History Main / Chuunibyou

* ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'': Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama can be seen as an inversion. He legitimately has incredibly strong PsychicPowers, but he doesn't see this as a big deal, due to how he wants to improve himself in more mundane areas of his life and how he's internalized the idea that being an esper doesn't automatically make him better or more special than everyone else.

* In ''LightNovel/{{Oreimo}}'', "Kuroneko" is this, wearing ElegantGothicLolita dresses, threatening people with curses, and [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible enjoying shows because they're hard to understand]]. It's a while before the audience even learns what her real name is.

** ''Covenant'': Joachim Valentine is [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot a vampire who moonlights as Gran Papillon, a pro-wrestler masked super hero]], who is just him donning a butterfly-shaped mask. A mask he doesn't actually ''need'' to "transform". Joachim just came up with it as some sort of exploitable weakness because "a hero has to have one or two weak points, you know. Nobody loves a perfect superhero!" to which [[DeadpanSnarker Yuri]] retorts: "[[IdiotHero Your brains are enough of a weak point, if you ask me.]]"
** ''From the New World'' Joachim 's little sister Hilda follows her big brother's steps, albeit in a more self-aggrandizing and one would say, ''cynical'' way. In one hand, Hilda believes herself to be a super heroine LovedByAll and helped Johnny and co. in saving the world because it was her duty as one. In the other hand, she has no problems in dropping the act and resorting to unbecoming violence if her short temper gets the best of her, not to mention she wants to profit out of it as well: she shortened the name of her [[InfinityPlusOneSword infinity +1 wand]] to make it more marketable.

* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with [[CloudCuckooLander Lotton the Wizard]] from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', who's considerably older than most examples of this trope (in his 20s at least). While he doesn't claim to have any supernatural powers, he tries to act like a [[ForGreatJustice hero of justice]], dresses in a BadassLongCoat and CoolShades which he [[SunglassesAtNight even wears at night]] (although admittedly he's not the only character to do so), tries to {{Dual Wield|ing}} Mauser C96s (despite never even getting to fire them) and is more concerned with making a "cool" entrance and posing dramatically while delivering [[InTheNameOfTheMoon bombastic speeches]] than actually being a proper gunman- while he technically ''is'' a hired gun rather than just pretending to be one, he's ''terrible at it''. On the other hand, he does seem to have ''two'' special powers that make him stand out in this otherwise gritty series- firstly a surprisingly degree of GenreSavvy that makes him pretty much the only person in [[WretchedHive Roanapur]] who wears a bullet-proof vest (letting him survive his initial encounter with [[ActionGirl Revy]]) and in another instance a metal groin protector (that saves his balls when [[DarkActionGirl Roberta]] [[GroinAttack kicks them]] hard enough to ''dent it''), and secondly he seems to have [[BornLucky almost supernatural luck]] that makes him the series' most unlikely ActionSurvivor. He still [[WrongGenreSavvy acts like he's in a totally different series]], but he's generally considered harmless, which in Roanapur is practically an achievment in itself. However, he's possibly a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of this trope if you're in the camp that thinks he's [[AmbiguousDisorder actually genuinely mentally ill]].

* Played with in ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow''; main character Cid is a rather extreme case, originally being an ordinary Japanese teenager who wanted more than anything to be the leader of a secret shadowy organization to the point of letting himself get hit by a truck so he can be [[ReincarnatedInAnotherWorld reincarnated in a fantasy world]]. It later turns out that almost all of his seeming delusions are ''completely true''; he really does get reincarnated, and while he came up with the Diabolos Cult and the Shadow Garden out of nowhere, the Diabolos Cult is in fact real and he inadvertently becomes the head of the Shadow Garden without realizing it actually happened and it's not just roleplaying. Despite this, he still believes that his friends are playing a game and the people they go after are ordinary bandits, unaware that he is leading one side in a SecretWar, created a NGOSuperpower, with an AmazonBrigade that have UndyingLoyalty towards him and honestly believe he is TheChessmaster.

* Played with in ''Literature/TheEminenceInShadow'': Cid ''thinks'' he is this. He came up with the Diabolos Cult and the Shadow Garden out of nowhere, but everything he claimed turned out to be '''true'''. Still to this day he believes that his friends are playing a game and the people they go after are ordinary bandits, unaware that he is leading one side in a SecretWar, created a NGOSuperpower, with an AmazonBrigade that have UndyingLoyalty towards him and honestly believe he is TheChessmaster.

[[quoteright:350:[[LightNovel/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zaimokuza_yoshiteru.jpg]]]]

While ''chuunibyou'' is by no means limited to Japan, in the grand tradition of JapaneseMediaTropes, Japan is the first country to give the phenomenon a name (partly by having a particularly weird twist to it). English speakers might talk about a "phase", but thanks to the Internet, the Japanese term has started to catch on in English, and some translations of Japanese works (such as ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'') will [[TooLongDidntDub leave the term untranslated]]. Interestingly, the Japanese themselves see the UrExample as seminal Spanish literary figure ''Literature/DonQuixote'', who became [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff quite popular in Japan]] at least in part because they were familiar with his [[CannotTellFictionFromReality particular brand of delusion]].

* ''Literature/ChivalryOfAFailedKnight'': Rinna Kazamatsuri is a member of the {{Shinigami}}, a C-Range Blazer... and a chuunibyou, who even [[ShoutOut referenced]] [[LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions Rikka Takanashi]] having an EyepatchOfPower to "seal her powers".

* ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'': Vali describes himself as the descendant of the original Lucifer with a legendary dragon sealed within him. [[BornWinner This is completely accurate]], but he says this even when he's a child and has yet to demonstrate his powers, causing others to think that he's this trope (as shown in the spinoff ''SLASH/DOG''). It's also revealed that he would write down various chuunibyou lines (such as "If one had to describe fate or a miracle, perhaps that would be me") in a personal diary so he could say them to his eventual rival.

* The most famous example and the reason why this term is widely known outside Japan is ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'' (mostly because of the anime adaptation rather than the light novel). It follows a boy, Yuta Togashi, who in middle school had chuunibyou and called himself the ''Dark Flame Master'', which ended up alienating him from his fellow classmates. He ends up finding this behavior embarrassing, and tries to reinvent himself in HighSchool. However, a girl with chuunibyou, Rikka Takanashi, catches wind of Yuta's past and becomes interested in him and his Dark Flame Master persona. She herself believes that she is a sorceress with the ability to see other people's destinies through her "Wicked Eye", which she [[EyepatchOfPower keeps hidden behind a medical eyepatch.]] Hilarity ensues as the two begin to become friends and they start to learn more about each other's lives. However, unlike most examples, it's gradually made apparent that Rikka's chuunibyou behavior is mainly to cope with the death of her father rather than merely [[IJustWantToBeSpecial wanting to be special]].
* ''LightNovel/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected'':

* In ''LightNovel/{{Oreimo}}'', "Kuroneko" is this, wearing GothicLolita dresses, threatening people with curses, and [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible enjoying shows because they're hard to understand]]. It's a while before the audience even learns what her real name is.

* There's Jeanne d'Arc (Alter)'s Berserker self from ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''. Her character gimmick is that she's pretty much chuunibyou personified. Using German (despite being nominally French) because it's "cool", to the point of carrying around a dictionary? Check. Using katana despite being nominally French? Check. Having three swords despite using two of them in all of one command card? Check. Fashionable Asymmetry because it's cool? Check. Extremely overdone lines upon defeat in battle and swearing to come back next time? Ooooh, check.

* ''LightNovel/DenpaTekiNaKanojo'': Ame Ochibana appears to be the evil-eye type. She follows Yuzawa around, pretending it's because she was a knight in a previous life and he was her king. It's unclear how much of it she really believes herself, but a flashback shows that [[spoiler:she actually fell for him back when they where children because he gave her a king toy figure to cheer her up when she was crying ]].

* '''Evil Eye''' types, also known as the '''Delusional Type''' due to their [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} tenuous grasp of reality]], are the [[StockJapaneseCharacters most iconic form]] but rarely seen outside of JapaneseMedia. These guys are {{Sham Supernatural}}s who believe they have MagicAndPowers and will try to convince others that their powers are real (stereotypically a MagicalEye under a surgical eyepatch, or an EvilHand which they grasp in [[ImHavingSoulPains supposed pain]]). They often create a persona with an AwesomeMcCoolname or AtrociousAlias (there's almost no middle ground) to display these magical abilities. This subtype [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2019-03-20/20-years-of-boogiepop/.144272 had]] its own TropeCodifier in the popular ''[[LightNovel/BoogiepopSeries Boogiepop]]'' light novel series, which starts a main character with a superpowered split personality that only differentiates itself by wearing a costume and talking in a cooler way.

* '''Evil Eye''' types, also known as the '''Delusional Type''' due to their [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} tenuous grasp of reality]], are the [[StockJapaneseCharacters most iconic form]] but rarely seen outside of JapaneseMedia. These guys are {{Sham Supernatural}}s who believe they have MagicAndPowers and will try to convince you that they can have special or supernatural abilities (stereotypically a MagicalEye under a surgical eyepatch, or an EvilHand which they grasp in [[ImHavingSoulPains supposed pain]]). They often create a persona with an AwesomeMcCoolname or AtrociousAlias (there's almost no middle ground) to display these magical abilities. This subtype [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2019-03-20/20-years-of-boogiepop/.144272 had]] its own TropeCodifier in the popular ''[[LightNovel/BoogiepopSeries Boogiepop]]'' light novel series, which starts a main character with a superpowered split personality that only differentiates itself by wearing a costume and talking in a cooler way.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' and ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'': Gunha Sogiita has genuine powers, but he fits because he is ''seriously'' out of touch with reality. He talks and behaves like a goofy, stereotypical superhero from a {{Sentai}} series or a SaturdayMorningCartoon. He constantly makes speeches about fighting for justice and saving the world with the power of "GUTS!" and never pays attention to people trying to explain the situations he [[LeeroyJenkins barges into]]. Everyone else who has powers and fights crime does it quickly and efficiently and thinks Gunha is a very strange person.

** ''From the New World'' Joachim 's little sister Hilda follows her big brother's steps, albeit in a more self-aggrandizing and one would say, ''cynical'' way. In one hand, Hilda believes herself to be a super heroine [[OneHundredPercentAdorationRating loved by all]] and helped Johnny and co in salving the world because it was her duty as one. In the other hand, she has no problems in dropping the act and resorting to unbecoming violence if her short temper gets the best of her, not to mention she wants to profit out of it as well: she shortened the name of her [[InfinityPlusOneSword infinity +1 wand]] to make it more marketable.

* ''LightNovel/Overlord2012'':

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors'' turns chuunibyou into a ''superpower,'' with the teenagers in that movie using their imaginary personas, including a KnifeNut punk chick (I'm beautiful...and bad!) and a D&D Wizard Master, to fight Freddy Krueger in their dreams. Unfortunately, being a NighInvulnerable dream stalker, he still manages to kill off many of them in straight combat, but it does help the others survive long enough for holy water to take him down. This becomes a common tactic for the teenagers of the following movies to fight Freddy. Special mention goes to ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet4TheDreamMaster'', where the titular Dream Master [[spoiler:is a shy, daydreaming girl who gives herself an AdrenalineMakeover to embrace her inner chuunibyou persona made up of her fallen friends, and much to Freddy's shock, succeeds in killing him.]]

* ''Literature/{{Haganai}}'': Kodaka's younger sister Kobato is obsessed with the main character of her favourite anime to the point of pretending to be her; she dresses in ElegantGothicLolita clothing and claims to be a [[VampireLolitaArchetype vampire girl]] who's [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld thousands of years old]], while speaking in AntiquatedLinguistics and drinking tomato juice while pretending it's blood.

* ''LightNovel/ChivalryOfAFailedKnight'': Rinna Kazamatsuri is a member of the {{Shinigami}}, a C-Range Blazer... and a chuunibyou, who even [[ShoutOut referenced]] [[LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions Rikka Takanashi]] having an EyepatchOfPower to "seal her powers".

* The most famous example and the reason why this term is widely known outside Japan is ''LightNovel/LoveChunibyoAndOtherDelusions'' (mostly because of the anime adaptation rather than the light novel). It follows a boy, Yuta Togashi, who in middle school had chuunibyou and called himself the ''Dark Flame Master'', which ended up alienating him from his fellow classmates. He ends up finding this behavior embarrassing, and tries to reinvent himself in HighSchool. However, a girl with chuunibyou, Rikka Takanashi, catches wind of Yuta's past and becomes interested in him and his Dark Flame Master persona. She herself believes that she is a sorceress with the ability to see other people's destinies through her "Wicked Eye", which she [[EyepatchOfPower keeps hidden behind a medical eyepatch.]] Hilarity ensues as the two begin to become friends and they start to learn more about each other's lives.

* ''Literature/ArifuretaFromCommonplaceToWorldsStrongest'' was originally published as a web novel under the pen name [[MeaningfulName ''Chuuni Suki'']].

[[folder:Light Novels]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/BridgeToTerabithia'': Two fifth-graders invent a fantasy world in order to escape the pressures of everyday life. [[spoiler:[[BittersweetEnding It doesn't turn out well for them.]]]]
* Dr. Diabliere of ''Literature/DifferentlyMorphous'' is an adult version. A powerless "wizard" who studies Rune Magick because he lacks The Gift (a fact he desperately tries to hide). Diabliere is neither his real name (in fact, it's the name of the Unforgiveable Sin of eating a vampire's soul from ''Vampire: The Masquerade''), nor does he hold a PHD. [[spoiler: He actually ''does'' have magick, but he's a mole from a NebulousEvilOrganization, and uses it to transform, mind and body, into a number of alter-egoes. He also possesses a form of runic magick that every other authority on the topic is pretty sure is impossible and a 100% mission success record; nobody understands how.]]
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Agnes Nitt engages in this, renaming herself Perdita X. Dream (or as the depressingly down-to-earth people of Lancre know her, Agnes what calls herself Perditax) and giving herself a [[ADarkerMe skinnier, wittier and interestingly pale personality]]. Since this is the [[YourMindMakesItReal Discworld]], Perdita gradually evolves into Agnes's SplitPersonality (which comes in useful when vampires control Agnes, letting Perdita take the wheel as vampires can only control one mind per body). Although Agnes hangs around a coven of wannabe witches, she's the only one who the real witches recognize as having talent, and eventually takes the place of Magrat, who gave up witching to become queen (as she doesn't really have the figure to be a witch-queen).
** ''Granny Weatherwax'' of all people was this (at least briefly), explaining to Agnes that you should never pick a name that doesn't go with the kind of physical work witches do, in her case, Desdemona (bear in mind Granny's birth name is Esmerelda).
* As noted in the description, ''Literature/DonQuixote'' is often considered the UrExample. The protagonist Alonso Quijano is a fifty-year-old man who has become so enamoured with ChivalricRomance novels that he comes to see himself as one of the knights of his stories, styling himself as the eponymous Don Quixote de La Mancha and claiming to be on fantastic adventures and quests, while the people around him see him as the delusional nuisance he really is. As a delusional old man who [[WindmillCrusader attempts to joust windmills he claims are actually giants]], he can be seen as something of a predecessor of the modern "Evil Eye" or "Delusional" variety of Chuunibyou.
* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': The titular Prince came up with his identity in his teenage years as a way to get back at his Muggle father (hence half-blood) by using his witch mother's last name. He was known to run around with a gang of people who would later become the first Death Eaters and came up with some very nasty spells. [[spoiler:He's better known as Severus Snape.]]
* The 2001 mystery novel ''Literature/{{Hyouka}}'' (most known for their manga and anime adaptations) is about a group of students part of the [[JapaneseSchoolClub Kamiyama High School's Classic Literature Club]]. All of them take very seriously their duties in the Club, at the point of working more as a Mystery Club than a Literature Club, solving fictional cases made by themselves.
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* In ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', [[BlackMagicianGirl Megumin]] is a self-proclaimed genius who wears an eyepatch and bandages for purely aesthetic reasons, and is [[LargeHam prone to dramatic speeches and silly gestures]], prompting protagonist Kazuma to call her "chuuni mage" when she's being annoying. {{Subverted}} in that she really is a prodigy [[TheArchmage Arch Wizard]] of the Crimson Demon clan ([[PlanetOfHats who all act like this]]), and is one of the few mages alive who can cast the FantasticNuke spell "Explosion". DoubleSubverted in that [[AwesomeButImpractical casting Explosion drains her entire mana pool and leaves her unable to move]] since it's a particularly high level spell, and [[CripplingOverspecialization she never learned any spells other than Explosion because they "weren't cool enough"]]; even other Crimson Demons think she's taking the RuleOfCool too far.

* A song from TheEighties Spanish HeavyMetal band Music/BaronRojo is about a guy with the DQN-type. "El Malo" (The Bad Guy) is about a man who wanted to be the BigBad instead of TheHero since he was a child. But the man is [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything everything but a bad guy]] and knows that EvilIsNotAToy, but wanted to play the bad guy for once anyway. In the end, he ended happy after being jailed for 10 days for reckless driving.

* Daffy Duck in "The Wizard".
* Eddie Valentine from ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower'', who runs around in a cloak and ghoulish hockey mask while dramatically referring to himself as "Eddie, Prince of the Netherworld" and babbling about commanding the minions of darkness. Unlike most examples, he's actually very friendly if weird and when not wearing the mask he's actually quite softspoken and a bit of a pushover.