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ajtye's review against another edition
Volume 16 switches gears off of our protagonists to catch up with the side cast, and yet still manages to bring the central premise of the manga to a close, kicking off an entirely new status quo as the characters head into a fresh school season. So let's break it down.
Ishigami vs. a flight of stairs
I've not talked much about Yu Ishigami in these reviews so far. He's absolutely the trickiest character for the series to pull off, given that he was originally one bad google search away from getting red-pilled, but as is so often the case, Akasaka's heart shines through to make him bigger than that. Ishigami embodies a lot of the tropes of the loner nice guy you might be familiar with, but each one is given direction, integrity and directed from a place of caring. There is a moral toughness to Ishigami that both steers him into trouble but also makes his sense of empathy and desire to grow feel that much more genuine. His chapters with Tsubame here illustrate it perfectly: trying his best to fit in with a party, to self-pity at Tsubame leaving him on his own, to fear at his situation when she arrives, to the gut-wrenching moment where he puts it all on the line and it isn't reciprocated in return.
That it leads to a moment of falling down the stairs whilst simultaneously wishing for a higher power to "kill me now" is another of those moments in the series which are a bit #tooreal, but so perfectly capture that blunt sense of self-loathing we can feel in that moment (note that he also hates himself for the selfless reason of hurting Tsubame's feelings - this isn't just about 'not having sex'). Big stuff for a character that the series still considers "background", but all in great service of someone whose gloomy exterior hides a caring soul. My younger, sixth-form self would have identified with him quite a lot - for whatever it's worth.
Fujiwara returns to the Ramen Dojo
The original ramen chapter was a fucking delight, and this one is - if not quite as good - also a terrific time. Turns out there's a lot of flexibility with what these food battle chapters can tackle: from an absurd parody of gatekeeping, to a loss of self-identity during old age. I can't fucking wait to hear what absurd noises Chika's voice actor is going to make when they put this scene in the anime.
Mika Iino vs All Reasonable Sense
I can totally believe that Miko Iino would be a largely disliked character by the audience - she's literally the fun police. But like everyone, she has delicate reasons behind her actions, and a hell of a lot of vulnerabilities. Her treatment of Ishigami is very transparently a way of her reckoning with those fears without actually acknowledging any of it to others or herself, which makes these chapters largely setup for a later arc. It was fairly clear it was coming, even long before Ishigami gave her the heart during the Hoshin festival, but it's good to see that Akasaka will make the characters work for the outcome.
Alright, we'll call it a draw
And so the battles of wits between Kaguya and Miyuki come to a close. I'm sure other battles will pop up in their place, but you couldn't ask for a clearer cutting off point between what this manga used to be and what it is about to become. For the record, I thought these chapters were a great way of handling it, couching this wonderful payoff in some well-earned screwball comedy (see: Kaguya mistaking Miyuki's bathroom suggestion for a sexual request). If anyone is looking for feedback, I'd say that the speech bubble placement during the double-page confession is a little confusing, and doesn't make it particularly clear whether Kaguya is confessing both pieces of dialogue (fantastic) or whether the "I love you" is Shirogane's (still good, but less great than the former). But fuck if I didn't shout out "finally!" when the chapter came to a close.
Maki vs....India?
A top-tier slice trolling, in which Akasaka goes on vacation and turns his holiday photos into a chapter. I clench in fear whenever a manga goes to a foreign country as to whether we're about to go straight to racist town (I blame Stardust Crusaders) but this seemed like a bit of a minor love letter, complete with a tour guide who is drawn so realistically that I can only assume that it was Akasaka's actual tour guide that he threw in the book as a tribute. It's as superfluous as it gets, but the charm radiating off the page is undeniable.
Thoughts for next time:
-What does Love is War look like when the main cast finally start dating?
-Will we learn what Tsubame meant by "Your Poyo is acrid"?
-What the fuck was going on with Fujiwara and Hayasaka?
Ishigami vs. a flight of stairs
I've not talked much about Yu Ishigami in these reviews so far. He's absolutely the trickiest character for the series to pull off, given that he was originally one bad google search away from getting red-pilled, but as is so often the case, Akasaka's heart shines through to make him bigger than that. Ishigami embodies a lot of the tropes of the loner nice guy you might be familiar with, but each one is given direction, integrity and directed from a place of caring. There is a moral toughness to Ishigami that both steers him into trouble but also makes his sense of empathy and desire to grow feel that much more genuine. His chapters with Tsubame here illustrate it perfectly: trying his best to fit in with a party, to self-pity at Tsubame leaving him on his own, to fear at his situation when she arrives, to the gut-wrenching moment where he puts it all on the line and it isn't reciprocated in return.
That it leads to a moment of falling down the stairs whilst simultaneously wishing for a higher power to "kill me now" is another of those moments in the series which are a bit #tooreal, but so perfectly capture that blunt sense of self-loathing we can feel in that moment (note that he also hates himself for the selfless reason of hurting Tsubame's feelings - this isn't just about 'not having sex'). Big stuff for a character that the series still considers "background", but all in great service of someone whose gloomy exterior hides a caring soul. My younger, sixth-form self would have identified with him quite a lot - for whatever it's worth.
Fujiwara returns to the Ramen Dojo
The original ramen chapter was a fucking delight, and this one is - if not quite as good - also a terrific time. Turns out there's a lot of flexibility with what these food battle chapters can tackle: from an absurd parody of gatekeeping, to a loss of self-identity during old age. I can't fucking wait to hear what absurd noises Chika's voice actor is going to make when they put this scene in the anime.
Mika Iino vs All Reasonable Sense
I can totally believe that Miko Iino would be a largely disliked character by the audience - she's literally the fun police. But like everyone, she has delicate reasons behind her actions, and a hell of a lot of vulnerabilities. Her treatment of Ishigami is very transparently a way of her reckoning with those fears without actually acknowledging any of it to others or herself, which makes these chapters largely setup for a later arc. It was fairly clear it was coming, even long before Ishigami gave her the heart during the Hoshin festival, but it's good to see that Akasaka will make the characters work for the outcome.
Alright, we'll call it a draw
And so the battles of wits between Kaguya and Miyuki come to a close. I'm sure other battles will pop up in their place, but you couldn't ask for a clearer cutting off point between what this manga used to be and what it is about to become. For the record, I thought these chapters were a great way of handling it, couching this wonderful payoff in some well-earned screwball comedy (see: Kaguya mistaking Miyuki's bathroom suggestion for a sexual request). If anyone is looking for feedback, I'd say that the speech bubble placement during the double-page confession is a little confusing, and doesn't make it particularly clear whether Kaguya is confessing both pieces of dialogue (fantastic) or whether the "I love you" is Shirogane's (still good, but less great than the former). But fuck if I didn't shout out "finally!" when the chapter came to a close.
Maki vs....India?
A top-tier slice trolling, in which Akasaka goes on vacation and turns his holiday photos into a chapter. I clench in fear whenever a manga goes to a foreign country as to whether we're about to go straight to racist town (I blame Stardust Crusaders) but this seemed like a bit of a minor love letter, complete with a tour guide who is drawn so realistically that I can only assume that it was Akasaka's actual tour guide that he threw in the book as a tribute. It's as superfluous as it gets, but the charm radiating off the page is undeniable.
Thoughts for next time:
-What does Love is War look like when the main cast finally start dating?
-Will we learn what Tsubame meant by "Your Poyo is acrid"?
-What the fuck was going on with Fujiwara and Hayasaka?
mangadaioh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
supercrite's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookishwelshie's review against another edition
5.0
Oh wow, my heart feels so full after reading this volume of Love Is War - honestly it might be one of my favourites of the entire series so far!
nikanika_'s review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, I jumped the gun in my last review saying that Kaguya and Miyuki are a couple because the "officially" became one this volume, but I didn't give a shit because AHHHHHHH, THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!
This was an interesting volume for many reasons. I actually liked the multiple flashbacks and was amazed at how seamless they were. They were well placed in the story and there wasn't a lot of jumping from past to present, making it easier to follow. There was enough variety with the stories that you weren't dealing with love the entire time which kept the story from feeling too repetitive.
I have to say, probably my favorite chapters were the ones dealing with Tsubame and Ishigami. My heart broke for him and while I was kind of mad at Tsubame, I also completely understood where she was coming from. Something that this series does well is highlight teenage stupidity and poor decision making. Teenagers do and say stupid things because they're still learning how to deal with love and social situations, and while some stupid decisions may only cause cringey reactions from others, some decisions can do serious harm. In Tsubame's case, I don't think she had any malicious intentions for her decisions, but it still hurt Ishigami and he ended up hurting her. It was kind of hard to read, but because it was so realistic to real life.
While it was a little disappointing seeing Kaguya's and Miyuki's ultimate confession being done as a voice over from Miyuki's father, I did like the subtle message behind it. Miyuki's father has had terrible luck with love, but rather than be bitter and cynical when giving Tsubame advice, he uses his knowledge of Miyuki's struggles with Kaguya to offer hope that true love is possible. It was a nice touch and I appreciated it, even if it dampened the dramatic tension of the confession.
Anyway, this was another great volume. I'm curious to see what trials await Miyuki and Kaguya now that they're a couple, and what will become of Ishigami and Ino. Can't wait for the next volume!
This was an interesting volume for many reasons. I actually liked the multiple flashbacks and was amazed at how seamless they were. They were well placed in the story and there wasn't a lot of jumping from past to present, making it easier to follow. There was enough variety with the stories that you weren't dealing with love the entire time which kept the story from feeling too repetitive.
I have to say, probably my favorite chapters were the ones dealing with Tsubame and Ishigami. My heart broke for him and while I was kind of mad at Tsubame, I also completely understood where she was coming from. Something that this series does well is highlight teenage stupidity and poor decision making. Teenagers do and say stupid things because they're still learning how to deal with love and social situations, and while some stupid decisions may only cause cringey reactions from others, some decisions can do serious harm. In Tsubame's case, I don't think she had any malicious intentions for her decisions, but it still hurt Ishigami and he ended up hurting her. It was kind of hard to read, but because it was so realistic to real life.
While it was a little disappointing seeing Kaguya's and Miyuki's ultimate confession being done as a voice over from Miyuki's father, I did like the subtle message behind it. Miyuki's father has had terrible luck with love, but rather than be bitter and cynical when giving Tsubame advice, he uses his knowledge of Miyuki's struggles with Kaguya to offer hope that true love is possible. It was a nice touch and I appreciated it, even if it dampened the dramatic tension of the confession.
Anyway, this was another great volume. I'm curious to see what trials await Miyuki and Kaguya now that they're a couple, and what will become of Ishigami and Ino. Can't wait for the next volume!
bookish_lisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes