Is It Terrible If I Call This Episode ‘The Cold War’?

Kaguya Sama Love is War Episode 9 Review

Well, turns out Shinomiya is just another anime girl. I guess we kind of knew that already, but Kaguya-Sama Love is War have really worked at making her slightly different from our standard romantic heroine. But, here we go. She gets a little wet in the rain (okay, she got drenched) and suddenly she catches the most horrid of anime woes, a cold.

I will never fully understand the over-reaction anime characters seem to have to colds and fevers, nor the ridiculously fast turn around recovery. From death’s door to physically booting someone out of the room in about two seconds. That said, such is the plot of many an anime episode and it is almost as much a staple as the ‘beach’ episode or random fireworks moment.

So the question really becomes whether or not Kaguya-Sama manages to portray a fairly overdone plot in an interesting manner?

For the most part I’d have to say yes.

While the initial set-up with Shinomiya refusing to actually just ask Shirogane to get a lift with her was pretty much same-old-eye-roll-worthy antics, after Shinomiya gets soaked the plot decides to stick with this set up for a bit.

Jumping to the following day, Fujiwara is excited about visiting Shinomiya at home because apparently when she’s sick she gets super cute. For some reason that turns into a game of concentration to see which student council member will visit her and after Fujiwara is caught cheating once, and then outsmarted by her own trick, Shirogane wins the ‘privilege’ of visiting a sick Shinomiya.

Sick Shinomiya is kind of exaggerated to the point of insanity but it does lead to a couple of cute and almost honest moments before the episode draws to an end, she wakes from her fevered state and throws the President out.

Still, favourite moment of the episode comes early on when she describes Fujiwara as an ‘element of chaos’. That line actually did make me laugh because it is such a beautifully accurate description of the role Fujiwara has played so far in this story.

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Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 1

• Episode 1: A Comedy About A Broken Philosophy on Love and Romance
• Episode 2: The Tools of War – Phones, Vacations and Love Advice
• Episode 3: Solid Visuals, Great Music, Average Most Everything Else
• Episode 4: All’s Fair In Love, War, And Welcoming Parties
• Episode 5: The Battleground of Love Advice, Volleyball and Umbrellas
• Episode 6: It Isn’t Paranoia When She’s Really Threatening To Kill You
• Episode 7 and 8: The Love War Flat-Lined
• Episode 9: Is It Terrible If I Call This Episode ‘The Cold War’?
• Episode 10: Passing the Olive Branch
• Episode 11: No Love, No War, No Real Interest
• Episode 12: Heartfelt Moment Undermined by ‘Humorous’ Conclusion
• Series Review
• Images from: Kaguya Sama: Love Is War. Dir. S Omata. A-1 Pictures. 2019.