Warning! Contains major spoilers for season 3 of Kaguya Sama: Love is War!
Most romantic comedies end with a climactic kiss between the two main characters, but better than more subversive anime like Chainsaw Man.
Kaguya Sama: Love is War is an anime produced by A-1 Pictures based on the manga of the same name by Aka Akasaka. It centers around two high school students, Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane, who love each other but view confessing this love as losing to their crush. This causes them to concoct elaborate, Death Note-style plans to get the other to confess first. This leads to plenty of hilarious moments which are only enhanced by some of the best comedic side characters in anime. Despite its hilarity, the show also proved itself adept at handling emotional character moments, tackling serious topics like social isolation and bullying.
The Kaguya-Sama Movie Is the Boldest Anime Romcom in Years
The movie leans more into these heavier topics while also retaining the laugh-out-loud comedy of its previous episodes. After kissing in Kaguya and Shirogane's relationship to a new level.
The movie isn't without its flaws, however. While it is ultimately a coherent whole, it also feels like a bunch of anime episodes stitched together, which can make it feel underwhelming overall. In addition, many of the side plots introduced don't get resolved, likely being saved for the show's fourth season. But these are ultimately minor quibbles that are overshadowed by the movie's overall greatness.
While the movie is a satisfying story in its own right that can be watched without having seen the show, this would diminish so much of what makes it great. The Kaguya Sama movie is replete with hilarious characters and running gags from the original show that will delight fans but may be confusing to new viewers. Additionally, the ultimate culmination of Kaguya and Shirogane's relationship is greatly enhanced by knowing how far they have come. But for fans of the show, Kaguya Sama: Love is War - The First Kiss That Never Ends is a perfect Valentine's Day movie that raised the bar for what romantic comedies should be.
Kaguya Sama: Love is War - The First Kiss That Never Ends is in select theaters for a limited time!
