Season 2 of Chunibyo is great... until the latter half. The show starts off strong. Drama unfolds in the latter half, similar to the first season; however, unlike the first season, season 2 ends on an anti-climatic note, and the drama itself was weak.

At the start, Rikka and Yuuta get put in a new situation. Rikka's sister has to move out, leaving Rikka alone. Thus, Rikka moves into with Yuuta's house, and the couple starts living together, tackling everyday issues like a married couple. They get a chance to cement their feelings, and their friends even get involved to discuss Rikka's and Yuuta's love life. We also get great episodes dedicated to the supporting cast. Kyoto Animation manages to make a quiet activity like napping exciting! Nibutani and Sanae get their relationship explored, and their scenes were one of those most heartfelt and wholesome ones in the show.

During the latter half of the show, a love triangle arises between Yuuta, Rikka and Shichimiya. Shichimiya can't decide whether she has affections for Yuuta or not, and she doesn't function as a effective rival for Rikka. Usually a second love interest adds a sense of urgency to a couple confessing their feelings for each other, but Rikka has already made a "lover's contract" with Yuuta, so Shichimiya is doomed from the start. Not only that, instead of enhancing the relationship between Rikka and Yuuta, the enfolding drama detracts from it. We get too many episodes focusing on Shichimiya's feelings, while Rikka gets sidelined. Rikka gets some screen time in the second half, but it doesn't make sense.

The theme of chunibyo powers is not used consistently. In the first season, chunibyo represented an escape from reality, growing up, and accepting loss (in the case of Rikka). In the latest one, chunibyo is inversely tied to love. That makes sense, but it is used inconsistently. We see our two female leads lose their powers at some point in time. However, they regain it so quickly, the impact of their loss is never truly felt by the viewer. Speaking of impact, random deus ex machina events also hurt the show.

Random plot events interrupt heartfelt scenes or potential bonding moments. For example, at one point, Rikka and Yuuta organize some alone time to go on a date, and we were supposed to see their relationship advance -- that gets interrupted. Another time, Shichimiya attempts to confront Yuuta about her feelings -- random plot event happens at that moment. Even the climax of the anime gets interrupted by an unrelated, out-of-the-blue event cutting off all suspense and leaving an anti-climatic feel. Even though the execution was weak, KyoAni still gets props for its catchy songs and great animation.

Kyoto Animation did a stellar job with the animation and OP/ED as usual. Fight scenes look epic, with an abundance of special effects, similar to the first season and other KyoAni works like Maid Dragon Kobayashi. The OP and ED are catchy and memorable. The OP syncs with the music nicely, it's cute how Rikka falls down during the character carousel, and gorgeous animation is everywhere. The ED had bass and musical effects that are pleasant to listen to. During the ED, the cast make these funny, cute chunibyo poses.

Conclusion: Chunibyo 2 starts off strong, and we see a budding relationship develop between Rikka and Yuuta. However, the romance drama that develops in the second half features a weak love interest and doesn't have the same payoff that the first season did.

B-