Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me
Promotional art for the film.
Japanese	映画 中二病でも恋がしたい！ -Take On Me-
Hepburn	Eiga Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai! Take On Me
Directed by	Tatsuya Ishihara
Written by	Jukki Hanada
Based on	Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions by Torako
Music by	Nijine
Edited by	Hiroyuki Takahashi
Production company	Kyoto Animation
Distributed by	Shochiku
Release date	January 6, 2018 (2018-01-06) (Japan)
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	¥193 million[1]

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me (Japanese: 映画 中二病でも恋がしたい！ -Take On Me-, Hepburn: Eiga Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai! Take On Me) is a Japanese anime film based on the light novel series Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions by Torako. The film is directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and animated by Kyoto Animation. It premiered in Japan on January 6, 2018, and has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks and Madman Entertainment.

Plot

Yūta Togashi, Rikka Takanashi and Shinka Nibutani are in their third year of high school. Shinka is the vice president of the student council and much to her chagrin, Sanae Dekomori is the president. Rikka still has her chunibyo (eighth grader delusion) syndromes. Rikka's elder sister, Tōka, calls Yūta, telling him that her career in Italy has stabilized and she wants to bring Rikka over. Yūta assumes it is only for spring break.

However, upon arriving home, they find that movers have completely vacated Rikka's room. To their shock, Tōka claims that she wants Rikka to move to Italy permanently with her. That night, Shinka and Sanae, along with their friend Satone Shichimiya, and their senior Kumin Tsuyuri, suggest that Rikka and Yūta elope temporarily, to show Tōka that they are serious about wanting to be together. Early at dawn the next day, Yūta and Rikka leave by train.

Tōka confronts Shinka, Sanae and Kumin, who insist they know nothing. Tōka reveals that she had secretly recorded the trio's conversation from the night before, and with the picture of Shinka and Sanae's accidental kiss, blackmails them into retrieving Yūta and Rikka. Afraid of losing their reputations in the student council, they comply. Shinka and Sanae attempt to stop Yūta and Rikka at the Kyoto Tower, but they manage to escape on train to Kobe.

While eating, Yūta is confronted by Tōka who asks him about his relationship with Rikka what he plans to do about her chunibyo. Yūta says he wants to let Rikka grow at her own pace. Yūta then leaves with Rikka, with Tōka giving them a chance, saying that she will detain them the next time they cross paths.

Yūta and Rikka arrive at Wakayama. After being kicked out of a love hotel for being underage, they hide just in time to see Shinka and Sanae arrive. Yūta deduces Tōka is tracking them using Rikka's phone, and thus switches it off. Yūta and Rika then board a bus to Tokyo, where they go shopping and sightseeing. Yūta buys a butterfly-shaped ring which he hides from Rikka. Yūta decides to visit Rikka's mum who is in Hokkaido, as he wants to talk to her. They enter a basement in order to retrieve the contact details from Rikka's phone without it transmitting their location. However, a brief signal is established and Tōka discovers their location. Yūta and Rikka stay overnight at a hotel.

The next day at Tokyo International Airport, they spot Shinka and Sanae who have been sent by Tōka to intercept them before they can depart. Yūta uses the PA system to distract Shinka who is guarding the departure area. Shinka and Sanae discover the ruse too late, and fail to stop them as the plane departs.

In Hokkaido, Yūta explains he wants to talk to Rikka's mum about his future with Rikka. He unveils the ring as proof of his promise to Rikka, which she wears. Embarrassed, Rikka hits a sign and falls, dropping her phone, which inadvertently switches on. Rikka's mother is out of town, so Yūta and Rikka board a train to meet her in Aomori. Rikka claims that she seems to lose her powers wearing the ring, and she calls Satone for advice, who tells her that accepting the lovers' contract between her and Yūta will cause her powers to fade. Satone tells her that she has to make a choice, whether to give up her chunibyo or not.

The next morning. Yūta discovers Rikka's suitcase is gone, with only the ring left behind. Yūta frantically searches for Rikka. Meanwhile, Shinka and Sanae arrive in Aomori, and Satone and Kumin are revealed to be in pursuit as well. Upon meeting Rikka's mum, Yūta begs for her forgiveness for losing Rikka. Rikka's mum explains that Rikka had already came to see her that morning.

Rikka is shown to be on a clifftop, where Satone and Kumin catch up to her. Satone tells Rikka that she has to choose, and suggests that she abandon her chunibyo for Yūta. Rikka reveals her conflicted feelings: she worries that if she were to change, Yūta might no longer accept her. Kumin steps in and tells Rikka that this is entirely up to her and Yūta to determine, and prompts her to return to Yūta. Shinka and Sanae show up, telling Rikka they have already informed Yūta of her whereabouts. Shinka hands Rikka cruise tickets for two, on behalf of all of them. Rikka reunites with Yūta with a deep embrace.

On the cruise that night, Rikka asks Yūta: if she abandoned her powers, would he still love her for who she truly is? Yūta reaffirms and swears that he will love her no matter what, and slips the ring back on Rikka's fingers. The two finally kiss. Yūta messages Tōka, saying, "I want to fall in love even with chunibyo" (the title of the series in Japanese). Tōka relents.

They are all flown to Italy for the remainder of their spring break, where it is revealed that Tōka is getting married to an Italian man. She throws her bouquet of flowers to Rikka, with the key to Rikka's new home, and asks that they live separately from this moment on.

In a post credits scene, Yūta is back at home. Rikka's new apartment is two floors above him, and as she climbs down on a rope, Yūta understands that it was everything about Rikka that made him fall in love with her.

Cast

The cast from the previous two anime television series reprised their roles for the film:

Production

Kyoto Animation announced the film on May 19, 2017.^[2] Most of the staff of the original anime television series returned for the film, with Tatsuya Ishihara returning to direct for the studio. Jukki Hanada returned to write the script based on the original work by series' author Torako. Character designer Kazumi Ikeda also returned, as did composer Nijine to create the film's soundtrack.^[2] Singer ZAQ performed the film's theme song, "Journey".^[4] Mutsuo Shinohara is the film's art director, Akihiro Ura is the director of photography, and Yota Tsuruoka is the sound director.^[2] Rin Yamamoto was in charge of the film's 3DCG, and Akiyo Takeda served as color key artist.^[2] The film was edited by Hiroyuki Takahashi.^[2] Shochiku distributed the film in Japan.^[2]

Release

The film was released in Japan on January 6, 2018.^[2] In Japan, the film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 18, 2018.^[5]

On April 16, 2018, Sentai Filmworks announced that they had licensed the film.^[6] The film will premiere theatrically in the United States at the Los Angeles Anime Film Festival on September 21, 2018.^[7] The film will be released on home video in the United States on November 20, 2018.^[8] In Australia and New Zealand, Madman Entertainment premiered the film at Madman Anime Festival Brisbane on June 2, 2018.^[9]

Reception

The film opened at number 6 in the Japanese box office on its opening weekend, grossing ¥70,422,300.^[10] It dropped to number 9 on its second weekend, taking in ¥41,551,500,^[11] before falling out of the top ten on its third weekend with ¥22,590,400.^[1] Overall, it grossed ¥193,264,100, or about US$1.74 million.^[1]

Kim Morrissy of Anime News Network praised the film for finally progressing Rikka and Yuta's relationship, but otherwise felt that it somewhat retread ground covered by the first two television series. He also found the film's animation to be good but lacking, more in line with the TV series than a typical theatrical production, and made special note of the poor inclusion of 3D objects, such as vehicles, into the 2D animation. He appreciated the film's many references to other Kyoto Animation series, such as Tamako Market, Sound! Euphonium, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Clannad, and opined that the film would mainly appeal to fans of the series who had enjoyed the second season of the anime, as well as fans of Kyoto Animation's other works.^[12]

References

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take on Me on IMDb