Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

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What is your favourite battle of wits story? The classic Light vs L? Maybe the JoJo fights? For me the winner is clearly Miyuki vs Kaguya!

Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To completely caught me by surprise with a hilarious and adorable romantic comedy based on mindgames between the two main characters with the objective of making the other confess his/her feelings, and why? Because they believe that the one that confesses will become the submissive part in the relationship, and their pride makes them refuse to be that one.

The chapters are episodic and feature a different battle in their war for love, everything that happens ... is overly exaggerated for the characters, Kaguya usually goes for extremely well through, crazy prepared strategies, while Miyuki is more of using his knowledge and quick thinking to come up with a plan on the spot, sadly for them, there is also Chika Fujiwara, the school council secretary, ready to sometimes screw up their plans just when they through the other had no chance to escape, later on, Ishigami, the treasurer, also starts appearing, and every single one of his moments is pure comedy gold.

The art style is fantastic, with the reaction faces of the characters being the best part, making me laugh like crazy without failing, I expected a drop in both art quality and story after moving from publishing monthly to weekly, but I'm really happy to say that for now the quality stays consistent the whole time, it's more, the the comedy is getting better and better every chapter.

I really recommend this manga to everyone, and I specially want to mention the readers that don't like romance manga to give it a try, yes, it's still a romance/comedy, but for the way it works, it feels so different to the others, maybe this is the one that you will like!

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is the king of romance manga without question. There is simply no other manga of the same genre from which I remember the names of almost every character; from which I’ve both laughed and cried audibly while reading; from which I’ve derived so much happiness from every serialized chapter. What started off as a cute and funny manga with a great premise evolved into a character driven drama with many monumentally emotional character arcs, each of which continue to resonate with me beyond belief.

Though I’ll admit to some personal bias, I would like to point out how deeply invested Aka ... (the mangaka) has made me as a viewer/reader to his characters. There wasn’t a moment in the manga where a character’s pain didn’t translate to my own sadness. There wasn’t a moment when a character’s development after a truly emotional scene didn’t move me to tears (being the crybaby that I am). There was always a laugh to be had with the witty psychological battles and silly bouts between characters. A win for the main cast felt like a win to me. Over these last 250 chapters and 2+ years that I’ve been reading, I feel as though I’ve been through a journey.

Quickly before the nitty-gritty plot things begin, I would like to mention that the visuals for the manga are wonderful, and the sharp style is basically perfect for what the manga is. The character designs and background art are also both awesome. The excellent art has actually even led me to buy some volumes on a whim!

The semantics of plot development can be expressed by dividing the progression into two categories. The first one is the comedy / “Love is War” parts, where our protagonists (and often others as well) engage in a psychological duel to gain an advantage over the other in the confession rat race. This occurs more often towards the beginning of the manga and (in addition to the pure entertainment factor) gives insight to general characterization of the cast and introduces us to big ideas that become important later on. The other is more difficult to define. This category refers to the story arcs where there are larger stakes at play, and a character’s entire basis is on the verge of change. The emotional arcs, the thrilling arcs, and the downright badass arcs all come together under this umbrella to serve some sort of greater purpose in helping characters grow. I honestly think that this is one of the best things about Kaguya-sama.

Character growth is limited not to a single event or person, but extends as far as the story continues. Each and every main character (well…) has some kind of internal conflict underlying their goofy dynamics with the others, and must deal with their values being confronted. In this process, we emotionally invest ourselves in that progression, laughing, anguishing, and loving with them. Though this is not necessarily unique to Kaguya-sama, I believe that as far as I’ve read, Kaguya-sama does it the best.

Now, with all of this praise, one would believe that my assertions warrant a 10/10 score. This is not the case only because of the inevitability of the last arc being too quick. In comparison to the previous character arcs, each warranting hefty praise for what they accomplish as standalone arcs, the final arc of the manga lacks the same structure bent on emotional development, and we feel a sort of “urge to end the story” permeating the chapters. Though, this is understandable, given Aka’s situation with Oshi no Ko. Regardless, the journey from start to finish of Kaguya-sama has gotten me so invested as a reader that its post-finale chapters have left me debilitated to an extent.

With the conclusion of Kaguya-sama’s serialization comes one of the largest punches to the gut that I have ever felt from an anime/manga coming to an end. The final chapters were one of the hardest things for me to read due to my massive attachment to the story. I can’t even express how upset I am, even writing this review. All I can say is that regardless of your stance on romantic comedies, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a must watch/read. The massive void that I felt at the end of this manga attests to just how much of an impact it has had on me as a reader.

I like to call this the Death Note of school romantic comedies. If Death Note ever made you laugh out loud (on purpose).

This manga is a breath of fresh air, as usually romcom manga start out with them meeting and being put into an awkward more than friends but less than lovers scenario, or some misunderstanding happens and all the characters are pissed at each other. Not with Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To, in this manga both main characters are too proud and scared to confess, so they try and bait each other into revealing their feelings.

There are a lot of ... absurd convoluted situations, AHA, THAT WAS MY PLAN THE ENTIRE TIME moments, and an adorable and goofy side character that may or may not be masterminding everything behind the scenes.

The art sytle is more suited for subtle humor than pure quality, and honestly it works a lot better that way.

The humor is intelligent and original, there are no cliche scenes (unless one of the MCs planned it out to be a cliche to get a reaction out of the other MC), only one Tsukomimi scene, and very little "hurr durr panties and boobies" humor. Its just originally funny.

Oh yeah, there's a minimum amount of ecchi fanservice in this. This is a manga that I could and did read on my phone in a Panera. This is probably because it is a shounen written by a woman, and that also makes it so that its an easily accessible manga for both genders.

What is a romcom? Sounds like a simple question, but it’s a question Love is War has challenged this question for me, especially in the current climate of romantic comedy manga.

As one can briefly infer from my profile, Love is War is my favourite anime / manga series of all time, and I could rant for hours and hours about every intricate detail of this series and how this series has left a life changing impact on me, but for your sake (the reader), I’ll disregard it.

Love is War presents itself almost as a mockery of the climate of romcoms, having the whole ... point of the series resolve around what many other series use as ways to extend serialisation of volumes as the focal point on how it’s run. Within minutes of reading the first chapter, the synergy between the primary duo is self-obvious, which allows the manga to get away with placing them in the most absurd situations (as long as it fits the high school theme of the manga) without making it feel cringey or bland. Sure, there are the “cliché” chapters such as the umbrella chapter, the summer festival chapter, and many others, but what makes this series unique is how Akasaka shows all the cliches in a complete separate light from other series, which gives the series a fresh feel compared to other series alike itself.

Adding onto the sentence of the absurdity, another strength of the series is how it makes the super exaggerated characters have a feeling of relatability and down-to-earthiness about them. I, myself can personally relate to Kaguya, Shirogane, Yuu and Iino, even though their base characters are far from normalised, because Akasaka, while for sometimes comedic affect, allows the characters to show personal struggle and overcoming that struggle, which for a romantic comedy of this nature is a rarity.

On the topic of comedy, I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that has made me burst out laughter as much as this series has. The characters being as exaggerated as they are with the addition of the create facial expressions shown in Akasaka’s art style, as well as the absurd situation, makes this manga very hard to put down. Even the most mundane high school ideas such as school tests or parent teacher interviews change from their mundaneness to a complete gag fest. This series also utilises a wide variety of other series to provoke laughter, which it seamlessly achieves.

To help compliment the absurd comedy, the story within the series is phenomenal for a romance, and at points makes me stunned in the effortless contracts throughout itself. While starting out as an episodic series, eventually a more arc styled part fleshes through, which helps give the non-main couple cast a time to advance as characters, while keeping the “who will confess first” narrative in every arc. And during the episodic chapters, it’s not like the story feels flat with the constant high-stacks narrative each chapter attends to.

And for personal enjoyment well, I’ve read the series 18 times, and as a broke high school student I still have managed to save up enough money to spend 240 dollars on the series. I don’t think I need to go into anything else to show my undying affection for this work by Akasaka.

So, to sum it up, an incredible manga by a very talented Mangaka which breaks the common cliches of a traditional romcom and has placed a very special place in many hearts.

Kaguya Wants To Be Confessed To is basically just the battles from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, except the goal is not "I have to defeat the enemy and his/her Stand!", it's "I have to make him/her confess to me!".

Kaguya Wants To Be Confessed to is a comedy/romance manga, that bases most of its humor off the over-the-top styles of action in shounen manga. Saying something really minor dramatically! Reciting an entire paragraph in one's mind in just a milisecond!

I actually didn't go into this series expecting to really like it - I'm not really a romance person, y'know? But I must say after giving ... it a shot that it's a lot, lot better than it initially appears.

Story: 10
The chapters are episodic, and features the two main characters trying to get the other to confess their feelings first. It's overly exaggerated in some parts, but that's what makes it fun.
The actual writing is the kind that keeps you hooked and wanting more, and I have to say that the author is a genius at at building up suspense - both for drama and humor. The jokes are great, and they always land on the right moment.

Art: 9
The art is pretty good and consistent in quality, with very few glaring derp panels - and even if there's any, it just helps to make the situation funnier. It's a gold mine for reaction faces too, so that's a plus.

Character: 10
And here's what makes the manga so special to me, what really makes it stand out from the rest - the characters. Sure the story's great, and the art's good, but the endearing characters are where Kaguya-sama really shines. Even the characters you didn't like at first will definitely grow on you and next thing you know you love them just as much as you love the others. The characters are really fleshed out, and just like real human beings, they grow as the story progresses and oh *boy* the character development in this manga is simply amazing.

Except Chika, I guess. She's a demon who only exists to cockblock others and god do I love her too.

Enjoyment: 10
Everything is enjoyable, be it the over exaggerated monologues of the characters, or just some (un)expected character ruining their plans unknowingly. Even the dramatic, more serious scenes are written really well, no matter how awkward they may be.

tl;dr: 10
Kaguya-sama is a romance comedy that's guaranteed to make you bust your gut, never getting repetitive with the kind of unique witty dialogues the characters say and just all-around great writing. I mean, honestly, I really cannot recommend this manga enough. Give it a try, even if you're not a fan of rom-coms.

For some reason (most probably to fill the void created by my own loneliness TT TT), I end up reading a lot of shoujo manga. Shoujo romance manga, in particular, is a guilty pleasure and a great mystery for me. It's a mystery because I don't think any other genre, form of art, or literature is as forgettable as most of the shoujo romance manga on the market. I dislike reading ongoing shoujo manga, especially if it's released monthly, because I tend to forget most of the plot by the time the next chapter comes out. In fact, if I haven't thought about it for ... 3-4 months and stumble upon it on the internet, even though I know I had read it before, it's astonishing how everything about it is erased from my memory.

However, even within the shoujo romance genre, there are some beautiful gems that I can't forget, such as "Taiou no Ie" or "Akatsuki no Yona." Despite the fact that many shoujo mangakas produce subpar work, they occasionally manage to create something extraordinary. This is the case with Akasaka Aka, the author of the manga I'm discussing. While it's not shoujo, it falls under the romance genre, which often falls victim to clichés when in the hands of the wrong author.

Story: 9

"Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen" follows the story of two exceptional students who are the President and Vice-President of a prestigious high school. They are both dignified, have solid backgrounds, and an unconventional view of love. In their perspective, love is a war with a strong hierarchy, and the one who falls in love first loses—the one who confesses first is placed below, oppressed, and forced to obey the winner. They are aware of each other's interest and consider dating, but the problem is that both want to emerge as the victor. This leads to a simple conclusion: "I will make them fall for me and confess first." And thus, our story begins. Each chapter presents the psychological warfare between these characters, filled with intricate plans, twists, and often unfavorable (but amusing for us) outcomes, with a winner and a defeated party. The entire situation is extremely amusing and enjoyable. The plot is a breath of fresh air in the rom-com genre, with the potential to become immensely popular among readers and a weekly pleasure worth looking forward to.

Art: 7

I like the art—it's not exceptional, the character designs are not groundbreaking, and the art style is simple, but it complements the story well. The characters' expressions are spot-on, and crucial moments are skillfully drawn to capture the tension of the situation.

Characters:

Currently, we only have three characters, and each of them is endearing. They are:

Shirogane, the male protagonist and the President: Incredibly intelligent, he's the top student in the entire country. He exudes a sense of badassery, seriousness, and calculative thinking. He understands Kaguya's character better than she does his, allowing him to counter many of her devious plans. However, he's not flawless and occasionally fails to read her, leading to misunderstandings and complete character breakdowns.

Kaguya, the female protagonist and the Vice-President: The heir of Japan's largest corporation, she carries the future of the country's economy on her shoulders. Raised in a sheltered environment, her knowledge of the outside world is limited, and this often becomes her weak point. She devises incredibly complex plans that succeed until her lack of common knowledge alters the outcomes. She does have feelings for Shirogane, but her pride prevents her from admitting it. Instead, she creates more plans and traps in her attempt to win the war. She possesses a devious personality, is quite manipulative, and even has shades of a strong Yandere... it's her inherent naivety that prevents her from becoming a full-fledged "femme fatale."

Fujiwara: The secretary and Kaguya's best friend, she's an extremely cheerful girl. It's hard to determine if she's aware of the war between the two main characters, as she plays a significant role in the creation and failure of many plans. Nonetheless, she's enjoyable to watch. While not as intelligent or wealthy as the main protagonists, she often acts as Kaguya's link to common sense and the outside world, clearing up misunderstandings and helping her learn various things.

Enjoyment: 10

It's difficult not to enjoy this.

Overall: 9

This manga revolves around the battle of egos between two individuals with twisted ideologies. It employs psychological warfare in a remarkably original manner. Unpredictable and engaging, it keeps you eagerly awaiting each battle's resolution.

I wrote this review because I was surprised to find that none had been written yet. This manga is simply too good to be underrated.

This manga was always at its best when it knew what it was, a comedy. The whole premise was to put a bunch of horny autists in a classroom and have them go to town. The strengths of this manga were in its hilarious and unique premise, but it excelled as a comedy that satirized romance tropes, not as an actual romance.

Unfortunately, after the culture festival, it all goes downhill, and its pretty funny as the manga itself even acknowledges this. The manga goes from being a unique school comedy to an unfocused mess of a generic school romance anime as the author starts splitting ... his attention onto numerous side characters giving us several different generic romances at the same time, none of which I was really invested in.

Read this for the early comedy chapters, then if you truly have nothing better to do read the rest of it for generic melodramatic school romance.

comedy was 8/10, romance was 3/10 so i give it a 5

Starts out as a funny but a bit repetitive story that focuses too much on the main characters, in a Kare Kano style plot.

Gets much better once other characters start getting more development and the main characters' relationship starts derailing a bit from the initial pattern. The jokes get better and the development is fun despite being somewhat slow.

The punchlines and the fast paced style also have a certain 4-koma feel to it, despite not being a true 4-koma. This is very important.

The art is pretty good, the characters are cute and expressive, scenarios are also good.

Started the manga, right after the anime. Here i am after 171 chapters.

To be honest, i didn't expected much.

I'm not a fan of the anime, yet, i've rated 7/10, just because "it bring what we expect to get" when you go for that type of anime.
Basically, when i'm choosing to watch something, i start with a 8/10 at the end if i'm satisfied with it, then depending of what i see and get, i rate it higher, or lower.

"Kaguya" in the anime and from the 12 episodes bothered me a little bit. The setup, the classic "comic", the ... back and forth between both of them was way too repetitive. And slowly, the story start to evolve a bit, little by little.
But yet, 12 épisodes was too short.

So i was pretty curious to see how, and why people talk that much about "Kaguya". And started to read the manga. That was yesterday. Yes, 171 chapters since yesterday.

And oh god that was good. That was delicious, that was simply perfect.
The pace, the back and forth, the development of almost every character, the arts, the humor almost everytime on point, the feels too.

Even if it's heavily weighted toward humor, it's smooth AF, echoing just perfectly here, refreshing there...

171 chapter in, yet so much to cover in the story/narrative, and even after 171 chapters, i feel like there was not that much of a filler, maybe 10% through the whole story? It's magic how the author distilate everything so far, giving pieces of everything and mixing them together to give us that masterpiece that is "Kaguya".

I'm now sad, because i'm gonna need to wait each week. :)

A must read.

When I first started reading this I thought this is gonna be your typical romcom but when I read further into the manga I literally fell in love with the story line and their determination to win each others hearts [ specially Miyuki's determination to win over Kaguya].
apart from those two characters[ Miyuki and Kaguya] the other characters such as Ishigami, Miko, chika, etc... had their own unique qualities which I fell in love with.
As a 17 year old, there are characters I could both relate to and admire. so I think this is the perfect school life romcom out there. [my opinion]

Comedies usually aren't that much my thing, though I enjoy reading some from time to time, but the psychological tag made my decision.


My first impressions were mixed. On the one hand, the first page got me in, since I do believe that there is a relationship of power in a couple. I took that from a Kundera novel, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, I found it to be quite true throughout the years. That's only the characters' motives though : take the advantage in the future relationship by making the other confess. So I'm on board with the premise.

Kaguya's first description, on the other ... hand, pissed me off a little. I tend to dislike the very wealthy family background, since it easily breaks the suspension of disbelief for me. And the fact that both Shirogane and her are depicted as geniuses added to my bad first impression. I'll admit though that from time to time, the wealthy background is required, especially in mangas talking about social differences, such as Velvet Kiss (in that manga though, the author builds up the characters nicely). I read the chapters available, the first 18, in a row, so my fears weren't met.

In Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai, since it's a comedy, the hyperbole is fine. Some developments on the characters are interesting, yet still very cliché (Shirogane has somewhat of an inferiority complex because of his more modest background, Kaguya has troubles dealing with everyday life because of her privileged background). Overall though, their background is pretty slim and revolve on these very archetype. To be fair, Fujiwara, their common friend, brings a breath of fresh air, by bringing to the conversations a bit of spontaneousness, hence often breaking the plans of the main protagonists. She's quite shallow in terms of background, but she is the spice and the charm of this manga.

These first chapters are stand-alone chapters, and revolve around psychological duels between the two main characters trying to make the other confess. Some are interesting with nice twists, some are really funny and made me laugh, some are even touching as behind the calculations the characters let genuine emotions through, some are pointless since you see the outcome from a mile away, and some are outright confusing and miss the spot. The structure doesn't bother me in itself. Stand-alone chapters can work really well on me. For example I hold Mysterious Girlfriend X as one of my favorites, because the atmosphere is incredible and the characters really interesting, at least to me.

The problem here is that with the lack of an overall story and the very simplistic background for the characters, the quality of this manga entirely depends on the quality of each chapter's plot. And I wasn't amazed overall. If the psychological part interests you, there are plenty of better mangas out there (if I had to cite only one : Liar Game). Yet, the combination of the psychological games and the light romcom has its value, and for that Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai is a refreshing read.

No. Fucking Way.

Kaguya-sama ENDED?!

Good riddance! Why would you want to read a manga about a battle-of-wits comedy romance between characters with chemistry, development, and personalities???

Just kidding. Love is War is one of the GREATEST pieces of fiction to hit the media, and I'm not even exaggerating. What? Fullmetal Alchemist? Bleach? Never heard of that, I'm too busy indulging myself in the presence of Kaguya-sama. If the one who confesses first loses, I guess I lose because I am confessing my love for this manga.

Hello, I'm Baby_Penewine. You have most likely never heard of me or come across any of my reviews, but I'm one of ... those reviewers who like to review from the heart. I don't write whatever I think would make you happy, I write exactly what I think. You could say I'm very passionate about my reviews. But do you know what else I'm passionate about? Fucking Kaguya-sama baby.

Oh boy, you gotta read this new harem about an average guy with a harem of girls with no personality!!!! It's really cool I promise!!

That's what people probably think when someone mentions romance or something, but Kaguya-sama is literally the opposite of that. Generic MC #12039 with no personality who? Shirogane is one of the most fantastic characters I've seen in the medium, with every single member of the cast having their own traits. There is literally NO boring character, but we'll get into the details later.

First, let's talk about the plot. Spoiled girl with an ice-cold heart later falls for the main guy and opens up, meh, same story, heard that 1000 times already, but what if I told you this actually made that trope GOOD? And what if I told you the battle-of-wits isn't just a dumb banter with cringe misunderstandings and melodrama, but with actual mind-games and tricks that make you think? And, hear me out, what if they put in actual laugh-out-loud content in basically every chapter and is actually funny? That's Kaguya-sama for you.

If you say that you didn't get hooked to Love is War in the first 5 chapters, you are either a liar or you should be reading Demon Slayer instead. Love is War looked at a plot setup and literally said "I'm going to make this perfect", and it did NOT lie. It has one of the most brilliant introductions I've seen to the characters and plot and before you know it, you can't just put down the book.

But what if I told you Kaguya is not just about the battle-of-wits and comedy? Then what else would it have? Genuinely meaningful character interactions and banter.

I dare you to pair up ANY of the main cast together. All of the interactions would be unique and entertaining.

Don’t believe me?

I will name every character and the dynamic they have with the other characters in the main cast. Skip this if you’re bored.

Shirogane-Kaguya: They literally have the main focus of the series, and of course they’re great. They’re too shy around each other and it’s adorable how much they’re made for each other.
Shirogane-Chika: Teacher and student dynamic, and probably the most fun one here. Chika getting pissed at Shirogane has to be some of the best running gags in the series with Shirogane being absolutely awful at everything he does. You’re lying if you never liked them as a duo.
Shirogane-Ishigami: The bromance everyone wishes of. It’s such a realistic approach of a friends dynamic, and I really like how they both encourage each other towards their dreams.
Shirogane-Miko: I really like the senpai-kouhai dynamic, as it’s really cute how Shirogane is so nervous around her while Miko is in awe of him. Another brilliantly written duo.
Kaguya-Chika: Possibly the funniest dynamic in the series, how can you not love them? Chika literally loves her, yet Kaguya switches from “Awww BFF for life!!” to “Man, fuck you bitch”.
Kaguya-Ishigami: Just noticed this list is getting long af so I’ll make these shorter, another senpai-kouhai relationship, except Ishigami is fucking terried of her, which comes with really funny scenarios.
Kaguya-Miko: Literally Kaguya-Chika except Miko doesn’t trust Kaguya. They do share some moments where they support each other and it’s really sweet!
Chika-Ishigami: My God, Chika is great with everyone! Chika and Ishigami have some great banter, with Ishigami usually the victim to Chika’s praks.
Chika-Miko: Man, how can you not love them? Miko literally idolises her while Chika uses her as a tool, lmao.
Ishigami-Miko: The last one, and I saved one of the bests for last! This is possibly the most developed duo over the course, as they have gone from hating each other to being half-friends with some other stuff too. I can’t go into much details but the way the author handled this was fantastic and I applaud him for that.

Now that the dynamics are done, shall we talk about the characters, while we’re at it?

Like I mentioned, Shirogane is one of the best characters in anime history, and my favourite protagonist (not my favourite character lol, can’t top Shimarin). He is one of those protagonists who don’t look plain, generic, and every synonym of that. He has a distinct appearance that is unique to him and him alone (and also literally one of the most attractive characters ever). Aside from appearance, his character is fantastic. He started from a “meh, just a random bozo who spends all his time studying” to a great, inspiring character. His insecurities are wonderfully handled and everything he does has a motive to it. I cannot have a single complaint about him. I also love how useless he is at basically everything else, which sets up some really funny scenarios.

I don’t know why people are arguing over Marin vs Yor or whatever, because Kaguya easily tops. She has one of the best character arcs I’ve seen from an emotionless and moody girl to a sensitive, thoughtful character. Some people have found her unlikeable and selfish, but she made it up for it, as she has become the great and inspiring queen we all know.

When there’s something with love… in your neighbourhood… who ya gonna call? Love Detective Chika, of course!
Chika is definitely the funniest character in my opinion, with her constant barging in and weird and quirky lines. If Kaguya is your cure to depression, then Chika is your injection of happiness. There is not a single dull moment with her, and it shows. We will and always will see her as our heroine.

Ishigami, oh Ishigami. What the hell would Love is War be without you? Ishigami adds a LOT to Kaguya-sama, and when I say a lot, I mean he made the show a lot better! He has a lot of humour and is very relatable. I’m sorry Kaguya, but Ishigami has a better arc (although every character have God tier character developments). Ishigami sort of reminds me of Tomozaki, as they both started as a gamer nobody to a gamer somebody (lmao) with a peak fiction arc (you know what I mean).

Miko is seriously so cute, don’t you just feel like headpatting her at all times of the day? Of course, her development is awesome, I think I touched on development too much but seriously, her development is just so good. I don’t really know what else to say, just she is a great addition and I don’t know what the series would be without her.

Now, some side characters who are equally as great as the main cast:

Hayasaka is known to be best girl, with endearing moments with Kaguya. I really like how she was introduced as Kaguya’s personal servant and slave but ended with being her own person and doing what she wants. This was a great theme for the series and very inspiring. And not to mention, she’s funny and cute as hell, I understand why she’s known as best girl.

Imouto? Like what little sister? Disgusting incest or incest teasing? Or annoying sisters all over their brother? Or even more annoying sisters where their only lines are “creep”, “disgusting”, and “pervert”. Well, Kei Shirogane is literally fuckingggg greatttttt. She doesn’t do any of these (except maybe the last one, but not much), and she’s her own character in my personal opinion, not to be known as “Miyuki’s little sister”. I feel like she has a right to be best girl. She honestly has the MOST realistic dynamic with Miyuki than anybody else. They’re really funny together and act like every sibling does. You can’t deny it, you were once Kei.

Maki, Kashiwagi, and Tsubasa were also some very fun people to have in here. The recurring sex theme vs suffering was really great, and I really like Maki as a character. Of course, her dynamic with Kaguya, Shirogane, and Ishigami were great and her development was ALSO awesome.

And to make my review not stretch out too long, here are some notable side characters worth mentioning:

Tsubame was cute and helped develop Ishigami.

Karen and Erika had their funny moments on their rare appearances. I enjoy their spinoff too.

People like Onodera, Osaragi, and the like were some nice additions and contributed to the plot and scenarios.

And that concludes the lengthy character section! The one thing I have seen in common with all characters were that they had flaws; none of them were perfect and there weren’t any characters who didn’t fuck up before. They’re all human, and I love the series for that.

The art, I don’t need to go into detail, it’s beautiful, it’s great, and it’s comedic. No complaints.

The voice acting was superb- I mean, like, uh, the dialogue was really really good and made me invested.

Now with all that out of the way, let’s talk about my enjoyment for this series.

…

Do I really need to say this?

Kaguya-sama is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. It’s my favourite piece of fiction written (sorry, Amaburi), and while YOU might see flaws, maybe I need contacts because I see none. This series is truly perfect.

Now, the question is, will you like it? That’s up to you to decide. I have opened up the door for you, and it’s your choice if you want to enter or not.

If you choose to enter the door, then I think you’ve made the right choice.

Well Its finally finished.
This manga has been a wild ride to read and I couldn't be happier that i made the decision to read this amazing manga. All the characters serve a purpose and their interactions are all played so well. The flow of the manga simply feels natural. Each characters feels real and you come to understand them and their actions. A perfect character is ishigami. You come to love his character development, as he becomes a lot more social, more open and more mindfull of the people around him. Its amazing to see each character and how the progress and develop in this ... manga. I will miss each and every character. There wasnt a single character that felt forceful in the story or was anoying. I will for ever miss this beautiful manga and im forever thankful to the author for creating it. Thank you Mr. Akasaka from the bottom of my heart

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai—or just "Love is War"—has grown into such a big name that it's virtually impossible to be interested in either anime or manga without knowing what it is. There's no doubt in my mind that Love is War is going to go down in history along with the shounen giants that we just can't seem to forget. But despite all the praise it gets, I can't help but feel like my experience with the series has been more like that of speeding through the main story of a game just to get to the side quests.

Love is War is fundamentally a character-based story, ... so it's a shame that the characters happen to be its weakest aspect. Don't misunderstand, though; the majority of the cast is actually pretty solid, both main and supporting. There's not all that much depth to them, but most of the characters fit their roles perfectly. Heck, some of the interpersonal relationships are even fairly interesting. That sounds good, though, right? So what's the deal? It all comes down to the two protagonists, sadly.

Social awkwardness and emotional constipation both come as a matter of course with a premise like this, as you were presumably fully aware of long before ever laying eyes on this review. The problem is how far it ends up taking it. Every single interaction between the leads is painfully frustrating from the start, which just might be your cup of tea if you're even thinking of reading this manga. That's okay. But see, it keeps getting worse for every chapter until it starts becoming nigh unbearable. And no, it's not in the intentionally frustrating slow burn "why won't they just talk?!" kind of way. It reaches a point where the mental gymnastics just become annoying. A point where you find yourself staring at the page with a blank expression on your face, muttering "Really...?" under your breath for the umpteenth time in the same volume. The fact that these people are supposed to be 17 at the start of the series is beyond baffling when they're acting like particularly awkward 12-year-olds every opportunity they get. The manga tries to excuse it by continuously pointing out how Kaguya is sheltered and lacks experience talking to people, but that doesn't do much to make every conversation she has with the love interest any less aggravating.

In contrast, the rest of the cast is rather good. Everyone here probably already knows Chika from the memes, and that's basically what she's there for in the first place. Rarely doing anything to directly further the plot, she's mostly there to make the dumb jokes possible. Ishigami starts off rather bland, but ends up turning into the most interesting character by far as the story progresses. Iino doesn't do much of anything as she enters the stage, but she eventually manages to take an important role in the better part of the series. Hayasaka is one of the best characters from the very start, and stays that way through the entirety of the manga. Even some of the less important characters are genuinely interesting in some way. It's just a shame that the protagonists end up outweighing everyone else.

You may have noticed that this review hasn't mentioned anything about the plot yet, but that's fine. The manga takes its damn time getting around to it. In fact, in a lot of ways, it probably shouldn't have ever gone past its basic premise. Without saying too much, the whole style of the series changes in the blink of an eye and never really fully returns to what it used to be, and I get the impression that people are somewhat split on whether this is good or bad for the story in general. To be perfectly clear, I personally didn't like any part of it before this point in the story. After this point, however, I started liking SOME parts. That's pretty huge in itself. On the other hand, I've seen a good number of people say that they liked it before, but not after. To be frank, although the storytelling improves drastically in the short time dedicated to this shift, it costs the story its entire identity. And the best part? The protagonists are still annoying. The greatest improvement is genuinely that more time is now getting dedicated to the rest of the cast—particularly Ishigami. And this brings us to my final real point.

Ishigami's part of the story was the only thing keeping me somewhat interested in this series. Had it stood isolated, I could easily have recommended it to anyone interested in drama or romance. It's not watered down like the rest of the series, it feels genuine and raw, and every character seems drastically much better compared to how they are outside of it. But alas. In the end, it's just not worth walking through all the other shit just to get to the chapters that are truly good.

Comedy is purely subjective, so there probably isn't much of a point in me saying what I think on that. I will however say that there's so much repetition that it wouldn't be weird to get tired of the gag after a few chapters. It gets a bit better after the shift, but don't think for a moment that it's going to fully stop. I personally found the visual comedy to be best, which is in part carried by how good the art is. It looks somewhat awkward at times, particularly at the start, but the art's odd points become less and less frequent for every volume.

Love is War was a tiring read in general. It definitely has some good moments, a few truly fantastic ones, and a whole lot of bad ones. I can't see anyone enjoying the whole thing unless they love the comedy from the start and still appreciate the huge change in the writing. It seriously would have been so much better with Ishigami as the protagonist.

Story: 5/10
Art: 8/10
Characters: 4/10
Enjoyment: 3/10
Overall: 5/10

First of all, I know that it's super tacky to just file in 10s for every slot, but... to not give this manga a 10 would be a crime to my heart.

I have loved pretty much everything about this manga so far... its just so wholesome and beautiful. The humor in here is hilarious. I can't even count the number of times that I literally bursted out laughing from this.... its just so fucking wonderful.

Without hinting at spoilers, the plot is perfect. You can actually see progress within the characters and really feel like you're in their heads (except for Fujiwara of course)

I binged ... 136 chapters in a little over three days (honestly pretty weak imo)... and I loved every second of it. JUST START READING ALREADY. YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT.

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAIN SPOILERS

When I read the first arc of this manga, I am already imagined that the ending would be 2 possible scenarios: There will be a confession in the last chapter or, by default, they never confess their love to each other. At the end, I was partially right, because the last scenario happened in the first part of the manga. So, what's more have this to offer us? Let's find out. I'm gonna divide this review for each part of the manga:

1. First part: Each arc of this one can be summarized as follows: Our protagonists try to force the other ... side to confess their love, Chika and/or a similar plot device creates a random romantic misunderstanding, both sides try to take advantage of this to win this conflict and in the end none of them do. In order to show you what's wrong with this, I'm gonna take a classic cartoon (Roadrunner vs Coyote), that it has a similar format and episodic mechanic to make the comparison:

a) Objective: In the case of Roadrunner vs Coyote the goal is Coyote catching and eating the Roadrunner in order to survive. Simple premise and makes sense. On the other hand, the goal of this manga is that one of the two protagonists make a love confession. Using common sense, aren't there better ways to make a confession of love? I don't know. Why is always a third person involved in order to advance the plot in each arc? Wouldn't it be better and more interesting to see how the two sides use their wits on their own? No fucking idea.

b) Pretentiousness level: In this manga, they try to present our protagonists as a smart and calculator people because of their strategies. For what reason do they do it? Mystery. Normally, a person is considered smart according to his/her capacity to solve their problems, and, in this case, the main problem is not solved (at least in this first part). It is not like in each arc one of the two sides gets closer to the goal. So they don't have anything smart if you ask me.

c) Bait: In the case of Roadrunner vs Coyote, subtly, the cartoon shows that as long Coyote keep using the ACME brand artifacts, he wouldn't be able to catch the roadrunner. In this manga, the author leaves you hoping that, at some point, one of the two will ending making the confession, being more dishonest in comparisson if you ask me. Despite that the one of the them ended making the confession, this didn't happened in this part, where it was supposed to happen, at least, in the final episode of this format.

As we can see, the mechanics are similar, however, the execution is what makes the difference between them.

2. Second part: The formula, now, in each arc is as follows: Partially remove what supposedly is the original aspect of the manga (comedy), in a attempt to take itself more seriously, take one of the characters of the cast and put the rest out of the scene, make a random and generic story and that's it. Is that really necessary to put out the other characters of the cast in each arc? No fucking idea. There's no need for them to be some kind of middle man in the arcs with romance involved, but they could at least show us some progress in their character development. It is an unnecessary disconnection in the narrative flow and in the character's arc if you ask me. As I mentioned before, the confession between the main characters, indeed, happened, but it was in a storyline that you can find in any other average rom-com. It wouldn't have been better that this confession happened during the most comedic part of the manga? No fucking idea. The reason of why I don't mention the stories of the other characters is because they are irrelevant to the main plot raised here. In other words, they felt like a filler. It was really necessary to make that stories? It wouldn't have better focused more in finish the main story and, after that, go for the other ones? Mystery.

That's it for now. Despite having a good and original idea, the manga ended being a mess up because of a poor execution of the same.

First Manga Review so go easy on me
Ill spare you the History nitty gritties and the easter eggs , those are for the more hardcore fans. But As a anime fan that had to read this as his first manga eve , this is probably the most etched in my mind, And so even if I may be biased or inexperienced due to the lack of a huge library but still ,
for me ,kaguya-sama is the best MANGA that I have read so far
The charm of kaguya-sama is that , it is an amazing take at the romance genre , it does just enough to ... have a unique formula of Battle of wits but it is still in the realms of believability and also RELATABLE.

Now this alone makes it an excellent read , But why do I think that kaguya sama is the best manga that i can think of?

Its the ease of Picking it up, Reading it and having a good time! regardless of you being a newbie or not.
That is the whole point no?

What really drew me in is that the ART of kaguya sama is equally as good as the ART of the Anime and the Familiarity of most settings like the council room and the other places where the scenes occur is much easier for a newer manga reader to properly follow and learn how anime flows du to most of the Scantalations of this manga being very dedicated and thorough. The panels are all structured in a way that makes you naturally follow the flow even if you may be new to reading manga. And the general availability and plot of the show is an added advantage.

It has the basics down to the T by making sure the Characters are quite charming yet are flawed enough so that cheering them through their journey and Watching them grow makes you really connect with their special moments . The "Filler Chapters" are also executed properly and always have a purpose whether it is to develop a character or inch the plot forward, And are always blended nicely with good comedy be it with comedic Timing or the character expression.



The only reason this is not a 10 and had me feel very dejected is because it felt like the story was rushed to a close and some interesting plot points were not explored to the extent I wished they were, but that is just me.

A sequel or side story is hinted at multiple times, But I feel that this is where we must part ways , and remember fondly the shuuchin student council and their battle for love.

Please read Kaguya-sama, even if you aren't into comedy or romance, just try to give it a go. Since Kaguya-sama is genuinely one of the most earnestly subversive and impressive stories, one that I absolutely didn't expect. And its evolution has surpassed any series that I know. But if you do happen to find yourself uninterested in the sketch-based storytelling at the start, just know it will be a different story by when you catch up. Well, that's basically what I want to say before delving into the spoilers, though, don't read them if you haven't read the story and are already confident about starting ... it.

***BEWARE OF SPOILERS FROM HERE ON!***

Having finished the first season, it seemed I had grown really fond of the show. So I thought at least, but it turned out that it hadn't left a lasting impression as it quickly faded and left the series in my memory as a mere landmark.

Then the second season rolled around and I was immediately hooked once again. But, it was different, not just my experience, the way the story flowed. Well, it was clearly of the same series, but it truly felt new.

Not only did the episodes share a common cast of characters and ideas, but the events of each episode explicitly influenced the following ones. While this was present in S1 for some episodes, it wasn't nearly as prevalent or even noticeable. And as the episodes unfolded... I saw the student council winning the election and gaining a member, Ishigami joining the cheering club and beginning to find confidence, Kaguya facing her emotions and almost addressing them... Practically all the characters had new angles in which their characters were shown or explored, as a result the narrative became continuous, the show felt a lot more significant. It was all part of a bigger narrative, a story... a spectacular story.
And so I was finally compelled to read the manga which I had poked but failed to getting around reading.

Well, I read the manga... But in truth, I didn't notice reading it because I forgot. It wasn't even all I forgot. I forgot it was a comedy, well, yeah? I even forgot it's a story. The experience of seeing characters I had grown to care for struggle in the period of great change in their lives was so immersive and real that it eclipsed everything. It was probably a long time that I was locked in front of my laptop screen. But to be honest, it was a great read and I didn't even feel bad after finishing it. And well, now I can really say... Kaguya-sama is special.

"This story has been serious for quite some time now." - Aka Akasaka.

How can a story simultaneously dabble in the realm of comedy and in themes of self-doubt, self-loathing, regret, guilt, depression, maturing, affection, so seamlessly...? Well, I don't know, it's a question, lol. But seriously, as a writer I really don't have a gratifying answer to that question. At least I can throw some ideas on the table though.

The main concept I have for this is that there are no borders for this story. The comedy isn't just mixed in among the development. I'm not sure if I can say that it's a part of it, but the punchlines come from the characters, not the author, and sticks to the personalities the characters have. Also, it's often that they lead to actual consequences in the narrative and shift it around, they aren't in a bubble that doesn't hold weight over the story itself.

But this idea goes further than just that. This story doesn't have bubbles around characters either. It doesn't sugar coat, really, it doesn't. The characters, including the main ones, have bad aspects of their personality, like Kaguya herself for example. She can be spiteful, has a short temper, and does actually sometimes hurt characters around her. In many stories these wouldn't be truly shown in fear of making the character less likable. Everything she blames herself for and struggles with is actually a part of her character, there's no forced drama.

Oh, and the character dynamics too. Characters form a lot of new relationships within the story, and the relationships change. Some change a lot, like Kaguya and Miyuki, some change a bit, like Miko and Miyuki. But I wouldn't have ever expected Hayasaka and Miyuki to become friends and have such substantial development between them, for example. The character relationship charts are probably an elaborate joke about how simplistically defined character dynamics often are, to be honest.

But even beyond all that. Well... Almost every story has a border which it doesn't cross. You can usually sense it and when you think of something on the other side of that, it feels obvious that it won't be a part of the story. If it's crossed then there's a clear feeling that something is wrong and that the scene or moment or character doesn't fit into the established confines of the work. It's perfectly fine for that border to exist and it isn't a flaw to have a line that isn't crossed. Actually, quite the opposite, it's great for a story to have a specific identity and focus.

But storytelling doesn't have absolute truths or rules, they're guidelines, and basically every concept can conceivably be used well in some context. And one series that constantly goes against the common-sense of story-writing is Kaguya-sama.

Kaguya-sama is quite unique in not limiting itself to one specific immersion, it's ready to shift the perception of characters and the narrative whenever it wants. And never in Kaguya does it feel that something is "omitted". That some ramification is ignored for the sake of convenience or that characters turn a blind eye to something.

Although, there's a question around this. For example, something out of Berserk, clearly many of those things aren't things that can happen in Kaguya-sama, right? Well, yes, but it's because the story doesn't need to, not because it restricts itself.

But something that I think makes for a great example is that the very premise of the series, which at first is the absolute core that can't be resolved before the end, is resolved before the end. Far before the end. And the story is still going, and likely for quite a while... let that sink in.

The most integral moment of Kaguya-sama wasn't the climax of the story, Kaguya-sama didn't hold itself back and stick to the premise, instead it went far beyond to explore its themes a lot deeper.

I'm talking vaguely, about concepts, but this aspect of the story shines through so hard when you read it. And well, to conclude the line of thought, basically, everything is accepted in Kaguya-sama — silly things, serious things — it's all one, and pretty much anything can happen. I hope this idea is somewhat discernible from this of a text-wall, that this was what I'm talking about, that is.

And that's the foundation of Kaguya-sama's greatness in my opinion. But well, that isn't all there's to talk about. So many specific pieces of characterization, so many specific moments, so many ideas, this story is filled with food for thought and has made me reflect on myself. But this review is pretty lengthy and I've laid down what I think is the core for all that is built on top, so I'll refrain (restrict this review) from getting into any specific plot-points or character moments (the meaningful stuff).

Kaguya-sama is simply whole.

Also, Hayasaka best girl.

(Repost because MAL marked my first post as preliminary)

Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a Romance and Comedy Masterpiece.

Love is War starts off with a unique premise but not a lot to expect. An emo, a loli, a cutesy and big breasted girl and a nerd compose the student council of the most prestigious school in Japan. With not much context at the start, the president(nerd) and vice-president(loli) try to get each other to confess through a game of psychology and tactics because both of them are too shy to do it themselves. Along with the other members of the student council and some side characters, ... it creates a funny and creative atmosphere and vibe that makes watching/reading Love is War very entertaining. But at the end of the day, its just a RomCom, or so what I thought.

Comedy is subjective and not everyone will find what some think is funny but jokes get overused quite quickly. Most comedies, whether it is western or an anime suffer this problem. Love is War is built different. Love is War continuously thinks of new jokes or new ways of how to be funny. The comedy is never cringey. It has the perfect amount of stupid yet is also witty. It even reuses old jokes in way that it is still funny. And it maintains this all throughout the publication of the manga. I have never watched/read any comedy that was this consistent in terms of its comedy.

Another great thing about Love is War is that the story and characters are actually very good, especially for a RomCom. All the characters that get introduced have depth and develop. A prime example would be Ishigami(the emo). I intend to make this spoiler free so just find out yourself. The characters unfold themselves and reveal that they aren't joke dispensers but are human and imperfect. Expectations, inequality, friendship, perseverance; These are only some of the themes tied with the characters. They learn and experience the high school life and the lessons that come with it. They are relatable and realistic. These factors make Love is War unexpectedly dramatic and emotional.

Probably the biggest surprise about Love is War is how good the art is sometimes. As the series progresses, you can see how the art improves. The art sings along with the characters and amplifies what is felt by the character and by the reader. Whether those feelings may only be funny and whimsical or sad and regretful. But for whatever situation it may be, the art is always appropriate. The art most of the time is relatively normal with wacky bits here and there. But when the time comes, a one page artistic masterpiece greets you. Absolutely worth it for you to screenshot these panels.

Lastly, Love is War has good love. A problem with RomCom anime/manga is that it has ridiculous romance, especially the harem ones. Love is War on the other hand, has especially good romance without even considering the ridiculous premise in the introduction. From a stupid game of trying to make the other confess, it came to a point of understanding and accepting one another. The romance is real. Along with the characters, the reading experience feels real. It doesn't feel ridiculous or unrealistic to happen in a real relationship, even if one is not particularly an expert in such. Makes one really want a partner.

With everything said, Love is War without a doubt in my mind, is a Masterpiece. A classic of romance and comedy to be remembered for years to come. A must read for anyone, even if they aren't a fan of the genre. I am glad to have witnessed this masterpiece while it was still publishing. I have learned a lot and felt many emotions too from this manga. I am sad to see this manga end. Reading this was a journey in out of itself. Truly an incredible experience.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened" - Dr. Seuss

Before chapter 160 or so, it's a 10/10. Kaguya and Miyuki figure out that they like each other in trying to make the other confess. It's funny, cute and doesn't ever stray too far from the romantic development.

However, the romcom after 160 is so heavy on character development that it loses a lot of the "rom" and "com" aspect found in the earlier chapters (and the anime from season 3 and before). The story that Akasaka writes is good, but because it spreads itself so thin documenting so many different characters, it feels rudderless at times because he forgets whom everyone is supposed to be ... circling around. It feels more real at the expense of losing focus on Kaguya and Miyuki.

Kaguya becomes a different manga. It isn't bad storytelling, but it's a bit heavier and feels like continuous and complicated side tangents that sometimes circle back to the two protagonists. This different manga warrants an 8. Averaging the rating before 160 and the rating after gives a 9/10.