Review of Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro
Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro or Nagatoro for short, is the latest installment in a pack of narcissistic girls “teasing” an anti-social, awkward degenerate boy. The whole premise and the comedy revolve around Hayase, the main girl, “jokingly” bullying her upperclassman: Naoto. Hayase is teasing Naoto because that’s the only method for her to show affection to him. Now, this type of comedy-romance isn’t anything new. When done right, it can be wholesome, cute, and enjoyable. The prime example that I can immediately think of is Teasing Master Takagi-san that aired a few years back. But Nagatoro isn’t wholesome, cute, or enjoyable. Contrary toTakagi-san, Nagatoro is the most predictable, boring, and quite frankly, one of the offensive shows to be aired.
I don’t find any appealing elements in how Hayase “teases” Naoto, and I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Naoto is okay with Hayase’s twisted ways of showing her affection. What Hayase does to get Naoto’s attention is to go to extreme lengths and force Naoto to do questionable things. Such as Hayase forcing Naoto to touch her body parts, and if it doesn't meet her satisfaction, Hayase physically abuses Naoto. The result is that the show shrugs it off and plays it as comedy. Except, it’s not funny in the slightest.
Being stuck in this toxic relationship, any normal person would want to confront and address it. But not this pathetic Naoto. He never once stopped and contemplated that this relationship is quite abusive, to say the least. He goes along with it and willingly plays into Hayase's palm as if he enjoys it. And I think that’s the key: people watch this show to insert themselves, which I can’t grasp upon. No matter how much I watch and rewatch Nagatoro, the appeal isn’t there for me. All I see is a generic anime with no plot and progression, no appealing romance between the two main leads, and no likable characters. When a show exists to offer nothing but cliches, badly written narrative, characters, and themes, I consider that particular show to be a cash cow. And Nagatoro is precisely that.
If there are any genuine moments I can find is the one honest conversation between the two. The rest is just filled with Hayase and Naoto occasionally blushing. Because there are no other appealing elements, the genuine moments don’t lead anywhere. Hayase and Naoto’s relationship stays the same, with neither of them progressing the static state of their relationship.
For me, Nagatoro can be looked at from two perspectives: One, it’s saying that this bullying, abusing, and exploiting relationship is not okay and that the people who are watching this will hopefully come to an understanding of it. Or two, the show is actively promoting this type of relationship, and people who don’t realize it are the ones who have never had any social interactions with the opposite sex--which is why they are okay with this type of show. I honestly hope it’s the latter.
The main leads were already appalling to watch. Both Hayase and Naoto are the stereotypical cutouts for this type of show. They both have no other exciting aspects to their characterization. As the show progressed, it became increasingly clear that their status would stay the same with no progression. It’s the laziest and unappealing writing since it never goes beyond its cliches and tropes. Since the show has no thematic value to offer, the characters are worth even less than it already is.
As for the side characters, they are just one-dimensional bullies that are used for gags.
It’s quite apparent from the first time watching Nagatoro that the artist behind its source material is a hentai artist since the characters are drawn with hentai features: The eyes, face, and overall body structure. Every female character in this show is drawn with exaggerated body parts and personality that’s honestly sickening to watch from episode to episode. And every other male beside Naoto is drawn with shaded eyes and perverted nature. That’s all they are.
Don’t Toy with Me Nagatoro is neither cute nor amusing. The show failed as a meaningful romantic show. The show has undoubtedly failed as a comedy. And to its absolute, the show is pointless. Usually, when I encounter a pointless show like this, I turn off my brain and often find enjoyment. But I couldn’t even do that. In my eyes, Don’t Toy with Me Nagatoro deserves no praise and recognition.
Score: 3/10