Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2

I can summarize Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san in about a sentence : Girl teases guy, guy tries to get back at her and miserably fails because she has a plan for his plan.

However, I can't do the same for Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 at all, because that wouldn't be doing it justice.

At its core, the second season doesn't change anything drastically from the first - we have our two main characters and their teasing formula, our three side characters from Ashita wa Doyoubi, a side couple, and a new addition of another side couple who don't get much screentime. So what makes ... the big difference between the two seasons? If I had to put it in one word, it would be passion. It feels as if a new team of die-hard Takagi-san fans have taken over the adaptation, and they've done everything in their ability to bring out the absolute best of what a story like Takagi-san could offer in this second season.

From fixing the awkward pacing issues of the first season that even as someone with the Takagi-san manga on his favorites list for a long time I could not ignore, to beautifully tying up episodic chapters to make them have more impact, to even coming up with completely new anime-original segments - which are all up there for me with my favorite manga chapters, that's how much I loved them - the studio have clearly given it their all for this season, and it is definitely reflected in how much I have enjoyed every single moment of it.

And of course, something important which I should probably have said earlier - the anime-original segments I mentioned include actual romantic progression! If you enjoyed season 1's "Critical Hit", then you're going to love this season - you'll be feeling those critical hits through the screen, as the "teasing" has long since passed the line most people would call "flirting".

To sum it up - if you liked the previous season, you are going to love this one. If you felt lukewarm about the previous season, there is still a very good chance you are going to love this season.

This season gets a honest 10/10 for me, and I wish every adaptation was given as much care as this one - but for now I'll just be happy that one of my favorites got one.

Ah Takagi-san, quite the spectacle to watch. When the first season aired a while back, it seemed like it would be just another anime. Thankfully, I was mistaken and it really delivered. If you've watched the first season, you would understand what I mean. What made this anime so great was the way it conducted itself and brought forth such raw emotions as you watched two kids have the time of their lives.

In this day and age when the focus is centered on having the best art quality at times, Takagi-san might not be the best there is, but the animation itself holds up well. ... Sound is pretty decent too, but what really makes it stand out among a sea of similar anime is the characters. You can't help, but love the characters and their faults. You have Takagi who's always doing the teasing while Nishikata is always on the receiving end despite doing his best to prevent them.

While each episode follows a simple formula and one can easily conclude that Nishikata maturing a bit and ignoring provocations or grudges would help him greatly, it's also pretty honest in how things are presented. The anime is episodic in nature in the sense that there are various stories presented in each episode, but there are still some small developments along the way and previous events are referenced to help maintain some form of continuity.

All in all, if you want a relaxing quality anime where two kids are trying to outwit each other, this is the anime to try!

Like the last season of Skilled Teaser Takagi San, this is one is also predominantly focused on the antics of 2 middle school students, a girl who seems to be borderline telepathic, bullying a dense middle school boy. The jokes are very similar, the way the challenges play out are very similar, and the quality of the show is overall much similar. However, a few things set this season apart from the prior season which led me to increase my rating for the show this specific season, I will expand on these things in this review.

The first thing I would like to mention happens to ... be the characterization between the 2 main characters. In the previous season Takagi always enjoyed making fun of Nishikata and winning their games to frustrate him, she finds it hilarious to dismantle the plans he spends hours coming up with and always being one step ahead. This season is different, although the bullying Takagi did in the last season seemed some what mean spirited to Nishkata, this season Takagi was generally a lot more kind and made it pretty clear she likes him and even tried to throw a few of their games on purpose. Of course, Nishikata is way to fucking dense to ever get the obvious signs that she wants him to just grab her hand and lean in for a kiss, but who can blame him he is like 11 and does not have much life experience. This improvement in characterization, especially during the anime original camping scenes, greatly improves the atmosphere of the show for viewers, as we no longer have to feel exhausted watching Nishikata get bullied episode after episode with no chance of winning. Takagi being kind and clearly trying to make games where Nishikata could win if he had some courage changes the atmosphere from being exhausting to refreshing, the show has progressed further into the romance genre and focuses less on the same overused mind games that occurred before. There is also one big moment in the show near the end where Nishikata does step up and its quite touching and shows how far he has grown since the start of the series.

Something else that improved in the show is the sound track, the opening actually covered a lot of the themes in the show, Takagi and Nishikata rivalry, their romantic undertone, the experience of adolescence of the other relevant characters in the series, and blended them all together in a very well-made OP. The general sound effects and OST did not change much however its use improved, the same soundtrack was not used for multiple stories back to back and instead the show alternated between them to keep it fresh, while in the first season they constantly used the exact same theme, you know which one I am talking about, whenever a new story started in the episode.

One other thing that improved was the focus on side characters, the show was getting boring with the entire focus being on Takagi and Nishikata in season 1. However, this season the 3 side girls had their own segments every episode and it made for a very comfy slice of life break from the drama between Takagi and Nishikata. The jokes involving the 3 girls were also of a completely different kind from the mind game jokes between the main characters which creates variety instead of the tired and overused humor we were seeing earlier. The other side characters like Nishikata’s friends had more scenes as well in which they served as commentary on the main characters, pointing out the frustrating stuff the viewers noticed but also misunderstanding some aspects of the power dynamic between Takagi and Nishikata which was sort of funny. Even the teacher got some more screen time and went from a hard ass who exists to yell at Nishikata to a more respectable guy who is just trying to properly educate children and make sure they behave in a reasonable way.

As far as art and animation go, Takagi San season 2 isn’t really any different from season 1, but that is alright no one is watching this show for quality animation or amazing art, it’s a romcom set in a middle school after all. Some things that were an improvement though was that the same background art was not being reused like last season, there were many new parts of the school, the town, and of course the entire background during the camping episode along with the starry sky that were very different from season 1.

Overall though these improvements do vastly improve the show for the viewer, even if a lot of mind games are the same as before, and the story plays out the same, there has been growth in the relationship between the main characters. The growth along with the small improvements in several aspects of the show lead me to give Skilled Teaser Takagi San 2 a rating of 8, higher then the rating of 7 I gave to the first season.

With every season comes a new waifu battleground, where everyone is on a crusade to extoll their seasonal waifulogy and battles fiercely with the heathens. Why not take a break and embrace the wholesome Takagi-san, where there is no war, but only love and peace?

The series features the day-to-day interactions between the main duo, Takagi-san and Nishigata, which revolves around trivial moments in school and daily life, ranging from visiting a small grocery store to throwing stones beside the river. Each episode is divided into several sub-episodes where they will hold small bets or “contests”, with Nishigata being the loser on nearly all occasions. Still, ... he tries every desperate mean to trick Takagi-san back but fails anyways. Bit by bit, day by day, their relationship grows from the little pranks they put on each other. The second season continues to illustrate Nishigata’s inability to retaliate and the ever-increasing intimacy with Takagi-san.

The immaturity of Nishigata can be pinpointed in the title itself. In Japanese, “-san” is usually used for addressing formally or someone you are not acquainted with, which is basically the equivalence of “Mr.” or “Mrs.” in English. The fact that Nishigata still adopts such a distant approach with Takagi-san even after a whole year shows that he is unable to handle conversations or even a relationship with the opposite sex - a perfect example of how carefully designed Nishigata is.

If I were to nitpick, the show’s greatest downfall would be its repetitiveness. Episodes after episodes of contests with very predictable outcomes are surely dull and boring. Retaining the same format, the story nonetheless showed some progression from the first season, with Nishigata evolving from not revenging at all to reminding himself of the humiliation through push-ups and constantly plotting back at Takagi-san.

It is crucial to bear in mind that Nishigata was merely a grade 7 student(grade 8 in this season). Immaturity, irrationality, and evasion from physical and verbal contact with the opposite sex are all undeniably traits of someone in Nishigata’s age, and that is exactly what the show depicted Nishigata as with panache. Aberrant the scenes may seem, they are nonetheless a genuine and authentic portrayal.

Takagi-san features an art style nuanced from the mainstream. The colour tone is mainly bright and vibrant with the doodle-ish feeling, which is not commonly seen in other popular shows. We can see that the animation is done with passion and care. The backgrounds are well-crafted and details are not compromised.

The opening “Zero Centimeters” is sung by Yuiko Oohara, who also sang Season 1’s opening. The endings are sung by Takagi-san’s voice actor, Rie Takahashi. Not only are the opening and endings catchy, but the background music also gives a youthful and upbeat feeling with its performance with recorders and a piano, fitting the middle school theme perfectly.

Takagi-san has transcended beyond your typical seasonal romcom waifu battleground. It remains one of my favourites in the romance genre for its simple yet meticulous depiction of some heart-tingling and face-blushing middle school romance and touches on themes seldom explored. Next time before you are about to dive into another brawl for waifus, why not take a break and fill your wholesomeness meter with Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san instead?

this Anime has been my source of pleasure for a long time now. since season 1 whenever i watch an episode it just fills me with joy and satisfaction.
this anime isn't the kind of one that will blow your head out of big unpredictable plots, it wasn't made for that, so if you are waiting for that kinda thing to appear, then you're just wasting your time.
this anime is perfectly simple and because of that it's a little repetitive in it's events but it's also enjoyable.. and a lot. the story as i said is very simple but you can always feel of it's progression ... to it's final goal, so the building of it is being done so well in my opinion. except that in season 2 the progression went down to 0% after it ended in season 1 like 60 or 70 % but i still think it's moving faster towards it's goal in season 2, and of course by goal i mean the confession.
now speaking of the characters: nothing really changed from season 1, i don't know if it's intentional by the writers or what but the character developing is almost zero, unless they are changing and i can't see it.
but still characters as they are, are really great, Sanae,Yukari, and Mina the supporting trio are really funny and they give the anime a nice impression i think.
and as for Takagi-san, who's one of the most adorable anime girls I've ever seen, she still has those really cute and calming looks she gives to Nishikata that you can see in how deep the feelings she has in her heart. what she has is the pure love i believe! Nishikata is still that insecure boy who's always enjoying (unintentionally) Takagi-san's teasing.
the art is decent there's nothing wrong with anything in it just as we can expect from the classic studio Shin-Ei
sounds are awesome starting from voice overs to osts to op and eds, the soundtracks always hit me in the heart and give me goosebumps also my top voice actress Rie Takahashi is really doing a great job there.
that's how i feel about the anime thanks for reading and i hope it was helpful for you!

The summer anime that i was looking forward to ever since it was announced and had expectations for this season after watching season 1 last year, and I can gladly say that I was not disappointed one bit! In fact, I fell in love with the anime because one thing was clear from the beginning, something about Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san S2(I'll call the anime Takagi S2 from now on) stood out compared to season 1, and that was Takagi and Nishikata in the final 2 episodes.

Story: The story continues on from S1 with Takagi teasing Nishikata non-stop as usual. However, something felt different ... about her teasing this season compared to S1. I think that something was the fact that in the majority of her teases, she was conveying her crush on Nishikata to him and was giving him hints. However, Nishikata being Nishikata, did not catch her hints and thought that she was just teasing him for the fun of it, though at times he did consider her hints, only to shrug them off unfortunately, which frustrated me during the first 11 episodes as I was cheering Takagi on in her pursuit of Nishikata. Fortunately, he redeemed himself at the last 2 episodes by asking Takagi out on a date to the festival with the climax coming in episode 12 when he held her hands. I was brimming in excitement and joy at that scene.

Plus the fact that we had 2 new characters this season added some plot to the overall story.

The only thing that I didn't really like from S2 was the scenes of Mina, Sanae and Yukari. I know that they are filler scenes, but come on, when you watch a scene of Nishikata and Takagi, you just want it to continue and I was pretty annoyed when they showed the filler scenes to the point that I just skept them in later episodes.

Overall a good continuation from S1 and is much more exciting with more juicy scenes of Nishikata and Takagi and new characters
Rating: 9/10

Art: I can't comment much about the animation of S2 since it's basically a continuation from season 1. My only comment is that I really liked the animation of the fireworks in the last episode of the series.
Rating: 7/10

Sound/Music: Ahh, Rieri. Her voice is so cute and soothing to the ears. I loved the endings for S2 because they were sung by Rieri. You can feel that Rieri put a lot of energy and feelings into the endings, because they were a full of happiness, longing for, and anticipation. In fact, I enjoyed the endings so much that I have downloaded all 7 ending songs into my phone!
Rating: 9/10

Characters: I will focus on Takagi and Nishikata in this section because we got to see Takagi at her best this season and Nishikata redeeming himself towards the end of the season! From the very first episode, you could see that Takagi was really going in hard to tell Nishikata of her feelings for him in hopes that he will reciprocate his. Unfortunately as mentioned earlier on in the review, Nishikata was not sensitive to her hints and just shrugged them off thinking that Takagi just liked to tease him because she liked to(dont get me wrong she does, but there's a deeper meaning to her teasing). She became more and more aggressive in her pursuit of Nishikata further into the series but it seemed that her teasing wouldn't pay off. Until episode 11 when Nishikata asked her out on a date. And I enjoyed that scene thoroughly.

Nishikata on the other hand, was frustrating to watch throughout the series as he always failed to win and was not good at love. Fortunately, he redeemed himself when he delivered the critical hits to Takagi when it mattered, by asking her out on a date and holding her hands in the final 2 episodes. Good job Nishikata!

I envy these 2 lovebirds if only if I had a relationship like them when I was in middle school.
Rating: 9/10

To conclude my review, Takagi S2 brought the best out of our 2 main characters, Nishikata and Takagi. Takagi communicating her love to Nishikata through teases and Nishikata delivering the critical hits to Takagi when necessary really made me love them more than I did in season 1.

I'll dearly miss Takagi season 2 to me it was really well produced and was much better than S1. I hope there'll be a continuation of the series via a season 3 maybe? Or a spin-off from the manga of both our lovebirds when they've married and have a kid.

Final rating: 10/10

Season 2 is about much of the same as the first, but with more of an added "push". If you have seen the first season, you can see clearly there is a clear progression from what has happened and subtly climbs from there with every new encounter. The main character can be annoying, but compared to season one, you will notice a very slight change of character for the better. The anime is a perfect representation of young love and character growth without the use of unnecessary scenarios such as love triangles, harems, "anime-logic" without escaping the bounds ... of reality. Sometimes I feel this anime can be overbearingly wholesome and that is what makes this anime so good for what it's trying to be.

I'm actually kind of blown away with how this series even got a Season 2.  I mean I wanted one, but man, it was popular enough to warrant a sequel?  Here's hoping for a trilogy!

Story:

So what does a sequel mean for a series like Karaki Jouzu?  More teasing, more charming moments between two youths spending time with each other, and lots of boy blushing and girl laughing are viable answers.  A lot of the season is still wrapped around A and B plots of the boy trying to best the girl that sits next to him in some kind of game or another, but the ... important thing above all else that the sequel provides is 'growth' and a lot of audience satisfaction.

What separates Karakai 2 from its previous season really comes down to the different interactions that the titular characters have with each other.  Based on some of the later chapters in the manga, a surprisingly large amount of the season isn't devoted to games as it is just having the pair spend time with each other in various ways, be it after school, outside in the summer, or at a local shop.  Not only that, the previous disconnect that the series seemed to have with A and B parts of different events is absent as entire episodes can go through entire story threads of different events to create a seamless narrative that feels much more rewarding to watch as one thing leads to the next before ending the episode with some kind of cute payoff.

This becomes an even stronger selling point for the story as scenes using the "Ashita wo Doyoubi" characters help give episodes more narrative flow by transitioning one scene involving the main duo into the three girls talking about the same or a similar topic.  Over time the series embraces its more varied cast of characters by giving its limited cast of kids more and more time in the spotlight, as each of them gives the current topic at hand more flavor with their different POVs.  In a way, the Karakai 2 becomes more about the slice of life element rather than wholly focusing on the romance element where we sit and watch one boy try and best the girl who's fallen for him.  That being said, romance is still its main selling point, and my god does it deliver on that front.

Characters:

Adding to Season 2's goal of building on the previous season, a larger majority of the scenes involving Nishikata and Takagi become centralized on their relationship with each other, especially with Nishikata's feelings towards this girl he's trying to best.  Games still make up a lion's share of their interactions with each other, but I feel like the series does well to find a good middle ground between teasing Nishikata and just watching the two spend time with each other.  The storytelling between these two becomes even sweeter when a lot of A and B parts show Nishikata proactively making concious decisions to move the story forward with the gears in his head turning on what his relationship with Takagi is.

Compared to previous seasons, the sidecast gets a lot more prominence in the series than it did before.  While the trio of Mina, Yukari, and Sanae still take up a larger majority of the sidecast's screentime, more lesser known characters like Mano get time in the spotlight to flesh out their relationships with other characters more, and other even lesser known characters like Takao and Kimura are actually given time to play out and participate in gags and other story beats rather than being primarily fuel to give Nishikata the boost he needs so he can crash and burn later on when he uses his newfound knowledge against Takagi.

Finally, I want to bring up both Houjou and Hamaguichi, new characters brought up in this season that to my knowledge are almost non-existent in the manga.  Their dynamic is essentially asking the question, "What if it was Nishikata and Takagi, but their schtick was about maturity instead of teasing?"  I bring this up mostly because they feel like very underutilized characters, sporting about the same level of importance as the series's other couple of Mano and Nakai with little substance to their interactions.  I honestly wished there was a little more done with them because they have potential to contribute to the series, they just don't right now.

Aesthetics:

I've gone on record in my review of Season 1 that Shin-Ei's artwork is not all that great.  It's very average that that while serviceable, doesn't really make Karakai pop out in any kind of special way.  It still doesn't do that given the consistent level of quality of Season 2, but I'd again be hard pressed to say that anything is particularly bad with the show's appearance.

If anything, the quality of Karakai 2 is ever so slightly better when compared to Season 1.  I think it's in part because the series has wider, grander, and more varied shots for the characters to be in since the scenery changes a lot more than just 'school'.  Regardless, it's still nice and simple, harking back to Yamamoto's artstyle with color and a surprising amount of really picturesque scenes among its cast that help build up the tension to make the episode climaxes all the sweeter.

Yuiko Oohara's "Zero Centimeters" is a very similar to the song she sang back in Season 1, being a whimsical and instrumental piece that speaks about the daily lives of these characters.  By comparison, Zero Centimeters is a little less energetic but still serves the purpose in drowning the audience in the sugary sweet relationship between this cultured 'young love'.

And just like Season 1, Karakai 2 sports several EDs, most of which I personally don't really find much difference in, all again sung by Reiri, Takagi's VA.  The only standout one happens towards the end of the season where, because why not, we get Season 1's OP back as an ending.  Beyond the way that the song sound like are the lyrics.  Pretty much all of the songs featured in this series are sung from the perspective of Takagi just talking about being close and spending time with one another; they're love songs.  If that doesn't add in another layer of syrup to this already deathly sweet show, I don't know what does.

Personal Enjoyment:

I didn't think it was possible for a series to make me like it more than I already do.  Given how Karakai Jouzu is already one of my favorite romance series, seeing Season 2 elevate the kind of 'young love' storytelling possible in this series with its longer story beats and various endings that come up during key moments between the main couple was more than I could ever hope for.  This point becomes even more noteworthy on account of how many of my favorite chapters were adapted into the show and just how well a lot of them flow together when put side by side as A and B parts.

I also really liked how more of the cast came into play in the series.  It made the show more about 'youth' than just about these two characters and this trio of girls, thus expanding the kinds of stories the series could tell in addition to overall just varying up the story content so it's not the same thing over and over again.

The one thing that I don't appreciate about this series is the godforsaken Chapter 31 tease.  I hate it because I know I'll never actually get to see that chapter adapted into an episode.  And if we do, it's going to mark the end of the anime adaptation, and I don't really want that to happen.  Because given what we have here, I'm excited to see what they could potentially do with some of the later chapters.  (Though as of right now, they don't have that much material to work with.)

As a recommendation, the Karakai Jouzu series is definitely one worth picking up if you're a romance fan.  It's definitely a step up from what was shown in Season 1, and the show is just a relaxing romance/slice of life series without much drama to be had.  While some things like how some side cast members are handled and how often the show decided to do 'teasing Nishikata' chapters instead of wholly committing to moments them just spending time with one another weren't particularly great, there's still a lot to love here, and I hope to god we get to see their High School days some day.  Because if this is them in middle school, what happens later down the line?

When I heard that Skilled Teaser Takagi-San was renewed for a second season, I was ecstatic. Not because I read the manga or anything, but because I greatly enjoyed the first season. It was one of the sweetest most adorable and wholesome shows I had ever watched. The chemistry between the two main characters was great. The show in general was both a relaxer and a breath of fresh air. With the second season I was fully expecting more of the same. Instead, I got something a little different.

The story continues kind of where it left off with Takagi continuing to relentlessly tease Nishikata. ... The latter of which then tries to outsmart her but falls flat. In the first season, each part of the episode was framed as kind of a challenge and at the end they would tell us who won. This season that formula is thrown away because at this point I think they realized the audience can kind of tell who won without the show needing to explain everything. I liked that nice little change.

One of my favorite parts of last season was the few moments where Takagi was caught off guard. The whole time we’ve known Takagi-san she’s been this cool customer with an unflinching poker face. However there were a couple times when we got to see the other side of Takagi-san. This season we get to see that and more. Part of my anticipation with this new season was the progression of their relationship. I knew they were eventually going to get together, but I didn’t know when. As their relationship evolves, we get to see a new side of Takagi and a new side of Nishikata as well.

With the stakes being raised episode by episode, the quality meets those high demands. Some scenes during the show are absolutely breathtaking with the direction being spot on. Everything is coming together so fast that you will long for the days when the innocently teased each other in the classroom. The opening song only adds to this melancholic feeling.

If perhaps you had passed on this show or maybe only heard about it because of the girl with the massive forehead but ignored it otherwise, then consider giving it a shot this time. For those that have seen the first season and are wondering does it get better? The answer is yes. I can proudly say the second season has surpassed the first season in every way. This show is adorable, fun, heartwarming and absolutely worth your time.

I'm not gonna write much since there's not much to say about this show that hasn't already been said about last season. It still has the same production values,characters, and story structure. The only noticeable change is that they are one year older and that the main duo are a bit more closer to each other. nonetheless the show is still capable of continuing it's perpetually endless series of vignettes until either the viewer or writer gets tired of it. the show is well aware of this and does add something to the monotony by adding an off hand scene midway through the show, with ... only those well versed in the takagi-verse will understand what it means. if they had continued with adding scenes such as that it could have made for an interesting framing device. in the end the end the show continues to ride on its cuteness and simplicity and not much else.

2018 was a damn good year for anime. From Violet Evergarden breaking KyoAni’s staggering production record yet again, to My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan having their beast seasons yet, to A Place Further Than the Universe and Devilman Crybaby starting the year off with a bang, 2018 was lousy with incredible shows around every corner, new classics and cult classics and smash hits almost every season. Yet as a downside, with so many incredible shows competing for attention in such a short period of time, there were always going to be some worthwhile properties that slipped through the cracks, that didn’t get the ... attention they deserved. Where was the all-consuming love for the trashy family antics of Hinamatsuri, the warmly realized melodrama of Iroduku, the return of Cardcaptor Sakura? At some point, we’re just gonna have to collectively decide to do a full 2018 retrospective and give a second look to all those shows we did dirty the first time around.

Until then, though, thank god for sequels. Because of all the 2018 anime I hoped would get a continuation, Skilled Teaser Takagi-san was one of the most promising. I’m still stunned I got so much enjoyment out a series that essentially boiled down to a middle-school boy being made to suffer for his tormentor’s crush on him for twelve episodes straight, but here we are. Not only was the first season of Takagi-san able to keep its simple formula from growing stale, always finding new and endearing ways for the titular teasing master to rustle Nishikata’s feathers, but it made for a legitimately sweet, even wholesome rom-com that captured the infatuation and giddiness of puppy love better than it had any right to. Can you remember the last time a period joke felt so good-natured and innocent? Because I sure as hell can’t. But that was the charm of Takagi-san; it never crossed over into being mean-spirited or cruel. It simply existed to make your heart go pitter-patter at a very unconventional young courtship, and it succeeded brilliantly.

And now, I’m happy to report that the second season is even better.

Sure, from a structural standpoint, nothing much has changed. We’re still following Takagi and Nishikata’s everyday lives, every episode is divided into several parts, Takagi is always able to tease Nishikata, and Nishikata’s attempts at launching a counterattack are always thwarted by a) his own lack of preparation, b) Takagi easily seeing through his poorly crafted schemes, c) Nishikata’s inability to handle his growing crush towards Takagi, or d) all of the above. The formula is exactly the same as it was in season 1, so don’t come in expecting some radical re-invention. And yet, from the very first episode, I realized that not only was I still enjoying seeing essentially the same joke told over and over again in infinity iterations, it felt like the joke was actually going somewhere. I wasn’t just excited to see these two kids slip into the same routine, I was eager to watch that routine grow. And over the course of the second season, that wish was fulfilled.

You see, despite how simple and straightforward Takagi-san is, it’s got a secret weapon that keeps that simplicity engaging no matter how many times Takagi trips Nishikata up: actual romantic progression. The narrative moves slowly, but it does move. The characters and their relationship to each other do change, bit by bit, so subtly you don’t even notice it until you reach the end of the first season and you realize that these two dorks aren’t the same dorks they were at the start of the show. And season 2 doubles down on that momentum, building off of where Takagi and Nishikata left off at the end of the first season and pushing their relationship to even more adorable extremes. Sure, the first season made me laugh and grin and blush pretty regularly, but this season captures something even more special and ephemeral; the swelling delight of watching something special bloom right before your eyes.

In other words, not only does Takagi-san season 2 double down on everything that made the first so charming- adorkable chemistry, sweet-natured teasing, fantastic performances from Yuki Kaji and Rie Takahashi- it builds off last season’s stopping point and develops into a romance with genuine meat on its bones. This is a full-blown love story now, one so sugary sweet you can almost feel the diabetes creeping in at points. You can actually feel their bond deepen with each passing episode, as these silly games and competitive clashes of wit start molting into something softer, sweeter, more intimate. And it is wonderful. Not a single episode passed without my smile stretching past the boundaries of my cheeks. Not a single sketch didn’t have at least a couple absolutely uproarious moments of comedic brilliance. And with each passing moment, every hand almost held, every touch almost connected, I could feel my chest swell bigger and bigger until the final two episodes delivered a payoff that made it burst. Forget Given, forget O Maidens, forget Domestic Girlfriend and Quintessential Quintuplets, this is the best romance of the year. This is what I’ll look back on once 2019 is over and feel my heart grow three sizes bigger.

Takagi-san is a show I never thought I would love as much as I do. It’s not the most inventive anime, it’s not the most original anime, and outside the main duo it still doesn’t have any characters worth following. But there’s a beating heart at the core of this thing, a heart that’s only beating louder and louder as time goes on. I hope we get more of this show; I hope the Takagi-san anime gets sequel after sequel until the manga’s finally over. But until then, let season 2 stand as a testament to everything wonderful about romance done right. It’s touching, it’s euphoric, it’s hilarious, and it makes even the darkest days seem that much brighter.

Against my better judgement, after the underwhelming and annoying first series, I decided to give the second season of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san a chance, due to assumption that the plot would progress at least a little bit and spice would be added to the comedy routines.
Long story short: it's just more of the same.

The biggest difference is Takagi's more direct approach in communicating her feelings to Nishikata, which this time around is actually even more frustrating, because the boy appears to suffer from a particularly extreme case of obliviousness (paired with inability to make a connection between events if they do not happen at ... the same day), and Takagi just cannot stop herself from taking advantage of that. In this regard, the relationship is just as irksome to watch as always.
To be fair, Takagi's displays of affection are more adorable than ever before, but at the same time I found Nishikata to be going overboard with his antagonisation of Takagi. Any sympathy I might have had for his character is gone.

Somewhere in the middle of the season we are given a glimpse into the future, which I found to be a nice touch, but unfortunately, it was ultimately squandered, with no follow-up, even though it would have fit perfectly in the finale.

With no changes to the formula, second season of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san is definitely a must-watch for those who enjoyed the first one, but a very hard recommendation for everyone else. I do have to admit that, thanks to all the repetition and cuteness, it's a very easy to digest series. Hollow and even manipulative at times, but enjoyable with a proper mindset.

Nishikata has truly matured. He's become more proactive and assertive in driving their relationship forward in the second season. It's important to remember while watching this anime that they're not high school students, but only in middle school. In a sense, they're still just kids. Their understanding of love is incredibly innocent and unrefined. They don't even realize they've fallen for each other, only knowing that they enjoy each other's company immensely. This love is pure, devoid of any ulterior motives.

Nishikata, in a way, you've won this contest a long time ago! What you've won is Takagi's heart.

I highly recommend this anime series for those ... just starting out in the world of anime. The character interactions are absolutely adorable and the storyline is light-hearted. I'd also suggest starting with the first season for a better overall experience.

This is by far and away the greatest RomCom I've ever seen, and that's from someone who typically doesn't enjoy the genre. The second season of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san basically captures the emotion of joy and love and presents them in their purest forms. There is no drama present within this show, it's just two friends playing games together and having fun. If the value of a show comes from what it is trying to accomplish and how well it does that thing, then this show is exceptional on all fronts. Joy, Love, Happiness, Giddiness. You can't really contain any of it, it's simply ... too sweet.

Story 10/10
The story format is very non-linear, especially in the manga, but the anime does a great job of stitching them together. They put a lot of love into it, and it shows. Entire episodes are anime originals. The story itself is wonderful. It perfectly builds up events and much was even added to the source material, making for some unforgettably touching moments. It always finds a very happy medium between sweetness and silliness.

Art 10/10
The art is phenomenal and unbelievably adorable. Yamamoto has a really cute style that is very befitting of the series. There's definitely something endearing about the huge foreheads. Everything from the lighting, eyes, character designs are all wonderful. There's a very clear emphasis on closeness as well, with close up shots on the characters during key moments. Almost like the little beats of a theatre play.

Sound 10/10
The voice acting is all-around well done, especially from Rie Takahashi. They couldn't have cast a better person for Takagi's character. She even sings every outro song. The soundtrack and sound design are equally amazing.

Character 10/10
While there are side characters, they are entirely negligible, as the characters with the greatest prominence are Nishikata and Takagi. These two are incredibly cute and have great chemistry. Their personalities complement one another perfectly. They never fail to bring a smile to my face when they're on screen together.

Enjoyment 10/10
What else is there to say? It's like the sweetest pop tune you can imagine in anime form. It makes me feel like myself. Life is beautiful and there's so much to enjoy. Just the fact that we met is a miracle. It's safe to say I enjoyed every moment of this series. Here's to hoping for a season 3.



Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2: Overall 10/10

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2, one of if not the most wholesome anime I ever seen.
There was a time when you were young and liked someone, you probably kinda teased that person cause you wanted him/her attention; This anime is about that exact same feeling/time.

This is one of my favourite anime, and it is back with another great season. I cannot stop smiling while watching this show, it brings the best inside me, it is just very pleasant to watch.
The way it handles love not only for a 'special person' but as a whole is just impeccable, every character in this show is cute, pure ... and appealing, they perfectly reflect the message of the show.

Although this season is very similar to the first, it is still captivating; The way they keep the tension high in such a authentic way; It is amazing to me how much natural emotion this anime makes me feel.

If you ever had empathy or feelings for someone I think you will be able to relate to this one somehow...
Don't miss it!

More teasing from Takagi-san the Teasing Master ROUND TWO.

So LA really won't go to deep into this second season of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san as it's ALMOST same as usual for Takagi and Nishikata's game of teasing.

With the things have have "changed" as it were, well though the first season teased at Takagi's romantic forwards through teasing, it felt like Takagi's romantic teasings were even more prominent this season using her teasing for the romantic teasing towards Nishikata and in turn Nishikata has sorta loosen up but still competitive at wanting to win as the teasing game as a result. The three girls of Mina, ... Sanae and Yukari does insert themselves but spectators into some stories between Takagi and Nishikata's teasing game and of course and especially Yukari starts to think their teasing isn't teasing but actual romantic advances as a result. Finally is that two new characters come in and they are a couple, that of Hamaguchi and Hojo who are pretty much characters doing their own thing, until Hojo finds out about Takagi and Nishikata as a thing.

Really the formula of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san hasn't changed, Nishikata finds a new game and tries to find an advantage to win against Takagi, Takagi ALREADY know her moves before had and make it backfire, add in romantic teasing, Nishikata trips up...Takagi wins. but much like LA says about No Game No Life's expected wins, it's not the destination but the journey and this is more or less the romantic teasing of Nishikata realizing he like Takagi and that's kinda why LA kept up with Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san in the first place, plus the entire notion though predictable is interesting from this perspective at least.

Yes because of it, the comedy has turned predictable in lieu of romance but that's ok to be honest.

LA won't say much about the animation and voice cast cept that the animation once again done by Shin-Ei Animation did seem to give their character designs a much sharper tone to them and as for the voice cast though they have their reprising roles, Aoi Yuuki as Hojo was unexpected.

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 is more or less the same formula but seems like they directed their attention towards the budding romance between Takagi and Nishikata more in this season, adding in the teasing games as a setting and we have the seocnd season. Really for LA at least expecting more feels like asking too much from Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 as it does what it does and it does itself well, flaws of the comedy being predictable and all.

Nishikata always loses, Takagi always wins but they get more time together...but Takagi-san is the Queen of Smug.

As someone who has read the manga, I must say that this anime is a masterpiece. Usually, I am not a huge fan of the anime taking liberties with the source material, but this anime has proved that it is possible to deviate a little from the source material to give the show depth.

I loved how the chapters from the manga were rearranged and recontextualized to tell a unified and coherent story. In particular, it's amazing how they managed to use these to show Nishikata's character development in this season simply by tweaking a few details here and there in their adaptation of the ... chapters. The characters have so much more depth to the point I could rewatch an episode and find something new about them that I had not noticed before. I really appreciate the attention to detail that they put to reflect the character's thoughts and feelings throughout the chapters.

And then the development of the characters' relationship culminates into an original episode (that the manga never showed). No words could describe how well done it was. It brought me more joy and fulfillment than the manga could possibly give.

To make things even better, Rieri's voice acting was like icing on the cake, effectively conveying Takagi's emotions and the overall mood to the scenes. I would often catch myself smiling at times, the moments are so sweet and wholesome.

Teasing Master Takagi-San Season 2 is the continuation of the slice of life romcom, the second season expands on season 1 and takes what made it good and it becomes a good sequal in doing so. It has a lot more venues and characters like Houjo-San and the other guy that drinks coffee, speaking of venues we get the camping trip, and the summer festival along with the manga shop, pretty sure we already have the candy shop in S1 so I can't count that. The bits are funnier , plus Houjo and the guy are much better than Sanae and the other two, they're ... still annoying, and the other characters such as Yukimura actually do something now. This season felt more enjoyable, at its core its still them teasing each other, but with a slight twist this time, Takagi is now using Nishikata's insecurities, habits, and behavior in order to go forward or start her romantic relationship with Nishikata, the latter also being more aware of his feelings, but since its just how his character is he doesn't capitalize on them, earning him my nickname of Nishibeta the Male Tsundere. Season 2 is a lot more enjoyable and straight up better than season 1, despite the latter having iconic bits like critical hit, this time we get greater more iconic bits like the camping trip, plus the summer festival date on the final episode.


Pros:
-Better soundtrack and same old classic score
-Better characters, other side characters actually plays parts like how Yukimura helped Nishikata find Takagi in episode 12.
-Shows more than just a guy getting teased, and shows how a person tries and progresses through a relationship in a unique way.
-More funny
-More versatile, greater bits, and more venues
-Is very simple and enjoyable
-Characters become more aware of their feelings


Cons:
-The three stooges are still annoying
-Nishikata is still a betamale and he still is annoying sometimes, like how many times are you gonna mess up bro, or be too embarassed to do anything, get a grip Nishibeta, its also easier to predict his actions now, also he could have won so many times
-Slice of life tone and events can get repetitive and boring, thats why I took breaks after watching an episode, sometimes one a day, in order to not get bored, it does get interesting later on, but at the same time they're still always outdoors or in school teasing or playing with each other.


Overall Teasing Master Takagi San Season 2 is a upgrade to its predecessor in terms of funnier greater side characters, greater bits, more romantic advancement from Takagi, and is a lot more enjoyable, they still tease and play games with each other, plus Nishikata is still the same old betamale Tsundere, but this time we get new venues and an overall superior and more enjoyable season, not to mention Nishikata wins more although he doesn't acknowledge nor capitalize on it mostly due to him actually being also in love with Takagi-San. Imma give Teasing Master Takagi-San 2 a 8/10 for my overall anime rating.

Another season of this amazing show, and even better than the first. Nishikata just can't catch a break against Tease Master Takagi.... but the love is so strong between these two. Though you want them to get together, where's the fun in that happening. It's much better to enjoy all of these random games and situations they are in, knowing that yes they will be together eventually, but this is such a pure enjoyment of youth that it's so warm and amazing to watch develop. This is such a beautiful comedy/romance that it truly makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside ... each episode and at times brings tears to my eyes in a good way. If you haven't taken the plunge yet, go back to season 1 and start from the beginning. Takagi is truly a perfect girl to spend time with, she is so beautiful, kind, and fun... you'll fall in love with her too!

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 (2019)

A continuation of the first season with more expect teasing from Takagi-san towards Nishikata who nearly always falls for it. This time the relationship between the two starts out as before but as it progresses the feelings are building up and it is a really nice storyline that develops in good time.

The art style is the exact same as before, maybe slightly more polished.

The OP and ED are both wonderful for the series. The voices in Japanese with subs are great and well suited.

The character development in this one is the most important part since we get ... plenty. Takagi-san makes her intentions a bit more clear to the world which is a nice change of pace. Nishikata who is finally starting to realise his true feelings is working steadily towards the ultimate ending.

Takagi-san does take a few critical hits this time, especially towards the end which are spectacular wins for Nishikata.

You get to see some of the other characters developing and having fun more so this season which makes for a nice change.

The hero of the season is Kimura who towards the end is the best bro you could ask for. He sees the situation as we all have been on edge watching and deals with it as a true friend supporting Nishikata.

The show itself, therefore, is just amazing to watch and is a great step up from previous.

I would recommend this and the other season and specials to anyone wanting to get into a great relaxing and yet funny series that builds up naturally as a great watch to everyone.