is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by

Sōichirō Yamamoto is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for writing and illustrating ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'', ''In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki'', and '' When Will Ayumu Make His Move?''. Personal life Yamamoto was born and raised in the town of Tonosh� ...

. The series features the daily life of Takagi, who loves to tease her classmate Nishikata, and Nishikata's failed attempts to get back at her. In North America, the manga is licensed by

Yen Press Yen Press, LLC is an American manga and graphic novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published ''Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, Yen Press ...

. An

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television series by

Shin-Ei Animation is a Japanese animation studio owned by TV Asahi and founded in Tokyo in 1965 as A-Production by Daikichirō Kusube, who was previously an animator for Toei Animation. Shin-Ei is known for being the animation studio behind two of the anime tele ...

aired from January to March 2018. An

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

(OVA) was released in July 2018. A second season aired from July to September 2019. A third season aired from January to March 2022, and a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

premiered in June 2022. In 2021, ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'' won the 66th

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan, Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being ...

in the '' shōnen'' category.

Plot

Middle school students Nishikata and Takagi sit next to each other in class. Takagi enjoys teasing Nishikata with embarrassing pranks and jokes. In response, Nishikata creates plans to get his revenge, but he fails when she identifies his weaknesses and capitalizes on them. In some rare instances where Takagi loses the challenge, Nishikata does not feel like he really won. The setting is based on the town of Tonoshō in the

Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...

Characters

; : :Takagi likes to pass time by teasing Nishikata; she enjoys his reactions to her pranks. Early in the series, she tells Nishikata that she will reveal a secret: "I like you", but "that was a lie". However, it is revealed that the only part that was a lie was that it was a secret. When asked by her classmates if she and Nishikata are a couple, she denies it. ; : :Nishikata is Takagi's seatmate and the target of her teasing. He is constantly thinking of ways to get back at her, but Takagi always takes advantage of the situation and thwarts his schemes. Nishikata refused to acknowledge that he might like Takagi as more than friends until later on in the series when he realized his feelings for her. ; : :A childish girl with large eyebrows. ; : :Mina and Sanae's friend. She wears glasses. Although she tries to maintain a semblance of maturity as class president, she regularly lets her classmates copy her answers so no one would fail. ; : :Mina's best friend, unruffled and quietly amused by her antics. She, Mina, and Yukari hang out together as a trio. She has short dark hair. ; : :Friend of Nishikata and classmate of both him and Takagi; he and Mano are a couple. ; : :Classmate of Nishikata and Takagi; she and Nakai are a couple. She has short dark hair with small pigtails. ; : :One of Nishikata's close friends along with Kimura. He is a bespectacled boy with

buck teeth In orthodontics, a malocclusion is a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the upper and lower dental arches when they approach each other as the jaws close. The English-language term dates from 1864; Edward Angle (1855-1930), ...

. ; : :One of Nishikata's friends along with Takao. He is an overweight boy who dislikes running. ; : :Tanabe is Nishikata and Takagi's no-nonsense homeroom teacher. ; : :One of Nishikata's friends. He tries to act mature in order to get Houjou to become interested in him. ; : :Houjou is a classmate who is reputed to like mature people. ; : :Sumire is a close friend of Takagi with a distinctive ponytail. She shares with Takagi an enjoyment for long walks. ; : : Chi is the daughter of Takagi and Nishikata according to the

flashforward A flashforward (also spelled flash-forward, and more formally known as prolepsis) is a scene that temporarily takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards a ...

chapters of the main series. The spinoff series ''Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san'' features Chi as a main character. While Chi usually joins her mother in her pranks on her father, she fails to outsmart Takagi herself.

Media

Manga

''Teasing Master Takagi-san'' is written by

. The series began serialization in

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...

's ''shōnen'' manga magazine supplement ''Monthly Shōnen Sunday Mini'' on June 12, 2013, and it moved to the main ''

Monthly Shōnen Sunday , alternately known as , is a monthly '' shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since May 12, 2009 (the June 2009 issue). The magazine was announced in February 2009, with Hayashi Masato, at that time editor of ''Weekly Shōnen ...

'' magazine on July 12, 2016. As of June 2022, it has been collected in eighteen ''

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

'' volumes. In November 2017,

announced the acquisition of the manga for an English release in North America. A spin-off manga series, titled , was serialized in the newspaper ''Yomiuri Chūkōsei Shimbun'' from November 7, 2014 to November 2015, and was collected into two ''tankōbon'' volumes. It was also adapted within the ''Karakai Jōzu no Takagi-san'' adaptation in 2018. A second spin-off manga series, titled , was serialized in ''Monthly Shōnen Sunday'' from July 12, 2017 to April 11, 2020, and was collected into five tankōbon volumes. A third spin-off, titled , featuring an adult Takagi, now married to Nishikata, and their daughter, Chi, started in ''MangaONE'' app on July 15, 2017. It has been collected into sixteen ''tankōbon'' volumes.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in the August 2017 issue of Shogakukan's ''Monthly Shōnen Sunday'' magazine. The series was directed by Hiroaki Akagi at

, with scripts written by

Michiko Yokote is a Japanese screenwriter. Screenwriting • head writer denoted in bold Anime television series *'' Patlabor: The TV Series'' (1990) *''Ranma ½'' (1990–1992) *''Rurouni Kenshin'' (1996) *'' Magical Project S '' (1996–1997) *'' You’re ...

and character designs by Aya Takano. It aired from January 8 to March 26, 2018 on

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...

and other channels.

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...

simulcasted the series, while

Funimation Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...

streamed the series with an English dub. The series ran 12 episodes. The opening theme is performed by

Yuiko Ōhara is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Chiba Prefecture who is affiliated with Toho Animation Records. Starting her career as a live performer in 2012, she would also participate in several auditions and competitions. She made her major debut ...

. For the ending themes,

Rie Takahashi is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. She had a leading role in the anime series ''Seiyu's Life!'', where she became part of the musical unit Earphones. She voiced Futaba Ichinose in ''Seiyu's Life!'', Megumin in ''K ...

performed covers of previously-existing songs: by

Ikimonogakari The romanization of the group's name does not have the hyphen according to Sony's websites for their albums. is a Japanese pop rock musical duo, duo from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan consisting of Yoshiki Mizuno and Kiyoe Yoshioka. The group starte ...

(episodes 1–2), "AM11:00" by HY (ep. 3–4), by

Judy and Mary Judy and Mary (often stylized as JUDY AND MARY) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 in Japan by bassist Yoshihito Onda and vocalist Yuki Isoya, Yuki, with drummer Kohta Igarashi and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto completing the lineup in 1992. Guit ...

(ep. 5–6), by

Chatmonchy was a three-piece all-female rock band which consisted of Eriko Hashimoto (guitar, vocals), Akiko Fukuoka (bass, chorus), and formerly Kumiko Takahashi (drums, chorus) who are from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan. Since 20 ...

(ep. 7–8), by

Mongol800 is a Japanese three-piece punk rock band from Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan formed in 1998. When the members were aged 19, the band released their first album. In 2001, despite low commercial attention, they sold over two-million records from the alb ...

(ep. 9–10), by

Greeeen Greeeen (stylized as GReeeeN) is a Japanese vocal group from Kōriyama in Fukushima Prefecture, comprising the all-male four members: HIDE, navi, 92 (read as "kuni"), and SOH. They made their debut with Universal Music in 2007. Their logo image i ...

(ep. 11), and by Every Little Thing (ep. 12). An OVA episode was bundled with the manga's ninth volume, which was released on July 12, 2018. On January 10, 2019, it was announced that the series would receive a second season; the staff and cast reprised their respective roles. It aired from July 7 to September 22, 2019 on Tokyo MX and other channels, with episodes being exclusively streamed on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

in Japan; a worldwide release on Netflix took place on December 6. The opening theme for the second season is performed by Yuiko Ōhara. Like the first season, the ending themes consist of covers by Rie Takahashi: by

Sukima Switch is a Japanese rock/jazz fusion duo consisting of core members , born May 9, 1978, and , born February 25, 1978, formed in 1999. Formerly with BMG Japan (bought by SMEJ in early 2009), they signed with Sony Music Japan's Ariola Japan label in Se ...

(ep. 1), by

Remioromen is a Japanese rock band, formed by Ryōta Fujimaki, Keisuke Maeda and Osamu Jingūji in 2000. History Remioromen was formed in December 2000 with their current three person line up. They say that the name of the band has no real significance as ...

(ep. 2), by Greeeen (ep. 3–4), by Ikimonogakari (ep. 5–6), "STARS" by

Mika Nakashima is a Japanese singer and actress. Five of her studio albums, one of her mini-albums and one of her compilation albums have reached number one in Japan's Oricon album chart. She also embarked on an acting career, most notably as Nana Osaki in the ...

(ep. 7), by Mongol800 (ep. 8–9), "Iwanai Kedo ne." by Ōhara (ep. 10–11), and by Chara (ep. 12). Ōhara also performed the insert song for episode 12, which is . A third season and a film were officially announced in September 2021 after they were first teased with the release of the sixteenth volume of the manga. The third season aired on the Super Animeism block on

MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepalese politician Places * MBS International Airport (IATA code: MBS), Freeland, Michigan, US * Mari ...

and TBS, and other networks from January 8 to March 26, 2022. The opening theme is performed by Yuiko Ōhara. Like the first two seasons, the ending themes consist of covers by Rie Takahashi: by

Eiichi Ohtaki Eiichi Ohtaki (July 28, 1948 – December 30, 2013) was a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He first became known as a member of the rock band Happy End, but was better known for his solo work which began in 1972. ...

(ep. 1), "Over Drive" by Judy and Mary (ep. 2–3), by

Motohiro Hata is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He debuted under the major label BMG Japan in 2006 with the single . Early life and career Hata is the youngest of three brothers. He moved to Yokohama when he was 2. He began playing the guitar at age 3, a ...

(ep. 4–5), by

Finger 5 was a Japanese pop group, initially composed of the four Okinawan Tamamoto brothers Kazuo, Mitsuo, Masao, Akira, and sister Taeko. Their greatest hit was . The Okinawa-based group performed catchy songs, wore matching outfits and had choreo ...

(ep. 6), by Ikimonogakari (ep. 7–8), (ep. 9), by Sekai no Owari (ep. 10–11), and by

Orange Range are a 5-member Japanese rock music, rock band, based in Okinawa, Japan. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The band left gr8! ...

(ep. 12).

Muse Communication Muse Communication Co., Ltd. (also known simply as Muse) is a Taiwanese distributor and licensor that specializes in the distribution of anime. Based in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, the company also distributes Asian and European films i ...

secured the distribution rights for the third season in Southeast Asia. On December 28, 2021,

Sentai Filmworks Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...

announced it had acquired the rights to the third season and the film for worldwide distribution excluding Asia, and is streaming it on

HIDIVE Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is Sen ...

. The

features returning staff members from the third season of the anime series. It was released in Japan on June 10, 2022.

Game

The mobile game was released on Android and

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

on June 8, 2022.

Reception

By December 2016, the manga had over 1 million copies in print. By February 2018, that number had increased to 4 million copies. As of August 2021, the manga has 10 million copies in print. The manga was nominated for the 10th

Manga Taishō The is a Japanese comics award recognizing achievement in manga. It is awarded annually to a manga series published in the previous calendar year of eight or fewer collected volumes in length. The Manga Taishō was founded with the aim of re ...

awards in 2017. In 2021, along with ''

Chainsaw Man is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Its first part was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2018 to December 2020; its second part began serializati ...

'', ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'' won the 66th

in the ''shōnen'' category.

Works cited

* "Ch." and ''Vol.'' is shortened form for chapter and volume, referring to a number of the ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'' manga. * "Ep." is shortened form for episode and refers to an episode number of the ''Teasing Master Takagi-san'' anime series.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Teasing Master Takagi-san Anime series based on manga Animeism Crunchyroll anime Medialink Muse Communication Netflix original anime Romantic comedy anime and manga School life in anime and manga Sentai Filmworks Shin-Ei Animation Shogakukan manga Shōnen manga Slice of life anime and manga Toho Animation Tokyo MX original programming Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen manga Yen Press titles