Preface Kaguyasama was one of the few anime that made me fall in love with the medium. Its quippy referential oddly relatable shnenfied mundanity and oddball humormixed with a genuinely convincing love story between two awkward high school studentsbrought relatability to an extreme degree. It hooked me so deeply that it became the first longrunning manga series I actually read weekly. The world the story presents is among the most brilliant and addictingly rewatchable animes out there to the point that few shows could surpass the sheer brilliance of its presentation. Since the conclusion of the third season the movie and the manga years ago anime fans have been eagerly waiting for the adaptation to inevitably reach its ending over the next couple of seasons. That was the expectationuntil this surprise special changed everything. Stairway to Adulthood Lets get this out of the way immediately: this special feels like the show never left. From its presentation to the writing from its captivating story and the way the characters carry each scene everything remains intactonly now with a bit more spice of its signature sprinkled in especially with referential humor where diehard anime and manga fans would catch on immediately. There is also a sudden shift in its structure that was set out from Season 3 where Kaguya who takes on a more assertive romantic role in the relationship while Miyuki grows noticeably more openly affectionate making sweet romantic moments that will keep you blushing. Its something we fully expected to see after the ending of the third season but instead we finally get it hereand not a single minute is wasted. The special explores numerous themes and situations that any normal couple faces all filtered through that unmistakable Kaguyasama flair. It respectfully adapts several important manga momentssomehow making them even funnier in animated form. As a result this special is an immediate hit for fans of the anime offering a deeper look into Kaguya and Miyukis relationship. However for those who have read the manga the very existence of this specialand the way it is framedmay spark sadness as it subtly suggests that future seasons might not be possible. The Implications of this Special Spoiler This special basically confirms itself that Season 4 and beyond wouldnt be possible. Gone are the couple of major arcs built after season 3 especially with the blossoming relationship of Ishigami and Miko which is my favorite overarching arc of the series that we couldnt get to see animated. Though it will disappoint a lot of fans as we wouldnt get a full adaptation to the entire series there is a silver lining namely having an original ending despite the source material for an ending being already available. Though its an odd choice at first and you may react to it in a negative light but on the other hand I find this as an optimistic approach to the series. While it is disappointing that couldnt get to see our favorite arcs and character moments from the manga for us manga fans it would be a treat for us along with Animeonly fans of the series to see and experience a brand new ending of this series at the same time anime fans would which will garner a unique experience that we havent got to see in a long while. Although anime fans might have flashbacks from the formative years of anime with original endings but knowing how this special presented itself I couldnt really see that as a concern since in my perspective the new original ending might take place beyond the ending of the manga which solves the canon issues. As for animeonly fans they have definitely missed out a lot of major arcs of the series but if youre only focusing on the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki The Third season and the christmas movie is as climax as it can get but youre definitely missing out a lot of devastating or wholesome character moments for side characters and it might be the time for you to read the manga. But if you only care for the journey of Kaguya and Miyuki in an overall perspective youre not missing out that much. As for me I wouldnt be worried. I trust the team that carried this series and even this being a special its spiced up with a lot of love and flair which hadnt lost its steam since the very beginning. Will it be the greatest ending well see? probably not. Itll most likely be an afterstory where well catch up how our favorite characters have been but it is a wonderful treat to see regardless.