KAGUYA-SAMA WA KOKURASETAI: OTONA E NO KAIDAN

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyKaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensaitachi no Renai Zunousen
ANIME ComedyKaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: First Kiss wa Owaranai
MOVIE ComedyKaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Kanketsu-hen

REVIEWS

• 

  kadarakt

  85/100
  It was a great special but it's hard to not feel let down considering the big picture

  Spoilers for the anime and manga, especially for the funny stuff

  There are 2 ways to look at this special. On the one hand it is some of the highest quality adaptation we have seen from the anime, of some of the best scenes in the manga. Love is War's anime adaptation has always been very high quality, capturing the vibe of the manga and the absurd emotional states of the characters very well, but this special's animation felt especially high budget. Visually it might be the best part of the adaptation. The pacing was a bit too quick but I think that's mainly because of the time limitations and the sporadic nature of the special.

  On the other hand for every peak scene adapted there are many skipped and glossed over. A lot of the things in the special like Hayasaka's arc, Miko's broken arm or Kaguya's abduction are merely mentioned and not expanded upon, which I assume would be very confusing for anime onlies. Yes the manga's second half isn't as good as the first half. Yes it has a rushed and unsatisfactory ending (although it is no disaster like Oshi no Ko). But by no means was it bad enough to skip 2 to 3 seasons worth of content, especially when it comes to comedic scenes and Ishigami x Iino shenanigans (anime onlies who love that dynamic are going to miss out on so much). When the manga did focus on Shinomiya family stuff it did suffer, but I don't think it was that bad, and we had at least a season worth of content before we got to that point.

  Besides, all of that stuff could be fleshed out more with some anime original tweaks and additional scenes, as the biggest problem with these arcs were that they felt rushed and out of place. Worst case scenario they could have been cut or rewritten. Alas this is just the bargaining stage of grief, the reason why the manga was not adapted fully probably has other reasons.

  I was so happy to see the chapters where Miyuki's father became a streamer, Kaguya and Miyuki's first "passionate hug", and even the references to Among Us which took me back half a decade to when I read the manga and was amused at the references to current pop culture (yes it has been that long since Among Us). But it pains me to know we will probably never see Miyuki's father teach Iino Apex Legends, or Maki's journey for enlightenment in India.

  Overall I'm going to judge the special on its own and give it a pretty high score, but the wider implications this special had were very disappointing. All we can hope now is that maybe at least the anime special ending will give this series a more satisfactory ending than what we got in the manga (and remind ourselves yet again that for some reason everything Aka touches is cursed).

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• 

  melamuna

  90/100
  A heartwarming return to a beloved series—but is this the right direction forward?

  ---

  __Preface__

  Kaguya-sama was one of the few anime that made me fall in love with the medium. Its quippy, referential, oddly relatable, shōnen-fied mundanity, and oddball humor—mixed with a genuinely convincing love story between two awkward high school students—brought relatability to an extreme degree. It hooked me so deeply that it became the first long-running manga series I actually read weekly.

  The world the story presents is among the most brilliant and addictingly rewatchable animes out there, to the point that few shows could surpass the sheer brilliance of its presentation.

  Since the conclusion of the third season, the movie, and the manga years ago, anime fans have been eagerly waiting for the adaptation to inevitably reach its ending over the next couple of seasons. That was the expectation—until this surprise special changed everything. ***

  __Stairway to Adulthood__

  Let’s get this out of the way immediately: this special feels like the show never left. From its presentation to the writing, from its captivating story and the way the characters carry each scene, everything remains intact—only now with a bit more spice of its signature sprinkled in (especially with referential humor where diehard anime and manga fans would catch on immediately). There is also a sudden shift in its structure (that was set out from Season 3) where Kaguya, who takes on a more assertive romantic role in the relationship, while Miyuki grows noticeably more openly affectionate, making sweet romantic moments that will keep you blushing. It’s something we fully expected to see after the ending of the third season, but instead, we finally get it here—and not a single minute is wasted.

  The special explores numerous themes and situations that any normal couple faces, all filtered through that unmistakable Kaguya-sama flair. It respectfully adapts several important manga moments—somehow making them even funnier in animated form. As a result, this special is an immediate hit for fans of the anime, offering a deeper look into Kaguya and Miyuki’s relationship.

  However, for those who have read the manga, the very existence of this special—and the way it is framed—may spark sadness, as it subtly suggests that future seasons might not be possible. ***

  __The Implications of this Special (Spoiler)__

  This special basically confirms itself that Season 4 and beyond wouldn't be possible. Gone are the couple of major arcs built after season 3, especially with the blossoming relationship of Ishigami and Miko (which is my favorite overarching arc of the series) that we couldn't get to see animated. Though it will disappoint a lot of fans, as we wouldn't get a full adaptation to the entire series, there is a silver lining, namely having an original ending (despite the source material for an ending being already available). Though it's an odd choice at first, and you may react to it in a negative light, but on the other hand, I find this as an optimistic approach to the series.

  While it is disappointing that couldn't get to see our favorite arcs and character moments from the manga, for us manga fans, it would be a treat for us (along with Anime-only fans of the series) to see and experience a brand new ending of this series at the same time anime fans would, which will garner a unique experience that we haven't got to see in a long while. Although, anime fans might have flashbacks from the formative years of anime with original endings, but knowing how this special presented itself, I couldn't really see that as a concern, since (in my perspective) the new original ending might take place beyond the ending of the manga, which solves the canon issues.

  As for anime-only fans, they have definitely missed out a lot of major arcs of the series, but if you're only focusing on the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki, The Third season and the christmas movie is as climax as it can get, but you're definitely missing out a lot of devastating, or wholesome character moments for side characters, and it might be the time for you to read the manga. But if you only care for the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki, in an overall perspective, you're not missing out that much.

  As for me, I wouldn't be worried. I trust the team that carried this series, and even this being a special, it's spiced up with a lot of love and flair (which hadn't lost its steam since the very beginning). Will it be the greatest ending we’ll see? probably not. It'll most likely be an after-story where we'll catch up how our favorite characters have been, but it is a wonderful treat to see regardless. ***

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