Two weeks ago, I wrote that Kaguya-sama’s second season was stuck in an alternating pattern of great and mediocre episodes. Among the mediocre ones, there was a tendency to create five-minute plots to push the cast into strange modes of behavior (Shirogane’s glare disappearing), or repeatedly underline a character’s most obvious trait (Iino’s conservatism). Those trends were largely absent from episodes 9-10, however, having been replaced by a dedication to backstory and self-commentary that made this the series’ best one-two punch since the first season. Honestly, I enjoyed every one of the show’s seven most recent chapters, and “enjoy” is not a word I use lightly when discussing TV anime (most of which I watch out of obligation). So instead of ranking them in order of subjective excellence, I’m going to run them down in airing order, because I’ve got something complimentary to say about each one!
Yuu Ishigami Closes His Eyes, Part 2 (episode 9.1)
This was a lengthy, Iino-focused segment that split itself into two parts: her delusion about the student council’s tyranny, and her delusion about Kaguya the man-eating temptress. The first showcased Kaguya-sama’s ability to transform into a different version of itself (which we just saw in episode 7’s otome game parody), but I couldn’t identify a specific reference amidst the ultra-dramatic camera moves and symbolic rain showers. Hana Yori Dango is my best guess, but I’m sure there are more precise touchstones for that particular brand of drama.
Regardless, it’s Iino’s casting of herself as the hero, sworn to protect the student body from Shirogane and Kaguya’s elitism, that powers this segment. Her daydream demonstrates that in the end, she’s just as nutty as the rest of the student council, which ironically makes her a perfect fit for the organization. Her ability to recontextualize some of the more suggestive moments between Shirogane and Kaguya, too, comes from that penchant for imagination. Osaragi hands her a mental football and Iino takes it 80 yards into the end zone, spinning a tale of seduction that would put romance novelists to shame. Iino might still be a by-the-book kind of girl, but at this point she slots neatly into the show’s heightened reality.
Kaguya Wants to Touch (episode 9.2)
I’ve been waiting for this season’s version of 2019’s Chika dance, and now we’ve received it in the form of Kaguya dancing to Madonna’s “Vogue.” All the viral video-gobbling goombas of the Internet will surely disagree with me here, but I much prefer this new scene to that prolonged, unnatural-looking ED from the first season. Even if you put the visuals to the side, Kaguya’s various poses are rooted in a short story (searching for a calming pose to restore equilibrium with Shirogane), while I remember the Chika dance being context-free. Kaguya’s desire to regain a sense of normalcy around the president is good for her character, since she’s always seeking the upper hand in social situations. The show goes one step further, though, and drops her into an anime-inspired fighting game so she can battle for dominance in their relationship. I had to chuckle at all the special moves, progress meters, and cutscenes that played out as a result, especially since her calming cheek touch acted as a fatality. (Oh, and I noticed that Kaguya does the same thing at the end of the OP! Gotta love that kind of retroactive continuity.)
Kaguya Doesn’t Say No (episode 9.3)
Here’s the first Ishigami segment of this doubleheader, and one where I sympathized with him more than I ever have. His aversion to normalfriends typically strikes me as low-hanging fruit, but his unfamiliarity with the SNS-saturated language used in the Cheerleading Squad had me pegged. You’ve got to give the guy credit – he stuck with the club even after learning about their cross-dressing event, and was rewarded with support from an unlikely source: Kaguya Shinomiya. So many good decisions were made here from a writing perspective. Highlighting small similarities between them was one (lack of familiarity with social media, mild fetishism); keeping Iino’s intrusion in the background was another; creating a cause for jealousy on Shirogane’s end was a third. By the end of the chapter, his determination to continue with his new club marked a turning point not only in his mission to put himself out there, but also in his friendship with Kaguya. A highly enjoyable closer to last week’s episode.
Kei Shirogane Can’t Speak (episode 10.1)
This chapter gave us a bit of info about the Shirogane family, but we’d already received a lot of those tidbits in previous episodes. What makes it unique is the emerging family dynamic between father, son and daughter, who are a lot more similar than they appear at first glance, despite their strong personalities (more on this during the Sports Festival segment). As a newly minted teenager, Kei is a little self-absorbed and kind of bratty towards her brother, but it’s clear that she wants to be in the loop where his love life is concerned – peep the fist pump at 4:41 when her dad stumbles onto the topic for her. This segment’s major narrative accomplishment is the mending of the Kaguya/Shirogane fence, but it’s Kei’s advice to her brother that provides the best character moment. She suggests that Shirogane allow his mystery crush to overcome her shyness and embarrassment at her own pace, which applies as much to herself as it does to Kaguya. Kei might not be a natural when it comes to expressing affection (a trait she shares with her brother), but at least she recognizes the value of that expressiveness.
Miyuki Shirogane Wants to Dance (episode 10.2)
Here’s a pretty simple Chika story that gave me a real kick in the humerus. Chika’s role has been reduced recently, since her primary function is to foil Kaguya’s romantic chess games, and the show has been focusing on other things lately. She’s a hero to Iino and a mild irritant to Ishigami, but it’s her de facto position as Shirogane’s teacher that the show opted for here. We got one of these just recently with the chapter about singing lessons, but this story thoroughly outclassed that older one by introducing Kaguya into the mix. Now that I think about it, Chika’s lack of prominence makes the segment work even better, because her reduced appearances would make her even more insecure about Kaguya encroaching on her territory. Those passive aggressive remarks about Kaguya’s lack of instructional ability were tons of fun, because they reveal that Chika isn’t all id – she’s got an ego hidden away, same as everyone else.
Kobachi Osaragi Wants to Crack Down (episode 10.3)
Iino’s bespectacled friend is the best possible narrator for her backstory with Ishigami, which is what this chapter offered. (Well, it also offered a look at Chika having fun with the Board Game Club, which is among the cutest things the show has done in 22 episodes. I want a set of those giant purple dice!) Ishigami being a suspected stalker is new info as of this week, right? It’s possible we learned about it before, since it so clearly explains why he’s disliked by all the first year girls, but I don’t remember hearing that detail before yesterday’s episode. It’s a plot point that sheds new light on his decision to join the Cheerleading Squad, since he must have known some of the club members there would resent his presence.
The nice thing about the whole situation is that the club’s captain respects his participation, and seems dedicated to including him (they partner up in the three-legged race in the next chapter). He reminds me a bit of Goda from Mob Psycho 100’s Body Improvement Club, but with far less personality. I assume his eyes are blanked out to set up a moment where Ishigami starts viewing him as an equal, at which point we’ll get a clear view of his face – same goes for the vice president and less important members. Now that I’ve made that prediction, I realize I’m setting myself up for disappointment if and when it doesn’t happen, but hey, it’s a good idea!
Miyuki Shirogane’s Dad Wants to Find Out (episode 10.4)
This might be the best of the seven segments on this list – I could write half a post about how much humor, foreshadowing, and light romance it packs into seven minutes. But rather than talk about the mysterious blonde girl whose presence at the sports festival makes Ishigami smile, or how smart an authorial decision it was to isolate Kaguya on the white team, I want to refer back to the Shirogane family connection I mentioned a few paragraphs ago. Kei and Miyuki’s dad may be an unemployed goof, but his lack of financial success belies a conversational acumen shared by his son. Look at the way he ties Kaguya into knots during the latter half of this chapter, first by degrading his son so she’ll defend him, then by inquiring about her personal feelings towards him. If that type of strategic dialogue sounds familiar, it’s because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – Shirogane has been similarly devious when trying to get Kaguya to confess her love for him. I love that these lines can be drawn between family members in this show, because it demonstrates that the characters are more than just joke machines.
Also, peep Shirogane’s fist pump at 18:22 when he convinces his dad to vacate the festival’s spectator area – it’s identical to Kei’s from earlier in the episode. The familial connections just keep on coming!
