Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War S2E4: "Ai Hayasaka Wants Him to Fall for Her" (Uncle Sam Wants You to Fall for Ai Hayasaka)

First, as a coda to the last sketch, we see Hayasaka irritably watching some YouTube videos before going to sleep that night. They're about elephant stampedes. I guess Kaguya was sort of wrong, but also sort of right.

Second, skip a day or two ahead. Miyuki is hanging out with Chika after school, which I guess makes her a mutual friend that keeps the connection going even if he and Kaguya aren't talking. Anyway, Chika warns Miyuki that he is "an impurity." Before he can ask what the fuck that's supposed to mean, Chika clarifies that there is at least a contingent among the student body that resented having him as council president because he didn't attend Suchiin Academy's elementary school equivalent. There are the "pure" students who knew each other from early childhood, and what are seen as "impure" ones who arrived more recently. She wants to help him deal with that unfair bias in his re-election campaign, if she can.

I don't know if she thinks she's being polite, or if she actually, honest-to-god doesn't realize that the bias she's talking about stems from social class. Is "they don't like you because you didn't go to elementary here" a euphemism, or is that really her own best attempt at understanding it? Prooobably the latter, unless we're going with the "Chika is an evil genius" reading. To be fair, that interpretation of Chika is still on the table, even if I haven't mentioned it in a while.

Chika proposes that a campaign manager/press secretary who is part of the student body old guard might do wonders for his prospects. Chika is obviously about to offer her services, but Miyuki - either genuinely unknowingly, or just pretending to misunderstand - says that that's a brilliant idea, and that he'll ask Kaguya about it at once. Chika reacts to this pretty much the way you'd expect.

I'm surprised Miyuki is willing to approach Kaguya and ask her for something, like this. Especially for a something that emphasizes her class privilege over him. There's got to be more to this than it appears, if only because it's much too reasonable of him.

The next morning, Miyuki makes time to go find Kaguya in her...homeroom? I think it's supposed to be her homeroom. He hesitates at the door, wondering why he's so nervous about going into a different classroom than his own. Erm...I don't think the nerves have much to do with that detail, Miyuki. Before he can enter, he's hailed and approached by a very confusingly familiar face.

Hayasaka's personality and presentation here are basically a toned-down version of the character she played in their previous meeting. He's clearly about to say her name, but then rethinks it; she really does look different (from both her maid look and her softcore porn moeblob look) with that hairstyle and the Suchiin uniform on.

She also adresses him as "president," which seems strange if he isn't president anymore. Granted, it's probably the least weird thing Hayasaka will have said or done today, but still.

Deciding that he's better off just not asking, Miyuki tells Hayasaka that he's here looking for Kaguya. She opens the door and calls Kaguya to the door with a maniacal grin, following it up with a loud explanation that Miyuki has something to talk with her about. For some reason, Kaguya gets all blushy and embarrassed...even though him approaching her is exactly the way she prefers things so the framing confuses me. When she steps up and asks him what it is, Miyuki tells her that he wants to talk "about their plans together." And only follows it up with the clarification that he means for the student council elections after the fact.

...

Okay, yeah, no, Miyuki and Kaguya are both acting completely out of character here. Especially considering that they have an audience.

...

This starts a massive wave of gossip that spreads through the room, and then the school. And then between the students out of school. Apparently, the "will they won't they" with Miyuki and Kaguya has been a popular gossip topic for some time.

It also gets anchor coverage by the school's mass news media club. Because of course they have a mass news media club.

They probably have a local TV station to run this on too.

And...apparently this all happens during the one single school day, in between Miyuki asking her about it this morning and them meeting outside right after classes. Seemingly the whole school is crowded behind the nearby windows and packed into overlooking balconies, watching and waiting. There's an overhead shot of Kaguya and Miyuki, each accompanied at a short distance by some friends, staring across the quad at each other before approaching. Like a pre-duel establishing shot from a western or something.

It's only after they've already walked closer to each other that Miyuki realizes what a big audience they have, and what people must have misinterpreted.

I still don't buy that he wouldn't have been conscious of these appearances until now. Or that she would be embarrassed rather than thrilled at having him supplicate her for something - romantic or otherwise - in front of a big audience.

Granted, I ALSO don't understand why Kaguya isn't already campaigning for the student council presidency herself. She was vice president last year, so why not president this year? Seems like the most natural thing in the world. Not to mention in-character for her.

...honestly? Miyuki and Kaguya competing against each other for the big chair would be a more interesting and entertaining arc than whatever the heck this is trying to be.

There's a bunch of angst as Miyuki confronts his pride and the student body's expectations. It occurs to him that if he really does just ask her about campaigning for him together (WHY ISN'T SHE ALREADY CAMPAIGNING FOR HERSELF? WHY?), everyone will be very disappointed. Possibly to the extent of not wanting to vote for him because of it. Also, now that they're on the spot like this, he wonders if perhaps his ego just isn't worth holding off on asking her out for.

He tries to muster up the courage and the humility to do it. Alas, even after all that buildup, the best he can do is sheepishly ask her to be his campaign manager. He says it quietly enough that no one besides Kaguya can hear what he's saying.

Chika is the only one who doesn't get it, naturally.

Kaguya answers in a...well, less than characteristic manner. Whispering yes, and then - with a seductive smile - leaning in further and saying that that answer is for his question about student council campaigning, and also for any other requests he may have of her at present.

...is this a dream sequence?

This is feeling a lot like a dream sequence.

The students watching start getting riled up, for some reason. Kaguya and Miyuki flee the scene as the crowd surges forward. Chika still doesn't get it. End scene.

So, it wasn't a dream sequence, apparently. I have no idea what the hell that was, but it wasn't that. Nobody acted like themselves. Nobody's motives had anything to do with their usual ones. The student mob's reactions didn't make sense, and it wasn't even the funny kind of nonsense or the shocking kind of nonsense like what some previous arcs pulled off. Probably the worst chapter of Kaguya-Sama that I've seen so far, just a complete waste of time.

Well, one more chapter in this episode. Hopefully better.

Campaign polls have begun, and Miyuki is currently in the lead. Chika is ecstatic at this, and seems to think that it can be attributed to some featherbrained "assistance" of hers or another.

It seems like they're running as a political party, basically, with them all more or less reprising their positions from last year.

Which makes me even more baffled about Kaguya's place in this. Well, ignoring that for now...

The second place choice, according to current polls, is a first year girl by the name of Miko Lino. The name doesn't mean anything to Miyuki or Chika, but Ishigami has a minor freakout when he reads it. It's probably because he can't stand the idea of a feeeeeeeeeeemale being considered for the position of president, but there's a chance it might be more personal than that. Turns out that it's the second one after all, at least partly. Ishigami explains that Miko is the top student of her year, and a general high-achiever, but she's also...intense...in a way that Miyuki and even Kaguya aren't. Hmm, that could mean a lot of things. Just then, Ishigami notices Miko handing out flyers on the quad behind them, and tells Miyuki and Chika that if they want to see what he means they should let him introduce them to her.

So, they go over to her. Her reaction to Ishigami's greeting is...well, honestly, I'd probably react the same way if I was one of Ishigami's schoolmates, so I can't judge her yet.

When he says he's just here to introduce her to someone else, and Miyuki comes up and says hello, she deigns to stand up and turn around. Her stance is impeccably, almost robotically, formal. Her expression likewise, save for a hot undertone of contempt that she can't seem to reign in entirely. She's very petite, but from the way she carries herself she doesn't seem to know it. The narrator informs us that she's been top of her class since she began at Suchiin (wait...isn't she a first year? She's only been there for half a school year so far, so I feel like this is a little early to call), that her father is a justice on the Japanese Supreme Court, and that she's a card-carrying member of the "public morals committee." I don't know what that last thing is, exactly, but I'm sure that Ayatollah Khomeinei would approve.

She immediately addresses Miyuki as "ex-president Shirogane." I'd call this bad manners, but with her background it would probably be considered bad manners to not be rude to men of peasant stock. She also either isn't troubled by the latest poll results, or is doing a good job of hiding it. He tries to be cordial and tells her he hears she's the best student of her year. She glares, and emphasizes that she's been the best student every quarter so far. Apparently alluding to the fact that Miyuki only came in ninth place his first term, and didn't become top student until shortly afterward.

There's some silly visual metaphors about Miyuki getting physically shorter until he's no bigger than the tiny girl as she punctures his ego. Leaving him stammering and trying to find other ways to talk down to her.

Definitely not Miyuki's finest moment. He's already leading in the polls by a 20+ margin. This is the time to be magnanimous, not insecure. He's honestly doing more to hurt his reputation in this conversation than she could on her own.

They posture at each other for a while. Miyuki and Ishigami leaning on their tried and true history in office. Miko and her unnamed companion talk about the importance of civil society and historical ideals in a way that dances all around being openly classist without quite crossing the line. Then Ishigami and Miyuki pose like Kars and Esidisi in the Battle Tendency opening and tell her that her ideals won't survive contact with reality. Seemingly missing the more obvious avenue of attack that frames Miko as the bad guy.

I blame Ishigami, mostly. Only mostly though, not entirely.

Chika finally intervenes and tells the boys to stop being such edgelords. She then (missing the elitist subtext, of course) tells Miko and her friend that there's nothing wrong with their vision or ideals. Miko asks if she's Fujiwara Chika and, when Chika answers in the affirmative, tells her that she was actually hoping to meet her soon. She has an offer to make.

...come again?

The boys react in surprise. Chika reacts to their reaction in outrage. Miko tells them that Chika is overqualified for her current position; she is, after all, the daughter of an Ambassador (huh. did not know that...), fluent in five languages (well, I guess she must be using her brain cells for something...), and a prize winning piano player back in elementary school (see previous comment). She also got totally average grades at the prestigious Suchiin Academy.

...even Chika realizes how stupid that last boast on her behalf is, considering who she's being compared to.

The piano playing is the big one though, apparently. Miko was inspired by Chika's musical career ever since she was a grade or two below her in elementary school, and was heartbroken when Chika stopped playing. Chika just nonchalantly says that she lost interest in the piano.

...this feels like an Utena shoutout. It might not be, but it feels like one.

Anyway, Miko's flattery (probably combined with the boys' disrespect) quickly brings Chika over to her side. Miyuki and Ishigami are disheartened by this, but I don't know that they should be. There are much less devastating means of sabotage than foisting Chika on someone, you know. Miko is convinced that the student body will "come to its senses" and vote to correct the school's current, shall we say, imbalance.

Later, Miyuki and Ishigami are grumbling about Chika's betrayal. Surprisingly, Ishigami doesn't say anything about all women being treacherous snake-harpy-whores, even though this is the exact type of situation where I'd expect him to. Maybe he's getting better? That would be cool, if he was. In any case, they're going to have to do something to make up for Chika's loss, or so they think.

Only it turns out that it's not even an issue. Chika changes her mind on her own and goes back to them the next day.

The episode ends with Kaguya alone wondering where everybody else is and why she wasn't in this last sketch. Which is a very good question; why WASN'T Kaguya in this last story, considering how the previous one ended? Also, what was even the point of this chapter? End episode.


The first and longest chapter, with Hayasaka, was great. Funny, whacky, and surprisingly touching and empathetic at the end, with how it turned into an examination of how Hayasaka's status has twisted her life and broken her sanity and turned her relationship with Kaguya into an obsessive love/hate. Kaguya finally starting to gain just the first glimmers of realization about the inherent monstrosity of her own lifestyle was also really effective, as well as promising.

The two following ones were an incoherent mess. The final one especially; the way it fizzled out at the end instead of having the characters act to resolve anything was just limp.


That's the last Kaguya-Sama that I had in queue. My overall assessment? You could probably trim and boil this show down to something really great, but in its current form there's just too much filler and too many really-long-and-not-nearly-funny-enough bits for my taste. If someone stuck the actually important (or at least funny) chapters together and cut out all the rest, I'd happily watch it through. In its current form though, I think I'd lose patience with it pretty quickly if I tried to see it on my own.