Don't mess with me, Nagatoro-san.
Please don't bully me, Nagatoro-san.
Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san
イジらないで、長瀞さん
Don't play with me, Ms. Nagatoro.
A few years ago, I chose the gender in the manga Don't Toy with Me, Nagatoro-san. I really liked the manga but wasn't interested in the anime adaptation. However, now that the manga has ended, I feel like I should rewatch the series.
****SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!***
Brief story
A nerdy, lonely high school boy named HACHIOUJI Naoto sits in the library writing his manga. He is disappointed to see some gyaru-type young girls laughing and chatting at one of the tables. They become aware of him when he accidentally drops his book bag on the floor. Three of the girls laugh at the manga Naoto draws. They leave, but the fourth girl, a petite, tanned girl, stays. Although she enjoys manga, she is harshly criticized for Senpai's inclusion of himself in the story. This makes him cry.
Thus, a strange relationship began between Naoto and his kouhai, Nagatoro. She began spending all her free time with him, even modeling for him. But she constantly teased and bullied him, trying to get a reaction other than tears. She didn't want to know his name and would only call him Senpai. However, at the same time, she wanted nothing to do with the “hot” guys who were so interested in her. Furthermore, when Nagatoro's friends tried to join in the teasing game, Nagatoro stopped them and declared that he was the only one allowed to do this.
Over time, Nagatoro brings Naoto out of her shell. He accompanies Nagatoro and her friends to the beach. He goes to a summer festival on his own, where he eventually joins Nagatoro. And when Nagatoro and her friends are with some rough men, he helps the girls out. However, the arrival of Naoto's busty senpai and senpai's younger sister forces Nagatoro to step up his own game. Can these two date and become a real couple?
The Good: Character Development
As for Nagatoro, she also grows as a character over the course of the manga. While she constantly teases her favorite Senpai, she also shapes him. She goes from being harsh and bullying to teasing him. While her initial interest in Naoto may be superficial, these interests grow as she gets to know him. And as Naoto grows as a character, so does Nagatoro. She is inspired by him to return to the judo club and compete against an opponent.
Throughout the series, it was great to see the journey that Nagatoro and Naoto went through together. It was cute to see Nagatoro get jealous whenever any of the other girls showed interest in Naoto, even if it was supposed to be to tease him. At the same time, it was fun to see Naoto push through everything to be with Nagatoro and support her when she returned to judo.
Vertical License
When Vertical announced that the manga's official English title would be Miss Nagatoro instead of Nagatoro-sanI wonder how the bozos would deal with the senpai honorific. After all, for the longest time in the manga, Naoto was simply called “Senpai”, “Paisen”, or a variation like “Senpai-kun”. As such, it must have killed the management to force the use of the “horrible horrible term” called “Senpai”. I really think Vertical could replace it, since as everyone knows, a “good” localizer doesn’t need to use those terms
Since Vertical refuses to use Japanese honorifics other than “senpai,” I refused to buy anything from them after the first few episodes. Instead, Nanashi-sensei was able to get my money through tankoubon purchases I made through Amazon Japan.
Final thoughts and conclusions
Let me end my review of Don't mess with me, Nagatoro-san. with some final thoughts.
The supporting cast of the manga is quite interesting. Nagatoro’s friends and Naoto’s busty senpai will definitely help to liven things up. Considering where 774-sensei (Nanashi) started his career, it’s amazing that he was able to write such a good manga in terms of plot. He’s clearly planning something new in the future. If it sounds interesting, I’ll check it out. I should mention that this manga is quite ecchi. I know there’s a fan edit of the first chapter where Nagatoro accidentally video calls Naoto while she’s in the shower. But as far as I know, the actual published manga doesn’t have such detailed nudity. However, there are a lot of sexual elements thrown in, whether it’s in conversation, a “coincidental” feeling, or in unspeakable nudity.
Final, Don't mess with me, Nagatoro-san. was a fun ride. I will miss reading this comic.
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