English Dub Review: Teasing Master Takagi-san 3: “Side Trip Part 1 / Side Trip Part 2 / Side Trip Part 3 / Side Trip Part 4 / Renting DVDs”

Overview: Nishikata (Aaron Dismuke), Takagi (Sarah Wiedenheft) and other couples venture up four hundred and fifteen stairs to learn about a legend of love. Later, Nishikata and Takagi recommend some films to each other. 

Our Take: Everyone’s trip up the Sweet Love stairs is a fun romp in how different couples respond to the legend surrounding it in falling in love with the person whose name you write in the notebook at the top. Nishikata being completely clueless about it and merely using it as a means to tease Takagi is classically dimwitted of him. Even worse is the story behind the number of stairs backfiring on him and his scheme against Takagi. Nakai and Mano’s trek to it is cute in her wanting everything to proceed perfectly and him already having written her name down in the journal. Hamaguchi and Hojou taking in the view at the top of the stairs never admitting to one another about how much they care about the legend is similarly adorable. Yukari believing that Sanae and Mina want to go to Sweet Love to talk about love and boys is the running joke that never gets old. Sanae and Mina’s simple motivations are always so wholesome and funny in deflating Yukari’s romantic ones. 

Nishikata shifting from teasing to legitimately trying to give Takagi a film rental suggestion is nicely constructed. It is sweet and subtle in how he recognizes how seriously she is taking her movie pick for him. Having spoiled the ending, Nishikata feels so bad that Takagi proposes to rent another. It is a pivotal moment for Takagi in showing yet another rare instance of her own insecurity in kicking herself for not seizing the moment in a more dramatic and heartfelt way instead. Having enjoyed Takagi’s movie, he gets an unexpected text about seeing the 100% Unrequited Love movie and getting the couple’s gift. It is an endearing last note that reiterates just how well she knows him in his reluctance to ask her, despite him wanting to go, and how much she adores him, of course.