Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic

The elite members of Shuchiin Academy’s student council continue their competitive day-to-day antics. Council president Miyuki Shirogane clashes daily against vice-president Kaguya Shinomiya, each fighting tooth and nail to trick the other into confessing their romantic love. Kaguya struggles within the strict confines of her wealthy, uptight family, rebelling against her cold default demeanor as she warms to Shirogane and the rest of her friends.
Meanwhile, council treasurer Yuu Ishigami suffers under the weight of his hopeless crush on Tsubame Koyasu, a popular upperclassman who helps to instill a new confidence in him. Miko Iino, the newest student council member, grows closer to the rule-breaking Ishigami while striving to overcome her own authoritarian moral code.
As love further blooms at Shuchiin Academy, the student council officers drag their outsider friends into increasingly comedic conflicts.

It’s no secret that Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic has been the anime I was most looking forward to when the Spring season rolled around. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic lived up to my own expectations? Yes, I believe so. Allow me to share my honest biased opinion on the anime as a whole.

**I am full aware that I’m posting my final review before the final one-hour episode. I also understand that I do not know what is included in the final episode but I assume that if all things stay the same what I know is coming next will be there. I’m taking a chance and will writing this blog under my assumption.**

I guess you can say that the third installment in the series of Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai was “ultra romantic” because at its heart, that is what it was. Season three of Kaguya-sama is different from the previous two seasons because of romance. It’s no secret that the previous two seasons felt a million times more comedic. For example, the Narrator was someone you heard more often than not and Kaguya and Shirogane-kun were constantly putting each other in situations that would ‘force’ the other into confessing their feelings first. In season three, there was barely any of that, you could tell that the third season was supposed to be and feel different.

To some people, this is probably their biggest dislike about the show. The comedic aspect is pretty much nonexistent because the anime is more focused on the romance side of things. Which is something I understand because the comedy is what got me hooked on the Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai series as a whole. That isn’t to say that the third season has no comedic scenes whatsoever because there are still an abundance of them.

Whenever you have Fujiwara in a scene you know that something very entertaining is about to go down. In that regard, you can tie the comedy side of things directly to Chika Fujiwara the character. If she wasn’t there then chances are the segment itself will not be purely comedic. As the third installment of the series focused on romance, you don’t get to see much of Fujiwara but she was still a very important figure, just not as important as years past.

The third installment to the Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai series saw an overall expansion in our characters. We’ve long known that Kaguya and Shirogane-kun had always liked each other, but this feeling between them had always felt comical. That was until season three had rolled around, now the feelings they have for each other feel genuine and that’s something I did enjoy.

We also got to see a more energetic Ishigami-kun which was something we started to see towards the end of season two. So I have expected for that momentum to be carried over to season three, which is did and is something I’m happy for. If we think about it Ishigami-kun has already gone through alot, we’ve seen him at what probably was his lowest point in season two. To one where he now has the courage to like someone and to ask them out is a big turnaround.

Above all else, the final episode had everything I wanted. Granted, it wasn’t quite the same with slight variations here and there but yeah. It was finally great to see the kiss because to me, that signaled the start of what is going the best arc to come. Anyway, I loved how well the tower scene turned out. It was the best animated scene of the whole series and it ain’t even close. The cluster of heart balloons and such was top tier, along with the kiss of course.

We come a long way and there’s plenty to go. However, given how the episode ended, I doubt that there will be an additional season. Which is something I do not mind at all because if you want to see what happens next, then you’ll have to hop onto the manga train. It only makes sense because after all, Shirogane and Kaguya haven’t physically “confessed” they just showed each other they loved each other through a very passionate kiss.

The anime war still rages on if you think about it. At its core, the original intention was for either Kaguya or Shirogane-kun to put the other in a situation that would force them to confess their feelings first. The end goal is NOT to be the first one to ask the other out. As someone who has read the manga, the ending of the third season is the start of what is going to be an incredible ride.

I’m really happy with how Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic turned out. This series as a whole is a must watch for sure.