YMMV / Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!

• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Turns out that napping competitions, as shown in episode 5 of season 2, are real.
• Anvilicious: "Everyone has their own way of dealing with sadness." "We all need to escape our reality sometimes".
• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Shinka is arguably more obsessed than the rest of the cast when it comes to creating a separate identity for herself. Over the course of the anime series, she signs up as the class representative, joins several different clubs, dyes her hair, and attempts to become president of the student council. All of this is done in order to establish herself as something other than a chuuni, but ironically could arguably be classified as just a different kind of chuuni.
  • Also, did Dekomori return to the status quo of believing Shinka to not be Mori Summer at the end of episode 4, or does she still know and accept that she is Mori Summer deep down and has forced herself back to the status quo for Shinka's own benefit (given how badly the alternative went for her)?
• Base-Breaking Character: Touka receives positive response by fans for being the Only Sane Woman among a group of offbeats and grounding them before things take too far. However, a portion of fans are displeased with her for being a Jerkass to Rikka and her friends despite her good intentions. This gets worse as many prefer to loathe Touka for bringing unwanted drama that causes Rikka's plight in the final few episodes of the first season and by the end, she gets off scot-free for what she did.
• Broken Base:
  • The licenses taken by Kyoto Animation at adapting the light novel to anime received some flak. Many people, especially abroad, saw the change to a Lighter and Softer tone and the insertion of multiple canon foreigners as an attempt to replicate Kyoani's older success Haruhi Suzumiya by forcing what essentially is a new SOS Brigade. Ironically, it ended up working, with the series becoming just the success Kyoto Animation needed at the time, to the point the anime's version of the story
  • Fan opinion on episode 7 is split. Some feel that the drama is unnecessary, and that Rikka doesn't need a psychological reason to behave the way she does. Others like the depth and development that it brings her character, as well as the show itself.
  • The finale of the second season, already divisive for being so clearly a original Post-Script Season that was trying to lengthen the series to the maximum, also became this. A large chunk of the audience hated that they spend the whole season building up to The Big Damn Kiss only to have it NOT happen at the very end. Typical for Kyoto Animation, but reeks of a cop-out.
  • The series' finale given in the Take On Me movie. Some were finally satisfied, at least with the leads' relationship, while others weren't, and complained that it introduced unnecesary developments and left too many things on the air.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • Kuzuha became popular enough to get an ever-so-slightly more important role in Ren.
  • Touka is popular with those who would prefer more of a Deconstruction of the story or who simply like a strong antagonist, which she certainly is if the "defeats" of the heroes are anything to go by.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Some fans have noted that the real Dark Flame Master will come to life when he becomes The Hero in Maoyu especially after wearing the Black Knight armor.
  • Let's not forget Bennu Kagaho, looks this is on Jun Fukuyama's blood, after all.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • Woop Woop^Explanation Rikka's finger spinning & butt shaking in the OP, set to "Pull Over That Ass Too Fat" by Trick Daddy.
  • There have been more than a fair share of full-on parodies of the entire opening and also the introductory section of Episode 1. For example this Another version.
  • When I'm- Dark Flame Master? (Hidden finger spinning included!)
• Moe: Rikka, naturally. Her "eighth-grade syndrome" is adorable from the start and she only gets more endearing as the series goes on, particularly when she confesses her love to Yuuta.
• Moral Event Horizon: Fake Mori Summer, not only stole Nibutani's old identity to impersonate her and attract Dekomori's attention but she also has the audacity to force herself upon the girl.
• Nightmare Fuel: Though Played for Laughs, the end of the series has Yuuta basically kidnapping Rikka and resisting police custody, Isshiki pretending to be a molester to harass/distract a perfectly innocent police officer, and Dekomori and Kumin physically harassing/blocking an old man. That's a little messed up when you think about it.
• Rooting for the Empire: Quite a lot of people who watched the anime became desillusioned about the main pair and expected something more deconstructive going on, like parts of the Light Novel. Consequently they took sides with Yuuta pre-12th episode and Touka rather than how the show eventually turned out. Others simply side with Touka on principle of being able to "defeat" the heroes regularly with but a ladle.
• Strawman Has a Point: While letting Rikka continue with her 8th grade syndrome delusions is unhealthy, Yuta makes a fair point that forcing her to normalcy can be just as bad and might be even worse. Episode 11 of the 1st seasons shows really how bad such a situation might be for not just to Rikka but to everyone.
• Values Dissonance: Touka's physical abuse of Rikka probably comes off lighter to a Japanese audience, as Japan considers it simply discipline to smack or punch a misbehaving youngster. Most Western audiences likely find her use of physical force and the emotional terror it generates to be borderline monstrous.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids?: Played literally, despite being very lighthearted and not very violent, both of the anime adaptations are rated "TV-MA" when streamed on Hulu. This is highly unusual, because on IMDB it is rated "TV-G". While it may not be the best show for young children to watch, it certainly doesn't warrant a "mature" label. "TV-14", which's the show's rating on Hidive, is probably the ideal rating.

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