WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Teasing Master Takagi-san Season 3, Episode 6, "Culture Fest," now streaming on HIDIVE.
As the spectacular Season 3 of Teasing Master Takagi-san reached its mid-point, audiences were treated to a special episode that is a hallmark of anime tradition. Previously in Episode 5, Nishikata and Takagi's class revealed their plans for the school's culture festival, leaving viewers waiting to see how the production would ultimately tie into the couple's growing relationship.
In a magnificent twist, Nishikata ended up stealing the show alongside Takagi in front of the whole student body. This turn of events in Episode 6 served as more than the next major moment in their love story; it paid homage to a history of similar romantic developments in other anime series.
As a fan-favorite staple of anime, a lot hinges on a successful culture festival episode. Teasing Master Takagi-san did not disappoint in this regard as it had all the hallmarks, including a haunted house, food booths and a maid cafe. Regardless, Episode 6's main event was the play put on by Nishikata and Takagi's class. Despite his best efforts, Nishikata ended up being cast in a minor role, while Takagi was chosen to play the lead in their homeroom's mashup of Romeo and Juliet, the Frog Prince and Momotaro.
Early on, Nishikata attempted to practice his lines with Takagi, obliviously asking her to meet him on the roof to do so. This led to a heart-pounding encounter wherein Nishikata was almost shoehorned into confessing his feelings. Though neither this -- nor the pair's venture through another class's haunted house -- yielded quite the ideal flag for the two, the play itself took a dramatic move that did.
While Takagi starred in the production as Princess Romiya, it was Nishikata's friend Kimura who played the part of the literal pigheaded Prince Juliot. The script, written by the class's deadpan tomboy Sanae, originally called for a tragic closing with both leads meeting their demise. However, minutes before the conclusion, Kimura had a digestive emergency, prompting him to switch places with Nishikata. This led to Nishikata rushing in to rescue Takagi when she tripped on stage, and a truly impressive improvisation with a revised happy ending for their characters.
The scene showcased just how perfectly in sync Nishikata and Takagi are, as they were able to put aside the shock and embarrassment of the incident to support each other. Takagi's ad-libbed response even included another thinly veiled profession of her feelings for Nishikata. Though Nishikata is initially confused by the details of her spontaneous dialogue, during their class's celebratory karaoke party, Takagi clarifies that she was indeed talking about the two of them personally, rather than the roles they were playing.
Teasing Master Takagi-san is far from the first anime to use a culture festival to mark a turning point in its plot. While such episodes often provide levity, similar moments in other series have served as indications for more serious developments. Code Geass is a good example of this, as its festival at Ashford Academy featuring a pizza-tossing mecha quickly turned into a prelude for one of the show's most tragic arcs.
Nevertheless, when it comes to more romantic or comedic anime, school plays are often the central focus. Classic anime Cardcaptor Sakura and Inuyasha had similar productions, both of which included their own mishaps. Cardcaptor Sakura's take on Sleeping Beauty starred the series protagonists Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li as gender-swapped leads, and became one of the first clear hints of their budding relationship. Inuyasha, on the other hand, saw its titular half-demon interrupting Kagome Higurashi's school play, due to a misunderstanding about its fictional nature.
Still, while Teasing Master Takagi-san continues the tradition of using a play to bring its main couple closer, their future together is still up for speculation. Though the two clearly have their entire class rooting for them, it will take more than improv skills to get either to overcome the shyness that has kept them from confessing to each other. Even so, when they do finally take that leap, this school play is sure to serve as one of the many fond memories they share across the years.
