Chäos;HEAd - Episode 12 (Completed)

With Takumi awakened and now completely aware of who (or should that be what?) he is, the climax of Chäos;HEAd deals simply with the "small" matter of him destroying Noah II to put an end to the delusions that have overtaken Shibuya.

Of course, as is so often the case with bad guys, it appears that the actual driving force of the head of N.O.Z.O.M.I., Norose, is rather more altruistic than it first seemed, as his goal is to keep Noah II out of the hands of politicans so that he can created a world where people (to put it simply) aren't mean to one another any more. Of course, wonderful though this concept is (and completely at odds with the rioting and the like we saw when Noah II was activated, but never mind - Perhaps the idea was for all the horrible people to kill each other), the philosophy that wins the day here is that a man who cannot choose ceases to be a man (to paraphrase A Clockwork Orange)... and quite right too.


So, much of this episode sees Norose and Takumi facing off, with the latter having to battle through and fight off countless delusions of being melted into a puddle and having a stake shoved up his... err, moving swiftly on... This use of delusions is pretty well in keeping with the series as a whole, so I suppose some kudos should be dished out for not going for an entirely action-based big finale to take us to the inevitable happy ending and a world restored to normality (aside from Takumi's delusional powers I assume).

While Chäos;HEAd can in no way claim to be a classic, it's turned out to be one of the solid shows of this season, mainly on the strength of its general concept of delusions, then delusions made into reality. The former offered up some fantastic early episodes where we really weren't sure what was real and what was fake, and although this power waned once the game was up and we understood the core tenets of the show, it still continued to be a solid and interested plot device that thankfully didn't descend into the realm of the deus ex machina half as much as it could potentially have done given the subject matter. The series also managed to avoid the harem anime possibilities that its character line-up gave room for, and created some reasonably well-rounded characters even if you didn't particularly like them all (with Takumi himself ripe to be the most unlikeable "hero" of 2008). Having not yet played the game around which this series is based, my thoughts on Chäos;HEAd are doubtless different from those who are familiar with it in its original form, but purely as an anime spectacle this show has managed to be a well realised and frequently intriguing work - In other words, I would imagine that it's accomplished everything that it set out to do.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 11

Right, let me get this straight - Shogun is Takumi, but Takumi isn't Takumi (who is Shogun) because Takumi is a delusion created by Shogun, who is actually Takumi, only not a delusion. Yeah, I think that about covers it.

Okay, okay, it's simple really, Shogun is the real Takumi who has created the delusion Takumi to do his legwork for him (although you'd have thought he'd manage to create someone who was a bit less of of a reclusive nerd though, oh well). Anyway, at the start of this episode all of this information becomes crystal clear to Takumi, an "awakening" which finally allows him to gain his Di-Sword. His timing couldn't be much better either, as shortly afterwards "The Third Melt" occurs (which I guess is like Third Impact, only more... melty), totalling Shibuya in the process.


From here on, it's all about Takumi playing the hero role (with a little help from the other Gigalomaniax's that we're already familiar with), with a transformation in both abilities and personalities which brought to mind Neo in The Matrix, all of a suden oozing a kind of cool, calm and collected persona which was previously beyond him. This display of abilities sets us up for a grand finale, as Takumi races both to save Rimi and destroy Noah II, thus saving the world.

Aside from some slightly cheesy moments (crazy killer bugs popping out of people's chests in particular), this was a pretty good episode, laying out all of the required information in a simple enough fashion, finally turning Takumi into the decent guy the series has arguably been crying out for since the start, and also doing its bit on the horror front with the spooning out of brains and so forth (don't eat soggy Coco Pops while you're watching this episode, whatever you do). I suppose the way that Chäos;HEAd is constructed means that the build-up is always going to be more intriguing and impressive than its actual revelations, but the transition from one to the other has gone smoothly enough, and the series as a whole has been an entertaining enough ride to leave me wanting to watch that one last episode so that we can see Takumi save the world, before going back to being an anime-obsessed geek like the rest of us. Who knows, maybe even as an anime-obsessed geek with a cute, pink-haired girlfriend?

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 10

Okay, that's it, I admit it - Chäos;HEAd has finally succeeded in entirely melting my poor, uncomprehending brain. Thus, this particular 'Blog post will be brought to you by the charred remains of my head.

After the last episode linked Takumi to Shogun in a pretty big way, so this latest instalment manages to ramp up the "bloody Hell" factor substantially. Never mind about Shogun being Takumi's future self, does Takumi even exist at all? Apparently not according to Rimi, who informs Takumi that he was only "born", as a delusion, a year ago.


Takumi isn't the only one having an identity crisis, as Yua seemingly comes face to face with her sister Mimi who had committed suicide.. or has she? Indeed, who is Mimi and who is Yua? Again, confusion reigns until a Di-Sword or two sorts everything out. Everything, that is, apart from the existence for a period of two Nanamis (with Rimi attempting to save the real one), and the outbreak of absolute chaos around the city as N.O.Z.O.M.I.'s plans begin to take full effect. Oh, and the detective, who is in a bit of a tight spot himself.

Once again, this episode proves to be Chäos;HEAd at its best, delighting in messing with the viewer's head and causing them to question every single scene, for things are rarely as they seem. It's hard to really put into words what happens in each episode, as it's so filled with doubt at anything that anybody says or does (thanks to the whole "delusion" device), but it's exactly that which makes this series so compelling to watch when it gets it right and does it well. Even when the censors get hold of it (as I'm guessing has happened with Nanami towards the end of the episode), I almost find myself forgiving them for it. Note, I said almost.

Anyway, it seems almost impossible that this story will be wrapped up satisfactorily in two episodes, but here's hoping that they manage to do a good job, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be gripped by the duration of the remainder of this series. No way am I letting anyone put frog plushies on my phone now though...

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 9

After giving us an almost solely action-packed eighth instalment, episode nine of Chäos;HEAd returns to the real meat of the series, continuing to link together various mysteries and questions that have been posed within the series so far.

While a visit to see Ayase in hospital leads to her trying to explain Takumi's significance to what's been going on (and how he can obtain a Di-Sword) in rather medieval terms, far more revealing is Rimi's part in proceedings. Aside from a stand-off with Ayase (we only see the latter slap the former, nothing more), Rimi is forced out into the open, proving herself to be a Gigalomaniac complete with Di-Sword as she has to protect Takumi from an angry Sena. This leads to the revelation that her primary objective is to prevent Takumi from "awakening", which can only lead to no good as far as she is concerned. She also clearly knows a little about Sena, and her weakness (i.e. wanting revenge on her father), and seems willing to manipulate anybody she needs to via delusions to help her cause.


All of this confrontation comes about from a discovery that Takumi makes himself, linking his childhood self to both the "Whose eyes are those?" meme that has been a key part of the New Gene killings and to the Noah 11 project that Sena and company were trying to stop last time. How this connection has manifested itself we really don't know, but the true identity of Shogun looks likely to have everything to do with it.... All this is without the danger to Takumi's sister Nanami, and the role of those mobile phone accessory frogs in the whole story.

Overall, this was another excellent episode of Chäos;HEAd, throwing plenty of new information (in the form of both answers and more questions) at us, but rarely sinking to the depths of confusion and instead presenting us with a compelling storyline with some fascinating developments. While Takumi continues to be far from the most likeable lead male ever to set foot in an anime series, the show as a whole somehow manages not to suffer from it, and even the rather generically evil N.O.Z.O.M.I. organisation can be forgiven for its part in a story with plenty of twists, turns and intrigue. Just as I was wondering if my interest in Chäos;HEAd as a series might be starting to wane, so this episode has come along to put me right back on track to leave me wanting more, and not particularly welcoming the thought of having to wait another week for the next instalment.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 8

If episode seven of Chäos;HEAd felt a little like reading A Brief History of Time in Arabic backwards to you, then the good news is that episode eight is far, far less strenuous on those precious brain cells, taking an extremely action-oriented turn that doesn't particularly require too much thought at all.

The whole thing starts with Takumi being persuaded to go on a "raid" with Kozue (or Kozupii, if we really have to use that annoying name) and Sena, who are off on a mission to destroy "Noah 11", a piece of equipment which is vital to whatever N.O.Z.O.M.I. are up to. The ability of a Gigalomaniac to project delusions onto others makes it easy enough to enter the target complex, but when it seems as though they've found Noah 11, they come across the CEO of N.O.Z.O.M.I. - Cue lots of fighting with Di-Swords, and a few dirty tricks played using delusions as weapons, before Ayase briefly joins the fray and does her part to turn the tide despite still being injured from her fall in the last episode. The intrepid trio (well, quartet if you include Ayase) win the day, but it seems to be something of a phyrric victory...


Mixed in with all of this are some important details regarding Sena, including her real family name and her reason for fighting tooth and nail against N.O.Z.O.M.I. and a little bit more about Kozue and why she doesn't speak (although if her telepathic voice is anything like her real one, I think I'd stay quiet if I were here too). Perhaps most important of all is what little we see of Rimi in this episode, as we learn that she is in league with Shogun, and seems rather keen to dispose of Takumi, although Shogun thinks otherwise. What are they planning? Who else does N.O.Z.O.M.I.'s President have captive? There are plenty of new questions to answer heading into episode nine...

Considering that I wasn't sure whether Chäos;HEAd would be able to make the transition to a more action-packed scenario particularly, this episode actually fared rather well, keeping the flow of interesting and important developments going alongside the more typical swinging around of swords, a segment of the episode that was actually made all the more watchable in itself by the use of delusions as weapons. While I get the impression that this series is heading away from the game upon which it is based at a rate of knots (although I still haven't played it myself yet), and is similarly moving away from the tone of those fascinating early episodes, it still remains a decent series with plenty going on to keep me both entertained and watching with due intrigue in the show and everything it portrays.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 7

If you felt like you were finally beginning to get your head around Chäos;HEAd after the last episode, then be prepared to retrieve your dunce's cap and plant it firmly back on your head, as episode seven takes us on a deep dive into some of the craziness that has been going on in the series.

After the "earthquake" (which was patently far more than simply that) last episode, a fair amount of anarchy seems to be reigning around town, from looting to fighting. It isn't just the general populace that's uneasy either - Takumi arrives at the school looking for Rimi (just where is she for most of this episode?) but instead finds Ayase about to jump from the roof of the school building. Thankfully, her fall is broken by a garden beneath which she lands in, but was that patch of soft ground even there before she fell?


This is where we start to get dragged deep into some of the background of the story, references to a Dirac sea and all. For starters, we get confirmation over what I suppose you can call the main jist of the story, that delusions can become reality by basically implanting them in the heads of enough people - This is a process called "real-booting" by Sena, and is responsible (via Takumi) for the appearance of the garden which saved Ayase, even though he shouldn't be able to do so without a Di-Sword. As an extension of this, we learn that Di-Swords have to be real-booted to be used as an offensive weapon, at which point they can be seen by everyone.

On the other side of things, we at last get to see the inner workings of N.O.Z.O.M.I., who are experimenting in ways to force these delusions as reality upon the populace using signals which are transmitted by people on the streets carrying backpacks such as those we saw last episode. What is their aim with all this? We don't know exactly, but some Dr. Evil little finger in mouth-esque world domination seems quite likely.

As if that isn't enough delusion blue ice lolly to get your teeth into, the inevitable mysterious transfer student Kozue finally makes herself know as a major part of this story, proving her ability to communicate telepathically (and annoyingly too, so I guess every silver lining has a cloud in this example).

You know, if ever a series made me glad that I'd 'Blogging about it, it's this one - As the episode finished, I found myself with a mild headache and furrowed brow as I tried to process exactly what's what, but thankfully the requirement to take some time rationalising and explaining it all for this entry has allowed me to get my head around it and feel comfortable with where the story has taken us. Unfortunately, filling the episode with so much explanation and revelation made it feel a little more like a class at school where you know there's going to be a test the next day than all-out entertainment, but if you can get over that point then it was a passable instalment that at least has allowed the series to set out its stall and put up some big signs to point to where it's going from here.

From what I've heard online people who have played the game are starting to have real problems with the way that Chäos;HEAd is handling the story, but having not done that just yet am I thankfully continuing to enjoy the series by and large, even if this episode threatened at times to become a bit of a chore.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 6

It's time for another dose of the delusional thanks to episode six of Chäos;HEAd, but is anything more going to be revealed in this instalment, and just how deep does the rabbit hole go?

There's undoubtedly plenty to note within this episode as you might expect, but the main point of interest is Takumi's eventual and new-found willingness to trust Rimi, allowing her to follow him around everywhere he goes, and even going as far as divulging his thoughts about Shogun, his delusions, Di-Swords (to some extent) and the like to her. Given the fact that we can't really take anything for granted in this series it's difficult to get a grip on Rimi's place within what's going on, and perhaps I'm just paranoid myself, but something is definitely not right with her interest in Takumi - She asks a lot of questions, seems genuinely shocked/worried when he mentions Ayase's possession of a sword, and doesn't seem to be particularly affected by the incident at the end of the episode. Things are amiss, of that much I'm sure.


On the subject of Takumi's delusions, our protagonist is trying to get his head around both what they mean and where they're coming from, suggesting that what he sees could be the products of another persons mind, simply transmitted into his own brain. Again, we don't know if that's just Takumi being crazy or whether it has some elements of truth, but it's an interesting concept nonetheless.

Aside from all that, this episode gives us another New Gene murder (inevitably, of Takumi's psychiatrist who went missing in an earlier instalment), Sena's Di-Sword materialising as a solid object that everyone can see, the police's continuing investigation into oddities of gravity causing the murders, and a backpack full of electronics with the name N.O.Z.O.M.I. attached to it. Oh, and then there's the crazy Japanese crossing music of doom, which always seems to signal bad things and on this particular occasion has basically ground Shibuya to a rather ear-piercing halt.

As I say, there's plenty to get your teeth into with this episode, and all of that contributes to another top-notch episode of Chäos;HEAd. Even as you try to figure out what's going on and who is friend or foe, you find yourself both factoring in Takumi's delusion personality and also fighting against your own paranoia about many of the characters, so infectious is Takumi's state of mind. I can't say that anything has particularly become any clearer in episode six, but my mind has been further muddled in a well paced and vastly entertaining way, which is more than good enough for me. Once again, I find myself waiting impatiently for the next episode in the hope of further revelations about this increasingly intriguing story.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 5

After messing with my mind for much of its four episodes thus far, the fifth instalment of Chäos;HEAd finally starts to explain things... Although by explain, I mean mess with my head all the more.

There are really two big set pieces contained within this episode to get you thinking about where the series is headed. The first is regarding a fish burger... Wait, no, I'm not sure that was one. The first is a monologue given to Takumi by Sena (she of the penchant for ice lollies and the cause of Takumi's first encounter with a Di-Sword) which has distinctly Matrix-esque undertones - In essence, she asks whether the world Takumi sees around him is the real world in which he appears to live, and suggests that someone or something is controlling not only what people see, but even their movements to some unspecified end.


This philosophy is taken further in the episode as Takumi bumps into Ayase while on the run from the police (or possibly a delusion that the police are chasing him) after Yua corners him and once again tries to persuade him to let her help him, as she's convinced that he's responsible for the New Gene killings. Ayase produces a Di-Sword virtually out of thin air, while also suggesting that Takumi's delusions are, perhaps, anything but, and are in fact the product of some kind of other dimension or domain that he has the power to tap into. It still makes it no clearer to Takumi how to obtain his own Di-Sword of course, but it's intriguing stuff, which is topped off with Takumi being sent a YouTube... sorry, "MewTube" link showing some more New Gene related deaths - But who was recording the video?...

While there can be no doubt that I've very much enjoyed Chäos;HEAd so far, episode five of the series has really kicked things up a notch. Okay, so the Matrix parallels already feel a little tired and dated, but putting that to one side this particular instalment of the show was a little slice of genius, which somehow managed to explain so much while still explaining nothing, and actually letting me enjoy being thoroughly baffled in the process. Once again, I'm left entirely without a clue as to where things will head with this series next, but I truly can't wait to find out after the masterful qualities of this particular episode.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 4

If you were expecting Chäos;HEAd to suddenly start making sense in episode four, then expect away, but prepare to be disappointed as the general feeling of confusion remains, or arguably even worsens in this latest instalment.

One thing that does get (somewhat) cleared up is the subject of girls walking around with big swords that only Takumi seems able to see - The swords are called Di-Swords, a fact which Takumi learns after bumping into Sena Aoi, said girl with huge weapon. We also get to meet "The General", the person who has been sending Takumi information about the New Gene murders... Or do we? Once again, Chäos;HEAd delights in throwing in Takumi's delusions in along with the real plot development, leaving us almost completely unsure as to what is real and what is false every episode.


Aside from that, we also see the introduction of a mysterious transfer student (which anyone who watches anime knows is always bad news), see Rimi's relationship with Takumi develop, and find out (as if it wasn't obvious from the last episode) the true identity of Fes from the band Phatntasm introduced last time around, which results in a rather sudden proposition for Takumi... or does it? (Sorry, I really have to stop doing that with the delusion-related questions)

Anyway, Chäos;HEAd really does manage to keep its place as the most intriguing show of this series - The whole delusion plot device keeps things hugely entertaining while also keeping the viewer on his toes, and with next episode looking likely to start revealing a lot of the mysteries that have built up, it looks like they've paced the series just about right, as I'm not sure I can take too much more confusion as to the main jist of the series. The enjoyment this series clearly exhibits in messing with my head has managed to translate into an enjoyment of this show of my own, with this show holding enough unique elements to really keep me hooked.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 3

Chäos;HEAd continues along its slightly confusing and messed up path exactly as you'd expect it to in episode three, even referencing dissociative identity disorder to add a little real-world bulk to this otherwise supernatural show.

After having Yua confront Takumi, suggesting that he is in some way responsible for the "New Gene" murders in the last episode, we first and foremost get a flashback to our protagonist's past - Namely, an occasion where his parents didn't allow him to go on a school field trip, and his resulting frustration and wishes seemingly turned into a real-life disaster, with the bus crashing and injuring/killing his classmates (it isn't made clear exactly what happened). Can Takumi really predict the future, and more importantly is he doing things he doesn't even remember in his sleep? Takumi visits a psychologist to find out if he's sleep-walking, but the results seem to suggest that isn't the case.


From here, further research on Takumi's part takes him to a gig by a band called Phantasm, and their lead singer Fes (a girl bearing more than a passing resemblance to a student at Takumi's school...), who seems to cross-reference important points that tie in with the New Gene killings in her band's lyrics. Takumi also starts seeing girls hanging around with huge swords, which appears to be another hint regarding what it to come in future episodes...

Once again, Chäos;HEAd delights in its refusal to separate any kind of real-world reality from what may or may not be Takumi's delusions, running it all together in a single storyline so that you really can't be entirely sure what's going on. The introduction of those big swords that only Takumi can see is probably the biggest hint yet as to where the series is going, although even that doesn't really give us a lot to work with, and aside from that (admittedly far from minor) point we really don't progress very far in terms of being educated as to what the Hell is going on - Mind you, this sense of mystery is actually working in favour of the series as far as I'm concerned. Takumi may remain hugely unlikeable as a person, but somehow this series continues to draw me into its web of intrigue on account of its rather unique story-telling perspective coupled with a solid enough plot to make the episodes fly by in an interesting and entertaining fashion. - Just the kind of thing to leave me wanting more.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 2

I refused to use the term "mindfuck" to describe episode one of Chäos;HEAd, but I have to admit that having watched this second episode, the series does seem to be edging ever closer to matching that particular turn of phrase pretty well.

Last episode left us with Takumi meeting the girl he'd seen using wimbled crosses instead of drawing pins and a dead body instead of a poster last episode, and in his own class at school no less - What gives? Well, if this episode is to be believed the girl in question is Rimi, and Takumi has been friends with her for many, many years. Surely he'd remember such a thing, this can't be true?

If that isn't problematic enough for Takumi, Yua is still paying a disproportionate amount of interest in him, taking him out shopping, trying to visit him in his classroom and asking him to walk her home. Despite Takumi's protestations that he's only interested in 2D girls, and misgivings about her, he can't help but to enjoy the warmth of female attention... is Yua really interested in a hikiomori like him? On top of all that, the police investigation into the so-called "New Gene" killings have captured video footage of a male running from the scene of the latest crime, carrying a wimbled cross and wearing a very particular school uniform...


The key to Chäos;HEAd's success as a series is really very simple, yet incredible effective - In essence, it's all about Takumi's delusional nature. You could call it gimmicky, but the fact is that watching the show, and viewing it through Takumi's eyes as we do, you simply have no idea as to what is real or what is simply a figment of his imagination. Did he really witness that murder? Is Rimi really an old friend? Is Takumi somehow involved in these killings himself but blocking them out of his head as part of his psychological issues? Quite frankly, we don't have a clue, but it's hugely entertaining trying to pick up the clues, filter out what is real and what isn't and try to figure out what on Earth is going on here.

Probably, the biggest problem with the series thus far is Takumi himself - His character isn't exactly lovable at the best of times, and I can see this becoming a real 'Marmite' issue amongst viewers of the show - People will either like him as a protagonist or absolutely hate him. Personally, I don't have a problem with Takumi's character at all, as it fits in brilliantly with the picture that has been built of him - Sure, it can be a little cringe-worthy to watch, but isn't that kind of the point?

While this second episode of Chäos;HEAd arguably wasn't quite up to the same quality as the opener, it continues to stand out as the most intriguing series I've watched so far this season - It gets you thinking and puts your powers of deduction to use thanks to its main narrative device, and that alone is almost guaranteed to keep me coming back for more.

Chäos;HEAd - Episode 1

The word "mindfuck" gets thrown around way too easily with some anime series these days, and thus I'm going to avoid making use of it here, but even I have to admit that the opening episode of Chäos;HEAd is not far off fitting that description pretty well.

The protagonist of the series is Takumi Nishijou, a guy who could easily have fitted the lead role in Welcome to the NHK. In short, this high school student is a bona fide hikikomori, living in a messy crate with nothing but a load of anime figurines and an imaginary friend for company, gaming all night long and doing his best to have nothing to do with "those 3D girls" out in the real world.


This social angst actually ties in very well to the darker side of this first episode, where some strange things are going on - Mutiple suicides, murders where people are nailed to walls and so on. Takumi finds himself getting dragged into these events despite his reclusive status, which only serves to increase his paranoia and delusions, to the point where he finds himself unable to trust even an innocent, anime-loving girl who has had an eye on him.

In a way, this first instalment of Chäos;HEAd feels like two series rolled into one. On the one hand there are some definite shades of Welcome to the NHK in there, but at the other extreme the series is also building up into some kind of psychological thriller - A combination that could make for an almightily interesting series. With that in mind, I was really rather impressed with this opening episode of the show - While its duality is a little confusing (and that opening scene before the credits was certainly pretty apocalyptic in its visuals), Takumi's state of my mind really does add something to the whole murder back story and who is responsible, particularly given his delusions and 'hallucinations' which aren't marked out as such for the viewer, so assuming we're seeing everything through his eyes we can't really be sure what we're seeing is real at all.

All in all, this could well be the most impressive and promising episode of this new Autumn anime season so far, and given its twelve episode length it should try to overstretch itself hopefully. I'm now very much on tenterhooks for episode two, which I hope can continue this good start to the series.