Teasing Master Takagi-san

Teasing Master Takagi-san

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, Anime, Live-action
Founded	June 12, 2013 (2013-06-12)
Founder	Sōichirō Yamamoto
Defunct	October 12, 2023 (2023-10-12)
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Manga, anime television series, animated film, live-action TV drama, live-action film, video game
Parent	Shogakukan

Teasing Master Takagi-san is a Japanese manga series created by Sōichirō Yamamoto. It was published by Shogakukan from June 2013 until October 2023. Initially, the manga appeared in the supplement Monthly Shōnen Sunday Mini before transitioning to the main magazine Monthly Shōnen Sunday. Comprising twenty volumes, the story centers on Takagi, who delights in playfully teasing her classmate Nishikata, while he continuously tries—and fails—to get back at her. In North America, the manga's distribution rights are held by Yen Press.

The franchise broadened its reach with an anime television adaptation produced by Shin-Ei Animation, which aired from January through March 2018. This was followed by an original video animation (OVA) released in July 2018. Additional seasons were broadcast from July to September 2019 and January to March 2022. An animated feature film debuted in June 2022. Furthermore, a live-action TV drama was shown from April to May 2024, accompanied by a live-action movie released in May 2024.

In 2021, Teasing Master Takagi-san received the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the category. By July 2025, the manga had surpassed 13.5 million copies in circulation.

Plot

Nishikata and Takagi are middle school classmates who sit side by side. Takagi takes pleasure in teasing Nishikata with various tricks, while he attempts to retaliate but is repeatedly outwitted as she exploits his vulnerabilities. On rare occasions when Takagi loses, Nishikata finds his triumph less satisfying. The narrative is set in Yamamoto's hometown of Tonoshō, located on the island of Shōdoshima within Kagawa Prefecture.

Characters

Takagi enjoys provoking Nishikata and watching his reactions. Early in the series, she mentions that "I like you" was a secret, though she later clarifies that only the secrecy was untrue. Despite their classmates’ assumptions, she denies that they are a couple.

Nishikata sits next to Takagi and frequently becomes her teasing target. He creates schemes to get back at her but is consistently outmaneuvered. Over time, he begins to recognize his deeper feelings toward Takagi.

A youthful girl distinguished by her prominent eyebrows.

The class president and friend of Mina and Sanae, who allows classmates to copy answers to prevent failing grades.

Mina’s closest friend and part of a tight-knit group alongside Mina and Yukari.

A friend of Nishikata’s and fellow classmate; Nakai and Mano are a couple.

Nakai’s partner and classmate.

A close companion of Nishikata known for her buck teeth.

Nishikata’s friend who dislikes running.

The strict homeroom teacher of Nishikata and Takagi’s class.

A friend of Nishikata who acts maturely in attempts to impress Houjou.

A classmate recognized for her preference for mature individuals.

A close friend of Takagi identified by her ponytail; she shares Takagi’s fondness for long walks.

In flashforward chapters, she is depicted as the daughter of Takagi and Nishikata. As a main character in the spinoff Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san, Chi joins her mother in playful pranks but finds it difficult to outsmart her.

Manga

Teasing Master Takagi-san, authored by Sōichirō Yamamoto, began its run in Shogakukan’s shōnen manga supplement Monthly Shōnen Sunday Mini on June 12, 2013, before moving to the primary magazine Monthly Shōnen Sunday on July 12, 2016. The series wrapped up on October 12, 2023, with twenty volumes compiling its chapters.

In November 2017, the English-language rights for North America were acquired by Yen Press.

Spin-offs

Yamamoto created a spin-off manga titled Ashita wa Doyōbi ("Tomorrow is Saturday"), which was serialized in Yomiuri Chūkōsei Shimbun from November 2014 until November 2015 and later compiled into two tankōbon volumes. This work was also incorporated into the 2018 anime adaptation of Teasing Master Takagi-san.

Another spin-off, Koi ni Koisuru Yukari-chan ("Yukari-chan in Love with Love") by Yūma Suzu, was published in Monthly Shōnen Sunday between July 2017 and April 2020, culminating in five tankōbon volumes.

Mifumi Inaba authored a third spin-off entitled Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san ("Teasing Master (Former) Takagi-san"), which depicts an adult Takagi married to Nishikata along with their daughter Chi. This series was serialized on the MangaONE app from July 2017 through July 2024, with its chapters collected into twenty-three tankōbon volumes.

A fourth spin-off by Inaba, called Karakai Jōzu (?) no Nishikata-san ("Teasing Master (?) Nishikata-san"), focuses on Chi’s middle school experiences. It ran for ten chapters in Monthly Shōnen Sunday from November 2023 to August 2024, and the compiled volume was published in October 2024.

Anime

The anime adaptation was revealed in August 2017, directed by Hiroaki Akagi at Shin-Ei Animation, with Michiko Yokote handling the scripts and Aya Takano designing characters. It aired from January 8 to March 26, 2018, on Tokyo MX and several other networks, totaling 12 episodes. Crunchyroll provided simulcast streaming, while Funimation offered an English-dubbed version.

On January 10, 2019, the announcement of a second season came with the original staff and cast returning. This season aired from July 7 to September 22, 2019, on Tokyo MX and other channels. Episodes were exclusively streamed on Netflix Japan initially, followed by a global Netflix release on December 6.

In September 2021, alongside the release of the manga’s sixteenth volume, both a third season and an animated film were officially announced. The third season was broadcast on the Super Animeism block across MBS and TBS from January 8 to March 26, 2022. The film, featuring the same production team as the third season, premiered in Japan on June 10, 2022. Sentai Filmworks secured worldwide distribution rights excluding Asia for both the third season and film on December 28, 2021, making them available on Hidive.

Video game

The mobile title Teasing Master Takagi-san: Kyunkyun Records debuted on Android and iOS platforms on June 8, 2022. Although its service concluded on March 31, 2023, Toho Games announced intentions to launch an offline version of the game.

Live action

In March 2023, a live-action adaptation was announced with direction by Rikiya Imaizumi. By September 2023, Tomoki Kanazawa and Jun Hagimori were confirmed as scriptwriters for the television drama produced by TBS and Fine Entertainment. Rui Tsukishima and Sōya Kurokawa star as Takagi and Nishikata respectively. The series aired on TBS's Drama Stream from April 2 to May 21, 2024, with Netflix distributing episodes globally and providing early access to later installments. The theme song "Haruka" was performed by Aimer.

A live-action film adaptation was announced in November 2023, directed and co-written by Imaizumi alongside Kanazawa and Hagimori. Set ten years after the manga’s timeline, it features Mei Nagano as Takagi—a trainee teacher—and Fumiya Takahashi as Nishikata—a gym instructor at their former middle school. The film premiered in Japan on May 31, 2024.

Reception

By the end of 2016, the manga had surpassed 1 million copies in circulation. This figure climbed to 4 million by February 2018 and further increased to over 6 million by February 2019. The series maintained its upward trajectory, reaching more than 11 million copies by August 2023, exceeding 12 million by October 2023, and surpassing 13.5 million copies as of July 2025.

In 2017, the manga received a nomination for the 10th Manga Taishō awards. Later, in 2021, it was honored with the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the category, sharing the accolade with Chainsaw Man.

Works cited

• "Ch." and Vol. indicate chapter and volume numbers of the Teasing Master Takagi-san manga.
• "Ep." designates episode numbers of the Teasing Master Takagi-san anime series.