A complete overview of the plot, characters, and reviews of "Kaguya-sama: Love Is War".

『かぐや様は告らせたい 大人への階段』本PV｜2025年12月31日(水)放送！

[Kaguya-sama: The Ladder to Adulthood - What's the New Work This Time?]

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is a TV special of the Kaguya-sama anime series. The production was officially announced on June 23, 2025, and the series premiered on December 31, 2025.

[Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - Ladder to Adulthood - Airing Time and Platform: When and Where to Watch?]

The Japanese television premiere will take place on December 31, 2025 at 22:00 (JST), and will also air on channels such as TOKYO MX; this translates to 21:00 (Taipei time) on December 31, 2025. Regarding streaming, the official fastest (and according to Japanese information, "see all available" exclusive) is listed as Prime Video: available from January 1, 2026 at 00:00 (JST). Availability in different regions depends on the local Prime Video license.

[Kaguya-hime's Want to Confess: A Step Towards Adulthood]

Kaguya-hime Wants to Confess: Stairway to Adulthood EP1 Plot

The overall structure of EP1 (Part 1, Episode 1) "Kaguya-hime Wants People to Confess and Take the Step Towards Adulthood" uses the method of "Kaguya flipping through photo albums in her room and reminiscing about the past" to cut the memories into three short stories: "Fujiwara Chika wa Amazed Kasasetai", "Shirogane Miyuki wa Talkshitai", and "Shinomiya Kaguya no Muryatai". Each story is a daily battleground after "becoming lovers", with sweetness and awkwardness at the same time.

The first paragraph: "I Want to Be Surprised" — A Birthday Surprise Turns into a Major Fiasco. The story begins with "Kaguya's birthday surprise." Fujiwara, the secretary, wants to create a surprise that will shock (or rather, make her lose control) Kaguya, so she pulls in President Shirogane to stage a fake "I'm dating the president," intending to show Kaguya her reaction. However, Shirogane has to keep the fact that he's actually dating Kaguya a secret, fearing a slip of the tongue will reveal the truth, causing him to enter a state of overthinking. Fujiwara further amplifies the surprise with an exaggerated styling and elaborate methods, pushing Shirogane's pressure to its limit. When Kaguya herself appeared, her reaction was completely different from Fujiwara's expectations, and was even described as "unpredictable behavior," instantly turning this surprise from a "prank" into "who is pranking whom."

Second paragraph: <Shirogane Miyuki Wants to Talk> — The first phone call between lovers, Shirogane's whole family finds it hard not to get involved. Then, the sweet theme of "the first phone call after dating" is cut to: After Kaguya gets the phone, she wants to have her first proper phone conversation with Shirogane. However, Shirogane lives in a small apartment with his family. On the one hand, he wants to have a good conversation, but on the other hand, he is afraid that his family will hear the conversation or he will be forced to explain who he is talking to. So he adopts various strategies such as "finding a safe place / avoiding his family / maintaining the distance of the romantic battle" (he even has to calculate the network signal and the space where he can talk). In the end, he still had to continue the call under the high pressure of "his family is nearby," turning what was originally just a simple chat into a psychological battle and self-deprecating comedy show. Meanwhile, Kaguya was both nervous and expectant, turning "just a phone call" into a very youthful and sweet conversation.

The third segment: <Kaguya Shinomiya's Unreasonable Dilemma> — The "unreasonable dilemma" isn't for the president, but for the president's father. The last segment of EP1 shifts the focus to the most uncontrollable member of the Shirogane family: Shirogane's father. The so-called "Kaguya's Unreasonable Dilemma" is presented in this segment as a very absurd yet necessary family event—the father suddenly and solemnly declares that he wants to embark on a new path in life as a "Vtuber/YouTuber." Shirogane and Kei are unable to understand this, but on the other hand, they have to deal with practical issues such as "whether there will be any problems if I really start broadcasting, and whether it will affect the surrounding area"; while the father himself continues to do things his own way and rushes forward, resulting in various unexpected laughs during the live broadcast (including the kind where Kei's "passing by" can trigger a reaction and financial support from the audience). This segment uses a very comical approach to package the Bai family's economy, face, and parent-child tug-of-war all at once, and also makes the question of what "adults" really are a more ironic one.

EP1 concludes: Turning the page of the photo album, sweet daily life also hints at the "next stage." After the three flashbacks, EP1 returns to the present tense of the "photo album": these seemingly silly little events are actually pushing the same thing closer—the two are no longer just bickering in the student council room, but must take their "relationship" to the ground in friends, family, and the details of daily life. EP1 is therefore more like an appetizer: using birthdays, phone calls, and family dramas to warm up the atmosphere, naturally leading the audience to the more direct "cohabitation/overnight stay" pressure test in the following episode (EP2).

Kaguya-hime Wants to Confess: Stairway to Adulthood EP2 Plot

EP2's positioning and opening (afterword / "Kaguya-sama wa Misatotai"): This episode continues the "photo album memory" framework—the timeline shifts to a more distant Kaguya, where she's flipping through a photo album in her room; each photo she turns to takes the audience back to a moment she shared with Shirogane and her student council friends. The official description of this TV special is as a "memory puzzle of moving towards maturity after dating," and the Wikipedia entry lists the afterword of TV SP2 (Otoko to Onna no ABC) alongside this episode's title "Kaguya-sama wa Misatotai" in the same evening's broadcast information; overseas discussion threads simply summarize the episode's content as "Episode 2."

The ABCs of Man and Woman (Alone Together = The Beginning of the Biggest Battle of Wits): On their way home, Shirogane invites Kaguya to his house for dinner under the pretext of "introducing her new place." However, Kaguya's younger sister, Kei, texts to say she's going to a classmate's house for the night, instantly leaving the house alone. This pushes the two, who are already calculating who gets to make the first move, to a crucial juncture in their relationship. The official synopsis clearly states this: the invitation to dinner at the new house + the sister staying out = the climax of their romantic battle of wits; and post-viewing reviews also point out the trigger point of "father and sister not being home, resulting in the sister having to stay overnight."

The biggest turning point (from the "ABC" concept to actually taking that step): After moving into their new home, the conversation quickly swirled around "Shirogane is going to study in California"—even though Shirogane verbally promised not to cheat, Kaguya became even more anxious because she imagined "distance" and "the unknown" together, and her mental drama spiraled out of control; this part also used the so-called "ABC" of men and women as a timeline for their relationship, so the atmosphere was repeatedly pulled between tension and sweetness. Finally, with mutual confirmation, respect for boundaries, and consent, the two went from kissing to getting more emotional, ushering in a real milestone in their relationship (the work summarizes it as "first experience," but the focus is on the process of "being ready for each other"). The review notes included a breakdown of the process: "kissing in bed → getting emotional → first experience"; numerous comments on overseas discussion forums praised the show for its excellent portrayal of "mutual consent and respect for boundaries"; and the corresponding chart also marked this episode within the scope of the original work, such as "the ABCs of men and women (⑤, ⑥)".

Kaguya-sama wa ... The review summary directly described this scene as "wanting to tell Hayasaka about her first experience, fully activating otome mode"; the corresponding chart also listed "Kaguya-sama wa wa hanashitai" as one of the adapted contents of TV SP2-2; voice actress Koga Aoi used "this time, the battle of wits between lovers" to describe the different heartbeat feeling between the two after they started dating, which perfectly corresponds to Kaguya's change of heart in this scene.

Kaguya-sama wa mi sōritai (Farewell, Missed, and then made up for it in her own way): The plot then cuts to the day Shirogane departs for California—Kaguya overthought things and made too many plans the night before, resulting in her "oversleeping" and missing the airport. Her breakdown at that moment wasn't because she didn't trust Shirogane, but because she saw "not seeing him off" as her failing to properly seize the important moment. So Kaguya came up with a very "Shinomiya-esque" solution: she flew to San Francisco alone to make up for the farewell, and planned out feasible options for future meeting frequency (like flying every week) and long-distance interaction (installing a screen in the student council room), so that the relationship could still maintain a connection "like before" despite the distance. The post-viewing notes clearly stated "Not delivered → Flying to San Francisco alone → Discussing weekly meetings versus long-distance relationships"; the corresponding chart also marked "Kaguya-sama wa Mitsuri-tai ni Kita-hen" as part of TVSP2-2; overseas discussion threads were using the scene of Kaguya flying to the United States with "Wow!" all the way, even taking a private jet, as the highlight of the episode.

The epilogue returns to the "present": the final shot retracts the album frame to the present timeline—Kaguya greets Shirogane at home as he returns from get off work, handing him the album with a touch of joking and gentleness, saying, "It seems I'll be using it for new product development," connecting the "memories" from personal emotions to a sense of life as the two walk towards the future together. The post-viewing notes also mention "handing over the album → followed by the announcement of a new theatrical version/final chapter"; and the official website, in a message on 2025/12/31, indeed officially announced that a "final chapter" of *Kaguya-sama* will be produced, emphasizing that it is a completely new original concept by Aka Akasaka.

[Kaguya-sama: A Step Towards Adulthood - Character Introduction: Understand the Main Characters at a Glance]

I. Key Figures in the Student Union

1) Kaguya Shinomiya (CV: Aoi Koga) is the vice president of the student council at Shuchiin Academy, a second-year high school student, and her birthday is January 1st. Born into the prestigious "Shinomiya Group," she excels in every aspect and is a typical "all-around genius." However, because she has been overly protected, she sometimes appears to lack social skills and even subconsciously views people from a self-interested perspective. She and Shirogane have been testing each other in a long-term tug-of-war of "whoever confesses first loses." The narrative framework of "Otona e no Kaidan" begins with her looking through photo albums and recalling moments with Shirogane and her friends.

2) Miyuki Shirogane (CV: Makoto Furukawa) - Student Council President of Shuchiin Academy, a second-year high school student, born on September 9th. A hard-working genius who earns his reputation through diligent effort and excellent grades; the official setting also emphasizes that he studies for long hours every day, works multiple jobs, and suffers from chronic sleep deprivation, hence his fierce eyes. In terms of family, he lives with his father and younger sister (his sister, Kei Shirogane, attends middle school). In the series, he often uses "strategy" and "rationality" to armor his insecurities, and his relationship with Kaguya is a sweet yet prickly love battle of high self-esteem.

3) Fujiwara Chika (CV: Ohara Naomi) Student Council Secretary of Shuchiin Academy, a second-year high school student, born on March 3rd. She comes from a political family and has been friends with Kaguya since middle school. She is the student council's "atmosphere maker": enthusiastic, innocent, and very sensitive to romantic gossip (she calls herself a love detective), but often fails to see through Kaguya and Shirogane's rivalry; at the same time, she is multi-talented, with her multilingual abilities and musical talent being repeatedly emphasized by the official sources.

4) Yu Ishigami (CV: Ryota Suzuki) is the student council accountant at Shuchiin Academy, a first-year high school student, born on March 3rd. He has a somewhat gloomy personality and strong observation skills, but this also makes him prone to making mistakes. The official character introduction mentions that he is the second son of a small toy factory and also helps with the family's accounts; it also points out that he has a background of being ostracized by his surroundings due to an incident in middle school, which gives him a strong sense of justice and a competitive spirit beneath his comedic exterior.

5) Miko Iino (CV: Miyu Tomita) is the student council accountant and supervisor at Shuchiin Academy. She is a first-year high school student, born on May 5th. She is the top student in her grade and also serves as the discipline committee member. She is very serious and stubborn, with a strong sense of rules that is almost "uncompromising." The official description also states that she has a vivid imagination and tends to imagine things in strange ways. She has also admired Chika Fujiwara since childhood (which often creates a cute yet awkward contrast in her interactions with the student council).

6) Hayasaka Ai (CV: Hanamori Yumiri) Kaguya's personal attendant (from the maid system), also a second-year high school student, and one-quarter Irish. She has served Kaguya since childhood, and the two are close like sisters; for protection and mission needs, Hayasaka often disguises herself in and out of school under different identities (maid, gyaru, or even a girl from another school), and is the key character in the series who best combines "information, action, and witty remarks".

II. Classmates and the "Romantic Comparison Group"

7) Kashiwagi Nagisa (CV: Asakura Momo) Shirogane's classmate (2nd year, Class B, High School). She is academically excellent, comes from an upper-class family (officially stated to have a father with a background related to a major shipbuilding company and a prominent family background), and is also a member of the school's VIP circle. She often talks to Kaguya about love, serving as both a "love practice guide" for Kaguya and a source of inspiration for the main couple as her own romantic progress progresses.

8) Tsubasa Tanuma (CV: Taku Yashiro) was first introduced on the official character page in the second season as "Kashiwagi's boyfriend": also a second-year student in Class 2-B, he is the heir to the hospital director (or hospital administration) and belongs to the same volunteer club as Kashiwagi. A classic trope is that he asks Shirogane for advice on dating techniques and finally succeeds in dating him by using "wall slam" (kabe-slam). He and Kashiwagi are often used as a "mirror image" of the main couple to highlight the difference between directness and indirectness in love.

9) Shijou Maki (CV: Ichinose Kana) is a top student (officially, she ranks only behind Shirogane and Kaguya in her grade) and is also a distant relative of Kaguya. She is also active in the volunteer club circle. She is stubborn and has a strong sense of humor, but she is actually easily hurt in love. The official character introduction states that she once had feelings for Tsubasa, but she witnessed Tsubasa attacking Kashiwagi and was "broken to death", thus becoming a well-known "heartbroken" popular character in the series.

3. The Shirogane Family (confirmed to appear in "Adult's Stage")

10) Shirogane Kei (CV: Suzushiro Sayumi) Shirogane Miyuki's younger sister, a second-year student in Class B of the junior high school, and the student council accountant. Her birthday is August 1st. She is straightforward and popular with her classmates. Due to her family's economic situation, she has developed a strong sense of money. The information also mentions that she works part-time (delivering newspapers) to help support her family. On the surface, she is very sarcastic towards her brother, as if she is going through a rebellious phase, but she is actually very proud of her brother and even cares about his love life. In addition, she is also acquainted with Fujiwara Chika's family (the fact that she calls Chika "Chika-nee" is often mentioned).

11) Shirogane's Father (白銀の父／CV: Takehito Koyasu) Shirogane Miyuki and Shirogane Kei's father. Authoritative sources describe him as having failed in his business ventures, currently struggling financially, and having an unstable job. His words and actions are sometimes eccentric (such as randomly answering his son's phone calls), but he is surprisingly good at using his "verbal sparring" to make the situation funny. In the work, he is even portrayed as having opened an exaggerated "loan of 500 million yen," becoming one of the strongest family-themed comedic triggers in the series. The official anime website also clearly indicated the role of "Shirogane's Father" and the voice actor selection in the additional cast announcement.

IV. Narrative Commentary

12) Narrator (CV: Yutaka Aoyama) The narrator of the Kaguya-hime Love Story series is a very prominent "complaining narrator" who often talks about love in a serious tone as if it were a war report, creating a strong contrast comedy; the same narrator voice actor is used in Otoko e no Kaidan.

[Kaguya-sama: A Guide to Getting Adults Through Confessions]

I. Main Storyline: The basic relationship between Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane is clearly defined in this story as "a couple already in a relationship." The official synopsis states it very simply: they met at the Shuchiin Academy student council, and after a long "battle of wits in love," they finally started dating; and this story uses Kaguya looking through a photo album and recalling memories with Shirogane and their friends as the narrative entry point.

II. Student Council Relationships (Head-to-Head and Division of Labor within the Same Team) The "official relationship" within the student council is clear: Kaguya is the vice president, Shirogane is the president, Chika Fujiwara is the secretary, Yu Ishigami is the accountant, and Miko Iino is the accounting supervisor (auditor/inspector). This relationship determines their most common interaction in the story: handling student council affairs together, bickering daily in the same space, and getting dragged into each other's troubles.

3. People around Kaguya: Hayasaka Ai and Fujiwara Chika. Hayasaka Ai is not simply a classmate, but "Kaguya Shinomiya's close attendant," having served Kaguya since childhood. The official character introduction even directly describes the two as having "a relationship like sisters in fact." Fujiwara Chika is the student council secretary and also Kaguya's "friend since junior high school." Therefore, her relationship with Kaguya often carries the dual layers of "colleagues" and "best friends."

IV. The Shirogane Family: Shirogane Kei and Shirogane's father, Shirogane Miyuki, have their family relationships clearly stated in the official character introductions: he lives with his father and younger sister, while his younger sister, Shirogane Kei, attends Shuchiin Academy Junior High School. The cast list for the special episode also directly lists "Shirogane Kei" and "Shirogane's father," indicating that the family storyline will participate in or be mentioned in some way in the main story.

5. Kashiwagi Nagisa × Tanuma Tsubasa: A school romance route, connected to Kaguya/Student Council. Kashiwagi Nagisa is Shirogane's classmate (2nd year, Class B, High School). The official character introduction states that she "has a boyfriend and is a classmate in the same club," and that she "often talks about love with Kaguya." This "Kashiwagi's boyfriend" corresponds to the character's real name "Tanuma Tsubasa" in the Japanese Wikipedia entry, and it also mentions that the early anime credits did indeed use "Kashiwagi no Kanoshi" (Kashiwagi's boyfriend). At the same time, A-1 Pictures' special episode cast list directly lists Tanuma Tsubasa and Kashiwagi Nagisa. By matching these three pieces of information, it can be confirmed that: Tanuma Tsubasa = Kashiwagi Nagisa's boyfriend (volunteer club/classmate).

6. Shijou Maki: The subtle feeling of a distant relative + being in the same circle as Kashiwagi/Tanuma. Shijou Maki is also in the cast of the special episode. Her relationship is mainly based on two points: First, she is a distant relative of Kaguya, a member of the "Shinomiya family." Therefore, she calls Kaguya "Oba-sama," a polite yet barbed form of address. Their relationship is not harmonious on the surface, but it is essentially an awkward distance caused by their family background. Second, she overlaps with Kashiwagi and Tanuma in class and clubs (both in Class 2-B → later changes, and both in the volunteer club). Furthermore, her "liking for Tanuma Tsubasa" creates tension and bittersweet comedy between her and Kashiwagi's romantic relationship.

7. Yu Ishigami x Miko Iino: Junior-Colleague Route (Both are Student Council Members) Ishigami is the Student Council Accountant and was "recruited into the Student Council by Shirogane"; Iino is the Student Council Accountant and Inspector, a very serious person who also serves as the Disciplinary Committee member, and has a strong admiration for Fujiwara. These settings will directly affect how they interact with their seniors (Shirogane/Kaguya/Fujiwara): Ishigami and Shirogane have a senior-junior relationship of "recruiter-recruited"; Iino's relationship with Fujiwara is one of "admiration," which may easily lead to conflict or comedic scenes between rules and feelings.

[Production and Music: This theme song is very nostalgic]

Production remains with A-1 Pictures, with Mamoru Hatakeyama as director and Yoshikazu Haneoka as composer. The opening theme song continues the series' signature combination: Masayuki Suzuki feat. Aoi Koga's "Abnaikiok"; the official website also emphasizes that the subtitle "The Stage to Adulthood" will be incorporated into the song's emotional tone. The ending theme song, "Aka to Ao," is sung by Kaguya (Aoi Koga), and related information was released simultaneously on New Year's Eve.

[Kaguya-sama: The Ladder to Adulthood - Movie Review]

I would view "Kaguya-sama: Love Is War" as a "year-end special" that clearly knows its mission: it doesn't tell a new storyline, but rather it tells the most difficult and potentially disastrous part of the entire series to film—"after the successful confession"—in a way that is both easy to understand and very "Kaguya-sama" in style, while also pushing the emotions to the next stage.

Its greatest success lies in its reversal of the series' signature "romantic battle of wits." While previous seasons focused on "how to force the other person to confess first," this time it's about "how to face the next, more intimate and realistic step after already dating." This shift is actually quite risky, because without the clear objective of "winning or losing in a confession," many romantic comedies suddenly lose their momentum. However, this series maintains its pacing through two methods: first, it uses "photo album flashbacks" to break the story into short segments, making each segment feel like a mini-battle; second, it focuses on how the core flaws in the two characters' personalities (self-esteem, a lack of control, and the fear of loss) are amplified during "closer" interactions, ensuring the battleground remains, but shifts from external wins and losses to internal tug-of-war.

As far as comedy goes, it's still incredibly powerful, and it knows how to use "supporting characters as metronomes." Fujiwara is responsible for pushing the situation out of control, the Shirogane family is responsible for cooling down the emotions and restoring the series' consistent sense of everyday life, while Hayasaka acts as an "emotional regulator," pulling Kaguya back from exaggerated mental dramas to more realistic feelings. You'll feel that this episode pays great attention to the breath in its editing: when it's so sweet it's almost suffocating, a ridiculous comedy is thrown in to buffer it, and when the comedy is too much, a small look or a line will pull you back to the main romance.

The subtitle "The Ladder of Adulthood" is, in my opinion, most aptly captured not by its "more explicit" nature, but by its "greater need for choices." Maturity after entering a relationship isn't about suddenly becoming adept at romance; it's about learning to respect the other person, be open and honest, and accept the consequences, even amidst fear, pride, and the urge to control everything. If you see this as merely selling sweetness or excitement, you're underestimating its power. It's telling you: geniuses are shrewd, but the real challenge lies in "giving your heart," not in perfecting your strategies.

Of course, it has its shortcomings, and these are inherent to special episodes: condensation. The segments cut quickly, and the emotions jump around rapidly. For those who only followed a particular season or haven't watched previous seasons in a long time, it might feel like watching "highlights + a huge progress bar." Additionally, it resolves some major events in a single episode, which, while exciting, sacrifices the "slow build-up, slow explosion" build-up that the series used to have. You get a high density of iconic scenes, but you might also lack the time for the lingering aftertaste to develop.

If I had to sum up my review in one sentence: this special episode is like pushing Kaguya-sama from a "youthful love war" to "the first lesson before adulthood." It lacks the humor and exaggeration of the Betrayal series, instead using the same grammar to talk about more private and realistic things. It's a great New Year's Eve gift to fans; as a complete narrative experience, it feels like a very sweet candy that melts quickly.