Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai / First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Sparkling Daydream」by ZAQ

「邂逅の…邪王真眼」 (Kaikou no … Ja Ou Makoto Me)
“An Unforseen Encounter…the Tyrant’s Eye of Truth”

Have you ever waved your hand at an automatic door (a train, an elevator, a grocery store front door) and been secretly delighted when it opened on cue? Don’t lie; I know you have. I can’t imagine a person who enjoys anime who hasn’t done something like that at least once in their life, and possibly still does to this day. That’s the essence of “chuunibyou,” or “middle school second year syndrome,” that time in a young middle-schooler’s life when imagination bleeds over into reality and their not-so-subtle fantasies are acted out in real life with ridiculous flair. This is a story about a bunch of first year high-schoolers, one of whom still suffers from the dreaded syndrome while another tries to put it behind him. Where’s the fun in that?

All over, as it turns out! If I had to pick only one word to summarize this episode, it would be adorable. As soon as Takanashi Rikka (Uchida Maaya) stepped onto the stage, her innocent delusions were a treat to behold. Chock this up to KyoAni if you like – the art is certainly top-notch, and the little movements of all the characters really brought them to life, especially Rikka – but it’s also a matter of simple chemistry. Rikka would be nothing without our beleaguered protagonist Togashi Yuuta (Fukuyama Jun), as it’s in their interactions – and most notably, Yuuta’s reactions to her delusions – that made me smile and giggle like a second year middle school student being terrorized by a 4th Level Tickle Master! But wait, if I don’t thwart the Dread One with my dreaded Onii-chan’s Dark Sword of Soul Shattering Darkness, the world will be swallowed up by the evil forces of the nega-world! If only I had my trusted–!

Ahem. Anyway, plot-wise this was purely a setup episode, so not much to comment on there. They did firmly establish the two main character’s personalities though, principally that of Yuuta. His desire to have a normal life with normal friends was actually quite adorable as well, to tell the truth. Yet I think it was the last moment of the episode that really endeared him to me, when he, while still being tsundere about it, moved all his old chuunibyou artifacts back into his room so that he didn’t makethea cut girl beside him cry. Rather than tell us he’s a good guy, that showed it, and I got the message loud in clear.

That said, Yuuta did more than that well. There are two things about him that I love already, and they’re things that most male leads lack – he’s not a dense idiot who can’t read the mood, and he’s not afraid to use a strong tsukkomi, even when the boke he’s smacking is a girl. What? I get tired of seeing only guys get megaton punched all the time! I say that if a girl is the one acting ridiculous, go ahead and bonk her upside the head…and especially if she looks this adorable afterwards. Though really, I don’t know why all those other main character put up with it. If it were me, I would just raise my impenetrable Onii-chan’s Barrier of Unstoppable Dark Demon Decimationizing to ward off their fiery blows, and then follow up with my patented, my legendary–!

…erh, where was I? Right, so all in all this was a supremely enjoyable first episode. The main characters were swiftly established, their chemistry is great already, the atmosphere and pacing are both well done, and above all, I had a good time every minute I was watching. Good comedy with love in the air…did I mention that? My rabu-rabu meter is already ringing off the charts, and I can’t wait for Yuuta to totally give in and fall for the strange girl he met repelling onto his balcony. That’s got to be some Romeo and Juliet stuff right there…only, you know, more adorable :3 Hang on, Yuuta! I have a feeling this is going to be a fun ride.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – A story of a boy who wants to forget his past & a girl whose imagination gets away from her…& leads straight to love. Adorable! #chu2koi

Random thoughts:

  • I was warned ahead of time that the OP is a bit seizure inducing (okay, it doesn’t show when it’s a still but shut up), and yeah, perhaps that wasn’t the best move. I did enjoy the song though, and will be looking forward to the single. Same with the ED…that was more of a standard anime song affair, but still quite enjoyable. Note: see the Announcements to the side for why there are no videos.
  • So I’ve decided to call Rikka’s eye the Tyrant’s Eye of Truth. Why? Because I think it sounds the coolest. Yay for having no credibility!
  • The first time I heard Rikka say “kyoukai senjou” I literally did a double take. I thought I just finished covering that! Orz
  • A free drink? So powerful. So adorable!
  • Quick note on Yuuta’s family: also adorable. Loved his reliable dekai imouto Kuzuha (Fukuhara Kaori), his super cute chichai imouto Yumeha (Shitara Mami), and quite honestly, his okaa-san (Amano Yuri) was cute as well! You’re a lucky, lucky man, Yuuta…may I punch you?
  • Dark Flame Master, heh. You know, I think I’m really going to enjoy this season… >:3

Full-length images: 18, 27.

 

ED Sequence

ED: 「INSIDE IDENTITY」 by 真礼内田, 千夏赤﨑, 杏美浅倉, すみれ上坂 (Uchida Maaya, Akasaki Chinatsu, Asakura Azumi, and Uesaka Sumire)

End Card

118 Comments

  2. The op was definitely seizure inducing, couldnt focus for a bit after watching it. I sort of can relate to this show as I often act out some of my fantasies,(NOTHING R18+) and then afterwards I tend to be embarrassed or like “Why did i just do this? >M<" I have to admit Rikka is sooooooooooooooooooooooo cute.

    Mutare
    Reply

  5. They could have been animating Little Busters…

    Dammit KyoAni, pick something harder than the usual slice of life. Or at least do some more Haruhi. I’m getting concerned that they seem to be stuck in the ‘moeblob’ genre.

    I’m just worried is all. I want Little Busters to get the anime it deserves.

    Tarage
    Reply

    3. To be fair, animating a Key adaptation wouldn’t exactly be out of their standard fair either. Honestly, I’m not a huge KyoAni fan – until they sack up and do an original series, they will be forever lesser than those studios who are willing to take a huge risk and create something brand new in my eyes – but I decided to pick this up because I looked into it and what I saw seemed interesting. Little Busters! too…there’s time enough for both!

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Actually, this one can be considered like Munto as an original series, since the LN itself is their own brand, and to make things even spicier, a ton of original content has been added for the anime, so basically it is not really an adaptation.

        Klashikari
        Reply

    2. So I was not the only one who noticed Chitanda and Houtarou’s school’s uniform making a cameo there.

      Also, Yuuta’s sister’s green sailor uniform looks exactly like Yui, Ui and Nodoka’s Junior High uniform in K-ON.

      Kinny Riddle
      Reply

  7. https://randomc.net/image/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    OMG Houtarou wht r u doing here!??? You can’t fool me by disguising as a brown hair Chuunibyou 😛

    https://randomc.net/image/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2019.jpg
    Tthis scene remimded of Another out of all anime lol. Can you say “Shining Eye”??? (Yeah I know its lame)

    https://randomc.net/image/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
    Is tht another bland name ver of Dr Pepper?? Its really is a drink for the intellectual person.

    Again, the quality of the animation is good. And Rikka is just so :3 And the part where Yuuta trying to get the info outta her was funny too. Btw did any1 notice tht the cupboard remain slanted lol.

    This show had found my approval to stay in my watch list.

    D-LaN
    Reply

    1. I laughed at the cupboard thing. He went total apeshit there! …and they just left it as is. Sometimes just a bit of over-the-top cartoony comedy spliced into a show that otherwise eschews it for the more “realistic” is quite funny. Nice ^^

      Stilts
      Reply

  8. I liked the ending for this episode, where he decided to keep his old belongings. It makes me think in a way that as a kid, we would imagine these crazy scenarios where we’re something else, and even though we can feel a little embarrassed about it, it still makes our past, who we are, and in a way, those were some of the best times in our childhood, to dream big and act out like heros in our imaginative world.

    Dualash
    Reply

  10. A very entertaining episode and top it off it was handled by Animation Do team. They’re the same team who handled Hyouka ep 21. This ep was very lively and playful. I really enjoyed it. Had a lot of laughs and some involuntary pauses due to pure embarrassment. Seriously this really helped a lot for making things more enjoyable. Well of course Rika was a really entertaining character in this ep. I really like her antics which I find very hilarious in the 2nd lite episode.

    The OP wasn’t my cup of tea at first but what the hell… Ishihara likes to do things either catchy as hell and/or highly repulsive. I’m actually addicted to it now.

    The ED on the other hand no complaints about that. As expected from Naoko Yamada for the ED’s concept.

    Looking forward for the next ep.

    megalith
    Reply

      2. I wonder who inside KyoAni is that much of a hardcore gamer to even make these references.

        Nichijou had SF4 reference. Haruhi-chan had twin bee reference plus the club room shelf was stacked with various consoles.

        If this was really in the light novel then that changes everything.

        megalith
        Reply

  12. That feel one of Maaya Uchida’s previous roles has something to do with delusions and her being a magical girl in an anime that we only see its opening sequence.

    tl;dr I seriously miss watching Akibaranger but I am glad that Maaya Uchida is getting more recognition. 😀

    UkiyaSeed
    Reply

    1. The harem is strong in this one. It may very well be a harem series considering that is following that cliche rule, if the main character is a guy he must be surrounded by babes at all times. So far yes.

      solarasreign
      Reply

  14. hei..there is houtarou…where is eru, satoshi and mayaka…bring entire cast of hyouka here..i want to see them and their delusion

    ehem…yuuta became dark flame master…hiei?..sorry but you need to go to hell and defeat dark dragon

    is it me or the rikka look like just the MC from another…with the power of “geass”

    lou
    Reply

  16. As a fairly recent Japanese pop-cultural term, “Chuunibyou” (or “eighth-grade disease”, as it seems to inflight 14-year-old bratty teenagers in eighth-grade who think they’re the centre of the universe with supernatural powers) is almost impossible to translate, so perhaps it’s just as well UTW subs kept the term intact.

    To put it simply: Just think Kuroneko from OreImo, Kobato from Haganai, or your annoying Narutard neighbour who thinks he’s the next Hokage because he happens to know Bankai – that’s “Chuunibyou” for you.

    Rikka’s gothic supernatural delusions makes her more or less similar to Kuroneko, but she’s like 100 times more adorable. I’ve not seen Sanka Rea before, but I do hear Uchida Maaya won lots of praise as that series’ title character, so I shall be looking forward to her performance here.

    Yuuta as the ex-Chuunibyou acts as the perfect foil for Rikka, Fukuyama Jun is no stranger to doing “straight man” characters, just as he is used to doing “cool” characters like “Dark Flame Master” (think Zero from Code Geass).

    Kyo-Ani veteran Fukuhara Kaori (Tsukasa from Lucky Star) and “Forever-17” Inoue Kikuko (Sanae from Clannad) returns to voice Yuuta’s sis and homeroom teacher respectively.

    Ever since voicing Keiichi in Higurashi and Tomoki in SoraOto, veteran seiyuu Hoshi Souichirou has now made the transition from voicing boyish hunks piloting Gundams into ikemens with a shamelessly perverted-slant, which his character Isshiki Makoto here seems to be emanating vibes of.

    This show would be Kyoto Animation’s first “in-house” adaptation, as the publishing house that published the original novels KA Esuma, is owned by Kyo-Ani themselves. (KA being short for Kyoto Animation and Esuma meaning something like “exhume”, “discover” in Italian)

    Adapting something in-house means Kyo-Ani gets to net all the profits made from DVD sales for themselves rather than having to pay royalties to outside copyright holders. Though only time will tell if this will become a trend, as Kyo-Ani does have a healthy working relationship with Kadokawa, where they’ve adapted Haruhi, Lucky Star and Hyouka from, but it makes sense to not rely on Kadokawa too much.

    PS Speaking of Hyouka, can the RC writers please wrap up this most excellent Kyo-Ani series soon?

    PPS Hyouka novel translation is back in business at:
    http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Hyouka

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  17. I immediately thought of “Another“.

    A very strong first episode, great colouring, snappy animation and great main character introductions.
    Already, he shows his true character by thinking about her and taking care of her (eye in the nurse’s office).

    How many of us remember being drawn to someone we’re supposed to like (because we think it defines
    our normality) but have found ourselves quietly and deeply attracted to another (no pun intended), and
    didn’t realize it, or want to admit it to ourselves. I think that’s the setup here.

    I’m looking forward to see how this plays out.

    Two strong Romantic Comedy starts this season (“Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun” the other so far) – just
    waiting for “Perfect Order” to get rolling and I’m set!

    mac65
    Reply

    1. Humans are so dishonest sometimes. That makes it extra delightful (at least, when it’s done well, and when it’s not you) when they realize their folly and go with the “wrong” (but right for them, oh so right for them) girl or guy in the end. I look forward to it : )

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. You know, it’s been a while any show being covered by Stilts has been pure hell for me. They just don’t agree with me at all. Ever since the end of High School DxD (and maybe a little bit of Ano Natsu), it’s ALL been pure torture/reasons to question existence of ___(insert whatever here).

        …Anyway I thought this show had some potentials, but then got old real fast. As I don’t care for moe thing, it’s better to be funny for me to willfully ignore that, but no… Well it did have some mildly funny moments and I did like this shameless antics of the Misaki Mei character, so I will give it 3-episode trial.

        deathtogenericshows
        Reply

  22. This show makes me feel nostalgic. I used to be a chuunibyou too: I once pointed my index finger at a tree, trying to make it burn. By the power of sheer coincidence, a thunder struck it down that very night. I stopped being delusional since then.

    This is another (rare) romcom-harem anime I would enjoy. No overly explicit fanservice, no impossibly clueless protagonist, and more importantly, no forced relationship building. This fall is gonna be fun.

    PassingThrough
    Reply

    1. “I-I think we should date first. I mean, I only just met you!”

      True gentlemen always get the girl in the end!

      (Disclaimer: you should not take love advice from an anime blogger. It rarely ends well.)

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Ya know, gatta love the Japanese sense of fair-play and humor in those opening minutes.
        I mean, was she talking about her eye under the patch? Or was it a comment to her audience…?

        But there were two things that struck me the most (and there are those who should turn in
        their Ecchi cards who didn’t pick up on this): 1st, her handled an intimate part of her body
        already – her feet! Think about it (everyone nods Animely approvingly). Massage a cute
        girl’s feet to open her heart.

        Second, that was some quality animation for those few seconds as she slipped her delicate, tiny
        feet into his hands – no accident there. I’m not a foot-person, but the attention paid and the
        detailed rendering in that brief sequence, very well done.

        I’m looking forward to more of these things – of course there’ll be the usual cliché things,
        but I’m really expecting a fun watch with some novelty like this.

        mac65
        Reply

      2. As of Oct 1st, the downloading of music/video content became a felony offense in Japan punishable by jail time and/or (large) fines- so I expected some of this season’s new shows to begin including copyright warnings- these laws are pretty draconian if you ask me, makes SOPA/PIPA look like cotton candy and rainbows…

        Zen
        Reply

  24. Very charming episode. I would have liked to have seen at least one more display of Rikka being “normal” as it would have sold me more on her character. Perhaps they are saving more of her less derpy moments for later.

    As for the “seizure” inducing OP? I’ve suffered from absence seizures for the past ten years and the OP did nothing to me; thou I cannot speak for any one else. Confusing might be the best word for it.

    skylion
    Reply

    1. It gave me a terrible headache, and I’m not prone to seizures at all. Something about the too quick flashing of colors and trying to pay attention to the movement (plus the subtitles) on the screen. Definitely going to be skipping the OP from here on out.

      Isabel
      Reply

  25. so let it get all set yea this person yuuta now go high school trying to take it normal & hid from so called “embarrassed” as a cos-LARP (mix of cosplay & LARPing)?

    til meet girl with so called “evil eye” yet things she do is like so um “magical” doing?

    ok then yea stick to see what else to expect if yuuta plan do a “you know the anime he did with evil eye” yea we get it.

    pivep
    Reply

  30. I have to admit this series caught me off guard. The opening in my opinion was really catchy and fascinating as well as the ending. As for the episode itself it’s a unique story lol, I laughed at the 8th grader syndrome and all of it’s antics. I’m definitely going to continue watching this and I can’t wait for more honestly, this is really good show.

    Delezie
    Reply

  32. So… forced moe is a free pass for delivering dull stories filled with irrelevant lines and autistic characters.

    It was fun for the 20 seconds of eyepatch abuse though.

    Good thing is, it can only get better.

    Ananas
    Reply

  33. This was the show I was lookig forward too the most this season. Yes I also got a headache from the op though I was kinda hoping for the same one as the special episode. I really like that song but of course I realized from watching the special that it doesn’t really fit the show.
    When Yuuta took Rikka’s feet and placed them on the balcony I was expecting a gag. For some reason that scene really stands out for me. Also nice to see the male lead take charge for a change instead of being the whipping boy for the female lead.
    Also I had great another vibes from this like many others here. “Would you like to see what’s under my eyepatch?” I’m really looking forward to the rest of this anime. Kyo ani’s rep is still going strong with this show. The force is strong with it.

    Roguespirit
    Reply

  35. Seeing how Rikka lives alone with an elder sister who’s rarely at home, she kinds of reminds me of Kirino in OreImo instead of Kuroneko, only in terms of their motives for becoming a Chuunibyou otaku.

    While not exactly a spoiler, it’s not hard to guess that Kirino feels jealous and lonely that her brother is often spending time with his childhood friend, and so escapes into the world of anime and manga, particularly sis-con eroges, where she can be “surrogate big brother” to the “little sisters” to fill her brother complex gap prior to the series beginning.

    Similarly, Rikka, unable to hang out with her sister due to her busy work schedule, found refuge in this other world where she can build her new “identity” (as alluded to in the ED title and lyrics). To deny her “Chuunibyou” is to deny her of her existence, which is why she seemed visibly upset when she heard Yuuta was planning to throw his Dark Flame Master sword as “trash”, and tried her best to dissuade him from doing so.

    Of course, I may be over analyzing here from only one episode of character interactions. So please take this with a pinch of salt.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  38. When I was 11/12, bored as hell in a Local History class, I absentmindedly performed a DBZ movement with my hands. Teacher saw me and stopped giving class and asked. “That was a Kamehameha right?”.

    That’s when my delusions died.

    xRichard
    Reply

  39. This show is soooo me. I still get this feeling in college and slam my head against the wall like the MC whenever I remember something like that… I still feel like I have 8th grader syndrome.

    Suppa Tenko
    Reply

    1. To quote myself:

      Note: see the Announcements to the side for why there are no videos.

      To quote said announcement (i.e. Divine):

      10/03: Streaming clips have been removed from the site to make it more compliant with fair use. Thank you for your understanding.

      Hope that clears everything up.

      Stilts
      Reply

  45. It does give vibes of denpa onna. Shinka Nibutani reminds me of Ryūko Mifune in looks. Everyone thinks Mei from Another when looking at rikka but I get Chihiro Shindo from ef vibe.

    PrimeHector
    Reply

  47. There was some cute, but there were unfortunately also some scenes where her delusions annoyed me. So far I have a hard time imagining him seeing her as more than some lonely girl who needs help. Kobato is different and feels more adorable to me, since shes only the small sister, while Rikka is supposed to be the main love interest.
    I’ll watch more, but I fear that series is not meant for me.

    boingman
    Reply

  49. Wow, my inner child was really tickled there. I did go through a phase where I dreamed about having a much more important part in the universe. In such a big and suffocating society (especially true for Japan, I’d imagine) I don’t think it’s unusual for kids to yearn for something more (interesting?) out of life. I don’t think it’s simply a matter of runaway imagination or childish naivete–to quote Kyon, from a thematically similar series, I’ve never believed in Santa Claus–but a way teenagers cope with a world that’s feeding them so many ideas when they themselves do not have many ways to feed any back.

    Summary: Like Rikka, I also wore an eyepatch through my younger years (though not by choice. And hell yeah my eye had special powers.

    Passerby
    Reply

  50. Mei from Another was drawn with straight lines, posture forever stiff. Rikka, by contrast is drawn with anything but straight lines. Eyepatches and hair-do’s do not a comparison, make.

    skylion
    Reply

  53. Just watched the ep. Rikka is definitely going to be my moe source of the season.

    I wish I was warned on the op though, I liked it, but man was I not prepared. Such a head-ache 1st time. I literally had to pause the ep and take a short break before continuing lol.

    Mukyuu
    Reply

  58. Now this is a nice show. The episode was very funny, what’s with all that 8th grade syndrome. I can relate to that: when I was in my freshman year, I’d make believe that I was a planeswalker who’s power is on par with the Nine Titans when I join a private casual competition. Lots of melodrama. I get embarrassed when I talk about it, but I can laugh it off now.

    Not Togashi though(Jun Fukuyama FTW!) Looks like his hit him hard pretty bad, LOL.

    Oh well, let me enjoy this series more. Love the cuteness of it. Some parts are a bit embarrassing to watch. But it was fun nonetheless.

    The Moondoggie
    Reply

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