aileen.dare - 2015-05-20 16:22:29

jerrod73 - 2015-03-12 00:12:35

i think this japanime would have been ok if the main character wasnt retarded

ruecker.isabel - 2014-07-03 10:00:05

saul04 - 2014-05-03 08:51:12

If you haven't read my review of Season 1, you can find it here: http://hummingbird.me/anime/chuunibyou-demo-koi-ga-shitai/reviews/5367 This review is written assuming you have read the first, so check it out if you have the time, but it's not absolutely necessary. Also, this review contains spoilers for Season 1.

Chuunibyo demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren, or Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions: Heart-throb, is the sequel to the similarly named (minus Ren/Heart-throb) series created by Kyoto Animation. This sequel continues the story of Yuta, Rikka, and all of their friends, but is not the direct sequel. You should watch the Season 1 OVA Christmas episode if you want the proper experience, because events in that OVA are referenced in this season (albeit only briefly).

I came into this season believing it would be utter garbage, based on everything I had heard other people say about it. Were they right? No, they weren't right, in my opinion. Maybe it's because I had no expectations, but this season turned out to be a pleasant surprise, excusing a few questionable hiccups along the way.

So, what were we given? Well, a continuation of Season 1 (+ the OVA), at least. And that meant further exploring the relationship between Yuta and Rikka. Whereas the first season focussed quite heavily on Rikka's issues and the reason for/drama surrounding her state of chuunibyo, this season looks more at the aforementioned relationship, moving on from the problems of the past to those of the present and future.

These problems, were by no means unique to this show. If not for the chuunibyo aspect, this wouldn't have been any different to any other rom-com anime out there, except that it has great animation. So the question then becomes whether this show is worth watching for the chuunibyo stuff. It is, to a degree. I found myself enjoying it more than I was expecting, and I really did like what few developments there were.

The problem is that, aside from Yuta and Rikka, there are few other interesting developments to be made. Add to this a few obvious filler episodes that seem to want to mix things up, only to put everything back in it's place by the end, and the story feels padded by unnecessary additions. Not only are these fillers not welcome, one of them is actually quite disturbing and out of place, but the show doesn't even seem to care and simply goes with it.

And speaking of unnecessary additions - well, she's really straddling the border for me, but we'll move onto this anyway - we have Shichimiya, that pink haired girl you've probably seen by now.

I expected that much of the flak Ren was copping was due to her, and in many ways I can see how that makes sense. She serves a purpose, but a cliché one. There is nothing innovative or really even interesting about her. She's just there, and while there is a fair amount of attention devoted to her (remarkably, more than already existing supporting characters), I didn't really see much reason for her to really exist, save for one (it's a spoiler, but I'm sure you can figure it out).

With that said, while she was in most episodes following her debut, her presence never felt overly shoehorned or forced. Again, she was just...there.

It looks like we've moved into the characters section, so let's continue with them. I already mentioned that this season focuses further on the development of Yuta and Rikka's relationship. This budding romance is one that conflicts with Rikka's childish delusions, and for much of the season she finds herself struggling with the notion of love, and what it means to her. It is a very clear study of both her chuunibyo and herself, for she is very shy and completely new to the situation she find herself in.

Yuta meanwhile is doing his best to make things work, and his efforts pay off most of the time. It's funny and also nice to see the way he embraces his past when alone with Rikka, and the development is there, just subtle.

I quite enjoyed watching them together, and when certain things finally happened (remember that padding I was talking about earlier? Yeah.), I was happy. Seeing the progress that there was, was not what I was really expecting, given what I had heard prior to watching. It just felt a bit drawn out.

The remaining cast members, save Nibutani, don't really grow or change in anyway. Dekomori and Kumin (especially Kumin) remain shallow and one-dimensional, basically sticking to their gimmick and not really moving anywhere outside it, save for a few lines of dialogue sprinkled across a few episodes. Nonetheless, they were still good for some laughs, and Kumin retains her ultra kawaii voice.

Unfortunately Makoto, who had his own little storyline in Season 1, basically gets pushed out of the series (presumably to make space for Shichimiya) and only appears a few times and only for comedy. But really, I was surprised he got as much attention as he did last season, so this is actually more the norm for the secondary male character.

Nibutani, as I mentioned, does change a little, which is welcome, but I would have liked to have seen more.

The animation is, again, quality Kyoto Animation work, so it's no surprise that it remains as good as the first season. The eyes have a depth to them that I now realise is lacking in most other anime. The colours a vibrant and the movements are fluid. Both the mundane world and the fantasy lands dreamed up by the characters are detailed and appealing, but I did have one problem.

Throughout this series, Rikka's imagination manifests itself on screen and we are treated to the world she sees when she is fully absorbed in chuunibyo. What this usually involves is an elaborate battle between her and some other character or force that can be easily translated back to the real-world. This problem I have can actually be split into two smaller problems, the first of which is that, I felt like an imagination scene was being forced into every episode, as if, without one, the audience would grow bored or the show would lose what made it different, and this grated a little when it became clear to me. Maybe KyoAni just had too much money to work with and wanted to flaunt their skills, but some of the imagination scenes felt unnecessary to me.

The second part of my problem is that at least one of the imagination scenes didn't map well to real-life. It occurred in my least favourite episode, the disturbing filler, and seemed to me like completely the wrong way to address the situation at hand, which was off-putting.

In between sound and animation comes the new OP and ED. As is usual with KyoAni, there was plenty to look at, but the songs themselves weren't as good as their predecessors, with the OP coming out on top for me, while remaining as just average. And why did the girls have to be naked in the ED? I didn't really get that.

I can't actually remember a single tune from the soundtrack, so it wasn't very memorable, but I didn't have any overt problems with it. The voice acting on the other hand was again quite good and memorable. Yuta's chuunibyo voice is amusing, as are the funny squeaks Rikka makes when she's embarrassed or knocked on the head by Yuta. Kumin is, as I said earlier, only really remarkable for her super-cute voice. And I only just realised how much Dekomori adds "desu" to the end of all her sentences...man.

All in all, Ren is a fair sequel to the original, maintaining an amusing but overall not-ground-breaking state. It's not nearly as bad as it was made out to be, and I actually really liked the development between Yuta and Rikka, even if it was rather stretched out across a whole season. Filler episodes do drag it down, however, and the new cast member adds next to nothing.

keon.kuhic - 2014-04-02 09:17:41

Note: This is a sequel and I highly recommend you watch the first season before reading this review.

The cast returns in Ren and they really step things up for the most part. Dekmoari and Nibutani continue their lovers quarrel which leads Nibutani to walk down a path she wants to forget abouut. Kumin does something incredible by being comic relief in a comedy show and making it work. Yuuta and Rikka largely stay the same characters in the end. This does say they are not very enjoyable to watch, they are, there is just some disappointment.

Ren also adds a new character, Shichimiya. She's Yuuta's childhood friend which obviously leads to Rikka having doubts about the state of their relationship. This is what you could call the "story" of Ren.

In my opinion the individual parts of Ren are even better than the first season. I've already gave praises to the returning cast. The romance is cute (although not very fulfilling), the battle sequences are significantly better than the first season, the jokes are better, and the moe meter is just off the charts. However, there are some sacrifices it makes and they are big ones.

I have two main issues with Ren. The first is with Shichimiya, she's touted as a main character but ultimately gets less screen time than the rest of the characters by simply not going to the same school. However, she arguably gets the most significant story arc and character development. This is find and good but the progression is obvious and jumpy because of her lack of screen time. She still only serves one purpose in the anime and that is to put doubt into Rikka's head about Yuuta.

The next is that at the end of the anime everything is still back to the status-quo. I know a lot of anime do this, but it's not as forgivable here since it actually touts that there is going to be a change at the end and then they just pull it away from you. One of the reasons why I didn't mind the drama in the first season was because Rikka actually had a major character revelation and something became of it. Here she might have somewhat of the revelation but the ultimate payoff is very weak.

Now for the animation. It's top notch, Kyoani's budget and know how is really obvious especially during the chuuni sequences which are an absolute joy to watch. It doesn't matter if they don't really make sense they are some of the best "fight" sequences I've seen. The sound and music in the show are noticeably good and detailed. Again, where they really shine is during the chuuni fights where everything is just amplified.

In the end I would say Ren has better peaks versus the first season but as a complete package it's very shallow. The anime teeters in the last quarter without the payoff required to make the whole thing work. That said, 95% of the anime is a joy to watch.

vance.skiles - 2014-03-30 00:25:29

Chuunibyou demo koi ga Shitai! Ren: Is one of those anime that is able to pull me into its story allowing me to be fully immersed in its world. First of all. i watched all twelve episodes without stopping, and just finished episode 12, so i still have a some of the emotions left over from finishing it. It is because of these lingering emotions that i can say that this is a show that will leave a lasting impression on your soul, depending on the reasons you chose to watch it though. I decided to watch it to try and place myself into the life of the main character, to try and feel the emotions he is feeling, and to search for something in it that i might be able to use in my own life. I know what i wrote is cheesy as a cheetah's balls, but those words are the truth. I thoroughly enjoyed the show because I went in to pull out something meaningful. "what is it that you learned from the show?" one might ask. Well if you are so eager to know I'll tell you, It's okay to take things slow. I am not saying that it is wrong to do things quickly, (i know i am speaking vaguely). I mean to say is that if what you are doing requires time, and you are to impatient to wait, you are going to fuck it up. Unless you are okay with not being satisfied by the result, then it is fine to speed up the process. Specifically, I am speaking of relationships. By taking a relationship straight to sex, that is all the relationship will be built on. Your physical bond, being sex, rather than the emotional bond that almost always needs time to form. I need to take my time and figure out what it is I am looking for in any relationship, let alone the fact that i never have been in one because of my fear of taking things to fast, or not fast enough. But now i have some consolation that it is okay to take my time, and let my relationships form a solid foundation before I do anything that could possibly break it.

Okay, now that all the emotion i have built up has been poured out i can focus on the anime itself. My initial reactions to the show are along the lines of it being hilarious, as well as sentimental; with a side of, shit just got serious! The entire show i could be seen laughing or enthralled by a "battle". The characters practically sucked me in, by the last episode I had nearly forgotten about my real life. Overall, I loved it!

Also, this is my first review, so my thoughts were most likely all over the place. The entire purpose of writing this was so that i can remember the feelings i had after watching for the first time, and to gather my thoughts on it.

lola82 - 2014-03-29 20:51:17

THIS IS A WHITEFOX ANIME REVIEW OF... Chuunibyou Season 2!

Its an amazing anime especially with this awesome season 2!

If you haven't watched season 1...go do so right now!

The season 2 involves more romance and more comedy!

Rikka Takanashi: The main character of the film, she is the shy girl who finally manage to tell her feelings to Yuuta.

Yuuta Togashi: A kind boy who gives Rikka all his support...and love.

Sanae Dekomori: Rikka's best friend/servant!

Shinka Nibutani: Known as Mori Summer and is a rival to Dekomori!

Kumin Tsuyuri: Just a senpai tagging along~

Satone Shichimiya: The upcoming rival comes in season 2!

This anime is really great, the season 2 is way better! Season 2 focuses on ROMANCE which is awesome because we all love the romance genre!

There are too many awesome moments I like in this anime, the animation, the story, simply wonderful!

What I don't like is...well..the part when they go all whack and go into Chunibyou mode..but well the title says it all, its still an awesome anime worth watching!

Romance: Rikka + Yuuta...

Action: Chuunibyou!

Comedy: Auuu~

This review will be short because this is a season 2 review. For those who watched the first and liked it, watch this season..you will be pleased!

emmerich.beverly - 2014-03-27 19:18:21

So here we are again.

Sequel to the first season of Chuunibyou, which was loosely based on the light novel of the same name, we have this season, which is even more loosely based on the second light novel in the same series of the same name.

This will be a shorter review as it is a sequel.

For the most part, this is a good sequel. It has most of what I wanted out it, more laughs, more chuuni, more tender moments, yadda yadda. If you liked the first season, there's little reason not to watch this one when you have the chance. It feels like a natural continuation of Yuuta and Rikka's relationship, with a slew of side hijinks from the other characters to balance things out.

Being KyotoAni, the production values are still pretty good although it is clear the budget wasn't as generous this time around. It still has that colorful, distinctive look even among other KyotoAni shows, but distance shots have a lack of detail the previous season retained.

It also doesn't feel quite as well directed. The first season is almost a textbook example of pitch-perfect anime directing, every scene lasted exactly as long as it needed to, the transitions were seamless and everything flowed into everything else. This second season is still good but feels a bit more clumsy and disjointed.

The one thing people will take issue with is the ending, which while not unexpected (this is KyotoAni afterall), still reeks of a cop-out. All that build-up and they just kind of let it fall flat. That's not to say this season was pointless, as I'm sure many people are going to say. Many laughs were had, many tender moments were shared, and all in all they did grow closer as a couple. I definitely enjoyed the ride even if the ending was a bit disappointing.

They had a chance to really knock it out of the park and instead they just mellowed out. Again, I can't say I'm surprised but it still leaves me with a sour feeling. But I know others will be more irritated by it so I figured I'd address it.

Chuunibyou Ren is a natural progression of the series that has most of what we loved from the original. If you enjoyed the first season, this one is definitely worth watching.

Rewatch Value: Yes (Based on a Yes/Maybe/No scale)