Wednesday 5 December 2012

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! - Episode 10

Following their clinch at the end of last week's episode, Yuuta and Rikka are left with no real choice but to confront their feelings, albeit in their own unique ways.  But can the avoid the plight of the anime romance and actually do something about those feelings?

Thankfully, yes they can.  With final school festival preparations still going on, Yuuta invites Rikka for a chat - a rather abortive one on several occasions thanks to Rikka's behaviour and the elements, but eventually it's actually Rikka that says the magic words that are thankfully nothing to do with Wicked Eyes and the like, taking even Yuuta by surprise and rather ruining his own well-rehearsed confession.  Thus, a budding love is born and all is well with the world...


...until Rikka's sister announces that she'll be moving to Italy, and that Rikka's mother will be moving into the apartment in her stead - not great news, considering that Rikka still hasn't forgiven her for not telling her anything about her father's death.  Although Touka implores Yuuta to be the one to tell Rikka to grow up, he's uncertain as to whether it's a good idea, or indeed even whether he needs to  - it's a decision that he has to face once Rikka's mother visits the school festival, leading to what seems to be a rift between these two new lovers.  Maybe, just maybe, it's had the desired effect though...

After goofing around with varying results and perhaps taking too long grinding down its delusional routine with no real pay-off, suddenly Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai feels like it simply doesn't have enough time to cover everything it wants to.  After a nicely paced and presented confession which was just as suitable saccharine as last week's finale, it felt rather like we were rushing through things as we jumped from Touka's news to Rikka and Yuuta's row to a potential reconciliation and beyond without any time to breathe, let alone soak in or bear proper witness to everything first-hand.  Happy though I am at how the series has turned itself around somewhat in the past couple of weeks, I wish the events of this episode had perhaps been spread over a couple of instalments, as it seems like the material it should be making the most of.

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