Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai – 04

Kaguya-sama isn’t the sort of show that would suddenly depart from a tried and true formula, especially not after attracting so many eyes in just one month thanks to whip-smart direction and a memetic ED. Nevertheless, this was a week of firsts for the anime. We got four short stories in this episode instead of the usual three, stepped outside the student council room for the largest portion of an episode yet, met some French transfer students, and received some wonderful eye-catches to bridge the gaps between each chapter. I remember seeing those little transitions last week, as well, but these were on another level, featuring a couple of dynamic poses from Fujiwara (her demonic cat impression made the biggest splash for me), who I assume is the fan favorite at this point

The first two segments this week were classic “mental gymnastics in the student council room” routines, revolving around cat ears and the banned word game, respectively. The performance that most impressed me here was that of Makoto Furukawa, Shirogane’s seiyuu, who really let loose this week in order to flesh out the president’s attraction to (and slight feelings of inferiority toward) Kaguya. We’ve gotten hints of the latter in the past, especially where her finances are concerned, but her cute cosplay and flawless French stunned him this week, and Furukawa’s yelps and prolonged cries gave us a good look past the veneer his character usually keeps up. This dorkier version of the president is one we’ve known about since he bluffed his way through a romantic advice session (despite having no experience of his own), so it feels natural to see him act a little nuttier here. On the other hand, the wordiness of his resolution to throw the banned word game to Fujiwara was a bit thick – but of course, that’s the scriptwriter’s decision, not Furukawa’s. And hey, it was still a nice gesture for him to make, even if it failed spectacularly. I do appreciate that the show’s three main players have genuine affection for one another, rather than mean-spiritedness (as would be in the case in a lot of other comedies).

Kaguya’s obsession with her cell phone was undoubtedly my favorite chapter this week, though I do have one knock against it, and that’s the reuse of 3D council room assets in the creation of Kaguya’s room. Her desk and bookshelves looked eerily similar to the ones we already see every week, and provided a sizable distraction to an otherwise charming story. That aside, though, seeing the calculating vice president dissolve into a bundle of nerves over a simple phone conversation was precious. I’m glad Kaguya has a “girl talk” sort of friend in Hayasaka (the pressure of being an heir to such a large legacy might otherwise be crushing), but I’m equally glad that Hayasaka likes to push her buttons, since that teasing exposes a side of Kaguya that she ordinarily keeps locked up. The thought of a president/secretary relationship is enough to briefly fluster her charge, but Hayasaka’s flawless poker face makes her such a wild card that I wouldn’t be surprised if she went after Shirogane herself (if only to spur Kaguya into action). Whatever the series’ romantic blueprints may be, I’m hoping she’s involved somehow – her character is too fun and too valuable not to be included.