Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai / First Impressions

「海豚の…恋人契約（ドルフィンリング・ストライカー）」 (Iruka no… Koibuto Keiyaku (Dorufin Ringu – Sutoraikaa))
“Dophin’s… Lover’s Contract (Dolphin Ring Striker~)”

In the eternal words of Xumbra, “hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng”

The Cycle of a Relationship

Even if you’ve never been in a relationship throughout your entire life, I’m sure that the idea of a “perfect” relationship has been already implanted into your brain. Be it from the internet, television, or romantic movies; there’s always that cookie-cutter relationship that no matter what country you’re from or culture you live in, the common consensus is that you should strive to achieve it. But, as in all things where the word cookie-cutter is used, there are always exemptions to the rule.

Which is why I was so surprised (and entertained) watching Yuuta get pulled into Nibutani’s little date trap. While I still can’t comprehend why she was so angry over the whole thing nor do I think that her methods were right for helping the pair, I definitely have to give her credit for giving Yuuta the little push he needed. Because as much as I love how the status-quo is for this show, I’m sure things would quickly get stale if all the episodes kept beating around the bush. Because I’m sure that after season one, we’ve all had enough of that!

Which leads me back to my original point — aren’t we all happy that Yuuta and Rikka are both emotionally competent enough to let their true feelings surface every now and then? While Rikka may be hiding behind the guise of her chunibyou, I caught a little glimpse of her normal self slip out as she tried to contain the amount of happiness Yuuta brings into her life. And in Yuuta’s case, I’m glad that he understands Rikka isn’t your typical girl and has the patience to accept her for who she is. Sure, the events from the end of season one should have already taught him that but it never hurts to have good ideas reinforced, am I right?

Cumin, Epic Binoculars, and Hnnnnnng

As one of my flagship romantic-comedies from whenever the first season aired, I am freaking delighted that the episode was both hilarious and “hnnnnng” inducing at the same time. From the jab at Kumin-senpai (both literally and rhetorically) to seeing just how much 280,000 yen can get you (not much apparently), there was a nice balance throughout the episode. And don’t get me started with just how cute and touching it was for Yuuta and Rikka to confront their feelings about each other. First time hand holding leading to reconfirming their feelings for each other? Yes, please.

A New Challenger Appears?

Seriously, what the hell is this? Just when my favorite couple of the season finally take a step forward, a new random girl (Is this Yuuta’s old “soul-mate” from way back when? I don’t remember…) who just happens to have chunibyou and lives above Yuuta appears? Even though I could look at this as another stepping stone for Rikka to pass on her way to achieving full-couple status, I just can’t. I can already see it — jealously battles, Rikka’s bubble getting invaded, and at the worst Yuuta doing something stupid that will only take his relationship three steps backward. I guess though, until she’s properly introduced (Or is re-introduced?) we’ll have to wait and see just how dangerous she’ll be…

Random Thoughts

  • Kumin-senpai is getting hit, a lot. And what happened to the other male character? [/sarcasm]
  • When did Nibutani get her brown hair back? WHERE WAS THE EXPLANATION THAT IT (BLACK HAIR) WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA?
  • [22:07] < @Xumbra> takaii, http://puu.sh/6mEb8.gif
  • [22:11] < @Xumbra> hnnnng
  • [22:11] < @takaii> it’s mind numbingly cute
  • [22:13] < @Xumbra> spaaaaaaaaaaaank hahahah
  • [22:14] < @Xumbra> They animate all the characters, even background ones
  • [22:16] < @Xumbra> CUMIN SEEDS
  • [22:16] < @Xumbra> WHO THE HELL
  • [22:16] < @Xumbra> HAHAH THEY INFLICT SLEEP

56 Comments

    1. They defaulted back on Nibutani’s hair and style because I’m guessing they realized it was a horrible idea. I could live with the dyed hair but not the ultra conservative styling.

      Wish they went with an explanation, even a simple 3 second one (i.e. “Yo, what happened?” “I wasn’t feeling it”). No explanation makes it seem like it never happened at all. Either they switch it back next week with some explanation or trash the whole idea. I’m thinking they animated two scenes of her as a fail safe and tested the waters with episode 1.

      Horus
      Reply

      2. The hair thing (along with the long skirt) was explained in Ep 1. She was trying to be a mature Oujo-sama but it flopped spectacularly. There’s no real need to spend any time over it and I actually thought by completely ignoring it made the environment alot more dynamic, like that there is actually stuff happening when we are not watching.

        Besides, it was clear from the OP/ED that her old hair was coming back. No need to invent some ‘test the waters and reanimate hair’ thing which would be plain nuts!

        Scruffy
        Reply

  3. OTP + DATE? /SCREAMS
    OTP + TALK + SUNSET?! /SCREAMS EVEN MORE

    I also didn’t quite like the idea of a rival. Nevertheless, I’m holding on to this as Rikka and Yuuta are one of the most compatible characters ever.

    korindesu
    Reply

  6. Ahh yuss, Dekomori desu (and a hint of jealously at Rikka engaging in the naughties), the ridiculous wasting of allowance money, desperate wanting of cumin seeds, and total amazement at dolphin handling; KyoAni becomes ever slightly more based with every episode of this series. Total guilty pleasure.

    I second the need of a gif for that spanking scene, I laughed so hard at how Yuuta was cringing over it. A reluctant enforcer, the Dark Flame Master with a heart.

    Pancakes
    Reply

  9. In the eternal words of Xumbra, “hnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng”

    indeed…

    Mysterious Rival Girl appears!
    She uses roping down the balconies on Rikka!
    Is it super effective? We shall see…

    re: Nibutani hair – she was probably dying it in an attempt to escape the old chu2 gang. It has failed. SPECTACULARLY.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  10. Nibutani: kentaiki
    Kumin: kentakkii furaido…
    The Magic School Bus Cast: CARLOS!

    I swear.. Kumin and her puns. If she does what she pleases she would be the Carlos of Chuunibyou.

    Well this episode was pretty nice. I think the newbie director from Madhouse did a good job.
    The episode successfully managed to depict the problems they have with pushing forward their relationship. Like Nibutani said, they’re like grandpa and grandkids. Good thing Kazari was there. She took me by surprise with her line.

    While this was innocent, awkward and sweet, we still have room for “THE WHO”. Stalker stalking stalkers.

    A very nice ep with a very great Lite episode follow up! Looks next week will be the blood festival.

    megalith
    Reply

  14. This episode…. was adorable. So adorable I want to eat it up! GRRRRRR SO ADOWABLE!!!!! Rikka is unlike any character I seen. I’m so glad she and Yuta’s relationship is more stable this time around and they still make Rikka’s syndrome work in it!

    starss
    Reply

  16. to seeing just how much 280,000 yen can get you (not much apparently),

    Those weren’t binocs, they were night vision goggles. Knock off two zeros and you get a general idea of what yen is in dollars. She blew a couple of thou on them.

    Bear
    Reply

  19. Is Nibutani’s brief stint with being the perfect non-Chuunibyou ojou-sama really that embarrassing for her that even the writers had felt compelled to not mention it in order to save face for her? 😀

    Dolphin trainer: So how old are you?
    Rikka: I… I’m in sixth grade!

    LMAO Oh Rikka, only when appearing in front of an audience of strangers in your full-on chuunibyou-mode do you realize that the right answer would actually be really, really embarrassing.

    echykr
    Reply

  20. So I was in Japan last month and I visited the Kyoto Aquarium (京都水族館) while I was there. The aquarium scenes in this week’s episode had an uncanny resemblance to the Kyoto Aquarium…Everything from the big glass main pool, the penguin display, arrangement of the lion seal display and and the dolphin show stage looks almost exactly like the place I visited.

    I wonder if they are simply paying homage to their studio name, Kyoto Animation?

    Aoihoshikage
    Reply

    1. Unless the story makes an explicit mention of the location, it is not uncommon for animation studios to use real life locations to substitute for settings in the story. This explains why many anime settings can be found in western Tokyo, as that’s where most of the anime studios are.

      Kyoto Animation, based in the Kansai area, would naturally use places around there. Suzumiya Haruhi (Hyogo), K-ON, Chuunibyou (Shiga), Tamako Market (Kyoto), Hyouka (Gifu) are just a few examples.

      There’re many Japanese websites like this one below dedicated to the pilgrimage of such “holy sites”. Try checking it out regularly.
      http://seesaawiki.jp/w/lsh_er/

      echykr
      Reply

      1. Mistake: it is not uncommon for animation studios to use real life locations to substitute for settings in the story.

        —> Correction: it is not uncommon for animation studios to use real life locations near where they are based to substitute for settings in the story.

        Sorry about that.

        echykr
        Reply

      2. Wah, thanks I have known about such thing for quite a long time but I haven’t seen this kind of site yet, you have my gratitude XDD I agree with that, and it also could boost a place popularity maybe for some promotional campaign?

        cryarc
        Reply

      1. There were a few artistic differences: there wasn’t a cylindrical tank with a rotating seal, but just a small square tank next to the big sea lion tank. I did see a seal in that smaller tank, but it just sat there…They did pretty much render the entire dolphin stadium though (http://www.kyoto-aquarium.com/en/zone/dolphin.html). They also asked for volunteers at the dolphin show.

        @echykr
        Thanks for the clarification and website. It’s not the first time I’ve seen studios animefy (if such a word exists) real locations in Japan. I remember seeing youtube vids showing the exact locations that Girl und Panzer used in their Anime. For me, this was a surprise since I was actually at the Kyoto Aquarium and now got to see an Anime version of it 🙂

        Aoihoshikage
        Reply

  21. Daaaaaaaaaaw. At this rate this show will put me in a fluff coma by the end of the season.

    The show’s really touching on some relevant issues though, hooking up can be hard, but the ‘happily ever after’ is just as difficult if not more so to work through. As Takaii said we’ve all got the image of an “ideal” relationship in our heads, and reality never fits (been there, done that). Watching them work through it is bloody adorable.

    We’ll see how the love rival works out, it could be annoying or serve to push them along. It was hilarious how the balcony scene was with Rikka instead of Yuuta. I guess they never did say she’d be gunning for Yuuta…

    Hochmeister
    Reply

  22. One thing about Rikka this season is that she seems to have gone backwards from the end of the last season. Her chuunibyou is as bad as ever, but she also seems to be aware of it and understands that it is something that she needs to change. For example her lying about her age showed that she knew other people would react if she had said that she was in high school and was afraid of embarrassing herself. Her interaction with Yuuta as she sat on the bench was another indication, since she was interacting with him outside of her chuunibyou personality and trying to figure out how to be in a relationship in the real world.

    The other thing is the entrance of the new girl. To have her repeat the arrival of Rikka in the first episode was a masterstroke (and damn cute too).

    Bear
    Reply

  24. I don’t think it’s strange for Nibutani to get angry – she’s already been shown to be kind of a romance nut who’s been playing matchmaker for the two ever since halfway through the first season. So seeing that the two still haven’t gotten really intimate just grinds her gears, as she put effort into this and it clashes with her own view of a romantic relationship. ‘Tis hilarious to watch to boot. Makes you wonder how she’s act if she ever got a boyfriend (or, uh, girlfriend) herself.

    Still, you could definitely see some of the progress Yuuta and Rikka have made since the first season, in subtle ways. And their relationship and its progress will probably play a big role the rest of the season, so this episode probably set the theme for the plot.

    I do wonder about the new girl though…because she could be a dealbreaker. She could either be a funny character that brings interesting new dynamics to the established cast, or at worst, be an annoying interloper that exists solely to stretch the plot across twelve episodes. Guess we’ll see next week.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

    1. Not just that: It’s also “the moment you realized you almost fell doing it before and you didn’t know” and “the moment you saw someone doing it better than you”.

      TheMoondoggie
      Reply

  30. Of course, the 2nd episode is one to herald the arrival of a rival! Let’s just hope she’s a diverse character that adds to the already colorful cast, rather than just a device that either exists solely to stir the pot, or push that tired love triangle cliché.

    Mechnician
    Reply

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