Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
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Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

8.5
Yr 2019
Rt 24m
Status Ended
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

Considered a genius due to having the highest grades in the country, Miyuki Shirogane leads the prestigious Shuchiin Academy's student council as its president, working alongside the beautiful and wealthy vice president Kaguya Shinomiya. The two are often regarded as the perfect couple by students despite them not being in any sort of romantic relationship.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 85 /100

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is largely celebrated by critics as a standout, innovative romantic comedy. Reviewers frequently praise the series for its clever writing, witty psychological battles, and engaging, cute character dynamics. The show's unique framing of high-stakes romantic tension as a tactical game of wits is widely considered its greatest strength, with many outlets labeling it one of the best examples of the genre in recent years.

While the critical consensus is overwhelmingly positive, reception is not unanimous. A minority of reviewers found the setup to be overly familiar or lacking in substance. Additionally, while the series is generally praised for its sharp direction and humor, some critics noted that the narrative intensity could falter, with specific criticism directed at the pacing and the strength of the season's finale.

“This anime offers a unique and entertaining take on the romantic comedy genre.”

“As a deliciously dark romantic comedy with an excellent hook, this is a great weekend watch for anyone who appreciates the rougher edges of teenage love.”

“Kaguya-Sama ranks among some of the best romantic comedies of the past few years.”

“Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War is about as captivating as a potato.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
CA • US • UK
Crunchyroll
CA • US • UK
Why fans love it

The premise hinges on two high-achieving students trapped in an elaborate psychological chess match. Instead of letting their feelings develop naturally, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya prioritize strategic dominance, viewing any admission of affection as a shameful loss of social standing. This creates a friction that moves away from traditional romance and into the realm of tactical warfare. The animation style emphasizes this tension, turning mundane school life into a series of high-stakes, breathless maneuvers.

The comedy comes from watching characters with elite intelligence act like complete fools when their plans inevitably unravel. Aoi Koga provides a sharp performance as Kaguya, whose cold exterior flickers whenever her carefully constructed schemes collide with reality. It is a show that treats the small dramas of Japanese high school life with the gravity of a political thriller. The result is a series where the intellect on display is often a thin veil for deep, stubborn insecurity.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 10
Longest run 37 eps
Show 67 more
Taku Yashiro as Tsubasa Tanuma (voice) 37 episodes Kana Ichinose as Maki Shijou (voice) 16 episodes Haruka Fukuhara as Tsubame Koyasu (voice) 16 episodes Yutaka Aoyama as Narration (voice) 37 episodes Takehito Koyasu as Shirogane's Father (voice) 7 episodes Sayumi Suzushiro as Kei Shirogane (voice) 14 episodes Aoi Ichikawa as Boy confessing love (voice) 1 episode Miho Okasaki as Girl getting love confession (voice) 1 episode Hiromichi Tezuka as Salaryman (voice) 1 episode Sayaka Kaneko as Schoolgirl A (voice) 1 episode Hina Kino as Miki (voice) 1 episode Tomomi Mineuchi as Ienaga [Yeti] (voice) 1 episode Hiroki Maeda as Questioner (voice) 1 episode Ryo Sugisaki as Responder (voice) 1 episode Sally Amaki as Betsy Beltoise (voice) 1 episode Afumi Hashi as Exchange student (voice) 1 episode Daiki Kobayashi as French schoolboy (voice) 1 episode Tomoko Tsuzuki as French schoolgirl (voice) 1 episode Shinei Ueki as Schoolboy B (voice) 1 episode Haruno Inoue as Schoolgirl A (voice) 1 episode Ikuji Nose as Boss (male) (voice) 1 episode Hikaru Akao as Schoogirl (voice) 1 episode Hinata Tadokoro as Teacher (voice) 1 episode Yu Sasahara as Schoolgirl A (voice) 1 episode Keita Tada as Baseball club member A (voice) 1 episode Kouichi Souma as Countryside old man (voice) 3 episodes Teppei Uenishi as Baseball club member B (voice) 1 episode Shunya Hiruma as Baseball club member C (voice) 1 episode Eri Yukimura as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Kayuki Matsumoto as Schoolgirl B (voice) 2 episodes Himari Mochida as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Yuki Ishikari as Pesu (voice) 3 episodes Kento Shiraishi as Schoolboy (voice) 2 episodes Mei Shibata as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Satoshi Inomata as Schoolboy (voice) 2 episodes Reigo Yamaguchi as Teacher (voice) 2 episodes Maki Kawase as Schoolgirl B (voice) 3 episodes Haruki Ishiya as Election committee member (voice) 3 episodes Reiou Tsuchida as Team member (voice) 3 episodes Yuuka Morishima as Schoolgirl B (voice) 2 episodes Hodaka Mieno as Voice guidance (voice) 2 episodes Yuka Nukui as Nurse (voice) 4 episodes Mayuko Kazama as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Fumiko Uchimura as Schoolgirl (voice) 3 episodes Fumiyoshi Shioya as Team member (voice) 2 episodes Taito Ban as Team member (voice) 4 episodes Rina Honnizumi as Megako (voice) 5 episodes Hirohiko Kakegawa as Daichi Fujiwara (voice) 2 episodes Yu Okano as Gou Kazamatsuri (voice) 5 episodes Shogo Sakata as Team member (voice) 2 episodes Masamu Ono as Saburo Toyosaki (voice) 3 episodes Haruo Satou as Saburō Odajima (voice) 2 episodes Takeshi Maruyama as J. Suzuki (voice) 2 episodes Chiaki Kobayashi as Teppei Tanaka (voice) 2 episodes Kohei Amasaki as Masaru Kobayashi (voice) 2 episodes Gen Sato as Daiki Sato (voice) 2 episodes Ari Ozawa as Moeha Fujiwara (voice) 6 episodes Yuuichirou Umehara as Handsome Guy A (voice) 3 episodes Soma Saito as Handsome Guy B (voice) 2 episodes Yuuki Hirose as Schoolgirl (voice) 2 episodes Yuuki Takada as Rei Onodera (voice) 7 episodes Madoka Asahina as Karen Kino (voice) 12 episodes Ayaka Asai as Erika Kose (voice) 10 episodes Itaru Yamamoto as Headmaster (voice) 6 episodes Taishi Murata as Team Leader Kazeno (voice) 5 episodes Marika Kouno as Kozue Makihara (voice) 5 episodes Saori Hayami as Momo Ryuju (voice) 3 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Kaguya-sama: Love Is War overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

psychology high school romcom romance based on manga school life seinen anime japanese high school loving hilarious
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 12, 2019
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
24 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
888