For those who are interested in entering the rabbit hole that is the anime industry, there are some anime that are universally regarded as entries that are not only a strong representation of the best the industry can churn out, but also hilariously enjoyable shows that cater to a variety of different audiences. They stand as one of the first recommendations that anime neophytes will get when they ask for a show to get them started in the industry. ___Kaguya-sama: Love is War_ is one of these examples.__ I should know - I've been hounded by friends and peers alike to watch this show for years. Won't they finally be pleased...

For those out there who have yet to watch Kaguya-sama: Love is War in any capacity whatsoever, you have almost certainly heard about how funny, enjoyable, and widely regarded the multi-entry manga and anime created by Aka Akasaka and illustrated by Yuuko Yahiro are through social media, peer recommendations, or even plain rumors. For the longest time, I managed to avoid the hype by not sitting down to seriously watch the show (much to the annoyance of my friends), but even I couldn't avoid it forever - FOMO is one hell of a motivator.

I would like to start out by mentioning that, while the first season of Kaguya-sama: Love is War was a wonderful experience and an incredibly fun start to the series, I went into the show with ridiculously high expectations - expectations that were fueled by my peers' and the community's gushing praise for the show. If you are interested in watching this anime from the very beginning like I did, I would just advise that you tamper your expectations a bit. While it does pick up tremendously in the latter half of the season, I personally felt that the show started very slow. Enjoyable as the first episodes were, my expectations that were fueled by the lavish praise that the series has received left me feeling slightly let down by the slow introduction. This was resolved fairly quick, as the show really starts to pick up after the starting episodes, but the best advice I would give to anyone new to the series is to try and tamper your expectations as best as you can - you'll likely save yourself the same disappointment that I felt.

With all of that being said, allow me to add to the internet's praise of this widely beloved anime - an anime that has, in my opinion, deserved much of the praise that you have likely heard and seen. Despite the previously mentioned slow start, ___Kaguya-sama: Love is War_ presents so much enjoyable content in the first season that I was left itching to get started with the second. The cast of characters was by far the most enjoyable aspect of the first season to me, and I am incredibly excited to see how they are further developed in the following season. In all honesty, each of the main characters are great in their own way, so take your pick: Shinomiya, Shirogane, Fujiwara, Ishigami, and Hayasaka. The cast of this anime is the defining feature of the show and I highly doubt that this will change in future episodes. _Kaguya-sama: Love is War_ is widely regarded for its humor, and the cast of characters is a huge factor in establishing that humor. Shirogane and Ishigami are my favorites, but one would be hard-pressed to judge anyone's decision__ to lean towards the other characters and each of their own unique comedic traits.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is an anime that highlights the very real struggles of how different classes of people - classes of those born into rich and powerful families of business and political titans - handle and process emotions that everyone feels, regardless of societal standing. Whether you're born to a trillion-yen conglomerate family like Shinomiya, or a powerful political family like Fujiwara, those in the 1-percent struggle with the idea of love and romance just like the rest of the world - its a sickness that cares not for the weight of your name or the money in your pocket. I felt like the anime did an incredible job at providing the audience with a deeper look into the personal lives of characters like Shinomiya. Such insights tell us that just because one may have all of the money and power to live a cushy life, all of that money and power cannot buy you happiness, as seen with Shinomiya's familial and romantic struggles. Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 does a fantastic job at combining humor with a great message - something that I look forward to see progress in later episodes.

1. Music: 92/100 - Two words: Masayuki. Suzuki. For those who are unfamiliar with the sunglass-wearing Masayuki Suzuki outside of his work done on all three of Kaguya-sama: Love is War OP's, he is an incredible rock/funk/jazz musician who I, personally, know for his work done in the 90's and early 2000's. He has an absolutely incredible live performance of the song "Misty Mauve" back in the early 90's in which he sings at what is perhaps the funkiest music club I've ever seen - check it out on YouTube. I went hunting for his CD's during my time in Japan and was amazed when I found out that he sings each of the anime's OP's. I didn't quite care for the ending theme, hence the slight drop in score, but it is still a great piece of music that is slightly overshadowed by the OP, in my opinion.

2. Plot: 83/100 - Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 does a great job at providing an interesting message on how despite having seemingly all of the money and power one could want, that money and power can't necessarily buy happiness or joy - something that I'm sure will be further expanded upon in future episodes. However, I also have to bring up something that I mentioned towards the start of this review: the slow start and dashed expectations. I, like many others, I'm sure, entered this series with sky-high expectations. And while those expectations were met in categories like 'Music' and 'Characters', I felt that the overall plot and flow left something to be desired. It was by no means bad, and it certainly picked up in the latter half of the season, but I would simply recommend prospective viewers to turn down the temperature of their expectations going into the show.

3. Characters: 98/100 - This is, in my opinion, the strongest and most enjoyable aspect of Kaguya-sama: Love is War thus far. Each of the main characters in this anime are well-written and humorous in their own respective ways, making it difficult to despise any of them. Even the characters for whom I, personally, don't quite care possess traits and lore that tie back to the plot of the show - something that adds to their appeal, rather than take away from it. The humor for which this show is so widely respected and admired can be tied directly to the main cast of characters, and I am incredibly excited to see how the future seasons further add to each character's personality and lore - including the ones for whom I may not quite care.

4. Art & Animations: 85/100 The art and animations of Kaguya-sama: Love is War are both incredibly well-done, though there are other anime whose art style I would prefer over them. I have absolutely zero complaints about what is presented to the viewer in this anime - quite the opposite, in fact. I loved the art and animations and think they have most certainly helped to make the show the worldwide phenomenon it has become, but I would also not call them better than some of the other shows that I have seen and reviewed.

After years of delay and constant nagging from my friends and peers, I have finally started to get invested in one of the world's most recognizable and beloved modern anime. I entered this series with expectations that have been heavily inflated by the praise given to the show by the community and my peers, and I felt as though those expectations were both met and slightly dashed, for reasons that I have already mentioned. At the end of the day, however, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the first season of Kaguya-sama: Love is War and am very excited to continue onwards with the second. I would definitely recommend the show to any anime fan, but I would also encourage them to damper their expectations just a little bit. Do that, and I am highly confident that you will see why this anime has been showered with the praise that it has received.