I think maybe the most remarkable thing the Karakai Jouzu Takagi-san adaptation has done it totally flip the fan reaction to the phrase “anime-original” on its head. Manga readers have a lot of scar tissue in this area, for good reason. Be it Negima or Rurouni Kenshin or (literally) a hundred or more other examples, the history fills one with a deep sense of dread. But this series? Not even close. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Karakai Jouzu adaptation would be on my short list of anime that have best maximized the manga experience. But this one aspect is especially notable just for the historical baggage it carries.
If I’m honest, “Culture Fest” didn’t feel totally authentic to the manga experience. Maybe to a slightly greater extent than the other two major anime-original subplots, the camping trip and the summer festival (which was alluded to in the manga but never depicted). And I’d rank it just a notch below those two, which were among the very best stretches of the anime. But it was still great, and I’m not sure the departure in tone is in a negative direction. The balance between Nishikata and Takagi isn’t quite the same in these divergences – she’s a bit more vulnerable, he a bit more commanding. But again – is that a bad thing?
In a sense, these anime-original arcs are like cheat codes. They advance the relationship part of the story more quickly than anything in the manga does – and the advancement is more direct, and less inferential. I think they’re probably necessary, as a too-literal adaptation wouldn’t flow that well as anime. Minami-ke was another adaptation that was very good with original material, and that recognized the need to be more story-driven than the source. That you don’t hear Takagi-san manga readers complaining (at least I haven’t) is testament to just how well the anime has finessed these changes.
“Feast on these dumplings” indeed – I bet Takagi would just love that. Even if different from the manga the tone here feels just right – it treats these pubescent milestones with respect without taking them too seriously. That whole “meet me on the roof” thing would never happen in the manga – Nishikata would never have suggested it. But it did its job. Ironically the most “faithful” part of the episode was the “haunted diner” portion in the middle, a sort of token teasing chapter that only deferred to romance at the very end (which is what Yamamoto generally does). And it was nice to see Houjou and Hamaguchi get a little spotlight time as well (I saw that cross-dressing cafe coming a mile away).
Once again it’s Kimura who comes through with ultimate wingman glory (that aspect is entirely an anime contribution), though unlike at the summer festival it was probably accidental this time. Getting Nishikata on-stage in the prince costume was a payoff that had to happen once you started down this path, and I liked the way the anime engineered it. Again, Nishikata-kun may just have been a bit too cool-headed and conventionally heroic here – catching Takagi-san when she slipped was instinct (and superhuman), but that masterful bit of improv was quite a level-up. Still, anything that lays Takagi flat (the blush is always the giveaway) is a welcome development in my book.
One other element worth noting is the masterful way the episode interwove the OP and ED sequences (I’m a sucker for that). We went all the way back to ’74 for Gakuen Tengoku (“School Heaven” indeed), a big hit for Okinawan pop group Finger 5 – one of the original boy bands (four brothers with one sister). Yamamoto-sensei wasn’t even born yet when that one came out, but it’s a song even kids in Japan probably still remember (Hibike Euphonium covered it too). That it suits the moment so perfectly is hardly a surprise, since this adaptation pretty much has the Midas touch.
Sonicsenryaku@gmail.com
February 13, 2022 at 9:53 amThis was an awesome ep, the best one of the season so far, and a testament to how far this series has come both visually and storytelling-wise. No It’s always a treat to watch a show you’ve been following continue to elevate itself and remind you why you care about it the way you do. As I said at the beginning of this season, we’d probably be seeing the affection between Takagi and Nishikata progressively reach a boiling point, and this episode feels like a milestone in that boiling point, way moreso than last week’s. The moment we didn’t get an opening this week I was: “oh man, shit’s gonna go down!!! (By Takagi-San standards mind you)
Once again, I have to mention the improved visual composition this season as it makes the show easier to engage with due to it being more interesting to look at (best looking episode of season 3 so far). One noteworthy shot this episode was how the camera framed Takagi’s smile towards Nishikata near the end when he was pondering her choice of ad-libbed lines during the play. The shot effectively communicated the inevitability of the romance growing between them and how inescapable it’s becoming to dismiss it through simple visual flourishes. Nishikata asks his questions while Takagi’s eyes remain transfixed on him; the daiyoubi girls are blurred out. Nishikata’s face and body isn’t within the frame but we as the audience, understand how zeroed in he is on Takagi at the moment thanks to these visual choices. It’s as if they are were the only two that existed in that room, pulled in by the moment. When Nishikata asks why Takagi changed the lines the way she did, he is unable to escape the earnest look she has in her eyes, and it’s here that like things start to seemingly become a bit clearer for him. This small but smart directional choice hammers home just how locked-in these two marshmallows are for each other and I’m legitimately excited to see where the anime and its adaptation choices take all this.
Guardian Enzo
February 13, 2022 at 11:22 amAlso the way he pulls his hand away from hers reflexively.
It just goes to show you that taking liberties with the source material is not always a bad thing, in the right hands (and let’s be honest, some need it more than others). Adaptation is an act of interpretation, after all.
It’s amusing that when Nishi says “Shit!” the subs translate it to “Oh, fudge!”…
Sonicsenryaku@gmail.com
February 13, 2022 at 12:55 pmYup, Nishi’s reflexive hand pull also adds on to just how much the romantic overtones of his relationship with Takagi are beginning to affect him on an actively conscious level. The hand reflex also brings everything full circle to the first season 3’s first ep what with him dreaming about the sensation of holding Takagi’s hand. It really is all coming together
And yea, not sure why the subs keep translating his potential swearing as “oh fudge.” It’s almost as if his language is being sanitized because of the wholesome and cute nature of the show
Krembotop
February 15, 2022 at 1:06 amThis amazing episode was worthy of an stellar season finale, and yet we’re only halfway through the season! (That meet up at the boat from the trailer should be the major original story of the following episodes) Smiled like a total goofball by the end, that whole third act was so adorable. Took a few days to actually watch the ep. because I was super busy, but it was definitely worth the wait.
sonicsenryaku
February 15, 2022 at 1:33 pmProbably the best episode of series (definitely the best ep of season 3). I kinda wanna go back to watch season 2 just to be sure of this claim. I remember enough of season 1 to know no episode in that run topped this one but Season 2 was a noticeable enough improvement over season 1that I want to go back and check out some of those episodes to be sure