I must confess there are times where I wonder if I’m watching the same show as most other people, and this season’s Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san is one of them. There were a lot of complaints about the first chapter from last week, “Presence”. Complaints which looped in the dream sequences from the first ep, along the lines of “they’re wasting the season with this stuff”, and “how come there’s no development?”. Silent comedy has a glorious history for starters, and any time an anime tries it I applaud it – especially when it’s done this well. And the dream sequence was a developer if ever I saw one.
This week’s episode has unsurprisingly gotten some “at last!” praise from those quarters. It was indeed a quiet week in Lake Woebegon sort of episode, with normal service very much restored for the first couple of chapters (which could as easily have been in the first season as the third). Series like this tend to save the meaty “continuity” chapters for last, which I think is smart, and that one was indeed a plot mover. But the plot actually moves all the time with this series, it just that it happens so gradually that it’s easy to miss.
I can’t imagine there were too many of us that didn’t know exactly what Takagi was planning when she proposed that game with the eraser and the fan – that wasn’t one of Nishikata-kun’s finest moments, even for him. Again, a chapter that could have happened anywhere in the timeline – as could the “Douyoubi” cat interlude (their material, unlike the main story, doesn’t get a lot of progression and is strictly episodic). Then we had Nishikata’s manga fantasy “Bewilder Ball”, a very amusing if likewise transient teasing segment. The highlight here was definitely Nishi’s fantasy sequence (complete with Ootsuka Houchuu play by play), which unfortunately broke through into his RL dialogue.
This was all building to the umbrella bit, though, which puts to the lie the idea that the series – and the relationship it chronicles – doesn’t progress. As I noted in the comments last week it’s like having a little brother whose growth you don’t notice because you see him every day, and then one day you realize with a start that he’s taller than you are. This was a chapter that could never have taken place early in the timeline – though it does have a “full circle” quality to it. If you recall it was Nishikata’s innate niceness that set this relationship off and running in the first place – he turned in Takagi’s lost handkerchief (and got himself in trouble for lateness on his first day of middle school for his trouble).
There is a bit of a recurring theme here, in Nishi being too nice for his own good and suffering for it. On the other hand, Takagi-san has matured to the point where she acknowledges his kindness and backs off on the teasing. Not to mention that until recently Nishikata would never have had the balls to invite her to share “his” umbrella (Takagi’s blush is a surefire tell, if only Nishi wasn’t so consumed with his own misery to notice it) – it’s hard to overstate the aura of the dreaded aiaigasa in Japanese pubescent romantic relationships. It’s also full-circle in that Takagi shared her umbrella with Nishi not all that long ago, but the fact that it was him initiating it this time gives it a lot more significance. That’s development for you – though I was mildly disappointed not to get a new ED this week…
sonicsenryaku
January 23, 2022 at 3:27 amAfter binge watching these first 3 eps of season 3, I can already confidently say that we’re in for a stronger season than 1 or 2. First thing that’s noticeable right of the bat are the slight visual improvements. Guess with the show doing as good as it is, the production has gotten stronger to accommodate for the quality of the show itself. Improved lighting and character animations make the skits feel more alive; but noticeably, the storyboarding and framing has improved as well. Episode 1 of season 3 was a delight in direction as we get a dose of Nishikata’s Freudian journey into the romantic awakening of his feelings for Takagi. I love the detail of Nishikata imagining all these adult male figures in his life while trying to process why he can’t get the image of holding her hand out of his head, as if he’s expecting those adults to give him advice in handling all the confusion in his heart. Ep 1 of Season 3 was definitely not a waste of time at all, if anything, i still think it’s the strongest episode of the three so far (and that’s something considering how on point ep 2 and 3 have been).
Ep 2’s silent skit was a joy to watch, mostly because at this point, we understand Takagi and Nishikata’s love language so much than we can literally figure out almost word for word what they’re saying and thinking before the skit reveals it. It’s an effective way to change up the formula, validate where Takagi and Nishikata are in their relationship, and validate the viewer for being able to understand so well the affection these two kids share in that no words need to be spoken to communicate it
At the end of the day, the progression in this show comes down to seeing the development of these two kid’s love language. Season 1 showed us how the competitive nature of their love language made them more familiar with each other, a point that nishikata ultimately realizes means something (at least he realizes it means something to Takagi), enough so that he wants to preserve it by ensuring their desks are still together. Season 2 pushes that a bit, as we see their love language start to make them question where their fast-growing familiarity is starting to imply; culminating in their date to the festival and the hand-holding that took place. With season 3, were starting to see how their love language grown so much that these guys can no longer hide the impending truth of their relationship. I think that’s what we’re gonna see more off, with the movie slated to release later this year being the romantic conclusion to this 3-season arc. This show is pretty damn good at doing what it does and it’s one of the only shows I anticipate in this barren season of anime (past catalog; here I come)
Guardian Enzo
January 23, 2022 at 9:24 amDream sequence was original I’m almost 100% sure. And the school trip arc from last season too, which artfully moved the relationship ahead a few levels.
Marty
January 23, 2022 at 9:34 amLooking back at it, I really enjoyed the dream sequence of the Premiere because it managed to bridge the gap between the S2 finale and the rest of the season/series. While Nishikata holding Takagi’s hand is certainly a momentous moment in their relationship, it does make sense that someone his age might still be flustered to hold her hand again outside of the festival.