Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic – 01

「伊井野ミコは癒されたい / かぐや様は気づかない / 藤原千花は闘いたい 」 (Iino Miko wa Iyasaretai / Kaguya-sama wa Kizukanai / Fujiwara Chika wa Tatakaitai)
“Miko Iino Wants to Be Soothed / Kaguya Doesn’t Realize / Chika Fujiwara Wants to Battle”

I love the familiarity I experience when I start watching this series. It’s the same feeling one gets when chatting to an old friend, as though time has stood still even after so long.

There’s often a moment at the beginning of these shorts where I think to myself that this can’t be leading to anything worthwhile. But then, the writers do this amazing trick where they turn the characters’ inner thoughts into the most entertaining few minutes I have the pleasure of witnessing. It takes a very particular skill to draw out entertainment from everyday mundane moments.

Even in the context of high school, anyone can relate to the anxiety of living with a ‘read’ receipt for hours, or the awkward moment you realize your headphones weren’t connected during the entire flight, or the stark reminder that your ego doesn’t represent the level of your ability or skill. What really makes this series sparkle though is the quirky approach to young love that pins Shirogane Miyuki (Furukawa Makoto) and Shinomiya Kaguya (Koga Aoi) against one another. That’s right, three seasons in and they’re still infatuated with the thought of forcing the other to profess their true feelings.

I remember watching the first season a few years ago and being concerned about the episodic shorts. I wanted to see more interaction between them, I wanted to see their relationship grow exponentially but I realize that having a format like this one gives breadth to each and every character. Without supporting characters like Fujiwara Chika (Kohara Konomi), Hayasaka Ai (Hanamori Yumiri), Ishigami Yuu (Suzuki Ryouta), and so many others, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai wouldn’t be what it is. It’d feel incomplete. It’s more important to me now to get a balanced episode that touches on a few key characters than having an episode solely focused on the tension between Miyuki and Kaguya.

This first episode was nothing impressive. Of all premieres, it might not leave one with a lasting impression. But it does just the right amount of work to draw existing fans back into the Shuchiin Academy student council mundane activities. Rest assured, after this first epiode, there’s no doubt that this season is going to bring belly laughs as Miyuki and Kaguya prolong this love war.

Here’s to Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic bringing us more socially awkward, emotionally stunted, and embarrassing moments this spring!