The first half of the anime is easily the best part of it. The main character Takumi struggles with constant delusions throughout the anime. They even get to the point where both Takumi and the viewer are constantly trying to figure out if what’s happening is real or just a delusion. Takumi also meets several girls throughout the anime, who each have their own advice on what he should do, and has to decide who to trust so he can save himself from the delusions. One of the most interesting parts about the first half of the anime for the viewer is trying to figure out what’s the reason behind Takumi’s delusions and what’s the correct course of action he should take to deal with the situation.
The second half of the anime almost feels like a completely different show. It starts out by explaining everything behind the events that have happened so far, completely getting rid of the aspect of mystery the first half of the show had. After that, the show turns into a generic shounen where the characters have to fight to save the world. The show tries to incorporate elements from the first half, such as the delusions, into its fights but overall they end up feeling really out of place for a show that started off as something completely different. On top of that the second half has constant twists that happen at such a fast pace where it gets rid of any impact the reveals would have and just end up leaving the viewer confused. The ending of the anime also feels like a confusing mess. It can be really hard to follow at times and is resolved in a way that feels like it was written in out of nowhere.
Takumi is easily the most interesting character out of the cast. The whole anime follows him struggling through his delusions and trying to stay sane in the process. His reactions to all the events happening around him are also quite realistic compared to how your typical strong-minded protagonist might react. The girls however, seem to be there just to support Takumi and don’t get nearly enough development or screen time to stand out properly on their own.
The animation is good enough for the most part but is certainly below the quality of the other shows Madhouse has done. The soundtrack is also pretty good and supports most of the scenes quite well. I especially liked the opening and ending tracks of the anime.
Chaos;Head ends up feeling like an anime that needed more than 12 episodes to tell its story properly. The overall story is interesting but gets way too rushed in the second half, making it quite hard to follow in the end. Still, I really enjoyed the first half of the show and would recommend it to anyone who likes psychological anime that keep you guessing about what’s happening and why. The rest of it however, I can’t really recommend to anyone.
