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Once again, Kaguya-Sama fails to disappoint.

While I will be the first to admit that the season did start off a bit slow, just about everything became perfect after the rap episode. The plot started to ramp up. The animation got more goofy. The jokes landed harder. The characters got more development. Tsubame develops a personality, Ishigami has some potential success in his love life, Miyuki and Kaguya finally are able to express their feelings, and Chika is… well Chika is Chika. The comedy as always is a hit or miss, but I definitely found myself seeing it as a hit more often than not. While ... I do think the art did take a step down from last season (with the exception of the final episode), it was still plenty good enough. My only gripe with the anime adaptation of this season was that the actual confession was very oddly paced and nothing at all like how it was done in the manga. I understand that the directors had likely wanted to build up suspense by bouncing to other characters’ perspectives, but it really just took away from a really rewarding moment. Nonetheless, this season (primarily the second half) was still incredibly enjoyable and definitely worth a watch (although I will also recommend that people go read the manga because I do truly believe the manga is better).
Breakdown:
Story: 9
Art: 8
Sound: 10
Characters: 10
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 10

Never have I ever been more impacted by any form of media than Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. I was initially exposed to this series through the anime's release, and continued by watching season 2 and in anticipation for season 3, I have caved in and finally read my first ever manga. While my experience reading could've been caused by it being a first experience, I have a feeling my stance will remain true even with reading more manga in the future.

Story: While some readers dislike the lack of direct continuity between each chapters, it really helps with resetting the tone within the manga. Every ... emotion you feel while reading was intended by the author. Plots and circumstances given within the story work their magic to their fullest extents. Obviously everyone knows of the synopsis of the story, so I won't comment much on the generic stuff, but I would like to mention that the manga does a fantastic job of connecting past references to the future. One of the many things this manga succeeds in is making sure none of the storylines come from nowhere. Practically every single new arc has been hinted at beforehand in some manner, creating a very fluid story. 10/10 for me.

Art: I must admit that since this is the first manga I have ever read, I'm not sure how qualified I am to speak upon the art of the manga, but I will say that some of the panels drawn have made me stop for many minutes to admire the details and attention poured into them. Similar to the story of the manga, every image has an intended purpose. Whether it be drawing the characters in a funny chibi form to lighten the mood for the chapter, or drawing very attentive panels of a certain character's self-destructive studying habits, every panel evokes a very strong emotion. This isn't to say the art is perfect, however, as sometimes it does feel as though they are cutting corners and drawing simple designs for the sake of convenience, but regardless, the art is rather effective. 9/10 for me.

Characters: By far the most compelling part of the manga are the characters. Anyone in high school or even those who have passed their high school years can still relate to the very real issues the characters in the show represent. While they are taken to the extreme within the context of the manga, the underlying issues are still prevalent in a typical high school life. Ishigami represents those who tried to help others, only to be hurt by it. Shirogane represents the never ending desire to work hard, out of fear of rejection due to an intense inferiority complex. Kaguya represents the feeling of living up to everyone else's desires of what they want you to be, despite it not aligning with your personal goals. Miko represents unrequited passion, whether it be about love or the desire for a better world. Then there's Chika, who is a bit of a gag character so I'm just gonna give her a pass on the whole complexity check. Not only is the main cast wonderful, but the majority of the side characters are memorable and come back in one way or another. 10/10 for me.

Enjoyment: I stated at the beginning of the review that there has never been a piece of media that has impacted me greater than Kaguya-Sama: Love is War. The main part of that impact arises from the relatability of some of their characters' issues. I relate to Shirogane's desire to work hard out of fear of rejection. I watched the anime and really wanted to be like Shirogane for quite some time. All of that changed after I read the manga. I finally realized just how destructive his habits can be. I love this manga in how it doesn't make its characters saints. There are no Mary Sues or Gary Stus in the real world. Love is War demonstrates this with the characters. They shouldn't be characters you necessarily aspire to be, rather those to learn from. I've been able to learn how to be more appreciative of my capabilities because of this manga. Love Is War has impacted my life, which I feel, should be the goal of any author. To make a difference... and that's exactly what they did to me. 10/10 for me.

Overall - 10/10. While this manga isn't over, and the points I've made can always change, I don't really think my rating of this manga ever will. After all, it's changed me in a multitude of ways, and for that, I am forever grateful. Thank you for the experience