Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

Shuchiin Academy is a beacon for talented students with a bright future ahead of them. The vice-president of Student Council, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the president, Miyuki Shirogane, are attracted to each other, but they are both too proud to be honest about their feelings, so all they do is think about how to get the other person to confess their love. Six months pass without anything happening between them, but then one day, the secretary, Chika Fujiwara, comes in with news about how she won a pair of free tickets to see a movie, a movie that supposedly turns males and females who see it together into romantic couples. This is the trigger that kicks off the romantic game of wits...

When Fujiwara glances at an unwholesome magazine confiscated by the headmaster, she notices to her dismay a survey with the question, "When was your first time?" The magazine claims 34% of high school students have had that experience. Fujiwara calms a startled Shirogane by doubting the veracity of the figure, believing it to be too high, while Kaguya posits, "This percentage seems about right to me," and freely admits that she has had that experience. Shirogane, who has never been in a romantic situation, is shocked by Kaguyas admission, but when she sees his reaction, she uses it as an opportunity to stir him up by asking, "Dont you have a girlfriend?"

When it comes to studiousness, Shirogane is second to none, but as for athletics, hes hopeless, which is why hes training hard for volleyball in the gym after school. However, no matter what he does, Shirogane isnt showing any signs of progress. Playing volleyball for P.E. is only a week away, and at this rate, his image as the perfect president of Student Council will be crushed. Just as Shirogane gives in to despair, Fujiwara shows up. Swallowing his pride, he begs her to coach him, and so Shiroganes days of training under the enthusiastic tutelage of Fujiwara begin. Will he be able to deliver an average serve in time?

Kashiwagis boyfriend goes back to Shirogane for more romantic advice while Kaguya eavesdrops again. Thanks to Shiroganes advice the first time around, the boy has been dating Kashiwagi, but a month has passed and the two havent even held hands yet. To Kaguya, the question of what to do in order to hold hands is so simple that shes disgusted by it, but for Shirogane, who doesnt actually have any experience when it comes to romantic relationships, its a relief since he feels capable of addressing the problem. However, like the previous occasion, Shiroganes advice seems to go in an unexpected direction...

When Kaguya stays home from school with a cold, Shirogane tells the other council members that hes going to drop off handouts at her house, an announcement that stirs Fujiwara up as she volunteers to go in his stead. According to Fujiwara, Kaguya acts like a baby when she gets a cold. Shiroganes heart beats fast as he imagines a cute Kaguya whos upfront about what she wants, but he shoots down the idea of all the student council members barging in on Kaguya when shes sick. So, Fujiwara proposes playing a game of Concentration to decide on who will visit Kaguya. Even Ishigami gets dragged into what becomes a serious battle!

Half a month into their summer vacation, Kaguya spends her days moping around, unable to see Shirogane without the student council to throw them together. However, she does have plans to see a fireworks display with the other members of the student council toward the end of the break. Kaguya has never been able to make summer memories because of her strict upbringing as the daughter of the head of a financial conglomerate, so she is anticipating the day she can have fun with everyone. But the day before the event, Kaguyas father suddenly summons her home to Kyoto...

The boy who has been dating Kashiwagi, thanks to Shiroganes help, comes back yet again for more relationship advice from Shirogane. But something seems different about him. With his return from summer vacation, he has completely transformed into a player. Getting advice was just an excuse to brag about his girlfriend to Shirogane and Ishigami, and the two suspect that he has "experienced nirvana." They decide to leave the couple alone and observe them from afar as the two lovebirds start to get into a romantic mood...

On their final day as the 67th Student Council at Shuchiin Academy, the four members clean out the Student Council Room where they find many memorable items, one after the other. From the banner used at the French exchange student welcome party, the deck of cards that was used to cheat during Concentration, the cards from the forbidden word game, the cosplay cat ears, the inappropriate magazine that was confiscated from a student, and the movie tickets for Mr. Birdson of Birdville, each of these items bring back fond memories and they can’t stop talking about their time together. And so, the four leave the empty Student Council Room behind...

No one surpasses Shirogane when it comes to academics, but he has never been very confident with his musical skills and always faked it by lip-synching whenever they had to sing the school anthem. Though Shirogane’s secret is soon discovered by Fujiwara, if the other students find out that he can’t carry a tune, his reputation as the perfect former student council president would be ruined. Since Fujiwara was able to help Shirogane overcome his lack of athletic skills in the past, she agrees to help him with singing lessons... However, little does she know that Shirogane’s level of tone deafness may be beyond hope!

Ishigami has a biased opinion that "Guys who wear boxers are all man whores." Kaguya takes his words to heart and is dying to know what kind of underwear Shirogane is wearing. She tries to come up with different strategies so that she can take a peek at his underwear without it seeming weird, but all her ideas are too naughty. She decides to ask him directly what kind of underwear he likes, but Shirogane misunderstands the question and thinks she is asking him what kind of lingerie he is into. Shirogane starts to imagine the kind of underwear that he wants Kaguya to wear.

In an effort to break out of his shell and become a normie, Ishigami decides to join the cheerleading squad for the school sports festival, but much to his dismay, the team is essentially the “Tribe of Yay!” While Ishigami feels hesitant, the team meeting intensifies fueled by enthusiasm and zeal, where it is decided that all the boys will dress up in girls’ school uniforms while cheering. However, Ishigami, who is a loner, can’t think of any female friends that would casually lend him a uniform. As he begins to consider quitting the team, Kaguya appears…

With the sports festival now in full swing, the performance of the cheerleading squad is a great success, and Ishigami is overcome with a sense of fulfillment that he has never experienced before. However, when a classmate from middle school, Kyoko Otomo, approaches Ishigami, his facial expression completely changes. While still being visibly rattled, he is chosen to replace the injured leader of the cheerleading squad as the anchor for the relay race. As a pale faced Ishigami steps up to the track, he begins to reflect on an incident he once caused in the past at school...

After finally making her long awaited smartphone debut, Kaguya restlessly contemplates over how to respond to Shiroganes LINE message. As Hayasaka watches over, she realizes that Kaguya is not aware of the "read receipt" function. If Kaguya lies by responding that she just read the message, she runs the risk of exposing the truth that she had been obsessively staring at Shiroganes message with glee. Weighing out her options to best serve her mistress, Hayasaka decides to explain LINEs functions when suddenly a new problem emerges.

Shirogane accidentally steps on Maki Shijo, a female student who had collapsed on campus, and takes care of her in the student council room. Apparently, she has suffered from the sorrows of love. When Maki discusses her situation with him, her expression changes from high-spirited, to anxious, to explosively angry, to tearful. After witnessing such an intense range of human emotion, for some reason Shirogane was struck by a strong sense of déjà vu. What on earth was this feeling?

Shirogane couldnt tell Ms. Herthaka that sometimes humans need to expose their weaknesses and endeavors to practice rapping which should be able to convey that. But his rapping skills are catastrophic. Fujiwara, who previously taught him singing and dancing, tags along for practice. But shes a total amateur when it comes to rap that shes on the level where shes convinced its all simple-minded puns. So Fujiwara begins special training. With the advice from Shirogane who has overflowing knowledge on rap music, she rapidly improves... But something is still missing!

While all the classes were consumed in preparation for Shuchiin Academys Hoshin Culture Festival, Shirogane and those from Class 2-B were working hard at making balloon art. As Fujiwara delicately puts finishing touches on a cute balloon bear, the clumsy Shirogane keeps popping them no matter how many times he tries. The sound of balloons popping echoes sadly in the classroom. But Fujiwara, who has joined Shiroganes special training many times up until now, hardens her heart and decides not to help this time. To overcome this without the help of others, Shirogane heads to the student council room for practice. However, Kaguya is in the room...

One week after enrolling in Shuchiin Academy as a special scholarship student, Shirogane had already regretted that he had come to a school he should not have. The students around him were elites born into famous families. Shirogane, who is from a modest household and enrolled from a school outside of Shuchiins track, couldnt even find a friend to eat with, so he quietly kills time away from the cafeteria. Just as Shiroganes miserable emotions explode, an upperclassman with a student cap appears in front of him. A shining golden fourragere lays across his chest as proof of student council president. And he says that hes come to recruit Shirogane into the student council.

Invited to walk around the culture festival together by Shirogane, Kaguya is unable to hide her surprise at this sudden plot twist. She lightly joked that maybe he was affected by the festivals atmosphere, but Shirogane never dropped his serious expression. Compelled by such intensity, Kaguya decided to walk around the school together. Everyone around them gossips that they are on a date as Kaguya blushes. But while they enjoy visiting a love fortune-teller, food shops and live music, Kaguya feels true happiness. From the depths of her heart, she wishes that each day could continue just like this.

Shroud in a cape and dressed in the guise of the phantom thief Arsène, Shirogane waited for Kaguyas arrival atop the clock tower roof overlooking Shuchiin. When asked why he would do such a thing, Shirogane answered that there was something he wanted to show Kaguya. The festivals afterparty has already begun as the sun set over this school and the students could be seen encircling and enjoying the bonfire. While the emotions that could not be expressed with words mingled between Shirogane and Kaguyas hearts... Shirogane carried out his ultra-romantic operation!!