12.29
The final episodes!
Rikka and Yuuta’s conversation on the way to school reminded me of that one Calvin & Hobbes comic where they talked about treating conversations like a game where you’re winning as long as you’re speaking most of the time. And honestly, that’s how most conversations seem to be; nothing but back-and-forths where the more sociable person comes off as the dominant factor even if half the time they seem to be talking about absolutely nothing in particular. Hopefully I’ll run into less of these occasions the older I get, but I really doubt that.
I like to imagine this was how Lain met her friends. Having the one friend that’s your “one of these things is not like the other” buddy seems ridiculous but I see it dozens of times. Not to be confused with the “one good-looking friend” which doesn’t seem to exist in animu since everyone seems to be of equal good-looking-ness.
Interesting to note how empty Nibutani’s conversation with Yuuta felt since Rikka brought up how Nibutani told her to keep conversations light. Guess she practices what she preaches. Still, Nibutani’s one-on-one’s with Yuuta always interest me for some reason. They always come off as two old people with the way they reminisce about things.
The entirety of episode 11 in general felt like the quiet before the storm, but this scene in particular held that kind of feel. Even though the same ol’ wackiness was going on with Isshiki talking about his love letter to Kumin (which never gets resolved, proving how it was only part of the scene as a sort of misdirection on where things will be going?) the lack of music when the scene starts is a sort of indicator of things to come. And whaddya know, you have Deko throwing a tantrum on par with one you’d see from a kid at a mall—equally awkward and obnoxious, but at the same time you still feel bad.
Cheap date is best date. I still love how due to her sister always cooking for her, Rikka finds absolute amusement from store-bought foods. It’s never really brought into the forefront how Tooka is a professional chef, but it’s always something brought up and in some cases even drives the plot, which I find interesting. It’s just the right amount of subtle, if that makes any sense.
Oh geez. The ugly cries scene. The first time I watched this, I thought it was just too much, but watching it a second time… it’s still too much, but I can’t even begin to imagine how else the series would progress without Yuuta badmouthing someone with the syndrome and outright telling them to get over themselves. It’s cruel, yes, but it’s something I was actually hoping the series would touch upon. Though with this being the last scene of episode 11, it really made me feel like I unlocked the “bad ending” of the series or something.
(sidenote: I really gotta pick up that sequel to 999. My brain is craving puzzles disguised as visual novels.)
Uwaaaah? Found Deko’s sudden 180 jarring, but intere—
Double-uwaaaah? That explains Kumin’s random appearance last episode, I guess. Still curious as to who was driving the car back then, though. Either way, glad to see Kumin-senpai actually serving some sort of purpose. While I found Deko and Isshiki annoying, they at least had some personality, while Kumin just kinda stayed in that “meh” area until now.
“Flom Dark Flame Master”
Yes. “Flom.” Everything about that letter down to the typo feels like classic Yuuta.
… Yuuta reading his old letter works especially well following Nibutani and Yuuta’s scene. Things started to lean towards meta with them talking about how everyone has their own version of chuunibyou that they have to get over, but it rang true which is what really matters. Pretty sure practically every one-on-one scene between Yuuta and Nibutani could have been started with one of them saying “Real talk?”
I’m absolutely convinced that Tooka was responsible for dressing up Rikka. Even when she started to go rogue chuunibyou. In the manliest, straightest way possible, I just have to say that Rikka’s entire wardrobe is just so fashionable. Though I shouldn’t be surprised with KyoAni at the helm of the series. Part of the reason I follow half their shows is the varied wardrobe they’re always happy to give to their full cast of characters.
This is probably one of the reasons why this post is (reasonably) late. To have Yuuta be the spark that set off Rikka’s syndrome in the first place was just a hard pill for me to swallow. I’m all for the plot referring to earlier happenings, but this just seemed like too big of a stretch for me, especially since it was something that held so much oomph in terms of what knowing this means for Yuuta.
Watching it again, I guess I’m fine with it, but iunno… there’s just something special about not giving Rikka an origin story to her syndrome.
The fact that they amped up the drama with Rikka’s gramps butting in and calling the cops was pretty off-putting, too.
… though I guess they needed some reason to bring the gang back together for one last romp.
… and if that involves Isshiki running from the cops claiming to be a molester then I am fine with this. Poor Isshiki, though: always having to take one for the team. He shall go down in history as the saddest reindeer that gave up his spot on Santa’s lineup just so Rudolph would look that much more important being the sole person leading the way (okay, now I’m stretching things).
Escaping from the cops on a bicycle is always a fun image. Unnecessary narrator aside (they seriously couldn’t have had Kumin or Nibutani narrate instead?) Chuunibyou ends on a beautiful note, with talk of how everyone suffers from the syndrome of self-consciousness and how it’s up to the person how they’ll deal. Serious’d the hell up in its last couple episodes, but still worth the watch.