Aka Akasaka’s explosively popular rom-com manga, Kaguya-sama: Love is War (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai – Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunōsen) is going on a short hiatus until July 1st so that Akasaka-san can hash out and write the new act, with fans and ship-posters speculating that it will have a focus on Ishigami and Iino’s budding relationship.
Kaguya-sama has become a prevailing name in the romantic comedy anime genre over the past few years, and after watching the anime and reading the manga, I understand why. If you enjoy rom-com (or hell, maybe even if you don’t) it may be worth checking this series out. Viz Media, the English publisher, describes it as:
All’s fair when love is war!
Two geniuses. Two brains. Two hearts. One battle. Who will confess their love first…?!
Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane are two geniuses who stand atop their prestigious academy’s student council, making them the elite among elite. But it’s lonely at the top and each has fallen for the other. There’s just one huge problem standing in the way of lovey-dovey bliss — they’re both too prideful to be the first to confess their romantic feelings and thus become the “loser” in the competition of love! And so begins their daily schemes to force the other to confess first!
I’ve heard people say that that sounds like a contrived plot point, but trust me when I say that Aka Akasaka makes the story, characters, and development enjoyable without feeling contrived. The jokes land, the characters are relatable, and the ships set sail. Shirogane, thankfully, isn’t a braindead male lead, and never spouts cringe-inducing lines like “What did she mean by that?” Kaguya herself is a bit of a knucklehead when it comes to romance, but it never leads to excessively dragged-out misunderstandings. The side characters never gridlock the plot development and instead lubricate the progress of the story. There are a few scenes where Kaguya and Shirogane end up in compromising positions before a third character bursts into the room, usually right as something good is about to happen. And I confess that this is an irritating trope in the romance genre…
…but it doesn’t always happen. In spite of the example above, the fact that the mangaka sometimes allows two characters to be alone without the awkward third-wheel jumping into the scene is refreshing. After being teased so many times by other stories (Nisekoi comes to mind), you come to expect the third wheel to show up, every time, right on cue. But that’s not the case here. and the plot is just allowed to develop. I’m grateful for that.
It’s not heavy-handed with trope-laden nonsense, and down the road, it deals with some very real and very relatable relationship issues.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a manga only to find, after finishing every chapter, that I’m smiling ear-to-ear like a big dumb idiot. This series thaws out my cold heart, and I can’t wait for July 1st to roll around. If you decide to watch the anime or read the manga, I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War Season 1 subbed is available on Crunchyroll, and seasons 1 and 2 (subbed and dubbed) are both available on Funimation’s website. Season 3 is in the works as well, though a release date has not been yet announced. I usually play Switzerland when it comes to the Sub vs Dub debate war, but I have to give a hat-tip to the English dub cast, especially the narrator, who have all done a stand-up job. You can check out the details about the dub cast here!
And of course, J-list has a great lineup of Kaguya-sama merch for your perusal as well, such as these adorable rubber keychains!
Source: Anime News Network
