Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: First Kiss wa Owaranai

Just watched Kaguya-sama: First Kiss Wa Owaranai and I'm still reeling from the feels! As a fan of the series, I was nervous about how they'd wrap everything up, but wow, they nailed it. The movie perfectly captures the essence of Kaguya and Miyuki's relationship - the tension, the teasing, the tender moments. I loved how they explored their insecurities and vulnerabilities, making them even more relatable. That scene where Kaguya breaks down in tears? I was right there with her, ugly crying. And the kiss?! _chef's kiss_ Perfectly executed. I've invested so much in these characters, and this movie was the perfect payoff. If you're a fan of the series, don't hesitate - it's a must-watch. And if you're new to Kaguya-sama, start from the beginning and enjoy the ride!

I can't help but to go out of my way to write this review right after watching the movie, for me it has become quite impossible to unlike these characters now since they are developed to this extent. This movie is much more romantic than it is funny, and that's what to be expected. They have to face each other after all that and be REAL. Finishing this movie has left me hanging. Now, knowing there are plenty of chapters still left to be covered. I am hardly craving to watch the next season as soon as it comes out, it will be the thing that I will be looking forward to in the future.

This movie in a nutshell:

"KAGUYA SAMA: LOVE IS WAR is Growing Up".

This may be the leftover anticipation talking, but this was possibly one of the greatest movies I have seen, at least in the last 3 years. The way the movie makes all previous parts of the series simply pail in comparison to it is astounding. Another banger from the, let's be honest, less-than-consistent quality of A1 Pictures. The intense throwing of the viewer from ecstatic highs to tear-jerking lows is unlike anything seen from A1 Pictures, let alone Love is War. The very consistent pristine animation and voice acting from A1 serves only to somehow, indescribably, enhance the experience of watching this movie. The way the main characters are finally explored in ways never seen in the series below deepens the impact that the emotional scenes have, truly making this movie one of the most entertaining, sought-after, and intense experiences in recent cinematic anime history.

Ah Love is War, how many times are you going to prove yourself? This is just such a perfect romance, one that has proven to be so romantic, so hilarious, yet so true to its characters.

That's what I loved about this movie. It's all about exploring these 2 characters a bit more. Kaguya is one of my all time favourite characters. And after this movie, if it was even possible, I like her even more. What I love about her character is that she has many sides to her. She has a lot of pride, but at the same time she is just full of all these different emotions and feelings. She can hardly handle herself in front of Shirogane for that very reason. This movie explores her character on an even deeper level. Why is she the way that she is, why does she have so many sides to her, and how can she come into terms with that to face Shirogane? And honestly, it was beautiful to see her confront all these problems. It honestly was very relatable too. At the same time they explore Shirogane's character a bit more. That was also great to see. My friend actually used the perfect term for this movie - "it was needed". Yes, it was, this movie was very much necessary for these 2 characters, and that's why it felt so perfect.

Btw, after that Season 3 finale, these characters behave exactly the way they would've. That's just proof, that the author really understands these characters and stays true to them.

The movie has some great humour too (the first act was absolutely hilarious), not as much as usual, but that's obviously because they wanted to make an emotional movie for our main characters. The direction as always is very clever and unconventional.

My only problem is that the directions they took with the side characters felt unfinished and out of place. But that's probably because this was a movie, so they adapted some chapters in between, and those plot points will probably come into picture later.

Overall though this was a beautiful, beautiful movie and Love is War has continued to impress me again and again. It's arguably one of the best romances I've seen.

First things first - what's with the ridiculously long title? Thereafter, though, this is quite a cleverly constructed teen romance that sees the student president "Shirogane" share a kiss with the adulatory "Kaguya" only for us to find that cementing that kiss into something more substantial proves quite a challenge. It seems that the young girl has multiple personalities vying for pre-eminance in her relationship with her (their?) beau. These characterisations vary from the young, lovestruck and naive to the young, cynical and suspicious. Poor old "Shirgane" has to deal with all three and is soon completely phased by the erratic, frequently quite funny, behaviour of the young woman who seems as likely to stab him between the eyes as to make love to him. On that last point, it is adult themed - and the writing reflects an honesty about teen adoration, but also about sex, lust and a dose of good, old fashioned, jealousy. It packs quite a lot of story into ninety minutes and raises quite a few smiles - of laughter and of appreciation (we've probably all been here, at some point, as we grew up and remember the intensity of that "first kiss") and is well worth a watch.