"Teasing Master Takagi-san" is a series that gives a glimpse into the daily life of middle schooler Nishikata, who is teased by Takagi-san, who sits next to him. But did you know that there is a spin-off of this series called "Teasing Master Ex-Takagi-san"? This is a series that depicts what happens to Nishikata and Takagi-san after the events of the series, so the characters and the flow of the story are almost the same. Furthermore, even though this series is about what happens after the events of the series, it is a series that depicts the story after the two get married. Isn't it very rare for a story to depict the story of characters from a romantic comedy after they get married? That shows how popular the characters are in this series. However, this is such a popular spin-off, but in fact, opinions are quite divided. Let's consider why it is so divided despite being a spin-off of such a popular series!
What is "Teasing Master Ex-Takagi-san"?
"Mototakagi-san, the teasing master" is a story that depicts what happens after Nishikata and Takagi-san get married. It is a work that depicts not only Nishikata and Takagi, but also many of the characters that appeared in "Mototakagi-san, the teasing master", and it is a work that many fans who enjoyed "Mototakagi-san, the teasing master" can enjoy in the same way.
Nishikata and Mototakagi-san's child! ?
In addition, a new character, a child of Nishikata and Takagi-san, has appeared in this work, and the original pairing of Nishikata and Takagi-san has been further enhanced by the addition of a child, making for more lively developments.
Takagi-san is the same as always
Though new characters and elements such as Nishikata and Takagi-san's children have been added to this work, the relationship between Takagi-san (Nishikata-san in this work) and Nishikata is still depicted, and you can enjoy the heartwarming interaction between the two just like in the original "Teasing Master Takagi-san".
Consider the opposing opinions
However, some fans have expressed negative opinions about this work. What exactly are they dissatisfied with? From here, we will look at the negative opinions about "Former Takagi-san, the Teasing Master," while also considering how to truly enjoy this work and the appeal of the original "Teasing Master Takagi-san."
It kills the fun of stories about the youth of junior high school students
First of all, the biggest appeal of "Teasing Master Takagi-san" is that it expresses "a little youth in junior high school life" well. Unlike works set in high school, it expresses the admiration for the opposite sex that one becomes aware of at times during junior high school life, and the vanity to those one is interested in, which is an interesting point that other works do not have.
The interpretation of the work's content is misaligned
However, there are opinions that the appearance of this work, "Moto Takagi-san, the Teasing Master," has ruined the fun of "Teasing Master Takagi-san." What does it mean for the interpretation of the content to be misaligned? Let's take a closer look.
What does it mean for the interpretation of the work's content to be misaligned?
Now, let's take a closer look at what it means when people misinterpret the content of "Teasing Master Takagi-san."
Takagi-san's meaningful lines
First of all, the biggest appeal of "Teasing Master Takagi-san" is the scene where Takagi-san says meaningful words to Nishikata, confusing him. After saying "I like you," making Nishikata excited, she adds later, "You know, the crane games." By not knowing whether the comment is a sign of affection for Nishikata or if he just likes crane games, readers can get excited along with Nishikata.
A work that makes use of common middle school boys' experiences
I think many people, both men and women, have had the experience of being bothered by a casual comment or teasing from a member of the opposite sex and then falling in love with that person. The greatest strength of this work is that it reminds us of memories that everyone has experienced in the past, of these common middle school experiences.
It's nostalgic and interesting because it's uncertain
In this way, the fact that Takagi-san's true intentions are uncertain makes this work interesting. Maybe he really does have feelings for Nishikata. But maybe he's not that interested and is just teasing him. That uncertainty is what makes this work so interesting.
A system that suddenly becomes more holistic
In such a work, what if the fact that they were clearly married was shown in the work, like in "Teasing Master Ex-Takagi-san"? If Takagi-san eventually marries Nishikata, the answer that Takagi-san clearly has feelings for Nishikata is revealed, so it is understandable that people who found "Teasing Master Takagi-san" interesting because Takagi-san's true intentions were uncertain would be disappointed.
Two interpretations
For example, in the story of "Teasing Master Takagi-san", when Nishikata finds Valentine's chocolate in a shoebox and gets excited, Takagi says, "That chocolate must be the one you really love." In this scene, Takagi mentions the chocolate, so it can be interpreted in two ways: "Takagi hid the chocolate, so we know whether it's her true love or not," or "This is just teasing Nishikata."
Interpretation is fixed
These two interpretations are what make this work interesting, but since it was made clear in "Teasing Master Ex-Takagi-san" that Takagi really does like Nishikata, the only interpretation that we can choose is the latter.
What does it mean for the interpretation to shift? Answer to
The fact that Nishikata and Takagi-san are married fixes the interpretation of Takagi-san's various actions in the story, which is why critics of "Mototakagi-san, the teasing master" say that "the interpretation of this work is misaligned."
How should we enjoy "Mototakagi-san, the teasing master"?
So far, we have looked at the negative opinions of fans, but is this really just a work that ruins the fun of "Teasing Master Takagi-san"? Here, we would like to introduce the correct way to watch this work that outweighs the weaknesses of this work explained above.
The composition and structure are interesting
First of all, the biggest appeal of this work is that it has many rehashes of the composition and structure that appear in "Teasing Master Takagi-san". It is possible to effectively stimulate the memory of "Teasing Master Takagi-san" that you read a long time ago, while progressing as a new story, which is an expression that can only be done in this work, which is developed as a story after "Teasing Master Takagi-san".
Enjoy "Teasing Master Takagi-san" in a deeper way
In this way, "Teasing Master Takagi-san" is a work that exists because of "Teasing Master Takagi-san". Some fans think that it will get in the way of the previous work because it is a story that comes after the previous work, but on the other hand, many people find it interesting because the content of "Teasing Master Takagi-san" is explored even deeper because of this work.
Your heart won't be left behind
In this way, the existence of "Former Takagi-san, the Master of Teasing" has the advantage that it can be read as a work to continue after reading "Teasing Master Takagi-san", so your heart won't be left behind.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we introduced "Former Takagi-san, the Master of Teasing", a spin-off of "Teasing Master Takagi-san". It is a work that has both positive and negative opinions, but if you turn it around, it can be said to be a work with enough energy to divide opinions. I hope that this will continue to generate more lively discussion. This is a work that can be enjoyed together with the broadcast of the third season of the anime "Teasing Master Takagi-san," so let's continue to check it out!
