"Reality be rent... Synapse break.... Vanishment this world!!" -Rikka Takanashi

We all remember the time when we used to pretend that the world bent to our wills. It felt amazing, having the power to fly, hide from your parents, and defy your friends through a struggle of power. This anime brought back so many good memories of me goofing around, and making me realize what good times those were. It helps us to look back and peer into what it was like to do these things once again.....but with deeper meaning. At first, Chunibyo was an anime that had me laughing a good number of times because of its clumsy and cute comedy. The characters and their interactions with one another were nothing new, but it gave balance to the crazy world of chuunibyou. As the story progressed though, I soon realized that this anime had SO much more to offer. It wasn’t about the childish fantasies that were held onto despite reality, it was about escaping reality itself. I was soon watching an anime that beautifully represented why moving on could be so hard for some. The transition from a light comedy to a heartfelt slice of life was seamless, and the way it was executed was very natural in the events leading up to it. This anime had turned into something very unexpected, but in the best way possible. Without further ado, here’s my review of Love, Chuunibyou, and Other Delusions!

Art and Animation: 9.1/10

• The art style of this anime was so pleasing to watch. I really enjoyed the character designs and animation quality. When it came to the occasional action scenes, it was hilarious and entertaining to watch a full-fledged action-packed battle one moment, to a laughable scuffle the next second. They were very well animated with great art and beautiful vibrancy at some moments. The environment and world building were at a very decent quality where it wasn’t something that went unnoticed. Even the OP was very unique in itself, which I never got tired of watching because of its fun and upbeat animations.

Storyline and Character Progression: 8.8/10

• This is where the anime itself took a turn for the better. In the beginning, we got your typical high school group of friends filled with funny moments and even more hilarious character interactions. While I really did enjoy every moment of it, this isn’t a very deep or engaging storyline that keeps someone begging for more. It could be more accurately categorized as “light entertainment”. I did though, enjoy how they were able to develop the individual personalities of each character during this time. It had really set the stage for the events to come, so that we could clearly understand the characters feelings. Once the real storyline kicked in, it had a touching message to relate to all of us: “Moving on is painful and hard, but is essential in enjoying the most of life.” I really felt the message resonate with me AND the characters. The progression of most of them could be clearly seen because of how great they were developed. Through various events, you could see how some of their thinking was changing and how it might of conflicted with them as a person. It really added depth to the characters when you saw this inner-confliction within themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed the transformation of this anime from a lighthearted comedy, to a slice of life that had a touching message to send to all of us.

Soundtrack and Audio: 8.8/10

• Lets be real with ourselves for a moment, you’re DEFINITELY gonna jam to this OP at some point, it’s just infectious. Both the OP and ED were really good in terms of quality. The OP especially was a very creative and unique one that was never boring to watch, I definitely enjoyed its animation. The soundtrack throughout the anime was also really good, with careful attention to when it was used. This really made an impact on the mood when these soundtracks kicked in at the right time. In terms of audio and sound effects, it was definitely funny listening to Rikka being bopped on the head multiple times. The audio during action scenes were also decent quality, with very satisfying sound effects used through it all. When it came to the voice acting, I had no problem with any of it. They had all fit their roles very well, and really resonated with the personalities of each character and their emotions.

When it comes down to it, Chunibyo was a comedic anime that later developed into something that was worth reflecting on. While it did have some childish elements to it, what do you REALLY expect from an anime with a title as Chunibyo? It definitely lived up to the challenge of what it would be like to peer into the mind of a true Chuunibyou and experience what it’s like to see the world through their eyes. I really did appreciate where this anime ended up going, it showed that it had a lot more depth to it than what was originally thought. If you’re wondering whether this anime is worth your time, I’d definitely recommend it ANY day. It was a different and unique experience from what I’m used to in most romance/slice of life’s, but I can say with confidence that I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. That’s why I believe that it really does deserve the score of 8.9/10. Thank you all so much for reading another one of my reviews, as always, thanks for the support! See y’all in the next one!