Idžiranaide, Nagatoro-san

Intense romantic teasing is probably another popular theme for Japanese authors now. It started with Teasing Master Takagi-san, which was just kind of playful and childishly innocent, then along came Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! which threw in a great deal of silliness plus some undesirable ecchi eroticism, and now we are on to Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, which takes it all a bit further again. Okay, so let us start with the first episode, which I almost gave up on. Honestly, I thought they went in really hard, and I was like, "This is not teasing, this is plainly harassment!" I remained unconvinced at first, I found it way too harsh and unnecessarily over-sexualized, plus, I did not even like the main protagonists. I was like, I just could not understand why the senpai did not do anything when they were calling him a fucking weakling and a raving masochist. To be quite honest, I did not like Nagatoro much either, I just do not like people who bully others in order to prove their superiority over someone because they are weaker – as it is generally considered pathetic. Thankfully though, things started to get better as time went on, and I gradually started to take it easy, so I was able to laugh at the jokes, and I watched the initially very strange relationship start to develop in a quite realistic and pleasant way. I soon realized that Nagatoro was maybe not as bad as I had thought and that she also had her weaknesses, which she tried to hide by doing the opposite of what she thinks or how she feels – I think it is called denial in psychology. Even the senpai started to become tolerable, there were moments where I thought I was starting to see him have some balls, although he never stood up to his tormentor, however, that started to become more and more logical as time went on and as their relationship developed. I also began to notice that Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro is unique in showing some of the characters' expressions, because if I am honest, for example, Nagatoro’s smug faces are something you do not normally see in anime. Likewise, you can tell that the author is a man who, until recently, made his living writing hentai (and some of his work is really really bizarre, like the thing with the monkeys – trust me, no one needs to see that!) because you gradually start to notice that he is actually very good at evoking and portraying sexual tension at certain moments, which gives the teasing more power and depth. So, in the end, I am still not convinced, unlike others, that I would want someone like Nagatoro near me, but I have gradually grown to like this anime series quite a bit, actually, and so I can easily award it a strong three stars. 6.4/10. (2022.12.01)

Did you find Season 2 of Nagatoro better than the first season? Did you find it even better than the second season of Uzaki? Well, good for you, but my answer to both these questions is a clear No! The only thing that's improved and I feel like it’s going somewhere is the romantic line between the main couple. However, the intense focus on the developing relationship between Naoto and Hayase makes some of the original humor disappear. The interesting sexual tension and sparks from the first season are gone and all that's left is the verbal teasing, which is too much for my taste and often makes do with the word "kimoi". There’s more blushing, more panicking on both sides, as well as more mutual understanding and support. There’s less room for familiar supporting characters. New characters have been added, but (unlike Uzaki) they don't bring anything fresh or new. Anetoro only appears twice in passing, which isn't enough to make a lasting impression. Not even Sunomiya, who comes in for the last three episodes, gets an interesting story built around her. Both of them strike me as weaker copies of their relatives. I didn’t get to laugh much, and some of the jokes seemed rather stale (not even "Nagatoro smug faces" worked). All in all, the second season of Nagatoro is an okay romance for me, but a mediocre comedy at best, and I can't give it more than a 6/10. (2023.03.19)