Jun 24, 2022
THANKS to A-1 Pictures and Mamoru Hatakeyama's team for giving us one of the best adaptations, and thanks to the author for writing one of the best romantic comedies.
On the technical side, everything is absolutely well thought out, from the carefully chosen soundtrack for each scene to the animation and staging of the important scenes. The lighting and shadow effects are probably the most elaborate I've ever seen in an animated series. The series is full of pop culture references and it's absolutely a treat to find them all, from Shawshank Redemption to more obscure things that only fans of 90's Japanese romance series know
...
(like "Confess" or「告白」OST). We can also praise the musical and the animation work of the two endings, the second one being the one that follows the incredible episode about the rap of Shirogane (and the other characters too). The first one contains an explicit reference to Starship Troopers. By the way, I come back to the rap episode, it's clearly a perfect example to prove that the staff is enjoying and having fun with this series, they turned a funny but ordinary chapter into an explosive rap duel.
All the characters are finely written. And unlike many comedies, they don't reduce to a character trait with one or two endlessly repetitive gags. Their jokes give real information about the characters, their past, their actual motivations and what they want to become in the future. Of course the humor is in the majority in the series to avoid falling into dramatic stories but nevertheless we understand that many of them have also experienced difficult things in their lives. Ishigami in high school, Kaguya in relation to her family situation, Shirogane comes from a modest family and does everything to be the best in his high school, etc.
The chemistry in this whole cast is incredibly well crafted. The characters are not only connected because they belong to a group, but because they really like and understand each other. There are many scenes of quarrelling but also many scenes of mutual support and complicity. Kaguya who helps Ishigami to work, Shirogane who wants to help Hayasaka to open to the others (excellent foreshadowing of the anime to take note). The secondary characters are not forgotten and allow to add a touch of humor typical of a romantic series. I think in particular of the love triangle with Maki the senpai tsundere so unfortunate not to have declared before.
Concerning the last episodes, I have to mark the SPOILERS!
***SPOILERS***
Obviously, we reach the culmination in this season where it's finally time for Kaguya and Shirogane to step forward and make their declaration. As a huge fan of manga, I was looking forward to this adaptation and once again, Mamoru Hatakeyama's team showed me what a serious adaptation means. This staff knows how to use all the animation techniques to create the perfect adaptation. It's not about following the manga's plot literally, but about using the strengths of the anime medium to deliver the best story.
Since always in Kaguya-sama, the two parts of the romantic relationship are treated equally. Neither character is idealized, their flaws and qualities are pointed out, and neither has a deformed idea of the person they love. It is in this way that during the cultural festival, both characters decide to jump in and end this love war. Ultimately, it is more than satisfying to see that our both characters, despite some reticence to declare their love for each other because of their ego, decide to go ahead and honestly admit how they feel about each other (which is no secret to us).
***SPOILERS END***
I can't tell you more because I wouldn't want to ruin the fabulous experience that me or other Kaguya-sama fans had. Anyway, I hope you will have fun, enjoy (with friends, why not) all the moments this series has to offer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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