English Dub Review: Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san “Cleaning Duty / Kickover / Cold / Tailing”

As Nishikata and Takagi spend more and more time together, their relationship keeps growing – and their classmates are getting suspicious.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After being loud in class, Nishikata is assigned cleaning duty… but the broom isn’t the only thing waiting for him in the closet. Whether teasing him about his TV watching habits or outsmarting him during a pullover contest, Takagi continues to come out on top.

Our Take:

Poor Nishikata. His in-class disturbances earn him cleaning duty, even though Takagi is the reason for his outbursts in the first place. Has she bribed the teacher or something? She doesn’t help him clean, but at least she keeps him company. (And Takagi waiting for who-knows-how-long in the classroom closet is a funny picture.)

This episode really made clear to me how great a guy Nishikata is. So innocently pure-hearted that he confesses and disqualifies himself during the pullover competition. He even watches “100% Unrequited Love” to pick up relationship tips to use on Takagi. I appreciate how the show is subtly building up their relationship with every episode. After meeting two classmates on a romantic rooftop rendezvous, they both wonder what it would be like to be up there together… I can’t help but think that they’re going to admit their feelings to each other by the finale of the series. Heck, half their class already thinks they’re a couple!

When Mina, Sanae, and Yukari spot them walking home together, they decide to tail them. Yukari is convinced that Nishikata and Takagi are involved in a romantic conversation, while Mina and Sanae utilize their dubbing skills to hilarious effect as they perfectly predict the race to the shrine. The girl’s VA’s are great, and really sell the camaraderie between the three of them. I’m glad the two groups got to crossover a bit, and would love to see more interaction between them. Seeing how people view the show’s central relationship from the outside is interesting.

After this encounter, I’m sure new rumors will spread through the school about Nishikata and Takagi being a couple. But of course, Nishikata “hates” Takagi. He doesn’t wanna date her. I mean, all he does is walk her home, buy her juice, and spend almost every waking second thinking about her… hey, wait a minute!