Revival of the Wicked Eye
Rikka, Yuuta, Sanae, Nibutani and Kumin are all back for yet another series of Chuunibyou! And as a new school year starts, perhaps it can also mean starting afresh and changing for the better… ? Well, maybe not.
After Chuunibyou finished airing in December 2012, I felt a little bit disappointed that my future weeks were not going to be filled with “Vanishment, this world!” and “Dekomori desu” etc etc. Yes, Chuunibyou definitely isn’t the best anime ever done by Kyo-Ani, but it certainly is funny and entertaining, so when I found out there would be a second series, I was simply over the moon.
At the end of the first series, we saw Rikka slowly start to grow up and change, realising that she needed to outgrow her 8th grader syndrome problem at some point. And I did think to myself, well, maybe she has changed but… No, she hasn’t changed. I doubt Rikka will EVER change. It completely baffles me how Yuuta actually manages to put up with her antics all the time, but there is still something loveable about her quirky nature. Oh, one difference being though, is that Yuuta and Rikka are now living together… Yes, as a couple, but not… Really? It seems Rikka is still having trouble trying to convey her feelings to Yuuta, and it seems that Yuuta doesn’t even know how to cope with this bonkers oddball (being Rikka). Why are they living together, I hear you ask? Ohh, only because Yuuta’s family all had to move away meaning he had to live on his own, and Rikka’s family are all going to move away too, so Rikka had no option but to move in with Yuuta… Although the only problem being is that Rikka’s older sister, Touka, isn’t aware of this situation. As soon as I discovered that… I knew things weren’t going to be so happy for long.
As the couple head off to school, we meet all our old favourites from the last series again. Nibutani! But… Not… Nibutani? It seems over the summer break Nibutani completely tried to change her image (a new (school) year, a new start!) from a bossy first year to a now elegant young lady. Now with her new black hair and very long skirt, Nibutani still is trying to cover up the dark past of her Mori Summer self: Something that Rikka is still fascinated by and keeps trying to dig back up again. Well, it seems some people have changed anyway, including Yuuta’s old friend (you know… that guy who was obsessed with Kumin, for some reason?), Isshiki! Although, probably not for the better… Now with crazy blonde and brown “rockstar” hair, it seems his sudden and rash choices in life are already taking a toll as soon as he returns to school: Poor Kumin-senpai can’t recognise him, and it looks like he’s already got to go get it cut off. Kumin hasn’t changed much either… Her moe personality still shines through!
But… We’re missing one person, aren’t we? … D-dekomori desu! Oh my god, I think I reacted the exact same as Nibutani when I saw Sanae step up onto the podium to deliver a speech as the new class representative… WHAT HAPPENED TO SANAE? I have to say, I was shocked. It seems that whilst Rikka tried to erase her 8th grader syndrome self yet failed, Sanae was following in her tracks! … I knew it wouldn’t last long, though. The rivalry between Sanae and her arch-nemesis, Nibutani, is still going. When will their quarreling and arguing and squabbling ever end?
So really, not much has changed since we last saw the characters. This first episode to Chuunibyou was pretty much just an introduction as to what the new series would be like and what things COULD happen. How will the characters grow, develop and change this time, I wonder? Only time will tell. One thing’s for certain, though, is that none of the group of friends will never truly be able to erase their true 8th grader syndrome self within them. Once Touka – Rikka’s sister – comes to see how Rikka is doing, a full-on battle ensues to eliminate the evil priestess! Even Nibutani is joining in (heh, maybe she secretly likes all their crazy adventures)! Of course… It was all imaginary, but I just simply love how Kyo-Ani go so in depth with the battle between the friends and Touka, and really show how vivid and wild Rikka’s imagination is. It’s quite extraordinary, in fact. Sadly… Touka wins the battle, again, and isn’t too happy about Rikka living with Yuuta (I mean, would anyone be okay with letting an innocent Rikka live with Yuuta?). When Kuzuha, Yuuta’s younger sister suddenly surprises everyone by informing them she would be living in the flat when the new school year arrived, Touka suddenly was okay with letting Rikka live with them: Hopefully we’ll get to see more of Kuzuha, I think she’ll be a good peace-keeper between the two. She definitely seems like a better sibling of the two.
So, as I said before, nothing and nobody has changed: It’s still the same old Chuunibyou as we know it. I’m just curious to know what is going to be different about this series, because pretty much this first episode seemed the exact same as before. It appears there may be some new characters appearing too, so I’m curious to know all about them too: Maybe the presence of a new character is going to break the peace between relationships and friendships? Who knows? Either way, Kyo-Ani didn’t fail to please me when it came to this first episode: It was still as funny and entertaining as ever, and I hope that future episodes will be so too.
