Kaguya-sama: Love is War vol. 22

Vol. 21 gave off clear “beginning of the end” vibes.  Vibes which were confirmed when it was announced that the series would be ending with the release of its 28th volume.  It also marked the first time in the series where I felt that the drama overwhelmed the comedy.  Not that the drama was bad or that the comedy that was there was unfunny, but I’ve become used to the series sacrificing the former for the latter up to this point.  Still, the concluding chapter of vol. 21 indicated that things would be getting back to normal for a bit as the series headed towards its endgame.

This is true… and also very much not the case with vol. 22.  Most of the volume feels like a return to form as the introduction of Mikado Shijo, Maki’s brother, as a potential antagonist gets played for laughs in short order.  We also get the series’ take on “guy talk” as Miyuki, Mikado, and Tsubasa share their thoughts on boobs.  Meanwhile, Chika starts to fear that Miyki and Miko are getting too close, Kaguya interrupts a strategy meeting with some sex talk of her own, and the Student Council gets a cat.  It’s all funny stuff and definitely in line with the high standards the title has set for comedy over the course of its run.

Then we get to the final chapters and things take a turn.  Not necessarily for the dramatic, but into territory I genuinely didn’t expect this series to head into.  Much as it loves to shred the conventions of shonen romance, “Kaguya-sama” is still very firmly rooted in that genre.  As such, there are things you assume that just Aren’t Going to Happen within it.  Without giving too much away, something happens in this volume that takes the series into virgin territory compared to others in the genre that I’ve read.  That alone makes this development a fascinating read for me, but it’s also great to see the title balance sensitivity and humor while doing so.  Now it just remains to be seen how a certain pink-haired spirit of chaos is going to deal with this development when she’s told about it in vol. 23.