I felt the need to write a review for this anime. Not because I thought there were flaws in this series, or that I had an opinion I felt needed to be heard. Purely because Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is without a doubt, my favourite anime.
I'll admit, I am a sucker for romance in anime, and this series hits the ball out of the park for that. The romance is so adorable. While it can get somewhat annoying with how slow Rikka and Yuuta take their relationship, and when they're about to have a moment, it gets interrupted by something. However, It's still very cute, and Rikka's adorable physique and personality only add to that. That being said, the English dub for this anime is absolute trash. It's an utter disgrace for a dub, and while I may be a bit bias due to the fact that I only enjoy watching the original Japanese voices, it's pretty well known throughout the community, even among those who watch dub, that this series' dub is by far one of the worst out there. The Japanese voice acting, however, is absolutely fantastic. Each character has their own unique "sound" you could say, their voice. My favourite two voices being Rikka and Deko, given how unique they are. That's enough about voice actors, though. This is my favourite anime by far for a multitude of reasons. The beautiful combination and execution of the voiceovers, soundtrack, romance, comedy, animation, and character design are top tier in my book. The story is also so unique, there's honestly no other anime I can compare this to, and that's just why I love it. There's nothing else like it. This is both a blessing and a curse. Chuunibyou is one of those that I could watch over and over and over again and never get tired of it, and it's always somewhere stuck in my head when I'm watching any other anime.
That brings me to another point. Re-watchability. This anime just never gets old, and every time a watch it I find something new that I didn't understand the previous time, or maybe a hidden joke or scene I missed. If I had to give this anime any faults, It'd probably just be their excessive exclusion of Makoto in the 2nd season of the series. Throughout the first, he seems present more than often. But then throughout the 2nd season, they just make a joke out of him and he pops up once in a blue moon just for comedic relief for a split second before running off. I would have loved to see his character present more in the 2nd season, and maybe even the movie as well. But honestly, that's the only fault I can give this series. Rikka is by FAR my favourite anime girl in any series, and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I'd never tear her away from her beloved Yuuta ;). That being said, I love their relationship, and I'm glad this series didn't decide to do some giant breakup near the end or some dramatic event that would've left the series hanging as a bad-ending type of anime. Whether we're talking about the ending to season 2, or the ending to the movie, I think they were both fitting. While the movies ending does give us a little more in terms of progression of their relationship, I have my own opinions on that movie over on that anilist page.
I've watched every episode multiple times for the past 5-6 years, and it'll never grow old in my heart. I've watched every OVA, ONA, Special, and Shorts. They're all so good, and I'd watch them all over again. In fact, I have the full Blu-ray DVD set on the way to my house this very moment, in thanks to the studio for creating such a memorable part of not only my childhood, but my adulthood as well, and this anime only continues to open my heart every time I watch it. Maybe it's my own want to become Chuunibyo. To create a world where I'm something and not just nothing. A world full of magical powers and beings, and I play an important role. To return to my childhood of imagination. There's no doubt. But it's also the blossoming romance I get to witness as Rikka, still living life in childish ways, discovers what love is, and experiencing it with Yuuta for the first time in her life. Her chuuni will always make me smile, and Yuuta's support of her reminds me of one thing - no matter how old you are, be you. Don't conform to something society wants you to if it makes you unhappy. I love this message, and on top of everything else this anime has to offer, this is why Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! makes it to number 1 on my list of favourites. I can't wait to throw myself into the world of Chuunibyou again, and you can bet it won't be the last time either. I'll be updating this review if I ever find a better anime, but don't count on it!
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