I’ve never been invested in rom-com anime as a genre. I find that these shows typically have uninspired character designs, unengaging plots, and an overreliance on sexual humor. Sticking to my more traditional anime of choice, like “Dragonball” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” I veered clear of rom-com anime and still do to this day. So, believe me when I tell you that “Kaguya-sama: Love is War — The First Kiss That Never Ends” depicts a moving story about what it means to truly love someone. 

“The First Kiss That Never Ends” is part of a modern rom-com anime series written by Aka Akasaka and animated by A1 Pictures by the name “Kaguya-sama: Love is War.” The series stars the two main characters: Kaguya Shinomiya (Aoi Koga) and Miyuki Shirogane (Makoto Furukawa) as they attend Shuchi’in Academy. Kaguya, the vice president of the student council, is naturally gifted at everything she tries and has familial ties to a huge business conglomerate. Meanwhile, Shirogane, despite being president of the student council, is the polar opposite; he’s a hard worker but a natural clutz who comes from an unstable family background. The two are hopelessly in love with each other but neither wants to admit it to the other. As such, the series focuses on them making elaborate schemes that force the other to confess their love. Filled with a colorful cast of characters and goofy premises, the series lives up to the name of love being war.

However, as the show progresses, the two become more straightforward with each other, culminating in the season three finale where Shirogane prepares the performance of a lifetime at their school’s culture festival to make Kaguya confess to him. While Shirogane ultimately wins a soft confession from Kaguya, what would typically be the end of a romance story is just the tip of the iceberg for Kaguya-sama.

“Kaguya-sama: Love is War — The First Kiss That Never Ends” takes place directly after the events of season three, with Kaguya and Shirogane being unsure of their current relationship. While they want to officially commit to each other, both are scared of revealing the side of themselves they deem “ugly.” Shirogane has no aptitude towards anything and thinks he needs to constantly work harder to become a man worthy of Kaguya. Kaguya views herself as a deplorable human being who only uses others for her benefit and is incapable of showing kindness. For Kaguya, this manifests into an alter ego known as “Ice Kaguya,” the side that reflects all the characteristics about herself she hates. After much mental turmoil regarding the culture festival, Kaguya assumes this alter ego. While this creates a variety of comedic moments throughout the movie, it also emphasizes a central theme of self-acceptance.

At the midpoint of the movie, Shirogane looks exhausted; his facial expressions become increasingly gloomy with bags constantly under his eyes. He ends up collapsing from exhaustion, which leads to one of the most powerful scenes in the movie: Kaguya accepting her ice-self as something to embrace, not hide away. She begins to break down and sob uncontrollably. To see a normally calm and collected character show this much remorse and sadness takes viewers off guard and demonstrates how much resentment Kaguya truly held toward herself. Aka’s writing in this portion was emotionally engaging, but other important aspects of the scene were the dark lighting and quiet setting of the empty hospital room. These choices help the audience sympathize with Kaguya’s loneliness, expressing how suppressing a side of herself to be more lovable only led to more sorrow. It is in this vulnerable state where Kaguya comes to the realization that, for a perfect romance, Shirogane must understand and accept her completely. The animation that accompanies this sequence is superb, acting in stark contrast to when Kaguya refused to accept what she deemed her negative traits. As she learns self-acceptance, the music swells up, and the scene becomes vastly brighter to reflect on Kaguya’s positive character growth. Similarly, Shirogane must learn to accept he cannot be perfect at everything and that he shouldn’t be afraid to show Kaguya his imperfections and klutzy nature.

The climax of the film takes place on Christmas Eve and can be seen as the polar opposite of the season three finale. Contrasting a lively culture festival surrounded by spectacle, it’s set in a dark, rundown park with nothing to illuminate the area but the full moon. Even the kiss that the two eventually share is less intense, opting for a kiss on the lips instead of the french kiss at the Culture Festival. But most important is Shirogane’s gift to Kaguya: a cup-and-ball game. It’s so random, has no connection to Kaguya, and is considerably less grand than the performance he put on at the culture festival. He failed, which is exactly what he doesn’t want Kaguya to see. Yet, Kaguya loves it since it shows that, like her, Shirogane isn’t perfect, and she’s seen the real him. Despite the lack of a grand outward appearance, this moment is made to feel just as impactful as their first confession due to how the characters have come to understand each other by the end of the film. With Ice Kaguya and the cup-and-ball game symbolizing their respective imperfect natures, the two are able to share another kiss, this time uninhibited by the weight of their personas. 

“The First Kiss That Never Ends” tells a simple, yet effective story of two characters afraid to reveal their true selves and imperfections to each other. It’s incredibly relatable to anyone who’s ever had a crush on someone, as it’s always a risk choosing to unmask yourself to someone you long to be loved by. Refusing to accept one’s imperfections can lead to immense stress and push people to work themselves to death — as exemplified by Shirogane collapsing midway through the film. But with his work, Akasaka claims that a perfect romance is one where you understand your partner fully. To share everything and understand each other completely, what could be more perfect than that?

Image courtesy of Crunchyroll