I finally got around to watching Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, or Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions, after having it on my list for ages. Really glad I did. Now, while I did only watch the first season, I still wanted to take a quick moment to talk about it.
To try and sum up the plot quickly, the story follows Yuuta Togashi (a boy having left behind his chuunibyou days) and Rikka Takanashi (a girl still heavily influenced by chuunibyou) as they go through high school. You get some personal drama, club activity, more chuunibyou, etc. I won’t bore you with the spoiler-free details.
Okay, on to the discussion. This series is cuteness incarnate. Rikka is one of the most adorable characters I’ve seen in ages, and the relationship between her and Yuuta is excellent. I don’t think I could ask for a better pairing. Both have great character development as well, and their budding romance and chuunibyou tendencies are the cornerstone of the plot for the series.
The other side characters are very fun. The antics that the whole cast get into is where we spend most of our time between big, dramatic moments with our lead pair. While they initially seem kind of one-dimensional, they show their depth by the end of the season, which makes for perfect side characters.
How the chuunibyou is shown is truly masterful. We get incredible, over-the-top animations, but also cuts to show them in the real world. It’s very fun, and at moments is incredibly somber. I loved every one of their delusional moments.
As you’d expect from Kyoto Animation, the art and animation were impeccable. The voice acting was on point, delivering the multitude of chuunibyou monologues with perfect enthusiasm. Everything, from a production standpoint, was fantastic.
Okay, promised I’d keep it short, so let’s wrap it up. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! was a fantastic romantic comedy. Like, one of the best ones I’ve seen in years. The love was cute and romantic, the drama hit you appropriately, but you still walk away feeling happy for the characters. The comedy was funny, all of the characters were fun and quirky. I really can’t think of anything to complain about.
I really can’t express enough how adorable Rikka and Yuuta were together. It’s really been a long time since I’ve seen a couple that make me smile as much as these two did. I guess Kitagawa-san and Gojo-kun were close, but it’s tough to say. That should speak volumes.
Finally, as someone who had his own chuunibyou moments when he was younger, and arguably still does (though I’ve learned to channel it differently), it was extremely fun. If you’re like me, this will probably hit somewhere deep, in the best possible ways.
Now, I will remind you that this pertains to season one. I might update this when I watch season two, or the movies, but I just wanted to give my thoughts on this here and now. Fact is, great series. If you haven’t watched it, go do that. You won’t be disappointed.