Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren

Some shows are better left without a sequel.

Meet "Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren", Kyoto Animation's latest offering, the esteemed studio that once brought titles such as Haruhi, Clannad: After Story and Full Metal Panic: TSR to the anime industry. The KyoAni of 2014 is no such studio. Instead, we find rubbish like Free and Kyoukai no Kanata on an almost seasonal basis. The KyoAni of before is done and gone. They can't even seem to do sequels right any more.

It remains a mystery how KyoAni managed to mess the Chuunibyou franchise this badly. Granted, the first season wasn't anything particularly special, but ... it was at least an enjoyable watch. The 'chuunibyou' syndrome made for a unique premise and, hey, the girls were cute. It had some failings of its own towards the end, but the endearing nature of Yuuta's and Rikka's relationship at least felt meaningful. Ren-- however-- has no purpose or meaning beyond providing lazy fanservice. It is as Ghostbusters II is to the original. Even if Ren never existed, there would be nobody to complain except the series' most die-hard fans. It accomplishes nothing and provides nothing that the first season didn't already. It is remarkable only in how unremarkable it is.

The romance between Yuuta and Rikka is at best cute, at worst, puerile. KyoAni has made it painfully clear that they have no intentions of creating a believable or realistic relationship. Six months into the relationship and they had not even held hands yet... really. Really. They blush and run away when they so much as see each other, and hearing the word 'kiss' might as well land them in their hospital's intensive care unit. They have the mental maturity of a five-year-old, and it makes me wonder, why? It's not as though it's difficult to portray a healthy relationship between two teenagers. Anything sexual is clearly beyond them, but at this point in the relationship you would at least expect them to be holding hands and kissing. Nope. The only explanation that comes to mind is that KyoAni is afraid of upsetting the otaku, because-- oh no-- how dare you defile their waifu by showing them in a happy relationship.

During the light-hearted episodes, things are generally okay. There's plenty of the same chemistry between the characters and it's always neat to see how Rikka and Dekomori will rationalise completely ordinary things as something fantastical. The episodes that focus on Dekomori and Nibutani are actually some of the series' strongest and, thankfully, they receive a lot more focus than they did in the first season.

That said, the comedy is definitely weaker than the first season. Some of the jokes fall completely flat and then there are episodes that involve such things as Kumin's 'napping contest' (I kid you not), which are absolutely asinine. Hell, Kumin in general has to be one of the worst characters in recent years. She has absolutely no depth, no personality or defining trait beyond 'sleeps a lot'. The show would be so much better if she wasn't stealing precious screen-time away from the characters that actually matter. Sorry, Ishiki.

The largest problem with Ren is that it lacks any sort of pacing or cohesion. There's an introduction, a climax-- but where is the middle? It changes from silly chuunibyou nonsense to sappy melodrama without warning. How is anyone supposed to care about the drama when no time is given to first prepare it? It's like the story started in media res, a few random chapters taken out of a larger novel. A new girl shows up, she falls in love with Yuuta, causes some trouble, and then, bam, it ends on the same footing as the first season. No resolution; nothing added to the characters.

And why is Shichimiya here in the first place, anyway? Her contrived introduction (conveniently moving to the same apartment complex as Yuuta, who she conveniently happens to be childhood friends with) is already enough to get the eyes rolling. She joins the crew in the chuunibyou nonsense, which is fine, but then she is immediately given the spotlight in order to cause melodrama where there never needed to be any. I suppose when you lack the imagination to create drama between two developed characters, you can haphazardly throw in a new character with the same exact drama as previous. It's essentially just a copypaste of Rikka's growing feelings for Yuuta at the end of the first season. Heck, KyoAni is so lacking in ideas that they even threw in the 'Yuuta reading a note from his past self' again. I guess the only positive thing that can be said in Shichimiya's defense is that she is cute... at least when she's not splitting your ears with her "Nihahahaha" catchphrase.

The characters are not mature enough to support the drama. It's difficult to care much about Yuuta's and Rikka's relationship when they go about it as a toddler would. The season desperately, desperately needed more Nibutani (and Yuuta without the influence of Rikka) as they are the only two in the show who feel even remotely like human beings. Even if KyoAni decided to go full-force with the drama, there's a good chance it could have worked with Nibutani. Instead she is relegated to the background during the important scenes, a sort of cheerleader, a pal who pushes the two forward because they are too childish to take that step themselves.

At least there is little to complain about when it comes to the visuals. It's the usual quality you would expect of KyoAni, with plenty of motion blur and pretty scenery for you to gawk at. I did count a number of scenes where the art quality dipped into the abysmal, though, like when the camera zooms in on a swimming Shichimiya, lazily drawn as two coloured blobs stuck together.

The music is also great. Most of the background tracks are so quiet that you wouldn't ordinary notice them, but they do a solid job in enhancing the mood of each scene. The sappy piano pieces make the otherwise cringeworthy melodrama a bit more tolerable, but I don't think even the most beautiful piano pieces would be able to save those scenes. On the other hand, the opening sequence is catchy but noticeably less interesting than the first season. Many people complained about all the fast cuts in the first season's opening, but hey, it was unique. It gave the show that extra bit of charm. The opening and ending sequences here don't really achieve that. They just exist.

Chuunibyou Ren should have been better. I wanted to like it; I wanted to see the adorable relationship between Yuuta and Rikka explored further. But all I ever experienced was mild amusement in between the mountains of irrelevant nonsense. Ren does nothing but undermine the ending of the first season. It ruins the relationship almost entirely and provides nothing that needed to be shown. It is a painful example of one of the problems with the anime industry, for studios repeatedly produce sequels 'for the fans' rather than because of any artistic interest.

If you are desperately, desperately craving for more Chuunibyou, you might have a better time with it than me. If you are sceptical about how the heartwarming ending of the first season could ever be expanded upon-- avoid, avoid, avoid. It's far more likely to damage your image of the series rather than improve it.

Maybe some day KyoAni will return to what made them interesting. Somehow it seems unlikely.

I think most of the anime watching community has learned to generally expect two things from KyoAni:

1. There will be moe
2. The story and plot will either be subpar or shit.

I want to say that it's nice Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! got a second season, I really do. The first season of Chuunibyou was decent; it had a little bit of eight-grade syndrome, a little bit of romance, obligatory KyoAni moe, and a bit of slice of life. Characters actually felt like they made progress and it was a fairly enjoyable watch overall. I can't say the same about the second season.

I'd ... like to discuss the story, but I'm afraid there is really nothing to talk about. There is no story. There is no plot. Asking for either of these from this sequel is like asking a rock to win a race, and no, this isn't Spongebob. I made a mistake by hoping there would be some kind of turn around and something interesting might happen during the second season, like the ending of the first season. The so called 'romance' between Yuuta and Rikka, which was the whole driving force behind this sequel, is severely lacking. Yuuta seems more like Rikka's father than boyfriend and that's just pathetic. The attempt at a love triangle is not only badly paced, but also feels extremely forced. Basically, if you watched this sequel, or plan to, you most likely didn't come for the story. At least, I sure hope not.

Assuming you've seen the first season of Chuunibyou, you have a general handle of what the characters are like. There's not much change other than the introduction of Shichimiya, Yuuta's old chuuni buddy. The character development is stagnant and most of the series is about Rikka getting romantically flustered. But hey, remember that one character Ishikki? Yuuta's friend, the bro-tier dude of season one? Yes, the guy who gets his head shaved. Guess what? The series takes a massive diarrhea dump on him. The sequel throws him in at random times and tries to garner some cheap laughs at the expense of his already unfortunate life. I couldn't even laugh at instances aimed to be funny gag moments. If I felt anything, it was sadness and pity.

The only saving grace that Chuunibyou Ren! has is that I find KyoAni's animations to be good. The art and animation are consistent and I believe that's one thing that the studio does right. Sound is decent, but I didn't find the OP or ED to be anything noteworthy.

Sequels for anime can be a blessing when done correctly. Sequels can also tarnish whatever good the first season had accomplished. The latter is what happened here. There's nothing more frustrating to watch the second season of an anime only to be disappointed by the steep drop in quality. This sequel felt like KyoAni put little to no effort into it besides giving the audience the finger while trying to reach into your wallet. Unless you have time to waste, and I mean a lot of fucking time, I'd say watch something other than this.

I had very high hopes for Chuunibyou demo Koi Shitai! Ren. I have been a fan of the first season ever since I watched it, but I cannot say that with the second season.

With a slice of life, character development is important. Very. Important. And the first season, I believe, did a very good job at that. Behind the whimsical nature of the first season, there was a serious theme of growing up and what is lost when someone does. This was emulated through Rikka. Sadly, the second season doesn't touch this at all.

Instead, the second season has the audience follow the relationship of Yuta ... and Rikka. It is a full on romantic comedy, but it also fails at being a well-made one. The romance is tiring to watch and the comedy is pitiful. Isshiki becomes the center of horrible jokes and becomes nothing more than a town fool. "Hahaha! He's darker than he should be! Lol! A dude likes him!" The comedy revolving around Isshiki is lackluster and, at times, can be offending. The only saving grace from this hell is the romance of the anime. If I had to compare it to the hell of watching the comedy, I'd compare it to purgatory.

The romance is meant to be cute. The audience sees the couple in various situations that would never happen and watches as the couple takes their relationship an extremely small step forward every episode. Emphasis on the extreme. Yes, it's supposed to be cute seeing both of them blush at the thought of doing anything that involves their significant other, but it becomes a drag to witness. Even more enervating to watch is the half-ass attempt at creating a love triangle.

Shichimiya is the new character introduced this season, and she is also the old chuunibyou buddy of Yuta. And she is a horrible character. "I love Yuta, but Rikka loves him now. I'm sad. Now, I'm happy for Rikka and Yuta." That is the extent of her existence.

The main thing I find saddening in this last season is the chuunibyou. In the first season, it was the thing that was viewed as childish, something people grow out of. Eventually, the audience finds out that people can grow up and keep a part of them childish. Hence, Rikka's "grown-up" love for Yuta while she still keeps her chuunibyou. For this last season, there is now reason for the chuunibyou. It is just there. The main use for it in Ren is to provide comedy. Thankfully, the outrageous behavior of Rikka's, Shichimya's, and Dekomori's chuunibyou is still as funny as the first season.

Also, the anime keeps it's well done art and animation. It is pleasing to the eyes and softens the blow one gets from the other aspects of Ren. I found the OP fine and thought the ED was really good, but this is a rating of the show and not how much money a studio can pour into their OP's and ED's.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed. I went into Ren expecting more of the first season. With this tragedy, I hope that there will never be another sequel. My love for Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! has been stained.

I'm writing this review to defend the series. I'll give reason why you should watch it too. ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS.

NOTES:
1. Don't compare Light Novels with the anime.
2. Don't lose interest with the negative feedback to this sequel.
3. I made everything short and outlined so finish reading this.

STORY: This is worth watching. I'll explain the benefits under.
ART: The art is still superb as ever. You can feel they spent lots of money on this.
SOUND: Still worth remembering as always.
... CHARACTER: This is what I like this season, they did not focus only to Yuuta and Rikka, they gave good screen time to other characters too.

BENEFITS:
1. Progress of relationship of Yuuta and Rikka.
2. More episodes to other characters like Nibutani, Dekomori, and most especially KUMIN.
3. Introduction of a brand new character and some minor characters.
4. Past of main characters. Especially Yuuta's, Nibutani's, and the new character.
5. Enjoyment. AND each episode feels both satisfying and craving for more, just like when I watched "Haganai". The comedy scenes are again funny.

POSSIBLE CAUSE OF DISAPPOINTMENT:
1. Too much rooting for Yuuta and Rikka's relationship development. I'm reminding you, there is a PROGRESS here but others just want more.
2. This sequel kind of have less comedy scenes than the prequel.

OVERALL:
Some anime episode feels to quick to watch, don't you agree? But with series like Chuunibyou, each episode is packed with entertainment. Never ever compare anime to Light Novels, this is anime and that is Light Novel. Even though they said they missed out a lot in the LN, I can say that the anime arranged the plot sequence properly.

There is no sequel to Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!
It does not exist….

Or at least that’s how it should have been. Unfortunately, KyoAni decided to make Chuunibyo Demo Koi Ga Shitai! Ren, a sequel for an anime that's one of the best of its genre.

When a sequel is created for any concluded story, it is akin to flipping a coin; It can either improve and provide a wonderful expansion to the story, or ruin the story and fall flat on its face. Sadly, the latter happened to Chuunibyou Koi Ga Shitai! Ren. The most concise reason as to why that is, is simply because ... it was completely unnecessary. The story of Chuunibyou was already done. Finished. Concluded. But then KyoAni had a great idea that maybe they shouldn’t end it there. And the finished result? A supposedly romantic rivalry between Rikka and Shichimiya, Yuuta’s old friend.

Well I have to admit, the thought of a love rivalry is a pretty good concept, and it could’ve honestly worked. However, the fault here lies in the fact that none of that actually happened. Instead, we were given a subpar plot which revolved around Rikka and the gang just finding the newest ways to mess around, without actually having anything to add to the plot. In fact, over half of the show was just about the cast doing their weird chuuni things and making comedy, which surprisingly isn’t as funny as it was in the first season. There was no direction to the plot, and so instead it went all over the place, ranging from beach episodes to napping contests, which basically made everything feel like filler.

And the rest of the season? Well, it was spent doing an incredibly rushed and contrived love triangle between Rikka and a new character named Shichimiya, and believe me, it wasn’t good at all in the slightest. That’s because it just… happened. Yes, there was some foreshadowing, which in this case was brought about by Yuuta’s complete insensitivity to romance. However, when the romance part did happen, it was like: Development, Climax, and Resolution, all in 4 episodes. In other words, the pacing was utter garbage. So as I said, the romance just kinda happened.

Also, another downfall of this anime is in the character development, or the lack thereof. From the start of the anime to the very end, there was very little changes in the cast, if any at all. In fact, the only noticeable change in the characters is the fact that they are now a lot more chuunibyou-ish, and all of them have started to participate in those chuunibyou battles. Other than that, there isn’t much to be said. And the new character Shichimiya? Well her sole purpose in this anime is to provide a rival for Rikka to compete against and to add another chuunibyou character. But as with the rest of the cast, she is just a dull character, and even moreso than the rest of the them due to not being in the prior season.

So pretty much the only good thing I can say about Chuu-2 Ren is that its animation was amazing. KyoAni may not be the best when it comes to storytelling or plot writing, but they sure are the best when it comes to animating stuff, as it has been proven time and time again. The animation for Chuu-2 Ren was smooth, clean, and very modern. There were no flaws or stutters as far as I can tell, and the fight scenes were just jaw-dropping. But then again, this is KyoAni we’re talking about, the same people who can animate water and make it look gorgeous beyond words.

Other than that, there’s also the music. The opening of Chuu-2 Ren, VOICE by ZAQ and its ending, Van!shment th!s World by Black Raison d'être are both very energetic J-pop songs. They are very much fitting with the theme of the anime, and are both quite catchy.


So, did I enjoy Chuunibyou Koi Ga Shitai! Ren? No, not at all. It’s an anime that lives off the popularity of its prequel. A horrible continuation of what could’ve been a good ending. That’s why I cannot give this anime a score higher than I did. It’s not as funny and doesn’t have the same romance its prequel had, nor does it provide a good continuation for Chuunibyou, and is overall a bad anime.


So, does Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai! have a sequel?
Unfortunately it does, however I deny its existence.



~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~

Now if you haven't seen the first season of this anime, then I suggest you should before watching this season.
I liked the first season of Chuunibyou, it was a fun little story that introduced (well to me at least) the "chuunibyou" syndrome. Yūta Togashi is a boy who, during junior high school, had 'adolescent delusions' (中二病 chūnibyō?, lit. "junior high school second grade illness"), believing that he possesses supernatural powers and dubbing himself the 'Dark Flame Master,' therefore alienating himself from his classmates. Finding his past embarrassing, Yūta attempts to start off high school where he does not know anyone, free from his old ... delusions. This proves to be difficult, however, as a delusional girl in his class, Rikka Takanashi, learns of Yūta's past and becomes interested in him.

Now the first was good, it was funny and the fact that Rikka was also referencing the "dark world" and her "superpowers" was funny because it could get her into to trouble and embarrass Yuta in public. This "connection" they had started an amusing romance. The story was enjoyable, jokes laughable, and characters loveable, as the first season was reaching it's climax you felt some support towards Rikka and Yuta's relationship and hoped they would be together forever.

Unfortunately the same could be said for the second season which started January this year. The story continued, showing the gradual progression of the relationship between Yuta and Rikka. However, it strikes me as shocking to how boring the storyline has become in it's new season.
The story is pretty much the same, showing very little progression in the main story and introducing a new character, Yuta's childhood friend, Satone Shichimiya . And I'm sorry to say but she does not do a whole lot for the beginning of the story aside from make Rikka jealous due to her closeness with Yuta and even that does not have much of an impact on the story.
The artwork is good due to that fight scenes that are thrown in from time to time and I send Kudos to the producers for the effort put into them. However, I would like to see Yuta do a bit more with him being the "Dark Flame Master" and all. The first season showed him to be a "legendary warrior" and I would like the fight scene to show a bit more of him standing out rather than leaving it all up to Rikka.
The sound is ok, music isn't great but it isn't bad. The opening isn't as good as the first one IMO but its not bad.
Character is a problem here. In terms of development, I feel there is very little with all the original characters as well as the new character introduced this season. Yuta does not do a whole lot except from constantly trying to improve his relationship with Rikka and it annoys me that he does not take obvious chances to: hold hands, hug or heck even kiss her! For example, the episode escapes me, but the time when him and Rikka were sitting after their date and about sunset, it would have been the perfect opportunity to kiss the girl! ARGH, make a move man! Rikka isn't all good either. Yeah sure it was fun and new to see her constantly refer to her "dark world" and take everyday life as if it wasn't that important compared to her Wicked Eye. It became annoying that she constantly refers to that and I thought it was abolished or at least watered down. Yes I know it is called Chuunibyou, but I would like to see more of a romance going on rather than a boring story with a poor relationship.
I feel it could be a better story if it had more of a romantic approach rather than a story of a girl who cant control herself and a guy who cant develop his own relationship.
Overall, I had hoped for more from the producers due to the first season being great and enjoyable. I would have liked to watch the season through but the story is preventing me from doing so however if it changes, then I may approach this series again.

To start off, I have to say that I completely disagree with most of the reviews that I've read.

Yes, I think that the first season ended in a way that it could have ended there, and we'd all go along happy... BUT this season actually had a very real portrayal of young love (to a certain extent).

If you look past the "Chuunibyou" syndrome, and at what each character is actually feeling, I at least, felt a deep pang of nostalgia throughout the whole thing.

Is it the best anime in the world? No. Could the show have done without the sequel season? Yes. ... Should it have? I don't think so.

I really enjoyed seeing where they went from the first season's final episode. If it had ended with the first season we'd think that Rikka got over her "Chuunibyou" just because Yuuta told her he accepts her.. but it's more than that. I think that the anime really came across well in the under-written aspect of relationships, and their sometimes awkward moments of expectation vs. bravery. Not necessarily in moving forward, but in doing what you think your partner wants vs. what they actually want vs. what you want.. and all that comes with this type of lovers' miscommunication and confusion. Whether in Yuuta's somewhat controlling nature, and Rikka being confused about how she feels about it. Or either of them trying to fit a mold that the other person didn't even initially ask for. OR Schimiya trying to overcome her own feelings for the good of the group, and sometimes failing to do so.

I think that if anyone has had any of those types of experience, they'll enjoy this show and feel like the second season wasn't, as all the other reviews seem to say, a waste of time.

Sometimes, there is a story that's not needed a sequel.

At the first sight, I have high hopes for the 2nd season of this anime. But it comes out many disappointments, and lack of resources.

Very confusing, the story leads to a direction that is not clear. And if the story had misdirection, then the characters contained in this film becomes dead, within the meaning of the word. The characters seemed to be only made ​to fill the vacancy in this story.

Next, a new character in this story. Actually, this character is a character that is not necessary for this story, this triggers another character (besides ... Rikka and Yuuta) also becoming not necessary. Becomes unimportant and just fill the vacancy of the story.

Another sadness in this story is the deepening of the characters conducted by the author. Very typical and irrelevant In my opinion. I don't sense any excitement anymore when I​ watch this anime.

Overall 5/10

Do you want a good sequel for Chuunibyou demo koi ga shitai ? This isn't your anime.
You wanted a good adaptation of the second novel of chuuni? This isn't your anime.

First season of Chuunibyou demo koi ga shitai was one of the best anime I watched last year. It had romance, comedy, drama, nice animation, music, in a good distribution. Although it wasn't an exact adaptation of the light novel (what anime is, after all) I was really satisfied with it, so when I heard about a second season, I was somehow looking forward to it.

What was I expecting from the second season? Well, first ... season ended nicely, so there was no need for more YuutaxRikka develop for sure. Maybe it was going to be another character development, a new adventure, or an adaptation of the second novel.The second light novel it's about Yuuta's childhood frient, Satone Schimiya, coming back in town, being a yandere bitch and giving some trouble to Takanashi. It never becomes a love triangle, as Yuuta deals with it in a perfect way. It wasn't the best plot, but really interesting for sure. There they had an interesting drama setup for their second season.

I was damn wrong. Instead of it, season 2 brings no real plot whatsoever, and very little character development.
We have a regression in the main couple, as there was no closure but a lot of awkwardness between Togashi and Takanashi,although 6 months had passed since season 1. It's implied this is the setup for Satone's intervention, as Nibutani even makes a foreshadow impliying Schimiya to be trouble between Yuuta and Rikka. Instead, she just brings little trouble, dissapears from some episodes, comes back, realizes she loves Yuuta, then realizes she can't have him, goes back to normal like nothing happened and becomes Rikka best friend from nowhere. She even says "bye bye" to Yuuta in episode 11, implying she's going to dissapaear, as she tries to do in the novel, but comes back in the last episode as nothing has happened.
The rest of the season are just filler episodes, full of fanservice and moe girls, becoming some sort of harem. Makoto Ishiki is practically removed from the series, becoming a full comic relief character and having barely some screen time. Yuuta does not care for him at all. Irrelevant characters like Kumin got more screen, and even episodes focused on them. We have more girls introduced, with not relevance in the plot.
The comedy is fine, but becomes kind of annoying in some episodes. All the cast becomes really idiot and regress their progress after every episode, and the fanservice gets on your nerves.
I'm not against fanservices, nor comedy. It was comedy what got me into chuuni season 1. But it was also the drama and the develop what kept me watching it.
This wasn't what happened in season 2. Every episode become more boring than the previous, and any expectation I had from Schimiya was in vain.

Animation and music are great, but don't make this anime worth watching.

Today itself I have read two reviews stating that Ren should never have been made. People are denying its existence. But is it really that bad? Yeah! I agree it doesn't even compare to the beauty shown in the 1st season but come on people its still chuu2byo.

Yep the story line is definitely weaker as compared to the 1st season as some episodes as mentioned in many other reviews seem like filler, one example being Kumin's sleeping contest thing. The humor is not as great as the 1st season but it is still good. Highlighting the major parts here, Dekomori and Nibutani got more ... screen time here and the fights, arguments and, friendly love between them was fun to watch. This season does justice to them showing how close they actually are. Also the romance between Yuuta and Rikka is supposed to be pure and cute. The story is made in a way that people feel that relationships can exist without kisses or sex.

I believe it is not good to stereotype a series as bad just by looking at things like Rikka and Yuuta haven't even kissed yet? But they have been in a relationship for 6 months. Is it really so necessary for them to kiss just because they have been in a relationship for 6 months. Rikka running away whenever they have romance or are given attention in public just makes the series serve its purpose. When we talk about Chuu2byo we don't talk about a typical shoujo anime or shounen ai but we talk about cuteness which is depicted perfectly in the series.

Talking about the comedy aspect of the series. I don't know about other people but there is a smile on my face throughout the episode. Rikka and dekomori turning every ordinary aspect of life into fantasy is just awesome and the fights between dekomori and nibutani does make you laugh. The regular gag about not recognizing the guy who is in love with Kumin never fails to make me evoke a smile or a laugh. The reactions of Sichimiya(love rival for Rikka, a childhood friend of Yuuta) are priceless when she is being inquired about her love for Yuuta.

The only thing I believe making ren get such reviews is because the 1st series was much better than this one. Lets not compare and enjoy this series. It is not that bad as people tend to make it.

About the reviews I have mentioned above please don't think that this review was meant to offend you. This was just my take of the series.

Guyz please leave a message about what do you think about the series. I would be happy to know about your opinions.

Thank you

*Stumbles from all the negative press* Ouch, where all the hate coming from? Oh, sorry, breaking the 4th wall of reviewing here... Here we have Season 2 of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!: Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren. The relationship of Yuuta and Rikka starts this series off... but not with a bang. The second season, between the comedy and silliness that signified the first season, chronicles Yuuta and Rikka struggling with their relationship with all their friends and family providing support. All who watched season 1 will remember how Yuuta decided to work with Rikka and her ... Chuunibyou syndrome rather than snap her out of it or move on to possibly greener pastures. Well, now our buddy has to live with his decision to stay with a girl with the mentality of a elementary schooler, and the drama surrounding it creates an entertaining, satisfactory series.

Story: 8/10
I could be a little biased, considering I love the drama of romance more than the drama leading to a romance (Maybe because the latter isn't done often enough in anime), but I enjoyed this season's story more than the first. The alternate-reality fights are better, and I think they're more of them this season than the first. Yuuta's patience with Rikka while their friends babystep them further into their relationship is as cute as a box of kittens. One major point I will give the anime is, unlike most where the male/female interaction makes no sense by the guy being Mr. Perfect (I'm looking at you Kirito when your girlfriend's body is ready, and you Tenchi, and you Mr. Perfectly Useless from Shuffle!), there's actually a reason WHY Yuuta has been taking things slow with Rikka, and the rest of cast (the normal ones anyone) don't see their progression as normal. Those reasons make the show less LCD screen punch-worthy than others with Mr. Perfects. And Rikka and Yuuta's relationship does develop by the end of the series. It may not be at full flair by the end, but it develops at the speed appropriate for them.

Even though I said I liked Season 2 better than 1, major sins exist that prevent it from becoming a 9. For example, as the little synopsis above says, and as I'm sure anyone with a brain can deduce, Sophia becomes the third wheel in our central romance's already mountainous journey. The writer's choice to make her another Chuunibyou weakens her impact dramatically; she should have been a regular high school student trying for Yuuta. Luckily, Yuuta and Shikka have enough problems themselves to keep the plot in the pot boiling.

Art: 10/10
And still no complaints ^_^! I enjoyed the openings and closing animations better this time around, and with more alternate-reality battles, the animation stays strong.

Sound: 7/10
*Sigh* nothing new to report. The music throughout was there, but didn't particularly appeal to me. Nothing different than what you'd find in most romance anime. The voice acting keep it at a strong 7. Yuuta and Nibutani's transitions into their Chuunibyou selves had me rewinding the scenes with giddy.

Character: 8/10
Put some steel in that cement, because the characterization is stronger this time around. Nibutani and Kumin get some spotlight, the former's thrilling while the latter's hilarious. No words needed for the two "lovers." The trials in their relationship are the epicenter. Unfortunately, Makoto and Dekomori were dusted aside like annoying pets, while the newbie Sophia just didn't fit her role well enough (Think Melia from Xenoblade Chronicles).

Enjoyment and Conclusion:
Not all anime relationships are created equal. Some have accidents that put people in comas, some a girl with a terminal condition, some with a girl that loses her memory every day, and others with a love interest trying to balance reality with fantasy. Chuniybou Ren builds on the fresh romance it offered in the prequel by showing an odd couple coping with their folie a deux that, from the outside looking in, seems like an extraordinary effort. Watching these two finally share their madness and try to create a healthy relationship birthed an enjoyable journey, earning it a deserved place in my romance collection.

Ultimate Final Technique V2: Final Judgment Slashing Score Deus Ex Plus!

Overall: 8/10

As someone said before, there are shows that should be left at peace after the first season IF you do not know how to handle a sequel.

Whereas the first season was a great joy to watch, for its art, plot, handling of story and overall tidiness of the story, this "thing" of a sequel was just the average garbage sub teen anime out there.

No real story, no real development, the characters that were before interesting and really evolving were now actually devolving, and the last episode was a joke, with no real end and one of the silliest declaration dialogs I have ever seen...the ... pseudo couple should just break if it is to end like that really senselees way it did. Best friends at best, Nibutani and Chichimya are the real girls there, and Yuuta should have ended with them (although Nibutani was never an option nor with any interest for the guy...)

If you liked the first season, better keep away from this, as it is a real disapointment...this being said for a freat fan of its first season.

Honestly I don't disagree with some of the things said about this second series. But one thing I will definitely say, it keeps and maintains the weapons grade adorableness the first one had.

I have only seen the subbed version, but honestly I thought the dubbed version of the first season as better than the subbed, so my rating may change once I see the dubbed version.

I didn't think the first series had some kind of incredible story, it was just very enjoyable, and incredibly heartwarming just to watch the characters interact. That was really the thing that made it great.

And the second ... series doesn't disappoint me at all, while Yuta and Rika's relationship didn't go that far, Deko and Mori varied from hilarious to surprisingly touching.

And yes I did love Satoni, and I really got off on the NEE hahaha! I loved that character. I hope the dubbed voice keeps that laugh too. It made the character really stick out and sound like a magical girl crazy pirate. Yeah she was a cutie too. I really liked it.

Story was lighter than the first, but had its moments.

No this series really didn't need a sequel... but I just loved the characters... and had to see them again.

This one didn't disappoint me at all. Yeah would have been great to see Rika and Yuta take the next step, but the interactions between everyone just made it all worth it.

I'm a little disappointed considering how much I enjoyed the clearly superior season 1 in comparison to this. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this season too, just not as much as I did compared to season 1.

I was surprised how much I season 1 entertained me. It was definitely a fun experience and I was very eager to get myself started with season 2. While sing praise towards season 1, I can't say the same for season 2.

Plot wise, Just like season 1, the plot wasn't deep nor complex. But season 1's plot definitely had more depth and it didn't feel forced. We ... still had some feels, which I like for the most part. Some of the comedy bits were still funny although several jokes lost its appeal due to continued recycling.

The romance progression was probably the biggest pull for me in season 1. I was expecting it but not how they went with it. Definitely a pleasant surprise, this is why I couldn't wait to get season 2 started, to know which direction they were going with it.

I'm honestly upset with what they did with the romance this season. Well they didn't do much, I wouldn't argue if somebody said they didn't do anything at all with this part of the story. I wanted progression, I got very little of it. The romance that bloomed at the end of the 1st season stagnated until season 2 ended.

Summary: I enjoyed it, but this season is undoubtedly inferior to the previous season. I wish they developed more of the romance, that was I was expecting the most this season.

I feel I need to write this review just so that the people like me, who were tempted to not watch Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren due to the collection of unfavorable reviews on the page, can actually give the anime a chance!

I thought this sequel was great! Sure the story and romance in the worlds most slowly progressing relationship does not reach amazing new heights but that does not mean that the anime is not highly enjoyable. For starters one of the perks of Ren is that it continues with the same feel and humorous style as the first series, if you ... enjoyed the first one then it's pretty probable you'll enjoy this.

This series also adds to the romance and emotion by introducing us to a new character, Shichimiya (AKA the pink haired girl from the picture). I really liked this girl! Being a fan of the first series I would've probably liked this second one anyway but Shichimiya was a seriously huge part of what made Ren so enjoyable and emotional. I'm not going to mention any spoilers but we also get some more insight into the past of some of the main cast too which is always fun.

Overall I highly recommend watching Ren, maybe you won't enjoy it as much as the first series or maybe you'll enjoy it more. Either way it's highly likely you'll be a fan of Ren and be glad you watched it!

It has some comedic episodes within the season. But there wasn't really anything that had the same substance and development that season 1 had. Even a core story line in this season, i felt fell flat. And overall it didn't feel like there was really any direction the season was trying to go.

Felt more comedy, than romance, but if you were looking for the good feels from season 1, move along. Would be worth watching IF they do a season 3 so you don't get left behind...otherwise...just be content with the season 1 Christmas Episode as your "ending" and move on.

A great example of a show that just didn't need a sequel season.

The first season of Chuunibyou wasn't particularly amazing in my opinion, but at least it had a premise, some conflict, an overall purpose which it delivered on, some entertaining scenes and it mostly tied itself up without leaving many loose ends.

So why did it need a sequel season? It mostly just ends up as a "continuation of the characters from the first season", and the entire thing just felt way too safe. The characters from last season pretty much had all of their character conflict resolved, so now they had to find a ... new direction to go with the series, which they rather lacked . This leads to just a series of episodes with more of the same kinds of episodes and occasional humor of the first season, only this time most of the initial charge has worn off.

Any semblance of a conflict gets resolved very quickly and the series lacks any memorable episodes or any of what made the first season good. What ends up happening is an annoyingly slow progressing romance between two characters who already had that part of their character resolved last season, and it ends up just feeling like it was forced to be a part of the story, as ti can just be almost uncomfortable to watch. They try to add a "love triangle" type plot, but they don't do very much with it, and I can understand why. If they did make anything too serious and dramatic out of it, it would probably just end up feeling jarring and out of place because of the generally lighthearted tone of the show. Shichimiya isn't integrated well into the story, since she's an obvious "third wheel" to the group of characters, and she's an annoying character on top of that.

Chuunibyou Season 2 isn't bad, persay, it's just unnecessary. It added nothing to the original story, as everyone is pretty much where they left off without much development. The initial charm and occasionally cringe-worthy humor has since worn off, leaving the series feeling stale, recycled and highly predictable without anything new added nor anything that made the first season entertaining.

*Excuse me* as i wade through the hate that this sequel season to Chuunibyou received. I admit that as a whole, the original series was significantly stronger, and i can relate to the view that this one was a little anticlimactic.
However, it had its perks, and i was very pleased to see some further development to this brilliantly unique and charming show.

There's no doubt about it, that Ren puts a lot of focus on the topic of romance, and for those who were expecting more of the action-comedy aspect, you may be let down. This isn't a flaw though, as from the start, Chuunibyou - ... with its wide expanse of genre coverage drew in a range of viewers with different tastes - it just so happens that whereas the first season was more balanced and therefore "played it safe", Ren (alike the ending part of the first season) is a little more delicate, deep, and serious in its approach.

For a Chuunibyou fan like myself, i was very glad to have the story continue, and although Ren developed the overriding plot minimally, it did give us a lot more development in the character and context areas.

Ren is very enriching for watchers of the first season who crave more depth. The addition of some new characters (1 major), and the vivid development of others such as Shinka and Kumin through various events - allows the viewer to feel more attached and connected to the anime as a whole.

Some objectives are covered, the overall presentation is similar, but as i mentioned, Ren's strengths are in its context and development, that will surely suffice as the side of fries, and the ketchup to compliment and therefore enhance the big mac that is the original season - implying that as a standalone, Ren wouldn't really work.

But forgetting about the original to really crack down on my verdict for Ren...

The series retains all of its charm. The development of the more-complicated-than-you-would-have-thought relationship between Yuuta and Rikka serves as a backbone in some ways. This allows Ren to incorporate a lot of sentimentality, attention to detail, emotional growth and emotional battles alongside the epic fantasy styled ones. The one area that Ren acts as a step upwards, is its ability to convey emotion. Due to its newly found depth, this sequel series is very effective in the way it conveys friction between the characters, making particularly the journey the Yuuta and Rikka go on together more immersive, as i guarantee that you'll be rooting for them.

Ren will add a great extent to your understanding of the Chuunibyou legacy, and while i appreciated the emotional growth and developments it depicts, i agree with the masses that it could have been better.

From this, and the extent of your own curiosity, i'm sure you will be able to decide weather of not to pursue this sequel.

I'll be keeping this fairly brief. If you dislike any of the characters in the first season, this review might help you.

I already thought the characters were pretty weak, coming into the second season. What you should expect in the second season is for the characters to remain nearly the same. Or rather, you will see a series of episodes that each trick you into thinking that there will be character progression, that then revert back to the exact same dynamic. It is unbelievably frustrating to watch.

There is one moment in particular, which I can't talk about because spoilers, that happens in the second half ... of the series. It got me excited. Finally, some desperately needed character self-reflection that doesn't come off as immature and nearly disfunctional (Sorry guys, not a Rikka fan). But the creators of this show had the audacity to think they can write this conflict off with no reason at all. It completely destroyed the idea of any plot. I would love to hear why they thought that was a good idea.

I'm usually pretty forgiving of anime with little plot. But when it gets as little as "none," it really becomes slice of nothing rather than slice of life. Enjoy your nothing pie everyone; it goes without saying that it could use some flavoring.

This is not a terrible anime. In fact, if it was on its own, it would score much higher, but coming to Ren after watching 1st season was a huge dissapointment. Watching characters you liked so much degrade themselves is something nobody should experience.
This is direct continuation of Chuunibyou 1st season. Yuuta and Rikka now live together, because apparently even Tooka knows that nothing will happen in this series. Also, Yuuta's old friend with syndrome of her own moves upstairs, resulting in a very poorly executed triangle.
The high points of this season are definitely scenes with Nibutani and Dekomori. Those two are at their ... best and I'd really love to see more of them instead of, for example, an entire episode about napping (I kid you not).
Drama was handled much worse than in first season, pink haired girl really just felt out of place in all of this. But the worst thing about Ren is that almost nothing happened between Yuuta and Rikka. Nothing. Except now they can hold their hands without passing out from embarrassment. But if you wanted to see at least a kiss in final episodes, don't get you hopes up. They apparently have emotional maturity of 5 year olds.
Both opening and ending were much behind those from 1st season, but they weren't too bad. Artstyle was really nice, even for KyoAni. Nothing to complain about here.
In summary, this was a very dissapointing show. As much as it made me laugh sometimes, it came nowhere near the beautiful experience that was first Chuunibyou and I really felt cheated on at the end. Let's hope KyoAni will give this story a proper ending (like it had before Ren happened) with a movie or third season.