Presented by Japan Foundation,O-Taku Manga Lounge
Teasing Master Takagi-san (Karakai jozu no Takagi-san)
Directed by Rikiya Imaizumi
Official selection
Shanghai International Film Festival 2024
Director
Rikiya Imaizumi
Producer
Masayuki Morikawa, Yuki Osawa
Writer
Jun Hagimori, Rikiya Imaizumi, Tomoki Kanazawa
Cast
Yosuke Eguchi, Mei Nagano, Fumiya Takahashi
contact
TBS PICTURES
Official website
On a pretty, placid little island in the Japanese countryside, Nishikita teaches physical education at the high school he himself attended. The man is hardly an agent of change. He knows his place in the order of things and is careful not to rock the boat, perhaps even a little too much. When he receives a call from a former classmate Takagi, announcing her return, a flash of emotion strikes him. Takagi was Nishikita's best friend and unrequited first love, who had suddenly moved to Paris 10 years earlier to study. At the time, Takagi was constantly teasing him to shake him out of his torpor, and he notices that her attitude hasn't changed in the slightest when they are reunited. In fact, while in France she has only improved in the art of the retort, and Nishikita is still as bad at it as ever. He'll have to get used to it, though, as the new teacher he'll have to train is none other than the beautiful Takagi.
In this age of extreme polarisation and armed conflict, director Rikiya Imaizumi's TEASING MASTER TAKAGI-SAN should be prescribed by public health authorities to restore faith in humanity. It's so cute and heartwarming that you might find yourself shedding tears with a smile plastered on your face. Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Soichiro Takahashi, this feelgood movie relies heavily on its lively dialogue and resplendent visuals, as the camera takes time to enjoy the beautiful, soothing locations, but the incredible synergy between actors Fumiya Takahashi (BLUE PERIOD) and Mei Nagano, known at Fantasia for the hits OFFICE ROYALE and MY BROKEN MARIKO, makes this romantic comedy just as unforgettable. Nagano's role is reminiscent of a certain Amélie Poulain, with her gentle mischievousness, magnetic charisma, and intention to provoke her boyfriend into being more assertive and emotionally open. – Translation: Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
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