Though I still have two episodes to go, this has turned out to be my favorite episode of Haruhi so far. It also features possibly their best animation, even if the entire series did pretty well throughout.

This is an episode where Haruhi and Yuki perform as stand-ins for a band at their school festival. The animation for the whole sequence was just awesome. It was timed very well, and they made it look like they were really playing (correct chords, hitting the right drums at the right time). Even drawing the sweaty Haruhi (like hair sticking to face) made it somehow feel like you really were watching a live concert.

That's not even mentioning yet that the songs they played were awesome. I like those kinds of songs, which is why I liked Judy and Mary. The lyrics were very nice and thoughtful, and the arrangement is excellent. Even the solo guitars part brought me goosebumps.

Finally, it's an episode where we see a more human side of Haruhi for a change. Tsuruya also gets some screen time, which is awesome. :D Wee.