English Dub Review: Teasing Master Takagi-san 3: “Culture Fest”

Overview: Nishikata (Bryson Baugus), Takagi (Sarah Wiedenheft) and the rest of the class prepare for their play and Culture Fest. 

Our Take:  Rather than broken up into different segments, we get an entire episode solely dedicated to the Culture fest and the class play, Romiya and Juliot. What begins as Nishikata wanting to rehearse lines with Takagi, soon turns awkward with Nishikata believing she misunderstands and wants him to ask her out. Nishikata’s ‘love’ lessons learned from 100% Unrequited Love, are a delight in how he ironically learns romance lessons from a romcom anime while living out his own. Seeing how he gets caught up in his emotions for her and even wants to ask her out to the Culture Fest is adorable. 

Nishikata’s delusions of beating Takagi makes yet another glorious return as he dreams of beating her at a race through the school’s haunted maze. However, wouldn’t you know it, she is two steps ahead of him, understanding him inside and out, scaring the crap out of him in the process. It is purely wholesome in Takagi wanting to go through the maze, during his run, to spend time with him. Hamaguchi and Houjou also get nice moments in Hamaguchi not wanting Houjou to see him in a maid outfit though the cafe he is helping run. 

Takagi, in character as the princess of the play, shows yet again how she feels for Nishikata with it continuing to go over his head like a mental whiff that is a befuddling formality at this point. Later, to really top it off, Nishikata fills in for Kimura, as the prince, with them pleading their love, which obviously has a double meaning that is very sweet. Making Takagi’s speech even more endearing is how Takagi referenced her own first meeting with Nishikata, rather than what was in the script. Although Nishikata being slow on the uptake to Takagi’s feelings has already become a bit tiring, this episode makes various compelling cases as to how things are moving in the right direction with Nishikata slowly but surely realizing the truth.