Returning to Takagi-San to end it
Takagi-san is one of the coolest and cutest series that has come out in recent years. Yes, it is mainly about two characters' in junior high who have very good entertaining interactions between each other through one character teasing another. Even some friends in their class broke up the action at some points to fill up the show, that's what it's about. One girl named Takagi-san is constantly messing with one poor boy named Nishikata who constantly falls for her antics. Each episode has multiple short skits of that happening.
This show lasted for three seasons which each are on different streaming services for some reason. There are a lot of changes to their dynamic over time. The first season is just pure and good teasing. The next seasons change it to showing that it's clearly the two flirting with each other. All to the point where their classmates knew that something was going on even when both of them didn't. There were even some obvious truths that Takagi-san was teasing with Nishikata because she just couldn't tell him that she liked him. He couldn't say it either.
So this all culminates in this film at least ending the middle school saga of Takagi-san and Nishikata. This is their third year and there is nothing else but waiting to see Takagi and Nishikata finally being honest and confessing to each other.
The Story of the Movie
Takagi, NIshikata, their classes are in their third years and their final summer is approaching. I mean, there is still a term for them after summer is over in their same year because their school periods start in April. But still, this is the final summer of junior high before the class breaks up to go to different highschools. This is a tension felt but the other cast members we follow, the three middle school girls Mina (the genki one), Yukari (the smart and nervous one), and Sanae (the cool athletic one) who want to hang out all summer because it might be their last time together.
For Takagi and Nishikata, the film starts with the two leaving school together and playing a game where they have to play rock paper scissors to move past each other. It's a really cute game that allows us to see their personalities and open up the anime film with cool scenery with the kids playing a kid game to give it a very light hearted feel. Which works because this film is very light hearted in nature because nothing bad ever happens. The film gives the two a light hearted excuse to hang out each day because they found a little kitten in one of the places they passed by in their game.
So that is most of the film after going through Takagi-sans usually school teasing shenanigans. It's really cute as the two try to find a name for the cat, feed it, provide it some shelter at a local shrine, and even have a pet store owner and her really funny parrot help the two out as well. The two check on the cat and play with it, name it Hana, and even go on dates even if they won't admit it to each other. The big sad thing that happens is our cute cat getting adopted by someone else before Takagai-san can take it home, but that does allow the big happiness to happen after it all occurred.
NIshikata and Takagi-san, great couple/cat parents, and fireflies
The best part of having the two take care of and pet the kitten is that it changes their dynamic in such a natural way. Having Takagi-san tease Nishikata and him reacting to it is the life blood of this series and it is in this film because it is so important, but I think having the two hanging out in a different way gives them a different feeling for each other in how they work. The two are a fantastic couple around each other when they have to care for something else.
These two are still middle schoolers in this film, but the chemistry on every level is so good. The cat plot behind all of them, as said above, is a huge extension of the chemistry that was there. So when the cat was adopted by someone else, it caused a huge hole that developed in their relationship over the summer. Which was really neat because that was the moment when Nishikata actually confessed his love to Takagi and promised to keep her happy forever and ever. Finally, the wall was broken and the two are actually a couple now.
One of the main ideas behind this film, brought to us by a middle school girl, is that a couple that sees fireflies stays together until they die. Despite Takagi and Nishikata looking for them during the torch ceremony and the summer festival they visited, no fireflies are around them anywhere. None of the adults even see them either. The fireflies finally appear during the after credits scene of this movie and I will leave it to your imagination of what that scene is about. It's really cute and just caps the whole experience off.
Visuals and Conclusion
This show looks great. I say this when the TV show has genuinely high production values already. The latest season is gorgeous with great character animation that gives so much life to Nishikata, Takagi-san, and the world they live in, so now that Takagi-san has a movie budget, those things are pushed a bit further. More character movements, more exciting locations and events for our characters to interact with, and just so much more openness and effort into everything. Love it.
This film is everything I wanted it to be. It sticks to the roots of what makes Takagi-san great while also pushing the boundaries a bit more. Plus there is a cute kitten and a hilarious parrot. Plus, The two finally connected together in the end all of us thought because everyone was shipping them. Finally, that breakthrough happened. Really dig all of it and it's worth watching the series to get to this moment though I think this film is pretty accessible to everyone. You don't have to see all three takagi seasons to get it, but it makes the emotions stronger if you do.
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