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Jul 20, 2020
Despite being a web novel, I have never, until now, experienced a sustained exertion of the act of reading as I have now with this novel. On average, I've found myself reading at least 3 hours every day, focused on this one epic, for at least 3 weeks.
Initially, it was the wonder - like many of the reincarnation genre, it places the perspective of the reader into a fantasy world. Open the wardrobe, and see yourself as the main character. This inviting sensation is difficult to get rid of, but as the books pile on, the effect wears away. As the main character slowly gets
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accustomed to their new world, so do you.
The sense of wonder then becomes replaced with the traditional elements of fantasy novels - epic battles, tales of love, tragedy, those fantastic elements that are too difficult to express in other genres, but flow so easily in fantasy.
Eventually, even this sense of fantasy wears off, but the author replaces it with a sense of connection. At this point, you've become so endeared with the characters, where their mannerisms become so frequently and well described that they almost feel like old friends. You feel a familial connection with the main character and read on to see what antics these vast and memorable cast of characters are up to today.
<SPOILERS>
And, finally, the author cranks on the tension and sends us off with an epic battle between an omnipresent force - a faceless god, a nameless shadow. The author, knowing that his project is nearing its end, pushes with all his might to give us one final push into the epic, so that he may wrap it up and leave us satisfied. Within this backdrop, Rudeus, with his family and lineage at his side, dies and passes on. His last conversation with his foe feels less like a victor vanquishing evil, and more like a tired yet satisfied author saying farewell to his readers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 30, 2019
I wish I could say that the 'Kaguya-sama: Love is War' was a meaningful experience, full of cathartic themes that tugged at my very core. But it wasn't. And yet, still, I feel compelled to write this review simply because, as I am writing this review, there is a sense of hollowness, or cleansing in my soul as I reflect upon that final episode. One thing is for sure --- I know all too well that I will miss this show.
In terms of innovations, Love is War offers nothing particularly new. It takes a twist on the classic formula of romance --- instead of two
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individuals finding difficulty in confessing their love for each other, the individuals find difficulty in getting the other to confess. Yet, the anime takes this concept to a comical degree of absurdity that the characters cannot help but be endearing to the viewer. The show doesn't hook the viewer by the typical teasing of confession --- indeed, the anime's premise is that this confession will NOT happen, and this serves as the lodestone of the show's comedy --- but rather, I found myself being hooked by wondering what these supposedly brilliant protagonists will do to fail miserably in their quest for getting the other protagonist to confess.
This seemingly laughable plot forms the basis of projecting the Student Council - the main cast - as a group of lovable idiots. In this, the show reminds me of Konosuba. The attraction of both shows were not necessarily the progression of plot (the plot, one could say, was the medium to convey the comedy), but rather the endearing cast that made the viewer feel as if they were part of that group of lovable idiots.
That is not to say that Love is War was not a completely light-hearted show. Indeed, there were glimpses of tragic themes that, to an extent, makes the absurdity of the show explainable in a rather tragic way. For example, Kaguya's split personality of a cold, stoic, and successful individual contrasts wildly with her repressed, childish inner personality revealed only to the viewer and her faithful servant Hayasaka. Although comedic, the viewer discovers that this disconnect was a product of a strict and cold upbringing by a distant father, under the burden of maintaining the reputation of her family name. However, the glimpses are just glimpses, and the show masterfully weaves these moments as a light backdrop of a light-hearted comedy such that, when these glimpses become obvious, it hits the viewer with a heartful significance that the viewer cannot help but empathize even more strongly with the cast.
Perhaps the ultimate lesson learned from this anime is that a show does not need to portray deep themes in order for the viewer to feel that they went through a wonderful experience. Whether it is through laughing with the cast of the characters or empathizing in moments of grief, Love is War teaches the viewer that as long as a show's characters are enjoying themselves, then so are we.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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