The animation is probably the best part of the season, and for good reason. Ren is a 2014 Kyoani show and absolutely kills it in the art department. I note this about a lot of Kyoani works, but I absolutely can’t help but love Takemoto and Ishihara’s direct influences. Animation is fluid, scenes are detailed, and above all the color is beautiful. While I do prefer to the movie in terms of raw eye candy, S2 doesn’t disappoint. The music is good too – ZAQ sings an excellent OP, while not quite to the same level as S1, and while the S2 ending definetely doesn’t live up to its S1 correspondent, it’s decent as well. The rest of the soundtrack is decent and appreciated – another reviewer commented on the good use of piano and I also want to call that out here as well. Not to the same level as some of the other Kyoani soundtracks, but still mainly there.
Things really start to slow down, however, when it comes to the characters and plot, both of which are linked pretty closely in the first season. The second, however, definetely does worse, and I think this is partially due to where S1 left off. The first installment had what I can confidently describe as a purpose, climax, and resolution. Rikka and Yuuta’s relationship grows in light of and with respect to the rising action, and their dispositions towards their own delusions reflect that by the time the season ends. Season 2, with Rikka’s goal resolved and seemingly forgotten, meanders. It lacks a concrete purpose and instead attempts to replace it with the most dreaded of plot devices: the love triangle. It almost seems that the writers thought that since having a teenage-delusion relationship in Season 1 worked, Season 2 would be twice as good with a second one thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, this really isn’t the case.
I’ll talk about the obvious here. It doesn’t take more than a brief glance at the MAL character page to see that there’s a new main character that didn’t exist in S1. While I do think that Shichimiya could have been an interesting figure, her involvement only to cause confusion in the Rikka-Yuuta delusion seems to be rather misguided. Indeed, most of the season seems to be oscillatory on her character, swinging wildly between what I could describe as legitimate character development amd complete stagnation. And this is a problem because I think that her character could have been used for far superior purposes. Just how Season 1 involved (albeit in an unfocused fashion) a discussion of whether delusions can constitute reality, I think that Season 2 could have easily discussed how delusions can inhibit other realities, or realities of those around you. I think it’s a real shame we see this theme hinted at but never really focused on throughout the entire series, as Shichimiya’s character “development” focuses more on the histrionic relationship building rather than the chuunibyou itself.
It’s also worth saying that the introduction of her character seems to take away from that of the others. MAL lists now 6 (!) characters under the title of “main.” While featuring so many main characters can be done effectively (and the studio has done so in the past), the anime seems worse for it here. Supports like Isshiki and Tooka are pushed to the background, frustrating any development they may have seen the first season. Even some of the mains really don’t really use S1 developments to their advantage. A good example of this come in the Sanae/Shinka dynamic, which really could have been developed meaningfully in light of the revelations in S1, episode 11, but seem instead to stagnate in general antagonism and sappy reconciliations. Even Kumin’s unique relationship with delusions, hinted in the first season, is less prevalent here.
In conclusion, I somehow ended up remembering this show worse, rather than better, than I originally slated it for. Do I feel like the general concept – of delusions and reality – is really interesting? Absolutely. But do I feel like the implementation is really hindered by the exaggerated romances, love triangles, and crowded main cast? Yeah, unfortunately. I know that we’re talking different genres here, but it pains me a bit that Kyoani couldn’t make this show grapple with real implications beyond a few quick moments, and that most of the plot and resolution follows such a meandering, purposeless path. Maybe I’m a critic, but if you’re looking to avoid that, I’d look for your romcoms elsewhere.
