Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai / First Impressions

「波打際の…究極奥義(リゾート・ラストリゾート)」 (Namiuchigawa no… Kyoukyoku Ougi (Rizooto Rasuto Rizooto))
“Ultimate Mystery… on the Shore (Resort Last Resort)”

How silly of me to think that things between Yuuta and Rikka would be simple.

Yuuta x Rikka

Nearly two seasons and a few OVAs ago, we were here watching our main couple duke it out with all the issues that come with chuunibyou. Embarrassing moments, awkward scenarios, and forced maturity aside I think that things have been going pretty smoothly. Add in the fact that everyone around them has been awfully understanding and if anything providing the support they need and you would never guess that there were problems brewing behind the scenes.

And if you thought that problem would be Rikka having to deal with the realities of “losing” her powers to embrace Yuuta’s love, you were probably just as disappointed as I was. That said, this whole second season has been a story about acceptance and understanding — not change. So while I personally wasn’t a fan of how quickly Rikka regained her lost powers, I can see how this course of action stays true to how the story’s been trying to pan out. Throw in Yuuta’s dorky smile when he finally admitted he likes Rikka’s chuunibyou side and we finally have a clear idea of where things should end up.

Unless it’s another red herring because after the way Kyoani misled us right as the episode started, I wouldn’t be surprised if some surprise revelation comes from right field. Never forget that we are talking about the studio who did Haruhi S1 with all that out of order episode nonsense and then gave us endless eight in S2!

Yuuta x Shichimiya/Sophia

I knew it. I absolutely knew it was going to happen. After being relegated into the “good girl” role after discovering Rikka and Yuuta were dating, I had a feeling that after prolonged exposure to Yuuta some of those buried feelings would resurface.

And boy, did those feelings come gushing out right at the end. And who can blame Sophia? After deciding to throw aside her feelings to maintain her way of life, she sees this new girl with Yuuta who vows she’ll be able to keep her powers and maintain the bond she’s created with him! I can only begin to imagine just how empty Sophia felt after realizing that a scenario like that could even be possible. Because just as she was, I started to reminisce about all the fond memories I’ve had of someone in the past and how if I made different decisions maybe, just maybe, the present could be a little different.

Simply put, the whole scene shook me up a bit. Something that doesn’t happen too often in any media form, but when it does it deserves to be recognized.

Nibutani, Dekoboko, Touka, and Looking Ahead

Who thought that a beach episode would end up being so serious? Luckily there were still a few things to laugh about in-between Sophia and Rikka trying to figure out what’s going on in their hearts. While I would have loved to see more of Chento and Dekoboko duke it out on the beach, I suppose I’ll accept seeing Nibutani and her unknowingly cuddling up with each other.

After what happened during the last few minutes of the episode, I think we’re about to see some emotions start rampantly flying. While I don’t know Sophia is planning to do, I want to believe that she won’t be blinded by her emotions after too much thinking. But if she does end up losing herself and doing shameful things, I can’t really blame her. Emotions are a tricky thing to handle and while they can bring out the best in people they can also unleash the worst.

Random Thoughts

  • Kumin-senpai has a mole on her breast!
  • Dekoboko is such a funny name, haha.
  • Samurai-hat wearing, Japanese Speaking, loli from Italy? Who could resist?
  • The significance of the coins still haven’t been revealed — fuuuuuuuuu

 

66 Comments

    1. It’s funny how they bring up the whole “If only I had…” scenario. About a month ago I had the same kind of nostalgia one day if I had played things out differently with a girl I crushed on way back in junior high school. She knew I liked her but I was didn’t act on it. Kind of bitter sweet memories thinking how happy you might have been.

      Horus
      Reply

    4. i hate what-if scenarios i can’t count how much that kind of thinking screwed up my life over and over. I was happy seeing toka in this ep one of the hottest characters in this anime(ranked 1 for me lol) though it gave me a heart attack when she mentioned that Italian joke, last but not least “i love beach episodes” \(=w=)/

      mike
      Reply

  3. *sigh* Well you got the love triangle that you were crying and screaming for. Was it worth it? Now this show has lost something that put it above the herd of generic romcoms out there now that Sophia is stuck as the hopeless love rival.

    The_Green_One
    Reply

    1. erm.. “love rival” have you seen the same episode as me? as i saw it Sophia honestly supports Rikka X Yuuta … i dont think she got it on herself (she is too direct and innocent) to be plotting against Rikka … that being said doesnt meant she doesnt have (resurfacing) feeling for Yuuta (i think that was clear since ep 2) .. will she act on them? likely yes. will she try to “steal” Yuuta? no dont think so . i dont think she is gonna be a “love rival” … just because she knows her opportunity was lost years ago.. will she be sad because of that? yes.. but that is life.

      inanis
      Reply

      1. No that’s anime. just because you’re a Rikka X Yuuta fan doesn’t mean that there’s no chance for Sophia X Yuuta….. what the hell am i saying ? *__* i think this anime got to me

        mike
        Reply

      2. mmm i actually find Sophia cuter … and she got good chemistry with Yuuta… but as much as i like that pairing it wont happen… Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai is not that kind of story.

        inanis
        Reply

    2. Dood, that happened to me to! When I first saw her I was thinking “lol I bet she’ll make a joke that it’s her daughter” but she delivered it with SUCH DEADPANNESS and paused the exact right time that I was made to think “OMFG wait, it’s not a joke?!” Only in the end Touka said it was a joke after all. asdfdsafsdf what xpert trolling.

      FlameStrike
      Reply

  5. The quick end to Rikka’s powers was disappointing because it was a good plot line to wind up the rest of the season: Rikka must make the choice whether to maintain her imaginative world, or to deepen her intimacy with Yuuta that her Chuunibyou was hindering. Instead we have Shichimiya tell her she can either have the Tyrant’s Eye or love, Rikka struggles for a few moments, chooses the Tyrant’s Eye…and can still have Yuuta’s love? Then we have Shichimiya realize yes she still has feelings for Yuuta. It’s as though KyoAni realized late that they need a serious plot thread to build on the SoL, get one, blow it, and desperately grasp at another.

    IMO it’s too late to open up a love triangle (if that is indeed where this is heading) because Shichimiya has not been built up as a character as much as Rikka, Yuuta, or heck even Nibutani. It seems superficial and superfluous, if not stereotypical. At this point though it’s entirely unclear where KyoAni is planning on taking this, so it’s going to be wait and see for how these new revelations turn out.

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Rikka choosing between “her powers” and Yuuta came up in season 1… i think the issue resurfaced because of Sophia (after all Rikka realized she has in the same position as herself… Rikka just took the third option)

      erm we been talking about “love triangles” since Sophia showed up..that was like 8 episodes ago? so no ..is not too late..is something that have been building up since episode 2.

      inanis
      Reply

    2. It’s not the discussion of a love triangle, it’s the (potential) initiation of one. Remember Shichimiya removed herself from any love triangle earlier by telling Rikka that she would fully support Rikka’s efforts to get closer to Yuuta. Now though we have what looks like Shichimiya backing away from that idea and now dealing with her own resurgent feelings for Yuuta.

      This is where the lateness and lack of character development for Shichimiya comes from, there has been no buildup and no prior indication that she would have her smothered infatuation return this cour.

      Pancakes
      Reply

    3. The other option is that Shichimiya will declare war over Yuuta at the end of the last episode, leaving a hook for another cour. Not something I support but it wouldn’t be the first time a studio did that.

      Bear
      Reply

    1. Relax!!! Kumin is a good moe character, but Mikuru Asahina has it’s special place. However, Kumin-senpai reads the atmosphere much better (see the last episode).

      Shapes apart, that mole is so cute!

      RLeo
      Reply

  7. awesome chapter lol Rikka’s mecha!

    wow i missed Toka nice to see her!

    hehe cant say i didnt see the last part coming for a mile away! now cant wait to see Sophia’s behavior around Yuuta!

    PS: now is getting interesting.. really wanna see the inevitable confrontation between Yuuta and Sophia … sadly the end result is known: Sophia gonna be sad. The way to the confrontation gonna be awesome too.. knowing Sophia’s character she may even ask advise from Yumeha or..omg maybe even from Rikka herself haha that would be fun to watch if it happened.

    inanis
    Reply

  8. Slightly off topic, but Haruhi S1 being ‘out of order’ was actually useful, not crazy. What they did was spread out the first novel so the climax of the novel (episode 6) would be the last episode that aired. Otherwise the season would end with either Live Alive (not bad, but not an ending) or Some Day in the Rain (written just for TV, and really not an ending).

    S2 was crazy, but I find it hard to believe that was Kyoani’s choice…

    flap
    Reply

    1. The out of order comment was more about how they went about it.

      It was a sort of “When you figure it out, you’re going to be like OMG” kind of moment.
      Because you know, they could have just ordered it the same way they aired it.

      Again, not a comment about it’s usefulness or whether or not it helped (:

      Takaii
      Reply

  11. I couldn’t take my eyes off Nibutani…..then Touka showed up.

    All I have to say about this is how much I’m loving Satone right now. Even her name just sounds epic, cute, and unique. That ending made my heart skip a bit and I started breathing heavily. That whole scene just felt intense, and that’s an understatement!

    I feel so sorry for her now. Rikka decides to fight to keep her “powers” and her contract with Yuuta, but Satone discarded one to have the other, when it never occurred to her that she could have both. To think one small change can make the story change so drastically. If Satone took Yuuta’s hand, the whole plot might’ve been so different…..or similar as well, just with roles reversed in a way.

    swordhack4
    Reply

    1. Those old feelings she had bottled up are intense, ardent and overwhelming.
      Her reaction speaks volumes of this and we’re gonna see shit hit the fan if
      this plot setup is handled properly. Kyoani, amuse me. Go.

      Helvetica Standard
      Reply

  18. Just who the hell is in charge of the screenshots this week? Where on earth is the full-body eye-catch shot of Touka in her hot bikini? D:

    Anyway, we already know Nibutani is hawt, and Rikka is sexy in their bikinis. And now we also have Touka and Kumin-sempai finally dons a two-piece bikini and reveal their assets, with Shichimiya also demonstrating her “inner worth”. <3

    For the flat-chest inclined, Dekomori and Kuzuha are joined by Touka's daughter Italian loli friend to make the set complete. 😀

    echykr
    Reply

  19. Poor Shichimiya, she must be feeling like Michael Corleone:
    “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

    An unintended consequence of Rikka’s evolution into the New Tyrant Eye, which is itself formed from Shichimiya encouraging Rikka’s resolve in the first place.

    This will only end in sadness for her, and a bitter victory for Rikka. 🙁

    echykr
    Reply

  22. Poor Shichimiya. Having those old feelings resurface can only end in tears. She really is getting the short end of the stick this season.

    As for Rikka, I don’t mind too much that her regaining her powers was solved in one episode. The outcome would’ve been predictable anyway, so dragging it out for multiple episodes would’ve been tiresome. Instead, the conflict will probably come from Satone. She’s been thankfully avoiding the whole ‘third wheel’ angle in the show so far and served as more of a catalyst. A catalyst that is likely to develop into an antagonist now, because of jealousy and whatnot. Love can make you do evil things, and she ís a devil girl, after all…

    Also, the previous beach episode was serious too, so this show seems to have a penchant for subverting their very nature.

    And those shots of Nibutani and Dekomori…hnnnng. I wonder if they actually woke up like that.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  26. Damn it, why can’t I be best friends with Touka, Nibutani, and Dekomori? I think life would be a lot more entertaining hanging around that lot.

    I was also disappointed by how quickly Rikka regained her powers. Was it missed potential though? I honestly don’t know. Gotta see where the current circumstances lead. But come on, did we ever believe Satone WASN’T still in love with Yuuta?

    Trippwire01
    Reply

  27. After watching last week and this week’s episode, I thought that Rikka is finally gonna grow out of her chuunibyou syndrome as her feelings for Yuuta grow stronger. I guess not.

    Touka thinking that Yuuta already took advantage of Rikka. 🙂

    Yuhsaku
    Reply

  28. Man am I glad the best girl in the series finally showed up! If I were Yuuta, I’d go for Touka! I mean come on, let’s admit it, she’s way better than Rika! Also I couldve sworn she had some interest in Yuuta as she did record his Chuuni talk back in season one when she blackmailed him, which kinda made me wonder why she did it in the first place. Kinda nice to see in this episode that they both had a serious talk at night.

    Anyways, my fantasies aside, I couldve sworn Touka had a very anxious or worried look on her face when Yuuta told her that Shichimiya is his childhood friend, I wonder if she knew that the girl might interrupt their relationship.

    Ryner
    Reply

  29. Rikka’s rationalization disappointed me, though part of the problem is that Yuuta has been humoring her Chuunibyou, so I can see where she can get confused. Shichimiya felt she had to give up her feelings for Yuuta or her Chuunibyou and chose the latter. Now come the regrets. So Shichimiya may be moving forward while Rikka goes backward. How will Yuuta react to a normal Shichimiya especially if Rikka starts acting out?

    Bear
    Reply

    1. The thing is, I don’t think Sophia is going to ever be “normal” or at least more normal than chuunibyou (I love the scenes where everyone breaks out of character and asks things like “Is this alright?”).

      But as much as I also wanted to see continual growth from Rikka, maybe things will work out in the end?

      Takaii
      Reply

  31. Man, this was an awesome episode, but one thing that makes me just makes me sad is that Sofia x Yuuta could work, if Rikka wasn’t there and that what if really makes me torn. I like yuuta x rikka, but man, Sophia and her feelings is really making it difficult for me to fully root for Rikka.

    TrapMaster
    Reply

  32. I know because of the light novels but…Kyoani for the love of all things freaking holy either a.) pull a Gainax Panty Stocking and Garterbelt on me or b.) throw a OVA 4 episode adaption to a what-if afterword…otherwise (which I most likely will be) disappoint.
    Shichimiya4Lyfe~ Have all my wafius
    Also denim shorts with a bikini top will always be hot.

    significantothers
    Reply

  33. I know this is a late comment but… Why the heck is Satone (or Sophia if you rather) the one sitting beside Yuuta? I feel like it’s just forced so that they can make happen that final scene.

    Zerix
    Reply

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