Anime 37999 Kaguya-sama Wa Kokurasetai Tensai-tachi No Renai Zunousen Reviews Filter Check 1

Considering the circumstances that have lead us to these conditions, I conclude the state we're currently facing is refreshingly cuddly in a soothing manner.

I.e. How cute.

I don't really like A-1, but this time they are doing pretty darn impressive job. Even the character design which A-1 fucks up approximately 100% of the time is quality here. Unbelievable. Sure the stares and GAZES could deliver more, and the how cute moments can only be so cute, but otherwise this is a ridiculously high quality adaptation which success was unpredictable.

The first and last thing that stands out here is the directing. Those who have seen ... basically any anime at all will immediately recognize that this style is close to SHAFT's Shinbou Akiyuki, who is known as the nro. 1 anime director in the world pretty much. The director of Kaguya seems to be his old underling/coworker and, needless to say, he has learnt a great deal from the master himself. However -- unlike Tomohiro, who is the underling of the other big anime director (2nd biggest if you will), Ikuhara Kunihiko -- Kaguya's directing is much closer to its director's very own innovation, and to say that this is just a copy-paste would be a blind insult. This man has vision and style and doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. This is creativity and detail at its finest. It's rare to see modern anime even try and even more so: to success at anything new, but what our director, Shinichi Omata is doing here is nothing less than impressive. It's damn fresh to be accurate. Fully approved.

Now that this nerd stuff out of the way, the content:

'Love is War' is a rom-com series aimed for mature audience. It centers around 2 main leads and few other leads who are kinda as important as the other two but also practically in the side roles. Our main 'couple' are Shirogane and Kaguya who have made the concept of 'love' their battlefield. In this battle they are quite literally trying to outwit each others with the power of psychology, logic and pure rhetoric. Why do this, then? Because they both share this fundamental idea that love is weakness of the mind and confessing it an act so against ones pride that doing so makes them.. losers. So, what they are doing instead is try and make the other one confess first. Hence the battlefield.

The series heavily relies on both: interactions between characters and silent monologue that plays inside the heads of our different POV's. The catch being how different the characters are inside their own head and how they appear to others in real life. They have lots of personality and can show different sides of it. Perhaps my favorite part of all of it are the "war planning" and also how overly dramatic Kaguya often is. To say few words about the other cast members, Fujiwara is criminally cute and the rest are pretty much weirdos.

There is one entity in the series that is highly important to the overall execution and that's the narrator. He appears to add lots of missing links and initial reasoning for the characters' thoughts, actions, and real purpose among other things. It balances out the comedy and "plot side" of the series as well as simply makes the overall narrative work/more solid.

As of currently, I'm extremely happy with this show. There are no major issues, only few small things that are questionable but also necessary to make the series' core idea hold water. As far as rom-coms go, this is already among the better things anime has to offer. Also +1 for Fujwara's dance scene which animation budget is higher than the entire season of Date A Live III's cashmoney.

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 story ... and 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.

A masterpiece that evokes every emotion I want to feel from a Romantic comedy.
President Miyuki and Vice President Kaguya are in love with each other, but both view themselves as the ultimate object of desire, and thus see no reason to confess, in fact when you are as perfect as they are shouldn’t it be the duty of other people to aspire towards you? However, this is quickly revealed to be a front used by two egotistical Teenagers who can’t quite work up the courage to ask out their crush. What follows from this is a sequence of over thought-out plans in order to force ... the other to confess. The comedy in the series comes from its hyper-dramatization of the utterly mundane. Asking someone to the movies is a complex web of intrigue, a game of 20 questions is a western shoot-out, and cat ears are banned by the Geneva convention. But no matter how well-laid the plans of Miyuki and Kaguya, destroying them is but child’s play to their secretary, Chika. This show would be amazing even if it was just comedy, but underneath the absurdity is a sincerely heart-warming story of teenagers learning to move past their flaws, insecurities, and other problems. We are given enough reminders that beneath all these mind games between the two leads there is genuine and sincere emotions for the other. So even though they never confess outright significant progress is still made in the characters’ lives.

A fast frenetic directing style gives the characters so much life even though all they are doing most of the time is thinking in a room. It’s not afraid to break away from reality constantly keep its visuals engaging, and the camera loves to spin, swing, and slide across the main set; Maneuvers made possible by some excellent use of CGI and compositing. Character expressions are exaggerated in creative ways, and the voice actors bring their A game to match the animation. Much like Jojo the color swims to match the mood of a scene, and combined with an eclectic collection of background music serves to set the tone perfectly for most scenes. Character movement is usually quite fluid. Aesthetically it knocks it out of the park. Not to say every frame is a masterpiece, as the cut corners are quickly discernible to a practiced eye, but the peaks far outnumber the troughs.

Aesthetically fantastic and narrative-ly ingenious: A show people must at least try.

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 dynamic ... characters 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!

“Wieners sliced to look like an octopus! They really exist! I want to try one…” — Kaguya Shinomiya

“Ohh, gawd. Did I accidentally stumble upon Shokushu Goukan….(again)?!” — Krunchyman


Overt references to tentacle erotica aside, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is an anime about two people — Kaguya and Miyuki — who secretly love each other, but are unwilling to confess their affections in fear that the other person will gain the upper hand. This, invariably, commences a series of events in which Kaguya and Miyuki attempt to psychologically outmaneuver one another, generating a conglomerate of awkward/comedic circumstances. Whether or not these ventures ... result in genuine laughter is a matter of comedic taste, but it won’t stop me from telling you my thoughts on the matter.

Love is War presents a situation that is all too common in preteen-to-teen years, that being: “I love you, but I’ll pretend otherwise.” The school milieu, along with pent-up hormones, forces numerous young-adults to experience these contradictory feelings towards one another, resulting in numerous awkward/hilarious situations. For Kaguya and Miyuki, these situations involve Death-Note-level internal monologues where they battle one another in a metaphorical game of cognitive love-chess. It’s actually fairly entertaining (albeit in a foolish way — which is precisely the way I like it, uh huh huh).

The best moment of the series, thus far, was when Kaguya (a sixteen year-old girl, mind you) thought that her “first time” was a reference to kissing, instead of sexual intercourse. Her naive innocence propelled her to claim, “I did it to my newborn nephew,” which resulted in horrified looks from Chika and Miyuki; I was laughing my balls off!

Love is War is not the type of series that will blow your socks off, yet its coquettish dynamic between Kaguya and Miyuki has a certain charm that is not easily consummated in the genre. The jokes, themselves, are more miss than hit, but the ones that do hit are exceptionally hilarious. The direction of the plot seems quite obvious (an eventual confession by either Kaguya or Miyuki, or both at the same time), but the journey towards their declaration of love is quite humorous, plus the ending dance by Chika is dope as f—k!

“See, this show's what having a good director can do for your fuckin' show. You can make A-1 Pictures look like a competent studio. That's fucked up!” -DEEsidia from REVEL HOUSE, 2019

Pride is cruel and ignorance is bliss, and when love is war, feelings are the casualties. Kaguya-sama is this concept taken to a hilarious extreme, with two teenage egotists trying to manipulate each other into confessing their feelings as every idea they ever had gets trampled on. This show thrives off its comedic timing, with tons of audiovisual flair, character chemistry, and wild ideas for our main leads to plan around and exploit. ... With A-1 being listed as the studio behind this, I’m sure some alarms were triggered, but thanks to Rakugo director Shinichi Omata, everything listed prior is utilized spectacularly.

Shinichi Omata brings a ton of life to this anime with his stylistic flourishes. A lot of the time, backgrounds and camera movements are incredibly stylized, adding to scenes of characters overthinking things. Whenever a character starts freaking out or shouting in an over the top fashion, several grainy motion lines consume either the characters or the backgrounds. The ED themes have some creative visuals as well. These and more all add so much character to the visuals, which is a blessing since despite the fun character designs and facial expressions, the artwork dips a surprising amount early on, and the sparse CGI models can be pretty terrible. Thankfully, the visual inconsistencies and blemishes are so infrequent that the expressive visual flourishes and amazing shots more than make up for them.

On top of the great visual comedy is the actual character comedy, relying on bombastic personalities and their chemistry with one another, including the narrator of the show, who provides a healthy dose of both on his own whilst poking fun of our main leads. Shirogane’s an over-the-top serious character, constantly shouting despite always maintaining a sense of authority, combining the general style of Gendo Ikari from Eva with the ridiculously dorky yet serious nature of someone like Yamamoto from Tylor or Sora from NGNL. It makes things all the funnier when he’s undermined by love interest Kaguya Shinomiya, who constantly wants to retain her air of refinement and superiority despite being a sheltered, jealous dork who gets flustered at the drop of a hat. However, the character that steals the show for me is Chika Fujiwara, the busty wildcard cloudcuckoolander --think Mayuri from Steins;Gate but probably evil-- who’s constantly making Kaguya jealous and single-handedly dismantling everyone around her and whatever they try to do. This doesn’t include the times when Chika has to teach Shirogane how to do things, which brings her immense pain. A close contender for best character is Ishigami, who appears halfway into the show, and is as paranoid and ridiculous as he is sensitive and adorable. It takes half the show to introduce him, but some of the show’s most gut-busting moments come from him, especially when he reaches critical sass levels. Lastly, there’s our helpful deadpan character in Kaguya’s maid, Ai Hayasaka, who has particularly great chemistry with Kaguya as she attempts to help her earn Shirogane’s heart. Somehow, she has the most surprises up her sleeves. The random tertiary characters are all entertaining as well, thanks to the comedic and sometimes emotionally resonant writing of a well-balanced and vibrant main and supporting cast. Each skit tells us something new about these characters. Combine that with their chemistry and the sheer number of skits, it leaves these characters feeling incredibly rich, on top of being varied and colorful. You can honestly make a case for any of the 5 major characters being the best, which is a great sign.

Kei Haneoka’s music does a good job complimenting the show’s calculated absurdity. The OST often cycles between being as bombastic as the scenarios they support and being whimsical, meme tracks that play over sequences such as a comedic explanation of the game 20 Questions. The OP "Love Dramatic feat. Rikka Ihara" by Masayuki Suzuki is one of the standouts of the season, boasting a jazzy, almost James Bond-like feel with the sneaky and sometimes psychedelic visuals to match once the song reaches its chorus. It matches the personalities of the main duo quite well and how they treat these scenarios like mind games. Sadly, the EDs don’t live up outside of the visuals and the meme factor of Chika’s ED. That, however, is a small loss.

Kaguya-sama is one of the funniest and most well-directed shows I have seen in a long time. This outrageous premise certainly won’t appeal to everyone, especially to those who hate the concept of two main characters pussyfooting around confessing to each other. However, the wonderful cast, humor, and visual direction more than make up for any possible annoyance that otherwise may have caused me. Nearly every skit and episode build upon the last. If you want your fix of romcoms or shows starring manipulative egotists, this is almost certainly the anime for you. It’ll probably stay in my holy trinity of comedy anime for quite some time.

Written and Edited by: CodeBlazeFate
Proofread by: Peregrine

2 geniuses trying to feel superiority by making the other confess first! This has got to be one of the best scenarios ever!

Art/Sound:
Let's get this straight, I don't love the studio that makes this anime and feel as though their animation is solid but not great, however, holy shit! The visuals in this anime are so impressive, it reminds me of something Shaft would produce which I love, most people are going to be pleasantly surprised at how great the animation and the art in general is! Sound wise, I have 0 complaints! Voice acting is spot on with a very underrated funky OP and ... perfect ED for the anime. The sound gets an 8 and the art gets a 9!

Plot/Characters:
The show is episodic and within each episode, it's broken down into even smaller parts which makes for a non-stop funny entertaining anime that's consistently great throughout! My main concern with the plot is that it seems to start to get repetitive after a while but honestly I don't give a fuck due to how great EVERY episode is! Fucking hell... the best cast of characters this season easily! The main characters have amazing chemistry and juxtapose perfectly with the airhead secretary! This dynamic between the characters is perfect and sets up for a perfect balance of tense and hilarious sequences! The plot gets an 8 and the characters get a 10

Overall:
I don't have any major faults to talk about this anime! It's been a non-stop exciting, hilarious show fuelled by a fantastic cast and I hope that it's repetitiveness doesn't make it stale after it's completion! I'm honestly blown away at how there isn't a single episode where I don't feel as though the 25 mins we're actually 5 mins! Each episode is so entertaining that I lose track of time; because of this it gets an enjoyment rating of 10 and an overall rating of 9!

A random day back in December 2015 had me giving a chance to at that point very recent manga called Kaguya-sama after the cover grabbed my attention, not too many chapters after I already fell in love with it and it eventually became my favorite work ever and the one that I was waiting like crazy for an adaptation to happen, and when that time came… oh god, they couldn't have delivered harder!

The main duo of this story are Kaguya and Miyuki, the two students at the top of a highly renowned academy and the two most lovable tsunderes out there, consistently trying to outplay ... the other into confessing their love to hilarious results. These two characters come from very different perspectives (she is from a very rich and influential family with questionable raising standards and has been sheltered from the outside in the process, while he has to work part-time together with all the stuff he does to help his family, this man needs to sleep) and this is so, so nicely used for both comedic elements and also for the more dramatic parts that this work has, that give fantastic character development and make us understand and love them even more than before.

Together with those two, the student council also has two more (and equally awesome) members that bring extra dynamics to the interactions and comedy. Chika is a completely chaotic element to the tactics of the main duo, with her personality completely clashing with all the strategies they might have prepared. Lastly, we have ourguy Ishigami, the man, the legend, this man is so lovable and the perfect mix of “dude, wtf” and “stop being relatable”, protect at all costs.

A-1 Pictures is a studio that gets a lot of hate that I can't agree with at all, the way they work with different staffs leads to very different results, but any studio is pretty hit or miss anyways, and when this one goes all in very few deliver as hard, so I was very optimistic towards them getting this anime, and yet they surpassed my expectations, hard. The directing of the series is just fantastic, with so many great shots, camera movements, perfectly executed timing on the character reactions to add to the comedy, lots of extra details… just wow.

Another thing I want to praise is the voice actors, who did such an outstanding work in the way that makes you think “man, they sure had fun recording this!” I have nothing but good things to say about them, and I especially want to mention Yutaka Aoyama, the narrator of the series (such a key element of Kaguya and he did it flawlessly, so many laughs!) and Aoi Koga, who I already had the fortune to hear about thanks to her secondary role in the also fantastic Aikatsu Stars, which made me see before this anime started that she was the perfect fit for Kaguya's character, who gives a hard work with her switches between absurdly adorable and quite terrifying due to her way to be and that she did so well.

I'm so happy that this anime got the popularity it deserved (thanks Chika dance for helping with that) and I hope that this is just the first from a lot of seasons that this work needs so badly, I 100% recommend you to give this anime a chance if you haven't yet, you won't regret it!

Kaguya-sama: Love is War

As much as this show can be as stereotypical an anime can be, it wasn't a surprise to see the show using the same tropes used in the past, in these days finding out a new way to make a love comedy anime interesting is quite hard. So rather than focusing on changing the tropes, other aspects of the anime can be changed to make it alluring towards the viewer, and that's what this anime did.

Rather than focusing on the plot of the story, since hardly there is really no plot, it's focused more on the antics, plotting of ... the characters, to make the other one confess their love. The synergy between these characters is what separates this show towards all other love romantic comedies out there, all the characters are in a way, in correlation to, connected to each other to make out the perfect chemistry. The side characters are there to break the ice between the two tunnel visioned main characters whilst adding a sense of unpredictability between what can happen.

Their problems isn't so special as much as they are quite pointless, stupid and illogical, mostly focusing a lot on the little things that doesn't necessarily move them forward to a better relationship, in this, they conduct such activities into a day to day basis, which leads them into questionable situations they put themselves through, with this style, it wasn't as so much serious but rather more of a casual, funny, watch. Whilst it is casual and funny, the anime still manages to be able to transfer into a comedic situation into a serious situation in a way that looked natural, therefore opened up a new path for more in-depth development towards the characters and the problem that they face.

The voice actors have played a big role in bringing out the character's sense of personality, as well as the narrator playing a part in bringing out the show's tone and mood. The character's are easily likable and cute, with their set of unique personalities that defines them respectively and sets them apart. The soundtrack is nice as well.

In conclusion Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a defining example of what love comedy shows should strive to be and what it can be. With it's allure of likable, funny, unique characters, and a little twist in the genre, it has proved itself to be a must-watch for everyone to at least try, and decide for yourself it's sense of worth. (How cute).

"If I cover my ears, then my hands aren't free to protect my belly button!"
- Shoki no Chika

Reminder: this review does not include any element of comparison with the manga and contains just a little bit spoiler (not too much). Of course, I have read the manga and it is very good, but I'm not the kind of person who would want to compare an anime to its original source (it's kinda pointless to compare 3 hours of Grisaia to the 50 hours of its visual novel, for the sake of example); (and English is not my native tongue).

Because tradition dictates it, here is a ... short introduction to the anime: read the synopsis! Okay… You have a cool and smart but poor blond president, a very candid oujo-sama (how cute!), a perverse… I mean cute secretary and an otaku gamer treasurer.
And if you want to distinguish yourself from the plebe: if you are asked to choose between the vice-president and the secretary, say that you prefer the girl with white hair and blue eyes! She is the real hidden heroine of this anime! (Or if you are not into imou… then just say that the best girl is the maid.)

So, let's get to the heart of the matter: what makes Kaguya-sama so good? Of course, it's a comic anime, so if the number of your laugh while watching Kaguya-sama is close to zero, then you'll certainly find it bad. As for me, even before the anime finishes airing, I have already rewatched it at least three or four times, and I’m still dying of laughing every minute, and sometimes every twenty seconds.
Yes, I am an extreme case of someone who loves this anime.

So, you have your answer. Kaguya-sama is so good because it makes you burst out laughing. Do I need to bother myself more than that? The humor of this anime is simple, made up of sitcomics, facial exaggerations and overreactions (Chika!), misunderstandings, puns, childish jokes (chin chin!)... All of it made me laugh.
Furthermore, there is also a romance that is developed, which can both make us laugh and simply make us appreciate what it has to offer. The interactions, dialogues, in addition of making one laugh, are very fluid, dynamic and well juxtaposed, which are not useless chatter as in other comedy animes.
All this makes up the remarkable staging of the characters, their interaction and their daily life (in a way). You can enjoy Kaguya-sama without necessarily laughing at each of its gags, because the anime also offers moments of slice of life, school life and it most often brings us closer to the characters.

Among those who did not like it, I bet some will justify the "why they did not like it" with arguments such as: "the jokes were repetitive", "oh no, it’s another cliché romcom", instead of saying that this is just not their type of humor. Of course, sometimes a repetition of a scheme or the same element can destroy the enjoyment. However, this is not systematic, and Kaguya-sama is proof of that: from the first to the last episode, there was not a single one in which I did not burst out laughing. Regarding the "cliché" matter, it would be selfish if you were to impose your point of view, because by "cliché" it actually depends on your anime experience and culture, and sometimes one could not be bothered by the cliché or even enjoy it! (Gotoubun, Monogatari Series…)

So, to put it simply, it's my anime of the season, and I'm glad I can say it. I loved this anime so much that I would say it's the best comedy anime I've ever seen in my life (yes, I’m an extreme case…), and I hope that it would encourage you to go to read the manga! (some chapters have not been adapted)

To conclude with a personal point, I loved the opening and endings of this anime (Chikatto Chika Chikattsu of course), the charadesign is magnificent (especially the girls' eyes) and the seiyuu are always at the top of their performance!

That's it, thank you for reading and feel free to give me a feedback.

"O kawaii koto~"

Imagine if Death Note was a romcom. Imagine that Light and L were not trying to outwit each other with the world itself at stake, but rather just that they actually liked each other romantically but were too shy and awkward to just it outright. Do you think that sounds ridiculous? Maybe, but that's more or less the idea behind Kaguya-sama. Well, except it's not yaoi of course.

If you ever need a benchmark for how to do a romcom really damn good, then look no further than this. There really aren't many series within the genre out there that can manage to not ... just be cute and hilarious, but actually quite intelligent as well, but Kaguya-sama does it all. The anime follows the daily lives of Shirogane Miyuki and Shinomiya Kaguya, the top two students at Shuchiin Academy, and also president and vice president respectively of its student council. They're both geniuses and they're also both hopelessly in love with each other, however they're also... two tsunderes incapable of ever taking the first step themselves. In fact, due to how proud they are, they think confessing to someone is a sign of weakness as it implies that the one being confessed to is more valuable and desirable than the person doing the confessing, and this fact combined with their shyness have them both 100% determined to never make the first move. Instead, they both try to do everything they can to mind game the other into confessing to them first, no matter how complex the scheme required to accomplish that may be. As a result, you have a perfect setup for complete and utter hilarity.

It's a brilliant concept in general and it's executed really well, mainly thanks to how loveable the characters are and how the chemistry between them works. The show is definitely not just about Shirogane and Kaguya: the other members of the student council are just as important to the anime's enjoyment. The cheerful and free-spirited secretary Chika is the consistent X-factor of the series who always ends up somehow interfering with the main duo's carefully thought-out plans and flip everything on its head, whereas the introverted and somewhat paranoid treasurer Ishigami is probably the most normal and relatable character in the show, although I wouldn't go as far as to call him the voice of reason either. In any case, the point is that they're all very different from each other and they work perfectly together as a group as they all operate in harmony to emphasize each other's gags. Kaguya-sama is a comedy first and foremost, operating in a “one sketch per chapter" basis in the manga, and in the anime they're essentially doing three of those scenes per episode. Now that is not to say that it does not have romance too, but it is a very slow burn on that front, and at the very least in the span of what the anime covers, it is not really the primary focus.

Kaguya-sama is a very well-directed comedy show that makes great use out of a brilliant original concept, and really anyone with a decent sense of humour should be obligated to check it out. Great narrative, surprisingly good production value by A-1 standards, and just a very charming series in general.

PS: Chika's dance as the ED of episode three is probably the greatest thing you'll ever see.

*No Spoiler Concise Review*
TL;DR: If a Tsundere and a Tsundere liked each other, would they ever find out?
[Story: 6/10 , Characters: 9/10, Art: 8/10, Sound: 7/10, Enjoyment: 8/10]

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen aka Love is War, is your simple romcom school anime about a boy and a girl, in love with one another, facing the crippling pressure of confession. Sounds very boring and repetitive, right? WRONG. This show took this super repetitive simple concept and just elevated it to the next level where they accentuate the idea of confession to the level of cold war. Sounds dark? More like sounds dank. Seriously, ... if viewers became tired of watching the boring romcom genres of yesteryears, then this show will fill new gaps you never realized you even had. Love is War is basically a cold war fought between two genius tsundere school council lovers who are trying to edge the other person to confess to them, just so they can look at them with their smug face while internally blushing to death for finally their partner acknowledging their existence. Sure, the romance is minimal and comedy is maximum, but the refreshing change of pace & studio A-1 pictures knowing how to give smug shots life, actually makes the show worthwhile to watch.

The anime barely has plot but what it has are memorable characters that gives the plot itself depth of various multitude. Essentially the anime is presented in mini shorts where the two main tsunderes, Shinomiya and Shirogame, try to make the other confess. At the end of each short, we are presented with scores of that week to see who is ahead. Through the battle of wits we are able to learn more about the characters past, present and future endeavours. Truthfully, if the anime wasn't formatted as such, then pace wise, it would have one of the slowest romantic stories ever. Where it lacks in story, it excels in dialogues. Albeit the massive repetitions of "ara ara" & "ma ma", the witty dialogues between the characters keeps the show feeling fast paced and enjoyable for viewers.

Beside the slow yet witty plot, the highlight of this show are the characters. The main three characters are Shirogame, the poor hardworking academic genius school president virgin to dating, Shinomiya, the lazy kind-hearted competitive egotistic maniac school vice-president also virgin to dating and lastly Fujiwara, the happy go lucky peaceful athletic emotional memer secretary with big oppais to maintain balance in the council. If we revisit the cold war analogy, Shirogame would be USA, Shinomiya would be USSR and Fujiwara would be Canada just maintaining peace & balance for everyone. Of the three, Fujiwara, steals the show with her outlandish caricature tantrums but as a whole the characters is what makes the show. Not to mention, the amazing seiyuus voicing these wonderful characters, Makoto Furukawa, Aoi Koga and Konomi Kohara respectively gives such life to these characters by accentuating their antics makes it really enjoyable for the viewers and will give them a better ab workout than P90X.

Aside from the plot and characters, the animation is done remarkably well but that shouldn't be a surprise since it's from Studio A-1 Pictures who are known for their breathtaking animations. The panels are bold & vibrant and the use of colour red to accentuate the juxtaposition of both love & despair really well highlighted through out the animation of all the episodes. The OP song was definitely a banger and super catchy. The ED song is not as good as the OP song but still decent. The overall OST is decent but it's well used & executed throughout the scenes. However, it isn't the best standalone OST to listen by itself.

Overall, as a guy who doesn't like romance or romcoms for that matter, I found the show enjoyable to watch. I love a great battle of wits and the refreshing change of pace it brought to this genre is great. You can enjoy the shorts aspect and the episodic feel of this show. It comes off as gag anime at times and other times as something serious with heartfelt emotional scenes. Then again, if you are as emotionless as I am, the smug faces will leave you feeling smug as you watch to see the age old question of yesteryears of "if two tsunderes liked each other, who will confess first?" Hopefully this show gets a second season and not just another boost in the manga sale. I wouldn't rewatch this anime but I would definitely recommend this to others. Anyways, give it a watch and tell me later how you found this anime!

P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!

Kaguya-sama: Love is War isn't just your typical anime—it's like diving into a pool of laughter and heart-fluttering moments. This show holds a special spot in my heart because it was my very first dive into the world of anime.

From the get-go, I was hooked on the mind games between Kaguya and Miyuki. Their attempts to outwit each other and confess their feelings had me rolling with laughter one moment and rooting for them the next. Seriously, the back-and-forth between these two is pure gold!

What I love most about Kaguya-sama is how it blends comedy with genuine emotion. Sure, you'll be in stitches over their ... antics, but underneath, there's this beautiful exploration of friendship and love. Seeing Kaguya and Miyuki struggle with their feelings while trying to keep a straight face is both hilarious and heartwarming.

And can we talk about the animation and music? Top-notch stuff! The visuals are stunning, and the soundtrack sets the perfect mood for each scene. Plus, the voice acting? Spot-on! Aoi Koga and Makoto Furukawa bring Kaguya and Miyuki to life in the best way possible.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War isn't just an anime; it's a feel-good ride that'll leave you grinning from ear to ear. Whether you're a new to the world anime or a seasoned fan, this show is an absolute must-watch.

Although it took me more than one episode to get into it, Kaguya-sama: Love is War provided me with entertainment that only got stronger as the show went on.

Kaguya and Shirogane have a crush on each other, but both are too proud to admit it. Thus many of their encounters turn into psychological games of getting the other to give in. Initially this made their relationship come off as a little creepy, given how they basically want to manipulate the other. This made me a bit wary at first, and the mind battles at first weren’t that interesting, nor did the presentation resonate with ... me that much. Luckily enough, they began to shift away from these kinds of creepy thoughts and the show eventually focussed more on the comedic aspects of its premise. The reason I personally feel like this is for the better is because the romance would have been developing too slow, although it does get a teeny bit of development over its 12-episode run. Eventually, the mind games began to spread from just these two to other people as well, rounding the show out a bit more.

On the characters themselves: while I don’t find Shirogane himself that interesting, but enjoyable nonetheless due to his pride and inferiority complex, Kaguya has a more layered personality; cunning, manipulative and proud, but also comically silly. Raised in a wealthy home with a maid (great sidekick role from Hayasaka), which made her sheltered from others, and she has a constant need to prove herself (and probably an inferiority complex), which all shows through her quirky behaviour. While she does make you laugh, she can also annoy you, creep you out, and even make you feel for her.

And then there is Chika.

Oh Chika, that cute, kind-hearted little bitch that manages to screw over whatever Kaguya or Shirogane are plotting, and we absolutely love her. She may not notice what they are doing or that they are crushing on one another, but she isn’t stupid. Constantly playing around and there to mess around with others, either unknowingly or brutally cunningly. But always in a likeable, cutesy, even funny, manner.

Plus, there’s Ishigami, the suicidal loner otaku who is sympathetic, hilariously gloomy and cynical. A loser in the show, but a winner for us.

Now of course, the characters and their stories work even better, because of how this show is animated. It makes as much use of unique visuals and techniques as it could to make the scenes more compelling and funny, including some well-directed shot composition, colour grading and effects. On top of that the character designs are really good. Both Kaguya and Shirogane give of this elegant and cunning demeanour, but when the situation calls for it they can look goofy or cute just by applying body language. Then there is also Chika’s adorable and bubbly look, with pink hair, sweet happy face, with which she can still pull off multiple different dynamic expressions while looking cutesy, and big (but not pervy-looking) chest. Also, Ishigami’s effectively gloomy appearance.

The OP featuring the song “Love Is War” is fantastic. Showing the crazier side of the shows aesthetic combined with an old-school jazzy soundtrack, like an old James Bond movie, makes it hella fun to experience. Then there is the ED, which does deserve some credit for its production value, and its sweet aftertouch.
Though the Chika dance ending was only used once, it was very sweet and entertaining, and was great to look at, with the rotoscoping and all. I thought she looked really cute and it is a wholesome clip.

Every episode consists of two segments, each of them revolving around some conflict between two parties, that often comes off silly, because of how serious it’s taken. Although they aren’t always equally funny, what makes it entertaining is how everyone plays off of each other. And the parts were this is done especially well are often the best ones.

Although it took a while for me to really get into it at first, as the show went on it quickly developed itself into something I really liked, instead of just being ok. It is a solid show with good entertainment value and good production, I very much enjoyed it.

The best novel in the world. Kaguya and Miyuki who are vice president and student body president. At first they think of each other as a romance of convenience, but half a year is enough to make things change. They like each other, but they don't want to be the first to declare themselves, so they come up with various strategies to make the other declare themselves first, which yields hilarious and cute scenes. Kaguya is very ambiguous. She can be extremely sweet and helpful when she wants to be, as well as being spoiled and mean at other times. I like that because nobody ... is perfect. Nobody can be good all the time. She was considered cold and distant in elementary school, but when she started to live in the guild, she improved her behavior a lot, becoming more friendly. She is enchanted by Miyuki as he is by her. The two have no experience in love so they show a certain immaturity in this regard, but it is obvious that they like each other very much. Although very rich, she has a distant and cold family. Miyuki, on the other hand, is extremely intelligent, but he doesn't just rely on chance, he strives daily to maintain his standard of excellence. He has a warmer family with less money too. He is very generous and helpful, as well as ambitious and cynical. He has a younger sister named Kei. He is admired and does everything to not disappoint his admirers. He always wants to be the best, so he doesn't accept losing to Kaguya in any field, not even in love. We also have interesting characters like Fujiwara, secretary of the guild. She is very fun, cute, sincere, sometimes mean and very crazy. Ishigami is the treasurer of the guild, an otaku boy with low self-esteem who is terrified of Kaguya. And Hayasaka, Kaguya's personal maid, very skilled and helpful, does everything to fulfill Kaguya's wishes. I love how Miyuki and Kaguya's relationship is built, they go from I don't care to I'm in love slowly. their feelings changing, the way they start to care more about each other, the jealousy invoked several times, the fear of losing love before having it, and the care that one starts to have for the other, but like all young they have insecurities, fear of rejection and pride makes the two not want to be the first to lend a hand. They are grace. I loved the anime and look forward to the next season.

This Anime is Battle of The Wits, like Death Note, Kakegurui, Jojo etc. but what kind of battle is it? is it for Money or Position? no they battle about love, who would confess first her or him? To whoever confess first might ruin their pride or they'll just be laughed at, they battle about this everyday using their wits, make strategies it's hilarious! This is what makes this Anime Great, not your typical Rom-com and it's humorous on it's own way

literally Love Is War lol

Story: 9/10 making this show one of my favorite rom-com

Art: 9/10 BEAUTIFUL as expected of A1 Pictures

Sound: 9/10 The Opening ... and The Chika ED made this show better

Overall: a solid 9/10 totally loved it

P.S. i posted this yesterday and it was at #1 Review so sad it got deleted. so this is a repost with little changes. This is My First Review in MAL


I've heard praises about the Manga but haven't gotten myself to read it yet, it was in my plan to read for quite some time now. i was surprised when i first heard that this Manga will have an Anime Adaption. I really want to read it because its highly praised by many so i'm hoping for an Anime Adaption (You see i don't really read Mangas unless it realllyyy interests me) i actually wished for this to have an Anime Adaption i guess the Anime God heard me lol. In the Manga reviews it shows that this isn't your typical Rom-Com story

Shuki Shuki Shoki Shoki
Chika Chika! Yo! Yo!

My goodness, the romance genre in Anime is surely notorious for its generic concepts. And woe to those who dare take a romance series as their preference, otherwise they will bombarded by critics. '

The reason why Romance is so seemingly generic in Anime is because its simple, and love in the real world is just as simple. But this Anime here is far from simple, it takes on a daringly unique and twisted concept of love.

This series here will surely cause disruption in the real world, leaving adults and kids in their puberty reevaluating their perception of romance. Contemplating the very existence of the ... concept behind love.

If you are prepared to be woke, as the kids of this generation would say, then venture bravely into this series. This will definitely open your eyes to the profoundness of love. Love is War after all, will you lose?

TL;DR: Watch this series if you wish to explore an exaggerated yet splendidly amusing series about romance, it comes with a unique concept and twist which I'm sure we can appreciate.

When a genre has been around for a long time and has been oversaturated, there could be no doubt that sometimes you get a show that decides to put a spin on things. To freshen up and give a new perspective on the genre while still acknowledging what makes the genre enjoyable and why we keep watching them. They will normally have their own gimmick that makes them stand out. In the case of this anime, it asks us the question. What would happen when a Tsundere and a Tsundere liked each other? Well we get this golden gem of an anime.

Sit back, relax and ... try to get hired as the narrator for someones love life as I present to you the anime review for Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. Lets begin.


Story: 9.5/10

A relationship is a beloved thing. It is something that can when seen, it is a beautiful thing. People will strive for this. When someone makes the first move and asks the other to go out with them, the couple will bloom into something beautiful and the couple will share their love right?

"USO DE ARU. Asking someone out is a sign of WEAKNESS for the other to take advantage of and DOMINATE him/her. To give them superiority and be the bigger factor of the relationship."

That is the mindset of our two main protagonists Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya. The president and vice-president respectively of the renowned Shuchiin Academy's student council. These two act as the top students of the academy and are deeply and madly in love with each other. However, neither will make the first move because because asking the other out is a sign of weakness that will cause them to lose their stature and strive to be a top student. So for the sake of their pride (and egos), they play a battle of wits and try to strategically get the other to confess their feelings and ask out the winner in order to maintain their status as top student and win the war.

So what we have here are two people taking this situation way too seriously and trying to be the alpha of this relationship. And while it is ridiculous. It also isn't because it can be awkward and nervous to ask someone out and if you are asking someone out, how will they perceive or even take advantage of the situation. So this show uses this fear and overexaggerates it to a well thought out degree. What we have here are two people thinking that they are at war with each other and are such a genius that they can win, when in fact they are actually idiots that are completely deluded. While the show presents them as geniuses, characters like Chika prove that they are taking this way too seriously and it is absolutely brilliant.

The show also likes to take scenarios and make them a game of wits to win the "battle". Normally, each "battle" consists of mundane things likes movie tickets, giving love advice and sharing an umbrella. But these things can ignite an relationship so they try to outsmart each other to make them lose this battle. Sometimes Kaguya wins, sometimes Miyuki wins, sometimes they both win and sometimes they both lose. However, they may win the fight, but the war will continue on, hence the name "Love is War." The exaggeration makes this show really funny as each situation is treated seriously as if they cannot lose this battle to gain the upper hand. Either going back and forth or something unforeseen throws everything off. This is backed up by a narrator that helps make the situation more dramatic than it seems as he cares to explain the situation as to why this scenario has to be taken seriously. He definitely adds to a scene and helps delve into the mind of what these characters are thinking in order to win the "battle." But the main thing about the narrator is that he is absolutely hilarious at doing what he does best, exaggerating the scene to make it stupid but brilliant at the same time.


Characters: 10/10

So our main protagonists, Miyuki and Kaguya are our focus of this show. They are considered top students and are always portrayed as the perfect couple. While that is true, they don't want to admit their feelings because it would mean they would give up their status and would be seen as inferior to the other. So they want to remain as top student but for different reasons. Miyuki has worked and studied hard to get to the position he is now. He will do what it takes to be the best at everything he can do and be a top student. He could never confess to a girl, it would mean everything he worked for and all of his accomplishments would be destroyed. Whereas Kaguya comes from a rich family and was given everything to her to make her rise to the top easier and be superior through skill, knowledge and money; giving her a superiority complex. So both don't want to confess for different reasons. Quite honestly, them confessing early on would make this show boring anyway. But the fact is that different reasons as the why they won't confess helps make them more dynamic and expands their personality and motives to give them depth. Since the cast is small, fleshing out their personality is a priority and this show does this very well and makes them enjoyable.

But the problem would be that if these two were to play a battle of wits, then the "war" would be over quickly or be stuck in a stalemate and we would be stuck with the same episode over and over again. So there must be a wild card to keep things engaging. In this case, the wild card takes the form of Chika Fujiwara who, lets be honest, steals the show. Chika is a rather sweet hearted, free spirited and level headed secretary of the student council. She acts as an unpredictable element in this "war" as you don't know if she would shake up the situation. She also acts as a reminder that Miyuki and Kaguya are overthinking the situation and brings us back to reality. She is the kind of character we need to break the tension and give us a different perspective on things. But she really is a character that comes into her own and pretty much becomes the best character of the show. Is she best girl of the season? Nah. Raphtalia is still best girl this season and nothing compares to her.

"USO DE ARU. This man doesn't want to admit that Chika is best girl this season in order to be in more anime conversations with people"

Finally, there is Yuu Ishigami. He was introduced halfway through the show to shake things up and give another perspective. He is the student council's accountant and a rather depressing lad as he is a shut in who would rather stay in the shadows than in the spotlight. Mainly because he is terrified of Kaguya and he thinks she would kill him for knowing what Kaguya has planned to get Miyuki to confess. Now while that might be daft, it is hilarious because given Kaguya's personality, she might actually do it. While he doesn't steal the show like Chika does, he does give another perspective on things and acts as good comic relief. Well that is what I thought for his first two episodes. Now I am torn between him and Chika for the better character of this show. For you see Ishigami is a man of wisdom and always knows what to say and what is the correct action to take.


Animation: 8.5/10

The animation was done by A-1 pictures, which is weird because this feels like something studio SHAFT would make. The cinematography and intense camera angles really feels like a SHAFT anime. Regardless of that, the production value for this show is really high. This kind of show wouldn't have this much animation put into this but the animation is really good. There are moving panels that cheap its way through and they are numerous, trust me. The rest of the animation is just superb. The camera shots, the intense motions, the character expressions and many other subtle additions to the animation to add to the situation and make it dramatic to make it more ridiculous. They add to the drama and make it more intense. There is also the ending sequence on episode 3 but we will get to that.


Sound: 9/10

"OH LOVE ME MISTER, OH MIS" wait, wait, wait, we ain't there just yet.

So the animation adds to a scene, so what about the soundtrack. Well I'm pleased to tell you that it does add to a scene with a wide variety of soundtracks to really dramatise a scene. Yet it doesn't always have a soundtrack, only when it knows it needs to add a little bit of music to complete a scene. Sound effects as well are used at the right time, even if they sound like stock sound effects you would hear from other shows. There is also a rap scene that was done by Chika that would make Enimmem shiver. Now we just need to have her do a rap battle against Sakura from Zombieland Saga to have the ultimate anime rap battle.

So the first line from the sound category should tell I love this opening. The opening titled "Love Dramatic" by Masayuki Suzuki has so much style to it. Purposely styled and sang like it was an opening you would see and hear in the 80s. It has character, it greatly portrays both the fact they are in love with each other and the fact they are at war with each other. And the song, my god the song is absolutely brilliant with great jazz instruments and vocals that match perfectly with the visuals. IMO, it is the 2nd best opening of the season behind The Promised Neverland's opening. It is, using a word that is used common this season, a banger.

The ending sequence as well is nice. Reflecting Kaguya finding "freedom" and feeling more free spirited thanks to Miyuki and Chika (Probably not so much from Yuu). It is a nice ending sequence that probably would be talked about, if it wasn't the ending sequence played at the end of episode 3. You know the one. The song and dance performance by Chika that has captured the internet by storm due to the animation. Using a technique where the animators animate over a real life person, it is something that doesn't get done often but when it does, it looks really good as getting this quality of animation is very rare. This is an ending sequence that would be remembered for years.


Conclusion:

When you have to dramatise a scene, you have to make sure that everything works well with each other, the pacing, the characters, the animation and the sounds have to make sure they work in unison. Kaguya-Sama: Love is War manages to do this very well. It is a well paced, well animated, funny as hell anime that takes a played out romantic comedy genre and manages to feel fresh and invigorating. The characters are what give the show its legs as its small cast is well fleshed out and likeable to help make each episode enjoyable with a narrator that sounds like he is taking this way too seriously. But most important of all. It doesn't burn itself out like other romantic comedies as the comedy is the focus and it does it very well. I do recommend this anime who is looking for a good laugh that is spearheaded by a strong cast and answers the question of what happens when a Tsundere and a Tsundere like each other.


My personal enjoyment: 10/10


Overall score: 9.4/10 Recommendation: Go f***ing watch it.

Even if the story starts slow, sometimes forced or bland, the story in the second half of the first season (and for the rest of the other two seasons and the new movie that came out) gets better and better. When some shows become worst as each season is released, the opposite happens with Kaguya-sama: Love is War, the characters, the balance between comedy and romance is just perfect, being able to create deep and serious moments without them feeling out of place.

This is one of my favorite stories that I´ve seen and it's just fun and wholesome. The character development that most of ... the characters go through is seen and you can see how much they've grown by the end of the movie. I give the first season an 8 because of its rocky start, but trust me, even if you see bad reviews not recommending this show, give it a try, with the thought that it may feel slow in the first episodes, trust me when I say this, it gets better and better and you will end up loving the show and all of its characters.

I’ve been holding out on watching Kaguya-sama: Love is war for like a month after it finished airing because I thought it would be another one of those RomComs like Toradora and I don’t want another heartache

Looking back, I should’ve just watched Kaguya-sama while it was airing!

At the renowned Shuchiin Academy, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya are the student body's top representatives.
Ranked the top student in the nation and respected by peers and mentors alike, Miyuki serves as the student council president.
Alongside him, the vice president Kaguya—eldest daughter of the wealthy Shinomiya family—excels in every field imaginable. They are the envy of the ... entire student body, regarded as the perfect couple.

However, despite both having already developed feelings for the other, neither are willing to admit them. The first to confess loses, will be looked down upon, and will be considered the lesser. With their honor and pride at stake, Miyuki and Kaguya are both equally determined to be the one to emerge victorious on the battlefield of love!

Kaguya-sama: Love is war depicts a story of two influential and powerful individuals with so much pride to the point where liking each other meant getting the other party to fall for them.

The whole ‘Love is war’ concept is very relatable yet original and these contrasting relationship makes the anime far more interesting!

Kaguya Shinomiya, the Vice President of the Student Council. A powerful figure both in school and in the world due to her prestigious background and coming from a family of extreme wealth. And I mean ‘extreme’, her family’s assets equate to 200 trillion yen that’s like almost 2 trillion USD...

Shiragake Miyuki, the President of the Student Council on the other hand comes from an unknown background and isn’t as privileged as Kaguya however, despite that he excels in his academics and is just as proud as Kaguya having built an equally prestigious background of excelling in almost everything he does.

Kaguya and Miyuki share many similarities yet have many differences. Kaguya is a tsundere with a seemingly sadistic nature displayed in her occasional expressions. For some reason I can relate a certain character to Kaguya. Jabami Yumeko from Kakegurui.

Kaguya is extremely competitive and prideful, she was born with a silver spoon (understatement) and looks down on almost everyone (including her friends). However, despite looking down on others she has a caring side to her. Kaguya has a nobility to her, coming from a rich family and all. This makes her extremely determined in keeping her promises and she expects highly of herself and her affiliations. She also has her occasional ‘pride-deprived’ (flustered) moments where her cute side is revealed and heck, Kaguya is as kawaii as kawaii can get! To be honest, whenever Kaguya or Miyuki blushes I just get this sense of fulfilment which at the same time is extremely hilarious seeing people with such a large amount of pride getting embarrassed!!!

Miyuki on the other hand is also a tsundere but with a less sadistic expression and more of a constantly serious look. This fits his ‘cognitive’ characteristic, constantly working his brain and being able to think on his feet. His menacing look really suits his position as the Student Council president which commands a lot of discipline and authority. However, Miyuki is actually a pretty chill individual and I’m actually glad he isn’t one of those dense individuals which I’ve been seeing a lot lately in romance anime.

Whenever Miyuki makes Kaguya blush it gets extremely hilarious because Kaguya is extremely cute and it usually involves a lot of scheming before she blushes, likewise when Miyuki falls for Kaguya’s traps his quick thinking and his reactions are extremely hilarious as well as when Kaguya’s sadistic expression and victorious face emerges, love it.
Miyuki’s wild imagination causes him to misunderstand many situations and it’s seriously hilarious!

Both Miyuki and Kaguya are masters in many traits with the only exception being romance.

They both have the idea that being rejected or confessing to someone means being the underdog for life. How cute.

Neither of them have any experience in dating and have too much pride to admit that they fell for each other, the funny thing is that both of them know they like each other and are just battling in a tacit war for each other’s love.


Then we have the amazing supporting characters and they are amazing because of the importance of their roles, in all honesty the anime will never be as fulfilling without them.

Chika Fujiwara, she’s essential in this anime and plays a major role as the tension breaker and cheery addition for the two main characters. Her unpredictable nature and occasional unprecedented opinions add spice to the comedy which really brings the anime to further heights. She’s ditzy and very cute it’s always hilarious to see Kaguya getting jealous and cursing the innocent and oblivious Fujiwara. Fujiwara is a very outgoing individual and is close to both Kaguya and Miyuki, because of that she is very open to both of them and often casually talks to Miyuki and makes ‘advances’ to him getting the overly perceptive or the overthinking Kaguya jealous. That is where Kaguya’s sadistic nature would appear making the scene way more hilarious.
Kaguya’s sadistic side/deadly side is so perfect, it’s a complete opposite from her flustered or arrogant or cute nature!

Then we have Shinomiya’s personal valet hired by Shinomiya’s family, Hayasaka. Apparently Hayasaka is also a student of the school. She is a beautiful young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes and most usually has her hair tied up at the left side of her head. Hayasaka plays a big role in being Shinomiya’s ‘push’ being the one that instigates new methods for Shinomiya to ‘seduce’ Shirogane!

And last but not least we have one of my favourite character, Yu Ishigami. Ishigami is hilarious, he’s like your typical dense protagonist but exaggerated to the point of being completely original and funny! Ishigami’s denseness is next level and the way he communicates is freaking hilarious! He is barely noticed by his colleagues and peers and he is very imaginative. He is the treasurer of the Student Council and actually has a very vivid background which explains why he is so gloomy and depressed all the time.
Despite his negative attitude, Ishigami is a kind and well-meaning student who suffers an inferiority complex and he is ultimately willing to help others in need, even if it means sacrificing his own pride, and even advised Kaguya Shinomiya to not associate herself with him simply because it may lower her reputation. I really love him a lot and would befriend him in a heartbeat if I knew his harsh background and sob outlook on life with his legitimate reasons to justify it...
But seriously, Ishigami’s honesty due to being too dense is HILARIOUS! I don’t know why but I had a thought that Saitama is what you get when you join Ishigami and Shirogane together

There are other sideline supporting characters in the anime like Miyuki’s kawaii imouto, Kei. Kei is an extremely pretty girl with beautiful white hair, blue eyes and a very pale complexion.
The interesting thing about Kei is that she seems to share many of the same characteristics as her older brother, being a hard worker and also being kind and self-sacrificial. Her similarities with her brother extend so much to the point that she seems to have developed a nervous attitude towards Kaguya because she admires her greatly.
Despite being so much like her older brother, Kei and Miyuki don’t get along as Kei is going through a rebellious stage in her life. As a result, she is mean and abrasive towards her family, particularly Miyuki as he constantly nags and treats Kei like a child. Though she refuses to admit it, Kei cares about her brother and is deeply interested in his love life, though her pride has prevented her from asking him about it directly. Instead, she is often seen awkwardly stretching around Miyuki when he is trying to figure out how to confess to Kaguya.
Kei Shinomiya is also surprisingly about the same age as the others being only 3 years younger (maybe I’m too used to loli imoutos), the idea of her being in an affiliated school was also a pretty interesting touch. Kei attends Shuuchin Middle School which is very near to the affiliated Shuuchin High School which Miyuki attends. Kei is also part of Shuuchin Middle School’s Student Council which is pretty cool! This goes to show how accomplished they both are.
It’s super cute because Kei is actually very mature and communicates well with even the people older than her, yet because she is still actually very young, she has a childish side that unconsciously gets revealed and gets her all flustered. KAWAII

She’s like a super nice girl when in front of others but once she’s home with her Brother and family, her entire personality just changes... I can relate to that so much and it makes the anime way more relatable and realistic for me, Kei is just so cute
(because I’ve never actually seen a girl’s rebellious phase, I mean my girlfriend or friends would never reveal it because it’s embarrassing. My little Sister is also just like 7 years old, she has yet to enter the rebellious phase yet. I really wonder if a girl’s rebellious phase is that similar to mine, a guy’s in real life.)

The anime is full of misunderstandings between the main characters due to them not knowing and understanding each other’s thoughts and emotions, also because of their pride they tend to perceive each other’s perspectives and thoughts using their own.

They tend to overthink, for example they would assume that the other party hates them but in reality the other party is being petty toward someone else. This wouldn’t happen if they would just loosen their pride, talk to each other and hear each other out. But no, their pride is absolute.

In order for something as simple as asking each other out, an elaborate scheme is required to maximise the seduction on the ‘enemy’.

The thought of two people that share many similarities yet are always at loggerheads, always having different opinions yet similar thoughts is just perfect.

I also love the hilarious timing in this anime that leads to loads of hilarious misunderstandings between every character including supporting characters!

A1 pictures did a splendid job in their animation, I didn’t expect it to be this good to be honest. The amount of detail in certain scenes really brings out a lot of emotion to the anime characters and it was really nice.
Kaguya also has a very nice character design, like I said previously that I can relate her to Jabami Yumeko, it’s not only her red eyes to be honest I can relate the entire anime to Kakegurui.
Kakegurui is what you get when you take Kaguya-sama, take out the romance, and add gambling and raunchy fanservice. Both shows feature the children of the elite attending a boarding school and attempting to outwit each other using mind games and manipulation.
If you like that element of Kaguya-sama but wish it included scenes like a girl pleasuring herself with a side arm while laughing maniacally, check out Kakegurui.

Kaguya has a very nice figure despite her flat chest but flat is justice! She typically wears the school uniform and has her signature red hair band. She has beautiful round red eyes and a nice hair style that corresponds to it. She is a very elegant woman, posh, mature yet with a tinge of childishness the perfect waifu.

Miyuki has a very stern figure and a commanding look however, he is actually quite understanding despite having a lot of pride and looking down on others. He is blonde and has almond upturned blue eyes. He wears his school uniform with his signature gold aiguillette at the collar of his uniform. The aiguillette symbolizes his authority as student council president. That small accessory is actually pretty neat it sort of portrays a small difference yet a big one too. That small difference in uniform commands a humongous difference in authority, a pretty cool interpretation if you think about it.

Chika is just cute, her personality and fashion sense (just a cute little ribbon on her head)! O Kawaii Koto. It really suits her whole ditzy personality and I love it, I wouldn’t mind becoming close friends with her and for some reason she draws that fine line of ‘probably not going in a relationship / not interested in romance’ like many other characters for example the most recent Yotsuba from ‘The Quintessential Quintuplets’. She’s literally there to be cute and add spice and comedy as well as loosen tensions in the atmosphere to maintain the bubbly nature seen in every episode.

Hayasaka is well, unique. Her only role is probably to serve and to serve only Kaguya.


The voice actors did a fabulous job and I honestly didn’t recognise any of them but I loved their voice acting. I thought Kaguya’s voice drew many similarities to Rin Tohsaka but they aren’t the same voice actors. Kaguya’s voice is very satisfying and her occasional sadistic/sarcastic tone just makes her so perfect! I don’t know why but I love female voice actors that speaks in that particular style, similar to Itsuki Nakano from “Quintessential Quintuplets” or Rin Tohsaka from “Fate/Stay Night UBW” it’s Super cute and especially cute when the character is flustered!
Actually sometimes Kaguya’s voice sounds like a child when she’s flustered (sometimes even when she isn’t flustered) How do I put it... Kaguya’s like a mature child if you get what I mean.
She sometimes sounds like a kid when she is shouting or when flustered... which is, once again I reiterate, extremely adorable! Whenever Kaguya tries to act cute in front of the Miyuki (and it’s reaaaaally cute) it just makes her so much MORE adorable!
Kaguya’s cute baby personality in the ‘visit arc’ was a blessing to watch.. oh god, definitely gonna miss her when I finish the anime, same for all the other characters

To be honest, all of the girls have a childish cute side to them when they are flustered (except Chika, she sounds like a child even when she isn’t flustered) and it’s super duper cute to watch them!

All the Seiyuus did a spectacular job bringing out the most of their characters, they fulfilled their roles so perfectly to the point of letting me feel as if the characters are real!
They made the characters more relatable for me and allowed ‘first-hand’ experience of the cuteness and loveliness of the different characters! I’ve grown to love the different characters partially because of the way they speak and their individually unique methods of communication like their sarcastic remarks or casual chatting etc.
I doubt the characters can and will be able to leave the same impression if it was any other seiyuu and that the seiyuus were perfect for their roles.

Next, Miyuki. He has a reasonably deep voice that somehow felt very fitting for his personality and stature. His awkward/sarcastic laughter and tone is on point! It never fails to make me laugh, same for Shinomiya’s cute speeches which never fails to make me smile and her sarcastic tone which is so on point! He’s literally like Saitama and even the way he speaks and his hilarious reactions are similar, like I said, Saitama is what you get when you combine Ishigami and Miyuki HAHA!

Chika’s voice is just plain cute and innocent! (Not that she’s 100% pure and innocent though, Kaguya might be way more innocent than her) The EDs were great especially the one where Fujiwara was dancing OMYGOSH!!! That Fujiwara ED blessed my ears and my eyes and everything was just so perfect during that 2 minutes. The catchy lyrics and cute beat, voice and rhythm was perfect! I love voice actor OP and EDs and a lot of anime lately have been adapting this method for more QUALITY FAN SERVICE!

Lastly, the voice actor of Ishigami, playing the ‘suicidal’ depressed kid that tone and speech is on point! I can relate him so much to my friend that literally has the same type of attitude, character and even speech pattern and accent. It’s literally like seeing my Friend in an anime!

All the Seiyuus this time were so good I wouldn’t mind just listening to them conversing in an ASMR or picture drama!!!

Oh and I can’t forget the narrator and his deep and clear voice with his well-timed narrations, I loved it so much and it wasn’t too much or too little. The narrations were just right and I enjoyed it a lot!

The regular OP and ED were also very good, the OP had a very nice jazzy pop tune and singing while the ED was a nice mellow warm song which felt very fitting and nice throughout the entire anime
Edit: Wow apparently the OP was sung by the Japanese ‘King of Love Songs’ and I took a look at his other songs, they were very nice!
Love Dramatic, the OP of Kaguya-Sama: Love is War was sung by Masayuki Suzuki

I also love the whole episodic thing with this anime as we get to see how our genius MCs come out with new tactics and watch each of them thinking on their feet to counter each other in the tacit war that is “LOVE”

Some episodes also have the cringe sides to them which literally played out in a way that was so cringeworthy to the point it became extremely hilarious! This anime has brought me joy and laughter and really isn’t your typical run of the mill RomCom.

P.S Fml, Saitama and Miyuki have the same seiyuu... no wonder they sound the same and have the similar reaction patterns etc... even so, I somehow feel Ishigami is similar to Saitama or at least certain characters in OPM.

And if you’re asking who’s best boy/girl which I usually say in my reviews, well...

SHIRIMASEN, I love all of them ALOT.
The girls are cute af, the guys too
The guys are funny af, the girls too
Their sarcastic and sadistic and cute and —— tones/personalities/characteristics/sides are perfect too!!!!!

This anime is my most favourite RomCom by far, no denying it!




The anime is episodic like I said so it hasn’t ended and is still far from over since the two of them haven’t even became an ‘unofficial couple’ despite their many couple moments so I’m hoping for SEASON 2!!!


HYPEd!



TL;DR
50% of this review is about how cute the characters are and how all of them are unique and perfect
I-It’s not like I want you to watch it or anything...

(Did you just cringe at my review?)

o kawaii koto







This review was written on 05-17-19 and may be outdated. I may have changed my rating due to various reasons.