Remote Island Syndrome (Part I)

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"Remote Island Syndrome (Part I)" (孤島症候群（前編）) is an episode in The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. It is the sixth episode aired in the series. It is the ninth episode in the series timeline. The episode's original airdate is May 7, 2006.

1 Overview
2 Episode details
3 Differences in the novel
4 Trivia

[edit] Overview

The SOS Brigade members go on an overnight trip to a deserted island owned by Itsuki´s relatives. At first, it seems the vacation will be rather normal, but destiny has other plans.

[edit] Episode details

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The episode begins with Kyon and Itsuki arguing on a ferry somewhere in the sea. Kyon believes the trip to be a plot staged by Itsuki, yet Itsuki keeps saying it is but a normal trip. Itsuki does mention that Haruhi´s been interested in closed circles--places with their connection to the rest of the world severed--and that thus, a deserted island might appeal her.

After the opening, we find the SOS Brigade holding an "important meeting", as Haruhi dubs it (though, predictably enough, no member was informed there would be a meeting in the first place). Haruhi joyfully announces the first overnight trip for the brigade, and Itsuki explains that one of his relatives is wealthy enough to buy a private island. A manor had been recently built in his relative´s island. Happy with Itsuki´s efforts, Haruhi promotes him to deputy chief.

The scene cuts back to Itsuki and Kyon on the ferry; this time, they are talking about detectives. Itsuki tells Kyon about how detectives in fiction get thrown into one mystery after another, willingless. He explains that Haruhi intends to cast herself in such situations, yet to do this one needs to be on the appropiate places. Itsuki believes the island to be one such place.

Later, the Brigade members are playing a card game, with Kyon´s sister playing too. Kyon never did plan on her coming, though: as he was ready to leave, his sister sneaked into his bag and when he discovered her begged him to bring her along.

After the game, Kyon takes a nap. He wakes up to find Mikuru with a camera, which she used to take plenty of pictures of him sleeping and waking up. He thinks of them being for Mikuru to put beside her bed, yet is soon interrupted by Haruhi who tells him that Mikuru is the temporary photographer for the trip. Kyon inquires why pictures of him sleeping are considered important, and she claims she´ll use them to warn the future generations of his incompetence.

The Brigade reach, after the six-hours trip, the island where they are greeted by a butler and a maid. With them is a boat to reach the actual destination. Haruhi is overjoyed to be so close to the island, and begins asking things such as if the architect of the manor died of unnatural causes. At last they get to the island, where another guest is waiting for them--the younger brother of the Mason´s master, Yukata.

Soon they get to the entrance of the manor, where they meet the mason´s master. Haruhi salutes him very politely, which bewilders him. He says that, from what Itsuki had told him, he expected her to be more honest. Not dropping the invitation to show her true self, Haruhi starts going direct to the point and inquiring him of paranormal events in the island. He tells her no incidents have happened so far.

After a quick tour around the house, and a prediction from Haruhi of who the culprit (for no crime or reason in particular) is, they spend the day on the beach. Then they are treated a delicious dinner, courtesy of the Butler who also happens to be the chef. They do a number of activities through the night, such as playing with fireworks and exploring the jungle, and then the day ends.

The next day a typhoon of great power appears, and so the waves grow and thus the island effectively becomes a closed circle. Keiichi (the master of the mason) is absent for breakfast, but the butler explains he tends to wake up late.

Being unable to go outside, the Brigade spends the day in the game room in the basement. Finally Keiichi and his brother appear and join them, yet Keichi soon announces he has an to finish some work, and leaves. He is paid little attention as the Brigade and company keep on playing all sorts of games.

They are interrupted by the butler, who tells them Keiichi is locked in his room and Yukata has dissapeared. They knock on the door and call him, but Keiichi does not respond. They are forced to break the door to enter, and they finally find Keiichi--dead.

[edit] Differences in the novel

The two part-episode is based on the chapter "Lone Island Syndrome" in the novel The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi. These comparisons are made using the Baka-Tsuki-translation, which may not be 100% accurate.

The conversation between Kyon and Itsuki is done at school, not on the ferry.
Kyon's sister does not come along on the trip.
The characters have different clothing in the anime then discribed in the novel.
Itsuki loses the card game, not Kyon.
In the novel, it is stated that the group play 'Go Fish' on the ferry. In the anime, it shows them playing the japanese version of 'Chase the Ace' (which is called 'Baba-Nuki', with the joker used instead of the ace).
Yuki gets to stay in her own room.
Instead of the scene with firecrackers, Haruhi and company get really drunk.
There is no search for UMAs (Unidentified Mysterious Animals). Instead it is mentioned that the trip to the island is better than going to look for UMAs. (See trivia below)
Instead of the scene with the game "How Is the King" (on the night of the murder), Haruhi and company get really drunk again. Afterwards Haruhi promise never to drink again.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

Edit this trivia

This is episode 9, chronologically.
Kyon names two islands; Panorama Island is a reference to Edogawa Ranpo's mystery novel, and Infant Island is the birthplace of Mothra.
Haruhi names three buildings: Black Death, Lilas, and Kouketsu. Those are references to Japanese new-wave (shin-honkaku) mystery novels.
In this episode (as well as in the flashback in "Remote Island Syndrome (Part II)") Yuki is reading the Japanese translation of the detective story The Woman in the Wardrobe by Peter Antony (pen name of the brothers Peter and Anthony Shaffer), published 1951 by Evans. The Japanese translation was published 1996 by Tōkyō Sōgensha (ISBN 4-488-29901-6). The book contains spoilers for Episode 8 (Remote Island Syndrome (Part II)).
Koizumi says early on that the trip to the island with Arakawa is an hour long trip. Arakawa himself later says the trip is a half-hour. In the novels, Koizumi says a half-hour. This could be an oversight of the animators, or simply a translation error. It doesn't seem to indicate anything significant.
At the beginning of the episode Remote Island Syndrome I, the camera focuses on a mysterious woman with a large white hat ripping sheets of paper and picking off pedals off a flower. As Haruhi and company gets off the ship, the woman with the white hat and dress reappears in front of them, with her head down and the hat covering her face. It is noticeable that her face is never revealed. This could have a possible meaning to it.
In Remote Island Syndrome II, Kyon is bothered that if Haruhi really wished for a REAL killer, and is still on the island, because as Kyon and Haruhi were looking for the murderer during the storm scene, Haruhi states that she had seen someone in the cave.
At 16:27 Kyon can be seen being surprised by a snake. This is a reference to the short story which the episode is based on, where Kyon often says and thinks that the field trip is much better then going searching for UMAs, specifically the Tsuchinoko.
In the Baba-Nuki (Japanese version of Old Maid) playing scene, the six of spades is drawn inaccurately.
Kyon loses the game of Old Maid that's played whilst on the ship. In the original short story "Remote Island Syndrome" it is Koizumi Itsuki that loses. Furthermore, Itsuki is known to almost always lose against Kyon in the novels, though this is never played upon in the anime, however later on in the game room, the ping pong tournament poster drawn up by Haruhi (made obvious by the fact that Suzumiya Haruhi is referred to as "Atashi" which is a Japanese pronoun for "me" used by females) shows that Kyon won against Itsuki but is defeated by Haruhi in the final game.
In the novel, Kyon's sister didn't join the trip. Also Haruhi, Kyon, Mikuru, and Nagato drink wine during the first and second evening meals. Due to their hangovers on the third day Haruhi, Kyon, and Mikuru vow never to drink again (Nagato is immune to the effects of alcohol).
This is the first episode in which Nagato Yuki is seen wearing something other than school uniform, both in boadcast and dvd order (discluding the witch costume she had on in episode 00 during filming) and chronologically. In fact Nagato wears a number of new outfits including a light summer outfit, one peice bathing suit, pajamas, and various other casual clothing.

Current state of the "SOS Brigade" Dan hompage" No links, except for the fan club and etc..; The Profiles of all of the characters have been removed, the main signia is SOS, and only the agenda link is still there. -This is most likely due to season 2 airing very recently. In otherwords certain occurences have yet to taken place in the most recently aired episode of the anime.

Episode Guide	Previous Episode	Next Episode
By airdate:	The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi III	Mystérique Sign
Chronologically:	Mystérique Sign	Remote Island Syndrome (Part II)