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I've never written a review before, but this show inspired me so much that I had to share my love for it.

The premise of the show is that the main characters, Vice-President Kaguya Shinomiya and President Miyuki Shirogane of the student council, like each other but they are too prideful to admit it due to their shared belief of the fact that the person who admits their feelings first will "lose" and have the under-hand in the relationship. The premise alone is wildly entertaining enough but the way the show handles this conundrum is why it shines so bright.

There is never a single moment of ... dullness when watching an episode of Kaguya-sama Love is War because of the constant mix of character development, comedic elements, romance, and a plethora of other factors all wrapped up in a bento box of pure entertainment. This show takes those minor feelings that we experience when we have a crush on someone and realizes them in way that conveys how drastic they feel at the time in an over-the-top, extravagant, and extremely amusing fashion.

Every character in the cast is extremely like-able and fleshed with their own unique quirks resulting in each individual character interaction providing a different element to the show. The contrasting tones are implemented perfectly due to the nature of the episodes being broken down into different "battles" where certain characters win, and others lose. This drives the character development in a way that allows the viewers to experience a variety of emotions and plots at an engaging pace without it feeling jarring.

The way the characters react to different scenarios is what causes me to tune back in every week. For example, Kaguya and Miyuki would like to walk together under the same umbrella but don't want to be the one to suggest it. So naturally... this turns into a in a "death note/code geass" type battle of the minds where they each try to force the other's hand into suggesting they use the same umbrella using weeks of research and complicated verbal traps. The result is a wildly entertaining mental battle with calculated techniques that usually ends up with the uncontrollable variable, Secretary Chika Fujiwara, throwing the whole ordeal into chaos.

Kaguya is my favorite character because of her adorable mannerisms and her constant struggle to accept her feelings due to her isolated, emotionless upbringing. Watching her learn, grow, and experience things keeps you on the edge of your seat due to her naive and easily flustered nature. Her counterpart, Shirogane, is just as enjoyable due to his lack of love experience and the hilarious advice he and Kaguya give to the other students who look up to them. His relationship with his family, his cost-saving personality, and his realistic development make him stand out as not just another main male protagonist in anime. Miyuki’s relationship with the secretary Chika Fujiwara is one of the most endearing ones in the whole show. Fujiwara adds the element of chaos theory to the precise and calculated battle of the minds. Her presence always results in a comedic tone shift without being a predictable character.

The vibrant narrator really takes the show to another level, he is just as much of a character as they rest of the cast. The breakout star assistant to Kaguya, Hayasaka, captures the audience's attention whenever she is one screen because of her realistic attitude towards the relationship between Kaguya and Shirogane and her meme-able moments. The student council treasurer Ishigami gives a lot of viewers a character they can relate to because of his introverted nature, coupled with a well-crafted story arc. My personal favorite side character, Kei Shirogane, contrasts the classic "little sister" stereotype in anime and brings a very interesting arc to the table along with her unemployed father, Shirogane's dad, who is played by the same voice actor that plays DIO. Having DIO as your unemployed and extremely embarrassing dad?! What more could you want?!

At the end of the day, this show is so incredible due to the characters, the lively sound design, the over- the-top skits, and beautiful art. The show captures the essence of the embarrassment in everyday scenarios which keeps the viewers invested and allows them to relate while still cranking these scenarios to the max to capture how things truly feel in the moment. This show also features the lovable Chika dance that you’ve definitely seen everywhere on YouTube!

TLDR: HEY HEY! Give this show a chance, I guarantee you will fall in love with the characters and the over-the-top scenarios. I desperately look forward to each episode and I’ve never been disappointed, each one delivering exactly what I wanted, things I didn’t know I needed, and more, Every single week, I walk away completely fulfilled with a sense of wholesomeness that I haven’t experienced from any other show.

This battle’s winner is… YOU the reader, for discovering an amazing show and hearing me out!