Thursday 11 October 2012

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! - Episode 2

While Rikka and Yuuta are enjoying some very different respective delusions as this second episode of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai opens, any semblance of peace is soon disrupted by Rikka revealing that she's found herself a chimera familiar to accompany her on her various missions.  In other words, she's found a stray cat.

From Yuuta's part, refusing to look after this feline on Takanashi's (owing to her sister's allergy to such "chimera") seems like it's done and dusted, allowing him to continue with his normal life - a life now so normal that he's even decided to become a class rep; a decision which is surely in no way related to gorgeous classmate and fellow class rep Shinka Nibutani's presence.  Of course, any hope of improving his relationship with Nibutani is soon spoiled by the arrival of Rikka on the scene.


Still, at least this encounter between the three of them might just have found the owner of that aforementioned stray cat - a girl in the year above Yuuta and Rikka named Kumin Tsuyuri.  Heading back to Takanashi's house to see if this stray is indeed the cat in question, all and sundry find themselves drawn into Rikka's delusions... or rather, they all get drawn into going on the run from Rikka's sister after it becomes apparent that she has compromising evidence about Yuuta's past.  Not that Tsuyuri seems to mind the flight of fancy which ensues - in fact, I'd go as far as to say that she downright loves it.

After an opening instalment which did little to catch my imagination, this second instalment was most certainly an improvement, with some sharper comedy and snappier dialogue on show even if a lot of the former is still rather too reliant on slapstick for my liking.  The show is also quickly building up a roster of likeable characters, which is an important sign of progress in itself, but I still can't shake the feeling that the series is still ostensibly nothing noteworthy wrapped up in some fancy packaging.  When I start thinking about what Kyoto Animation could do if they put their mind to leveraging moments like the action scenes in this episode in a more serious or engaging fashion, I start seriously thinking that working on a show like this could be a waste of their talents, broadly fun thought it is.  In other words, I think I'm pining for another series of Full Metal Panic.

No comments: