Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2022)
[ใใใๆงใฏๅใใใใ ๏ฝๅคฉๆใใกใฎๆๆ้ ญ่ณๆฆ๏ฝ]
Volume 26
Author/Artist: Aka Akasaka
Publisher: Young Jump Comics
Synopsis:
Shirogane launches his plan to rescue Kaguya from her family.
Story/Characters:
We've got Iino as mission control at the school with yakuza bodyguards on loan from Ryuuju while Shirogane goes to visit Gan'an (Kaguya's dad) in the first phase of his plan. He first talks to Dr. Tanuma, who tells him about Kaguya's mom. This conversation (particularly Shirogane's shouting) draws out Gan'an, who's having a lucid moment that allows the conversation to proceed. Shirogane makes the bold move of seeking Kaguya's hand in marriage with a persistence that creeps out the man once feared as the Monster of the Showa Period. The idea (as explained by Unryou, who shows up in the middle of all this), at bare minimum, is to throw a monkey wrench into the plans to marry off Kaguya to Mikado, as Gan'an's current state of mental decline means that even if he were to try to alter his will now, it wouldn't have the same legal standing as the previous one he drew up. Of course, if something were to happen to the will, then that'd open up a free-for-all with the lawyers, so Gan'an gives Shirogane the code to the safe where the will is being kept. He doesn't completely back the young upstart but at least gives him a sporting chance.
While Hayasaka and Fujiwara are heading to Kyoto to get the will, we have a relaxed chapter where Shirogane, Ishigami and Iino show off their different techniques for preparing instant yakisoba. (I may have to try Iino's style for myself just to see if there's anything to it.) The chapter's cliffhanger has Hayasaka and Fujiwara cornered in an alley by some goons, but then Hayasaka's mom shows up. It turns out that the Hayasaka family is staging a revolt against Oukou and we get the first appearance of Hayasaka's dad as he stands up to the Shinomiya heir apparent. We see how Oukou manipulated his father into getting the will to give him everything rather than the more equitable distribution Gan'an originally had planned, but all that's in jeopardy now that the will is on the line. Yes, in case you were wondering, he had Gan'an's hospital room bugged, so he knows about the plan to take the will out of play. What he doesn't know is where the safe is and that's where Papa Hayasaka refuses to help, as his loyalty is to Gan'an, not Oukou.
We then cut to Kaguya getting paid a visit by Mikado. In the spirit of fair play, Mikado lays out both his plan and Shirogane's for her so she can make her own choice. Kaguya is all tsundere about Shirogane, but it's pretty clear where her heart lies. The sad thing is that Mikado's feelings for Kaguya are real, but he has the same rotten luck with romance as his sister. Meanwhile, Hayasaka and Fujiwara are racing to launch the diversion that will give Kaguya the opportunity to escape, but Seiryuu shows up to bar the way. Fujiwara takes him on, denouncing him for his skeezy ways and threatening him with public exposure taking advantage of new media in ways that an old-school Shinomiya wouldn't account for. The effort serves the purpose of giving Hayasaka the time she needs and neutralizing Seiryuu as a threat. Once Hayasaka does her thing and Kaguya breaks out, she makes a beeline for the little love nest that Gan'an used to have for Kaguya's mom. Oukou was smart enough to figure that Kaguya would know where to go and followed her. Before he can snatch the will from her, Ishigami intervenes, joined by Hayasaka and Fujiwara. Still, it's just four kids against Oukou and his men, but then Unryou shows up as well. Oukou can't just force his way, so the three Shinomiya siblings have to talk it out. Kaguya reveals that she doesn't actually want to be a part in the succession dispute and is willing to yield her share of the fortune to Oukou and still work for peace with the Shijou family (without the marriage to Mikado) in exchange for her freedom. Just when it looks like things are going to be tied up nicely, Unryou points out that this deal has nothing in it for him, so he makes a go for the will himself and by "makes a go for the will himself", I mean that he siccs his goons on Kaguya. You might wonder why the rest of the kiddos don't run to Kaguya's aid, for whatever it's worth, but they're too busy bragging about the mastermind behind their plan. (A plan that'd be spoiled if one of Unryou's goons caught Kaguya, but clearly the gang expects Kaguya's feet won't fail her now.) We then get the big payoff of a helicopter rescue and a happy ending. Yay.
Art:
The payoff at the end is well represented, especially with the two-page spread of Shirogane sweeping Kaguya off her feet. Baby Mikado is pretty cute, so that's something, too.
Other:
We continue the weird exposition on love and such in the post-chapter margins. The end of Chapter 258 indicate this is actually some sort of dialog.
Conclusion:
Last volume I was looking forward to seeing Shirogane's plan come together, but if I'm being honest, it left me feeling underwhelmed, wrapped up too quickly and too neatly. Oukou is rather two-dimensional as an antagonist and the dialog tends to be clunky. We've strayed far from the series' original charm and at this point I'm hoping we just have another volume worth of epilogue to tie a bow on things, but I'm worried the conclusion may be dragged out. Part of me wants to rate this volume lower, but I imagine the emotional payoff of the end will be enough to buoy most fans, so I'll still say this is worth a read.
Rating:
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