Teasing Master Takagi-san 😝 ・ Volume 2 Discussion Thread [Volume Complete]

I’ve updated the link. It should work now. Google Docs and I will never get along. :pensive:

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Halfway there! It’s set to View Only at the moment.

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It’s so odd. I set it to be editable too last night, but it’s like it only wants to accept one change at a time. It should be working now. :crossed_fingers:

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kind of busy packing and thing but did populate the titles :slight_smile: had to at least get something filled in since you got it all setup early :wink: Thanks!!!

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Just finished up the two chapters. I did have something that I’m still not totally confident in how to interpret it.

Chapter 9, Pg. 2

I’m a bit unsure of how to interpret the panels where Takagi-san is saying:

またそんなコト言って、なぜかと言うと… うれしいクセに。

I think (with not much confidence) that she is essentially trying to say that he is actually happy she is next to him, but not quite sure how to get there…

また = again
そんなコト = such a thing
言って = to say

“You say such a thing again…”

なぜかと言うと = set expression meaning, “Because; the reason why is”

うれしい = happy
クセに = and yet; though; when; in spite of

It’s the “the reason why is” that throws me off here. If I just block that out of the sentence, I can get a meaning that’s roughly,

“You say such a thing again, yet you are happy.”

And that’s, I think, the spirit of it, but I’m not sure how to reconcile that “because” in there. Thoughts?

Overall thoughts on the chapter

I do have to say that I’m quite glad the art style shifted a decent bit, and found its legs. Takagi-san looks like she is twice Nishikata’s age in this, and it just feels a little bit rougher in general (as to be expected of the pilot of anything, not just manga). The story and teasing parts were still pretty on-brand, though, and that was definitely enjoyable. As for the おまけ, it was pretty cute. I do like the small chapters that involve the students around Takagi and Nishikata, as well. Adds a bit more life to the series, so to speak.

I can’t believe we have already reached the end of Volume 2! The time certainly flew by! I just want to thank everybody again who has been participating. It has been a ton of fun, and it really does make the reading a lot more enjoyable when you have people to talk to about it; not to mention, it makes finding answers to some of the more difficult bits much easier as well!

I look forward to Volume 3 with everyone! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Chapter 9, Page 2

I believe your confusion stems from the author mixing Nishikata’s thoughts with the actual dialogue.

image

In these panels, the RECTANGLES are Nishikata’s internal monologue, while the balloons are the actual conversation going on between them.

So Nishikata is thinking:

ボクは高木さんが苦手だ
なぜかというと。。。

“I have trouble dealing with Takagi-san. If I had to say why…”

This monologue continues at the end of the next page:

image

いつも こんなふうにボクをからかうからだ。
“Because she’s always teasing me like this”.

Meanwhile, the actual conversation between them is simply:

Nishikata: いいかげんさー 眼鏡とか買ったら?
Takagi: また そんなコト 言って、うれしいクセに。

In short, なぜかというと is not part of the actual conversation.

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Ahhhh, that makes so much more sense! Thank you!

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Oh wow, volume 2 is done - time really does fly huh. Feels like not that long ago since I was struggling with reading the first chapter, whereas this gave me very little trouble (I actually decided to read this now because I forgot to do any other Japanese reading today and am a little pressed on time because I want to get in some more reading on the Wheel of Time book I’m currently working through)

Chapter thoughts

I agree completely with you on the style - it looks so much better in its current form, especially in terms of expressiveness. I think the character’s expressions in this pilot don’t quite pop as much as they do in the series proper. But like you say, the teasing is still there and fairly on brand, so it is interesting to see this partial deviation

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Chapter thoughts

I feel like not only was there a shift in the direction of the art but also in the direction of the writing compared with the series so far; it’s not necessarily the content but the style of the writing that’s changed. Maybe that’s just in my imagination, though :sweat_smile:


I actually finished this chapter yesterday but got a bit too engrossed with playing Tales of Arise that I forgot to post… :joy:

I can’t believe we’re already done with volume 2. Then again it’s also the middle of September so maybe the year has just flown by while I wasn’t paying much attention. I’m looking forward to volume 3!

Off-topic

I’m wondering if anybody has any reading recommendations that are similar in reading level to Takagi, preferably a bit higher. Now that I’m getting comfortable with reading Takagi, I thought it would be a good idea to try my hand at something just a little bit more difficult to read on my own.

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Off topic

Perhaps my best suggestion would be something like Flying Witch? It’s fairly easy (the main character tends to use です/ます rather than lots of gnarly casual contractions), but the scenarios are a bit more varied (and you get some stuff about magic). It’s fairly relaxed, not much action and the comedy is less exaggerated than here, but it’s a pleasant time

Other than that my other suggestion is just to look for other manga with furigana and try a sample of them and see how they are and pick one that feels manageable to read. Looking at the freebies thread can be very useful for this since you can just grab a whole volume for free

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Excellent choice =D

Sorry to be a pain, could you please put your post’s images and translations inside a spoiler tag.

Edit: thanks!

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No

hehe (couldn’t resist)…

on the upside started vol3…really wish I was fluent so I could read through everything at the same speed as I could with English :slight_smile:

sadness… :frowning:

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Strangely this was exactly my impression too, but I can’t put my finger on it. It may just be the different art that’s been skewing my perception, who knows.

Takagi looked certainly harder to like in that early version. It makes Nishikata’s surprise at her maybe being a nice person after all much more believable. The Takagi we know may have been teasing him relentlessly, but she looked cute and harmless from the start. This older Takagi, I wouldn’t trust her at all. She seems like she could easily take a joke too far.

And that’s Volume 2 done! It definitely flew by this time. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, but I think I have had my fill of adolescent flirting for now, so I don’t think I will be joining you for Volume 3. Have fun with the next volume, everyone!

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yeah ahead!!! Finished reading the first chap of vol3… so I won’t be behind during the vacation! And I made a copy of the sheet in my personal so if I do depending on what we do… if I’m just sitting under a tree … can work offline and upload the info later…

I am really enjoying these because they don’t kill me with difficulty (only vocab I don’t usually know)…sometimes stuff still trips me up…but these are enjoyable!

西方くん。。。。かわいそうだな。。。

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If it becomes too easy that you read each week’s chapter too quickly, don’t forget about the author’s other series that has an ongoing book club here :wink:

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Yeah might already own those :joy:… Actually was debating about what I should take with me camping…

Ordered a bunch of the past beginner book club books… Might take レンタルお兄ちゃん。。。 Saved that vocab for offline use also… BTW thanks for making that vocab sheet as well.

off topic

Really want something that isn’t difficult and can just enjoy while sitting under a tree relaxing in the mountains… No internet no phone… Ahhhh!! Quiet… But heaven forbid I can’t find something in the paper dictionary or my non internet connected phone… Eek…

Have pretty much stopped bothering with the beginner book club book, that current one while sometimes interesting is just brutal for me… I’m not smart enough yet…

I do have all the volumes of 不思議猫ちゃん。 Those are really easy… Actually can get through those faster now…

(all while trying not to freeze to death at night hehe)… Just learned the word ヒートテック tonight…

So many books so little time… If only I could win the lottery, quit working and relax… I know the ultimate oxymoron.

Been awhile since snow camping. Think I’m prepared! Wish I could leave tonight…

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Following the off-topic

If you do, I recommend allowing yourself to tolerate ambiguity. Some things might not be immediately clear, but may begin to make sense after reading further into it.

It’d be nice if there was some easy way to convert the book club threads into downloadable, searchable files…

I’ve been doing lots of manga-reading since 2019, and even with that background I dropped out of the current BBC after finishing the first story.

Every few months I seem to give non-manga reading another try, and sometimes it goes better than others. But I think I’ll stick with modern stories for the time being!

If it makes you feel better, most people who win big in the lottery tend to squander it, run out of money, and end up worse off than whey they started. Seen that way, you’re probably doing okay =D

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we really should have an off topic thread hehe.. Giving me ideas... Maybe tonight I'll make one....

As an engineer this is really really really hard!!! Depends on what it is… Will see how it goes… Sometimes when I read something it’s like huh?. Then putting it down an hour later something will pop into my head… Magic how the brain works.

Right now the thing that is eating my lunch are the insanely long sentences… Lose track of who what when where eeek!

Also thought about this… Saving as web pages or searchable pdfs… but kind of a royal pain… Probably won’t bother this time around. More importantly need to put all the books in proper covers before heading outside!

Thanks… Makes me feel better about finishing the second one then! I was talking with some native speakers I talk with weekly and they were like this is not a beginners book… Lol…

Sometimes I wonder as the level 60 folks keep recommending books that aren’t always for beginners… Might be easier for them but not for someone beginner level… But what’s do I know… I’m lame :wink:

I actually do have GJBu which I was doing until the beginner book… It’s actually pretty easy to parse and you’d probably find it a good book (if it held your interest) for reading light novels… Each story short about 4 pages… Anyway… That’s a different topic. Will probably bring this with me as well.

True… And I’m generally not that lucky… I’m lucky in other ways hard to explain… Little things… But as an engineer and someone that had been through growing up not well off and working hard for everything… Have a very specific plan if on the off chance I ever win… First plan… Not to buy anything big like a house and cars… Nope more Japanese books… :grin::grin::grin:. Jk…

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ok here goes…

Teasing Master Takagi-san / Off-Topic Area - Campfire - WaniKani Community

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Announcement to absolutely no one
Ready to invade this topic from tomorrow :man_dancing:t2:

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