Chūnibyō
Chūnibyō (中二病; lit. 'middle-school second-year syndrome') is a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe adolescents with delusions of grandeur. These teenagers are thought to desperately want to stand out and convince themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers. It is sometimes called "eighth-grader syndrome" in the United States, usually in the context of localizations of anime which feature the concept as a significant plot element.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]The term was used by Japanese comedian Hikaru Ijūin in 1999, who described the effect as if it were an illness he had contracted.[4][5] Ijūin made a statement disavowing the idea in 2009, as it had changed from a light-hearted remark to a condition that was studied seriously in psychology.[5] In 2008, Hyōya Saegami wrote a book called Chūnibyō Toriatsukai Setsumei Sho (中二病取扱説明書),[6] or "Chūnibyō User Manual", in which he identifies three types of chūnibyō: "DQN", who act like delinquents; "subculture", who go against the mainstream trends; and "evil eye", who aspire to have special powers.[4]
Legacy
[edit]Literary critic Bōshi Chino expressed that he would like to give the novel Don Quixote the subtitle "Chūnibyō Starting from 50 Years Old", from the vicious cycle observable within the work. This is characterized by "the protagonist's viewing of the world through colored glasses" causing "the people around him to play along in order to avoid denying his delusions, but in the end only causing the protagonist to succumb more and more to those delusions".[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Mahajan, Yashas (October 16, 2022). "This Underrated Classic Highlights the Value of Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions in Life". CBR. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ↑ "The Anime You Should Have Been Watching… in Fall 2012". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ↑ Trinos, Angelo Delos (November 5, 2021). "10 "Chuunibyo" Characters With The Biggest Imaginations". CBR. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- 1 2 "Chuunibyou: Funny or Something Darker?". honeysanime.com. April 25, 2017. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- 1 2 "Ask John: What Makes a Character a Chuunibyou? – AnimeNation Anime News Blog". www.animenation.net. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ↑ "中二病も才能のうち！？ 500人に訊いた！ マンガ家志望の"中二あるある"ランキング - ダ・ヴィンチニュース". ddnavi.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ↑ 千野帽子 (2009). 読まず嫌い. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-4-04-885027-8. OCLC 918252713.
External links
[edit]- 林蔚 (November 5, 2013). ""中二病"是种什么病" [What is "Chūnibyō"?]. China Youth Daily (in Chinese).