Anime 52198 Kaguya-sama Wa Kokurasetai First Kiss Wa Owaranai Reviews Filter Check 2

Until now the anime's production earned a reputation of making miracles come true. It was impressive how much of a well-done adaptation Season 3 was considering the various production hurdles. This 'movie' would look like an even harsher challenge, since the announcement frankly came out of nowhere and it was delivered so quickly after season 3. For the most part, this release looks like another miracle. However, this time there are parts of the adaption that have been lackluster and some that are pretty bad.

I won't go into specifics in order to avoid spoilers. But basically, the movie is mainly adapting an arc of the ... manga that's usually competing for the title of the best arc in the manga. And for the most part, the adaption of that material is quite good. In a previous review I used words like 'perfect' or great. But upon a second rewatch and trying to be more analytical about it. It's not really perfect.

There are things to consider. Although it was advertised as a movie. The animation quality is more like a continuation of what you'd seen in the later episodes of season 3. Not bad at all but not exactly what you'd expect in a silver screen release. This is more of a case of the advertising being confusing. As there are parts of the marketing material that really avoid saying the word 'movie'. The more accurate promotions describe it as a "special advance screening before the TV release".

Another aspect is the pace. These are some of the most content-dense chapters and 96 minutes is a rather tight limit. You could say that as such the number of scenes skipped or shortened is understandable. I don't agree with it. I don't think it needed to be released as a movie, and I certainly don't think it needed to be released as a 96-minute movie that also spends too much time teasing another arc between secondary characteres that was not actually going to be properly developed in the movie. There were many ways to adapt this arc differently and avoid these pacing issues.

But the source content is still incredible and there are still many situations where A1 went above and beyond in the adaption. The two main characters are facing their worst inner demons and have to help each other out in order to continue their romantic story. The previous paragraphs were mostly nitpicks, although really the intention is to fight the common claim that this part is 'perfect' and deserves the highest score.

As for the most troublesome part of this movie, after the main arc is finished, the animation production made the bizare decision of adapting a much-later chapter. The transition from the end of the movie's arc to the later chapter is really jarring. And in order to have some context it has to show scenes from skipped chapters as flashbacks or as short moments. All of this is done in less than 5 minutes. This was simply not the correct way to adapt this chapter. Specially because it is a really pivotal chapter in the manga. From what I could see out of anime-onlies, they either missed that there was a strong message there and would instead focus on the better part of the movie or got completely confused by this scene.

So, "mixed feelings". I think most Kaguya-sama fans will enjoy the way the main arc was adapted and will get their fee fees kicked into overdrive and I can recommend that part. As for the end, my recommendation is to not pay a lot of attention to it if you are anime-only and if you are a manga reader, you might like to leave the theater. We can hope that maybe this is a result of time availability issues and that this thing will be corrected as part of re-cutting this release for TV.

A different cut, either making use of a lot more screen time and giving all the arcs adapted justice or sticking to 96 minutes but avoiding wasting time in parts that don't belong to the main arc would have been truly worthy of 9/10. Add Movie-quality animation to that and we would have a good 11/10.

It felt incredibly average. There were some painfully average clichés and stereotypical romcom elements, but it really didn't feel like the same quality it should have been. Of course this dives further into the romance element than the comedy, but there was depth lacking in both. The only reason I rate this higher than a painfully average 5 is because of the deep internal struggles portrayed in the film. The way Kaguya could emulate a courtroom and incorporate all of her personalities and gather the whole idea as a reflection on who she truly is as a person and why she's choosing a different side ... to single out and portray was something that I really felt connected to and could understand thoroughly. Miyuki's struggle with how he is portrayed as a successful and intelligent person masking his insane and unhealthy amounts of effort and relentless devotion reminded me of some people I know and was something I could even relate to myself. The internal intense dogma mentalities that they set upon themselves as a way to reach their goals was something so deep and meaningful piece of art but shamefully painted onto a painfully average canvas with dull colors.

Edit / Updated thoughts:
I just rewatched it in 4 episode chunks and I can safely say that 3/4 of this special is top quality and excellent, but the breaking point for me is the 4th part. From what I understand, it adapts a chapter that is further down the line and while it does tie up the story point set up in parts 1, it also sprinkled in scenes from other parts, which no only screws up the pacing of the whole thing big time, but also spoils what's to come for season 4. This Christmas period should have been one entire season instead of ... 4 separate episodes/1 movie.

Old thoughts:
Is it good? Yes. Do I recommend it to fans? Yes. Do I like it? NO.

This should not have been a movie. The pacing is the main issue here, and the most glaring one. It feels like episodes slapped together to make "a movie". It takes place after the events of season 3 and primarily focuses on Kaguya and Shirogane. This is a problem.

We've spent so much time with the other characters that, while yes we do see glimpses of what they're doing, because of the nature of how this is structured, their parts are cut out entirely. So not only does it feel like it's going on for far too long, it also spoils what happens in the upcoming season.

Despite this, I'm still recommending it as the jokes are all still top quality.

Progressively, the series has struggled with maintaining certain elements of its original novelty act, and the need for change or evolution is unavoidable, but the story is also obligated to excite in other ways either to compensate or justify itself. The humor has undergone a radical redirection in approach over time, which frankly falls extremely flat in this film during major confrontational moments. In particular, Kaguya's internal monologues are simply idiotic, and the necessary discourse should have been framed alternatively, perhaps even separated from silly comedic caricatures. The genuine substance behind all the shenanigans, however, harbors long-awaited satisfaction, especially in witnessing the reversal in dynamics ... between the leads and their suppressed emotions. Character development in this series stagnated for a long period until this point, so it's vital that the depth of the personalities in question is addressed rationally. One could argue, this segment of the narrative fabricates the severity of internal trauma that wasn't previously foreshadowed, although there would be no better opportunity to do such other than right before their relationship is officialized. In its conclusion, the final messages are rewarding even if the road to these realizations was rough, managing to finally settle the primary conflicts sparked at the beginning of an elaborate romantic puzzle.

This arc is essentially an extended addition to season three, not a moviegoer experience, and the absence of a cinematic feel tells us the feature release was purely promotional. It's difficult to appreciate the film as a tasteful product for fans given there is no upscale in quality or structure, rather the directing shows a noticeable downgrade alongside intertitle overkill. Omata's steady hand decreases the visual quirks and risks that experimented with the execution of comedic content, mainly opting for more exaggerated body language, albeit there are a few animation styles, just not anything visually new. The gags are fine when the outcome isn't telegraphed, and the rapid-fire dialogue disguises some of my gripes. It's quite obvious that material and details have been trimmed for the adaptation, sidelining multiple members of the cast. Nonetheless, the bulk of romantic endeavors is generally as promised, subtly concatenating the bittersweet reality of time dwindling. Production values are no different than in previous seasons, and Suzuki's songwriting is a little redundant, but the opening and ending are both passable, specifically the latter is more fitting. First Kiss wa Owaranai is condensed and overdramatic, yet the charm of youth still has reasonable watch value.

The show has been struggling to maintain its originality due to inevitable changes. However, it needs to find fresh ways to excite its audience to compensate for what's been lost. The humor has evolved over time, and regrettably, it falls flat during critical moments in the movie. Kaguya's inner thoughts seem out of place and should have been framed differently to match the serious tone of the scene. Nevertheless, the characters' development finally progresses, providing satisfaction to viewers. Their suppressed emotions and dynamic reversal are fascinating to observe, and it's crucial to address their depth since character development has been stagnant until now. Some may ... argue that the narrative fabricates the severity of the internal trauma, but it presents an excellent opportunity to explore these issues before their relationship is officialized. In the end, the final message is rewarding despite the bumpy journey. The primary conflicts that sparked at the beginning of the movie have finally come to a resolution.

The film is an extension of season three and lacks a cinematic feel, giving the impression that it was made to promote the show. The directing isn't up to par with previous seasons, and there are too many intertitles. The animation style is pretty much the same throughout the movie. The humor is enjoyable when it's not too predictable, and the fast-paced dialogue helps to distract from some of the movie's issues. Some characters don't get as much screen time as they did in previous seasons. The romance in the movie is predictable but manages to capture the fleeting nature of time. The production quality is similar to previous seasons, and while the music is okay, the opening and ending are better than the rest of the soundtrack. The movie is a bit overdramatic, but it remains an enjoyable watch.

Although I gave it a 10/10, I have to say that the ending was not interesting at all.
What does it mean? (ok)?, is it over now? WTF. why did he say such a thing? I mean, this is not interesting for the end .
I think the strong point of this movie was right before the end. A romantic and relaxing scene, which unfortunately was completely destroyed due to the untimely addition of comedy (with a call).
I only gave this anime a full score because I like it. Otherwise, I think a 7/10 would have been more appropriate.
In the end, I must ... say that even though the main character was disastrously unable to express himself, Shinomiya was really wonderful instead. I was very impressed, I suggest you watch it because of Shinomiya.

They copied a big portion of the manga and put it in this "movie", but that is to be expected.

The last episode was the only good one, since it didn't have all those annoying parts where Kaguya (or someone else) has those 1 hour dialogues inside their head like the "Kaguya personalities" court.
Their romance and both their personalities were very nicely explained in the episode and the metaphors contained both in this episode and along the whole movie (for example, the lost-and-found heart that Miko was commenting about, the heart being Ishigami's heart) were actually well written.

It is a shame that the ... beauty of the last episode had to be ruined with forced virtue signalling, adding the "LOVE" sign with the lgbt colors. It was just completely unnecessary and doesn't even fit the slightest bit with the show. All of the characters are straight and there are ZERO hints that indicate the opposite.

Removing that part, the movie would have been a solid 7/10, just because of the last episode and because of how it deviated, in a good way, from the manga.

Definitely a good movie with super high quality, but due to some reason(baka author gone mental and anyhow plan story)the movie was cut short. More disappointed than angry after watching. So many story have yet to be told and it just end like this. If u never read manga before, this movie is of course good, but to a person who read the manga before., I am super upset and angry to the author(A-1 have done their best to save this shit)

Story Quality-10/10
Quantity-2/10

Music 8/10

Characters ... 10/10(limited to movie only)

Although the story is cut short, it is still worth watching. Just don be too serious when watching, treat it as entertainment so u wont get angry after watching this.


Most important point-Akasaka Aka is an idiot and autistic

*Spoiler free review*

This is not a movie. It's a collection of 4 episodes from a "Season 3.5" put back to back, and released together as a movie. And this narrative arc is far from good enough to support that betrayal of expectations.

I am sure I was mislead by the promotional material showcasing this story as a standalone movie, because an anime movie to me is a mothership for a series. It's there to showcase what the series has best to offer to its audience, be it in animation, character design, story, music, pacing, character alchemy or whatever have you. And this ticks none of those ... boxes for me.

If you have watched a narrative arc unfold in a show, you know what to expect. This movie follows the classical narrative structure in three acts, but where it fails to me is in its third: I don't feel like I witnessed much progression for any situation that was left pending in Season 3. Only one character has been developed (which they badly needed, so props for that) but that is it. My biggest issue with this arc lies in the fact that the movie created a problem that didn't exist in the first three seasons, only to resolve it and come back to where we left the whole cast at the end of season 3. THAT is the biggest sin this movie has committed: the story didn't progress.

There is one obvious narrative choice that betrays the non-movie nature of this movie: the inter titles.
Just like in the show, every ~10 minutes you get an inter title, with a one-panel comic punchline on it and a brightly coloured background, with the title of the movie layered on top. And said inter title doesn't even interrupt the flow of the storytelling.
Why is that bad? A fully-fledged story has two, maybe three moments where it can take a break, not 9. This story has been built in 10-minute segments, just like the show was, which is why this can't be qualified as a movie.

But why a 5/10 then, why not lower? Because it's not a catastrophe. Everything that works in the show works here as well, for the reasons outlined earlier: it's half a season condensed in 90 minutes. And the cast works brilliantly together, in the same way it shone earlier.
I will advise against watching it in theaters, because it's not a theater worthy experience. But otherwise, it's fine. Hence the 5/10. It's just average.

*Mar. 7th: Minor edits for reader's comprehension*