Aishiteru Game wo Owarasetai

"For the love of God, can you please just kiss already???"

That's the feeling I get when I watch the episodes. It's a cliché story of childhood friends who love each other intensely, but because of a silly ego game, they refuse to confess their feelings. What saves it? The interactions and situations. The comedy is quite strong, and I'd say that's what helps maintain some attention on the show. Otherwise, it would be a generic romance anime that drags on to grab your attention. Those who watched Kaguya-sama will see that this anime drowns in that same well, but here I'd say it's more realistic, ... no rich or overly prominent couples. If you're tired of clichés, it's best to stay away. But for those who like Kaguya-sama or are just starting out in the romance genre, it would be interesting to give it a chance.

After the first few episodes of comedy, the anime starts to really mellow out. It's so sweet... its melting my heart by episode 4, it was worth getting through the earlier episodes. ♡

As for why these two are being silly with their "love game"... its because they haven't accepted their true feelings just yet, thus we get 12 episodes :3

Early Review:
This anime reminds me of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, but something about the writing and inner dialogue spacing feels a bit different. I’m not sure if it’s the writing itself or the timing, but especially in the first two episodes, every moment feels like ... there’s too much inner monologue happening—too frequently.

I do like the plot and the overall idea. Childhood friends trying to convince each other romantically is a great concept, and I’d love to see it get more serious over time. Right now, it feels “almost good enough” as a romance. The comedy, however, can be a bit too aggressive and sometimes nearly distracting. It comes off a little silly, but if you can go along with it, the show is actually very wholesome and sweet.

I really liked episode three because of the slower moments and the way the characters express their real personas. It feels like their personas and true feelings start to blend together more naturally, instead of feeling separated. Those moments are the best part for me. Episode three really made the show stand out more, and I’d like to see more serious romantic moments. Even though it’s not the best show overall, the moments that do shine are why I’m giving it a 10/10 for me personally—I just really adore how sweet it can be.

(Spoilers below – Episode 3)
My favorite part was the moment where he put a crown on her like a princess in episode three. It’s such a classic romantic moment, and it was done really well. I think this show is meant to be a “half-and-half” type of anime—half serious and half comedy, just like the two characters. That scene was really sweet and is what made me add this anime to my favorites, we'll see how long that stays there :]

~ The animation can look a bit choppy, occasionally relying on shots that pan across static images to simulate movement, and fade-to-black transitions in place of stronger editing. It's not a complete dealbreaker (compared to, say, One Punch Man Season 3 or Uzumaki), but it does make the show feel noticeably cheaper and lazier.
~ The premise is extremely similar to Kaguya-sama: Love is War (i.e. two tsunderes in love who engage in a romantic game of chicken), but it's nowhere near as cute, funny or romantic for two reasons:
~ First, Kaguya-sama's battle of seduction has a clear objective: get the other person to confess their ... love, usually with an elaborate scheme to win them over. By comparison, the "I Love You Game" isn't something you can win or lose; the game is a total cop-out, a cheap excuse that Miku and Yukiya use whenever they feel too embarrassed by their words and actions.
~ Second, in Kaguya-sama, Kaguya and Shirogane are palpably IN LOVE with each other, sometimes inadvertently sabotaging themselves because they are THAT consumed by their own infatuation (which is also where most of the comedy comes from). In Aishiteru Game, Miku and Yukiya do not have that same level of emotional complexity, and are only ever concerned with their own sense of pride and embarrassment.
~ This is a much smaller issue, but the supporting cast is quite one-dimensional: nonchalant little sister, café owner uncle, college student waitress, scuzzy classmate, female friend #1 and #2. They mostly populate the background, and don't add much to our understanding of the two main characters.

= It might seem unfair to compare anything to Kaguya-sama when it is arguably the most popular rom-com anime series in recent memory, but Aishiteru Game feels underwhelming specifically because it is capable of so much more. The worst part is how, after three episodes, this show hasn't managed to make me laugh even once. There is simply no romantic tension; all of Yukiya and Miku's schemes, thoughts and reactions are always done in private, delivered through lots and lots of internal monologuing. The trick to making this "two tsunderes in love" premise work is not by showing how they ALWAYS reject their feelings, but by showing us how their tough facades occasionally fail, how they get swept up by their emotions, and how their desire for romance can overwhelm their competitive drive.