Review of Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro

Story - 10 This brought me right back to high school. Like most people I know, I was bullied and taken advantage of when I was too naive to realize it and/or stand up for myself. This story takes me back to those times, but this time it all works out! The story starts with a really socially uncomfortable confrontation between the two main characters, where there is an apparent power imbalance that is being taken advantage of. However, this dynamic evolves steadily over the season in a really satisfying and extremely cute way. I know that dynamic bugs other reviewers, but I ate it up.After watching these 12 episodes, I found the manga online and am keeping up with the story still.

Art - 10

While "Art" includes both design and animation, and neither are stunning masterpieces that would normally warrant a 10, that level of quality would not fit the genre. The art is perfect for this series. The backgrounds and lighting are true to the atmosphere of the manga, and Nagatoro's design translates well when animated.

Sound - 7

Thinking back, I do not really remember any music or voice acting that was truly excellent. That tells me it fit the show, but did not make a lasting impression. Good audio.

Character - 8

The main characters are flawless for the story, as it is a story about them and their growth together. There are some really entertaining side characters and plots related to them, but they are never the focus of any scene. There are also a couple characters that I do not like, and it's not clear that the audience is not meant to dislike them.

Enjoyment - 9

This made an impact on me, and it got me back into anime. I love slice-of-life and the characters are endlessly enjoyable. The only thing keeping this below a 10 is the aforementioned couple characters I did not like. Also, being an anime set in a high school, there is some uncomfortable sexualization of minors. While I remember being a horny 14-year-old and think that aspect of the high school experience should not be completely ignored, there are some scenes where it's really leaned-into. Unfortunately, that's difficult to avoid in modern anime. This IP has a reputation of being for people specifically into that kind of ecchi stuff, which is part of why I avoided it for several years. Thankfully, that reputation is overblown. This is a story about awkward dumb love among two very different people, and it warms my heart.

Overall - 9

Nothing really to add here! Highly recommended.