Review of Teasing Master Takagi-san

I try to watch at least one romance anime per season and the lucky winner of the previous season is Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san. Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san is a slice of life, romantic comedy which unfortunately doesn’t manage to keep invested in the story or the characters. Story – 5/10 Takagi and Nishikata are both in the same middle school class and as luck would have it, they also happen to sit right next to each other, much to Takagi’s amusement and Nishikata’s despair. The story revolves around these two characters and the interactions between them, and other than that very little happens duringthe twelve episode run-time.

Every episode is divided into three parts, each of which focusing on a different keyword. These keywords are simple and are the main focus for that sections teasing. Unfortunately the teasing, which the title is so proud of, is the only form of dialogue between the two characters. To make matters worse, after the first episode the teasing starts becoming repetitive and predictable. What remains to keep us engaged in the story? Nothing is left, as all the supposed ‘story’ focuses on is the teasing. During an era of five minute short episodes, Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san is the perfect anime to get a short adaptation, because the entirety of the plot has a single gimmick and sticks to that gimmick until the final episode.

Art – 7/10

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san’s art is really simple, but effective. Because focus is placed on the dialogue between the two protagonists, the characters designs are well done. Both Takagi and Nishikata have extremely cute character design’s which are appropriate for the series. The focus unfortunately remains on the two characters, which doesn’t allow for any proper world building. I can only describe the art style of the anime as a single word: adequate.

Sound – 7/10

Unfortunately is Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san’s OST as barren as its plot. One thing that kept bugging me throughout the series was the lack of background music. Sure there are one or two tracks which form part of the OST, but these were only played once or twice an episode. Where the anime manages to hit the ball out of the park, is with the opening and seven endings. All these are soothing and an absolute joy to listen to, which is mainly thanks to the fantastic vocalist and voice of Takagi, Takahashi Rie. Her gentle voice makes for some great tracks which work well with the aesthetic the show is going for. Speaking of voice actors, the most enjoyable part of the two protagonists were their voice actors Takahashi Rie (as aforementioned) and Kaji Yuki. They really managed to make the characters more enjoyable and I believe that few voice actors could accomplish the same effect. The rest of the cast all performed their roles admirably, but these two in particular were fantastic.

Character 6/10

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san sports a total of ten characters, five of whom are simply present. Takagi and Nishikata are the center of attention for the majority of the series. What little personality they have can be summed up as: cheerful, mischievous, witty and over-complicated. The other characters who managed to get some screen-time is the trio of friends. Their different personalities lead to some interesting conversation and for that reason I found them the most likable.

Enjoyment – 4/10

Other than the fantastic voice acting, sweet OP and ED, there was nothing which drew me into Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san. Neither the repetitive jokes nor the weak characters helped the fact. I might have enjoyed the series more if it had a shorter run-time and the dialogue wasn’t as predicable or repetitive.

Overall – 6/10

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi san is an anime which sets out to make you smile and manages just that. Whether it is the innocent setting, the adorable voice acting or the sweet opening/endings, these combined elements will most definitely accomplish just that. However, if you are looking for a romcom dealing with young love and personality to boot, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!