Teasing Master Takagi-san (2017)

[からかい上手の高木さん]

Volume 6

Author/Artist: Soichiro Yamamoto
Publisher: Gessan Shounen Sunday Comics Special

Synopsis:
Takagi invites Nishikata out to eat.

Story/Characters:
I've never seen this before, but apparently at some old-fashioned dagashiya, you can just buy cup ramen and eat it in the store. Of course, it's hard to find those old-fashioned dagashiya anymore, but anyway. Gee, with such a date-like mood of our main couple having ramen together, it'd be terrible if some of the guys from class happened to show up. ^_^ Next we have the two of them in a pebble-kicking contest. Nishikata thinks the rules for the game are airtight, but you try and guess if there are any holes to be found. We then have art class with Nishikata and Takagi drawing each other.

Next up is a three-parter depicting a double date at the water park with Nakai and Mano that got adapted into the OAV for the first season of the anime. It's interesting how Nakai and Mano are openly a couple yet still rather embarrassed about openly expressing their affections. It's nice watching Nishikata and Takagi support them in their own ways. And then there's also the ship-teasy moment between the two of them as well. The next chapter is a treasure hunt with plenty of teasing along the way. We then have a chapter where Takagi doesn't seem to be in top form and Nishikata in his own sweet but clumsy way, tries to approach her about what's up. We close with the two of them getting into a contest over who can successfully give eye drops to the other.

Art:
The art is as good as ever. It's a neat visual gag the way Nishikata's friends ignoring him in the dagashiya is portrayed. It's worth noting that Takagi is an excellent artist. Mano is particularly cute with how embarrassed she gets and the eyedrop chapter gets some good reaction shots.

Other:
We get a couple extra one-page illustrations and we also have an omake that depicts the aftermath of the last chapter, with Houjou approaching Yukari. I like that the former puts off an air of grown-up aloofness but isn't so above it as other people like to think.

Conclusion:
The water park episode is the most lengthy treatment a single story has gotten so far if I'm not mistaken and is especially nice. Nakai and Mano make a good foil for our main couple. The other episodes do the formula to good effect. Fans of this series have every reason to add this to their collections.

Rating:
Own It