Anime Recommendation: Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Love is not just sunshine and rainbows...love is war!!

I love a good romantic comedy. Not only do I get the hilarious antics that I would find in a comedy-focused series, but I also get the warm lovey-dovey feelings that are prevalent in romances. This Winter season's Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a perfect example of a blend of romance and comedy.

In most romance anime, the two main couple don't become an official couple until almost the very end of the series. Usually the entire series follows them as they deny their feelings about each other or struggle to confess their love to the other. Kaguya-sama: Love is War has a similar structure but twists it to make it a comedy. The two main characters refuse to confess their love to each other and instead have a battle of wits and wills to get the other person to admit their feelings.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War sets up the premise that in a world of social elites love is a battlefield and there is always a winner and a loser. Whoever is so weak-willed that they confess their love first is the loser in the relationship. Of course, this shouldn't be taken seriously, this is just the philosophy of the two main characters and gives you an idea as to why they would go to such lengths to NOT confess their love to each other.

The humor in Kaguya-sama: Love is War is found in the way it presents the mind games of the main couple as over-the-top and melodramatic like each scenario is a matter of life and death. It's almost like Death Note in the way that the characters over think every situation that might be romantic. And what makes it even funnier is how that despite trying to hide their true feelings, it's really obvious to anyone on the outside looking in that the main couple are in love.

And I think the romance and warm feelings that are always prevalent in romances are subtle in the beginning but become more apparent towards the end of the season. Even though the main couple refuse to say the words, "I love you", they express their feelings in their actions. If someone is badmouthing the main guy, the girl is not going to stand for that kind of slander. If the main girl is running late to school, the guy is going to show up sweaty on his bike to save her. It is those sweet moments in the midst of the comedy that remind you that this anime is a love story.

So then...who is the main couple of Kaguya-sama: Love is War? That would be Miyuki Shirogame and Kaguya Shinomiya, the president and vice president of the student council. Miyuki is the highest rank student in the school and comes off as suave and confident to his peers. Though behind his public image, Miyuki is far from perfect. He is a clumsy athlete, a nervous wreck when it comes to studying, clueless about love and relationships, and is obsessed with working.

But that makes him a perfect match for Kaguya Shinomiya. Like Miyuki, she is highly intelligent and to her peers she is a beautiful prodigy from a wealthy family. But like Miyuki, Kaguya is nothing like her noble appearance. She is innocent and immature on adult topics, she can be self-conscious about her body, and she just desperately wants to have fun with her friends.

If you're looking for a hilarious romantic comedy, I suggest that you check out Kaguya-sama: Love is War. It's an anime that shows that even geniuses are hopeless fools when it comes to love. If there isn't an announcement for a season two any time soon, I might just pick up the manga.

If you've already seen Kaguya-sama: Love is War, then let me know what you thought about the anime. Maybe even suggest other romantic comedies or over-the-top dramas for me to check out.