Please read Kaguyasama even if youre not into comedy or romance just try to give it a go. Since its genuinely one of the most earnestly subversive and impressive stories one I absolutely didnt expect. And the evolution it has gone through has surpassed any series that I know. But if you do happen to find yourself uninterested in the sketchbased storytelling at the start just know it will be a different story by when you catch up. Well thats basically the gist of what I want to say before delving into spoilers though by the way definitely avoid reading them if youre already confident about starting the series. BEWARE OF SPOILERS FROM HERE ON Having finished the first season it seemed I had grown really fond of the show. So I thought at least but it turned out that it hadnt left a lasting impression as it quickly faded and left the series in my memory as a mere landmark. Then the second season rolled around and I was immediately hooked once again. But it was different not just my experience the way the story flowed. Well it was clearly of the same series but it truly felt new. Not only did the episodes share a common cast of characters and ideas but the events of each episode explicitly influenced the following ones. While this was present in S1 for some episodes it wasnt nearly as prevalent or even noticeable. And as the episodes unfolded... I saw the student council winning the election and gaining a member Ishigami joining the cheering club and beginning to find confidence Kaguya facing her emotions and almost addressing them... Practically all the characters had new angles in which their characters were shown or explored as a result the narrative became continuous the show felt a lot more significant. It was all part of a bigger narrative a story... a spectacular story. And so I was finally compelled to read the manga which I had poked but failed to getting around reading. Well I read the manga... But in truth I didnt notice reading it because I forgot. It wasnt even all I forgot. I forgot it was a comedy well yeah? I even forgot its a story. The experience of seeing characters I had grown to care for struggle in the period of great change in their lives was so immersive and real that it eclipsed everything. It was probably a long time that I was locked in front of my laptop screen. But to be honest it was a great read and I didnt even feel bad after finishing it. And well now I can really say... Kaguyasama is special. This story has been serious for quite some time now. Aka Akasaka. How can a story simultaneously dabble in the realm of comedy and in themes of selfdoubt selfloathing regret guilt depression maturing affection so seamlessly...? Well I dont know its a question lol. But seriously as a writer I really dont have a gratifying answer to that question. At least I can throw some ideas on the table though. The main concept I have for this is that there are no borders for this story. The comedy isnt just mixed in among the development. Im not sure if I can say that its a part of it but the punchlines come from the characters not the author and sticks to the personalities the characters have. Also its often that they lead to actual consequences in the narrative and shift it around they arent in a bubble that doesnt hold weight over the story itself. But this idea goes further than just that. The story doesnt have bubbles around characters either. Its not sugarcoated really its not. The characters including the main ones have aspects to their personality that are considered negative. She can be spiteful has a quick fuse and she sometimes actually does hurt characters around her. In some stories these wouldnt be truly shown in fear of making the character unlikable even if the story wanted the audience believe in the existence of those traits to give the character depth. Everything that she blames herself for and struggles with is actually a part of her characterization theres no forced drama. Oh and the character dynamics too. The characters form a lot of new relationships within the story and the relationships change. I wouldnt have expected Hayasaka and Miyuki to become friends and have so much joint development. Neither did I realize how prevalent the trio of Shirogane Ishigami and Maki would be. Basically any combination of prominent characters has a unique and memorable dynamic. The character relationship charts that portray them as very simplistic are probably an elaborate joke about how weakly theyre usually defined. But even beyond all that. Well... Almost every story has a border which it doesnt cross. You can usually sense it and when you think of something on the other side of that it feels obvious that it wont be a part of the story. If its crossed then theres a clear feeling that something is wrong and that the scene or moment or character doesnt fit into the established confines of the work. Its perfectly fine for that border to exist and it isnt a flaw to have a line that isnt crossed. Actually quite the opposite its great for a story to have a specific identity and focus. But storytelling doesnt have absolute truths or rules theyre guidelines and basically every concept can conceivably be used well in some context. And one series that constantly goes against the commonsense of storywriting is Kaguyasama. Kaguyasama is quite unique in not limiting itself to one specific immersion its ready to shift the perception of characters and the narrative whenever it wants. And never in Kaguya does it feel that something is omitted. That some ramification is ignored for the sake of convenience or that characters turn a blind eye to something. Although theres a question around this. For example something out of Berserk clearly many of those things arent things that can happen in Kaguyasama right? Well yes but its because the story doesnt need to not because it restricts itself. But something that I think makes for a great example is that the very premise of the series which at first is the absolute core that cant be resolved before the end is resolved before the end. Far before the end. And the story is still going and likely for quite a while... let that sink in. The most integral moment of Kaguyasama wasnt the climax of the story Kaguyasama didnt hold itself back and stick to the premise instead it went far beyond to explore its themes a lot deeper. Im talking vaguely about concepts but this aspect of the story shines through so hard when you read it. And well to conclude the line of thought basically everything is accepted in Kaguyasama silly things serious things its all one and pretty much anything can happen. I hope this idea is somewhat discernible from this of a textwall that this was what Im talking about that is. And thats the foundation of Kaguyasamas greatness in my opinion. But well that isnt all theres to talk about. So many specific pieces of characterization so many specific moments so many ideas this story is filled with food for thought and has made me reflect on myself. But this review is pretty lengthy and Ive laid down what I think is the core for all that is built on top so Ill refrain restrict this review from getting into any specific plotpoints or character moments the meaningful stuff. Kaguyasama is simply whole. Also Hayasaka best girl.
100 /100
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