I like Ryoko Asakura.
Only because I like Nagato too.
To be fair, I think both character archtypes are worth looking into because they represent a very odd stereotype by something that ought to be stereotypical. Normality is rather astereotypical–reality is often stranger than fiction in my own experience. The thought goes, how about alien entities’ perception of human reality? Or even, a writer’s decision in the perception of this alien entity? Ryoko and Yuki presents us with two personalty extremes, maybe.
But it’s one of those detracting factors about Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu. There are few like-minded people in this show. Perhaps some can be said of Itsuki and Kyon, and maybe Kyon and Mikuru. We can explain away Ryoko’s socially-pure persona and Yuki’s detachment with human society as a demonstration of how well these aliens grasp the human condition. We can even explain away why Ryoko has a charmingly igorant thing for death, as well as why Yuki forgot her glasses. KyoAni is no stranger to moe. But are Yuki and Ryoko so stereotypical? Maybe. They are rather colorfully played out I think, so they seemed also a little less stereotypical than other archtypes in other anime.
But Itsuki? Is he also stepped deep into the conspiracy? His commonsensical normalcy is all that’s left attaching him to this show. That, plus as a plot device.
Well, Ryoko is fairly just also a plot device too. I can only imagine her impact in the novel was way greater than how she gets second-handed here in the anime.
I don’t know enough about Mikuru to say much besides her personality likewise may represent (same with Itsuki, too) the perspective of the faction that sent her into this mess. It’s a well-thought-out literary parallel.
Which leaves us no surprise that Kyon is our amusing straight-man. He is us.
But what does that leave Tsuruya? We all like her too!