Chuuni: What is this genre?

[Clephas]

Perhaps one of the weirdest niche genres in VNs and anime is that characterized by the reference to 'chuunibyou' the self-obsession and sudden surge of egotism that occurs in teenagers around the ages of 14-16, where they tend to develop an overblown sense of and desire for their own importance. This genre is generally characterized by one thing overall... melodrama. Main characters in chuuni games and anime resurrect from the dead, become powerful overnight, and are inevitably somehow 'special'. Now, the reason why this genre tends to be avoided by a lot of people is this... it is a genre that is most enjoyed by the two main types of people who enjoy it - those who take this kind of thing seriously, and those who know how to sit back and 'enjoy the show' without being embarrassed about the fact they like it. Extreme examples of chuuni include Code Geass for anime and Dies Irae for VNs. In these games, characters ruminate on their own personal philosophies and frequently pursue extreme courses of action for reasons that are frequently abnormal or just plain psychotic, appealing to the tastes of those who enjoy that kind of thing.

Oddly enough, both Code Geass and Dies Irae are only one extreme of the genre. More 'youthful' versions include mahou shoujo crap like the infamous Sailor Moon, and a more recognizable type would be certain Gundam series (Wing, Seed, and 00 to differing extents). Wordiness, long explanations as to motivations, and a seeming inability to get to business without some kind of side drama are all signs of 'chuuni' entertainment. For those who are classic anime fans, Dragonball Z is one of the most famous examples of the genre.

Now, perhaps the most problematic aspect of this genre is the fact that after a certain age, people tend to start feeling embarrassed about the fact they like this type of entertainment. This is a natural reaction, as after a time we inevitably outgrow the delusions of our youth, that we might obtain superpowers or that we have somehow come to understand a reality others haven't already... so the question comes, just why do some people fail to stop enjoying the genre after that stage?

The answer to the question is fairly simple... you learn to simply enjoy it for what it is, taking pleasure in the sheer unreality of it and the suspension of disbelief involved in enjoying such material. Once you can do that, don't be surprised if you start finding real value amongst the glittering fool's gold that litters the genre. The genre tends to attract writers who want to express themselves in ways other genres don't allow or would consider to be absurd. Further, there is no other genre where one can pursue philosophy as a pleasure rather than as a boring, dusty academic exercise. Chuuni tends to use philosophical themes in a rather blunt manner, and it isn't uncommon to find that a writer has actually managed to create a unique and interesting thought exercise in the process of entertaining you.

Chuuni is a genre where the absurd is normal and where concepts we would laugh off in real life are pursued with a seriousness that would seem absurd to the uninitiated. In other words... it's an acquired taste for those of us who have somehow managed to become adults, lol.

Edit: Star Wars is a rather familiar example of the US's own 'chuuni' culture, hahaha

[Eurobeatz]

I think I'm one of the only people who never liked the chuuni genre. The one chuuni show I ever liked was Sailor Moon, and that was when I was eight. The idea of an average teenager becoming amazing and magical overnight is just ridiculous in my opinion. I do, however, have a history liking things that are ridiculous; for example, I love the infamously bad Harry Potter fanfic "My Immortal". It's one of those "so bad it's good" things for me I guess.

[Clephas]

There are plenty of people who never get into the chuuni genre. The main reason I like it is because violent melodrama is just fun to watch for me. Basically, it's a matter of the degree to which your imagination is developed and whether you have the ability to suspend disbelief for the time it takes to enjoy it. Plenty of people - even anime fans - quite simply can't suspend disbelief when it comes to fantasy crap after a certain age. The earlier you reach that stage, the lower the possibility you'll have interest in the genre later on in life. I mean, if you are the type that can still get into Star Wars and its mythology as an adult, you'll probably love chuuni anime and games, simply because it is the same kind of junk food (unless you are the type that despises attempts to make animation as a medium into something 'serious').

I grew up with anime and video games and went through that transition stage in which the stuff I enjoyed only months before suddenly became embarrassing... and then came out the other end a few years later with the realization I still loved the stuff. I simply had a different attitude about it and had gotten over my megalomania. If you lose interest early on, there is very little reason why you would enjoy the genre later, lol.

[Vladz0r]

What is bad shounen?

[Wahfuu]

I personally am all for over the top magical action nonsense.

Dra+Koi has a lot of chuuni stuff. Fate/Stay Night is incredibly chuu2. Cyber Slayer also. Quite a lot of stuff. Infact one of the biggest reasons I am studying japanese is the hope I can one day read Dies Irae.

[sanahtlig]

Wouldn't most JRPGs be characterized as chuuni, since they typically feature a cast of "chosen one" teens who are the only ones that can save the world?

[Clephas]

Yeah, a lot of jrpgs would be considered to be chuuni, especially the ones of the PSX era, when protagonists began to take a more active role in the stories, encouraging players to see the games through their eyes. Chuuni essentially plays to young people's desires to be more than they are. It isn't a bad thing most of the time, but it is easy to lose your connection with reality at that age.

[DeadIEnd]

I don't just like Chuunis...

I was born and exist as a Chuuni.

[Zalor]

Resurrecting this brilliant topic. Yesterday I commented on Clephas's more recent topic on Chuuni, but I feel that what I have to say is more appropriate in this topic. 

 

In any case, what I find most interesting is how much our fiction, (not just VNs and anime, but also films and books) have a lot of chuuni elements in them. What is really important about this is that fiction reflects us, and recognition of Chuunibyou characteristics in our fiction really says a lot about us as a culture. Catcher in the Rye is one of the most commercially successful books in history, selling over 60 million copies. The main protagonist of Catcher in the Rye, Holden, doesn't seem to suffer from chuunibyou in the traditional sense that he elevates himself above everyone else, but what he does do is essentially the same; he downgrades everyone below himself. He constantly alienates other people, and labels them as "phonies". By doing this Holden is separating himself from everyone else, which provides him a unique self identification. Which in essence is the same thing as Chuunibyou, (thinking your special when your not). I think the huge success of Catcher in the Rye, and that so many teens did and continue to identify with Holden, hints at a similar cultural problem that Chuunibyou hints at. What really causes chunnibyou (and I think Clephas said something similar somewhere else) is that there is a huge cultural emphasis that "everyone is special". What really creates the whole developmental phase of Chuunibyou is that by ages 13-16 we start to realize that is bullshit. We realize that only some people are truly special, and then we start to convince ourselves that we are one of those few. I think mid life crises is also a result of the same problem of being raised to believe that everyone is great. Being raised with this dilution can very easily result in many people being disappointed with their lives and achievements when they finally are adults. 

 

Here is a very funny, but also quite insightful piece by George Carlin that deals with this issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Xtk7ALaUI

 

People aren't stupid (in a relative sense), and even if kids are raised to believe that "everyone is special", when they inevitably realize that is bullshit they will have all sorts of ways of reacting, and chuunibyou is one of the more popular reactions. What I find really funny though is that I went through all three categories of chunnibyou, which feels really sad to admit.

 

One last thing: I realize that my use of Catcher in the Rye in analyses on these forums is staring to get a bit hackneyed, but its kind of difficult to avoid it considering a lot of VNs focus on the same age demographic.  

[Clephas]

I'm pretty sure some people will be offended by this statement, and at the same time, it is an expression of my own cynicism toward human nature in general.  So, if you don't want to be pissed off, don't read what is in the spoiler box.

 

It helps if you recognize that the chuuni phenomenon (as in 'chuunibyou') is simply an outgrowth of human insecurity, which is pretty much universal to most human beings.  That is why people's reactions to chuuni stuff tends to be pretty polarized.  I've more or less accepted this aspect of myself, but the more a person who is aware of this aspect of their personality fails to accept it, the more their reactions tend to be negative (including pretending to be apathetic, which if they go through the trouble to 'display' apathy, is an essential contradiction).  A person who accepts the fact that they feel insecure about their life, their self, etc. generally tends to be able to sit back and enjoy chuuni more.  However, a person who is trying to hide or deny their insecurity tends to react poorly to chuuni if they are aware of it.  Chuuni is self-indulgent and an active expression of the human desire for their existence to stand out, to have special meaning.  As such, people's reactions to it will always be polarized, to an extent.

[Zalor]

I'm pretty sure some people will be offended by this statement, and at the same time, it is an expression of my own cynicism toward human nature in general.  So, if you don't want to be pissed off, don't read what is in the spoiler box.

 

It helps if you recognize that the chuuni phenomenon (as in 'chuunibyou') is simply an outgrowth of human insecurity, which is pretty much universal to most human beings.  That is why people's reactions to chuuni stuff tends to be pretty polarized.  I've more or less accepted this aspect of myself, but the more a person who is aware of this aspect of their personality fails to accept it, the more their reactions tend to be negative (including pretending to be apathetic, which if they go through the trouble to 'display' apathy, is an essential contradiction).  A person who accepts the fact that they feel insecure about their life, their self, etc. generally tends to be able to sit back and enjoy chuuni more.  However, a person who is trying to hide or deny their insecurity tends to react poorly to chuuni if they are aware of it.  Chuuni is self-indulgent and an active expression of the human desire for their existence to stand out, to have special meaning.  As such, people's reactions to it will always be polarized, to an extent.

 

In side the spoiler you said, "the chuuni phenomenon (as in 'chuunibyou') is simply an outgrowth of human insecurity, which is pretty much universal to most human beings". You also previously said that Star Wars is a kind of chuuni story. Josheph Campbell (who was a fairly influential scholar on mythology), compared Star Wars, and the Hero's journey to having the same structure as most other Epics in global literature. Epic stories, seem to satisfy the same human insecurity you refer to. Epics such as Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Aeneid, etc, all have extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. And usually the main heroes are the most extraordinary, (Gilgamesh, Achilles, Aeneas). Epics have a similar sort of absurdity and appeal that chuuni stories do. So I'm wondering, what distinctions do see between an Epic, and a chuuni story? 

[Clephas]

To be quite frank, there isn't one really.  If there is a difference between chuuni as many see it and your average epic, it is that chuuni has a habit of transforming someone who might possibly be the reader into a hero, whereas epic stories idolize heroes to the point where they become something more than the humans their stories might or might not be based off of.  The essential nature of both is the same, but they are colored by the times they were written in. 

In both cases, the base impulse is the desire to believe someone that is human or began from humans can become something transcendent, something better.  Your average transhumanist will also express similar emotions, except they tend to be a bit more aware of their hungers (I know I am)

 

If you want an example of early Japanese chuunibyou portrayed in anime, check out the protagonist's female friend in 12 Kingdoms. 

 

Edit: She is pretty much the poster child for modern chuunibyou, as it is understood now.  That insecurity I was talking about in a previous post tends to reach a critical point in early to mid puberty where the boundaries of what is real and what is not have a tendency to blur, which causes chuunibyou as it is understood in Japan.