Light Novel Adaptation of Chunnibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! by Kyoto Animation
Availability Pending on The Anime Network

Premise: As Yuuta prepares to enter high school he makes every effort to forget his time infected by Chuunibyou or “Eighth Grader Syndrome” – an affliction that made him believe he had special powers. His plan is interrupted when he meets Rikka, a girl still very much affected by the disease.

Jel’s Verdict: Return of the King

What a moving, insightful take on the pain of searching for your identity anPFFFF HAHAHA OK I couldn’t keep a straight face on that one. I certainly would like to see the series take a turn in that direction, but for now this was simply a fun little comedy about crazy mixed up teenagers with a healthy dose of moe for good measure. The humor was a bit predictable but still entertaining, in particular I liked the crazy attack names and some of the physical gags. It kind of felt like a low budget anime comedy but with a HUGE budget. Since it is a Kyoto Animation production it at the very least looks and moves beautifully.

Believe it or not it’s been two years since K-ON! ended and KyoAni’s work since then has drifted slightly away from the otaku powered cute girl comedies they had become known for. Well, for better or worse, this episode makes me think they are getting back to that. I’m not sure how that makes me feel, but I’ll be sticking with it for now. Hopefully as the show has time to develop we’ll get something more substantial to enjoy.

Iro’s Verdict: Delusional

After I enjoyed Hyouka, I was hoping we’d get something I’d like from KyoAni again this season. I was quickly proven wrong – this is more moeblob comedy involving girls who are clearly out of their minds and character designs that look like elementary schoolers. It looks very pretty, but that’s par for the course with KyoAni, and not enough to make me want to keep watching.

Dragonzigg’s Verdict: Living the Dream

I don’t think anybody will claim this will be the next great masterwork of anime, but I can’t deny that I was very amused by what KyoAni had to show here. It’s a fair bit more manic than most of their ‘comedies’ , but I think that makes for a welcome change of pace and I certainly laughed a lot more than I normally do when watching one of their shows. As Jel mentions above, the premise is sort of the thing you’d expect from  bargain basement fanservice comedy, but the typical KyoAni spit and polish is in full effect here and this thing looks just gorgeous, especially in background detail. I’m still not super fond of the character designs, which basically look the same in every single KyoAni show, but there’s a pleasant energy and spirit to this one which means I’ll be sure to keep tuning in.

Aqua’s Verdict: Like looking into an obnoxious little mirror

For the reading pleasure of myself and everyone else, I shall from here on out refer to this show as Florp, because every other possible name for this show, whether it be English or Japanese, is stupid.

Watching Florp rather terrified me, not because it is THE HARBINGER OF THE DOWNFALL OF KYOTO ANIMATION — because it isn’t, and if you think that this is in any way less ambitious than anything else KyoAni has made in the last five years, than you are the delusional one — but because I could see a lot of myself in Florp‘s quirky protagonist Rikka. Yes, I too pretended to open automated doors with my “psychic powers” (Zigg’s note – I totally do this too) (Iro’s note: you’re both fucking crazy)(Marlin’s note: Sorry Iro, you just musta had no imagination as a child.) and used umbrellas as a makeshift weapon of mass demolition. In fact, I still do.

And I’m in college.

… Comparisons aside, Florp is as new tens Kyoto Animation as it gets: simple premise, zero ambition, fantastic execution. It is a law they have settled with and it doesn’t seem like it will change anytime soon. The interactions between Yuuta and Rikka reminded me a lot of Tomoya and Fuuko way back in Clannad, but Fuuko never wore Heelies. Nor did she ever use the Contra code on a vendor, which automatically makes Rikka the best character ever. Like every Kyoto Animation show, I expect Florp to be a pleasant watch all the way through.

Unless it’s Nichijou; screw that show.

Lifesong’s Verdict: I was totally like this

And never completely grew out of it. This anime is like a mirror into my past reminding me of why I so easily relate with escapist culture. It’s not even that this is even particularly deep, but it manages to capture what being a delusional child is like with a degree of finesse that only KyoAni can bring to the table. Rikka is a cute character, and KyoAni has moe girls down to a fine science; as always seems to be the case with KyoAni the magic here is in the execution. This first episode was a lot of fun, but I need to see what KyoAni has in store here before I know if I am in this for the long haul or not.

Marlin’s Verdict: Funny, but fluffy.

I suppose this is what’s in their wheelhouse, and they really prefer not to move out of it. The characters are cute, and the jokes are pretty funny. I can’t say I really had much of these delusions outside of  force-opening doors, but there was a very short period where I believed the Harry Potter world was real, so I guess that counts.We’ve still been shown nothing substantial as to why these other three girls are a part of the plot whatsoever, but I suppose that’s going to be remedied quickly. Rikka is adorable, and if this actually turns into a romcom instead of a constant tease-fest *cough*HYOUKA*cough* then I can see myself genuinely enjoying this show.