Review of Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-

"You can't get by with someone else's words precisely because it's a crucial moment." -- the following is a brief paragraph or two on my overall thoughts, followed by spoilers about how this show handles progression well and moving on. reader discretion is advised. -- (this was written when MAL had the full season at 12 episodes. all, now 13, episodes were seen when this review was written.) So many shows try to handle romance. So many shows try to handle comedy. Naturally, the marrying of the two genres was something that was bound to happen. It's been done time and time again and the fact that newmedia is still able to excel in that direction is always a pleasant sight.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War came in hot this Spring with the third season of the rom-com no one can stop talking about. More pop culture references, more new bits, more characterization of side characters, and the the most monumental exploration of the main romance - there was no room for disappointment. To say A1 delivered is an understatement. An exceptionally bright, entertaining show that can't help but punch emotionally too.

What I mainly wanted to touch on is how Ishigami and Miyuki have grown this season. Fujiwara still has mostly comedic relief to bench, Kaguya is still my second favorite character and Miyuki's change impacts her growth as well, and I'm still not totally on board the Iino train yet but like her more this time around.
Ishigami had the pleasure of holding the last arc last season, giving a much needed backstory to the quiet, misunderstood high schooler. After finally overcoming his insecurity of being an outcast, he shines brightly this season with giving romance a spin on his own. It's a great contrast to the war our leads have, a more romantically-clueless individual trying to reach someone and leads to its fair share of heartwarming moments. It was obvious from the beginning that the student council already had some sort of bond, but to see that grow into a fully fledged, believable friend group is fantastic and giving Ishigami more depth made it possible.
When it comes to Miyuki, I love what they did here: the decision to study abroad. It puts a fire under him, a need to try and reach Kaguya as quickly as possible so that they're able to enjoy their last year at Shuchiin Academy the way they want to. The school festival arc has him acting more forward than ever, still not wanting to outright express his feelings but wanting to reach her on a romantic level. His calm and collective exterior from the POV of Shinomiya's frantic interior gives a great sight of how he's more determined than ever - it gives a portrait of how deep this feeling goes. It all leads to a phenomenal conclusion, an end to the first of many wars to come.

Now: what's next? Is this the end for the anime? The manga is still ongoing with plans to finish soon, but it feels like almost everything is wrapped in a nice little bow as of now. Our leads basically confessed their feelings in a way any oblivious person could interpret and were seen holding hands in the second-to-last frame, Ishigami has a chance to date the upperclassman he's fallen for, Iino is cracking her shell and giving her old rival a chance at friendship... if this were the end, it could be. I'm satisfied. But, there's plenty of room to continue, to let the audience soak in the antics of the student council a few more times. I wouldn't deny a fourth serving.

Okay, okay, I'm caving: I'll give the newest season of Kaguya-sama a 10. An outstanding show that wears its creativity and heart on its sleeve with no regrets. One of the greats.