Type II supernovae (SNe II) are among the most frequently found class of transient events. However, their exact explosion and powering mechanisms are not yet understood. In particular, there is an apparent brightness divisions found in their observed light curves that present a puzzle difficult to solve. Early detection and follow up of unusually bright events would aid to address this issue. There is evidence indicating that  circumstellar material (CSM) interaction provides a comprehensive explanation for the brightness diversity. In this scenario, the diversity is produced by different CSM configurations, which depend on the mass loss history of the progenitor star.
In this talk I will present the follow up and characterization of a sample of luminous and a sample of superluminous SNe II from the ePESSTO collaboration and the ZTF survey  respectively. I will discuss the key characteristics that indicate the presence of CSM interaction and discuss differences seen in both samples. I will end by discussing the challenges that the LSST era brings for the detection of these events.