A review by razrow
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 14 by Aka Akasaka

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

TLDR: Awesome volume. If you have enjoyed the series, then you will like this one.

Longer Review: You're at volume 14. If you didn't like the series, then you should have dropped it. Also, Kaguya court comes back so that is cool!

Spoiler Review:

Right off the bat, the tone is much more serious. We see Kaguya is nearly ready to confess. Hayasaka feels bad for her. Honestly, the stakes have almost never seemed higher. She is about to lose Shirogane. It is pretty big. Chapter 2 is a little more comedic. Ishigami is actually really likeable so I like all of the character development that he is getting. Between his conversation with Tsubame and just the general increase on "screen time" that he gets I really enjoy getting to see his character. Also, we all knew Shirogane was Arsene, right? But like, he honestly pulls it off pretty well. And then that Chika line. "Every mysterious thief awaits a private eye to find them." Like that honestly takes me back to grade school crushes (not that I was a thief, but that yearning for the private eye to notice you). Chpater 3 is an excellent example of setup. It is so beautifully setup and then the ending with Shirogane and Kaguya both coming to the battle without an edge is just brilliant. Chapter 4 with the confessions is awesome too. The stress between the "does she love me, does she not?" I feel this manga does an excellent job at capturing that sense. Chapter 5 shows us really how smart Shirogane is and develops his character. Often, in the series, Shirogane is playing a defensive position. He is trying to respond to Kaguya's attacks. In more recent volumes, he has been playing offensive. Trying to trick her into confessing. But this chapter shows the use of all his intelligence. I think it is really nice to see. Most men have a story of how they pulled together a bunch of random resources they have to impress the girl they like. So, for Shirogane to do it now shows how committed he is. I feel it is both realistic (although idealistic) and also wonderfully executed. The interaction after over Shinomiya applying to Stanford is also hilarious. Comedic, but touching. To also see them both so vulnerable after all this time is also very rewarding. The next chapter shows Shirogane pulling on some of those favors. I really liked it and it is a nice follow up to the preceding chapter. It also gives each of the characters some progression and closure. I liked it. Even Miko gets a happy ending (I think?) I also loved the warning that the story would get more silly now. Then Kaguya opens up about the French kiss and I about died of laughter. The call with Kashiwagi was also hilarioius. Then the whole interaction with small kaguya was funny too. Then, I mean, if you are shipping Ino and Ishigami then this volume is definitely your main source material. I like it, but wow. And then we finally get the return of the Kaguya court. I loved the first appearance of this court and looked forward to it returning. While I feel this one was a bit more comedic than the previous one, that didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. Overall, a solid volume.