumstances.

The practice of arranging episodes in a seemingly random order, as used by The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi and Rental Magica, may be an evolution of the literary flashback technique. It may also be a mere pretentious trick used to compensate for weakness in the narrative structure.

Rental Magica may have released its episodes in a jumbled chronological sequence to create excitement, by introducing viewers to the show’s full cast from the outset instead of progressively introducing them as they chronologically made their appearances. The structure of the Suzumiya Haruhi television series is such that all of the show’s revelations and significant action occurs early in the series, leaving the show to chronologically conclude without a major climax. The argument may be made that the disorganized structure of the broadcast version of Suzumiya Haruhi reflects and emphasizes the schizophrenic nature of Haruhi’s mystical power, but the fact that the archival, official Japanese episode order is chronological seems to render this theory impotent.

Rental Magica and The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi both seem to have used a non-linear episode order to enliven their narratives, which are less exciting or anti-climactic when observed chronologically. However, the possibility that unconventional linear structure is intended for stylistic effect cannot be discounted. For example, in May 2007 the official blog of the Touka Gettan anime television series revealed that the show’s writer, Tomomi Mochizuki, and director Yuji Yamaguchi, chose to organize the series’ episodic structure in reverse order, with the series’ climax occuring in the first episode and the story’s beginning occuring in the final episode, in order to make viewers wonder how the climactic events came to pass.