I did a silly thing this month – I allowed myself to get optimistic. Reports from those receiving copies of the latest Haruhi disk earlier than myself over at AoD were positive, with a couple of people landing their first film strips of the series. Faced with such evidence, I couldn’t help but start to ponder – had they, perhaps, increased the percentage of copies carrying said extra in an attempt to maintain their sales? Perhaps the random nature of the shipping had seen CDJapan receiving a stack with copies carrying this most elusive of extras this month. Whatever the case, somehow I was feeling strangely positive about this months release.

Yup, it’s a pretty normal looking haul isn’t it?

Well, I say normal looking, but let’s just take a closer look at that front cover…
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I’m going to have to open this one with a disclaimer – I’ve not actually got around to watching this DVD yet. It’s a net result of me spending far too much time playing video games and way too little time watching cartoons as of late. I must work to rectify this.

Still, it’s not like it particularly matters much in regards to what I’d be writing here anyway – by this point, I hope it’s abundantly clear that the on-disk content for these Haruhi release will continue to do little but iterate upon the previous volumes. It’s the same thing every month, only with the numbers incremented. They’re essentially the same – quite literally at the moment, given that the release is presently neck-deep in Endless Eight (absolutely not the reason why I’ve yet to watch this – Honest!)

So this post is really just another update in the battle between the heroic Collector and the evil forces of Chairman Kadokawa…

And that blasted Kadokawa is victorious once more! Alas, once again, no film strip nor extra coaster.

Still, this months volume (well, last months, the next disk being out on Friday, which is what has lit the fire under my arse required for me to write this) also came with a clear file – that thing you can see in the upper-center of the image. Kind of amusing that, with this and the previous volume, they’ve resorted to supplying additional physical extras with these Haruhi disks beyond just the randoms. Absolutely nothing to do with them being worried that Endless Eight will cause their sales to under-perform otherwise, I’m sure…

With the commencement of Endless Eight, the crazy volume numbers begin…

This actually came out almost a month ago, but the Royal Mails customs clearance process has a habit of adding a few weeks to the shipment time. Still, even if it had arrived in a prompt fashion, I’m not really sure I’d have much to say about it – replace Bamboo Leaf with the first two episodes of Endless Eight, and the no-credit ED with the no-credit OP, and the content on both the disks is the same as what was on the previous volume only with “Part 2” appended onto all the feature names.

But since when was a post about the Haruhi DVD release about the actual content? Never, of course – it’s all about the terrifying game of nerves as you gamble your money on that smallest of chances that you’ll get better extras than everyone else who’s buying the show. Well, not really, it’s about buying the show to watch, but that doesn’t really make much of a post at this stage in the game.

In any case, the score is now DiGiKerot 0, Kadokawa Pictures 2. CURSE YOU CHAIRMAN KADOKAWA!

Yes, once more I’m left devoid of the additional coaster or the super-rare film bookmark. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if these things actually exist, or if they are really just another part of the Epic Asshatery of Suzumiya Haruhi. I’m also wondering if I should risk ordering the next volume from another supplier, in the off-chance other retailers get a better awesome:lame LE ratio.

Still, at least the lame LE is a little better packed this time than with previous volumes. I’m not sure if it’s an attempt to get more people to buy it, something existing to remind you precisely what it is you are silly enough to be getting into buying, or merely a simple way to encapsulate the Endless Eight epic into one convenient unit, but this volume came with an artbox. An artbox just for Endless Eight – nothing more, nothing less. That’s not to mention that it’s the only Haruhi R2 artbox. The other plot-arc’s have not benefited from the same treatment.

Also shipping with it is Haruhi’s Postcard Case, which, just to confuse, has a picture of Yuki on it. It contains sixteen pouches, so it’s just big enough to hold all the postcards from both the first season and the second season release assuming you stick two in a pouch back to back. Finally, for the record, my coaster number this time around is Number 9. Like last months release, it’s unexciting.