Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai Ren – 06
A promise for the future?
I’ve realized that I’m too old for shoveling snow now. We got 22” on Thursday, but luckily I got a neighborhood kid to do most of it. So enough of this: next year I’m getting a snowblower.
Class Trip!
Yuuta gets out of posing time
It’s an event that while a few anime get to, it’s usually glossed over, or left out of most completely: The 2nd year’s class trip (I think they’ve gone to Kyuushu). And because Kumin and Sanae get left back at school, this is the time for Yuuta and Rikka to come back to the front of the story. Last week’s comments (and my post) lamented the fact that so far they seemed to be put on the back burner for this season, but this episode really got into their relationship quite a bit.
The third degree for Yuuta
I really liked that Yuuta and Rikka are not a ‘secret’ couple. While that can work in some shows, it’s a device that gets really tired fast when they try to hide it or even lie about it. Instead, pretty much the whole class knows both about them dating (although everyone’s got quite the different idea of what ‘dating’ means to them) and maybe even about them living together. So everyone thinks they’ve progressed their relationship a lot more than they actually have. Well, at least the guys do. I think the girls probably have had Shinka telling them how it’s actually been going, so they don’t think there’s really much going on, although they’re definitely not averse to trying to get them to be together more, and encourage some closeness. So they try to get Rikka to pose with her ‘boyfriend’ even though that makes her blush and makes Yuuta stammer in response.
Mission Impossible
I loved the softer focus in this scene. Nicely done
Yuuta’s friends are also pretty supportive of the couple, but they’re less willing to believe that they’ve never even kissed. And Yuuta has to deny it pretty vehemently to convince them of that, since they just don’t believe him. And they’re still jealous of him, since I think part of them just doesn’t believe him anyway. I mean, they know all about the same events that we saw (with a funny recreation of the climactic pan-around scene from the first season), even the Christmas date. But they also added a few things in that didn’t happen, like kisses.
Finally a kiss
But then something does almost happen when Rikka sneaks into the boys’ room. I dunno why Yuuta thought having her in the futon with him was better than her hiding on the veranda, but it does set up a close face to face. And finally, that switch inside Rikka seems to flip, inside both of them really, and we finally see them going in for a real kiss. Of course it’s interrupted by having to get her back to her room (with helpful diversion by Shinka), but maybe Rikka’s explanation for her hesitance (explained through her chuunibyou, of course) and subsequent change of mind will bode well for the future. And Rikka even finishes off with a first kiss on the cheek. A promise of something more, following Yuuta’s promise to have time with her alone? And of course, everyone in the whole audience had the same feeling Shinka did when she saw that.
Shinka sees what she wanted to
Of course, I can’t be the only one who thought Rikka running toward Yuuta to give him a kiss was going to end in wackiness with them tumbling down the stairs, right? Or who thought that Sanae calling Rikka would give her away? Thankfully they didn’t ruin those moments with a typical gag. Or maybe that’s what they were trying to lampshade. All in all, this whole episode was nicely done, bringing the focus of the show back to where it needs to be: Rikka and Yuuta. Hopefully, with Rikka’s realization, we’ll get more development of their romance, finally. I’m just glad the show is back on the track I want it to be. And we didn’t see what was so important on the 3rd day of their class trip, since they only got to the second day. So let’s not go away from this next week with some Kuzuha-focused episode, ok?
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
It’s soooooooo good to see things are back on track; had this been the actual 4th ep that came after shichimiya’s introduction, this second season would have not missed a beat in my eyes whatsoever. See, this is how you push the plot forwward while still giving screen time to the other characters as well as having them continue to get fleshed out. In this case, Shinka got some extra screen time and we got to see that her secret chuuni side is starting to become more public, to which her friends dont even judge her for.
i gotta give this eps props for how some of the scenes in this ep were directed like the under-covers scene with Rikka and Yuuta. That repeated piano key with the added soundtrack plus the perspectives between the two in that scene made for a well-done moment. The use of first person when Rikka ran up to Yuuta was also well done.
I dont know what it is but Kyo ani seems to be experimenting with stereoscopic 3D quite a bit in this season of chuuni; there where some great depth of field shots this ep, again reinforcing why i think kyo ani is one of the most talented anime studios when it comes to animation.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I do think that Shinka is seeing the acceptance that her friends show towards Rikka, who is unabashedly chuunibyou, and whether consciously or not, she’s being more comfortable with being who she is. And they’re also pretty accepting of her, with just the mildest amount of teasing about “Wasn’t that when you said you were 1200 years old?” (and I love how that girl keeps saying 1200, but Shinka always says 400).
Aha, talking about Shinka made me realize that she’s blaming Sanae for that website, but I think it’s probably Satone that’s doing that (which is why Sanae didn’t know what that card was).
I noticed they had a few different perspectives as well. Some worked better than others (I thought Rikka walking away after kissing Yuuta had uncharacteristically awkwardly small steps).
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Hahahaha yea them small steps were done to be cute and comedic i believe. it was like she was shuffling her feet back to her room
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 104 comments
FINALLY! This episode renewed my hope a bit that this season actually has a purpose.
Even now though,Nibutani’s carrying the show so hard for me. She’s taking the tittle of “best girl” to another level.
Now let’s just keep our fingers crossed that things won’t regress to how they were like after episode 3,which was also quite promising. But I suppose we can be more hopeful now as it’d be really,really stupid of KyoAni to use the same lame trick twice.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
When we look back on it, it might be that the only real mistake was putting the seitokaichou election and napping battle episodes back to back. If they’d put this one in between them, or a couple (since I’m guessing next week will continue from this story), there would have been very little complaining.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Of course we all had that moment. Nibutani calling for “Sensei” right when the moment was brewing. TROOOOLLLLLLANI!
They just cannot resist pacing like that.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
THE FEELS ARE FREAKING REAL YOOOOOO!! That almost kiss scene was greaaat and finally a kiss even though it was on the cheek it was still good.
PROGRESS! High5 Rikka!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Rikka is slowly but surely emerging out of her chuunibyou shell. Good for her and that kiss made her look real cute.
I had to laugh when Nibutani was put on the chopping block about relationships since she acts like such an expert. The girls were alright but the guys were annoying for jumping the gun about how far Yuta and Rikka have gone and personally, it’s those who don’t have a relationship of their own who do such things. Just because you have someone doesn’t mean you must rush things. That’s what usually kills everything because no one is taking their time.