Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren Episode 2

Impression

First, let’s take a moment to appreciate the miraculous return of Nibutani’s hair! Thank goodness it was a temporary fix… I don’t know what I would have done if it was permanent. She’s an awesome wingman, and I’d like to think her hair comes as part of the package!

Mori Summer seems awfully interested in (and rather irritated over) Yuuta and Rikka’s supposed “scandalous” relationship, especially now that they’re living together with permission – which is, of course, the last adjective I’d use to describe their romance. In fact, before this episode (and throughout last season) I wasn’t even sure whether I could properly call it romance as far as conventions go – most of the time they just act the way they normally do, regardless of whether they’re in school or going shopping. As I mentioned last week, it’s as if they share a sibling (or parental, as was suggested today) relationship as opposed to a lovey-dovey one. Though I suppose you can choose to look at things from a different angle, especially with the whole butt slapping thing (oooh, kinky) 😀 Either way, Mori Summer-chan has a rather inflated impression of their love life right now. She’s even thinking they’ve already peaked and are experiencing marital burnout… when in reality they’re not even on the slope yet.

While all couples are different (and this applies even further with a chuuni couple) I do agree that not having held hands despite having gone out for half a year is rather odd. That’s what the second half of this episode served to address – it had Yuuta and Rikka’s current relationship move one (small) step forward, but it also reinforced just how different it was to standard convention. After all, magical contracts aren’t usually the method one uses to set up a relationship xD Even so, Yuuta can be surprisingly smooth when he wants to be! For some reason, during their date I expected there to be more fidgeting and awkward blushing than there actually was – although there was a bit of that on Rikka’s part. It’s nice how she’s not 100% chuuni all the time – both sides of her are cute, but I like how she’s finding a good balance between the two and clearly showing when she’s feeling nervous or embarrassed about things. And I think it’s great that Yuuta’s decided to “fulfil their contract as they see fit” (i.e. take things at their own pace) and not rush things unnecessarily.

That being said, going at your own pace is very different to hardly moving at all – and I think the prediction made by Nibutani’s yuri-loving friend is an unfortunately accurate one. At the moment, Yuuta and Rikka are taking the tranquillity of their relationship for granted. They can’t keep putting everything off, because the lack of intimacy (even when living in the same apartment) is going to give an interloper the chance to get between them – a bold, chuuni interloper by the name of Shichimiya Satone. It’s almost as if Satone’s declaring herself as a challenger by copying the entrance method Rikka used to get into Yuuta’s apartment – I don’t know how much of a threat she’ll be, but I do know that their relationship will definitely be tested.