The battles of wits between Kaguya and Miyuki continue as neither is willing to simply come out and say what it is they feel. There is a certain amount of frustration built into this formula, but the author continues to throw in some inspired moments of absurdity to keep things fun.
Creative Staff:
Art/Story: Aka Akasaka
Translation: Emi Louie-Nishikawa
English Adaptation/Editor: Annette Roman
Touch-Up Art & Lettering: Stephen Dutro
Cover & Interior Design: Izumi Evers
What They Say:
Two geniuses. Two Brains.
Two hearts. One battle.
Who will confess their love first…?!
Will a mysterious love letter to Kaguya make Miyuki jealous? Is drinking from a coffee cup with Kaguya’s lipstick on the rim a virtual kiss? How will Miyuki react when Kaguya says she’s “done it” before? Then, Miyuki’s phobia is revealed, the VP of Shuchiin Academy’s sister school in France displays epic Gallic rudeness and the student council tries on some costumes…
Nobody can resist cat ears.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As the second volume of Kaguya-sama marked the move from Miracle Jump to Weekly Young Jump (as noted in the after chapter note to Ch. 11, the first chapter in this volume), it is a bit understandable how that first chapter in this installment feels…familiar. Too familiar, as there is the entire setup section at the start reproduced almost word-for-word the very beginning of the series. Understandable, as the author was introducing his work to a new readership. Like Miyuki, I was feeling a lot of déjà vu.
Fortunately, the further episodes were not remakes of the opening chapters. Instead, we begin to learn a little bit more about the character’s personalities, including the unexpected verbal powers of Chika and Kaguya, attuned to very different ends. Miyuki seems more destined to be the butt of jokes on many an occasion, though it’s not overwhelming in meanness or spite. We can laugh at Miyuki’s foibles without developing contempt for him.
The cast also increases a bit with the introduction of the Principal, who seems interested in testing whether Shirogane is up to the task of leading the student body, and Ai Hayasaka, the personal assistant of Kaguya who happens to be her age (a second-year high school student). Hayasaka comes from a long line of Retainers from a Family of Family Retainers, always to be found with an Aristocratic Family like Kaguya’s. She also has the normal deadpan personality that such characters tend to have…but it’s not a problem here. Even if she seems like someone out of central casting in many ways, the way she has been deployed so far (her first appearances were in the first volume; only now are we “formally” introduced) has been very interesting and amusing. While fulfilling the usual role of being Kaguya’s confidante and protector, she is a good foil for her mistress. So long as the cast builds slowly but steadily, not experiencing a sudden explosion as happens with some works, it should be possible to expand the kinds of encounters and events that Miyuki and Kaguya can have without it feeling too forced or artificial.
To this point, Akasaka has successfully avoided falling into a rut (as the story is by its nature bound by a formula—the ongoing competition between Kaguya and Miyuki) by making sure to keep things fun at the same time that we learn a bit more about the main pair. Some of the battles are ludicrous—by design. That’s all part of the charm.
In Summary:
Kaguya and Miyuki continue their sparring, both verbal and tactical, and failing to achieve their primary goal of getting the other to confess first. Chika serves coffee and often provides the battleground on which they fight. A few new characters are introduced and Kaguya violates publishing guidelines (sort of). Avoiding too much cliche or repetition, this work remains light and amusing.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Package Rating: A-
Text/Translation: A-
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: May 1st, 2018
MSRP: $9.99