Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen

To describe Kaguya-sama: Love is War as a battlefield of love, between two prideful geniuses, who see confessing as a sign of “weakness” is well—sort of misleading. Not because these type of scenarios don’t happen throughout the show, but more so because I’m not entirely sure that it is accurate to describe the characters as “prideful” or even “geniuses”; and that might be the biggest issue the show has. Kaguya-sama begins in a very direct way; the whole idea of the show, everything about Miyuki and Kaguya, and their relationship is thrown at us through a narrator. There is no build up of their relationship, we aretold they are in love and we are immediately expected to care. As a result, I found it difficult to ever form a sort of solid connection with the characters, to ‘root’ for their romance, to think their ridiculous antics were always funny. Miyuki and Kaguya have little chemistry. It feels like I am missing something. With more care given to the characters, this show really could have been something special. I can imagine this could have been salvaged, if the characters proved themselves so charismatic and fun that they would eventually become completely endearing. But the characters never really had a consistent personality. Because let's be honest, Miyuki and Kaguya are not always ‘prideful’. The are constantly shown as vulnerable, embarrassed, and shy. Highlighting those parts about them were easily the worst bits of the show. When they were smart, cunning, devious, it lead to the best and most hilarious moments. The author probably did this to make them more relatable and cute, but I ultimately think it negatively impacted the show. Some of the situations Miyuki and Kaguya go through are so trivial and childish that only sheer ridiculousness of their characters could have made it genuinely hilarious. When we know that the basis of their resistance to being open to one another is rooted more in shyness than pride, it makes the situations come off as more silly than potentially hilarious. It should have gone all in on making them scheming egomaniacs, for the sake of the humour. Sometimes the show did have moments where the characters acted the way I hoped they would—and it was funny. Various moments of the show proves itself as creative, enjoyable, and worthy. Chika and Ishigami served as good side characters, although it may have been a little too obvious that sometimes they were just there to steer the direction of the joke. The art style was bold and outwards. Over time the show starts to get a bit more ‘normal’ looking, but I do appreciate shows taking a step outwards to make it more memorable. Many times I was left feeling like some potential was being wasted. The show does stick to a formulaic way of having a ‘winner/loser’ in every bit, which didn’t always work. Sometimes it seems like the direction of the joke was radically shifted for no other reason than to just create a winner or a loser. I never found the narrator useful, and at worst he was just annoying. The show should have been more free, less confined to one particular style. Often it came off as settling. The most disappointing thing about the show is how good it could have been.

Almost every time someone talks to me about a romantic comedy, they'd would mention how well the romance is delivered. Then along came this show called Kaguya-sama: Love is War that goes beyond than just being a romantic comedy. In a landscape dominated by recent isekai shows, there’s a need for fresh air. Kaguya-sama managed be just that. Aka Akasaka is somewhat of a new author in the manga world. Prior to this series, their only work I was familiar with is Sayonara Piano Sonata. When Kaguya-sama began serializing, I knew there was something special about this series with the way it introduced its storyand characters. Do note that the anime adapts chapters not in a chronological order but takes them to make the overall tone of the show flow better. Every episode contains at least 3 segments from certain chapters. There’s also some that are structured with continued storytelling but nothing too complex. With that being said, I think it’s important to realize what this show really is. First off, I would say that while this anime contains rom-com tropes, there’s also an insightful amount of dialogues that breaks from its traditional norms. Some will easily notice the mind games and dialogue wars between our two main protagonists – vice president Kaguya Shinomiya and President Miyuki Shirogane. Both are part of the prestigious school in Japan known as Shuchi’in Academy. While the two obviously develop feelings for each other, the show pits them into endless series of love battles. Their pride is on the line and neither are willing to confess their love. The English title also translates to “Kaguya Wants to be Confessed” so fresh anime viewers may wonder who will really be the one confessing in the end. That’s where the juicy part of the show comes in. You see, every episode contains segments about romance along with the constant mental battles between our two protagonists. From the very first episode, we see how much both characters value their pride. Their status at school are role models that everyone looks up to for their intelligence, looks, and position. In other words, Kaguya and Shirogane stands at the top of the mountain at Shuchi’in Academy and their only opponents are each other. Or is it? Because the more I watched this show, the more I realized the length both characters go to try to get the others to confess. This results in hilarious segments that drives the main plot. While both characters lack experience with love, they have many talent in other fields such as academics. In essence, the show manages to produce an immense amount of humor with the love war concept. Taking a look at each character on an individual level, Kaguya and Shirogane are actually quite normal despite being larger than life characters. However, the show portrays Kaguya as a girl who is obsessed with Shirogane. The extent of her mind games sometimes goes to extreme lengths such as trying to prevent Shirogane from leaving school, planting movie tickets, or even as something silly as fighting over a piece of cake. The result of these scenarios often end up with consequences or misunderstanding. This is where the show’s absurdity and humor comes in. Because of how hard both characters try to defend their own pride, they create a fake persona of themselves to each other. Nonetheless, it seems at times, Kaguya does have genuine feelings for Shirogane such as when she gets jealous of him interacting with Chika. Ah yes, Chika Fujiwara. If there’s anyone in this show that could set off more reactions, it’s her. She’s like the catalyst for Kaguya’s mood swings in particular when interacting with Shirogane. Jealousy is easily shown on Kaguya’s face in early episodes and that’s thanks to her personality. In general, Chika is known to be disruptive to the school council. Whether she’s conscious about it or not, she often sets off absurd moments in the show because of her unpredictability. However, I think Chika’s presence in the show should be appreciated for exactly what she is. In fact, I categorize Chika as somewhat of anti-thesis of the main characters. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind and is very open about being herself. This is very different compared to Ai Hayasaka, Kaguya’s valet. Hayasaka takes on several personalities that can be hard to distinguish the real her. While being a supporting character, I find her role in the show important for being supportive of Kaguya. As with many rom-coms, it needs to have male characters that aren’t just alpha males like Shirogane. This is where Yu Ishigami comes in. Having an inferiority complex, he doesn’t have nearly as much as pride in himself as Shirogane. Unlike him, Ishigami isn’t a real genius but he tries hard in things that interests him. The more I watched his character interactions, the more I realized how real he is compared to the others. He can be rather relatable for his social status and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the anime needed someone like him too. That being said, outside of these characters, there’s only a small handful that gets spotlights such as Shirogane’s sister. There are occasional side characters that reinforces the themes of love in the show but these often don’t greatly influence the show’s plot. With everything being said, I think watching Kaguya-sama takes an open mind to accept what this show offers while also enjoying what you may not often find in rom-coms. One of the interesting things I noticed is the production staff involved in the show. It consists of ex-Shaft members such as Shinchi Omata and Kei Haneoka. Director Shinichi Omata manages to capture a unique theatric feeling with his clever approach. For those who are familiar with Shaft, it can at times feel similar in style with his craft. Many scenes in the show has a dynamic transition that is impactful ranging from a character expression to the clever timing of the dialogues. Indeed, a show like this needs careful timing to deliver its dialogues. Even a narrator is here to speak for its plot. The animation quality is also polished with stellar effort and manages to capture the magic of the manga. We’re so lucky to have this adaptation with a golden treatment to be honest. Oh and who can forget the theme songs for the show? The opening contains a spy espionage-theme that matches this show in perfect union. It also contains choreography that shows the mind game themes without holding back. Simply put, it’s mesmerizing. Similarly, the ED theme songs are decorated with colorful aesthetics. There’s even one particular episode that had Chika perform her own ED theme because that’s just how damn good this show is. I love the manga and the anime gave me a similar sensation. Sure, not all the chapters were adapted but that’s not the point at all. It managed to be rise above mediocrity of rom-coms by appealing to a variety of story gimmicks. The characters manages to deliver their lines like a theatric play filled with charisma and talent. While the story can feel repetitive at times, it’s thanks to the heartfilled humor that will always get you engaged. Kaguya-sama sets a gold standard for a romantic comedy that’s so much more than just confessing love.

This is one of those special anime that perfectly represents why I’ve been sticking with anime for so long. Love is War exudes brilliance with every fiber of its being. It has so much going for it, and offers something that practically everyone can enjoy. In simpler terms, it’s just so damn good bruh! What, don’t believe me? pfft, how cute. Let me lecture you on why this anime is pure excellence. Psychological battles of wits have always excited me. It’s quite exhilarating to witness two characters going head to head against each other not physically, but mentally. Anime RomComs with interesting and dynamiccharacters can always be a joy to watch as well, especially when they take an unconventional approach to the genre. Love is War is a crazy mix of both of these genres, almost like it’s the illegitimate love child of Death Note and Toradora. And let me tell you, this anime is super legit. It doesn’t take a love detective to figure out that overachieving student council protagonists Kaguya and Shirogane have a thing for each other. Yet they’re both so hilariously egotistical and out of touch with reality that they constantly attempt to coerce the other into making the first move, since in their minds, doing so would be a major sign of weakness. For the person who confesses first…*dramatic pause*…loses. Funnily enough, I believe that the person who takes the first step in starting a relationship is actually the stronger one, but that’s not how these two see it. Their relationship is portrayed brilliantly in the anime, and the amount of entertaining scenarios that these two find themselves in during each episode is just mind boggling. Plus the three major side characters, Chika, Ishigami, and Hayasaka, are all hilarious, and they simply further add to the greatness of the show. Love is War is one of those rare anime where it actually gets better and better in practically every regard after each passing episode. Seriously though, all concerns and doubts that I had about this show after watching the first episode were completely obliterated from existence as it went on. And then the anime decided to straight up surpass my expectations for it, it’s just that awesome. Of course, while many of the show’s successes are noticeably apparent, others require you to look a little deeper into the anime to discover. Something that I didn’t realize until the later portion of the anime was just how much Kaguya develops as a character. I was so focused on the comedy that I almost missed it, though her growth is pretty subtle. I discovered that Kaguya becomes significantly more expressive then she was in the earlier episodes, and seems to have really come out of her shell. What I believe started as a mere fleeting interest in getting the highest ranked student at her academy to fall for her blossomed into a truly heartfelt love for the student council president. I won’t get into Kaguya’s backstory, but let’s just say that feelings and love are quite foreign to her. Yet through her many interactions with Shirogane, she starts to understand how to feel, and this causes her to both show and perceive real emotion. Yes, she was always a fun character from beginning to end. Yet while the initial battles Kaguya waged against Shirogane primarily focused on her amusing ability to plan her strategies incredibly far in advance, her only desire was to win and make Shirogane submit to her. However, with her later battles, they just felt more genuine, like she was legitimately trying to make Shirogane confess to her because she actually loves the guy and is just too awkward and nervous to make the first move herself. The fantastic visuals help to further emphasize this, as we constantly see her flailing about in embarrassment and being all blushy blushly when in the presence of Shirogane as she starts to spend a lot more time with him. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but damn it, the author is a certified genius for writing Kaguya’s character in such a compelling way. It’s development like this that really gets me to appreciate both the character and their respective show. Yet although Kaguya is the protagonist, what probably ended up as the most popular thing about this anime was Chika. More specifically, her dance. The Chika dance sequence alone is enough to give this anime high marks in both the visual and sound departments. Her dance literally has the power to save anime AND cure crippling depression at the same time, it’s just that good. Now I’m not well versed in the mechanics of animation, but I do know that the style used to animate Chika’s dance is quite expensive, so major respect to the animators for putting so much effort into constructing such a special dance. A-1 probably had to steal the budgets from some of the other winter seasonals to pull this off, but it was totally worth it. Now I don’t want to overshadow the rest of the animation in Love is War by just talking about Chika’s dance, because the entire show is aesthetically charming and distinctive. Stylistically speaking, I noticed that this anime utilizes tons of unique visual techniques that really bring things to life and add even more layers to the anime. While the setting of the show predominately takes place in the same old student council room, every single scene is still unique and fresh thanks to the innovative visual effects used each episode. It’s kind of hard to explain it without actually showing the visuals, but if you watch the show, you’ll understand what I’m getting at. Though the greatest accomplishment in the animation department would have to be the character designs. Not only do they look great normally, but the characters are constantly animated in different styles that keep things fresh and further heighten the comedic value of the show. They’re drawn in such a variety of designs, from horror-esque to chibi-like. Each and every frame just seems to have been created with so much care. In an age where it feels like most animators just put the bare minimum into their shows, it’s refreshing to see an anime given so much attention to its visual quality and special effects. Props to A-1 Pictures. Voice acting is superb. I initially wasn’t certain how well Kaguya’s seiyuu would work when I first saw Kaguya’s character design, but I soon realized just how perfect a fit she is. She just breathes so much life into Kaguya, who is already a superior character. The rest of the voice actors do a phenomenal job as well, and their expert line deliveries further heighten the effectiveness of jokes. Also, the weird little noises that the girls, particularly Chika, occasionally make are just great. Like, how cute can they get? The theme songs are nice and the soundtrack does its job well. The cast of characters are truly the fuel that bring this anime to life. When the core cast is as small as it is in this anime, the likability of these individuals can really make or break the success of the show. For me, I ended up liking every single one of the characters. Like, a lot. So Kaguya is best girl for me, and if you dare disagree…then that’s okay too! I’ve already talked about some of the more prominent aspects of her character, but I’m not going to pass up an opportunity to further praise her. First of all, she’s absolutely adorable. Especially during the bed scene in episode 9, where all I could think was how cute can this girl possibly be? I love her color palette because red and black are obviously the best colors. Her awkwardness combined with her intellectual brilliance is incredibly fitting. What truly makes her shine though is her relationship with Shirogane. The two of them just complement each other so well. Shirogane himself is a workaholic, and I wish that I had half of his work ethic. Just half, since any more would probably cause me to keel over from exhaustion. Seriously though, with the way he works, I don’t know how this man manages to stay on his feet! Like Kaguya, his social ineptitude is matched only by his intelligence, and the combination just works. Chika is the most entertaining supporting character I’ve seen in a long time. I was trying to think of one of her finer moments to use as an example of why she’s so amusing, but then I realized that they’re all good. Love detective Chika. Volleyball coach Chika. Cheating at card games Chika. Ramen connoisseur Chika. The list goes on. Chika’s ditsy nature and complete obliviousness to her surroundings are incredibly charming. She just brings a sort of energy to the show that increases my power levels tenfold whenever she’s on screen. Ishigami is the fourth and final member of the student council we’re introduced to, and he’s like the most relatable dude ever. He really is our guy. I can connect with a lot of his monologues on a spiritual level, and his introduction into the show was when it really started to become something great in my opinion. The final character that I’d like to give a shoutout to is Hayasaka. She is Kaguya’s attendant, and her dedication to helping Kaguya get together with Shirogane is admirable. She literally gets them in the same bed together at one point, so good on you Hayasaka. To sum everything up, Love is War works because it’s actually funny. Like with every comedy anime I watch, I was worried that the jokes would eventually go stale and the show would get boring as it progressed. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this isn’t the case with Love is War. Each episode actually seemed to get even funnier than the last, and this ended up being one of those rare anime that actually got me to laugh out loud. Yes, comedy is subjective. But there’s such a diverse agglomeration of jokes to be found here that it just feels like this anime has something for everyone. The entertainment derived from watching something is, for me, the most important aspect of a show, and Love is War completely nails it in this regard. Overall, this is a quality anime that I would wholeheartedly recommend watching for the comedy alone, not to mention the plethora of other great things that this show brings to the table. Love is War is not the anime we deserved, but the one we needed. Like, desperately. Hopefully future comedies, and all genres for that matter, will follow Love is War’s excellent example. And hey, a season 2 wouldn’t hurt as well. Let’s get it done A-1, cause I simply need MOAR!

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