Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san

In the moment you encounter that special someone, everything else is rendered obsolete. In this encounter, the world around you, the people in your life, and the things they demand of you all lose meaning. Your attention belongs to that special someone and no other. Time itself ceases to move as your encounter unfolds; when that special someone carries on a conversation with you, it feels as if it’ll last forever. Your heart races, pulsating as if it’ll spring forth from your chest at any given time. Your nerves quiver, the butterflies fluttering freely inside your body. Your vision blurs and your face crimsons, the ... blood coursing through your head at an alarming rate. Clouded by a whirlwind of strange thoughts, emotions, and instincts, you react to this encounter in a completely different fashion than you would in any other situation. The ideas you contemplate, the things you say, and the actions you create are a jumbled mess, shaken and stirred by the heat of the moment. Just as the conversation is gathering steam, that special someone departs from you and the encounter concludes. Time has moved forward again. While you’re mostly relieved to distance yourself from the situation, there’s a part of you that pleads to return to that brief encounter, that yearns to conversate with that special someone, that fantasizes of losing yourself in the moment once more.

For those that have become infatuated with a crush, for those that are adjusting to their feelings of attraction for another, for those that are stumbling their way into their first relationship, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san is a reflection of their lives, their own romantic endeavors manifesting themselves on a grand scale. As this show ignites and refines the chemistry between its two protagonists, Nishitaka and Takagi, it reveals its understanding of relationships and the intricacies they possess. Subdued in its tone and serene in its outlook, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san’s handling of its central couple is accomplished with nigh-unparalleled ease, using their series of frivolous yet elaborate pranks to slowly and steadily transition into something more, and its examination of their relationship is delivered with a rather unconventional approach.

When two contrasting personalities attempt to align, there is an army of problems that arise along the way due to the differences between them. Although said differences can generate a rift in relationships, they can also strengthen them; contrasting personalities naturally heighten common interests. While most works of the romance genre opt for discovering these common interests, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san almost entirely ignores this pursuit. Instead, what it values is how these characters think and why they’re attracted to one another. In particular, it values these concepts as they relate to Nishitaka.

It is his point-of-view that Skilled Teaser Takagi-san operates from. It is his series of pranks, his attempts to outwit and “tease” Takagi, that this show mainly revolves around. Nishitaka is always thinking of ways to perplex Takagi, either by concocting a complex scheme to use on her or (more often than not) by solving the problems she gives him. Every challenge Nishitaka tackles, every puzzle he confronts, makes for a satisfying watch. No two obstacles are alike; each distinct in their own way, they’re deceptively simple at first glance but dangerously intricate the more you analyze them. And, boy, does Nishitaka analyze these obstacles. The music crescendos to a fever pitch, with saxophones screaming their way through, and the animation dizzily spirals out of control, its color scheme constantly changing, as he ceaselessly conjures countermoves and hypothetical solutions in his head. To Nishitaka, these pranks are far from trivial pastime activities. To him, they are battles of the intellectual variety, epic in scale, each choice determining one’s fate.

It’s obvious that Nishitaka cares deeply about outsmarting Takagi, which makes it all the more depressing to witness him falling short time after time. It matters not what plan he formulates, what measures he takes, what approach he adapts; the result never changes. Nishitaka is Sisyphus, forever doomed to try changing his fate, to watch his efforts go to waste, to repeat the same pattern. It’s not his fault, though. With his remarkable tenacity, perception, confidence, and cunning, Nishitaka definitely distinguishes himself as a talented individual. Were he competing against someone else, against anyone else, one could argue that he’d easily be more than a match for them. However, as long as Nishitaka remains tethered to his current circumstances, he’ll always be defeated. Sure, he’s quite intelligent for someone his age but, for all of his virtues, he pales in comparison to the titular character.

“Prodigy” is an overused word; it's a term that's often given to people who don't deserve such praise. Takagi, however, is an exception. Not only is she able to unravel the most intricate of Gordian knots but she also does so effortlessly. Not only does she repeatedly confound Nishitaka with riddles, traps, and decoys galore but she also manipulates each and every one to obscure her true motives. However, it’s not just Nishitaka that Takagi dupes. On multiple occasions, she easily deciphers the tricks her classmates pull on her, alongside subjecting them to a few of her own, and (in one memorable instance) she’s even able to deceive her teacher, manipulating him into disciplining someone else for her transgression.

With each competition, with each episode, with each challenge, it’s almost pre-determined who's going to persevere in the end. On the one hand, this pattern of predictability causes Takagi to come across as a Mary Sue, one who's almost entirely defined by her ceaseless victories. On the other hand, you simply cannot resist watching her mercilessly outfox her peers time after time. Takagi is akin to a world-renowned chessmaster practicing against novices of the game, a decorated military tactician competing against cadets in the field, a veteran criminal investigator matching wits with rookies on the job; the inevitable outcome of each encounter never detracts from the entertainment value that they provide. While it is pleasing to witness Takagi flaunting her intellect, it’s in conveying this show’s themes where she really proves her worth.

Skilled Teaser Takagi-san is, perhaps more than anything else, a master of subverting expectations. With each issue that arises, the solution to them is never what you’d anticipate. Takagi and the show itself deceive you into assuming, alongside Nishitaka, that the motives, nuances, and hints in each situation are leading to one solution when the true answer is entirely different. Again and again, this show emphasizes that Takagi’s victories are due to Nishitaka overthinking each situation, attempting to uncover the deeper meaning behind it, instead of choosing the most obvious answer. Through its titular character, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san argues that the problems we encounter in life aren't as challenging or complex as we think they are. Through Takagi, this show argues that if we can push aside the details surrounding these problems (alongside our preconceived notions of them) and simply examine them for what they are, it'd be easy to find a solution for our issues.

For Takagi, each challenge presents an opportunity for Nishitaka to acquire more knowledge, and she strives to accomplish that goal. Yes, part of why Takagi teases him is for her own amusement; she enjoys watching her opponent panic, struggle and ultimately collapse under the pressure she places upon him. However, the other part is because Takagi wants to see Nishitaka mature and grow. The puzzles that she tasks him with are crafted out of love; Takagi gives Nishitaka a hard time mainly because she cares about him, and this detail really strengthens their relationship.

When Skilled Teaser Takagi-san directs its focus away from the smoke and mirrors, it's actually a genuinely sweet and charming show to watch, and the central couple’s relationship emphasizes its virtues. On the surface, Nishitaka and Takagi couldn't be more different if they tried. While Nishitaka approaches every situation with tact and caution, Takagi is far more direct. While Nishitaka leans towards the naive, Takagi is incredibly perceptive. While Nishitaka is something of a workaholic, Takagi is more relaxed. However, with a closer observation, one can see that, despite the surface-level differences, they are essentially alike. Both Nishitaka and Takagi are confident and intelligent individuals that adopt an extremely timid approach to their relationship (Nishitaka more than Takagi). Watching them develop more and more into expressing their feelings for one another, while supporting each other along the way, is easily the highlight of the show. In fact, the central couple's bond is so heartwarming, nuanced, and inspiring that it allows one to overlook the more unappealing aspects, the various deficiencies and mishaps, of this show that materialize just outside the insulated sphere of the central couple.

100% Unrequited Love is an in-universe anime that not only inspires a few of Nishitaka’s schemes but it also serves to poke fun at other works of the romance genre. By overloading Unrequited Love with genre-specific stereotypes, cliches and tropes, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san claims that it's different from the other shows of its chosen field, more intelligent and self-aware than the rest. However, when it involves its supporting cast, Takagi-san resorts to the same tiresome and tedious cliches as its peers. Whenever this show transitions away from its central couple and towards the people around them, it almost always suffers because of it. While the supporting cast strengthens Takagi-san’s youthful charm, they also represent this show at its weakest. With each appearance the supporting cast makes, it becomes more and more apparent that, outside of its central couple, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san isn't all that adept at developing its characters.

The relationship between Mano and Nakai, classmates of Nishitaka and Takagi, is among the most dull and lifeless that I’ve seen in recent memory. Mano is the “shy one”, blushing, squirming, and stammering about to no end, while Nakai is but a cardboard cutout, hardly worth mentioning, really, and they lack even a faint resemblance of chemistry. Then, there's Mina and Sanae, classmates of the central couple that serve as comic relief. The adventures that this pair embark on are rife with memorable gags - my personal favorite is a recurring act where they dub over random conversations, like an exchange between cats or a chat between the central couple - but they tend to wear themselves out after a while. Mina and Sanae’s adventures are meant to represent the protagonists’ shenanigans from a different, more carefree, perspective but they (more or less) come across as re-iterations of previous events than anything creative or unique. It doesn't help matters much that this show stylistically pigeonholes these two. One is the “genki girl”, manically working herself into a frenzy over trivial matters, while the other is the “quiet one”, silently observing the mess that unfolds around her, and Takagi-san never allows either of them an opportunity to establish themselves beyond these classifications.

When Takagi-san strays from its intended course (mishandling a supporting character here, re-treading an old plot line there), it's the central couple's chemistry that helps re-adjust its focus. Skilled Teaser Takagi-san is, in part, an elaborate game of chess, a neverending battle of wits, with brilliant strategists on either side. It is also a refreshingly pure and simple tale of romance, a love story mostly unchained by the conventions of its peers. And all of it is deftly secured by the incredible bond between its protagonists. Fascinated with their intellect and awestruck by their passion, you cannot resist wishing to accompany the central couple in whatever direction their relationship guides them toward. Time itself ceases to move as you rush headlong into Takagi-san, allowing its loving, all-encompassing embrace to overtake you.

Life is like a game, if you play right, you’ll win. Well, that’s sounds like bullshit but life can feel like a game sometimes. You’re like a player in a world with others and to be successful, you need to play right. Now, what the hell does that have to do with a show like “Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san”?

To put it simply, this show feels like watching two players compete but not in the way you’d think. To me, Takagi and Nishikata are two characters that play with each other in life. However, it’s a little bit different than competition. Between the two, Takagi is ... always the one that stays ahead of the game. Think of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. In that show, the coyote attempts to catch the road runner but always comes up short. For this show, Takagi is always successful in defeating Nishikata at pretty much anything. As predictable and tedious as that sounds, the show is actually more than that.

I’ve read the manga and even as a 1-cour adaptation, the show manages to deliver what’s needed to achieve success. The majority of the story focuses on the duo of Takagi and Nishikata as the two main characters. Every episode takes on multiple segments that features the two in various shenanigans. Even though the show is fictional, many of these shenanigans can occur in real life. These range from being tricked into strolling down a shadowy tunnel, competing in sports, test of courage, school academics, and among many others. The main attraction of the show is to sell the character chemistry between Takagi and Nishikata. This pair’s relationship will undeniably be the take or break for most viewers.

On the individual level, Takagi is a clever girl with a cute face and crafty mind. While she isn’t a prodigy or gifted with extraordinary talent, she often thinks outside the box to outsmart her opponent, Nishikata. Takagi’s character and personality also makes her quite likable as she carries a youthful charm. Even as she teases Nishikata, it’s more than just teasing. She wants to know him more and through their interactions each time, they unintentionally grow closer. There’s also no malice between the two despite the low key drama. From my perspective, Takagi considers Nishikata as more than just a friend. Some people may call that nonsense since she often plays Nishikata like a toy. However, if you really pay attention to their character interactions, it’s easy to realize how close they are. Does this venture into the territory of romance? That’s actually left for viewers’ imaginations. There’s the genre tag of romance for this series but it’s far from a love story.

Nishikata is pretty much the boy that gets defeated by the master of tease, the one and only Takagi. The show often tries to make audience anticipate with a thrilling feel on whether he can ever beat her or not. For me, this made me come back to this show every week. From simple games involving erasers to more complex mind games with playing with emotions, it’s the type of show that categorizes game as more than just winning. Nishikata himself is an average kid with an average personality and living an average life. We don’t find out much about his past and honestly, I don’t think we need to. This show focuses on the present and what’s ahead rather than characterization. In essence, the show’s character dynamics lies in how characters connect rather than how they develop.

Speaking of characters, there are also three others that show up in the show although they are unrelated to the series as a whole. Well, technically they are in a way but they don’t get involved with the teasing and games. That’s probably one of my complaints about this show. They should keep the characters from Ashita wa Doyoubi away in this anime as it feels like a distraction. Thankfully, their screen time isn’t long and mostly added to make the show flow a bit as a slice of life. That being said, I think the show succeeds not just in the character chemistry but also in pure comedy. The way characters react comes out naturally in many ways. This is especially true for Takagi as she often gets the joy of teasing Nishikata shown through her reactions. While Nishikata feels annoyed by this, he never truly hates her. In fact, you could say that he gets a joke out of losing countless times in their daily life games.

A simple show like this only needs simple visuals and TMS Entertainment accomplishes that. Takagi is undeniably adorable with her charming smile, bright personality, and facial expressions. She’s able to carry this show thanks to these characteristics that are adapted straight from the manga. Similarly, Nishikata has a goofy looking face that often makes him look like a fool, as viewers will expect in many episodes. It makes this pair incredibly cute to watch thanks to how they act. The art style enhances that experience. Their voice mannerisms also stays pretty consistent throughout the show. Even someone like Yuki Kaji can play a character like Nishikata as he’s been in the roles of goofball characters before. The incredible voice acting of Takagi makes her character even more believable as a master of teasing.

I decided to give this show an 8 after reflecting on what I watched. At first, it seems like a high score for such a dry story. However, it’s the pure comedy and character chemistry of the main character pair that won me over. Every episode made me laugh and it never betrayed expectations. There are times when I wish this show’s segments would last longer than it should. Time flies fast when you’re having fun after all.

I watched this expecting a nice lighthearted slice-of-life comedy to fill a gap between some serious and gory animes to keep my Chi in balance.

I was treated to 12 episodes of student with full mental faculties bullying and manipulating a clearly special needs child. (Has no impulse control, has no control over the volume of his voice and incapable of recognizing basic causal relation.) That's the premise for 12 24 min episodes. If that sounds like something you enjoy, Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san provides.

I hope that teachers in Japan don't actually use their mentally challenged students with no volume control as target practice for ... throwing chalk. That's a legitimate thought that came across my mind as I watched this.

It wouldn't be so bad if the story actually progressed somewhere, but 12-episode adaptation syndrome is in full effect, so story goes nowhere.

Do you want to know what school days love is 10 years back?

This is a story of 2 backbench kids or to be precise, a daily or slice of life of a boy named Nishikata who gets teased by his benchmate Takagi by playing mind games on him.

Almost every situation is kind of different, i.e unlike in some anime like 'Tonari no Seki-kun' where the situation is always in class but here in this anime we see diffferent scenarios from walking from home to school, doing homework, studying in library, summer holidays etc.

The main beauty of this anime is the presence of innocent love ... or crush between the kids, the tension in air and being careful not to hurt the other person (Nishikata with Takagi). That sort of attitude is missing these days.


Each and every episode is refreshing and gives you smile especially seeing the expression on Nishikata's face, because they are priceless like Takagi states and teases him.
While the starting episodes have lots of teasing, as the series comes near ending, they are reduced and the focus is more on romance.


Like I said it, It is a slice of life, so basically there isn't any story at all and not much characters either. Excluding the 2 main characters, we have 7 side characters who would'nt impact the main characters much.


The art is funny, cos the head is big while the body is small, but it gives a better opportunity to understand the emotions of characters.

Coming to soundtracks, The opening and ending songs are really good and pleasing to hear, while the soundtracks in middle are just some monotonous tones to convey the situation.

Overall, If you are a fan of 5 minutes short comedy like Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan or Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, which do not have much story but make you smile every 5 minutes and remind you of your childhood days crush stories, then I am sure this anime is best suited for you.

If you want story, or development of characters or something meaningful to learn, then this isn't the choice for you :)

Boy oh boy did no one tell this series’ creators that bullying is neither fun nor funny. To normalise such a horrible practice under cloak of cuteness is not only distasteful but it’s also reckless given the target audience. This Takagi girl is a total piece of shit and trying to make her cutesy doesn’t rid her of her utterly horrible, evil personality. She mercilessly, constantly teases the protagonist to the point it has a real impact on his life and personality, plus he seems constantly stressed and nervous because of it, and somehow we are supposed to enjoy this “humour”. Total cringe packaged as ... an anime. It would be one thing if it was just offensive, the anime is not even funny. The gag patterns are repeated over and over several times per episode and there is no element of surprise. I literally didn’t laugh even once on any of the scene so what is even the point of this shit show existing. Very rarely do I drop anime, specially popular ones, this early on into the series. But this one was so painful and cringe to watch I just cannot come up with a single reason to continue.

Three years after writing this review, I rewatched the show and wrote a blog about it, which may be viewed at https://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=876976 (comments welcome). The blog goes into a lot more detail but in summary, I completed all 12 episodes (not 5; MAL won't allow me edit that field), my assessment of episodes 1-5 was about the same as described here but I found episodes 6-12 more enjoyable, and I have revised my MAL rating upward from 3 to 6.

The rest of this review below is my original unedited review from 2019.

The description of this anime had me a little skeptical whether I'd be able ... to enjoy it, but the above average score and the numerous comments about how cute it was convinced me to give it a try. Two episodes in, I was finding it very discomforting, even cringy, leaving me doubting whether to continue watching. Where is this story headed? There was still plenty of room at that point for the main characters and their relationship to develop in a way that would make it a worthwhile journey. But my efforts to get a feel for what lie ahead suggested that it was largely more of the same. Still, for whatever reason, I watched some more. Episode 3 was actually somewhat enjoyable. The fourth was a return to the unpleasantness of the first two. And then came episode 5.

What's the problem? Without mincing any words, I cannot help but see Takagi as a horrible person for the way she bullies Nishikata. No matter how cute she is, treating another person like that isn't cute or funny, it's just mean. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and quite frankly Nishikata is an idiot in how he handles her treatment. Too often he tries overthinking things when he could just end it by saying 'I don't care', 'No thanks', or by ignoring her and walking away if possible. But every time he falls into her trap, even when he knows it's a trap and could easily avoid it.

Is it teasing or bullying? My take on it is that teasing means keeping it within the bounds of the parties' sense of humor, limiting it to stuff they'd be able to laugh about after the fact. I don't see Takagi exercising any such restraint. She has little sense of when enough's enough. Furthermore, her actions have tangible consequences for Nishikata, such as getting extra cleaning duty as punishment, or failing a math test, and when things like that are the result, it's over the line from teasing into bullying. Some have compared their antics to Road Runner and Coyote, but that comparison fails when you consider that Coyote is usually the perpetrator, the one who starts it, and that's generally not the case for Nishikata. As a general rule, bullying scenes are uncomfortable for me to watch, even when the bully is the antagonist and the victim is the protagonist. That they're trying to unapologetically make it out to be cute and funny just makes it worse.

In other respects, the show gets better marks. The OP and ED animations are impressive and well done, and I enjoyed the setting and give the background artists high marks. The scenes that feature the three girls, Mina, Sanae, and Yukari, were enjoyable in a CGDCT kind of way. In a lot other anime I might complain that they're filler that only takes time away from the main story, but in this case they're welcome relief from it. Character design is average. Takagi is actually very cute, but then so are the characters in Happy Tree Friends. On the balance, I'll give the show a 3/10 rating.

Full disclosure: I couldn't finish the series. I tend to be a 'completist' and with over 250 anime completed at this writing I had never dropped one before. The closest I've come before was a few that had me pondering whether watching something else would be a better use of my time. But with this one, after the math test scene in episode 5 it was too painful to go on. The streak is broken as "Teasing Master Takagi-san" becomes my first ever drop, as well as only the second to score below a 4. Now I hear there's going to be a second season, which makes me think about how many other shows I would like to see get another season that probably never will. One thing that might make me decide to resume watching is if Takagi does a turnabout ala Shouya Ishida in season 2, but I'm not holding my breath.

With Winter 2018 comes a plethora of Slice of Life series. One of them being a war. A war between 2 middle schoolers. Enjoying their youth to the fullest comes the ecstatic interactions between our two main characters, Nishikata and Takagi. In short, the females always win.

That’s basically the whole premise, a girl teasing a boy to no end and his failed attempts at retaliation only fans the flame even more. However, there’s always variety in the way she does her schemes. It’s fun to watch each time and highly enjoyable. As a manga reader, I am glad they were able to present all the ... emotions correctly and keep the tone as it should be originally. I appreciate the staff at Shin-Ei Animation for making this anime as fun as possible.

I also enjoy the extra cast with their small screen time. The random but appropriate situations the girls make are just as adorable and fun to watch even when it’s for a short time. Works as a lovely transition to the Main Cast once more.

If you’re having a hard time on a Monday and just can’t seem to get in any sort of mood, watch this anime and it’s sure to bring your spirits up.

The art is more nicer than I expected, especially the eye design. The manga had a super simple drawing for the eye unlike the anime where they added a bit more. I like it since it adds a bit more spice to the characters. I love the background art and the colours used in it. The animation is also great. The facial expressions are super fun to see and the character movements, although small, adds a more human feel to the characters. It’s small details like those that I appreciate in a series.

The soundtrack isn’t too special, but it does its job properly, making the anime sound even funnier was accomplished by the soundtrack and I enjoyed listening to it. Both the OP and ED are indeed super catchy and I never skipped it for its cheerful visuals. I loved how we got both Yuki Kaji and Rie Takahashi to play our mains. That makes it even better for the series.

The crazy antics between the two characters are what makes the interaction so...middle-schooler like. Seems just right when it comes to 2 kids having fun teasing eachother. Although, it’s quite one-sided. Even so, the character chemistry is great and you mostly never get bored watching the dynamics between them.

Overall this is an anime that you wanna watch for fun. Nothing too endearing, but there to help with boredom and to put a smile on your face if it does at all. I loved reading the manga and the anime is just as good as it’s presented. I am satisfied with this adaptation so far.

A story that is in a constant state between irritating and boring, Takagi-San is far from the light hearted slice of life rom com its commonly referred to as.

The moment I found Takagi an unredeemable character is when Nishikata is studying for a test in the library. You see Nishikata stay longer and put in more effort than the other male students. Takagi joins Nishikata while he's studying, he momentarily opens up to her despite all of the 'teasing' she has done at his expense. He states that his parents want to see him score in the top 50 in his class ... and he doesn't want to let them down so that's why he's staying longer to study compared to the other students. For the smallest amount of time you're led to believe that Takagi genuinely cares about Nishikata as she helps him study, correcting mistakes he made and explaining how to come to the correct answer. As she's leaving the library Takagi tells Nishikata that everything she helped him with won't be on the test, the following day and he ends up getting a failing grade meanwhile Takagi gets one of the highest grades on the test. If Takagi genuinely cared or had feelings for Nishikata this would have been the pivotal moment where she refrains from her constant 'teasing' and help her classmate crush in need.

The side story amongst the 3 female classmates only serves to break up the nonstop harassment/bullying portrayed in the main story. During these interludes nothing ever happens and it brings the flow of the anime to a halt, however boring these side characters and their plot are if they were not present it would be 20 minutes of school bullying.

To summarize the plot of the series, Takagi is always 2 steps ahead and can out-think Nishikata therefore he can never win against her. He tries everyday to not be 'teased' by her, he has endless internal monologue trying to out-think Takagi, he gets outsmarted by Takagi, his face gets red and she laughs at him rinse and repeat for 12 episodes.

Something that I thought I could at least overlook was how the characters are drawn, but the more I watched the more their giant foreheads make them look like weird anime aliens.

There gonna be spoilers! Though, you will know most those things from episode one, so that doesn't matter much...

I came to this show from Kaguya's recommendations.

Expected it to be funny, easy-going show, without many dropped cliffhangers, which i would watch and enjoy slowly (it never happens, but nevertheless, i hoped). And romantic, maybe a bit

Instead... Well, i am jumping on a hate train. I probably won't say much that other people hadn't said. So, short theses:

- Supersmart mature girl
- Ultrastupid childish guy
... - That's while they both are ~12 years old
- Girl constantly makes fun of a guy, bullies him, sometimes in pretty hard ways
- Girl clearly sees and predicts guy's every move! (no hope for him = everything is predictable = boring)
- Guy makes revenge efforts again and again, but always fails (miserable to watch)
- Guy constantly sweats, blushes and can't speak normally. He always has a bunch of different emotions, every single one of which shows on his face
- There are also 3 sidekick girl characters, which sometimes take the screen time. They are pretty useless and boring
- Story stays in place, pace is slow and isn't fun in pretty any way
- Most of the problems and dramas are so actually tiny... The guy could easily ingore most of them, but he dives in because of his stupidness and keeps failing. And he never learns!
- There is some threads, like there is something romantic between those two... but because of everything higher, i can't digest this "romance" and it feels just cringe

Why would this genius girl do this to such mentally retarded guy? Why does he even has her interest? Why would she influence him to fail the test in that episode 5, goddamit??? Is she really a sadist?

"Cringe" is definitely a proper word to describe this anime. Not on the outside - on the inside

Will place this at 3 because art was somewhat nice (not for main hero). And, I guess, to make lower score, it could trigger me harder, right?
Anyway, this is the first show I drop (at episode 5, btw). And this is my lowest rated anime (at the moment of writing this)

i just think this was the most underrated anime from winter season.

Just don't overthink it, this show in a nutshell is girl tease boy, he plans something to get tease her, backfires and gets teased again, simple and repetitive but very funny every time

Story 7 | Art 9 | Sound 7 | Character 8 | Enjoyment 10 | Overall: 9

Story 7/10
The story is repetitive but not boring, they somehow manage to make completely different scenes without getting the usual plot elements (tease, plans something, backfires,gets teased) and get a lot of comedy moments from it, simple but not everyone can do this.

Aside from the ... story there is a little screen time for 3 girls, whose names I don't remember, and it's really good, with just a few minutes they show us 3 likable and different characters which are in the same class as the main, experiencing their problems, they show childish relatable stories with great comedy.

Art 9/10
The animation background it's amazing, the character design isn't my cup of tea but i got to admit that it is really impressive, it represents the age of our characters so well, by being kind of a childish artstyle, every background when Nishkita and Takagi walk together is great, just as if it were from a movie, I was really impressed by this aspect of the show.

Sound 7/10
The ending, and op are not good at all and there is no point on reviewing. 3/10
The voice character its really adhoc to its characters, this a feature i really like.
Takagi's voice is adorable and it suits her so well when he teases Nishikata 10/10
Nishikata's voice represents well the age of the character, and the weird sounds when he gets frustrated can't be better 10/10

Character 9/10
You might say ¨Nishikata is a pussy" "Oh man he is so dense" "What an annoying character" they are 12 years old, try to picture yourself at that time and basically you will describe yourself as the 3 words I used above, I think his attitude really portrays the age in which he is right now.

Takagi is really likable, she basically carries the show herself, appealing attitude, combined with a good representation on how girls really act at that age when they like someone and with a some mature comedy makes Takagi the star of the show 10/10

Lots of chemistry between this two characters, you can kind of feel the "love", every episode Nishikita starts getting more in love with takagi without really realizing(just when we were younger), great interactions between characters.

Enjoyment 10/10
I really enjoy watching this series, it show us a simple life we all lived, with characters that actually feel kind of real, the teasing of girls when we were younger, the fluster moments you had without knowing why, they show us love seeing it with eyes of kids. The comedy element is present in here, I have laughed in all episodes so far, and the management of different stories but being faithful to their (plot,plans tease, backfires, tease) without making it annoying its really amazingly executed.

The last 4 episodes made me change my score from 8 to 9, amazing enjoyment I got from this series, amazing ending, I wish we have some of this simple but unique shows more frequently.

This show was a huge surprise. The ending is beyond Perfect

She teases him; he blushes and resolves not to let her tease him again.

Rinse and repeat every single episode. The anime is divided into a series of shorts each a few minutes long; there are normally about 4 or 5 per episode. Each is a small self-contained story about Takagi’s and Nishikata’s daily lives in and out of the classroom. This isn’t a plot-heavy series and it’s not meant to be. What it is meant to be, however, is a character-oriented series, and so that shall be my main focus.

Just to get the art and music out of the way: the art style is ... really cute. Huge heads, massive eyes (even by anime standards), high foreheads and relatively simple drawings altogether. It suits the characters and show style nicely without being too extravagant. The animation is done well, even if not much is being animated besides the characters. The music is good, nothing spectacular but again, just nice. No complaints on these areas.

So now to the characters. There are the two main characters, Nishikata and Takagi, who take up the majority of the shorts, and then there are a few supporting characters (a trio of girls in the same class) who feature every now and again. Nishikata and Takagi engage in a variety of activities, from making bets with each other to tandem riding to doing homework or going shopping. All basic daily activities, and nothing really happens in any of them event-wise, but they provide a lot of opportunities for exchanges between the two.

Nishikata seems to take these exchanges as mental matches between the two of them - constant sparring to see who comes out on top verbally. He reads deeply into every single thing Takagi says, wondering if she’s trying to tease him and then trying to play bluff and double bluff. Whilst it’s true that Takagi does slyly tease him a fair amount of the time, watching him thoroughly analyse every single little sentence of hers becomes irritating after a while. It’s obvious to the viewer (although not to Nishikata) that her teasing is well-intentioned and that she actually likes him, perhaps even has feelings for him. (The latter’s shown more subtly until the last couple of episodes.) Nishikata does seem to like her (hence the blushing) but the feelings seem to be pretty pure and innocent. In any case, her teasing is always incredibly mild. If she wins a bet and gets the opportunity to order Nishikata to do anything she wants, she’ll just choose something like going shopping together or another harmless activity.

Nishikata, however, sees every single tease as a personal failure, and a blow to his pride. He never seems to be able to best her in anything, and to be fair to him this is probably incredibly frustrating. But it never ends! He never actually tries to talk to her properly about anything! He never tells her unequivocally to stop teasing him, because it would be a ‘loss’ to let her know that she’s gotten to him. He just makes every exchange, no matter how harmless, into a mental sparring match and thus causes his own inferiority complex to worsen, because she always ‘beats’ him. (Even when there’s nothing to ‘beat’ him on – sometimes she just asks him a simple question that is literally only an attempt to make small talk.)

There is almost no character development whatsoever. If you look at the beginning episodes, and compare them to the later ones, you’ll notice barely any change. She still talks to him and teases him in the same way she’s always done, and he still tries and fails to best her the same way he always has. This was the main flaw of the anime, as a character-driven series. The characters just become boring after a while, you can predict almost exactly what will happen and how it will happen. Even Takagi’s initially adorable laugh becomes grating after hearing it every few minutes, episode after episode.

The show does try to add a few more characters into the mix, but they suffer from the same problem of one-dimensionalitis. Their exchanges are also cute, sometimes funny and sometimes boring, but I think the only reason I liked these three girls was that they were a break from the endless cute monotony that was Takagi and Nishikata’s exchanges. They were nothing special in and of themselves.

In conclusion, I wouldn’t say that I dislike Skilled Teaser Takagi-san. Whilst I didn’t exactly look forward to it every week, it has a lot of sweet moments, and it does have a few funny parts. I just can’t binge watch it.

If you want to try it, I wouldn’t recommend watching more than one or two episodes at a time, with a large break in between sessions. That should keep it from getting too tedious, and instead just be a cute and mildly comedic series. XD

Before I embark on my review of Karakai Jouzu no Tagaki-san, I would like to first mention that this is my first review; I am sorry if this does not meet your expectations in terms of length, word usage, or points I make. In this arguably harsh review, there will be a few spoilers that I would not quite categorize as candidates for ruining the show, but rather general, disappointing realities of it. I did not enjoy Karakai Jouzu no Tagaki-san if not at all because the concept became too repetitive (as many have also pointed out) and I did not enjoy it to begin ... with. The character models were okay, the music fit, and the animation was quite nice. Unfortunately, the strengths end there, which leaves us with the flaws of the show.

The story is a hit or miss with most people: The main protagonist, 12-year-old Nishikata, is constantly being teased by a girl in his class who secretly has feelings for him, skilled teaser and forehead goddess Tagaki-san, who is entertained only by embarrassing him every day. Although this may be refreshing and different for some, I believe there is a reason that we have not seen something like this explode before. I use the words “every day” and “constantly” with all potential force that they carry - the entire show is episode 1 repeated over and over. If you do not like the first few episodes, you likely will not enjoy the rest of the series. Every time Nishikata plots revenge, it is immediately ruined by the fact that he will never carry it out successfully because that is what the entire show is about: this kid’s hopelessness for getting back at the girl who teases him. For me, I could not help rooting for Nishikata when he devises a plan of revenge, but I always stop myself from getting too excited because I know it will never happen. This frustrates me because Tagaki always finds a magical way to work around his plan or conveniently say something that will throw Nishikata off and destroy his - in some cases - imaginatively formulated ideas for debunking this chick’s ruling over him. The best example of this that I can remember is when they are comparing heights and the boy is actually taller than Takagi-san, so he thinks in his mind “Man, I bet she’s really bitter because she’s shorter than me” then the girl immediately says “Oh, and I’m not bitter”... like HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HE WAS THINKING THAT?!?! The show becomes so unrealistically biased towards Takagi-san that I cannot help hating her. This show seems to rely on their cute-faced characters when it comes to hiding the rather embarrassingly poor story.

The characters in this show were unenjoyable because they were either too stupid or too shallow-minded and predictable. The aforementioned fact that there seems to be little to no change throughout the show leaves us with characters that developed in no way and told the same joke over and over again. Nishikata never carries out any kind of revenge or suddenly becomes less of a pansy, and Takagi is always entertained by his clumsiness and inability to not be an idiot. I would imagine that this quintessential category of development throughout the story would be present, but it seems this one just does not provide that factor. It feels like I am watching a clip of a fat man falling on repeat; it may be funny the first few times around, but it just cannot last 12 episodes. The show also follows the story of the cliché group of friends containing a clueless girl (Mina Hibino), nerdy but witty girl (Yukari Amakawa), and sad and quiet but smart girl (Sanae Tsukimoto). I did not care much for this side-story because although it drew attention away from the atrociously repetitive story of the two main characters, it also did not have much substance itself. Each member of this friend group shows their character (all of which were extremely stereotypical) the entire show so they never changed or showed any signs of progression. Overall, the characters in this show are either cliché, lifeless stereotypes or tell the same joke the entire series and do not change at all.

In conclusion, I would not recommend this show because of the sick, unchanging concept. If the idea of getting a friend to blush or become embarrassed interests you, try it. The fact that Karakai Jouzu no Tagaki-san carries out this idea for 13 episodes is the reason I composed this review: to save you innocent people from wasting the 5 hours of your life you would be spending to watch this anime. Obviously, it is your choice, so if you would like to know if you would enjoy this show, the best test for that would be to watch the first episode... because that is basically the entire show.

It is not the type of anime I am used to watch but i can't prevent myself to smile while watching it.
At first sight, it just seems to be the usual slice of life, but from the very beginning, the relationship beetween the character is very appealing and i am always finding myself wanting to learn more about them. Indeed, we learn more about Takagi and Nishikata during their chat and here is the feat, it is hard to foretell how Takagi will trap Nishikata.
When you mix this with an interesting visual choice, one cannot deny that this anime a little ... pearl, that unfortunately, you can miss if you don't give it a try.

After not being able to even force myself to watch past episode 5, I might include some g r o u n d b r e a k i n g spoilers.

The ''plot'' in the anime gets predictable and overused already after episode 3.
Takagi teases the protagonist, protagonist tries to tease back but fails miserably because takagi already predicted his next move which leads to the protagonist getting teased again.
The anime fails to deliver anything new to the story after the second - third episodes, interactions are extremely cringey and uncomfortable, protagonist blushing needlessly after every second sentence doesn't help much either.

Many ... people are talking about how cute and uwu the anime is, but fail to notice how Takagi is literally bullying the protagonist, true, she is cute when she smiles after teasing Nishikata, but her constant teasing leads him to always being paranoid, stressed out and anxious of getting teased again. I don't really understand how this can be defined as entertainment. Normalizing bullying because anime girl makes uwu faces is disturbing, and yes, Takagi does have a crush on Nishikata but that does not justify her bullying, that makes it plain abusive.

As I've already mentioned, story is extremely boring and predictable, I can't bring myself to continue this anymore, wonder what they will milk out of the bland repetitive story for the second season (not really).

Best anime in this season!

Takagi-san, a girl like demon for Nishikata. Coz she always tease him without he revenge her tease.

Actually, takagi likes nishikata. But she express her love with tease. And only with tease she can be closer with him.

Why i select this anime for AoTS?

Because Takagi too cute in her way to get Nishikata heart. Her VA also so suitable with takagi characteristic, make a Takagi more lively of the manga series.

... Another character like mina, yukari, sanae, etc interesting too. especially trio baka-girl. They make a anime more colorful, make a manga not only about takagi and nishikata.

In the last, this is a masterpiece anime! I hope you can enjoy when watch this anime

Sorry for my bad english

I can see why this anime would be amusing to some people, it does have a lot of teasing and a main character that isn't treated like a human being as he is mentally abused over and over again, some people can't get enough of doormat mcs.

Now, I don't really care much about that since I couldn't care less about a mc like this, whether he is abused to death or not, that's not why my score is fairly low. The jokes were pretty witty at times, I'll have to give it that and this is why the score isn't lower. A lot of ... kinda funny scenarios are added where she f*cks him silly mentally. Which honestly isn't hard with a mc like this.

However, while it's kinda interesting and amusing to see, this just DOESN'T work in anime format. I believe that it could be kinda good in manga format where you can read quickly. It honestly starts getting old after the first episode, I only made it through the rest because I watched one episode at a time spread out over a week, but even then I kind of felt like dropping it after 2-3 episodes.

This is a very monotone and quite boring anime that is pretty similar to anime such as "sakamoto desu ga" where we're served with the same type of stuff all the time but it's not the type of stuff that can be recycled and still be amusing, at least not in the way it's done here. There's no real point to it and I somehow don't really feel any spirit or personality from the characters. They don't feel even remotely "real" or "alive", they just feel like machines that exists purely to deliver jokes. Not sure how to best explain it, but normally you feel like the characters have a proper purpose and they're almost "alive" instead of dead and static. You feel that you actually like the characters and you want to see what they'll be up to next, that if they were real, you'd love to spend some time with those people, be it alone or in the "gang" they usually have.

Well, there's nothing like that here. I wouldn't say I hate them, but I don't like them either. They feel empty and I certainly can't get behind any of them. It actually feels cringeworthy at times to see the excessive overreactions and unrealistic situations in a setting that is supposed to be pretty realistic. This just wasn't a good anime in my opinion, at least for me it was a complete miss. The only thing it gets plus points for is that the jokes are witty/smart/well thought-out, but that's sadly the only thing this anime has going for it and it just isn't enough.

Only seen 2 episodes, but from what I seen it just grinded my gears. Humor used is beyond cheap and sad. Storyline along side that is horrible due to misguided attempts of humor and trying to keep pressing the point failing every time. The characters keep being stuck in their roles and show no change in any sense of the word which makes it worse.

I know this is rather harsh, but so far I seen the only thing that this anime has going for it is a okay art style that is fairly unique from the regular styles. The sound on it's own is actually ... not that bad. Problem is that none of the other points will get any sympathy from me. It just grinds my gears way to much, I like to see a series that shows at least some intelligence. This for storyline, humor as the characters and their progression. None of which seem to be present.

Sorry, it's how I feel after watching the first two episodes. I tried to watch another episode but I just couldn't get myself to do it.

This is one of the few anime that my little brother watches with me and that speaks volumes as he doesn't watch many anime. That getting out of the way how does the show hold up so far

The story is very loose but it works. It is just a bunch of pranks and childish fun at and after school between two kids who kinda have a thing for each other, and their friends. Its very episodic but it leads to amazing moments and some character development in an episodic show. Its romance. The kids have a thing for each other. Also there are lots of ... jokes about growing up and teenage life which are relatable. Maybe some owo jokes here and there but this is not an ecchi. G O O D. I dont want to see middle school tits in my anime. I don't want the keisatsu coming in so im glad it takes a conservative approach.

The art is really good. I haven't noticed a single point in where the animation was noticably sub par like in other shows i have watched. The characters are very simple and stylized which works well. The detail in some parts of the background scenery is amazing too.

The sound gets across that childlike innocence with whistles and exaggeration in certain points. The acting is solid and OMG THATS FRICKEN KOICHI FROM JOJO'S VOICE ACTOR!!! The acting overall is believable and adorable. Then again the voice actors seem to have played adorable characters before.

The characters are adorable as hell. Nishikata/Koichi voice (the protagonist) is a kid who wants to prank Takagi like she does to him but fails miserably. He doesn't realize it at first but he starts to kind of develop romantic feelings for Takagi. Takagi (the title character and the secondary protagonist) is a girl who likes to toy with Nishikata by teasing and pranking him a lot.But this is because she kinda loves him. She also kinda makes a few dirty jokes on Nishikata without it turning into softcore porn like (generic animu number 9266664632882). Mina is a girl who acts like a younger child as she always wants to be cheerful. She also is very immature and sometimes borderline dumb, but it makes her lovable. Sanae is her best friend and she is a bit more serious but still jokes around a small bit. And the English teacher is a bit of a DOUCHEBAG AS HE THROWS CHALK AT LOUD KIDS I MEAN WTF THATS RUDE.

I really enjoyed this anime. It is one of my favorite shows to debut this season and if my little brother who isn't into anime likes it it must be good. This is my number 3 anime this season and i solidly reccomend this show. 9/10 Mastahpiece

BS Review: In this thrilling, psychological warfare that breaks even the keenest of minds, we witness an antagonist so powerful that we sympathize the main character's mental position. This dramatic, emotional show tells a tale like no other—a show of tragic love and betrayal. And of bobblehead chibis with hairlines that have more of an extreme angle than Minecraft's rubberbanding glitch.

Its hard to forget sometimes that there are some shows that are purely made for fun, with no meaning behind them

Like this one.

The art and sound aren't that impressive, I feel like you would have the same experience reading the manga. Considering shows like Violet ... Evergarden and Overlord II that are currently airing, the quality is significantly worse.

The main plot goes like so: Takagi constantly teases Nishikata, and he's out for revenge. The entire plot/goal of this series is to make Takagi flustered. (hey, at least it has a plot, cough Blend S cough)

As a person who read the manga to the point where I'm checking every week to see if a new chapter is released, I can confirm that it is at least an entertaining series. When you watch plot-heavy shows like Code Geass and Eden of the East, sometimes you need a break to relax your mind, a break that this show provides.

Romance is usually a concept that is difficult for children to wrap their minds around. Sure, you might like someone, but how do you even approach that person? Even if you do manage to approach him or her, how do you make sure that you don’t make an utter fool of yourself? Most kids end up arriving at one answer – show your interest by teasing the target of your affection. Sure, the target may not take it all that well, but at least you get to interact with them because of it, right? Karakai Juzou no Takagi-san (henceforth abbreviated as ‘Takagi-san’) is an anime ... about one such girl, Takagi, who shows her interest in a boy, Nishikata, by teasing him.

Takagi-san follows an episodic format, with each episode containing 2-3 short stories about Takagi and Nishikata, and usually one story about three girls who are in the same class. As far as story is concerned, there isn’t much to speak of. Nishikata tries to come up with a plan to win against Takagi, only to be completely foiled by her, after which she proceeds to tease him. Pretty much every episode follows that format, with various little changes here and there. While it does seem to be the sort of thing that would get repetitive and dull over time, it has a certain charm to it that keeps things interesting.

As far as Art is concerned, it makes use of rather minimalistic artwork. The coloring and details are nothing spectacular, but it doesn’t look all that bad either. Still, due to this, it looks rather clean overall. The Sound is relatively forgettable, although I found the opening to be rather catchy (or annoying – take your pick).

The show mainly revolves around the interactions between Takagi and Nishikata, and they are generally rather cute. Takagi always makes sure never to go too far, and it always stops at the level of minor teasing, rather than bullying. She simply teases him because she likes him, not because of any real animosity. The other characters that show up are usually nothing all that important, except maybe the three girls (Sanae, Mina, and Yukari), who get some screen time in every episode. These segments are usually just youthful ramblings of young girls, but it can often be rather funny as well.

All put together, Takagi-san is a cute anime which works really well as a palate cleanser, to watch in between more serious anime. It may feel rather repetitive if watched all at once, so I advise against binge watching the whole thing. A simple way to describe Takagi-san would be a gender-bent version of Tonari no Seki-kun, with a little more of a (childish/innocent) romance focus. I’d recommend this one to just about anyone, since it’s a rather difficult show to hate. With this, I conclude.