Preface

Kaguya-sama was one of the few anime that made me fall in love with the medium. Its quippy, referential, oddly relatable, shōnen-fied mundanity, and oddball humor—mixed with a genuinely convincing love story between two awkward high school students—brought relatability to an extreme degree. It hooked me so deeply that it became the first long-running manga series I actually read weekly.

The world the story presents is among the most brilliant and addictingly rewatchable animes out there, to the point that few shows could surpass the sheer brilliance of its presentation.

Since the conclusion of the third season, the movie, and the manga years ago, anime fans have been eagerly waiting for the adaptation to inevitably reach its ending over the next couple of seasons. That was the expectation—until this surprise special changed everything. ***

Stairway to Adulthood

Let’s get this out of the way immediately: this special feels like the show never left. From its presentation to the writing, from its captivating story and the way the characters carry each scene, everything remains intact—only now with a bit more spice of its signature sprinkled in (especially with referential humor where diehard anime and manga fans would catch on immediately). There is also a sudden shift in its structure (that was set out from Season 3) where Kaguya, who takes on a more assertive romantic role in the relationship, while Miyuki grows noticeably more openly affectionate, making sweet romantic moments that will keep you blushing. It’s something we fully expected to see after the ending of the third season, but instead, we finally get it here—and not a single minute is wasted.

The special explores numerous themes and situations that any normal couple faces, all filtered through that unmistakable Kaguya-sama flair. It respectfully adapts several important manga moments—somehow making them even funnier in animated form. As a result, this special is an immediate hit for fans of the anime, offering a deeper look into Kaguya and Miyuki’s relationship.

However, for those who have read the manga, the very existence of this special—and the way it is framed—may spark sadness, as it subtly suggests that future seasons might not be possible. ***

The Implications of this Special (Spoiler)

This special basically confirms itself that Season 4 and beyond wouldn't be possible. Gone are the couple of major arcs built after season 3, especially with the blossoming relationship of Ishigami and Miko (which is my favorite overarching arc of the series) that we couldn't get to see animated. Though it will disappoint a lot of fans, as we wouldn't get a full adaptation to the entire series, there is a silver lining, namely having an original ending (despite the source material for an ending being already available). Though it's an odd choice at first, and you may react to it in a negative light, but on the other hand, I find this as an optimistic approach to the series.

While it is disappointing that couldn't get to see our favorite arcs and character moments from the manga, for us manga fans, it would be a treat for us (along with Anime-only fans of the series) to see and experience a brand new ending of this series at the same time anime fans would, which will garner a unique experience that we haven't got to see in a long while. Although, anime fans might have flashbacks from the formative years of anime with original endings, but knowing how this special presented itself, I couldn't really see that as a concern, since (in my perspective) the new original ending might take place beyond the ending of the manga, which solves the canon issues.

As for anime-only fans, they have definitely missed out a lot of major arcs of the series, but if you're only focusing on the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki, The Third season and the christmas movie is as climax as it can get, but you're definitely missing out a lot of devastating, or wholesome character moments for side characters, and it might be the time for you to read the manga. But if you only care for the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki, in an overall perspective, you're not missing out that much.

As for me, I wouldn't be worried. I trust the team that carried this series, and even this being a special, it's spiced up with a lot of love and flair (which hadn't lost its steam since the very beginning). Will it be the greatest ending we’ll see? probably not. It'll most likely be an after-story where we'll catch up how our favorite characters have been, but it is a wonderful treat to see regardless. ***