I am very saddened today as I write this because a show that has slowly crept its way into being one of my favorite anime's has had its first season come to an end with no second season yet announced.
What can I say about this show other than from top to bottom the show was well polished. You could tell that everyone working on this project had a passion for this show. From the art to the animation to the sound design to the voice acting, it seemed like everyone was giving it their best and felt like they were genuinely enjoying themselves while working on this project. And that TLC they gave certainly showed through from beginning to end.
The charm to this shows comedy is how relatable the situations could be but then taken to the extreme to the point of craziness. It was funny watching these characters trying to outwit each other with one ridiculous scheme after another and for the most part it never gets old or stale. Each character in this show gets their time to shine which allows them to showcase their unique quirks and ways of thinking. From Kaguya, who we get to see her brilliant tactical mind despite who social flaws, down to even her hand maid Hayasaka, who basically acts as the voice of the viewer as well as the voice of reason. What I enjoyed is how each character brought their own style of humor and how each character pretty much stayed true to themselves.
This being labeled a comedy and all, of course there is a lot of humor. But what surprised me the most were the times when this show decided to get serious. I will just say that when this show started out, I would have never expected that it would make me shed a tear. Kaguya goes from someone who is a bit overshadowed by the other characters, to where at the end of the season you are full on rooting for her to get what she wants. Kaguya is a deep character where her flaws that could be quite frustrating at the beginning of the series becomes painfully clear by the end of the season. You feel sympathetic/empathetic toward her and her situation while people who come from overbearing and strict family upbringings may be able to relate to her. I feel like I could get more into that but I don't want to go off on a tangent. The way the show subtlety transitions from a comedy show with romantic aspects to a romantic show with comedy aspects is great and doesn't hit you too hard with it. Nothing ever feels like it wasn't earned.
Another thing is the sound track. The music throughout the series is phenomenal and knows exactly what notes to hit at what time to be able to depict the current situation and emotions of the characters. Whether it be silly stereotypical romance music during moments of comedy or a somber piano melody during moments of seriousness, this show's music is well done and used perfectly. The OP that slowly grows on you over time becomes a sing-worthy song that can get stuck in your head and the ED is beautiful and emotional with a meaning that fits well with the ideas of the show.
There is still so much about this show that I could talk about (especially the brilliance of the ED and the amazing symbolism in it, but that's for another time) but I don't want to make this too long. Overall this show is fantastic and a good example of what rom-coms should try for. A proper mix of romance and comedy rolled into a show that could also be seen as a show about friendship and understanding. Definitely a favorite show of mine and I would highly recommend anyone to check it out.
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