Reviews

かぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～ 1 by Aka Akasaka

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rereader33's review against another edition

5.0

I fucking LOVE this series! And this volume is a strong start to the series! I didn't realize how long it is until rereading it, yet the pacing was strong and the characters engaging enough to keep the momentum going. The artwork/art style works well with the tone and story and I LOVE the character designs! I feel that each character's design fits their personality so well, which is what I look for in character designs.

One of the things I love the most about this series is the story. The idea that the reason WHY these two won't confess to each other is because of their pride is, in my opinion, really refreshing. No, it's by no means original, but I'm glad that there's a SOLID REASON why these two aren't confessing several volumes later rather than the standard "trying to confess/actually confesses but the confession is misunderstood therefore null and void" or my PERSONAL favorite "trying to confess but then the couple is MAGICAL INTERRUPTED thus the confession is put off" (I fucking hate that say so FUCKING much, you have NO IDEA). Yes, Kaguya and Miyuki are constantly interrupted when they're doing their mind games, but the WHOLE POINT is that these two are wasting time playing mind games, especially over minor things such as going to the movies or eating lunch together. I would even argue that this "war" between them makes their romance more engaging because it's so rewarding watching one of them drop their guard and admit that they genuinely like the other person, if only for a moment. And that leads me to our leading couple.

These two are absolutely perfect for each other because they are simultaneously awful yet caring people. Miyuki is prideful, a bit sexist, overly confident, and manipulative. Yet he cares deeply about other people and would never do something that would severely harm somebody else. On the other hand, Kaguya is spiteful, arrogant, quick to curse others, and often uses her power to her benefit. But similarly to Miyuki, it's clear that she genuinely cares about others and while she can change her perception of someone at the drop of a hat, you get the feeling that she wouldn't actually abandon or hurt that person. Much like Miyuki, despite having a lot of power and influence, she almost never uses it to harm someone else and would do everything in her power to help someone in need. I love these two so much and love their interactions, especially when one of them is able to break down the other's wall. Easily one of my favorite couples in manga, no doubt.

I could on, but I'm going to leave it at that for now. I absolutely love this series with all of my heart and soul and am so glad I'm rereading the series.

elcademia's review against another edition

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3.0

more of a 2.5

i’ve already seen the anime so i know what happens, but with the manga, you could technically read chapter 1 then skip this entire volume

fremzz's review against another edition

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Didn’t like it.

flaygon's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bilingual_introvert's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is an episodic book. Feels like a compilation of scetches. I tend to prefer books with an overarching plot so this was very meh. It's also all based on dialogue. There isn't any action so you're doing a lot of reading. It's definitely amusing enough where I didn't quit mid volume one but it's also a very slow burn. And with approx. 200 chapters I doubt this is a series I'll be finishing.