The hugely popular manga series "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" is set to have its third season of anime aired this year, and one of the series' greatest draws is its storyline, in which two highly educated elites engage in a high-level battle of wits in love. Many readers have surely been captivated by the sophisticated yet somewhat ridiculous tactics of Shirogane Miyuki, who serves as student council president at the prestigious Shuchiin Academy despite coming from a middle-class background, and Shinomiya Kaguya, who comes from one of Japan's leading conglomerates. In this article, we'd like to introduce the heroine of the series, Shinomiya Kaguya. This is perfect for fans who want to recap the contents of seasons one and two before the third season of the anime begins, so be sure to check it out.
Basic Information
First, let's introduce some basic information about Kaguya Shinomiya. Her character's true nature will become clearer throughout the series, so before we get into season 3, let's review some basic information about her.
The Daughter of a Financially Powerful Family
The most important thing to know about Kaguya is that she is the daughter of one of Japan's most wealthy families. Growing up in a particularly wealthy family, she is often depicted as having a different set of values from the middle class, such as never having booked her own seat at the movie theater and being shocked by the octopus sausages in Shirogane's lunch box.
She's just so proud
As the daughter of a wealthy family, she also seems to have a very high level of pride. In the story, when Hayasaka teases her about not being able to win Shirogane, she challenges him to try and win him over, which can sometimes complicate things due to her excessive pride.
Otome
She's proud and always competitive, but she's also an extremely romantic when it comes to love. Because her education largely blocked her from learning about romance, she still has the outlook on love of an elementary school girl. In other words, she's extremely otome-like.
I Want to Confess to Shirogane!
Despite her prideful maidenliness, Kaguya's naturally high intelligence allows her to compete on equal terms with Shiragane. In the story, Kaguya's slightly different common sense and values are fully utilized as a comedic element in the romantic comedy, making her a character who truly excels in both love and comedy in the world of romantic comedies.
Characters with whom Kaguya interacts
From here, I'd like to introduce the characters who interact with Kaguya in the series. While new characters like Iino Miko were introduced in Season 2, Season 3 will see the same characters. Therefore, now that Season 2 has aired, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the relationships between the characters.
Miyuki Shirogane
He is the object of the saga of the series' title, "Kaguya-sama: Love is War." Unlike Kaguya, who comes from a wealthy family, Miyuki is one of Japan's most intelligent students, having risen from an external school to the position of student council president through sheer hard work alone. Throughout the story, he consistently ranks higher than Kaguya in his studies, and he is apparently the only person Kaguya admires.
Chika Fujiwara
She's Kaguya's best friend, and they both belong to the student council. Unlike Kaguya, she doesn't have romantic feelings for Shirogane. Instead, she unconsciously tries to get closer to him, and every time she gets close to him, Kaguya is consumed by jealousy and hatred. While Kaguya calls her by her best friend's name, she sometimes treats her rather carelessly, making their relationship quite complicated.
Ishigami Yu
He's a first-year student and a member of the student council. While he plays the role of the straight man in seasons 1 and 2, he actually plays a major role in the third season. While his relationship with Kaguya is portrayed as being at odds, Kaguya is often seen worrying about Ishigami's grades, suggesting they share a sense of camaraderie as one of the few student council members.
Iino Miko
She is a first-year student and member of the student council who first appeared in Season 2. She fought with Shirogane for the position of student council president, but with Kaguya's help, Shirogane managed to retain the position. After losing the battle, Shirogane joined the student council, expecting her to be a valuable member of the next student council. Kaguya's image of her from the student council election remains unchanged, and rather than being respected as a kind senior, she is feared as a fearsome senior.
Hayasaka Ai
Hayasaka is a character who has a public face as a classmate at Shuchiin Academy, but a secret life as Kaguya's aide. Hayasaka comes from a family that once lost a power struggle with Kaguya's family, and their relationship can be quite complicated from the perspective of the families they both belong to. Perhaps the relationship between these two will be explored even more deeply in Season 3.
Involvement with the Shirogane Family
The story also depicts Kaguya's interactions with Shirogane's family. In particular, she and Shirogane's sister are so close that they call each other by their first names, and the two of them often interact in the story.
Kaguya up to Season 2
Now, before we move on to Season 3, I'd like to look back at Kaguya's journey in Season 2. Unlike Season 1, Season 2 also sees a slight progression in her relationship with Shirogane, so I'd like to keep an eye on their relationship.
A battle of wits in love unfolds
The plot of the second season, similar to the first, is about two highly educated people engaging in a sophisticated battle of wits in love. The relationship between these two is also a central theme of the series, so it's unlikely to change significantly in the third season.
Shiragane's Presidential Election
However, Season 2 also details the two characters' tactics beyond their battle of wits. Particularly memorable is Shirogane's election as president. Kaguya, who had previously been unable to act humbly toward Shirogane, almost confesses her feelings when she asks him to continue as president as a "lifelong request." This episode marks the beginning of their relationship, albeit slowly, moving forward.
The distance between them gradually closes
As you can see, in Season 2, her relationship with Shirogane is progressing, albeit slowly, and we can expect further development in Season 3. 2
What will happen in Season 3?
So, from here on, I'd like to give away some spoilers, even though it's a little early, about how their relationship will develop in Season 3.
The same battle of wits as always
The third season will continue to depict the two characters' romantic battle of wits, one of the show's greatest attractions. Even as their relationship progresses, the storyline won't change dramatically, so fans who have enjoyed the previous Kaguya-sama series will have plenty to enjoy.
Will Shirogane finally confess his feelings?!
However, that doesn't mean their relationship won't progress. In fact, season 3 may even show Shirogane confessing his feelings to Kaguya. If the series continues at the same pace as season 2, season 3 should include the school festival episode, in which Shirogane finally confesses his feelings to Kaguya.
Shiragane's Study Abroad in the United States
This is because, due to his excellent grades, Shiragane has been selected to study abroad at Stanford, a prestigious American university. There's no hint of this in Seasons 1 or 2, so readers of the original manga may have been surprised. It will be exciting to see how this shocking revelation is portrayed in Season 3 of the anime.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to Season 3!!
The above is the progression of Kaguya and Shirogane's relationship as depicted in Season 3. Since this is purely based on the original manga, there may be some changes when it's adapted to screen. While this scene boasts a high level of perfection in the manga, it may be even better in the anime, making us all excited for Season 3.
Summary
What did you think? In this article, we introduced Kaguya, the heroine of this series. As a member of a wealthy family, she can be naive and proud, but her romantic feelings for Shirogane seem genuine. Their relationship will progress further in season 3, so let's review Shirogane now. In any case, I think season 3 will be the most interesting of all the anime series that depict "Kaguya-sama: Love is War," so I'm already looking forward to it.
