Review of Teasing Master Takagi-san

This was so worth it. Story/Plot - 8.5 - What initially sounds like a dry, almost mundane premise on paper, actually turns out to be loads of fun when actually played out. It's simple. Nishikata is always being teased by Takagi, whom knows Nishikata from the inside out. He's always trying to make a comeback to her teasing but to no avail (most of the time), despite this, he vows to someday get her back. While this sounds like a formula that's bound to get repetitive and predictable, which admittedly it does feel like it does to a certain extent, there's always a new situation thatthe two characters are put in (with more emphasis on Nishikata of course) with new jokes and ways to tease to keep the series from ever becoming boring or repetitive. It's formulaic to a certain degree, but it makes sure to keep things fresh and flavorful. Think of Tom & Jerry, or more specifically, Coyote and the Road Runner. It follows a basic premise that the viewer can usually predict how an episode will play out, but manages to remain entertaining through the creative ideas that the creators come up with and the situations they put the characters through. That's Takagi-san. It's premise is unique but nothing groundbreaking, but that doesn't really matter since the execution of this simple premise and what is done with it is really good.

Characters - 8.5 - The relationship between the main characters, Nishikata and Takagi is what makes or breaks this series for many viewers. If you don't like it, you're unlikely to enjoy the rest of it, but if you do like it, you're in for a good time, as you'll find the chemistry between the two to be quite adorable. Always trying to outsmart one another, but one always comes out on top, yet they keep going, or should I say, playing? Takagi-san is, while not a prodigy or a genius, is fiercely clever and extraordinarily masterful at her craft: Teasing Nishikata. She's always one step ahead, thinking outside the box, and coming up with creative ways to tease and outsmart Nishikata. Despite this, she is very charming and likeable. You may think that a character like this would feel inhuman, like a Mary Sue, but no, there are moments where she's caught off guard and it becomes apparent that she's still an ordinary girl who's just as human as everybody else. Nishikata, while he appears to be just your average kid, he isn't as shallow as one may think he is. Despite falling for Takagi's tricks again and again, he's shown himself to be adaptive and smart. He's always over-analyzing the situations Takagi puts him through, taking a cautious approach to executing his plans as opposed to doing it directly like Takagi, which ironically, is almost always the cause of his defeat. Nor Takagi or Nishikata have any malice between them; Takagi seems to be teasing him so much as a means to spend more time with him. Through all of this teasing, their relationship grows and they grow closer and closer to each other and develop into expressing their feelings for each other. This is seriously so damn cute.
Now, why all this praise and an 8.5? Unfortunately, the main couple are really the only selling point for the character department, all of the supporting cast stays undeveloped and buys into commonly used tropes and cliches. Mina, Sanae and Yukari are really just comedy relief characters that aren't really part of the main story since they don't affect it in any major way that I've seen thus far. They aren't part of the shenanigans of the main couple, but rather they live through their own, which isn't really all that interesting. But if you don't mind that, you're welcome to continue watching, I found the skits to be fun anyway.

Visuals - 7 - Standard anime visuals. This is a SoL show so there's no need for flashy animation or stunning art. Average art and animation is enough for a show like this. Therefore this doesn't really affect the final score. I do have to say, that the close-up shots are greatly appreciated, since Takagi has an extremely cute face.

Audio - 8 - Meets the bar as well, but does better than most other SoL. The voice acting is pretty good, with performances by Takahashi Rie and Kaji Yuuki that bring the characters to life and express the lines perfectly. From Nishikata's exaggerated gasps to Takagi's relaxed voice and laughs, it's overall pretty good! Not to mention the Opening song and SEVEN different ending themes!

Overall: I love this series. The 931 days are finally over. At last, I have completed the first season. I do not regret finishing the rest of this season, but I do regret not finishing it years ago.
O score: 8.25/10 | S score: 8.7/10 | Final score: 8.475/10, rounded to 8/10 for MAL score.