Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!

I like to laugh. Who doesn't? I like to smile. A smile always brightens the day. I like to watch some high school kids pretending who they are not and cosplaying as characters like the Dark Flame Master. Oh, I guess this is the right place then because Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! can do all three of those things. Killing three birds with one stone, awesome isn't it? Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (Regardless of My Adolescent Delusions of Grandeur, I Want a Date!) is an anime series based on the novel of the same name that is produced by Kyoto Animation. Some fans ofKyoto Ani (Clannad, Hyouka, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu) will definitely rejoice because the Japanese studio is already well known for its rich visuals and aesthetics. They have been involved with many series with the typical high school life being turned from normal to abnormal and they did it once again! The series takes place at a typical high school setting. It involves a young boy named Yuuta Togashi who is suffering a case of...chuunibyou, or “Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome". In technical terms, it is a condition in which an individual deludes themselves as being a smartass and looks down on others. They also believe they have some sort of “special power” that excludes themselves from the normal society. It's actually quite common though. I don't know if you ever felt this way but a lot of people do weird things in high school. I mean, it's like how you used to believe yourself as a superhero like Batman or Superman when you were younger. Good days, good days. And of course, high school has it all: drama, comedy, romance, delusions, cosplaying, and all that other good stuff. So without further ado, let's introduce the two main characters: Rikka Takanashi – forget that eyepatch. This girl has that syndrome I'm talking about. She visions herself with the “wicked eye”. (which sadly is just some colored contacts) Unlike Yuuta however, she still has the chuunibyou. She is the girl who gets the most abuse but also the one that brings out the most laughter with her absurd yet comedic stances throughout the series. Take for example..that random scene when she bounces around like crazy during the pilot episode or those Lelouch-like poses. Yuuta "Dark Flame Master" Togashi – he USED to have the chuunibyou syndrome. But now, it seems that his past is haunting him once again when he meets Rikka. He used to believe himself to be..the Dark Flame Master. I'm trying to envision myself exactly what is the Dark Flame Master. Does it have flames? Is it a master of the underworld? Or is just some villian who can emit cool flames. At any rate, his high school years becomes abnormal after meeting Rikka. There's not too much of a story to be honest yet. The series is more about comedy and the events that surrounds the main characters. They live their high school days like normal teens although the majority are anything but normal. For example, Sanae and Rinka has this Tiger and Dragon rivalry. They fight in absurd ways that is beyond normal by the way they delude themselves. Yes you got it, they also have the chuunibyou as well, or at least used to. Later on though, the series takes some more emotional turns with a few insights into the past, especially those into our main female protagonist, Rikka-chan. The artwork of the series is glorious like most of Kyoto Animation's other works. Its background settings of rich visuals are there and reflected upon every delusion, every action, every laughter, every chuunibyou-like behavior. Kazumi Ikeda who is involved with the character designs of the series brings out the M in moe from the characters like Rikka, Yumeha Togashi (Yuuta's cute little sister), and Kumin Tsuyuri. The soundtrack is also quite lighthearted that reflects upon the comedic mood of settings and characters. When there are battle scenes though, it swiftly changes to a more fast paced rythym to make it looks like it's real despite the fact that it's just a delusion. Now as for the OP song..wow, just wow. "Sparkling Daydream" by ZAQ sure got their point through. The opening song of the series induces eye seizures. Every time I watch it (even upon now occasionally), the scenes flashes back into your head and makes your eyeballs follow them endlessly. Of which, the OP song is also catchy with the silly pose of Rikka-chan. The stance of “(σ O ω・)σ←↖↑↗→↘↓↙←↖↑↗→↘↓↙←↖↑↗→↘↓↙←↖↑↗→↘↓↙← “ is ridiculously catchy and there have been many parodies on the net to mimic it. On the other hand, the ED song "INSIDE IDENTITY" by Black Raison d'être seems ordinary with a nice melody. Ultimately, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is a very entertaining series to watch. It's not like the usual harem with a pathetic protagonist who can't make up his damn mind. But rather, it involves a kid who tried to escape from his past but ends up living it now with his new friends at high school. Entertainment is not so easy to bring these days especially with a lot of already used ideas but this one here is executed pretty well in my opinion. So, give it a shot.

First review. I just finished this so it's fresh on my mind and I absolutely must write about it. STORY: 9 What we have here is a typical story executed in a wonderfully original way. KyoAni blends the comedic and dramatic into a nostalgic exploration of adolescence topped with their particular charm. I found myself laughing, cringing, and tearing up multiple times throughout. It's an emotional roller-coaster, yet I feel it manages to avoid the realm of melodrama by contrasting drama with gags. It does what Toradora failed to do for me. That said, I feel the show could have used one or two more episodes toease into the drama. The shift comes fairly quick, but really, it wasn't much issue. Overall, it's a nice balance. Juxtaposing comedy and drama--blending reality and fantasy--serves as an astute parallel to the theme of escapism and develops a touching story about growing up and the ambivalence toward leaving our younger selves behind. ART: 9 Beautiful. The animation is absolutely fantastic. Action scenes are dynamic and larger-than-life. More relaxed scenes are nuanced and fluid. Character designs are seriously cute (even the guys). Atmosphere is used very well to complement scenes, whether it be a tender moment under a bridge or a restless heart trying to fall asleep. The only thing that knocks off a point is the occasional usage of fairly awkward-looking 3DCG. On top of a detailed background, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall, it's stunning. SOUND: 8 This is really just a matter of taste. I liked the opening much more than the ending. BGM was sweet and melancholic and complements scenes well. During romantic scenes, there are insert-songs which I thought were a little unnecessary. CHARACTER: 9 KyoAni has turned up the moe to 11 with Chuunibyou, and even the "anti-moe" Nibutani has her own appeal. That aside, every character's motivations are believable. Their interactions are dynamic and the source of both silly comedy and powerful drama. It's also nice to see an MC who isn't completely clueless when it comes to romance. That said, he still isn't an expert. Overall, there's a fair amount of depth to these characters, and for the ones without it they're nice to look at. I found myself getting sucked into these character's lives and relationships. Despite how exaggerated some of these characters actually are, they feel very real. ENJOYMENT: 10 This is an amazing piece of work. It looks phenomenal. It reminds me of Haruhi (primarily Disappearance), FLCL, Kare Kano, and maybe a bit of Haibane Renmei (atmosphere, pacing, climax). It hits like Makoto Shinkai. There's something sweet and familiar, but gripping, touching, and anxious at the same time. Watching this series is like a trip into the past--one that's exciting and glorified and fantastic, distorted by time, but one that feels real nonetheless. It's nostalgia. OVERALL: 10 More like a strong 9, but I'm going to round up. It's been quite a while since I've seen a series capture so many emotions so vivaciously and with such force. It builds from a very relatable theme and fully fledges into a compelling and imaginative comedy/drama about growing up. Coming-of-age stories are incredibly common, but Chuunibyou manages to establish a difficult balance between the tongue-in-cheek and the deeply sincere. The result is a piece that is as honest, real, and moving as it is funny. This is without a doubt one of the best things KyoAni has put out.

EDIT (1/1/13) : In the past, in advance and now I must express my greatest apology for creating spoilers of this series. I completely forgot somehow even though on my right and my right mind that it says to 'not write any spoilers', mental blank maybe or just my past acting up... But once again I must apologise and hope that you can forgive me. I will remove the spoilers for future readers and for current or past readers, I really do apologise. And without a further ado... I must add that there are some slight spoilers but not as much as before A senseof nostalgia was the first reaction I had, and what most people would. A past of imagination and fun. We laughed, cried, even danced for things that bring us joy. Being a high school student, we move on, banishing our past. Some say that our past allows us to move on and run away from it. Perhaps from fear? Embarrassment? Concern? Maybe Maturity. But, we can never run away as it is always a part of us, it makes us a special, unique individual. That is how Chuunibyou in my opinion is portrayed. As a reflection on our past and how it shaped our future. Chuunibyou is translated as “Eighth-Grade Syndrome.” An epidemic for people in the eight grade. A certain website states that it is a slang term depicting three different cases: The antisocial types, ones with the 'cool' factor, and ones who admire mystical powers and recreates them in reality through their imagination. Story and Characters: (9) Chuunibyou's main characters include: Togashi Yuuta, Takanashi Rikka, Nibutani Shinka, Dekomori Sanae, Tsuyuri Kumin and Isshiki Makoto (Uhh... Is he a main?) Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! depicts a newly enrolled high school student, Togashi Yuuta. A teenager whose past is what he thinks as banished from his mind, a few head bangs on his wall is an example. He enters high school with a clean slate, so he says. "Dark Flame Master" his faked ulterior personality due to having a different mindset of his friends. Takanashi Rikka. A person with a rather serious case of Chuunibyou. And is expressed by rather peculiar movements and stances that the responders cannot help but laugh. But in future episodes she experiences development of mind, heart and soul. Nibutani Shinka, the classmate of the two above and Isshiki, relates to Yuuta in the way of wanting to forget about her chuunibyou past. She is also the motherly type I suppose and expresses this love towards other characters giving her a rather lovable personality and character. Dekomori... Smart... but just weird. Not saying she's a bad character but was one of the most strongest, bringing powerful scenes towards the end. But either way, she too has Chuunibyou, with twin tails which are... heavy. Yeah that would hurt, right Nibutani? Isshiki, doesn't play much of a role but plays a good comedic role like a side character (referring to Clannad and Little Busters if you know what I'm talking about) Kumin-senpai is an admirer of people with Chuunibyou. A rather peculiar, sleepy case who in turn plays a huge role towards the end. Art: (10) Kyoto Animation presents stunning quality in their animation. Well I'm no expert but it was truly outstanding as always. Sound: (9) Atmospheric background music is best for bringing out character development and emotions towards the viewers. Kyoani successfully manipulated music to their advantage and used that initiative to have an awesome soundtrack.The timing of the music is what I'm speaking of. The dramatic music played at the right times, the foreshadowing, comedic etc. allows people to be drawn into the same environment of chuu2. Enjoyment: (10) Everything from Chuunibyou was enjoyable. The comedy and romance both created and anime for everyone joy, happiness and some sad scenes had drawn my attention from the beginning. Chuu2 has this element that would make the haters of moe, romantic-comedic genres become entranced into this show. That element is for you, the viewers to find out. And of course Overall (10). As MAL states it was just Outstanding. Everything about it is lovable. I'm out of words at the moment so I cannot explain how great this anime is. Viewers looking for a balanced romantic comedy with some drama, this is for you. This is my first review. I had fun typing up this and being the first for this anime brings me great pleasure to do so. Please if it doesn't trouble you say if this was helpful or not, I'd like to continue reviewing if people like reading it. And please mind my English, never was good at it hehe. Thanks for reading and hope I didn't waste your time XD EDIT: I appreciate the criticism people expressed to me. Granted some (one) of them were not constructive but I really do appreciate what people said to me. Thanks for the comments :) And finally: Reality be rent. Synapse break. Banishment, this WORLD!!

Suppose you watch a work that seems to have a lot of effort put into it. It’s easy to tell the staff members have worked their ass off to make this work look pretty. Gorgeous character designs and backgrounds. Hell, it’s possible to just watch the show for the art. Turn off the sounds and take off the subtitles from the screen. It’s fantastic animation. I expect nothing less from Kyoto Animation, which has given us Hyouka gifs on our Tumblr. To expect mediocrity in art direction is an insult to the members of this talented studio. Yet, prettiness is not always watchable. When the plotdives, frustration skyrockets. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai suffers from its poor writing. There are clichés on every step. Take the premise of chuunibyous, which roughly translates into ‘eighth grade syndrome.’ This social phenomena is worth exploring despite the lack of attention to it. I’m glad the writers are giving this attention. Some may call this Kyoto Animation’s answer to “Welcome to the NHK”, a critique of hikikomori and depressive disorders. It can be good, albeit bitter, medicine for people still suffering from the syndrome. However, Chu2koi finds delight in such escapism. Not that it’s a bad thing -- it saves this work from the need of being ultra-preachy. You can’t really create such a provocative work in just 12 episodes. KyoAni is a master of slice-of-life humor, as seen in the K-On! franchise. In the genre where girls drink tea and eat cake, add in crazy animations of teens pretending they’re superheroes and we get a comedic masterpiece. If this work stays that way, I wouldn’t feel the need to write this review. Instead, KyoAni apparently wanted to preach... something. This is where it gets messy. I have no idea who to blame, but the writing suddenly took a dramatic turn. KyoAni is trying desperately hard to combine Chu2koi’s unique humor and dramatic preaching. In the first half of the series, it’s humorous. The latter half shows grim, dark melodrama. Its main characters, Rikka and Yuuta, are introduced as a dynamic comedic pair; in the end, they whine at every moment possible. Melodramatic events surround the protagonists while the supporting characters goof around. Chu2koi is, in a word, bipolar. Because of these senseless, abrupt changes in tone and mood, you don’t really understand where the work is going, let alone what it is about. When the work finally gives some closure, there is much to be questioned. It feels rushed; there are contradictions and glaring plot-holes in the final episodes. Bandaging those plot-holes with clichés just makes it worse. They’re an eyesore. You can separate the final episode into sections -- and in these sections pinpoint which scene of Chu2koi ripped off from which anime. Supporting characters, who did nothing in this work, suddenly become important. One character who did nothing for the first twelve episodes except being cute became an important character in the finale. Anime-original character Dekomori fares better because she is relevant to the plot. But because she is a comedic character, she unintentionally destroys atmospheres in dramatic episodes. The script is just plain chaotic. And so the confusing million-dollar question: Does this work actually have something to say? It does end with a message, but it’s not convincing with all these mood whiplashes. I hear its sermon, but it’s gibberish. It seems to accept the chuunibyou culture as a facet of individualism; yet, once you take Rikka’s reason for the desperate escapism, it becomes nonsense. It’s hard to explain what this work is saying. But it’s undeniable Chu2koi is a good work if we look at other technicalities. Animation and music are superb as always. Ignoring the plot, the characters are fun to watch. Their interactions make anyone envious of their lives. It’s a good slice-of-life comedy. Which begs the question: why did this work not stay that way? The first half is strong; the second half is just unwatchable melodrama. It is despairing that Chu2koi has so much potential. Instead, it wanted to be something like Welcome to the NHK. In a one-cour show, the themes have to be focused. To diverge off and be something else is absurd. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai tries too much to be something special, but falls off from the ladder; it’s just too emotionally unstable like an angsty teenager.