I've never written a post about Haruhi before, and honestly, I have no idea why, because I actually have a lot to say about her. So today, I'd like to talk about how well the theme of self-acceptance is portrayed in ohshc, using Haruhi as an example.
I love works that place a strong emphasis on accepting oneself and one's unique traits (I'm not fond of the word "flaws", it carries a much more negative connotation, in my opinion). This theme, while perhaps a bit common, is no less important for it. In my opinion, it should be addressed more often, since not every work handles it well.
So, let's get back to Haruhi. Why do I consider her the gold standard for how this theme should be presented in media? There are many reasons. If we look at how Haruhi feels about her appearance, we'll see that she's completely indifferent to it. The same goes for her gender and the way she expresses her thoughts. She simply doesn't care how others perceive her. She doesn't try to impress anyone with her looks or behavior, because she sees no point in it. Haruhi is guided by her own feelings and chooses what's comfortable for her. I think this is a wonderful outlook on life. You can't please everyone and there's no point in trying if you don't feel comfortable yourself.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with this trope in movies about self-acceptance where we're shown a character with a non-standard appearance. For example, they wear braces or glasses and spend the whole movie feeling insecure. And instead of accepting themselves, they listen to friends, family, or acquaintances who advise them to switch to contacts, remove their braces, lose weight, get a haircut, change their style, and then they'll immediately become beautiful in everyone's eyes. But how can a person love themselves if they constantly have to change something about themselves to do so? Don't get me wrong: I understand those who feel better with small changes to their appearance, because self-acceptance can be much harder than it seems. I have no issue with the people. My issue is with works that market themselves as stories about self-acceptance.
And what do we see in ohshc? Haruhi, too, is forced into others' beauty standards: they put her in dresses and wigs with long hair, apply makeup, replace her glasses with contacts. And for what? So she can look "beautiful." Need I say that beauty is completely subjective? Some people like blue eyes, some like brown, some like gray. Some prefer blonde hair, others red or brown. For some, a toned body is the ideal of beauty, while others prefer bodies from Renaissance paintings. Can anyone really say that one taste is better or worse than another? I don't think so. But one way or another, everyone tries to squeeze Haruhi into their own imaginary standards.
So what does Haruhi do in response? She couldn't care less about those standards. Her own comfort and sense of self always come first. She sees absolutely no point in extravagant clothes, hairstyles, or makeup. As soon as the host club announces its closure, Haruhi comes to school the very next day looking exactly as she did when she first walked into the Third Music Room. Does she feel insecure or uncomfortable about how she looks? Not at all. Because she truly accepts herself as she is, even if others disagree. In my opinion, this is a very healthy and mature stance, and this is exactly the kind of attitude toward oneself that stories about self-acceptance should promote.
What I especially love about Haruhi is that, despite many people not understanding her views on appearance, she still attracts everyone's attention and affection. Because she's a good person who tries to treat everyone with kindness and understanding. And, to me, that is far more important than how someone looks. Just think about it: the anime came out in 2006, the manga even earlier, and even then, there was such a wonderful representation. I truly hope that over time we'll see more and more characters like Haruhi, because this theme is truly important to many people. Even now, in the 21st century, many still try to impose strange beauty standards on others, making them feel ashamed of their appearance, personality, and other traits.
Remember: you should always listen to yourself first and do what feels right for you. Because you'll never be able to make everyone love you, but you can certainly try to love yourself and become happier in the process.
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