The cast of characters is small, but likable and very well-developed. Our protagonists, Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane, are presidents of the student council at an elite academy. The series’ premise is that both of them have crushes on each other, but of course, neither wants to be the one to confess first, and they resort to playing mind games with one another around simple things, trying to convince the other to reveal their crush. On occasion, supporting council members Chika Fujiwara and Yu Ishigami inadvertently foil their strategies.
As is standard with many comedy series, episodes are divided into three sections, and each features a sketch that usually involves Kaguya or Shirogane devising a plan to get the other to do something. The variety of absurd ways they manipulate each other are consistently funny and well-paced, and nothing ever feels repetitive. The series’ sketch-based structure allows the series to remain interesting and fresh while giving the viewer a look into the inner workings of the way our main characters view each other, and every situation develops them as characters by revealing a handful of their strengths, weaknesses, and traits.
The animation is vivid, featuring colorful and well-defined characters and backgrounds, and the voice actors give excellent performances, allowing the characters to be relatable and expressive. The soundtrack was of good quality, and I especially liked the opening theme, “Love Dramatic.”
Overall, Kaguya-sama is a truly outstanding series. By circumventing tired romantic clichés in favor of perfectly paced comedy with a psychological twist, it provides a refreshing take on the genre that comes highly recommended to anyone looking for amusing and well-written entertainment.
9.5/10
