First Impression: Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san

Synopsis

Nishikata is a middle school boy who lives by the principle “If you blush, you lose.” Abiding by this principle is far from easy however given that he is constantly made fun of by his seat neighbour Takagi-san. Vowing to turn the tables on her, he makes the attempt to tease her day after day but usually finds himself the victim of Takagi’s ridicule again sooner or later. Is there no way for him to turn things around on Takagi?

The Good

Do you remember any anime that has left you with a wry grin in the end? The kind of anime that had characters that made you want to shake your head at their antic, but you still found them endearing anyway? This is one of those anime, but in the best way possible. While the character types of the main leads have been done before, the way that they were portrayed and handled made for a refreshing change. Most often when it comes to this type of duo, you would expect the girl to end up being the flustered one of the two or the guy to be too shy to do much compared to the female lead. Here, both Nishikata and Takagi present an interesting mix of something different.

Most of it is based on the concept of the series itself, which is interesting in itself already but it’s the characters who really help things along. Basically, the two leads are rather endearing in a lot of ways and when it comes to visualization of the two, personally, I can’t help but see a fox playing all kinds of tricks on a monkey, it’s silly but cute overall.

Then there is also the art to take note of with the episode. It’s not exactly explosive or anything, but it is certainly refreshing from the usual. As for the theme songs and music of the episode, it’s pretty quirky and not too bad.

The Bad

For the most part the only issue that can really be found with the episode is with the side characters. True, there isn’t much to be expected with the side character, especially when it comes to a comedy work but honestly, it would be nice if they come off as more than one note. Other than this there isn’t there isn’t anything much different to be found with the episode. It’s a school setting with a main character teasing the other. Looking at it from a bigger picture, the only real different aspect to be found is in the overall portrayals of the main leads and the whole plot concept.

Conclusion

It’s different and it’s quirky, that’s pretty much what can be said about the episode. Sure, the overall design of the characters and their portrayal is interesting, the overall episode shows a pretty much generic plot. While not necessarily bad, there isn’t anything really new to find about it outside of that whole blushing concept. Still the characters do make it worth a watch and there is still a chance that the flow of things may have its own twists and turns in the progression of the series.

Rating: 7.5/10