Teasing Master Takagi-san 3

Teasing Master Takagi-san 3 is a 2022 Comedy Slice of Life continuation anime series and the third installment that brings its viewers back for more. Though after three seasons of the same comedy, gimmicks, and cutesy situations, can the series be as enjoyable as it was during the first season? Will this season please old viewers and readers of the manga still be interested in this series while also drawing potentially new life into the franchise? Maybe it’s best to stop once the going gets good instead of ruining a potentially wonderful thing everyone shares.

Having a friend that knows you inside out should be a good thing, but in Nishikata’s case, the opposite is true. His classmate Takagi loves to tease him daily. She uses her extensive knowledge of his behavior to predict exactly how he will react to her teasing, making it nearly impossible for Nishikata to make a successful comeback. Despite this, Nishikata vows to someday give Takagi a taste of her own medicine by making her blush out of embarrassment from his teasing.

As summer break ends, Nishikata is stoked to try out his newest pranks and finally outdo his most prominent foe. Despite his massive losing streak, he is slowly getting to know the unrelenting workings of her crafty, devious mind. However, he soon realizes that Takagi’s motivations behind her teasing may not be what he initially assumed. However, one thing is sure: each fun-filled day of strategizing and competing brings the two even closer than they could ever imagine.

Whenever a series adds another continuation to the original series, no matter if the first season was twelve, twenty-four, or over fifty episodes, sometimes the story is better left unchanged. Teasing Master Takagi-san 3 is a prime example of an outlier, with the writing being so strategic along with proper timing, leaving nothing but a pleasure to viewers. Much like the last two seasons, season three adds more comedy, joy, and romantic feelings than any of its predecessors, and longtime fans will undoubtedly enjoy the content to their hearts.

The ability to create a story where all the viewers know and collectively understand that the two main characters will inevitably get together. This series is not about that, and potential viewers unaware of that fact will most likely be disappointed. Still, this season focuses more heavily on the emotional connection and bond between the two main characters than other seasons, which is a good chance of pace for older fans of the series.

However, even though this story may be the best of the entire series, some problem areas need to be addressed. For instance, the pacing is not the best compared to its predecessors, and even being judged on its own, it is still relatively fast in apparent areas. While having a faster-paced story is not a problem, what makes this story stand out is that it goes at a slower pace for nearly half of the season than immediately kicking it into overdrive is too sudden and almost off-putting.

Another aspect of the story that viewers may not apricate is that the characters are the same old same old, which is acceptable to some, but for the most part, viewers don’t learn anything new about them. While this problem is nothing new for a series with multiple seasons, in some of the episodes of this season, there were plenty of growth opportunities for the main characters to push forward without relying on outside sources when the three female side characters have more character growth than the main ones that could pose a problem to some.

Teasing Master Takagi-san has gained enough praise for their artwork that viewers should already know about beforehand. However, this season is no different for newcomers than the past two. Though much like the last two seasons, the artwork is consistently a positive aspect of this series. The bright and cheerful colors mixed with the realistic color tones make any anime fan enjoy the sights, even if this may not be their favorite design style. There are no loud and flashy gimmicks that some series have within the Fantasy, Action, Mystery, or even Thriller genres, but it has a slow burn quality that doesn’t wear off anytime soon.

Other than the realistic color tones, the co-star of this anime is the production side of the series. The opening theme and animations were pleasing and can be any fan’s favorite. The opening music, “Massugu,” performed by Yuko Oobara, was a fantastic choice with style and design. However, what others may not be aware of is that Teasing Master Takagi-san 3 had not one, not three, but eight different ending theme songs! Was this amount a bit too much? Probably. But was it appreciated? Absolutely. The producers took a big gamble on changing a good ending theme to a different one multiple times, which could have easily backfired on them, but this worked exceptionally well.

Takagi is the testicular character who likes to pass the time by teasing Nishikata; she enjoys her pranks. She is a kind-hearted and caring person who greatly cares for Nishikata and truly enjoys spending time with him. Takagi is best described as being very intelligent. She is usually a couple of steps ahead of her male counterpart, which gives her the advantage of hiding her feelings towards him but not the outside world.

Nishikata is Takagi’s classmate and the target of her constant teasing. Though he refused to acknowledge that he might like Takagi as more than friends during the beginning of the series, he now realizes that his feelings towards her are more than what they seem. He is a boy that easily blushes and is easily embarrassed, especially when his friends are teasing him. He is also a very moralistic and considerate person, hesitant to fully develop any romantic feelings or relationship with Takagi but still cares deeply for her. He always thinks of ways to get back at her but usually does not land those chances.

As the series continues, the viewer will notice that this has a more romance blossoming feeling towards itself than in its past seasons. While this is a huge plus, and it was inevitable that it wouldn’t happen, how Teasing Master Takagi-san built this story over the entire series is truly unique. The story, the characters, and even the art style are pleasing that any new or old anime viewer will be pleased with what they are witnessing—considering that this show is in its third season and a movie, the way viewers may feel that this is a good stopping point for the anime. However, their hearts may want them to continue.