"This time, I swear I'll make you say it!"
Kaguya could not have chosen a better time to make its comeback!
This year in anime was already off to a slow start in Winter, and the growing pandemic forced plenty of big names to get dropped from Spring’s lineup. Yet against all odds, Love is War (LiW) still hit our screens, even though its freshman outing premiered just a year ago. And the show has continuously cracked me up ever since! LiW S2 is a brilliant sequel, on-par with its entertaining predecessor and with no signs of slowing down. I highly recommend you check out the first season if you haven’t already, it’s a stellar watch on its own right. With that, let’s take a good look at what you can expect from the Student Council’s second outing.
Love is War S1 caught lightning in a bottle with its dramatized premise, gut-busting humor, and creative presentation.
The initial setup of two intelligent individuals vying for the other’s confession was a fascinating hook. However, I always felt the show really found its footing when it gradually dropped that pretense and had our “smart” leads devolve into lovesick idiots. You’ll be relieved to hear that S2 doesn’t lose this momentum, as it wastes no time in welcoming us back to the OTT hijinks that made the first season so special. This sequel intends to do a lot more than play the same Death Note mind games in the Student Council Room though. If anything, the Prez and his crew are forced to leave their precious room behind! That’s right; Kaguya, Shirogane, Chika and Ishigami have come to the end of their term in the Council.
Taking our cast outside the confines of their comfort zone, S2 takes the opportunity to expand on its predecessor
by bringing Shuchi’in Academy to life. The show’s signature brand of comedy goes a long way to make this change work, as do LiW’s diverse ensemble of secondary characters. Fresh new faces and recurring pals (Kei Shirogane and Best Girl Ai Hayasaka are showstoppers in every scene they’re in) get more opportunities to play off our main four, with sketches that feel fresh while not straying far from its winning formula. Another distinct highlight of this season is the looming presence of its arcs. These overarching plotlines, while mostly inconsequential on their own right, add doses of excitement and raise personal stakes for our central characters.
LiW S2 wants to keep you in for the long haul, and it achieves this by steadily developing the goofballs we’ve come to know and love.
We gotta talk about the main couple’s love battle, and boy do things get taken up a notch! Best Girl Kaguya and “KAICHŌ!” Shirogane continue to be overwhelmed by their feelings for one another, escalating to the point where our once confident masterminds now struggle to maintain composure in the most basic of interactions. Our respectable President throws his calm and collected nature out the window, and the impenetrable Ice Queen is more vulnerable than ever. S2 continues to pile on the tension built up from the prior season’s ending, having me on strings as I anticipate a devastating checkmate.
Even as the war rages on, that’s far from all the series has to offer;
the biggest surprises from this season come from how the show dives deeper into its side characters. Sharing the spotlight with our main ship is Yuu Ishigami and newcomer Miko Iino (full thoughts on her below in the spoiler-free “Stray Ramblings” section^). Both of these unique individuals get their times to shine, and I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for those two in the future. Now, if you’re waiting to hear about Best Girl (it’s the third time and counting, I know) Chika… well, there are no words that can adequately capture her awesomeness, is there? As the agent of chaos for most of our sketches in S1, Chika largely takes a step back from that role now that the other cast members are stepping up. But don’t fret just yet, Fujiwara fans; our favorite secretary is still a big part of some sketches and an ever-flowing fountain of memes.
Now all these ambitious ideas sound all fine and dandy, but you may ask if the end result is any good.
The answer? A resounding YES!
LiW S2 deftly manages to deliver arguably more laughs than its first season while refusing to hold back on more emotional beats. It may be surprising to hear that Director Shinichi Omata is also the man behind the well-crafted Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu Duology! Although the two shows could not be further apart in tone, he demonstrates his storytelling prowess by absolutely nailing LiW’s comic timing, dramatic tension and cathartic payoffs. Visual presentation in S2 is especially noteworthy, as the animators continue push the envelope with visually-striking art styles and fun references. A keen eye can find several moments where the art and animation drop off, but those didn’t bother us back in S1! LiW more than makes up for any concessions in this department expertly and is a model example for how other shows should manage their art direction. Yet another highlight is every member of the cast delivering god-tier voice acting performances. Aoi Koga brings her A-game in each episode, and let’s not forget Yumiri Hanamori for making “HEY, HEY” Hayasaka the meme of Spring 2020. Speaking of the memes, just wow. S2 is a treasure trove of memorable, hilarious bits.
The direction, art, voice acting and sound design come together perfectly for some of the most funny moments I’ve had the gut-busting pleasure of experiencing all year.
LiW pretty much checks all the good stuff in my book. The only gripe I have with S2 is that the OP & ED are inferior to last seasons, but that’s just nitpicking by my standards. I’m thrilled that I have been able to enjoy Kaguya to the extent that I have, it has been a highlight for the week whenever I put it on the telly.
My only concern is, how long can this honeymoon period last?
Due to the formulaic nature of the show, there’s a chance that future seasons don’t meet the standards of the show we’ve come to love. It’s gonna be a tall order to ask the show to keep the laughs coming as frequently while providing enough progression in the main ship to keep me invested. That being said, the team behind LiW have given me plenty of reasons to back their play for at least a while longer^^. S2 is as sharp as the series has ever been, and I keenly await what’s next in store for the Student Council.
Tl;Dr:
Love Is War Season 2 has been a blast from start to finish. I can think of few shows that have had me return to my childlike self (kinda like Sick Kaguya), as if I was 7 again and getting up bright and early for Sunday cartoons. 2020 has been a pretty bleak time for a lot of people, myself included. Yet, LiW has shone through the cracks and brightened my days throughout its run. Packing laughs galore and cathartic character beats, S2 is as fun a ride as its predecessor, and I intently anticipate its return. Not just for the outcome of that love battle, but also for the joy of having a Sunday cartoon to look forward to once more. TODAY’S BATTLE RESULT: 9/10~
STRAY RAMBLINGS:
- ^Miko Iino is a pretty cool addition to the cast. A first year introduced in the Election Arc, she’s an upstanding student who holds herself and those around her to a high code of conduct. Her role in the show is one that’ll take time to get used to, for both the audience and the rest of the Council. Thankfully the show doesn’t make her out to be a major character we’re forced to like, as in the case of someone like Chloe in The Fairy Oddparents. Instead, her arc speaks for itself and it leaves a positive impression. Once that’s done, she complements the sketches well, playing the straight man occasionally for some good laughs. Miko really is the odd one out in our crew, mostly because everyone else is so distinctly zany! I like how her righteous work ethic makes even the Prez look sloppy by comparison. Again, she’s not an intrusive inclusion to LiW, but I’m pretty curious with how she’ll be incorporated in future sketches and if she’ll bring a more distinct flavor of humor to the table. Looking forward to it!
- ^^That, and I saw a couple of spoilers that give me hope for what’s to come. Taking one for the team ;)
- We all knew something big was coming when Ep 7 dropped the end credits with 5 mins to go. Massive props to the team for overhauling its art style and committing so hard to the bit! It’s not the best joke the show pulled off, but I definitely respect the grind.
Spoiler, click to view
This must be the will of Steins Gate...
- Speaking of stellar episodes, holy shit no. 11 was heavy. This was the biggest demonstration of those dramatic touches I was talking about. I’m pleasantly surprised people responded so well to the episode, even though it deviated the furthest from the comedic stuff. I certainly loved it to bits myself!
- Guys, we gotta stay safe while Covid is still about. So whenever you're outside, be sure to:
Practice social distancing, and...
Put on a mask at all times.
- BEST GIRL: My weak heart tells me Kaguya, my 3-IQ brain tells me Chika, my chin-chin tells me Hayasaka. But deep down you and I both know that Ishigami, introvert extraordinaire and Champion of Boxer Briefs, is Best Girl of the season. Ishigami FTW
- With that, my seasonal wrap-up for Spring ’20 has come to its end! Thanks for making it this far, I truly appreciate you stoppin’ by. Check out my other reviews if you like this verbose style of overanalysis, and stay tuned for more to come. Peace~
