「旋律の…聖調理人(プリーステス)」 (Senritsu no … Hijiri Chourinin (Puriisutesu))
“Priestess of…the Melody”

This week we were introduced to some more characters (and learned more about previous ones), and what a treat it was! That’s why, as my lazy framing device of the week, I’m going to go by character and talk about the new ones we met this time. Until I get bored about do something else. So let’s go!

First up is the beautiful and responsible iincho Nibutani Shinka (Akasaki Chinatsu). While not in truth a new character – we met her last week – this was her first time getting more than a few words in…but only a few more. Compared to others, she didn’t have much of an impact on the episode, but I’m looking forward to seeing more from her. She seemed like a very earnest and approachable girl – despite her looks, which are clearly intimidating to a young boy like Yuuta. I mean, maybe it’s not so uncommon that she would remember running into a boy only a week prior (and then seeing him in her class shortly thereafter), but in animu-land it seems like the guy should obsess over that while the girl completely forgets it happened. Pretty girls are supposed to forget that we silly guys exist, right? *past scars coming back* I mean, that’s what always happened. She never called me back I was nice, wasn’t I? I was polite, opened the door, dressed nice, tried to be funny. I was just so young back then, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know… WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL!! T_T

… Aaaanywho, next up is the easygoing senpai Tsuyuri Kumin (Asakura Azumi). Now she had a much larger effect on the episode. I must say that I’m impressed and pleased about how they worked her into the story. When I saw that she might be the owner of Chimera, my “this is too convenient” alarms started going off…but it wasn’t her cat. Of course, the situation is still sort of convenient, since if she hadn’t lost her (gray, large) cat at around the same time then she wouldn’t have met the others, but I think Chimera not being hers made it okay. I mean, things really do just happen sometimes, and it’s believable that a girl at school would lose her cat around the same time Rikka picked one up, especially is they’re different cats. After all, there are a lot of girls and a lot of cats in the world! (And thank the gods for that first one). I don’t know if that kind of thing bothers anyone else, but it’s a pet peeve of mine, which KyoAni dodged beautifully.

That aside, I’m an instant fan of Kumin-senpai. I was laughing about how she just decided to go along with everything for…well, just because she wanted to! I didn’t have any clue how she would be worked into the story, but I didn’t expect that. I can already tell why she’ll join their fledgling ground of friends – she’s already realized that they’re just too much fun to not befriend! Speaking of, that innocent exuberance she exuded as she came along for the ride was really endearing. More Kumin-senpai plz!

Third on the list was none other than Rikka’s older sister, Takanashi Touka (Sendai Eri). Once again, perhaps my trope senses are dulling, but I didn’t expect the seeming fellow chuunibyou sufferer at the beginning to turn out to be Rikka’s perfectly normal onee-chan! …well, normal only insomuch that she didn’t suffer from Rikka-caliber delusions. Her ladle action was silly but amusing (especially when she nailed Kumin-senpai, d’aaawww!), but best of all was the calm way she blackmailed Yuuto into taking Chimera. Cool beauty + acrobatics + a little threatening + still kind + that choker (the belt isn’t necessary, even a ribbon will do, I just like seeing a lady wearing one!) = GREAT SUCCESS!

One final thing. Those delusions? Yeah, I totally thought were were real for a second there. (Okay, not really, but they did make me doubt it for a moment, which is close enough). I’m glad they weren’t though. It was more fun seeing Yuuta cheer for Rikka even though he could see how silly the fight she was engaged in was, and also because I think the story works better this way. Leave the supernatural stuff to other shows – I prefer that chu2koi stay silly and innocent. After all, it’s working for it so far.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – An easygoing senpai & a cool beauty onee-san join the fun as Rikka engages in some ridiculous delusion-battle action. Kanntwinkle! #chu2koi

Random thoughts:

Full-length images: 23, 24.

End Card

69 Comments

    1. Wow that last gif man, KyoAni is pretty damn amazing. I haven’t watch any shows of this season yet and I’m pretty behind on my summer shows, regardless I think I’m going to watch this now.

      Nhelraios
  1. This episode gave me a six pack. I couldn’t stop laughing. From Yuuta’s literal wet dream(thanks to Rikka’s antics) to Rikka’s grandeur delusions. I really can’t say which was the best part of this ep since it was so amusing from start to finish. If I were to pick a favorite scene I’d say it was Rikka’s amazing yet ungraceful shelf jump of glory.

    Yoshiji Kigami and his awesomeness. That delusion scene was so good and hilariously awkward. Cheesy lines left and right.

    90% of the stuff in this episode is anime original. They really did a great job. I was laughing so hard at this episode. Everything is just spot on.

    megalith
  2. Isn’t Takanashi Touka an office lady? With her acrobatics, I thought she did rhythmic gymnastics or worked as some secret agent.

    Anyway, I loved the episode (already watched it three times…I should move on to some other Anime…). I think I enjoyed Rikka’s self-destruct move on the ceiling light most, though the calm blackmailing was quite funny as well. This is why KyoAni is still my favorite Anime studio of all time (personal opinion).

    1. That reminds me to badger you guys at RandomC for the umpteenth time: With the main blogger and his replacement writer both frustratingly MIA (which begs the question: what’s the point of having a replacement writer then?), will you guys actually be covering the remaining episodes of Hyouka at all?

      Kinny Riddle
  3. Man this episode had everything, action, humor, new characters and so on. This anime is getting better and better. The fight scene is definitely an awesome addition to the episode. Looking forward to the next one!

  4. I’ve always wondered how a shonen-battle anime would look like if KyoAni animated it and this episode showed in the funniest way possible. The premise of Rikka’s delusional state is a great way for the studio to show off its budget in various ways while making sense in context.

    I’m already a fan of Touka. She’s a perfect foil for Rikka and acts like someone who’s had to deal with this crap everyday. Kumin on the other hand was just funny for being there for no apparent reason, she literally just stayed with them for the entire night.

    fragb85
  5. I’ve always wondered how a shonen-battle anime would look like if KyoAni animated it and this episode showed in the funniest way possible. The premise of Rikka’s delusional state is a great way for the studio to show off its budget in various ways while making sense in context.

    I’m already a fan of Touka. She’s a perfect foil for Rikka and acts like someone who’s had to deal with this crap everyday. Kumin on the other hand was just funny for being there for no apparent reason, she literally just stayed with them for the entire night.

    fragb85
  6. Nibutani… Touka… For most part of the show, it was a daze

    And yes Stilts, Touka with a choker… And her badass demeanour, its just amazing.

    Let’s start a troupe and call it Senjougahara troupe!

    But oh, we now know that ZERO LIVES ON! THAT VOICE RECORDING!

    c2710
  7. Wow I was already pretty much sold from the first episode but this one continued to do everything well. The new senpai seems to have slipped in pretty well because really you don’t need much more than feeling “these guys are interesting” to spend time with people.

    Also loved the older sister with how she was dealing with everything. The families here are just way too perfect in the way they complete our chuunibyou protagonists. The recording was already enough but the voices of his family in between was what really cracked me up. And I really do wonder how much of the chase scene actually happened considering what we saw afterwards. And the fight was just glorious. (Although I cried a little inside knowing that Kyo-Ani probably won’t be using this kind of skill for actual action packed anime and this is just showing off) And I’m glad they showed both Rikka’s and Yuuta’s vision of it since it made me feel at some point that there was something epic going on even while there was just a few girls waving things at each other.

    HakumeiJin
  8. Honestly, I can’t think of seeing a single frame of sloppy animation – the art is so well done.
    There’s so much detail and the colouring is beautiful.

    As they’re about to enter her room, after she successfully enters the encryption code on
    the door’s keypad, the best excuse Kumin-senpai can offer about her behaviour is

    She’s a girl, too.

    To me, that is a defining statement of what the series is about.

    Of course, Yuuta is immediately drawn to his former self when he see the props lining
    her room and performs a little nostalgic play-acting, affectionately noticed by Kumin-senpai.

    This is a very quirky romantic comedy that works because it has a huge heart.
    Only two episodes in and I hope this quality continues – I’d like to buy this next year.
    Definitely something I’d enjoy re-watching.

    mac65
  9. well after seeing this ep wonder if rikka has same thing doing like in akibaranger? (yea you know the voice answer to it)

    give now want keep the cat-chimera but here come her sister of soup spoon instant ko for everyone.

    give now cat go to yuuta cause other reason rikka’s sister got a recording of his “all hail lelouch doing” voice.

    2eps in yet still 10eps to go.

    em
  10. “I was just so young back then, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know… WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL!! T_T”

    …Hmmm, the only thing I could think of is… Did you like cats?

    Chaos2Frozen
    1. If Yuuta had been alone in Rikka’s room:

      Rikka – I sense great excitement and desire welling up in you. Use them and be far more powerful than what you are now. Join the Dark Side… Its your destiny

      Yuuta – Never. I’ll never join back

      Rikka – Hahaha… Resistence is useless. Join the Dark Side. It IS YOUR DESTINY.

      Yuuta – Never!

      Rikka – The Dark Side of the Force is the pathway to many things that some consider to be pleasurable.

      Yuuta – NEVER!

      Rikka – If you’re not with me… Than you’re against me…

      Cue in Battle of Heroes and epic delusional fight between the 2
      ———————

      God, can’t resist making that refrence when she said “Welcome to the Dark Side”

      c2710
  11. First Dr Pepper, now a lab coat huh? Seems Rikka might be one of the Chosen Ones.
    Loved the episode and I’m liking all of the characters too, well except Shinka, but that may change.
    That was also an awesome “battle”, specially loved Rikka’s transformation.

    xephx
  12. Tooka is hawt. I do wonder if Tooka used to be a ex-Chuunibyou herself, or she’s just simply so used to Rikka that she knows exactly how to deal with Rikka with ease. (She even put a calculator at the front door just to entertain Rikka’s delusions. lol )

    After seeing LITE Episode 3 in conjunction with this, I can totally see why Tooka was tempted to record all that just in case she needed to blackmail Yuuta in the near future. XD

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrcy69XOY7c&feature=player_embedded

    Fukuyama Jun was totally in his “Lelouche” mode when playing Yuuta back then, credit to his family for actually putting up with all that, though their generous tolerance of his antics probably makes him even more ashamed of it in the present, and why he’s particularly strict

    Kumin must have been pretty bored with the routine of daily life that she’s readily receptive of Rikka’s antics.

    Trivia: Kumin is voiced by Asakura Azumi, better known as Yukiho in the iDOLM@STER franchise. No wonder she sounded familiar.

    Kinny Riddle
    1. Forgot to mention, in the LITE episode, Kuzuha’s friend is just as “open minded” as Kumin in finding people like Yuuta and Rikka “cool” and fun to be with.

      Still, didn’t stop Yuuta reverting to normality upon seeing the cop and hid his toy machine gun. XD

      Kinny Riddle
  13. Ah… DAT CHOCKER!!

    I knew that was her sister in the opening but I assumed she had 8th grade syndrome too, it was a funny twist that she doesn’t, yet still does battle with her sister.

    Also Yuuta’s commentary is always amusing, constantly breaking the fourth wall of Rikka’s fantasies.

    I really love this show!

    Tez
  14. Well, Touka is without a doubt Sister of the Year. For the public eye, she’s an OL, but she’s clearly a well trained agent that cleans the mess of CIA, MI5, Spetznaz and others. When others fail, she delivers.
    Phail Lelouch was a nice touch. That means that Touka is better than CC?

    SeedStriker
  15. I am loving this show so far! It has some of the most adorable scenes which usually end up making me laugh! And even though we’ve been introduced to some more awesome girls, I still find Rikka to be my favorite. Her cuteness level is through the roof and so far unsurpassable in my opinion lol. Plus the way Yuuta interacts with her is hysterical XD

    Kira526
  16. I second that Stilts. This show needs more Kumin-sempai. Better yet needs more of everybody. Anyways yeah Tsuyuri is such a joy to watch just as much as Shinka and Rikka. Her going along with the ride reminds me so much of Mugi’s curiosity. Even when she got knocked out with that ladle she looked so cute.

    https://randomc.net/image/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai/Chuunibyou%20Demo%20Koi%20ga%20Shitai%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2016.jpg

    – I’d melt too if such a cutie was looking at me like that.

    Zhinvu
  17. black haired, red eyed, onee-san with gymnastic level skills and wearing a choker… think I’m in love 🙂

    kinda wish they made a second batch of lite episodes that focused on yuuta and rikka’s delusion fights XD

    Xziled
  18. based on this scene alone I think this show deserves a spinoff. Amazing how they could take silly littl Rikka and make her looks so serious and badass. Nobody scoff cause Nanoha was also a spin off and that turned out pretty well. REally shows Kyo-anis excellence in animation

    Roguespirit
  19. to be honest, i had more fun watching kamisama hajimemashita than this. i found the antics in this episode rather annoying. i dunno why. i hope they introduce other characters soon and focus on them as a group.

    kyuuzo

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