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「習字 / 衣替え / 英訳 / プール」 (Shuuji / Koromogae / Eiyaku / Pool)
“Calligraphy / Seasonal Change of Clothing / English Translation / Pool”
This second episode of Takagi-san sets the tone for what the next batch of episodes will be like, and it’s even sweeter than the last week. While a larger portion of the pranks last week teetered towards getting each other in trouble, the balance has been shifted this week towards all the shipteasing they can offer this early in the story.
The first segment on Calligraphy class was the first one so far that ended on a brighter note for everyone as Nishikata and Takagi’s tricks were innocuous enough for no one to get humiliated too deeply or in trouble. The dynamic between the two as a potential couple is strong in this segment as Nishikata’s calligraphy evolves from being about his usual attempt to embarrass Takagi to trying to shame Takagi into acting nicer to him to outright asking her not to tease him so much. Takagi does find Nishikata getting flustered to be too irresistible to give up on, and with her calligraphy telling him that she smudged ink on his cheek, there aren’t any signs of her giving that up. However, there is optimism in how Nishikata is seeing Takagi’s kind side in a favorable light, and their matching calligraphy to stay on-guard by the end of the chapter.
Similarly, the last segment, Pool, has that same level on innocence to it as Takagi’s ultimate scheme was both to trick Nishikata into saying something embarrassing and to give him company after his broken hand prevented him from being able to swim that day. Pool was funny in the sense of how much of a mind game it ended up becoming as Nishikata cycles through every misdirected thing he’s heard about girls who don’t swim on a particular day, wondering which one won’t come out as offensive.
At the same time, the build-up is immense as the scenarios become infinite in Nishikata’s mind while Takagi tries to egg him on by letting one of those conclusions blurt out from his mouth. And then, right when you think she’s putting on a poker face about having a period or body image insecurities, it’s neither of them, and she knows he was thinking those two ideas. As if she couldn’t Captain Aizen him any further, she wonders how Nishikata came under the impression that she even had any issues with swimming in the first place.
While it does owe itself to how dedicated she is to tricking him, what makes it cute is how she faked being unable to swim that day just so that she could entertain Nishikata while he was sitting on the sidelines. That possibility is made all the more realistic when Takagi tells him with honesty that she’s looking forward to swimming with him when he recovers. He sees it as another ruse, but there were no signs of smugness or any incentive to embarrass him by the time she left to jump in the pool. It was a good note to end the episode on because rather than aiming to burn Nishikata, the conclusion of the Pool chapter was an extended invitation to eventually be able to enjoy each other’s company when he’s healed up enough to swim.
The English Translation chapter was in a similar vein as the Funny Face segment in that it was about trying to get one another in trouble with the irate English teacher. They both share that distinction as well as ship-teasing that doesn’t go quite as above-and-beyond as the Calligraphy or Pool chapters with Takagi only giving Nishikata an ambiguous answer on whether her claim that she’s always thinking about him is true. At the same time, it does contribute to the overly cute mood within the episode as Nishikata is more outwardly towards his fondness of Takagi, and her pranks have a less sinister tone to them.
Thankfully, the Ashita no Doyoubi girls were really funny this time around. The premise of Sanae having a hard time synchronizing with the uniform changes that she was supposed to do with Mina and Yukari was some nice, relatable slice-of-life comedy. Sanae’s misunderstandings of why Mina and Yukari wanted to change together with their best friend and why she didn’t have to switch back to her long-sleeve uniform to stick with the theme after her two friends would’ve switched to their short-sleeve uniforms anyways to match Sanae was a humorous example of the comedic situations that can come fro miscommunication. It’s light and fluffy, but it’s still priceless to see the tug-of-war Sanae is put through, and Mina’s expressiveness helps add to the set-up and execution of the joke that they can’t quite synch up their uniform change correctly.
Kudos for the O’Riordan tribute.
The Cranberries were one of my favorites and loved listening to them when I was younger and while I drove back and forth to campus, so hearing about O’Riordan’s passing was upsetting. Even if they weren’t as prominent in the 00’s, I hold their first two albums close to me and have sentimental memories of when I first heard “Dreams” and “Linger”.
So sad, thought it was just my imagination. To bad it was reality. RIP.
Wait, did Takagi said more or less: “I guess you thought about something naughty, you were looking in my direction”? Nice try.
I think she said it twice; once when he was first planning to get her back, and after she correctly read Page 18.
https://randomc.net/image/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san/Karakai%20Jouzu%20no%20Takagi-san%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! Takagi is just so cuuuuuuuuute!
My only worry is with the size of her eyes. They are so large and heavy that they’ve obviously dropped quite a bit within her face already, leaving her with a very large forehead. Just imagine what she’ll look like in another 10 years or so.
The large forehead is where her ESPER lobe is located…
No sigil, no esper lobe. I rest my case!
The future’s lookin’ mighty fine, in my opinion.
@Beedle
Takagi! <3<3<3<3<3
The future is mighty fine indeed Beedle.
I absolutely fell for this show. Since I’ve started following seasonal anime, having funny and light series like this one in the schedule is really a bless and makes you appreciate comedy anime even more. I was worried if full time episodes will do the job here, but works perfectly so far.
Takahashi Rie is absolutely wonderful here.
Takagi-san’s creator has started a new manga title, Kunoichi Tsubaki no Mune no Uchi/Inside the Heart of Tsubaki the Kunoichi.
https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=146595
The plot’s about an apprentice kunoichi, Tsubaki, who studies at an isolated ninja academy deep in the forest. She’s tasked with recovering her friends who have gone looking for boys, a big no-no by their sensei (Men are beasts!); but secretly Tsubaki harbours daydreams of meeting a boy herself too…
And this is why new seasons are so dangerous: I just binged on the Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san manga over the weekend…well, I enjoyed the read, so I’ll call it time well-spent.
I really wonder if this season will end with chapter 31 of the manga. In my opinion, it should especially if this series ends up as a 1-cour. My further comments may be considered a spoiler, so I’ll put spoiler tags:
Show Spoiler ▼
8 words… for nishikataXtakagi ship and their captain
JUST START THE FUCKING SHIP AND SAIL ALREADY!!!
Sorry, but…
Show Spoiler ▼
Didn’t know “shipteasing” was a term haha nice one Choya
Nice BLEACH reference? Man Choya you blew my mind as much as what Takagi is doing to Nishikata lol
Can we pair up Nishikata with other girls? I’m sure he’ll be popular with the girls (who don’t tease him) for some reason because he thinks too much. Also, easy way to piss Takagi off, if she ever will be. God I love
Takagi-santhis show