I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said over and over “Watch Kaguya-sama: Love is War”. I’ve been shoving it down people’s throats including nonanime watchers, jokingly of course. I knew from the start that it was going to be something fun to watch but I didn’t expect myself to be so immersed in it.
Kaguya Shinomiya is the smart and talented vice president of the student council at the prestigious Shuchiin Academy and from the wealthy Shinomiya family. On the other hand, you have Miyuki Shirogane, the poor but hardworking president of the student council who uses his incredible work ethic to achieve his goals. To everyone’s eyes, they seem like the perfect couple but they’re actually not dating. These two high school geniuses are too stubborn to admit how they feel about each other so they play these ludicrous mind games to try and win a confession from the other. It’s sort of like an episode of Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes but in the form of high school relationships. It’s over the top and ridiculous but that’s what’s so great about it.
Every episode is exuberant, and it never feels mundane. It’s implausible to think that most of the action happens in just one single room. Each episode focuses on Kaguya and Shirogane mapping out these various schemes in their heads to come out on top in certain situations, essentially leading them one step closer to having the other one confess their feelings. It’s psychological warfare between the two with everything at stake for them. Except, there’s actually nothing at stake here. When you look at things more carefully you realize that if one of them simply admitted their feelings to the other, then this crazy situation would be over. But where would be the fun in that? When you take out the narration and context as to what is happening in the head of these two students, it becomes clear as to how ridiculous the entire situation is. To think that the top two students of Shuchiin behave like fools is hilarious.
Although watching two people mentally battle it out is amusing, the reason for their “War” is deeper than it may seem. Kaguya and Shirogane are both prideful and believe confessing to the other is a sign of weakness and submission. But honestly, it seems as if they're both afraid about how the other person might respond and how it might affect their relationship. What if the response is negative? Will they be able to stay friends? When you look at things from this perspective, you begin to understand and relate to their feelings. We've all felt like this before. Their actions may not be as crazy as they seem.
I expected 12 episodes of over the top comedic battles but I was surprised when it suddenly got serious. The latter half of the anime did an excellent job in balancing out the goofy and serious tone. Kaguya: Love is War isn't just some average rom-com. It can get real and emotional and that's what makes it stand out even more.
Our characters are intriguing and vibrant, and their interactions are dynamic. You begin to understand the characters more as each episode progresses. Kaguya may seem cold and distant to everyone around her but her friends know she’s a sweet person. Yet they don’t know that she often looks down on them (Chika) which make for some pretty funny moments. Shirogane is hardworking but he’s also a caring person who puts others before himself. Chika Fujiwara is the cheerful and naïve secretary who prances around the student council room not knowing what’s happening between the two protagonists and as a result, she intervenes in their schemes and throws things out of loop for better or worse. Yuu Ishigami, the pessimistic treasurer, can read the situations more clearly but is still pretty clueless as to what is going on. He may seem shy and awkward but when he speaks, he’s honest and straightforward and sometimes comes off as just harsh. This leads to situations in which he unintentionally says something rude or hurtful which results in hilarious scenarios. Ai Hayasaka is Kaguya’s personal maid, but their relationship is that of sisters. She’s the more reasonable one of them all. She is loyal to Kaguya and does her bidding but also encourages Kaguya to be more sincere with her feelings. Does the narrator count as a character? The way he states the obvious and just hypes up the most simplistic scenes makes the entire thing more hysterical. As a whole, they’re puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. I was always excited to see these characters interact with one another and curious as to how they’ll surprise me this time. And then when a new character came into the mix, I’d be thrilled and think How will this one change things up? They're a great cast full of chemistry.
There’s not much that can be said about the animation and art style. I found it to be clean and smooth. Well done indeed. For a romantic comedy they really did invest a lot into the art and animation and I’m glad they did. Episode 3’s ED pretty much confirmed this. The VA’s did an incredible job bringing out the emotion of each character and have them come to life. Like everything else, the music was top tier. The OST played in each scene fit perfectly making everything more dramatic and impactful. The OP and ED are so good that I found myself bumping to both even when I wasn't watching the anime (wish I could I find them on Apple Music).
The worst part about Kaguya-sama: Love is War? The fact that it was only 12 EPISODES. Also, the fact that the Chika ED was only ever used once. Such a shame. Honestly, I really can’t say anything bad about this anime. But this is just me being completely biased. I loved it from start to finish. I will say this: if you want a more in-depth look at the story and its characters, read the manga. The anime did gloss over some chapters – one of those chapters being my favorite – so do check it out if you want something extra.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. WATCH KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR. Or read it. Both are incredible either way. It’s hilarious, emotional, witty, etc. What I expected to be a funny rom-com with redundant clichés we’ve seen, turned out to be one of my all time favorite animes. I deeply encourage you to watch it. It may not be for everyone but I’m sure if you watch it, chances are that you’ll enjoy too.
