This is a really odd special. I enjoyed it, but in a bittersweet sort of way. We open with an adult Kaguya reminiscing through her photo albums; this is essentially our framing device. But as the memories unfold, you can’t help but notice the massive gaps in the story — gaps that would’ve been filled if the powers that be hadn’t oddly abandoned the thought of adapting the rest of the manga. For example, take our first little vignette. Chika wants to tease Kaguya by pretending that she and Miyuki have started dating. Little does she know, however, that Kaguya and Miyuki have already been dating for a while now. Ho ho ho, imagine Chika’s face when she really finds out about them! But when does Chika and the rest of the gang find out? I wanna see her reaction, don’t you? But we can’t. This feels like a story that should’ve been told, but for obvious reasons, it has been left on the cutting room floor. Is the show not profitable anymore? Do we really have to call it quits on adapting every manga series just because it has finished? Like what are we doing if we’re intentionally passing up on quality just because it no longer makes money?

Next example! The first time we properly see (Ai) Hayasaka in the special is after Kaguya and Miyuki have done the deed. Our favorite deadpan maid has a new hairdo! Unfortunately, we’re simply told that she has long since left the house, and someone else attends to Kaguya these days. Huh? What happened? Hayasaka was one of my favorite characters on the show! You can’t do her dirty like this! If there was an entire story beat dedicated to her liberation from the Shinomiya household, I would’ve have loved to have seen that! In fact, this special is littered with hints of stories untold. Like who the hell is this guy? And why is he sending Miyuki off at the airport as if he’s an intimate part of the gang? Obviously, he must have played some crucial role in the manga, but as an anime-only, all I can do is scratch my head. Kaguya also mentions how she can’t quite trust her new attendant, because they work for her brother. Yet another tale that’ll never see the light of day unless, of course, I read the manga. Well, maybe one day…

I’ve kind of glossed over Kaguya and Miyuki first intimate moment. Yep, they did it. In fact, it is the primary focus of this special, hence the subtitle “Stairway to Adulthood.” As I watched Papa Shirogane become an overnight streaming sensation, I couldn’t help but wonder what his new career had to do with anything. Sure, Papa Shirogane is a riot. And sure, it was equally funny to see paypigs dump red superchats after red superchats just because Kei happened to walk past the webcam. But why are we seeing this? Then Kaguya and Miyuki proceeded to have sex. Hah. All this setup just for two horny teenagers to share a bed without his sister’s futon being a few meters away. But that’s all I really want to say about it. Teen sexuality not only exists, it’s actually pretty normal. As a grown ass adult, I obviously don’t really wanna have an extended conversation about teens having sex, but I also don’t want to pretend to be shocked and surprised when it happens. After all, it really is neither shocking nor surprising. Hell, we already learned in the very first season that 34% of the population had their first time in high school. Our totally normal couple finally gets to be a part of that not-so-insignificant minority.

All in all, this special is pretty fun if you’re a big Kaguya x Miyuki fan, but it’s a letdown if you love and miss the rest of the colorful cast.

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Stray thoughts & observations:

• Don’t give me manga spoilers. If I ever find out what happens with the rest of the cast, I’d rather find out on my own.
• The crescent moon necklace is a bit on the nose, but at least Miyuki knows better than to give Kaguya pink, heart-shaped jewelry.
• Ah, I’ve done this before. In fact, who hasn’t fallen asleep on the phone with their first girlfriend or boyfriend?
• I’ve always felt uncomfortable whenever streamers beg their viewers to stop with the superchats, hype train, gifted subs, or what have you. “Please, stop showering me money! No, guys, c’mooooon~~~!” It just feels like inauthentic, y’know? But maybe they’re being honest and I’m just too cynical, but eh…
• Is it just me or does neither of them know how to eat pizza properly? Kaguya is nibbling away like a hamster. Meanwhile, Miyuki is treating it like a pita.
• Wow, an Among Us reference in 2025 (even though I watched this in 2026).
• I dunno what I would do in Papa Shirogane’s shoes. I mean, how many parents do you know would actually help their kid get laid? Again, teen sexuality is normal. But I feel like most parents would freak out about this sort of thing. On the one hand, he knows his son. He knows Miyuki is smart and responsible enough to use protection. On the other hand, encouraging it is a different matter entirely. Miyuki is on the cusp of attending Stanford, too. One mistake, like a condom breaking by sheer happenstance, might derail that. Yeah, I don’t know. I’m glad I’ll (probably) never be a parent.
• Ah yes, the pre-sex ritual.
• I guess I’m part of the 10%. I know condoms aren’t gross, but they feel gross.
• It must be tiresome to have to worry about something like this. Hell, I would’ve loved it if my first girlfriend had helped pay for contraception.
• See, this is the most unbelievable part of the special: two teens who are madly in love facing away from each other the first time they’re in bed. No shot. It’s such an anime thing. I’m not saying they have to start making out the instant they hop into bed, but there’s no fucking shot they would be facing opposite directions.
• That’s how you do a proper kiss. Take notes, other shows.
• Wow, they’re really going at it.
• Whoa whoa whoa, can you show this on TV?
• Hmmmm, I dunno about that, buddy.
• Chalk it up to cultural differences, but in all my decades of dating, I’ve never once felt the urge to pat any of my girlfriends on the head.
• I can’t believe Kaguya woke up late for Miyuki’s departure, so she has to tell the taxi driver to floor it. I can’t believe it, because we’re in the 21st century. Our phones not only have a built-in alarm, you can set multiple alarms to go off sequentially!
• I was initially flabbergasted by Ishigami’s suggestion, but I quickly remembered that these are all super rich kids. Must be nice. In fact, Kaguya is so rich that she can literally hop onto a private plane to the US in order to make up for her blunder.
• Oh hey, that’s my airport. Fun fact: it’s roughly a 30-min ride on the train to get to the airport from the city. Look, we’ve got no space in SF for anything. We sure as hell ain’t fitting an airport in here.
• I beg to differ, but I hate riding on planes.
• Even though they live together nowadays, she still calls him by his high school title. What is she gonna call him once they start having kids?
• Somehow, we’re still not done with this show, and it’s all due to some mad scientist.