Anime has a unique way of capturing emotions and weaving them into unforgettable stories. Some romance anime are emotional dramas filled with tears and angst, while others are lighthearted rom-coms that show fans how enjoyable love can be. Over the years, Japanese animation has created several romantic stories; regardless, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War stands out the most in the community.
Unlike other romantic titles, this one incorporates a psychological element to its constant knee-slapping comedy. Not to forget, Season 3 left many fans unsatisfied and craving more. Owing to Kaguya-Sama‘s immense popularity, Akasaka Aka once opened up about handling the intense pressure of weekly serialization and meeting fans’ high expectations.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War Author Reflects on the Challenges of Weekly Serialization
Since the anime release back in 2019, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War has been a smash hit among romance and comedy fans alike. The anime follows the psychological warfare between two high-ranking student council members, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya.
Amid all the romantic and comedy themes, Kaguya-Sama has become one of Akasaka Aka’s renowned works, garnering an immense following. Interestingly, Kaguya-Sama is one of the many popular Aka’s manga, which has created a significant buzz online.
Making a name in the manga industry is no easy feat, as artists face the challenge of meeting weekly deadlines, balancing their health, and striving to meet fans’ high expectations for their beloved series.
In an interview, Akasaka Aka once opened up to share their side of the story on weekly serialization. He added:
I’m being careful, but I can’t stay up all night anymore (laughs). I fall asleep at night. I’ve been going to bed earlier.
Interestingly, Aka humorously shared a piece of advice he received that helped him navigate these challenges with ease. He shared:
Shigeru Mizuki said, “If you sleep, you won’t die early,” so I try to just go to bed.
While manga fans eagerly anticipate weekly releases of their favorite series, the grueling deadlines that mangaka endure to make it happen often go unnoticed. Getting a full eight hours of sleep is unlikely, and they often have to skip meals.
Furthermore, most of their work time is spent either drawing the storyboard, manuscripts (final drafts), or color illustrations. The extensive drawing workload can result in severe and painful health issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic back pain.
Successful mangaka can hire a team to help with tasks like drawing backgrounds, but even with this support, writing and drawing their manga remains a challenge.
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Originally Planned to Explore Bloodshed and Dark Themes
Both Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya refuse to confess their feelings for each other first, believing it would demonstrate weakness. This battle was drawn out for three seasonal anime, and at the conclusion of the third season, Miyuki finally confessed his feelings to Kaguya with an adorable surprise at the Cultural Festival.
Kaguya responded to this confession with a kiss, seemingly sealing the deal between them and finally bringing the dream couple to life fans had long awaited.
While the adorable moments and Season 3 finale enthralled several viewers, Aka Akasaka originally had very different plans for the Kaguya-sama series, diverging from the romantic genre.
Aka Akasaka once revealed that his original plan was to create a darker, bloodier series, but his editor recommended a different approach. It’s interesting that despite having no prior experience with the rom-com series, Akasaka successfully crafted a captivating and adorable story, Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, that has become the face of the Japanese romance anime genre.
Kaguya Sama: Love Is War is available to stream on Netflix
