The titular manga series, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, is finally approaching its conclusion. This year’s 45th issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump announced that Aka Akasaka was beginning to plan the final arc and that the series will return on October 21st, 2021, in the 47th issue. Akasaka-san recently took a brief hiatus in May to rest and plot out the future of the series as well. If all of this planning is any indication, it seems he definitely wants the story to stick the landing as it reaches its long-awaited finale.
There will be some spoilers going forward, so smash that back button if your only exposure to Kaguya-sama was the anime. Season 3 is supposed to be in the works, but we haven’t heard much news lately. We’ll keep our ear to the ground for any developments in that regard.
In the manga, the story took a brief detour to focus on Yu Ishigami and Miko Iino’s budding relationship as Ishigami was forced to reconcile his unrequited affection for his former senpai, Tsubame Koyasu. He eventually concluded that he deserved to experience love again. Meanwhile, Iino battled with her own insecurities surrounding whether she should pursue Ishigami in a romantic context.
While the subplot romance between these two is only just taking off, the final arc seems like it’s going to put the focus back on Kaguya and Miyuki. After sharing a dance together at the French exchange event, Kaguya mysteriously disappears without a trace the day after. At the Shirogane household, the TV set is graced with an announcement that the Shinomiya financial empire is at its end, though the details are unclear. The build-up to the final conflict between Kaguya’s ruthless family and the core romance between Kaguya and Shirogane seems to be coming to its climax.
This series has subverted my expectations on numerous occasions, and perhaps that’s why it’s so popular. For a series that’s characterized as a “romantic comedy,” it’s surprising how well Aka Akasaka implements themes like psychological manipulation, mental programming, violence, and sex into the story without any of it feeling ham-fisted or out-of-place. The story takes itself seriously when it needs to, interspersed with humor and light-hearted flights of fancy when the story deems it necessary to relieve the pressure. What will happen next for the two sweethearts in the final arc? Only time will tell.
The J-list store still has plenty of Kaguya merchandise up for grabs, and I admit I really want this 1/4-scale bunny Kaguya for myself. Grab it before it’s gone!
Source: Anime News Network
Image credits: Akasaka, Aka. Kaguya-sama: Love is War. Tokyo: Weekly Shonen Jump, 2021. Digital.
