“Oh…it’s gonna be one of those comedies.” I said as I watched the KARAKAI JOZU NO TAKAGI-SAN anime earlier this year. Basically, the show was in the spirit of My Neighbor Seki — two school kids, many distractions, and not much else. The anime was fairly endearing though, which is why I have some hopes for the manga version, Teasing Master Takagi-san.
So far it’s about what I thought.
Teasing Master Takagi-san is short chapters involving two middle school friends, Nishikata and Takagi. Nishikata has been teased almost mercifully by Takagi for a while, and each time he tries to do the same, he fails spectacularly. This volume doesn’t show him having any success either. From making absurd faces to get her to laugh in class to the good old sport of throwing cans into the trash, the sole purpose is to show how awkwardly he responds to the teasing.
The mundaneness is apparent in every aspect of Teasing Master Takagi-san. There’s absolutely nothing bizarre about any of the things the two do. That itself serves as its unique charm, since it also heavily implies the two have a unique friendship.
That, at the moment, is its weakness. It is not always exciting to see whatever they do. Takagi fooling Nishikata as he tries to find her in the classroom is pretty dry. So is them snuggling shoulder-to-shoulder as they walk home in the rain, with only Nishikata feeling embarrassed. However, the reactions for each turn out to be quite nice, and they way they interact with each other feels very distinct. For example, Nishikata deciding to do push-ups for each time Takagi teases him is weird! But for them, it works. It also helps she knows what he’s up to soon enough! In general, the jokes are standard for kids their age, and it makes the endless teasing feel ok rather than mean-spirited because they have some good chemistry, like they’ve known each other for years.
The art style contributes to that as well. From both of their designs to all the silly games they play, it’s nice to look at and read. I am curious if it can maintain this level of entertainment moving forward, but if it’s like the anime, it should get better with time. And also as the stakes somehow get raised. For now though, their relationship is one to watch, but the comedy aspect needs to get better. Having one great joke is not enough (the tough looking teacher laughing was a riot), so let’s see where the series goes from here on.