In Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Aka Akasaka has created the titular heroine, Kaguya Shinomiya with a unique blend of adorable and manipulative traits that makes her a complex and, at times, polarizing character. Akasaka was well aware that her character may not be everyone’s cup of tea; thus, he simultaneously created a character that is universally adored: Chika Fujiwara.
Aka Akasaka explained his approach to character creation, especially regarding Kaguya and Fujiwara, and discussed the delicate balance between making characters flawed yet still lovable. Akasaka aimed for readers to see both the dark and light sides of his protagonists, ultimately allowing them to develop a connection.
Kaguya Shinomiya: A Character That is Both Lovable and Hated
One of the challenges for Aka Akasaka in Kaguya-sama: Love is War was presenting Kaguya Shinomiya as a complex character with both charm and calculated manipulation. To him, this meant that Kaguya would sometimes cross the line of what might typically define an ideal heroine in romance stories. She is strategic, obsessive, and sometimes ruthless in her pursuit of love, traits that Akasaka knew could alienate some fans.
In an interview conducted by Daisuke Okamoto, Akasaka noted that he was careful in crafting Kaguya’s character with attention to detail. He didn’t want her to be universally loved or an ideal heroine, as her manipulative tendencies are very important to the premise of Kaguya-sama: Love is War‘s story.
He emphasized the difference between ‘not being liked’ and ‘being hated’ and stated that it was a very big challenge for him to portray Kaguya as a multifaceted character with a dark side, yet, he wanted to ensure that she doesn’t become completely unpleasant to readers.
However, Akasaka embraced the prospect that she might draw negative reactions. Even when he sees some fans say that they fully despise Kaguya’s character, he doesn’t get bothered by it. This refreshing perspective of him allows readers to choose how they feel about Kaguya.
Chika Fujiwara: The Pure Heart in Kaguya-sama: Love is War
If Kaguya is the shadowy strategist, Chika Fujiwara is the wholesome heart of Kaguya-sama: Love is War, consistently bringing balance to the story’s tone. Akasaka admitted that Fujiwara is intentionally written as the series’ pure character, someone without hidden motives or darker nuances, in contrast to Kaguya. He affectionately refers to her as “everyone’s heroine”.
I have heard people saying that they genuinely hate Kaguya, so I want to say sorry to those people. Please love Fujiwara-san instead.
From the outset, Akasaka decided that Fujiwara wouldn’t have any monologues, leaving her inner thoughts a mystery to readers. However, Akasaka emphasizes that there’s no hidden agenda with her character, or more specifically, she “doesn’t harbor any darkness” — a ray of sunshine for fans amid Kaguya’s more contradictory nature.
Akasaka’s decision to keep Fujiwara uncomplicated displays his approach to balancing the darker, more intense elements of Kaguya-sama: Love is War with lightheartedness. Her charm comes from the fact that she’s unfazed by the strategic mind games, which in turn makes her more relatable to readers who may feel overwhelmed by the other characters’ constant schemes.
In Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Aka Akasaka embraced the possibility for fans to dislike his titular heroine, Kaguya, as long as their adoration for Fujiwara remained untarnished. By balancing Kaguya’s cunning nature with Fujiwara’s simplicity, Akasaka allowed fans to engage with a multifaceted cast.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
