Now, this manga is about a D/s relationship. It's not inherently obvious to the fact, because the characters do not look like stereotypes. Or at least, Nagatoro does not. Typically, in anime, most dominant women are tall, sexy, bombshells, etc. They usually have whips, or whatever stereotypical thing you can think of.
Likewise, anime has something I like to call "fake dominants". These are women with the outward characteristics of dominant women, yet are actually submissive at heart, and simply need to be "broken in" by the right man. A good example of this is Haruhi Suzumiya. She is demanding, strong willed, and takes charge, but she is still seen as something for Kyon to tame. She is weak in front of the man she loves. This is generally why I dislike the tsundere trope.
Now, why did I preface this review with all these extraneous details?
That is because this character, Nagatoro, is a true S type. A dom character if I have ever seen one. She does not hold her tongue, nor is she ever seen as "in the wrong" for doing what she does. And while it's not inherently clear from chapter one, the main male character does enjoy this.
Now, let's get into the general aspects of the work.
Story: 6
It's nothing much. Serviceable. The setting is simply a school, used as a vehicle for various scenarios between the two main characters. The story is nothing you haven't seen before; various comedy moments with small moments of character development every couple of chapters. Simple, straight forward.
Art: 8
I've had previous experience with this artists work, mainly in the form of doujins. I can say that this work is his best, artistically, yet. The anatomy is more consistent and accurate then usual, which is great to see. Beyond that, his expressions are some of the best i've seen in years. Full of life and character, it's honestly very inspiring to me as an artist. The character design for Nagatoro is fantastic. She's adorable in every way. The MC, who only goes by Senpai, is cute enough to be able to self-insert on.. though I wouldn't call him just that exactly. Anyway, point is, the art is adorable, and it's a great step forward for the mangaka compared to his previous works.
Character: 10
This is where this manga shines for me. Nagatoro is... perfect. It's rare that I ever feel that I relate to a character, but oh my goodness, Nagatoro is pure condensed sadism. She drives the MC to points of crying, and never once is she put down for it, outside of when she /does/ go to far. And when she does, she apologies. Yet even through her apologies, she still /knows/ that the MC wants more, and will continue her teasing in a more appropriate way. A never once does the mangaka pull back on the reigns. Nagatoro is always in control, and is there to be served/to tease her senpai. As it should be.
As for the senpai character, he's not so bad either. He certainly activates my "cute timid boy I would tease" feelings. His expressions are wonderful. But he's not simply a character to be pushed around. He has goals and things he would like to accomplish. It is because he has passions deep inside for his craft, which leads Nagatoro to take interest in him. The MC has a history of bullying/repression in his past, which isn't at all uncommon in many submissives who turn to being dominated. I won't get into psychological reasons, but BDSM in general can be therapeutic. Because he has yet to accept his desire to be dominated/humiliated, he still mentally pushes back against Nagatoro, but we all know he doesn't mean it, and would be extremely lonely without her. That said, it's more common for submissives to throw themselves wholeheartedly into desiring humiliation/teasing.
Nagatoro always knows that what she's doing is extreme. She brings it up various times in the manga, saying to the MC "aren't I doing some pretty mean stuff?". The MC mumbles in response, as he do not truly desire her to stop. Nagatoro knows this, so she gleefully keeps up their dynamic. There is nothing in this relationship between characters that is NOT consensual.
Enjoyment: 10
Well, I certainly enjoy it. Your mileage may vary depending on how willing you are to accept that Nagatoro's teasing of her senpai is erotic and very much wanted by her senpai, even though he "resists" a bit.
Overall: 9
Personally, I love love love this manga. Can I recommend it to most people? Not really. You have to inherently accept some level of BDSM kink. Due to this barrier to entry, It's going to stay a niche series, but as someone firmly in that niche, I would highly recommend it. Do you like to see cute boys crying in embarrassment from merciless teasing? Do you like to see a cute, small character in control and dominating a boy? Then this is the series made for you! I give it a 9 though because some people still get antsy when series have minimal romantic progress, and this series is more about Nagatoro various methods of teasing her Senpai, rather then growing a relationship within a plot.
EDIT 3-16-2021: Now that a lot of time has passed since I wrote this review, I would like to give my two cents on the direction of the manga since those early few chapters. The manga has broken away from a simple sketch routine of every chapter being more or less a one off situation, and has taken to genuinely develop its characters and their relationships. The characters honestly like each other and enjoy the company of one another. Senpai wants to be around Nagatoro, and Nagatoro wants to be around Senpai. That is very refreshing in this genre, as male protags often act very aloof and go out of their way to mean to the main girl in order to get them to 'leave them alone'. Senpai has said at various points that he wants Nagatoro to stay with him and for them to continue to have fun together. I would honestly Senpai and his development have made him my favorite character in this series. This series has a lot to offer and I hope people would give it a chance as the early chapters aren't full representative of where the manga is now.
The bullying has been reigned back a lot now that Nagatoro and Senpai are more or less 'equals' to each other, verses Nagatoro more or less having the upper hand in all interactions. Your mileage may actually vary on this; I won't lie and say I do miss some of the more 'intense' teasing but given the fact the manga has become much more mainstream, it does make sense. If Nagatoro's earlier behavior turned you off, I would say it does get turned down a lot, so give it another try :)
