Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War has been all over the internet when its first two seasons were airing, and was one of the first anime to catch my eye. I'm glad I checked it, because it's a incredibly funny series with great characters and a ton of heart.
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War has a simple premise. Kaguya and Miyuki both have crushes on each other, but they're too prideful to actually admit it. So, they spend most of their high school days running the Student Council while playing tactical games of war to bait each other into confessing, while the secretary unknowingly intervenes. It's a great example of a simple concept executed brilliantly, mostly because of how seriously everything is played out. Kaguya and Miyuki have these dramatic monologues as if their "battles" are some sort of epic battle sequence, the score is booming, and there's a deep voiced narration going on in the background, even though it's really just a bunch of dumb teenagers being stupid. The show is jam-packed with hilarious irony like this that drives a lot of its humor, and most of the sketches end on these truly genius punchlines that nearly always makes me doubled over in laughter.
However, most of the comedy probably wouldn't land as well if it weren't for the great characters. The show's entire cast is enjoyable to watch together, especially Kaguya and Miyuki who have a ton of chemistry with each other. It's not just them though, Chika is a hilarious agent of chaos, Hayasaka's snark is great, and I love the high school couple that repeatedly asks Kaguya and Miyuki for advice. The only character that falls flat for me right now is Ishigami, but even he starts to warm up to me in the later episodes. Even with the focus on comedy, this anime also packs in a ton of heartwarming and emotional moments that rank as some of my favorite scenes in the season. Another thing that's worth noting is Kaguya-sama's structure. As an adaptation of a manga, each episode is divided into a bunch of sketches depicting one of said manga's chapters. While this structure ends up making some episodes feel a little disjointed, most of the sketches are incredibly entertaining on their own merits. There's also a great sense of continuity with plot threads that reappear throughout the season, and a strong ending that brings all of the characters and threads together on a heartfelt note.
Presentation wise, Kaguya-Sama fares really well. The animation is great, it's fluid and expressive, and the hilariously dramatic shots do a great job at helping the comedy land. There are also plenty of scenes that go above and beyond with the animation, particularly Chika's iconic dance in Episode 3. It didn't need to be that intricate and fluid, but it ended up being one of the show's most memorable scenes. The voice acting is also pretty good too, especially from Kaguya's voice actress who perfectly toes the line between calculating and utterly adorkable. But the real star of the show is the narrator who says some of the silliest things in the most serious voice, it just fits the show perfectly. The music is also pretty solid, jumping between incredibly dramatic and hilariously derpy (not quite unlike Konosuba's music). It works really well for the show.
While most of the episodes are entertaining at the least, these are the highlights:
Episode 4: This episode was the first to have an overarching storyline between the sketches about the Student Council preparing for a party with a sister academy in France. It's a great blend between humor and drama, between scenes like Chika's beat-boxing and Kaguya accidentally calling Miyuki's father, and the surprisingly heart-warming ending which has Kaguya defend Miyuki from insults.
Episode 9: Similarly to Episode 4, this episode has an overarching story, this time about Kaguya accidentally getting herself sick during a rainstorm. All three sketches here are great, from Kaguya frantically trying to bait Miyuki, to Chika cheating during a card game, to sick Kaguya in general.
Episode 11: The summer vacation arc that ends off the season is a pretty great final storyline, and this episode does a good job of leading you to think it's going to be super lighthearted and goofy until it isn't. The first two sketches are hilarious, especially that bizarre ramen shop sequence. However, the episode then takes a far more dramatic shift as Miyuki and Kaguya are unable to see each other, and then we learn about Kaguya's family and ouch, that hurt.
Episode 12: "I Can't Hear The Fireworks" is easily the best sketch of the season. It's dramatic and heartwarming, and I love how Kaguya's friends team up to try and help her see the fireworks. It ties up a lot of the threads and running gags as well, like the Ramen King sketch, and Kaguya's reunion with Miyuki was incredibly sweet. I also like how the final segment of the episode was a bit more lighthearted, serving as a bit of a palette cleanser.
Overall, the first season of Kaguya-Sama is pretty great. It has strong humor, a likable cast, and an emotional finale. Not all of the sketches land entirely, but more often than not, this anime was a joy to watch.
4/5 Stars
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