#Kaguya-sama Wants to Be Confessed To

[shipcestuous-two]

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (the anime) has come up before, for the relationship between Kei and Miyuki and also the 2nd theme song.  But as the manga (Kaguya-sama Wants to Be Confessed To) is wrapping up after many, many chapters, I wanted to write about a few more relationships from the story.

(Note: I do still love the main canon ship of Kaguya and Miyuki.  Their dynamic is amazing and I'm happy they're canon.  I'm just a shameless poly-shipper. So I can ship them with each other but also their relatives.)

First, backstory: Kaguya is the daughter of the leader of the illustrious Shinomiya family, who is incredibly wealthy, powerful, and influential.  Years ago, another branch of the Shinomiya family--the Shijo family--split off from the main family, and they're now enemies.

In the Shijo family, the two most prominent characters are twins Maki and Mikado--who are Kaguya's distant cousins.  Second cousins twice removed, if you want to be specific--but because of the rivalry between their families, and their own prominent roles in the respective families, they still play a more important role in each other's lives than "distant cousins" might suggest.  As kids, they wanted to be closer, but then their families taught them to dislike each other, it's really tragic.

First, the older twin sister, Maki, who comes into the story a lot sooner than her brother.  Despite being 2nd cousins and also the same age, she calls Kaguya "auntie" in an effort to annoy her, and when the story starts, they don't get along well at all, due to their family's influence.  But the two are really similar--both are tsundere (they act cold or prickly, but they have a hidden sweet, sensitive side), they're proud and scheming, but underneath it all, they care a lot for other people, they just don't know how to show it. Of course, these similarities mean they get on each other's nerves for years--but eventually they end up with a lot of mutual friends and spending a lot of time together.

One of Maki's subplots is that she has a crush on a guy who starts dating her best friend, and she hides her feelings so she won't hurt her friend.  For a while, that's her most prominent character trait... but in the end, her arc revolves not around that romantic love, but about building a more loving relationship with her cousin Kaguya.

The more time they spend together, the more little bonding moments they get.  There's even one instance when they get shoved into a tiny school locker together in a haunted house, and they're clinging to each other desperately.  (The locker idea was even originally intended for couples by the organizer!)

Eventually, Kaguya's family basically holds her hostage to pressure her into a political marriage--more on that in a sec--and Maki walks in on Kaguya's friends planning to save her.  She offers to help, and they get her to admit that, no, she doesn't hate Kaguya--she really does love her, so she wants her to be happy.  And in case her friends fail, she and her brother have long been working on a backup plan of their own.

Maki's story ends up being about how much she cares for other people, beneath the surface.  She urges her best friend and friend's boyfriend to be happy together, and she works to make sure Kaguya can be happy with the person she loves.  And while the narrator assures us that Maki will find a romance of her own one day, we never learn with who.  (I have a couple suggestions...)

Onto her younger twin, Mikado. He doesn't enter the story for a while, but when he does, he's framed as a rival/parallel for Kaguya's love interest Miyuki.  They're both very intelligent, hard-working, but humble--and upon meeting, they become good friends.

As a young child, Mikado wanted to be friends with his cousin Kaguya.  He called her "princess" from a young age and promised her that one day, he would "free" her (from the cage of their family).  In the climax of the series, it's revealed he's been working for the past ten years to make that happen: amassing power to become the heir to the Shijo branch family, forging alliances with members of the Shinomiya family, because he seemed to predict that one day, Kaguya would be used as a bargaining chip of a bride by her family.

That's right, Mikado is the person that Kaguya's family wants her to marry, to broker peace between the two warring sides of the family.  Mikado was working so hard to ensure that, if his cousin was forced to marry, at least she'd be marrying someone who cared about her best interests and would give her a lot more freedom than her dad and older brothers did.

Even so, Mikado realizes that Kaguya doesn't want to marry him at all--she wants to make her own path and be with the guy she loves and the friends she cares for, so he (along with Maki) helps her to escape from the Shinomiya estate.  He keeps a brave face until she's out of sight, but then his calm facade crumbles and it's revealed that he's heartbroken. He actually did have romantic feelings for her ever since they were kids, but since he loves her, he wishes for her happiness.

So there are the main distant cousin relationships I wanted to talk about: one non-canon (but so much fun) and one canon! I'm submitting this to your side blog because that's the main focus, but I did want to talk about Maki and Mikado's relationship, too.  We don't see too much of it, but I like them.

They have a pretty "normal" twin relationship, where they bicker and annoy each other sometimes, but also care about each other.  Mikado even accompanies Maki on a trip to India when she's trying to get over her heartbreak... and when his own feelings for Kaguya are revealed, he pauses to think of Maki and how he won't be able to tease her for her unrequited love anymore, since he's in the same boat.

And again, I want to highlight the parallels here: Maki and Kaguya are parallels, and Mikado is paralleled with Kaguya's love interest.  And the series is all about how those two are great together.  So what I'm saying is that, one day, when they've gotten over their broken hearts, I think Maki and Mikado could make a really cute couple.  (And again: the narrator said Maki finds love someday, but never specifies with who...)

Another non-canon relationship I'd like to mention--they're not quite sisters, but Kaguya and her maid Ai Hayasaka have grown up together from a young age.  Ai has always been by her side and viewed her like a precious (if sometimes annoying) little sister, and that relationship is also important to both of their arcs.  Eventually they stop being master and servant, and are able to be more like normal friends, but they continue to see each other as sisters.  (And Ai is implied to be bi.)  On top of their sisterly relationship, Ai's parents are Kaguya's godparents and her mom was Kaguya's wet-nurse and a surrogate mother figure, only strengthening the sisters vibe.

Speaking of Ai, her relationship with her mom Nao is also interesting, even if we rarely see it.  (It's not clear exactly how old her mom is, but they could pass as sisters.) Because of their respective works for the Shinomiya family, they don't see each other as often as they'd like, but they love each other deeply.  Nao leaves notes for her daughter regularly so they can keep in touch, and Ai is always eager to see her mom.  Kaguya even teases Ai for having a "mother complex," which she can't exactly refute.

So yeah, there's a lot of fun dynamics and potential for shipping in this manga/anime series.  Even aside from that, it's a well-plotted story with so much character depth, and it's hilarious on top of that.  The manga is very long, and the anime has already had 3 seasons with more to come, but I can't recommend it enough.

--

I love to see a meaningful relationship between second cousins, I think that's really neat.

It sounds like a great manga. Thank you so much for the recommendation and for going in to detail about these other ships!

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

[cartoon-anime-transparents]

[bluecinephile]

fuck a breakup, have you ever searched for your otp on ao3 and there’s just ten fics, two are completed and only one is over 1000 words?

[thelreads]

YOU TWO ARE THE ABSOLUTELY DUMBEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE, AND I KNOW MYSELF AND HOW STUPID I AM, SO THIS IS SAYING A LOT

Oh my god she even found the perfect place to push him into confessing, and I bet he also is thinking the same.

I need to grab some popcorn for this

The moment of truth, everyone pays attention to the fumbling of the century...

[dailyfigures]

Fujiwara Chika ; Kaguya-same: Love is War ☆ Wave

[aycadrawx]

Adults & Childhood in a different universe

Nobody can change my mind

[emisnt2]

Love is war!

[thefigureresource]

Ai Hayasaka : Maid Swimsuit ver [Kaguya-sama: Love is War - The First Kiss That Never Ends] 1/7 scale from Aniplex coming August 2024.

[could-they-be-a-pro-wrestler]

How successful would Kaguya Shinomiya…

Propaganda for the mic skills:

Her heel catchphrase would be, “how cute”. There was that episode where she roasted someone in French. Ishigami was also scared for his life because she threatened him with a fake knife. I’d say in general, Kaguya would be a great heel, she has natural heel aura.

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Propaganda for the wrestling skills:

She’s an archer, which isn’t wrestling, but she does keep herself fit. Which I guess is related to wrestling? But she can learn if she wanted to, she’s got the drive and dedication. That’s her character.

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Would you like to submit a character? Click this link if you do!

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

LIE: Ishigami thought he stole Miko’s panties. Turned out it was Maki’s.

[saiyef]

All Volume Covers (1-28) of Kaguya-sama: Love is War [ordered left to right]

[ghostlyte]

Even in another universe they still can't get along.

[justmoonie-chan]

This was so embarasing to see but at the same time i love it wtf ><

Is like my weak point haha

[ivorypool]

Narrators, Beginnings, Endings, and Love

saintemiliosandoz // Richard Siken, War of the Foxes // stanarrators // The Crane Wives, Never Love an Anchor // F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby // Anne Carson, H of H Playbook // Jon Darnielle, The Gods Show Up // Davey Wredon, The Stanley Parable // Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca // The Mountain Goats, Love Love Love // The Killers, Mr. Brightside // Lev St. Valentine, I Hope You Read This // OutKast, Hey Ya // Basement Tuesdays, Jeffrey (Over You) // offbrandcornflakes // Aka Akasaka, Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

[thelreads]

MIYUKI DROPPED HIS MISOGYNISTIC WORLDVIEWS AT LAST

#PERHAPSMYPRESIDENT

Alright, now let's see the truth according to Miyuki

I'm so glad that the president is here to make a live translation of the women language, such mysterious rules it holds...

I'M REALLY GLAD YOU SPECIFIED THAT IT WAS THE HEART THAT WAS THROBBING, I WAS STARTING TO REALLY THINK THIS WAS YOUNG FUJIMOTO.