THE BEST ANIME OF 2023 IN MY OPINION – PART I

Hello my friends. Welcome to a new entry of my blog.

First things firsts…. Merry Christmas!!

I hope all of you had a very awesome celebration with your family and friends. From my regard, I was invited to a lot of parties, and I celebrated Christmas calling my family and friends. And we still have the New Years Eve.

Be as it may be, I am aware that I still have to update myself regarding my blog. And what a good way to end the year than to make many lists of, in my opinion, the best anime of all 2023?

Because yeah, I watched a lot of sweet anime during this 2023 despite not writing as much as in the previous years, some of them have their own pending entry, but until then, I will start mentioning six of my best anime of all 2023.

And I apologise beforehand if your anime is not in this list, but don’t worry, for I will keep doing lists like this for the upcoming days, and I am sure that in one of them, your series will be here.

Until then, enjoy…

THE BEST ANIME OF 2023 IN MY OPINION – PART 1.

6. MASHLE – MAGIC AND MUSCLES.

Yes. This is indeed one of the biggest surprises of all 2023. Just when I though nothing could be as funny as the premise of One-Punch Man, A-1 Pictures releases this little gem of 2023. From minute one, I was laughing hard with all the jokes, and also, I was surprised of the amazing hilarious situations that came from such a simple premise – A world in which magic is everything, yet, one young man, Mash Burnedead, who was born magicless, is going to make his way on Easton Magic Academy.

One could have thought that this is nothing but a rip-off of One-Punch Man, but it is not. It actually takes inspiration from the latter, but ends being its own thing, and that is awesome. You will still prefer One-Punch Man, but there is no doubt that Mashle is memorable by its own merit, for the comedy, the action, and the world itself.

At the same time, the animation is beautiful. I still can’t believe it came from A-1 Pictures. When we are talking about shonen anime, I come up with studios like MAPPA, Wit Studio, Bones, and of course Pierrot. But, somehow, A-1 Pictures perfectly proved it can stand out with other genres, aside from fantasy, sci-fi or romance.

Also, the characters, from Mash to the villains, and the antagonistic Lang House, are relatable and fantastic as well. My favourite characters are definitely Dot and Lemon because they are so eccentric, yet likeable and they beautifully move the plot in their own particular way, giving them more personality.

Combine this all together and you have one of the best and most hilarious anime of 2023.

5. HELL’S PARADISE – JIGOKURAKU

In every project that they release, Studio MAPPA finds a way to make their projects equally amazing, Jujutsu Kaisen 2 increasing the level of drama in many ways, and Vinland Saga 2 exploring a new face of our main character… And of course, Attack on Titan by… making us cry. But in Hell’s Paradise, I was genuinely scared, that was barely happened to me in anime, not even with Umineko, When The Seagulls Cry, because the story presents powerful, yet human characters, such as Gabimaru and Sagiri Asaemon Yamada, and you might be thinking… Nah!! They will survive!!

And then there is a point in which you definitely understand the dangers of their journey at Shinsenkyo, all of the characters, even the main ones, can die. I am not going to spoil anything, but this feeling is because of many factors, the first one is the pretty well-done first episode, in which we see through the complexity of Gabimaru the Hollow, character you end up sympathising with; and also the way story unfolds, allowing you to see that the convicts are not that bad and the not all the Yamada Asaemon are good people, without necessarily hating them – You want, in a way, for all the characters to survive.

And then…   the threats of Shinsekyo arrive, and that is where you understand that anything can die, and that they look like real abominations out of this world.

Take that and combine it with the sweet animation and the soundtrack, in order to give you another gem from MAPPA. Some say Hell’s Paradise is not as good as Chainsaw Man, and I kind of agree, but like Mashle, it stands out in the. Best way possible.

4. MY HAPPY MARRIAGE

Time to jump from the action to the drama.

I read about My Happy Marriage months before the anime was released, and I was already touched for the story of Miyo Saimori and Kyouka Kudou. That poor girl being mistreated all her life due to her apparent lack of supernatural powers, and that soldier who just wanted to find true love, in one of my favourite settings of any story – Meiji Restoration of Japan, or the Taisho era according to Wikipedia.

Thanks to their love, Miyo evolves from a quiet and meek girl to having more self-love and self-confidence, while Kyouka is able to open to his true self and finds hope in his life. Also, the first part of the first season does a great job at portraying the Saimori family as abusers without being too over the top, especially Kaya, who is the personification of this quote from The Simpsons.

“Sweet on the outside, poison on the inside.”

Luckily, she receives her comeuppance, and that is one of the sweetest moments.

And the second half, and possibly the rest of the light novels, it’s mostly about Miyo and Kyouka learning to trust each other, sharing moments together, facing problems as both a couple and individuals. But you feel their love, they enjoy being with each other. And for me, that makes them more enjoyable to watch.

Also, the animation by Kinema Citrus is superb, the soundtrack is beautiful. And yes, I am aware that not everyone would enjoy the story, because it is a bit slow and not so action-packed.  Nonetheless, due to its story, it brings a wonderful sensation of happiness and comfy despite its initial melancholy.

Finally, My Happy Marriage does something with the story I will be always grateful for – making Miyo and Kyouka a couple from the start, instead of directly confessing their feelings at the last episode, making the narrative more interesting and original.

Because of this, and many other reasons, I consider My Happy Marriage as one of the best anime in 2023.

3. MUSHOKU TENSEI – JOBLESS REINCARNATION (SEASON 2)

Those who read my previous entries might know that Mushoku Tensei was one of my favourite anime in 2021. It offered a new perspective with the Isekai genre, in the way of a mixture between bildungsroman, adventure and fantasy, I really welcomed that, especially since I am a very big fan of Isekai, even the worst isekai can actually attract my attention.

From the start, the life of Rudeus Greyrat has been difficult, in a personal and in a social way, and also because the trauma of his previous life deeply affected him; despite this, he worked hard in order to move on, especially after the end of season 1, which for me, was… bittersweet.

But in the beginning of the season, we understand that he truly hit rock bottom, just when we thought he could move on… he hit rock bottom once more. However, with the help of some friends, and due to his previous endeavours, Rudeus is able to enrol into the Ranoa Magic Academy, and meet his childhood friend Sylphy… more or less.

Overall, the season 2 is about the story of Sylphy and Rudeus. We go with them in their difficult trials, and we smiled when we see they made the best of them and evolved as characters, and then, we were present when they know “this something” was missing in each other’s life, and… SPOILER ALERT.

The ending when Rudeus reunites with Sylphy is heartwarming. I was waiting every week to see when they meet again, and when they did, and Rudeus proposed to Sylphy I was almost in tears. Such a beautiful ending for such a beautiful story, despite Part 2 is still waiting.

If there is something that Mushoku Tensei – season 2, taught me is that if we work hard and persevere in life, we can become more than we could ever expected, especially if we are genuinely good people, because our beloved ones might give us the “push” we sometimes need in the most difficult moments.

And for that, and the beautiful animation, is Mushoku Tensei – season 2 is in this list.

2. OSHI NO KO

Oh my gosh!! Speaking about surprises.

I will be honest with you. When I saw the cover of Oshi no Ko, I thought… “Nah. It is another formulaic story of Japanese Idols.” It is not like I hate them, in fact I loved both Idolmaster and Love Live!! But I am not sure that I will be that invested.

And then…

MY POOR AI. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?

This scene was the one who pushed me into Oshi no Ko. But that was only the tip of the iceberg, because I realised this story… is better and more complex than I thought. It got fantasy, it got drama, it got good characters, it got such a catchy opening song, and there, it got our attention.

Furthermore, we are on an idol anime that, unlike many of its predecessors, portrays the ugly side of the entertainment world in Japan, not just the beautiful one, with many real-life similarities that makes Oshi No Ko more relevant that we could ever thought.

Also, the part of the “origin” of both Ruby and Aqua was so heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, and the fact that it has some of the most tragic deaths in all anime history makes it more impactful.

But just because Oshi No Ko is dark does not mean it lacks comedy. Check it out.

I know it was a matter of time before Oshi No Ko became this popular, although I am still surprised of how it apparently became so entangled into the anime community.

I am really looking forward for season 2, and the ending of Aqua’s quest of revenge.

1. DEMON SLAYER – THE SWORDSMITH VILLAGE ARC

My friends…

It cannot be in another way.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of my favourite anime of all time. And after the ending of Mount Natagumo arc, I wanted to watch both Demon Train and Entertainment District arcs. But I couldn‘t watch them completely. Happily, I could watch more of The Swordsmith Village Arc, and… it is pure gold!!

Ufotable, once again, has proved to know what to do on the adaptation of Kimetsu no Yaiba, how to make the battles memorable, how to make Mitsuri shine, how to transit the feeling of the story, how to make Mitsuri shine, and how to adapt one of the best moments of Kimetsu no Yaiba.

And… Did I mention How to make Mitsuri shine?

I am going d to watch again The Swordsmith Village Arc from scratch, because there is nothing that I love more than relive the feeling that I got from this adaptation, and everything that has to do with the franchise of Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Nothing else to say. It is something that you must experience… Simple as that.

And there you go. Six of my favourite anime of 2023, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Stay tuned for Part II.

And… Merry Christmas and happy new Year 2024.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – OSHI NO KO – MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Oshi No Ko (The Idol’s Children)

Genre: Drama, Supernatural, Idol

Studio Doga Kobo

Hello my Friends. Welcome to Another entry of my blog.

I have been very busy this month of April, because I have been working in book for the last weeks, and at the first days of April, I sufferes a pretty acute viral infection that left me in bed for almost a week, and finally, I am planning some holidays for July, so I got a lot of things to do.

Nonetheless, I have also a lot of time to watch some good anime, and prepare some good entries, including Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village, Konosuba, Handyman Saitou, Buddy Daddies, Tomo-chan is a Girl, Hell’s Paradise, Engage Kiss, Maniac, Ranking of Kings, and some manga, including Dandadan, Goodbye Eri, Chainsaw Man part 2 . But right now, I am going to talk about.

OSHI NO KO

To be honest, I did not wanted to take too much time in this story, especially because I thought it wold be that special, but… Damn!!! After watching the first two episodes, and listening to the opening song, I said to myself.

“If I do not talk about Oshi no Ko soon, I will have a heart attack, or a coma.”

This is definitely one of the biggest surprises of anime, especially in 2023, I haven’t felt like this with an anime since Summer Time Rendering, which, by the way, I also made a review a year ago. Here is the link so you can check it out.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – SUMMER TIME RENDERING – MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS (ONE OF THE BEST ANIME OF SUMMER)

But first, I must ask you the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy, now, let’s go to see the fight for the Idolhood (Is that even a word), with Oshi no Ko.

PREMISE

Oshi no Ko, 【推しの子】, is based on the manga written by Aka Akasaka. Yes… This Aka Akasaka!

And illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari, who wrote a peculiar manga called Scum’s Wish, which I hope I can review pretty soon.

Anyway, Oshi no Ko features Ai Hoshino, a very popular idol and main lead of the idol group called B-Komachi. In the recent days, Ai announced that she will be in hiatus, and the reason, believe it or not, is that she is pregnant. The identity of the father is unknown, at least for now. The point is that Ai is under the care of gynaecologist Gorou Amemiya, who is a fan of Ai and will conduct the delivery. Unfortunately, the night before the procedure, Gorou is murdered by a deranged fan of Ai.

Surprinsingly, Gorou reincarnates as one of the children of Ai, the other being a former patient of Gorou who was also a fan of Ai. That’s right. Ai had twins, Aquamarine “Aqua”, who is Gorou and retains the memories of his previous life, and Ruby.

After the babies are born, Ai balances her career as an idol and being a mother, with the help of her agent, Ichigo Saito, and his wife, Miyako. The three look after the twins, and both learn about the harsh reality and complexity of the life of the idols, still, all have a pretty decent life.

That is, until one day, four years after the delivery, the same fan that murdered Gorou…

…murders Ai in cold blood and commits suicide. The twins and the Saitou are devastated, until Aqua, through some deductions, concludes that the murderer was contacted by Ai’s partner, that is… the twins’ biological father.

From that moment, Aqua sets his plan to find his father and get revenge.

Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari released Oshi no Ko in April 23, 2020, two years before concluding Kaguya-sama: Love is War, and by April 30, on almost the third anniversary of this story, Oshi no Ko has eleven volumes. And the anime, produced by Doga Kobo (Say Yesterday for Me, Shikimori-san is not just a Cutie), started broadcasting on April 12, having released three episodes, each of them pretty good.

Finally, Oshi no Ko has absolutely, one of the best songs of 2023, called Idol, performed by Yoasobi. And believe me… The song rocks!!! It perfectly fits the superficiality, glamour, challenges and dark side of the idol world, but also the joy, energy and beauty of Japanese idols.

I have never felt this frenzied with an opening song since Kick-Back, from Chainsaw Man.

And I would share with you the whole opening, but that would do any justice to this fantastic song, so I will put both links, the TV version and the long version. Trust me, both are worth it.

STORY

Ok. It is time for me to be honest. I have no idea where to start for describing the story of Oshi no Ko. I am literally feeling like this.

I will start saying that I was… shocked. I was perplexed. Because I never expected for the same creator of Kaguya-Sama: Love is War to write such a dark story. I thought it will similar to the latter in everything, especially with such a colourful cover of the first volume

I am dead… freaking serious. However, then I realise that the same person who illustrated Oshi no Ko was the same one behind Scum’s Wish. But now, I see that is true, because the art style of both series is pretty similar.

Finally, some of my friends from the Anime Club just told me that they were heartbroken after watching the first episode. And for very good reasons.

Overall, episode one knows how to balance drama with comedy, starting with a really jovial and energetic Ai Hoshino leading the other idols from B-Komachi, then jumping to the scene of the hospital, with her being pregnant, and know more about Gorou Amemiya, who is a very introverted and reserved person, very logical to say the least, even after being reincarnated as Aqua, he maintains that trait of personality.

Furthermore, I think the story shifts the tone in the perfect moments, when Gorou is murdered by the obsessed fan, or during the murder of Ai. And I think the reason of that is that we already know the characters, their dreams, their struggles, their hopes, and their reasons for loving what they do, and we fall in love with them. Not literally, but we empathize with them, we want them to succeed in everything despite in some of the cases, the battle is lost, like the case of Sarina, Gorou’s patient who has practically been living in hospitals.

By the way, Sarina is Ruby.

And then, the first episode gives us a bit of a break when Aqua and Ruby are born, and then… Oh my Gosh!!! The best scene of all the anime. Look.

Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing, and feeling comfy of how cute Aqua and Ruby were. And all they could say was…

One could thought that babies talking might take some credit to Episode one due to being so fantastic. But it didn’t. All the contrary. It really add to the story pretty well.

Then we get some quality time with Ai, Ruby, Aqua, Ichigo and Miyako, showing us the harsh reality of being an idol.

And finally…

All that in ninety minutes. I was longer than the first episode of Demon Slayer: To the Swordsmith Village.

Anyway. The story of Oshi No Ko is incredibly beautiful, well-paced, entertaining, heartbroken, and pretty enjoyable, in both happy and tragic moments.

CHARACTERS

What can I say about the characters. I think I already said that I needed to say, but I end up loving all of them.

Except Ai’s murderer.

But the rest are well constructed. Ai is an idol who wants to be with her children and maintain her reputation as an idol, Ruby is an optimistic girl eager to follow her mother’s footsteps, Aqua is an anti-hero that loves his family, but has questionable methods to show it, Miyako starts being jealous, but evolves into a supportive foster mother for the twins, Ichigo is the textbook manager who cannot avoid being a fan himself.

And before I forget to say, Gorou is a professional doctor, rational but well-intentioned, and Sarina, being aware of her condition, maintains an admirable spirit that is perfectly contagious.

And none of them feel artificial, all of them are organic and realistic, especially Ruby and Aqua after being born.

And the characters get better, even after the story gets darker, because, trust me, it does, the same happened with Scum’s Wish, and it will happen here.

But that will be for another time.

CONCLUSION

Oshi No Ko has proven to be one of the best anime of this spring/autumn of 2023, and has the potential of becoming one of the best anime of this year.

Will it succeed?

I think it will. But the impression that it left me with remain for quite a long time, and until we know the identity of the twins’ dad, we will be watching a pretty intense stories, like Scum’s Wish.

I cannot wait until I write my next entry, but for now, I will enjoy a bit of time with our greatest idol…

Mitsuri Kanroji.

See you my friends.

I FINALLY CASTED MY VOTES FOR THE CRUNCHYROLL ANIME AWARDS 2021

Hello my friends.

First and foremost… I just want to wish you Happy New Year 2022 (Well. Not that new anymore). And also a very Happy Chinese New Year for everyone. I hope that the celebrations were really that great for all of you.

Regarding myself… I want to apologise.

Because as of January 31st 2022, it has been a very complicated month for me. I have a lot of work (And a very bad misunderstanding that almost left me… traumatised to say the least). And I have been working in my new book, trying to get some pages done, at least two per day. But because I have been exhausted, and I got a severe pain in my shoulder, I was unable to advance in my blog as much as I wanted.

Everything started shortly after I published my review on Netflix’s Death Note (Well. November was pretty busy too). That is when things got very busy for me. Christmas time came, a lot of responsibilities came as well, a lot of cleaning, a lot of hot weather in Melbourne (last week was average 36 degrees), and visiting a lot of friends for the holidays, and some time off.

So. As you can see. Many events kept me away from writing and watching beautiful anime.

But worry not.

Because I have been preparing a lot of My first Impressions, and the… TOP WAIFU OF 2021. That is a tradition in my blog.

But now. I will start with another tradition. Yep. The title says it all.

Now… I want to start showing my votes for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2021. from Best Film to Best Ending. Then, the rest will come. But little by little, I have so… many things to write.

With that said… let’s START!!!!!!!

BEST FILM

In the words of Rengoku…

Well… It is Demon Slayer. What else can I say? I red the manga of the Demon Train arc, and it was… fantastic. And when I watch the movie… I was in love with both Demon Slayer and Ufotable, more than ever. The ending was heartbreaking, and seeing Akasa for the first time was a feast. Don’t get me wrong. I do not doubt that Belle can be a masterpiece, but I never watch it. The same happened with Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. But Mugen Train is beautiful.

And my choice for Best Film of 2021.

BEST FANTASY

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation & To Your Eternity.

I have to admit that this was a really tough one. On one hand, I am starting to believe that isekai is like Scooby-Doo! You will always see many versions and proposals and it will never get old (unless we are talking about Scoob!, of course)

So I decided to spread my vote, between Mushoku Tensei and To Your Eternity. Wonder Egg Priority was also great, but, in my opinion, the two series I chose share a common strength – narrative. To Your Eternity has a very good storytelling that helps characters and story to evolve, the same happens with Mushoku Tensei, and the fantasy element is stronger than in Wonder Egg Priority. At least from my perspective.

Fingers crossed.

BEST ROMANCE

I love Beastars, but in regards of romance, Horimiya was my surprise fo 2021. Hori-san is an amazing character, as likeable as Miyamura, and seeing together was a complete feast for my eyes, and the rest of the couples were also incredibly adorable, especially Remi and Sengoku.

Again. It was a tough one, because I enjoy Komi-san (In fact, I will say it now… Both are… BETTER… WAY BETTER than Rent-A-Girlfriend as romantic comedies), bu t I still need to see more episodes of Komi-san and Tadano-kun.

Kudos for Miyamura and Hori-san. Just…

We need more headbutts!!

BEST DRAMA

86: Eighty-Six

Without a doubt, 86: Eighty-Six is one of the best anime of 2021, and a candidate for the second or third best anime produced by A-1 Pictures on the 2020s (Only beaten by Sword Art Online: Alicization and Kaguya-sama: Love is War).

For me, this anime was a big surprise, because it definitely has those vibes that you see in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing or Code Geass, including social commentary, the brutality of war, child soldiers, and big robots. But also, 86: Eighty-Six manages to have its own identity, with very well-written characters and a setting that reminds us the consequences of world wars and Why should we never, ever allow something like that to happen… ever again.

And of course… a story that gets better and better, even in the light novels. Trust me. you read the light novels of 86: Eighty-Six, and the story becomes way better.

And as much as I hate to say this – the only two competition that 86: Eighty-Six might have in this category is either Oddtaxi or Fruits Basket: The Final Season.

BEST COMEDY

I will say this straight away – I was ready to give my absolute vote to Miss Kobayashi-san Dragon Maid S. It is simply one of the best comedies of 2021, and the fact that Kyoto Animation produced this second season after the tragic fire of July, 2019 gives it more merit. But then… I got a big surprise, as big as with 86: Eighty-Six.

And that is Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan.

I was like…

Honestly. Life lessons with Uramichi is pure insanity, every moment was better than the last one. Original jokes, and very hilarious characters. So yeah.

50/50.

BEST ACTION

Triple vote – Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song, SSS Dynazenon and Mugen Train.

Ok. Some of you might be thinking:

«Jaime… What the hell is this?»

And yes. It is definitely a fair criticisim if you have it. But I will explain.

First…n

For Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, Wit Studio did a really good job animating the fighting scenes. Every time I watch Vivy and Elizabeth in a fight, I couldn’t resist. I really was looking forward for what will happen next. Especially in the last episodes of the series. Vivy did great here. It is a shame that it got less nominations than it deserved.

The same happened with SSSS Dynazenon. If there is anything Studio Trigger is an expert in, that is animating action, i.e. Kill la Kill, Darling in the FRANXX, SSSS Gridman, and now here. I hope it really does well.

And Demon Slayer – Mugen Train… Nothing to say. Better watch.

BEST ENDING

«Shirogane» by LiSA.

Because, as a Demon Slayer fan… How can you say No to such a beaituful song?

Every time I listen to it… I feel the whole arc of Mugen Train.

CONCLUSION

And that is it for now. I must admit that, at the beginning, I was kind of disappointed for some of the nominations. I was expecting something like Vivy being nominated as Anime of the Year, as well as To Your Eternity. And 86: Eighty-Six had less nominations too. I expected Shinei to be nominated as Best Protagonist, and…

What about Rudeus Greyrat?

And for those who are wondering why I haven’t choose any of the categories for Attack on Titan. The answer is simple… I haven’t reach The Final Season: Part I yet. I guess I will get there when I get there.

But that is for today. Stay tuned for Part II.

And now… let’s get some beautiful Uzui waifus…

And what about me?

Who?

ME!!!!

I AM PERFECT TO SHIN… MORE THAN LENA.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR (season 1) – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (Season 1)

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Psychological

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry of my blog.

And here I am again… with another series animated by A-1 Pictures. And no. I am afraid it is not 86: Eighty-Six.

That is the bad news. But the good news is that is another awesome series. Absolutely one of the pinnacle from this great animation studio. And, after some hours trying to find out how to commence, and making up my mind, I think it is already time to start with this sweet surprise and great anime for everyone.

Behold…

Kaguya-sama: Love is War (season 1). Unfortunately I haven’t watched the second season, but I read that it is as good as Season one; for now, this is going to be the deal. I will watch season two and review it… eventually.

Seriously, September seems to be the month of A-1 Pictures (Erased, Shinsekai Yori, mentions to 86: Eighty-Six) and now we got Kaguya-sama. But before I proceed, I want to ask you the typical Questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now… let’s get ready and understand that love is war with Kaguya-san and Miyuki. this is Kaguya-sama: Love is War.

PREMISE

Shuchiin Academy is one of the top academies in all over Japan. Prime Ministers, bankers, entrepreneurs, inventors among other kind of influential people has studied here. Being a student here means you have your life settled, especially if you are the member of the prestigious Student Council. Kaguya Shinomiya is the daughter of a powerful conglomerate in Japan, while Miyuki Shirogane is the top student of the academy. Both of them are in love with each other, but love is as Marge Simpson points out.

«A constant battle for moral superiority.»

Well. She is referring to marriage itself, but it applies here too.

The point is that both of them are so proud to confess to the other, so they are constantly engaging into mind games and strategies to make the other confess. Who will win and force the other to confess? This is what we are about to see between these two, surrounded by some colour characters, including the top waifu of 2019.

I mean… Miss Chikatto Chika Chika. The one, only and unique…

Ai Hayasaka…

Kaguya-sama started publications on May 19, 2015, thanks to Shueisha, and it is written by Aka Akasaka, who, as of September 28, 2021, has created 23 volumes of this fantastic story. And by April 2021, Kaguya-sama has sold over 15 million copies, making it one of the most successful manga in the world, almost competing with series like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and of course… Tokyo Revengers.

Furthermore, the success of Kaguya-sama has spawned two anime seasons, the first one airing from January 12 to March 30, 2019, and the second one from April 11 to June 27, 2020, with a third season recently announced. Also two live-action movies, one released on 2019, and the sequel, awaiting release on 2021.

Finally, the first season of Kaguya-sama won three awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on 2020 (Best Comedy – Best Couple – Best Ending Sequence), and on 2021, the second season won Best Comedy and Best Girl for Kaguya Shinomiya. Because she is only true girl. Not another.

Not… Another… one.

STORY

Oh my gosh… Where to start?

Yes! The animation!

Once more, A-1 Pictures delivers a really wonderful animation, just like with everything this studio produces. But far from the dark, depressing atmosphere from Shinsekai Yori, Kaguya-sama brings a really bright, wonderful and psychedelic mixture of great character design and nice colours, which is definitely something that must be in accordance to such a lovely story. So we have a plus.

In addition, the story is pretty fresh, because from a simple invitation to watch a movie, to advising a junior student about a date, it is amazing how Kaguya-sama manages to tell the plot as if it was almost from John Wick or from Sherlock, which is a great display of creativity and absurdity that is perfectly hilarious and entertaining. The best part is that the comedy is always solid. At no point, it gets annoying or tiresome. And all of the characters have the same role, and the comedy, which makes you rot for all of them. But there is none that became the breakout and most popular. All are equally wonderful.

Each episode includes three sketches that usually involve Kaguya and Miyuki trying to make the other confess, or even a small slice-of-life situation that quickly gets all the comedy in the best way possible. Because, like I said, every moment, aside from being almost standalone, is pretty inventive, getting the most of the comical possibilities into the equation. Also it it done with a rhythm and a pacing that never gets old. In fact, it gets better.

Also, despite Kaguya-sama is a comedy series, it manages to keep the tension within the characters, especially inside a school environment.

Much better than Kakegurui.

Without mentioning it never deviates from its light-heart tone.

However, one thing that I really appreciate from Kaguya-sama is that it never relies on fanservice, or anything like that. There are moments of swimsuit and sexiness, but it is never gratuitous or preposterous; and for me, that is more enjoyable. Less is more.

Sadly, there are no characters that stand out over the others.

NO! THERE ARE NOT, AND I MEAN THAT.

And speaking of which…

CHARACTERS

What can I say about the characters? Probably that all of them are as good as the story. Aside from our protagonists, Kaguya and Miyuki, Kaguya-sama has a lot of memorable cast, including the previously mentioned Ai Hayasaka, the maid of the Shinomiya family that always tries to put some common sense with Kaguya and her feelings; Yu Ishigami, the gloomy, sarcastic and pessimistic best friend of Miyuki, whose antics and perverted comments bring a lot of comedy into the series; Kei Shirogane, Miyuki’s sister, and… that’s all.

There is Miko Iino, but she only appears prominently during the second season, so I will not stop there. When I feel confident enough, I will talk about Miko in more depth. However, here is a small gallery of her.

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Like I said, every character is as beautiful and memorable as Kaguya and Miyuki. And that is because some of the sketches of Kaguya-sama offers enough space to all of them. So every time you watch and episode, you will know a lot of them and love them as much as with Miyuki and Kaguya.

CONCLUSION

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War is…

CHIKA FUJIWARA

OF COURSE… How could I ever forget about Chika?

Kaguya and Miyuki are the main characters, but Chika is definitely the best character of all Kaguya-Sama.

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In the series, she is the secretary of the student council, but she is completely unaware of the psychological battles that Miyuki and Kaguya face against each other for their confessions; aside from that, she is very cheerful, absent-minded, and so full of energy it is just contagious. And her appearance is gorgeous. The pink hair, the blue eyes, and that adorable ribbon.

I must confess that, when Kaguya-sama was released, the first thing… No. The one that introduced me to the franchise was Chika. Obviously, by watching this.

But just when you thought you know Chika, then she reveals that she knows French, she is an accomplished pianist, a talented singer and a good volleyball coach. Chika has this unique balance between silliness and skill I doubt many anime characters, or Western cartoons, have. And of course that means a lot of merit.

Also, her voice is incredible. She hears so innocent, but at the same time, so confident, young and brave. No wonder why Chika’s seiyuu, Konomi Kohara, has many roles, including Roxy Migurdia, from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

And more, recently, Mona Megistus, from Genshin Impact.

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And there you go. That’s Kaguya-sama: Love is War for you. Season one of course. One of the best anime of 2010s and one of the best romantic comedy anime. Get into Crunchyroll and see it by yourself.

And since you cannot have enough Chika, here are other stills of her.

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Ok… See you guys soon.

I better leave before Henrietta Von Penrose…

WHERE IS MY MONEY!!!

DAMN IT!!!