Kaguya-sama: Love is War is an anime and manga series I thoroughly enjoy. I watched the first season at random since it was on Netflix, and watched the second season when it was over so I could binge it, leading to me liking it so much that I read the manga. The manga quickly became one of my favorites, me even giving it a 10/10 score, so I also read all of the spinoffs like We Want to Talk About Kaguya, Doujin-ban, and Shuuchiin Gakuen Nanafushigi. So, when I heard A-1 Pictures was to adapt more of this series into an OVA, I assumed it would be one of these series, but instead, they decided to adapt the two Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai Darkness chapters. That, and chapter 96 of the manga which is just a fried rice contest.

Now, what is Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai Darkness? Well, they are chapters 63.5 and 83.5 of the manga which are just straight up ecchi. They were included in Volume 22 of the manga aside from their original publication, so the people who got the OVA normally will also have access to the original chapters.

A-1 Productions is back at it again with their surprisingly top-notch visual style with Kaguya-sama. The motions are fluid and full of personality, and there are animations that you wouldn’t really expect a studio like this to do. An example of this would be in the adaptation of chapter 96, where Miko Iino asks for more rice from Chika and then they have this short little scene of Chika putting more rice on her plate. It’s not a scene that’s really at all important to animate that well, but they still decided to do it. If you liked the direction and visual flair that the previous two anime seasons had, then this one will probably be no different, save for the bountiful ecchi aspects that the original didn’t really have.

If there’s anything I love Kaguya-sama for, it’s the comedy, and said comedy all comes from one aspect—the characters. I may be biased because I know what happens in the future and I’ve already read what this OVA covers, but it’s still just as good. All the main cast shine in their own way bringing good jokes to the scene mostly every time, and the comedic effect is enhanced by both the visuals and the sound. From Ishigami and Shirogane in the first two parts, and then the rest of the cast in the last part, they get their own jokes and punchlines that don’t feel out of place. I once read a comment for this series on MyAnimeList that describes this series as “low-brow, high art,” and for this OVA, I can definitely say the same. Comedy is a subjective criteria, so in my subjective opinion, I say it’s good.

I’ll keep this review short, so I’ll go through the OVA’s plot quickly. The first part of the OVA has the girls taking a shower after swimming, and Ishigami complains about fanservice in seinen manga. The second part of the OVA has Shirogane and Ishigami reading a stray doujin they found in a parking lot. And finally, the third part of the OVA is the longest, and has the gang do a fried rice contest judged by Chika and Miko Iino. These little skits fit together like a normal episode of Kaguya-sama, though it adds way more ecchi to the mix.

Overall, the Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen OVA is a good time for people who’ve already seen the first and second seasons or read the manga. Even if they cram more fanservice in there, they don’t sacrifice the overall quality and quantity of the jokes they throw at you. It’s by no means the funniest Kaguya-sama episode, but they announced this OVA at the same time as a Season 3, so be prepared. As a manga reader, I can say that you’ll enjoy what’s to come in the future!