Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai Ren 02/03 – Different kinds of relationships

Throughout Chuunibyou’s first series the central relationship between Rikka and Yuuta was always highly unorthodox. Rikka’s wild delusions played an obvious role in their relationship, making it difficult for them to have the sort of relationship that we would consider to be normal. However, it was a wonderful relationship to watch, switching between slapstick comedy and cute teen romance, with a hint of the imaginary thrown in for good measure. The notion of a ‘normal’ romance isn’t even discussed, or mentioned in this first series, as it arguably doesn’t matter what sort of relationship they have. But, Yuuta was, and remains an important part of Rikka life, not least because he was able to help her come to terms with the death of her father, and realise that despite everything, her Chuunibyou was not a disease, or mental problem, but was merely a part of her childhood and one of the main ways she approaches the world.  And by accepting these simple facts we can see why Rikka’s Chuunibyou personality has remained even after the facts about her fathers death have come to light and been acknowledged.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren – The Complicated Nature of Chuunibyou

As I discussed in previous posts about the first season of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai, Chuunibyou is quite a complex term that encapsulates numerous ideas surrounding youth, adolescence and ones own imagination. At the very beginning of the first series there is a brief introduction to Chuunibyou, explaining that it is a complex idea, one that encompasses a variety of behaviour, and other social issues. What is interesting is that while there are clearly elements of the fantastical in Chuunibyou, with the role-playing of Rikka, Dekomori, Yuuta, and even Nibutani, it is also used to describe a far wider variety of ideas and behaviour.

Construction of gendered identities within the school environment

As I have pointed out in previous posts, anime provides a dream world where the audience can escape from their everyday lives in a world of fantasy. Some anime may take the fantasy element literally, with series set in magical worlds, or in futuristic science fiction settings or dystopian landscapes, but others present a more subtle form of escapism, one where the escape is into the everyday. This everyday is often highly idealised and romanticised, and predominantly takes place in or around school grounds. One of the central themes that most recent anime share (at least those series set in or around school) is the position of school in the central characters lives, and how comparatively little importance is placed upon formal education and all that it encompasses. Instead, the school grounds become important as a space where ‘family’ relationships are created and reshaped.

The ‘Family’ in School Centric Anime

The world of dreams and fantasies that school centric anime portray further allows them to explore the complex nature of the Japanese family and its place within Japanese society. The ‘Japanese Family’ is full of diversity, with differences and differentiations depending on social class, historical cultures, legal cultures, and economic conditions (White, 2011). There is not a single, all-encompassing ‘Japanese Family’, although the Meiji Government (1868-1912) attempted to create one with their reinterpretation of the ‘ie’ household (extended family based on patrilineal descent). This version of the Japanese family became a matter of state concern in the establishment of a modern nation, but it only exists because of the force of ideology and power promoting it; it is a dream of what a family should be, rather than what it is (White, 2011; 129). The family is often viewed by the state as a continuation of its power, ideology and morals, a unit that recreates social and cultural norms and can pass down a sense of belonging to something substantially larger than itself. It is therefore essential to have a solid family structure in place in order to create society, and to engender the moral imperatives of honour, self-sacrifice, and pride.

The Illogicalzen Top Twelve Anime of 2012

It appears to be that time of the year where many bloggers begin to list their favourite anime and make lists that may differ wildly from each other while containing a few common links. I didn’t do this last year, partly because I wasn’t really as involved with anime blogging as I am now, but this year shall be different! I have to admit that I don’t really believe in lists, finding them too restrictive and forcing you into picking your favourite, but for lack of a better format, and because I am taking part in Kidd’s Ani-Bloggers Choice Awards I shall have to come up with a list and an order for my favourite anime for the year. But, even thought they will be in order, these anime are essentially equal for me since I enjoyed them for different reasons and at different times, and in all cases there were points where they didn’t quite work as well. But, before I get into the list proper there are a few honourable mentions, all series that I enjoyed but weren’t quite good enough to make onto my Top Twelve List for a variety of reasons.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 12 – Different Perspectives

Chuunibyou is a fascinating and complicated idea, one that embodies the surprisingly simply but occasionally complicated notion of imagination. Throughout this series we have been told how ridiculous and embarrassing Chuunibyou is, with repeated examples of the strange and the wondrous shown in the form of Rikka and Dekomori. Chuunibyou is a social Haiku, as a term it is used to condense and concentrate numerous complicated social and cultural situations and attitudes into a single, easily used idea. At its most basic, Chuunibyou is essentially a term used to describe adolescence, a period in everyone’s life where external influences and ideas can have a tremendous impact on how you view yourself and the wider world. It is therefore tremendously difficult to truly label someone as a ‘sufferer’ of Chunnibyou, apart from those who act in the most extreme ways. Rikka, Dekomori, and the past Yuuta are all perfect examples of the more extreme end of Chunnibyou, with each character taking on a new, and altogether different personality. The way they act, speak, and interact with the wider world around them differs tremendously from the social ‘norm’, therefore marking them out as wider, or perhaps dysfunctional.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 11 – Colourless World

It is a supreme irony that the one thing apparently hurting Rikka was also filling her world with colour and laughter. Her Chuunibyou, while extreme and often nonsensical was nevertheless an essential part of her life and the one constant that allowed her to make friends and create a club out of her widening social group. Without it she has become, not only normal, but also boring and lacking the liveliness that we have become used to over the course of the series. Rikka is a character that has had to deal with the loss of her father at a young age, thus resulting in her Chuunibyou, that she was going to come back to ‘reality’ sooner or later was also obvious, but the way she has gone about it seems to be far more damaging than her Chuunibyou ever could be. Throughout the series Touka has talked about Rikka using her Chuunibyou to run away from reality and simply ignore the truth that is before her eyes. She has viewed Rikka’s Chuunibyou as dangerous and also annoying at times, especially during the summer holiday arc where she tried to force the issue of their father’s death onto Rikka. Furthermore, Touka’s attitude towards Rikka doesn’t help matters, and by constantly attempting to force her own reality onto Rikka, Touka inevitably strengthens Rikka’s dependence on her alter ego and dream world. Rikka’s world and her alter ego as the wielder of the Tyrant’s Eye become central to her everyday life precisely because her family, through their rejection of Chuunibyou has alienated her.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 10 – Coming to Terms with Reality

Coming to terms with a terrible loss will never be easy, with various people reacting in different ways and coping as best they can with what support is available to them. As Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai has progressed we have learned more about Rikka and the reasons behind her Chuunibyou, and how it is a defence mechanism that she has used to deal with the sudden death of her father. It is difficult and arguably wrong to pin the blame for Rikka’s current personality on any one individual, with her entire family sharing shouldering the burden. As families go Rikka’s is shown in stark contrast to the family life of Yuuta, she lacks the warm, understanding family that he has, with a flat that is largely empty due to Touka’s work hours. Her grandparents clearly care for her, but due to her grandfathers personality means that her ways of coping with loss are viewed as childish and silly. The sudden nature of her fathers death, coupled with her entire family keeping his illness from her clearly had a significantly stronger impact on Rikka than they could ever imagine. Her Chuunibyou along with her quest for the Unseen Horizon was her way of making sense of world that no longer seemed to care about her and perhaps was viewed to be a dark and dangerous place. This is further emphasised by Rikka labelling her grandparents house as the headquarters of her enemy The Administration Bureau and calling Touka the ‘Priestess’.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 09 – Group Therapy

Over the past couple of episodes it has become clear that Rikka’s Chuunibyou was a defense mechanism that she created in order to cope with the sudden loss of her father. The sudden loss of her father and the fragmentary nature of her family have evidently had a significant impact upon how Rikka views the world. By labelling Touka as the ‘Priestess’, and her grandparent’s house as The Administration Bureau Rikka can make sense of the feelings and emotions that these people and places create. Rikka is making sense out of chaos in many respects by attaching these labels to the virus places that have caused her pain. Furthermore, her father keeping his illness a secret from her arguably influenced how she viewed the world at the time, thus allowing her to link her fantasy world and conspiracy theories with the sudden disappearance of the stable family she once knew. The sudden nature with which her life was upturned and changed can be thought of as almost dream-like. With Rikka creating the Unseen Horizon to make sense of everything and giving her something to work towards.

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 08 – Acceptance

The complicated nature of Chuunibyou and the main characters of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai was once again explored in this episode, although the focus was on Rikka and her growing relationship with Yuuta. Chuunibyou as an idea and a ‘problem’ is clearly far more complicated that the first episode of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai would have you think. It is something that hides an immense amount of emotional and psychological turmoil within which various characters and people move. Within the series it has become clear that Rikka’s Chuunibyou is a way for her to escape from the truth, a means with which she can continue to believe that her father is alive and that her family still exists as she once remembered it. Her various role-playing games with Dekomori can therefore be viewed to have a dual meaning. They clearly incorporate an element of fun, with Rikka and Dekomori enjoying themselves and pulling everyone along for the ride, but they are also a continuation of her on-going struggle to come to terms with her father’s death.