Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a sweet and charming romantic-comedy drama for audiences who love a heartwarming tale of friendship-turned-romance. Distributed by Toho Visual Entertainment, Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a production of Asmik Ace, Inc., Shin-Ei Animation, Shogakukan, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, and TOHO. Created by Sōichirō Yamamoto, Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie features animation production by Shin-Ei Animation (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Summer Days with Coo).

Produced by Motomichi Araki, Yuito Hirahara, Yūhei Ueno, Reiko Sasaki, and Yūkō Itō, Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie features a theme song performed by Yuiko Ōhara. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie was released in Japanese cinemas on June 10^th 2022. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie earned 410 million yen at the box-office in Japan. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a sequel to the events of the three seasons and serves as a sort of conclusion to the franchise (at least for now). Featuring vocal performances by Rie Takahashi and Yuuki Kaji in the leading roles.

Young friendship and romance sometimes blooms when one least expects it to. Middle school students Takagi (Rie Takahashi) and Nishikata (Yuuki Kaji) are class schoolmates. The two sit next to each other during class. During their classes, Takagi began to tease Nishikata. Takagi is a bit more outgoing and compared to Nishikata, she is a little braver when it comes to teasing. Nishikata begins to realize something surprising – perhaps he actually likes the fact that Takagi has been teasing him this whole time. Could there be more to their teasing games and could the two have feelings for each other?

The summer season has begun and vacation has started. It isn’t long before Takagi and Nishikata discover a lost kitten hanging out at a local shrine. Can the two take care of the kitten together over their summer vacation? Takagi and Nishikata continue their teasing while getting to spend more time together during summer break – and the two have time to get to know each other even better while taking care of the little kitten. There are even some rumors circulating amongst other students about wishes being granted when fireflies are caught. Before high school begins, can Takagi and Nishikata move past teasing and on to something more?

The characters are at the heart of the show and the feature-film. The dynamic between the friendship and blossoming romance between Takagi and Nishikata is one of the best elements of the series and film. The characters both care about each other and this makes the film much more charming and enjoyable. The characters are becoming more in-tune with their emotions in the film and these elements add up to more romantic aspects to the film.

The character designs by Aya Takano (Himōto! Umaru-chan R, Teasing Master Takagi-san) are excellent and are a great showcase for the cast of characters. The characters are well illustrations and showcase vibrant personalities. There is a lot to appreciate about the designs and the sense of charm provided within these characters. Takano did an excellent job with this aspect of the feature-film.

The animation is top-notch and the art work is often outright beautiful. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie has wonderful animation and this is a strength within the film. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie features art direction by Yuki Kasahara (Godzilla Singular Point, Polar Bear's Café) and animation direction by Da Li Chen (Dropout Idol Fruit Tart, Osomatsu-san), Kanata Yanagisawa (Shadows House, Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top), Natsuko Kondou (Teasing Master Takagi-san, One Week Friends), and Takuji Mogi (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us). The team of animators did great work with the production and managed to imbue a lot of creativity into the art style. One of the most impressive qualities to the feature-film is the level of detail and care given to background animation. The artistry of the landscapes (the natural outdoors and the far-reaching environmental shots) make the film more beautiful and compelling. The art looks lush and the invigorating artistry is something that makes the film feel that much more special for fans.

The cinematography by Masato Makino (Teasing Master Takagi-san, The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch) is one of the essential ingredients. The cinematography shines and is integral to the filmmaking. The visual wonders of the cinematography highlight the bright and crisp animation and provide the lighting that makes the film feel that much more immersive.

The score composed by Hiroaki Tsutsumi (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Dr. Stone) is beautiful and laidback. The music is a nice accompaniment for the romantic interludes of the characters. The compositions handle the character dynamics and the heart of the film. The score stays true to the style used for the series and fans will appreciate the consistency with the television version. A good effort by Tsutsumi.

Written by Hiroko Fukuda with co-screenwriters Aki Itami (Flowers of Evil, Rainbow Days) and Kanichi Katou (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Black Clover), Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a beautiful, simple, and heartfelt story. The writing is charming and there is plenty to appreciate about these characters and their journeys together. The film adds a new element by focusing so much on the summer vacation and the time spent looking over a cat at a shrine. These story threads make the filmmaking more enjoyable.

Directed by Hiroaki Akagi (Teasing Master Takagi-san, Combatants Will Be Dispatched!), Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie expands the series into a feature-film successfully. As a follow up to the series, Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a fun movie and the director handled the progression well. Storyboards were handled by Hiroaki Akagi, Hiroki Imamura, and Yasuaki Fujii. Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is a charming delight and fans of romantic-drama anime films in the slice-of-life realm should appreciate its quiet wonders and it offers some nice resolution for fans of the series.

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The feature-film looks outstanding in high-definition. The presentation is vibrant, colorful, and crisp. The animation is stunning and the encoding capably preserves detail throughout the presentation. The presentation preserves line art and the background animation is splendid looking. The Blu-ray format provides fans with the best possible picture-quality. Streaming video services only offer video with a more compressed video bit-rate. For those seeking the absolute best presentation quality obtainable, Blu-ray provides a superior image. This is one of the best strengths of the Blu-ray disc format and for those who want to eek out every detail it's a great option for fans.

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding sounds outstanding on the release. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and engaging. The score sounds invigorating and detailed during the presentation. The surrounds are used well to highlight the music and to add ambiance with the sound effects. For audiophiles seeking the absolute best audio presentation possible, Blu-ray offers a superior option. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. Blu-ray provides lossless encoding and this is something that audiophiles want – the lossless encoding being the best option for home theater playback and for those wanting to hear every possible detail in the presentation (and as clear as possible).

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promo (HD, 1:07)

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie is an entertaining and engaging romantic-comedy film expanding the anime series and offering a sort-of conclusion for fans. The film is sweet and charming and has an abundance of charm. The production has outstanding animation – colorful, vibrant, and engaging. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video-audio presentation. The only area of the release that could be a bit better is the supplemental package (which only includes a promo video and nothing else). Still, fans who want to own a permanent copy for their collection with the best possible picture and audio quality, will want to consider adding this wonderful release to their physical media collection. Recommended.