There are two types of great anime series. (Or, probably, of great TV shows in general, or great movies or great novels.) One type is the “genius” show which is like nothing you have ever seen before with a brilliant original premise and vision. The other kind is the “great craftsman” show which starts with a premise that sounds ordinary or even trite, but executes it so brilliantly that it becomes something wonderful. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai belongs in the second category.

The show starts out as a slapstick farce, but an unusually good one with perfect timing and superb animation. Then it veers into poignant territory before ending up heartwarming and insightful. The whole story is told with masterful planning and economy. There are no false notes and there is no wasted effort.

(Somebody forgot that a beach episode is supposed to be pointless fan service filler. The beach episode turned out to be the pivot point of the whole story.)

I know that fans of Little Busters are grieving that Kyoto Animation turned down that show in order to make this one. And they have reason to grieve since under J.C. Staff that show has turned out to be pretty disappointing.

But I think Kyoto Animation made the right decision. They’re a small studio which can only handle one show at a time. If they had made Little Busters the best they could have achieved would be something like Clannad. That show was a big hit but it’s something they’ve already done. With Chuunibyou they achieved something new and better.