With the third season of the anime set to air this year, the popularity of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" is surging. The story follows protagonist Miyuki Shirogane and heroine Kaguya Shinomiya, both members of the student council at a prestigious school with one of the highest academic records and a long history in Japan, as they engage in a sophisticated battle of wits for love, putting their pride and love on the line. But why is this series so beloved by so many fans, both male and female? Romantic comedies typically have a clear target demographic, with passionate fanbases of either men or women. However, while this series has a slightly larger male fanbase, there are also a few female fans, making it a work loved by a wide range of audiences. So, let's explore the secret behind the popularity of this particularly popular romantic comedy.
True Love and Comedy!
First of all, one of the defining features of this work is its thorough development as a love and comedy. While there are many works that incorporate both romantic and comedic elements, this work balances these two elements in a truly exceptional way.
Comedy is plentiful throughout
Bum comments usually tend to lean towards either romance or comedy, often neglecting the other element. However, this series never neglects to bring laughter to even the most serious episodes. As a result, even in romantic scenes, there's always a bit of laughter lurking, making it a work that can be enjoyed as a love comedy no matter what the scene.
The facial expressions are just so funny!
The way the characters' faces are drawn in this work is particularly interesting. The facial expressions in the manga are more interesting than those in the anime, so this is one of the strengths of the original author.
A work structure that satisfies both men and women
As such, this work balances comedy and romance as a love comedy, preventing the story from becoming too intense and making it a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. However, there seem to be many more reasons why this work is so widely accepted by both men and women. From here, I would like to dig deeper into the reasons why this work is so popular with such a wide audience.
Works that satisfy men are different from works that satisfy women.
First of all, there are very few romantic comedies like this one that are widely accepted by both men and women. This is because the entertainment value that men and women seek in romantic comedies differs slightly. Men have different needs for romantic comedies, and women have different needs for romantic comedies.
What kind of romantic comedy satisfies men?
So, from here on, I'd like to introduce the types of entertainment that both men and women look for in romantic comedies. First, I'll introduce the types of entertainment that men look for in romantic comedies.
A passionate rager-to-riches story!!
What men look for in romantic comedies is, without a doubt, a "passionate rags-to-riches story." Men love stories in which characters rise from underprivileged positions to achieve dramatic reversals through repeated hard work. This doesn't seem to change with age, as middle-aged men are increasingly drawn to work-related reversals like "Shitamachi Rocket" and "Hanzawa Naoki."
Work hard to win the heart of the heroine!
As you can see, even in romantic comedies, men tend to prefer stories in which the heroine wins their heart through hard work. This work depicts the success story of Shiragane, who comes from an ordinary family, studying hard and becoming on par with Kaguya, who comes from a wealthy family. Perhaps this is why this work is so popular with male readers?
What kind of romantic comedy satisfies women?
So, what are the elements of a romantic comedy that women seek? From here, I would like to introduce the elements that women look for when reading a romantic comedy.
I want to be a princess!
While men seek a success story in romantic comedies, women place importance on how much they can empathize with the heroine in the story. In particular, women tend to look for a protagonist who they can project themselves into, such as a princess, a character who makes them feel happy when they imagine themselves as a princess.
A romantic twist!!
And above all, when it comes to love stories, women tend to look for romance over good-looking characters. "Princesses" and "romance" are exactly what women look for in a work.
Does the author have a deep knowledge of shojo manga?
In the article above, we introduced the differences in the types of romantic comedy works desired by men and women. Shoujo manga, in particular, widely caters to women's romantic comedy needs. In fact, it's safe to say that shoujo manga is the most specialized genre for romantic comedy elements desired by women. This work, in particular, contains many references to shoujo manga, demonstrating the author's deep research into the genre.
The story depicts a story that will get both men and women excited!
For this reason, this work not only incorporates the typical romantic comedy elements aimed at men, but also incorporates the "romantic" and "princess" elements that women desire. It's this good balance of strategies for both women and men that makes this work so popular with both men and women.
"Ultra Romantic"
With that in mind, it's interesting that this season's subtitle is "Ultra Romantic." This season's content seems to be particularly romantic, so the proportion of shows may be slightly more geared toward women.
Realistic depictions of school life
Furthermore, this work carefully depicts school life. By realistically portraying the unique sensibilities of students, readers can feel as if they are living in a real school with real students.
Ishigami's drawing style is serious
When focusing on the depiction of school life, pay particular attention to the way Ishigami is drawn. Ishigami is what's commonly known as an "introvert," and this is portrayed well. A particularly skillful depiction is when the female characters' faces aren't drawn from Ishigami's perspective. This actually means that Ishigami doesn't look at the women's faces when he's speaking. It's common for boys to not be able to look at a girl's face when they're talking, and this is portrayed well.
Compare depictions with other works
There are many other works besides this one that depict how male characters view their surroundings. In particular, "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" depicts a perspective similar to that of Ishigami in this work, so be sure to compare the differences in expression with this work.
High-level humor
Another appealing aspect of this series is its sophisticated humor. Set in a prestigious high school, the series also features some highly sophisticated material.
"Kaguya-sama: Love is War" is the romantic comedy version of "Saint Brothers"!
The particularly difficult jokes require knowledge of various countries' cultures, and a great deal of prior knowledge is required to fully enjoy the show. The structure of the show, in which the more prior knowledge you have, the more enjoyable it becomes, is perhaps similar to the appeal of "Saint Brothers," which requires knowledge of Buddhism and Christianity.
"Sky Burial Now"
For example, this "Sky Burial Now" gag isn't funny if you don't know what sky burial is. Sky burial is a funeral method primarily practiced in ancient India, but unless you're moderately interested in Indian history, this funeral method is unknown. The inclusion of these high-quality jokes contributes to the surreal humor of this work.
Readers challenged to a battle of wits
Thus, the story unfolds around the theme of "a battle of wits in love." However, on the flip side, perhaps the sophisticated jokes challenge readers to a battle of wits as well?
Summary
What did you think? This time, we've thoroughly covered the fascinating aspects of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War." Of course, there's much more to this series than what we've covered here, so be sure to tune in and think about it as you watch season 3. Anime Mill has many articles introducing the other appealing aspects of this series, so we hope you'll take a look at those as well.
