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

Kaguya-sama might not be the best anime ever, despite it's near-perfect rankings, but by the third season it definitely is peak romcom and I can hardly imagine a show doing this formula much better. I mean, I can't say I even like romcom manga and anime, both harem and not. They are usually extremely meandering, overstretched affairs that never get to the point because that would resolve the plot and kill the cash cow. For proper enjoyment, they need to be either fairly short and the-the-point (which is very rare in this format) or so well-written and funny that you don't mind the painfully slow progressionand lack of closure. Kaguya-sama is clearly in the second camp, as the structure with relatively short skits and the top-tier comedic writing keep it fresh for a long time. However, it'd still get annoying if not all the subtle plot progression and character development in late season 2 and season 3. The relationship between Kaguya and Miyuki looks very different by the end of this season than it did at the beginning, but also all the student council members show some forms of growth and treat each other with more honestly and appreciation. Despite the formula staying very similar, this is not a never-ending loop of exploitable jokes, but a proper, slow-burn romance story that kind of happens in the background of constant gags, always managing to end a season on a satisfying note and transform itself in subtle ways.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the production quality and voice acting are just legendary. This elevates the creative episode concepts and witty gags to a whole new level, basically making the perfect use of the strength of anime as a medium. Like I've said before, I can hardly imagine romcom being done better and unless you utterly loathe the genre as a whole, Kaguya-sama is a must watch. Without a doubt, 10/10.