"Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!" is another slice of life anime in a school setting, plus it's a rom-com. For whatever reason that concept never gets boring, making it feel entirely fresh is a different thing though.
The story's protaganist is Yuuta, a guy about to face the reality of going to high school. He feels insecure about his past and how he was acting in middle school, purposely choosing to continue his studies far from his home, hoping not to come across people he used to know. Unfortunately, reality is far from how he imagined his future and eventually he finds himself surrounded by things he was so desperate to forget about.
When a girl named Rikka becomes his neighbor AND turns out to go to the same class as he does, all of his efforts seemingly go for nothing, as Yuuta sees all of his former traits in her. The gal decides to stick to our protagonist, for she does not seem to have any other actual friends, excluding Dekomori, her internet friend, who also "suffers" from the "chuunibyou" state of mind. He, on the other hand, is far from being fond of her way of being. However, as their relationship progresses and he understands her better, Yuuta becomes a bit more understanding, eventually lowering the pressure he was trying to put on Rikka to change her.
An important part of the story are the "delusions", presented as actually well animated fights. In reality they may be e.g. a battle between an adult with a laddle and a kid with an umbrella, the way Rikka and some others see them are far more impressive though, making the experience unique.
"Chuunibyou" is quite possible the most wholesome and heartwarming story I've ever seen, leaving me with a big grin every few scenes. The comedy is great as well, ideally exaggerateted and able to catch you off guard multiple times. The characters are a strong aspect of the anime, especially Yuuta made the journey feel real. I have to admit, I do relate to him: escaping his past, trying to avoid it at all costs, even if it means entirely changing his environment. Seeing your old features in others and persuading them to change themselves feels just as real to me and I did feel guilty watching some of the episodes to be fair. After all, trying to change the way your friends are may not do any good. You may now dislike what you used to enjoy in the past, but it is okay for others to still like it. Even if their behavior feels weird or, in this case, childish, if it makes them genuiely happy, what point is in trying to take their happiness away from them?
Overall, "Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!" is without a doubt one of my favorite anime so far. Its original take on the genre, entertaining comedy and the fact it is such a heart-warmer made me thoroughly enjoy it. It made me draw some conclusions from it and hopefully it will make me a better person in the end.
