Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

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Hello anime lovers, welcome back to another review blog. Today's anime is Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. It's quite a famous anime, but I have only recently watched it as I am finishing each anime one by one. I don't know when this will end! Every day I get introduced to a new anime, and I have a long list now. I don't ask for suggestions anymore because I already have a big list to finish.

Today's anime is really special, it has a unique concept. This anime is primarily a romantic comedy (romcom) manga and anime series. It also has elements of high school life and slice of life. Released in 2019, that’s quite a while ago. There are three seasons, and I will be talking about Season 1.

I am sharing the trailer with you guys so that you will have a better understanding of it. It looks like a cute story, right? But there's much more. You will laugh, you will cry, it's a mixture of all kinds of feelings. The actual show is even better than the trailer; I think it didn’t showcase all of the energy the show actually has. You cannot let this one slip because it's amazing. Just watch it for yourself. I am totally fed up with typical romance, and this is definitely different from the others, because the concept is clear the first one to confess is the loser and there’s lots of comedy that will hook you into the story.

Shuchiin Academy is very well-known, and Japan's most successful and wealthy families send their children there. Our male lead is the Student Council President, and his name is Miyuki Shirogane. The female lead is the Student Council Vice President, and her name is Kaguya Shinomiya. Both of them are the best at everything. Moreover, they would look perfect together. But their pride comes first. They try clever schemes to get each other’s confession because they believe that love is war, and the first person to confess their feelings is going to be the loser. So, they try different methods to get the first confession.

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Spoilers Ahead!

Season 1, Episode 11–12, we get to know that Kaguya does not have any memories from summer. She never went to any summer festival or any kind of festival. She never hung out with friends. She only watched people having fun from her window. She only follows the orders of her father, but her father never pays attention to her. She's upset about her situation but always tells herself that "It's okay." She consoles herself like that whenever things don’t go the way she wants. She leads a luxurious life, which everyone desires, but she never got the happiness. All she wanted was her father's appreciation and care. She has the desire to go out with her friends because they truly care for her, and they are different from other people. But the boundaries are stopping her from doing so.

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Episode 12 is called "I Can't Hear The Fireworks". We see that Kaguya wore a beautiful yukata and was ready to enjoy the night with her friends for the first time. Her friend Chika, Ishigami, along with Shirogane, were waiting for Kaguya to arrive. But when Kaguya wanted to leave her room, she was told that she was banned for her behavior that she could not go out. Kaguya texted her friends that she couldn't come.

After a while, Kaguya, lying on her bed, started to cry. She kept telling herself that "It's okay," but it was tearing her apart inside. She wanted to see the fireworks with her friends, but she couldn't go. Since her childhood, she has always had restrictions, and she follows everything for her father, who doesn't even talk to her properly. Ai Hayasaka saw Kaguya in this condition and felt bad for her. She inspired Kaguya to escape and join her friends. As someone close to Kaguya, she finally convinced her and took Kaguya's place to deceive others from finding out that Kaguya had left home.

On the other hand, when Shirogane heard that Kaguya wasn't coming, he took a bicycle and headed toward Kaguya’s house because he didn't want to leave her behind. Kaguya, on her way, took a taxi but was caught in traffic. She couldn't even reach her friends by calling. Shirogane arrived at Kaguya’s house and saw from the window that the girl pretending to be Kaguya was standing there, and he realized that Kaguya had already left, so he started searching for her in other places. The taxi driver told Kaguya that they wouldn’t arrive on time as the fireworks would end soon. Then Kaguya decided to leave the taxi.

Kaguya started to run, hoping that she would reach her friends before the fireworks ended. On the other hand, Shirogane was also on his bicycle looking for her. They didn’t see each other. After a while, it was announced that the fireworks had ended. Everyone was leaving as the fireworks stopped. Kaguya was left in sorrow. She took a narrow roadside path to hide and was crying alone.

She really wanted to see the fireworks, she even escaped and did everything she could, and she still couldn't make it. And at that point, Shirogane arrived. He told her that if she really wanted to see the fireworks, then he would show her. Then he grabbed Kaguya by her arm, and they ran along the roadside.

There she met Chika and Ishigami. They were waiting by a taxi. Chika pushed Kaguya inside the taxi. Everyone got inside, and it was the same taxi Kaguya had first taken. After that, Shirogane asked the driver to get on the expressway and go to Umihotaru, where the fireworks had been postponed due to the rain. The driver saw their determination to see the fireworks and drove really fast. They were on the bridge, inside the car, and the fireworks started they finally got the chance to see the fireworks together.

Kaguya's dream came true, but she was not focused on seeing the fireworks. She was staring at Shirogane. The three of them were looking at the beautiful fireworks, but Kaguya’s attention was only on Shirogane. She couldn’t hear the fireworks anymore because her heart was beating really fast as she looked at Shirogane.

The anime is really overwhelming. I got surprised by each episode, as they always have something new in the story. It's not predictable at all. The storyline is so good that I might end up reading the manga too. The chemistry between Kaguya and Shirogane is unbeatable. Also, the friendship between Kaguya and Chika is the cutest bond in the whole show. Chika is definitely my favorite character as she is the funniest. Also, each character’s personality is different from one another, but still, they go so well together.

The last episode of Season 1 really made me cry. Even though I could not relate to Kaguya’s situation, I could still feel what she went through. Detachment from parents is one of the hardest things to deal with. I can only imagine myself in her place, and that made me cry. She goes through hard phases, and still, she is so strong. She doesn’t let anyone know about her feelings, but she’s a softie. Her support character, Hayasaka, is truly a gem. Hayasaka is very loyal and smart, she is also my favorite. I will recommend everyone to watch this anime. It's a sweet story.

Ratings: 10/10

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_{Pictures are taken by screenshots while watching the anime}

Thanks for reading 🌷