WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Teasing Master Takagi-san Season 3, Episode 10 segments "First Shrine Visit," "Snowman" and "Advice," now streaming on HIDIVE.
Season 3 of Teasing Master Takagi-san is entering into the home stretch of its last few episodes. While in some ways Nishikata and Takagi have made huge strides in their mutual shows of affection, it has still been a bit of a slow burn. Though neither has managed to confess their feelings to the other, the way they interact has shown just how good they are for each other.
In fact, the events of Episode 35, when placed in the context of their entire relationship, show exactly why Takagi-san's wholesome love story is an excellent depiction of what a healthy couple looks like.
Picking up with the natural progression of seasons this run has followed, Episode 35 starts with some midwinter festivities. For the most part the events are business as usual, with Takagi finding ways to poke fun at Nishikata amid activities like a New Year's shrine visit or a snowman-building contest. Each of these vignettes show the pair in their natural rhythm with each other, but longtime Takagi-san viewers will notice a slight difference in how they act. Takagi's jokes more oriented toward an implied romance, while Nishikata's attention is constantly drawn away from their competitions and toward Takagi herself.
Yet it's the episode's final segment that shows just how far they've come together. Early in the scene, Nishikata is pulled aside by their peer Houjou, who has recently begun a similarly unspoken romance with Nishikata's friend Hamaguchi. Trying to hide her intentions, she asks Nishikata for advice on what to get Hamaguchi for his birthday, but asks to keep their conversation a secret. Nishikata promises to do so, but is questioned by Takagi later during their walk home together, who had noticed him talking to to Houjou earlier.
Nishikata insists on keeping quiet to maintain his word, which prompts Takagi to taunt him with what she believes the conversation to have been about. As she continues, she begins to dangle thoughts about "giving a 15 year old boy" a present, knowing it will make him jealous. After confirming that she isn't talking about a dog -- as when she previously used this ploy -- she lets Nishikata squirm for a while before finally revealing she's talking about what to get Nishikata himself when he turns 15.
Nishikata is relieved to hear this, but it's clear he was unnerved by the situation. He then decides to be upfront with Takagi, saying that while he wishes he could tell her about his conversation with Houjou, he promised he wouldn't. This in turn makes Takagi apologize to Nishikata, realizing she went too far with her joke which had come close to being emotionally manipulative. She even outright says that she feels bad about having done something cruel in goading him on in that way.
In a medium such as anime where romantic plotlines are often defined by their sense of drama, it is refreshing to see such a moment where a character actually admits they're wrong. While a sense of play is clearly essential to Takagi and Nishikata's dynamic, it is important that Takagi is able to distinguish the line between teasing and toxicity. Nishikata's emphatic reactions may reinforce Takagi's jokes, but his straightforward and goodhearted nature inspires her to become a better person by being more mindful and avoid meanspirited jabs.
Both Nishikata and Takagi show a similar conscientiousness in other parts of Episode 35 as well. During their snowman-building competition, Takagi helps Nishikata finish his snowman after he sabotages himself by being too ambitious. Though it only marginally softens the blow, she does manage to get his mind off of his frustration by doing so and comparing their snowmen to a couple.
Teasing Master Takagi-san's leads constitute a healthy couple -- not because they are without flaws, but because they help each other overcome those shortcomings. In most cases, they recognize what the other's feelings and needs are, but even when they overlook them, they are quick to repair and reconcile any damage they caused the other. By being invested in improving themselves for the sake of their partner, Takagi and Nishikata have fostered a relationship that can weather the seasons and last for years to come.
