Let's begin by noting a general synopsis of this anime -- "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" does not adhere to romantic realism, nor does it wish for its viewers to adhere to such realism. In fact, it takes advantage of its ridiculous nature, whether it be the premise of the show or the actions of the characters. Through this, "Kaguya-sama" is not a run-of-the-mill rom-com, simply because it does not take itself seriously. Is this detrimental to the series? No; it actually strengthens both the show's characters, enjoyment, story, and overall feeling.
My personal rating scale has three main categories: Characters, plot, and enjoyability. Conventionally, if broken down, these categories would include characters' series development, sub-plot details that don't force the viewer to include any additional effort to grasp but still flow in a coherent manner, and whether these two categories affect the enjoyability of the show due to the annoying nature of loopholes and character structures (or lack thereof). "Kaguya-sama" has no doubt forced me to plan to radically overhaul my rating scale. A lack of character development is oddly crucial in this show -- again, this rotates entirely around the premise that "Kaguya-sama" does not take itself literally.
We see the story through the lens of comedic innocence -- the characters are humorously undereducated and childish despite holding rank in a prestigious school, the story is narrated through the mindset of one of these characters by an adult, and the plot itself is inherently stupid. Yes, "stupid" -- but does a plot being stupid directly correlate with being inherently bad? Conventionally, yes. However, "Kaguya-sama" has a strength that I haven't seen in other romantic-comedy anime -- by refusing to take itself literally (not even once from what I've seen) and rejecting any sort of meaningful plot development, it not only distinguishes itself as a unique take on the romantic-comedy genre, but is perhaps one of the most loyal to that genre's description: Romance and comedy.
An issue with romantic-comedy anime is its flawed nature of taking itself too seriously at times. We see this in "Toradora!," "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou," and "Golden Time." Each one of these shows has, to a degree, a major ridiculous premise that contributes to the comedic aspect of the show. "Toradora!" has an elf-sized schoolgirl living in a massive tower as a juxtaposition to its second main character, a tall and pressuring individual that lives in a small hut. "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou" has its inherently ridiculous aspect in its title. The whole plot-driver of "Golden Time" is amnesia. These are not inherently bad qualities of these romantic-comedy anime, and are actually contributors to its enjoyability. However, when the plot betrays its own ridiculous yet crucial plot points by attempting to be serious to drive plot, then the show arguably collapses on its romantic-COMEDY aspect. The most blatant offender to this dilemma? High-school and college students cannot control the world around them -- if you wish to meet reality, then play into reality. If you wish to have a ridiculous premise, then play into the ridiculous premise.
We return to "Kaguya-sama," a show that not only remains steadfast to its romanticism and comedic values, but plays into the ridiculous nature that it presents at the beginning of its series as the first and core motivator of plot. It refuses to betray that aspect of light-hearted and innocent story-telling by attempting a serious nature in the plot.
I will admit that all of this is abhorrently subjective. All the qualities I mentioned that I consider detrimental could be just as supplemental in another person's perspective. Through their lens, "Kaguya-sama" refuses to take itself seriously and thus, does not motivate plot development nor character development, resulting in a lackluster story with no motivation other than the ridiculous nature of world-power school students that seem to nearly control the world around them. However, one could also see "Kaguya-sama" as an anime that embraces its ridiculous nature by refusing to drive plot points, using its detriments as a core strength to its storyline. Lack of character and plot development not only contribute to its enjoyability, but its essential for the premise of which it lays upon. For the nine episodes I've seen, the show refuses to take itself literally, and rightfully so.
But this is a glorified comic-book anime, at best.
However, it is an over-hyped rom-com that has defied my expectations ten-fold and has destroyed my perspective of what I believed to be the guidelines to an enjoyable anime. On my rating scale, I define a 10/10 as a masterpiece anime, one that changes the idea of anime itself and will undoubtedly remain a classic in the eyes of all who watch it.
"Kaguya-sama" did change the idea of my rating scale; perhaps it deserves a ten from me because of this alone. It is an amazing show that has a wonderful amount of enjoyment, a great opening, wonderful character interactions, and most of all, does not take itself seriously.
I wouldn't feel right giving a comic-book anime a 10/10 though.
8/10.
TL;DR -- "Kaguya-sama" is a light-hearted and lovable rom-com with hilarious characters that refuses to take itself seriously, oddly contributing to the enjoyment of the show. The lack of plot and character development are crucial in this aspect, and result in an anime that stays loyal to both the romantic and comedic qualities that such a genre of this type should remain steadfast to. By playing into its ridiculous nature, it holds onto its romanticism while also embracing its humorous aspects all at the same time, refusing to betray either part.
(longer than 80% of my admissions essays LOL)
