Characters who appear in Teasing Master Takagi-san and/or its spin-offs. Beware of unmarked spoilers, including ones from Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san, which takes place around ten years after the main series, Karakai Jouzu (?) no Nishikata-san, which takes place years later, and Ashita wa Doyōbi, which takes place concurrently with the main series.
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Nishikata
Nishikata
Voiced by: Yūki Kaji (Japanese); Aaron Dismuke [season 1 and most episodes of season 3], Billy Kametz [season 2], Bryson Baugus [some episodes of Season 3 and Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie] (English)note
Portrayed by: Sōya Kurokawa (drama), Fumiya Takahashi (film)
Left: Nishikata in middle school; Right: As an adult.
The viewpoint character. He's a middle schooler who's been teased by Takagi for months. His desperate and unsuccessful attempts to retaliate form the manga's plot.
- Always Someone Better: For the life of him, he almost never gets ahead of Takagi, even after they grow up.
- Bad Liar: Generally, anytime Nishikata bluffs or lies, Takagi easily sees through it, partially because she simply knows him too well, but also because Nishikata is not always the best actor.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Takagi and crossed with Vitriolic Best Buds, although it's entirely one-sided on his part. Despite his vehement denial of it, it's plain to onlookers that Nishikata shares a close friendship with Takagi based on how much time and care they dedicate to each other. Short of being an item, they are undeniably best friends.
- Best Friend: For all intents and purposes, he's one for Takagi. Though she wants to pursue Nishikata romantically, both greatly enjoy spending time with each other. Not even their same-gender friends are as close to them as they are to each other.
- Butt-Monkey: Nishikata usually doesn't get his way with Tagaki no matter how hard he tries.
- Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them: In Chapter 21, Nishikata and Takagi are assigned new seats away from each other. Nishikata actually tries to be moved closer to Takagi because he enjoys their teasing relationship, despite the frustration. He also mentions that if she hypothetically would tease him forever or disappear forever, he'd rather be teased than never see her again.
- Character Development: Pretty mild, but he does appear to be a bit more conscious about his true feelings for Takagi as the chapters go on. He also becomes more comfortable when they're together.
- Comical Overreacting: Has a habit of shouting and making shocked expressions in response to being outwitted, with the occasional addition of dramatically collapsing on his knees.
- Comically Missing the Point: He's under the impression that Takagi constantly has the upper hand against him in an effort to make fun of him, but he considerably underestimates how much attention she lends him because she just likes him, plain and simple. He's at a disadvantage against her precisely because he tries to put a distance between them, while she doesn't.
- Cool Teacher: As an adult, he's initially seen as intimidating by his students because of his physique. But that tune quickly changes to admiration when they meet the rest of his family.
- Cursed with Awesome: Nishikata angsts over having the cutest girl in the class tease him. Everyone else rolls their eyes over the cutest girl in the class paying so much attention to him.
- Defeat Catchphrase: Rarely forgets to express his annoyance at Takagi whenever his plan to tease her inevitably fails:(inwardly) "Damn you, Takagi-san."
- Demoted to Extra: Played with. He's not a protagonist in (Moto) Takagi-san like he is in the main manga, but he's the most important supporting character there.
- Determinator: Nishikata does push-ups at home, corresponding to the amount of victories Takagi has had that day times 10 (or 1:3 in the anime, as Nishikata here thinks doing 10 off the bat would be too much for his untrained state). The idea is to remind himself to be more vigilant. The impressive part is sometimes she teases him up to 97 times and he still keeps on doing it. He's apparently becoming quite fit and pumped as a result.
- Doting Parent: Nishikata adores his daughter Chi and always tries to set a good example for her. Most of his schemes against Takagi involve him trying to get Chi on his side.
- Failed a Spot Check:
- Though Nishikata is aware of Takagi's attention towards him, he's blissfully unaware of the fact that she notices almost everything that he does. It helps that he's awful at hiding stuff and at being aware of his surroundings. So it's not only that Takagi has an advantage above him, he unwittingly gives it to her on a silver platter.
- There have been times when Nishikata actually has gotten to Takagi. However, he normally does this completely by accident and is so embarrassed himself he fails to notice. For example, in Chapter 36, he offhandedly tells her that he wanted to walk home with her. He freaks out and excuses himself, only for Takagi to reveal after he leaves that she was fighting down a blush and struggles to keep herself from smiling stupidly as she bikes home.
- Gave Up Too Soon: Nishikata fails to comprehend Takagi has an excellent poker face. There have been moments where he's embarrassed her, but thinking it didn't work, or feeling embarrassed himself, he gives up.
- Happily Married: About 10 years from the main series, it's revealed that Nishikata and Takagi are married and have a daughter named Chi. They still keep up their rivalry but otherwise are clearly content with their new family life.
- Hidden Depths: In spite of his efforts to appear contrarian, Nishikata's a tremendously sweet person. This happens to be the main reason Takagi likes him so much (apart from being easy to tease).
- His Own Worst Enemy: Nishikata often trips himself up by overthinking things to the point that even Chi can successfully prank him. He also inadvertently gives Takagi more ammunition to use against him when he tries to hide things, such as his love of romance manga and cats.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Nishikata will occasionally get done in by his own plan, often because he gets overconfident.
- Hot-Blooded: His temper is easily riled up, though rarely lasting.
- I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: On the few occasions Nishikata begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, Takagi seriously likes him, he invokes this. He instead chalks up her interest in him as wanting to tease him, and Takagi herself does almost nothing to prove him wrong.
- I Want to Be a Real Man: He has an issue with being perceived as being unmanly or immature. Takagi is, of course, aware of this, and doesn't mind occasionally poking fun at this little insecurity.
- Imagine Spot: Nishikata tends to imagine Takagi girly-squeeing after falling for his traps. Of course, this is very much unlike Takagi, who is markedly level-headed. Even when Takagi is caught off-guard, she never quite shows this to Nishikata, so it's even more unlikely that Takagi would ever react to him like the thinks.
- Improbably Predictable: No matter how absurd or silly his plans are, Takagi can usually correctly guess his every next step, and even exact thoughts. It gets to the point where the two have a contest of predicting the other's next action and Nishikata realises Takagi has probably already predicted how he's planning to win it (open his jacket, show her his tacky new shirt and make her laugh at it) and decides to call the contest off - only for her to predict him doing that, win the contest, and make him open his jacket as a penalty.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: A downplayed example; his envy of Takagi makes him boast about any perceived "victory" he has over her.
- Irony: His efforts to win over Takagi make him unaware that he already won her over. In love, that is.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He tries to be antagonistic towards Takagi, though his own kindness frequently gets the better of him.
- Just Friends: Even though he vehemently denies it, Nishikata as a middle schooler still considers Takagi a person who's very dear to him, and one he can't do without. Nishikata considers these feelings to be purely platonic, and is in denial whenever it occurs to him he may be crushing on her (and vice versa).
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: While he thinks cats are adorable, he also thinks it'd be unmanly to gush over them. Unfortunately, Takagi notices this and has yet another weapon to use against him.
- Last-Name Basis: Nishikata is always referred to by his last name. Furthermore, in Chapter 1 of (Moto) Takagi-san, when Nishikata and Takagi's yearbook is revealed, their given names are blocked off and the two always call each other Dear/Mom/Dad instead.
- Manchild: Doesn't appear to have matured much in (Moto) Takagi-san. He's still obsessed with defeating Takagi, even though she's his wife now, and he still doesn't think his plans through. He's also too embarrassed to admit he loves her in front of their daughter. However, this is shown to be one of the reasons Takagi loves him.
- Mr. Fanservice: As an adult, Nishikata is very fit and muscular. Probably because he challenged himself to do several push-ups every time his wife teases him. It does help in his career as a P.E. teacher.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Nishikata will sometimes (appear to) successfully set up a prank or embarrassment for Takagi, then have second thoughts and wonder if he's being cruel. Although it inevitably turns out he had no such leverage.
- No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Played with. His situation is a combination of this, Oblivious to Love and Stubborn Mule. He both can't and won't recognize that he likes Takagi and she likes him back. This is because he overthinks his interactions with her as attempts by her to make fun of him. Takagi's intentions are, of course, more pure than he thinks.
- Oblivious to Love: How oblivious Nishikata is of Takagi's feelings, and his own feelings for her, depends on the chapter. In some chapters, he dares to hope Takagi seriously likes him. In others, despite Takagi strongly hinting it, he just doesn't seem to notice. A good example of the latter scenario occurs in Chapter 87 when Takagi actually tells him to his face that she loves him playing games with her, and he still refuses to recognize the mutual attraction between them. This after she just finished explaining how their games always end with his loss because of his refusal to acknowledge that the solution to her challenges were blatantly obvious, even after she reveals the answer outright to actually allow him to win.
- Out-Gambitted: Just about every one of his plans to win against Takagi gets foiled by her counterattack.
- Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: Any implications of a romantic relationship between him and Takagi make him extremely anxious, and he similarly gets uneasy when in physical contact or close vicinity to her. Takagi eagerly uses this to fluster and tease him.
- Real Men Take It Black: To prove his maturity, he at one point attempts to drink coffee in front of Takagi, but he ends up hating it to the point of gagging and wishes he could drink juice instead. He still doesn't like it much as an adult, but pretends to enjoy it in front of Chi.
- Serious Business: The whole rivalry thing with Takagi. Nishikata has made it his life goal to win against her at least once and gets hilariously worked up over losing. Takagi plays along mostly just for the heck of it, and so that she gets to spend more time with him.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: Any mention of Nishikata dating Takagi will prompt great embarrassment and fierce denial from him.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Most of the other characters automatically assume that Nishikata has no interest in any other girls because he already has Takagi. For example, in Chapter 39, one of his friends asks if he's interested in the same girl as one of their other friends, and said friend quickly points out that's unlikely since Nishikata already has Takagi.
- Situational Sociability: He's a lot more emotionally honest around Takagi compared to his own social group, because he doesn't care much what she thinks of him.
- Sore Loser: He tends to react with great annoyance whenever he loses a "game". It usually doesn't last, though.
- Supporting Protagonist: The anime subtly moves the story's perspective to Takagi by having both the opening and closing themes imply she is singing them. So Nishikata is still the main character, but the story can be viewed as Takagi teasing him.
- Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Invoked. He is a great fan of romance manga and anime, though he doesn't want anyone to find out. Unfortunately for him, he's Wrong Genre Savvy and fails to realize that he's in a romance manga/anime, leaving Takagi to tease him relentlessly out of the knowledge that he's a hopeless romantic.
- Through His Stomach: Invoked. In their adult life, Takagi states that she knows exactly how much he's able to eat because it's one of the things she learned to win him over; this comes up because Nishikata gloats that he can eat two large portions at a restaurant, plus whatever Chi leaves behind.
- Tsundere: An awkward harsh-type toward Takagi. While he hates being teased, he also appreciates Takagi and will be worried if he feels he's been too harsh towards her or notices she's not herself. Even after they are married, Nishikata's too flustered to even hold his wife's hand in front of his daughter. While he obviously loves his wife, he doesn't like to express it. It's a wonder how he managed to beget Chi.
- Unknowingly in Love: Is not only oblivious to Takagi's feelings for him (despite her making no attempt to hide them), but also to his feelings for her. Given that the spin-off has the two of them married with a daughter, he obviously figures it out at some point.
- Unmanly Secret: He loves romance manga, in particular 100% Unrequited Love. Several chapters open with him trying to keep his latest purchase secret from the other kids. He also likes to pet cats.
- Verbal Backspace: Nishikata is prone to rewording what he originally said when he realizes he's given himself away or accidentally said something embarrassing.
- What You Are in the Dark:
- There are times when he does try to be cruel to Takagi, but it usually doesn't work out for him, he chickens out, or regrets it immediately because he realizes it's wrong. He has the most ephemeral malice available.
- This later translates to (Moto) Takagi-san, specifically in Chapter 141 where Chi wants him to squeeze her mom's hand after seeing him open a jar of pickles that neither of them were able to open. He doesn't have the heart to do anything that would even remotely harm his wife, even to prove a point, so he backs off from showing Chi his strength.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: He misinterprets any and all signs of romantic interest Takagi shows towards him as nothing more than her attempts to further tease him, and won't recognize his own feelings towards her either. It's somewhat jarring considering he's an avid reader of romance manga.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Takagi likes him because of his earnestness, innocence, kindness and sensitivity, and some of her efforts to court him focus on trying to make him realize this, or at the very least, admit it to himself.
- You Keep Telling Yourself That:
- Though Nishikata expresses annoyance at Takagi for teasing him, it's shown that he enjoys every single bit of it and then some. She's on his mind about 95% of the time, which is her whole intention.
- He won't admit to himself that he likes Takagi, and won't see that she likes him back in spite of her multiple hints. Takagi doesn't mind, as it's shown that his obliviousness is one of the things she likes about him.
- He's very prone to deny his more gentler self. This is another thing that Takagi likes about him.
- In his adult life, Nishikata's still trying to compete with his wife, even though he already won her over. He's a lot less cranky about losing, though.
- You Were Trying Too Hard: Nishikata's overzealousness is one of his defining characteristics. He has a tendency to overthink simple messages and second guess himself when his gut instinct is correct. Takagi's often content with giving away blatant clues to whatever she wants him to guess, knowing full well that he'll trip himself up trying to find a nonexistent hidden answer.
Takagi
Takagi
Voiced by: Rie Takahashi (Japanese); Sarah Wiedenheft [seasons 1 and 3], Kayli Mills [season 2] (English)note
Portrayed by: Rui Tsukishima (drama), Mei Nagano (film)
Left: Takagi in middle school; Right: Takagi as an adult.
The titular character. She sits beside Nishikata in class, often runs into him outside of school and always teases him about something. Takagi's the protagonist of the sequel manga Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san alongside her daughter Chi.
- A-Cup Angst: Subverted. While she doesn't seem fazed by her flat chest, the possibility that this is the case is occasionally brought up. In Chapter 2, Nishikata wonders if this is the reason why Takagi doesn't want to go in the pool, though he doesn't want to say it out loud. In Chapter 20, Takagi teasingly accuses him of making fun of her chest when he tells her she hasn't grown at all. In actuality, he was just saying it in response to Takagi saying he's gotten taller. According to the Time Skip in Chapter 31, she doesn't develop a noticeable bust and keeps the slender physique.
- Achilles' Heel: One might think that Takagi has no weakness when it comes to dealing with Nishikata. This is because Nishikata is her weakness. When it comes to romance, he's more than capable of making her float in the air, though he never intends this. With a swift strike, he can reduce her to being a Smitten Teenage Girl.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Through their many interactions, Takagi got to know Nishikata to an astounding level.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: She likes Nishikata because he went out of his way to get her lost handkerchief back to lost-and-found with full knowledge that this would get him in trouble for being tardy to class on their first day of middle school.
- Best Friend: To Nishikata in the main series. Short of the romantic developments that led to (Moto) Takagi-san, Takagi is, by far, Nishikata's best and dearest friend.
- Brainy Brunette: Has brown hair and, based on her interactions with Nishikata, she does pretty well in school.
- Brutal Honesty: On multiple occasions, Takagi will bluntly state that whatever Nishikata is doing isn't working. For example, in Chapter 39 ("Coffee"), she tells Nishikata that simply drinking coffee won't make her think he is mature. In Chapter 65 ("Kendama"), she tells him that she wasn't fooled by his atrocious acting for a moment.
- Cavalier Competitor: She keeps competing with Nishikata to seek his companionship and because she finds it amusing, as opposed to his dead serious approach.
- Character Title: "Teasing Master Takagi-san."
- The Chessmaster: She can anticipate Nishikata's intent and is usually about five steps ahead of him. She has the advantage of both his tendency to go on flustering logic tangents, and the use of her femininity. The highlights of the story come from the occasions where Nishikata catches her completely off guard, himself unaware that he did it in the first place.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Very underplayed due to the fact that Nishikata almost always spends his time with her if he's not with his guy friends. However, on the few occasions when Nishikata chats with another girl, e.g. when Hojo approached him to get ideas for a birthday present for Hamaguchi, Takagi gets somewhat peevish and her teasing of him gets just a little bit more pointed.
- Coy, Girlish Flirt Pose: Takagi's quite fond of putting her arms behind her back and tilting her head with a mischievous grin whenever she's teasing Nishikata.
- Crazy-Prepared: She has overtones of this. For example, in Chapter 23, when Nishikata challenges her to do a kickover on the horizontal bar, he does it under the impression that Takagi won't do it because she's wearing a skirt. He agrees not to look when Takagi does the kickover, making him suspicious of whether she did it in the first place. The second time around, he takes a peek and realizes that she's wearing shorts under her skirt. How she anticipated this, considering that it was his plan in the first place, is anyone's guess.note
- Didn't Think This Through:
- Despite what Nishikata thinks of her, she actually falls into this at times. While normally controlled, when Nishikata expresses what could be seen as a genuine affection for her, she has to struggle to keep herself from blushing or grinning (e.g. when he offered to walk her home when they met up at a public bath or when he admitted he was thinking of her while waiting).
- In Chapter 152, she's inspired by Mano and Nakai to buy a sewing kit (after overhearing Mano say it's natural to want to sew for someone you like). When she notices one of Nishikata's sleeve buttons coming off, she happily offers to fix it, but is taken aback when Nishikata borrows her kit to repair it himself. Despite feeling glum about it, she perks up when the button falls off anyway, giving her a chance to sit right next to him and hold his arm while she sews the button back on.
- Doting Parent: Takagi loves her daughter Chi. That does not stop her from teasing her much like how she teases her husband, though.
- Everyone Can See It: Takagi's classmates takes her relentless teasing of Nishikata as a sign that she has a crush on him. Takagi even invokes this herself when she tells him her secret is that she likes him only to then go back and say that was a lie because technically it's not a secret.
- Forehead of Doom: Her large forehead is a very prominent feature of hers.
- The Gadfly: She does a lot of things simply because she thinks it'd be funny. She does have standards, though, such as the time she decides to leave Nishikata alone because he has a cold. Once it's clear he's feeling better, she starts teasing him again. She's also like this with her daughter.
- Girl of My Dreams: Played for laughs. In Chapter 18 of (Moto) Takagi-san, it's revealed that Nishikata was teased so much in the past by Takagi that he still dreams of their time in middle school.
- Happily Married: About 10 years from the main series, it is revealed that Nishikata and Takagi are married and have a daughter named Chi. Takagi changed her surname to Nishikata. That does not stop Takagi from teasing her husband. She tells Chi that she teases Nishikata because she loves him.
- Hidden Purpose Test: Most of her interactions and games with Nishikata amount to this. Nishikata thinks that they're competing; Takagi, on the other hand has a single goal in mind every time: to have his undivided attention.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: A favorite strategy of Takagi's for teasing Nishikata. She will often pretend to be weak at a game initially, allowing Nishikata to become overconfident, and then surprise him by being much better.
- Informed Attractiveness: In Chapter 83 of (Moto) Takagi-san, upon her and Chi's surreptitious visit to Nishikata's P.E. class, and his class realizing that they're his family, one of his students states that she (Takagi) looks like a model.
- It Amused Me: She gets a kick out of teasing Nishikata. In fact, the games they play often help her to express her feelings, rather than conceal them.
- Living Lie Detector: Takagi can easily tell when Nishikata is lying to her, partially due to his tendency to stutter or look away when he's trying to lie, and partially because she has such a good grasp on his personality.
- Long Game: Implied. It's unclear whether she has a plan or just improvises, but most of her manipulations edge Nishikata closer to her in some way. It's evident that she's taking her sweet time so that she can enjoy every second she spends with him. So far in the main story, she's cleared one of the biggest hurdles, which is to have his undivided attention.
- Longing Look: Her default look when she gazes at Nishikata. She makes it quite obvious that she's very much in love with him, though he's too embarrassed to realize her intentions towards him when he gazes back.
- Modesty Shorts: Like most Japanese middle school girls, she wears short gym shorts underneath her skirt. Hers are navy blue with white side stripes.
- Moral Pragmatist: She's not a bully. The worst her schemes do is get Nishikata in trouble with their teacher. However, she's totally fine with trickery to win a "game".
- Morality Pet: One of the reasons she seeks Nishikata's companionship is to make him realize just how kind and loving he is, and how his efforts to be contrarian and competitive are getting him nowhere. Through their interactions, Takagi's deftly able to get the best from Nishikata, even if he's neither willing nor aware.
- Motherly Side Plait: In the future, when she's a housewife, she's wearing a loose ponytail.
- Nerves of Steel: Takagi has an extremely powerful poker face that allows her to hide her embarrassment behind a veneer of girlish laughter. It's yet another reason why Nishikata has never been able to trip her up. For example, when he unthinkingly tells her he wanted to walk home with her instead of play video games with his male friends, Takagi freezes and stares at him. Nishikata, realizing what he'd just said, quickly explains that his horoscope suggested he'd finally beat her and he hadn't meant it romantically. Unluckily for Nishikata, after he flees, Takagi's poker face finally breaks down and she reveals she'd been fighting down a major Luminescent Blush.
- Nice Girl: In spite of her teasing, Takagi's a doting and kind friend to Nishikata.
- No Name Given: In (Moto) Takagi-san, she doesn't go by "Takagi" anymore because she's married to Nishikata, and is referred to almost exclusively as "Mom" or "Mommy" by Chi.
- No Sense of Personal Space: Takagi sometimes gets up real close to Nishikata, which is usually when he notices that a) she's a girl and b) she's actually really, really cute. In Chapter 26, she snuggles up against him while they're hiding from some of their classmates. Takagi's fine with it, but Nishikata's totally self-conscious about how close she is.
- Not So Stoic: Takagi may keep a composed front in Nishikata's presence, but whenever he does something remotely romantic, she's smitten. This happens to her even as an adult:
- She's elated when Nishikata invites her to the summer festival on his own volition.
- There's an instance where she has to regain her composure after Nishikata tells her that he wants to walk her home instead of going with his friends to play a new video game; her heart skips a beat when she hears that, and after the two part ways Takagi lets out a blush.
- In the anime's version of Chapter 21, she gets a note from Nishikata thanking her. Immediately after reading it, she starts flailing all over her bed.
- Played for laughs. In Chapter 17 of (Moto) Takagi-san, she repeatedly warns Chi not to tease her daddy while he's driving, as it's dangerous, so she waits until they get home to immediately announce that it's OK to tease him now. On the extra panel, it's shown that she herself made an effort not to tease him in the car, much against her very nature.
- In Chapter 52 of (Moto) Takagi-san, Takagi overhears Nishikata telling Chi that her mother is very cute and can't contain her blush when she leaves the house, mirroring their childhood yet again.
- In Chapter 85 of (Moto) Takagi-san, while faking drunkenness, she asks Nishikata for forgiveness for teasing him, admitting that she only does it because she loves him. When she finds out that he loves her mischievousness, she can't stop blushing for real.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In Chapter 44, Nishikata becomes worried because Takagi hasn't played any pranks or teased him that day. It turns out she had a fight with her mother that morning, and was feeling pretty down about it.
- Sand In My Eyes: In Chapter 31, she cries while reminiscing and then blames it on sleepiness.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: In Chapter 18, Takagi and Nishikata meet up. Takagi is wearing an adorable sundress and hat, and the sight temporarily stuns Nishikata.
- Single-Target Sexuality: She has eyes for no one but Nishikata, and she seeks his companionship to both make him realize his own feelings toward her, and for herself to be able to express her own for him. She likes him due to his innocence, his kindness and his earnest disposition, even when he wants to hide them. She's taking the long route, though.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: She's usually in charge of her emotions. However, on the occasions when Nishikata does something remotely romantic, she loses her composure and becomes enamored. Nishikata himself is never fortunate enough to witness this side of her.
- Smug Smiler: She's prone to having smug expressions when teasing Nishikata. Unlike most examples of this, however, she's not villainous.
- The Tease: Takagi is not above fooling Nishikata into supposedly risqué situations that are completely innocent:
- When she and Nishikata are going to do homework in his room, she suggests "using his bed to study" while looking as seductive as she can. Nishikata almost has a heart attack until she points out that by folding his blanket just so, they can use his bed as a table. She then innocently asks if something is wrong, even as he tries to fight down a Luminescent Blush.
- When Takagi runs into Nishikata while shopping, she forces him to help her choose a swimsuit. Cue an increasingly embarrassed Nishikata handing her swimsuit after swimsuit while fully aware that the only thing between him and a naked Takagi is a single curtain. At one point, she even "accidentally" drops the curtain, resulting in a madly panicking and blushing Nishikata... only for him to realize she's fully dressed.
- She is naturally far more willing to take advantage of her femininity when they're married, though not when Chi's around.
- Teasing Parent: In (Moto) Takagi-san, Takagi continues teasing her husband Nishikata, but proves equally adept at doing the same to their young daughter Chi.
- Telepathy: She's a deconstructed example because she can't literally read Nishikata's mind, but she has such a firm grasp of the way he thinks that she can reliably guess whatever he's thinking about at any given time. She can even do this over the phone. No wonder Nishikata thinks she's a straight example.
- Trademark Favorite Food: She often gets Nishikata to buy her juice.
- Tranquil Fury: Chapter 98 of (Moto) Takagi-san has her and Chi come home to find Nishikata just ate a limited edition pudding she'd waited in a very long line to get. She offers to forgive Nishikata if he beats her in an arm wrestling contest, making him think that this is her way to allow him to save face in front of Chi. She then states that he can only use one finger. Once the match begins, she starts putting all her strength into her arm.
- Trickster Girlfriend: For Nishikata, who is totally hooked on her from their childhood and whom she loves to play pranks on.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: Her wide brown eyes are one of her defining features. Nishikata often finds himself lost in her gaze, and in (Moto) Takagi-san, he states that these are among the things he loves the most about her.
- Will Not Tell a Lie: She's told Nishikata numerous times that she wouldn't lie to him, and that's true... although it doesn't stop her from being deliberately misleading in her words when she chooses to be.
- Wise Beyond Her Years: For a young teenager, she is quite confident and composed during her middle school years.
- Wishing for More Wishes: Parodied. When Chi's forced to listen to one of Takagi's requests as penalty for losing a bet, she requests Chi to listen to three of her requests. She takes it back and merely requests Chi to eat scallops and broccoli.
- Women Prefer Strong Men: She compliments Nishikata when she sees that he's gaining muscle, and is similarly delighted in any physical based challenge he gives her. Nishikata realizes that she's teasing him more after he started his "being teased equals push-ups" regime, but doesn't make the connection. It's a good thing Nishikata's still involved with physical fitness when they get married.
- Xanatos Speed Chess: No matter what challenge Nishikata throws at her, she always finds a way to trip him up and tip the scales in her favor.
Chi Nishikata
Chi Nishikata
Voiced by: Yume Miyamoto (Japanese); Elissa Cuellar (English)
Left: Chi in kindergarten; Right: Chi in middle school.
Takagi and Nishikata's daughter. She is one of the main characters of Karakai Jōzu no (Moto) Takagi-san, along with her mom. She is also the protagonist of the one-shot Nishikata-chan and the limited series Karakai Jouzu (?) no Nishikata-san, which are set during her middle school years, including sporadic chapters in (Moto) Takagi-san taking place in the same period.- All There in the Script: Until Chapter 73 of the main series, her name was only used in (Moto) Takagi-san.
- Bad Liar: She's very bad at lying when she's caught in one of her tricks.
- Butt-Monkey: Chi usually doesn't get her way with her mother and Ooshiro no matter how hard she tries.
- Cheerful Child: A very cheerful little girl, which is unsurprising considering the parents.
- Daddy's Girl: Chi admires her father more than anything else.
- Disappeared Dad: The focus of her first chapter in the main series is the identity (and whereabouts) of her father who may or may not be Nishikata... except it is indeed Nishikata, he's present and everything is fine with him. This is just another Breaking the Fourth Wall prank from Takagi.
- Father, I Want to Marry My Brother: Chi as a little girl expresses an innocent desire to marry her own father. When learning one of her mother's friends is getting married, Chi asks what she should do to get married to her daddy.
- Generation Xerox:
- She's as mischievous as her mother, but as successful as her father in doing so... at least, when she is not against the man himself of course.
- The similarities become even more pronounced when Chi becomes a middle schooler herself, where the teasing routine is repeated with Ooshiro. Unfortunately for Chi, she takes her father's place in these shenanigans.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Chi has Tanusuke, a tanuki stuffed animal, that she on occasion tries to bring everywhere.
- In-Series Nickname: It's implied in Chapter 73, which takes place when Chi's in middle school herself, that her first name starts with "Chi" (i.e. "Chitose"/"Chisaki"/"Chidori") and that "Chi" is simply a nickname her parents use for her.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Chi, like her mother, has a crush on a beady-eyed brunette who's stubborn about his feelings during middle school.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Chi looks a lot like her mother, with the same hair style (only cut shorter) and her Forehead of Doom. She also has the same expressive range as her father.
Mina, Yukari and Sanae
Mina, Yukari and Sanae
Mina's voiced by: Konomi Kohara (Japanese); Leah Clark [season 1], Cassandra Lee Morris [season 2], Maggie Flecknoe [season 3] (English)note
Portrayed by: Rin Serizawa (drama)
Yukari's voiced by: Mao Ichimichi (Japanese); Kristen McGuire [seasons 1 and 3], Erika Harlacher [season 2] (English)note
Portrayed by: Merisa Kikawa (drama)
Sanae's voiced by: Yui Ogura (Japanese); Kristi Rothrock [seasons 1 and 3], Sarah Anne Williams [season 2] (English) note
Portrayed by: Rito Yoshizawa (drama)
Top: Sanae, Mina and Yukari in middle school; Bottom: Sanae, Yukari and Mina as adults.
Mina Hibino, Yukari Tenkawa and Sanae Tsukimoto are three girls who are best friends and Takagi and Nishikata's classmates. They're the main characters of the spinoff manga Ashita wa Doyōbi, from which some chapters are adapted in the anime series. Mina also appears in (Moto) Takagi-san as Chi's kindergarten teacher.
- Babies Ever After: In Chapter 72 of (Moto) Takagi-san, it's revealed Mina just had her third child.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: Mina sports some prominent ones.
- Butt-Monkey: Mina usually doesn't get her way with her companions no matter how hard she tries.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Yukari usually has to put up with Mina and Sanae's antics.
- The Comically Serious: Most of the humor from Sanae revolves around her Deadpan Snarker reactions.
- The Ditz: Mina. She doesn't seem to be dumb or anything, but she tends to overreact to things, and once walked into the toilet, saw Takagi and asked if she and Nishikata were dating (Takagi said no), left the toilet, ran into Nishikata and his friends and mentioned her conversation with Takagi, and then remembers she went to the toilet because she needed to pee. She also apparently once got hypnotized while watching a hypnotist on TV.
- Everyone Went to School Together: In Chapter 72 of (Moto) Takagi-san, Chi learns from her mom and Mina that they, plus Chi's dad, all went to middle school together.
- The Gadfly: Despite her deadpan nature, Sanae's a bit of a gadfly as she likes to casually teases her friends.
- Genki Girl: Mina's boundlessly cheery and energetic.
- Hero of Another Story: They're the main characters of Ashita wa Doyōbi, another work by the same author.
- Manchild: The three of them are among the few female examples. In Chapter 80 of (Moto) Takagi-san, they still share their same group dynamics and are just as immature as they were in middle school. They're just older.
- Not So Above It All: While Yukari tries to project an air of being wiser and more mature than Sanae and Mina, she can be just as disaster-prone. Despite her desire to show off to the boys during Cooking Class in Chapter 140, for example, Sanae and Mina protest her miso soup is way too salty.
- Old Maid: Sanae is the only member of the trio who is unmarried in (Moto) Takagi-san.
- Only Sane Man: Yukari's more emotionally mature than both Sanae and Mina, and usually tries to veer the conversation towards more grown-up subjects. This doesn't work on her friends, however.
- Sensei-chan: In (Moto) Takagi-san, Mina is Chi's kindergarten teacher, and she's stated to be the mother of three children; she doesn't look a day older other than being taller, though.
- Shipper on Deck: Yukari's pretty happy about the thought of Nishikata and Takagi dating and is clearly rooting for them.
- Stern Teacher: Mina and Takagi sternly tell Chi that even though they're old friends, that doesn't mean that Chi can bring her stuffed tanuki Tanusuke to school.
- Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Yukari likes to see life with a rose-tinted filter and daydreams with romantic scenarios aloud so that she, Mina, and Sanae can have a productive conversation. She rarely succeeds, however, due to Mina and Sanae's antics.
- Those Two Guys: In their case, it'd be those three girls. They are almost always together whenever they appear in the series. They aren't significant in the main series, but appear frequently as supporting characters and have their own spin-off, which is partly adapted in the anime.
- Tomboy: Implied with Sanae. She's the kind of girl who'd kick her male classmates instead of engaging in conversation.
Takao and Kimura
Takao and Kimura
Takao's voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto (Japanese); Blake Shepard [seasons 1 and 3], Kyle McCarley [season 2] (English)note
Portrayed by: Yuta Ichimura (drama)
Kimura's voiced by: Fukushi Ochiai (Japanese); Jerry Jewell [season 1], Bryce Papenbrook [season 2], Joe Daniels [season 3] (English)note
Portrayed by: Satoshi Mizuno (drama)
Takao (left) and Kimura (right).
Takao and Kimura are Nishikata's classmates and friends.
- Asian Buck Teeth: Takao sports a set of buckteeth.
- Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Played for laughs. When Takao oversteps his boundaries once, Sanae shin kicks him into complete submission.
- Everyone Can See It: In Chapter 108, Hamaguchi reveals that pretty much everyone knows that Takao likes Sanae.
- Fanboy: They are both implied to be otaku.
- Fat and Skinny: Kimura's Fat to Takao's Skinny.
- Hidden Depths: While Kimura appears as immature as the other boys, he's hinted as being more mature than they are in some regards. In the OVA "Water Slide", he immediately picks up on how he and Takao are interrupting Mano and Nakai (much to Mano's frustration) and urges Takao away. In Episode 12 of the second season, "Summer Festival", when he and Takao run into Nishikata, he notices Nishikata carrying a girl's bag and quickly puts two-and-two together, dragging Takao away. Later on, he notices Takagi climbing up the steps to the shrine alone and when he sees a frantic Nishikata looking around, he yells out to him in order to clue him where Takagi is.
- Love Hungry: They're jealous that Nishikata and Nakai have girls who give them the time of day, whereas they don't have anyone for themselves. They often try to appeal to Bros Before Hoes, but when they're competing against Mano and Takagi for the boys' attention, they're fighting a lost battle. This leads to a moment in Episode 7 of the second season of the anime where they both point out that unlike Nishikata and Hamaguchi, they don't have anyone they have crushes on and so are excited for the folk dance (due to the rumor that if the dance ends while holding hands with your crush, you'll fall in love). Alas, at that moment, a very apologetic Mr. Tanabe, who overheard the last bit, asks them to join in on the girls' side because there aren't as many girls.
- Shipper on Deck: Very low key, but Kimura doesn't seem particularly bothered if Nishikata or Hamaguchi start dating. In Episode 12, he helps a separated Nishikata and Takagi meet up.
- Shipping Torpedo: Takao in particular doesn't like the possibility of Nishikata and Takagi or Hamaguchi and Hojo dating, since that would mean the "loss" of their friends. Kimura doesn't seem to be as upset about it.
- Sour Grapes: It's heavily implied that the reason Takao is so annoyed with Nishikata, Hamaguchi and Nakai all being interesting or going out with girls of their own is because he himself is way too scared to actually talk to the girl he likes. Considering the girl in question is Sanae...
- Those Two Guys: They are always shown together and serve as a reminder that Nishikata has friends other than Takagi.
- You Keep Telling Yourself That: Takao always denies that he likes Sanae, though he's fooling exactly no one.
Nakai and Mano
Nakai and Mano
Nakai's voiced by: Yūma Uchida (Japanese); Chris Thurman [season 1], Zach Aguilar [season 2], James Marler [season 3] (English)note
Portrayed by: Takuya Kawajiri (drama)
Mano's voiced by: Kotori Koiwai (Japanese); Jad Saxton [seasons 1 and 3], Christine Marie Cabanos [season 2] (English)note
Portrayed by: Rea Morinaga (drama)
Top: Mano and Nakai in middle school; Bottom: Mano and Nakai as adults
Nakai and Mano are friends and classmates of Nishikata and Takagi. They are currently dating in the original manga, while they are married in (Moto) Takagi-san; also, in said manga, Nakai is a coworker of Nishikata's at their former middle school.
- Babies Ever After: In Chapter 285 of (Moto) Takagi-san, it's revealed that Mano is expecting.
- Beta Couple: They have significantly less screentime than Takagi and Nishikata. However, when they do appear, their relationship usually provides the topic of the chapter. Their relationship also displays more open affection and less teasing.
- Clingy Jealous Girl:
- Mano doesn't like Nakai paying attention to anything but her whenever they're together. As such, this makes Mano the active side of the relationship.
- Mano tries to invoke this in Chapter 93 by acting friendly with Nishikata, hoping to make Nakai jealous and ask her to walk home together since it's usually her asking him.
- Eyes Always Shut: Nakai is always seen with his eyes closed. This is lampshaded when he and Mano draw portraits of each other in school and Mano asks him to try opening his eyes a little more:Nakai: I would if I could.
- Hidden Depths: In spite of his apparent absentmindedness, Nakai is always thinking of Mano, and is more trustworthy and dedicated to her than what she gives him credit for. He's just not showy.
- High-School Sweethearts: They are married in (Moto) Takagi-san, and it's implied that, by living in a small community at Shōdoshima, they also went to high school together.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Nakai is considerably taller than his girlfriend/wife Mano.
- Innocently Insensitive: Nakai occasionally shows signs of being a bit dense, such as not getting when Mano wants to spend time alone with him. It makes you wonder how they got together in the first place.
- Official Couple: They are the first couple who appear in the main series. They are married in (Moto) Takagi-san.
- One Head Taller: They have a rather pronounced height difference, with Nakai being a lot taller.
- Puppy Love: Boyfriend and girlfriend in their first year of middle school. They're shown to really care for each other.
- Shipper on Deck: Mano's a shipper for Takagi and Nishikata, while Takagi herself always helps Mano to get close to Nakai.
Hojo
Hojo
Voiced by: Aoi Yūki (Japanese); Abby Trott [season 2], Kira Vincent-Davis [season 3] (English)note
Portrayed by: Ikoi Hayase (drama)
Described as the prettiest girl in school, Hojo later becomes a classmate of Nishikata and Takagi once they become second years.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: In the manga, her hair is very lightly colored, suggesting she's blonde. The anime shows her hair to be a very light brown instead.
- Childhood Friends: It turns out she's one of these with Hamaguchi. Chapter 119 shows that she knows him well enough to know when he's feeling down. Chapter 146 reveals they're actually neighbours.
- Everyone Can See It:
- Chapters 79 and 108 suggest that she (along with many others in school) is well aware that Hamaguchi has a thing for her, and is actually more than willing to reciprocate his feelings. Now if only he'd actually work up the guts to ask...
- Episode 7 of the anime's second season really lays on how much she actually does like Hamaguchi in return.
- Even Nishikata recognises that despite her denials, she actually thinks about Hamaguchi quite a bit.
- Girl Next Door: Hojo mentions in Chapter 146 that she and Hamaguchi are neighbours.
- I Know You Know I Know: Played for laughs when she accompanies Hamaguchi up a certain hill, where it's said that if you go up the steps with your crush your love becomes mutual. She suspects Hamaguchi took her up there knowing the story, but when he instead points out the beautiful view and the fresh air, she wonders if she read too much into it and gets both frustrated and embarrassed. Of course, she has no way to know that Hamaguchi did indeed invite her up to the hill because of the story... but then chickened out of actually confessing his feelings.
- Innocently Insensitive: Played for laughs in Chapter 146, when she mentions she doesn't mind Hamaguchi seeing her dressed in casual clothes that make her look childish because she doesn't care what he thinks. Hamaguchi lampshades it by retorting he isn't sure how to feel about that.
- Last-Name Basis: Despite being childhood friends with Hamaguchi, they address each other by their last names. This is justified by the fact that they're in middle school, and First-Name Basis between a boy and girl would would have very different connotations.note
- Lethal Chef: It's mentioned on several occasions that Hojo isn't good at cooking:
- While not exactly lethal, Episode 7 of Season 2, "Camping Trip", suggests that domestic arts (or at least cooking) aren't Hojo's strong point. Luckily, Hamaguchi is more than happy to eat anything she makes. Her reaction when Nakai points out how poorly made the curry Hamaguchi is eating looks suggests she's aware of this and finds it a bit embarrassing.
- In Chapter 119, she bought ingredients for chocolate, planning to make some for Valentine's Day. Somehow she managed to burn it all, much to her frustration and confusion:
"I only looked away for a moment! How did it all burn so fast?!"- In Chapter 140, Hojo's only thought during Cooking Class is to follow the given recipe to the letter to avoid disaster, and she still worries about how her soup tastes.
- In Episode 10 of Season 3, she's so happy at the idea that Hamaguchi wants to eat her homemade cookies despite being fully aware she's not a good cook that she lets out a happy sigh. She then remembers she's still in a conversation with Nishikata and hurriedly insists that some cheap, homemade cookies are more than good enough for someone like Hamaguchi.
- Nice Girl: In Chapter 119, Hamaguchi outright admits her kindness in spite of her cold attitude is why he fell in love with her.
- Not So Above It All: Despite her maintaining a stoic, Ice Queen-like demeanor in school, sometimes her mask slips, especially when Hamaguchi is involved.
- The Reveal: As the manga went on, more and more information was revealed about her and Hamaguchi. For example, Chapter 79 shows that they walk home together, Chapter 108 shows they walk together until their paths diverge (which Chapter 146 reveals is actually right next door to each other) and both Chapters 119 and 146 show that the two of them are close enough that Hojo doesn't feel the need to keep up her mature act around him.
- The Stoic: She deliberately cultivates an Ice Queen image in school in order to maintain a stoic, controlled demeanor. However, she's Not So Stoic when it's just her and Hamaguchi, especially when it's somewhere where no one from school will see them.
- Tsundere:
- When it's just the two of them, Hojo is prone to acting like this towards Hamaguchi. When she notices him feeling down in Chapter 119, for example, she chatters at him in what he recognises as an attempt to cheer him up. In Chapter 146, she complains about meeting him at night while she was bringing food over to her grandparents' house, but makes a mental reminder to bring along a pair of chopsticks the next time she goes out to deliver food since Hamaguchi mentioned he'd started going on runs every evening.
- When she approaches Nishikata for ideas on what to get Hamaguchi for his birthday, she makes it a point to insist she's only asking because he got one for her, and she wants to return the favour, and it absolutely isn't a birthday present for him.
- Will They or Won't They?:
- In Episode 12 of Season 2, she and Hamaguchi watch the fireworks together, and she takes a deliberate step closer to him.
- In Episode 10 of Season 3, she approaches Nishikata for information on what to get him for his birthday, reasoning that since Nishikata and Hamaguchi are close, Nishikata probably has some ideas.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: She's described as being the prettiest girl in school.
Hamaguchi
Hamaguchi
Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch [season 2], Scott Gibbs [season 3] (English)note
Portrayed by: Ryoto Nagahara (drama)
Another of Nishikata's guy friends from a different classroom, he has a very obvious crush on Hojo.
- Childhood Friend Romance: He desperately wants this with Hojo. Notably, just about everyone realises that Hojo would probably not be against the idea, including Hamaguchi himself. Despite this, he just can't work up the courage to tell her how he feels, even though his feelings are clear to everyone.
- Childhood Friends: Chapter 119 reveals that he and Hojo have actually known each other for a long time, with Chapter 146 clarifying that they're neighbours and known each other since they were kids.
- Endearingly Dorky: He falls apart whenever he directly speaks to Hojo. Hojo at the very least finds this aspect of him amusing, and at best kind of charming.
- Everyone Can See It:
- The expression on Hojo's face when he chickens out of asking her out properly in Chapter 108 suggests she's well-aware of how he feels and is disappointed when he fails to follow through.
- Even Nishikata recognises that Hamaguchi is completely smitten with Hojo.
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In Chapter 119, despite being crushed by the realisation that Hojo apparently gave homemade chocolate to someone else, he reminds himself that "a true man seeks the happiness of the woman he loves" and asks her how it went. When an embarrassed Hojo admits she accidentally burned the homemade chocolate she tried to make, he's relieved.
- Last-Name Basis: Despite being childhood friends with Hojo, they address each other by their last names. This is justified by the fact that they're in middle school, and First-Name Basis between a boy and girl would would have very different connotations.note
- Nice Guy: Part of why Hojo seems to like him back is because he tries to be considerate of her. In Chapter 79, he offers her some coffee when she mentions she's thirsty, and Episode 7 of Season 2 of the anime has him happily eating the curry she'd made despite the vegetables she'd chopped not being well chopped or cooked. She clearly appreciates the effort.
- Straw Loser: He's interested in Hojo, but he chickens out on actually asking her out despite the fact Hojo herself seems pretty receptive. He bemoans his own cowardice.
- Through His Stomach:
- In Episode 7 of the anime's second season, Nakai notices that the curry Hamaguchi is eating not only has poorly chopped vegetables, they don't even look all that cooked. Hamaguchi assures him he likes it that way, with the fact that he likes the curry because Hojo made it going unsaid. Hojo herself definitely notices.
- She takes the time to give him chocolate in Chapter 119, though he's disappointed that it's store-bought rather than handmade. He goes into a Heroic BSoD when he explains to Takao and Kimura that he happened to see her buy ingredients for homemade chocolate, meaning she gave it to someone else. He cheers up considerably when he asks Hojo about it while they're walking home, and she bitterly admits that she did buy the ingredients... but somehow wound up burning it all.
- Throw the Dog a Bone:
- He successfully holds Hojo's hands when the folk dance ends. Considering that the rumor is that if you hold your crush's hands when the dance ends your love becomes mutual (and Hojo already kind of likes him), he got exactly what he wanted. Hojo is also aware of the rumor, and blushes as hard as he does when the dance ends and they're still holding hands.
- The two of them are seen watching the fireworks together in Epsiode 12 of Season 2, and when Hojo moves closer to him, he clearly notices and is more than a bit happy.
- Will They or Won't They?:
- In Episode 11 of Season 2, he mentions planning to ask Hojo out to the summer festival. Sure enough, they're seen together, but it's hard to tell whether it was just a one-time thing or if they're actually an item now. Hojo does deliberately move closer to him during the fireworks, though.
- Several chapters (e.g. 108, 119) show at the very least they walk home together, though considering they're neighbours...
- You Were Trying Too Hard: It's implied that all he really has to do to get Hojo to go out with him is to just ask her. In his earlier appearances, he just tries to impress her instead.
Sumire Takagawa
Sumire Takagawa
Voiced by: Madoka Asahina (Japanese); Olivia Swasey [season 3] (English)
A girl who is Takagi's closest female friend.
- Irony: She's one of the few characters in the main series who has a full name, and yet she has no Character Development.
- No Name Given: Initially. Before Episode 11 of Season 2, she's literally credited as "Ponytail Girl" (ポーニーテイルの子).
- Nominal Importance: Played with. Her only role is to be Takagi's friend, and no further development has been made as for her character.
- Satellite Character: She's only seen interacting with Takagi.
Tanabe
Tanabe
Voiced by: Hinata Tadokoro (Japanese); Cris George [seasons 1 and 3], Patrick Seitz [season 2] (English)note
Portrayed by: Yosuke Eguchi (drama)
Nishikata and Takagi's homeroom teacher. An English teacher, Tanabe's not quite so patient or doting to his students.
- Actually Pretty Funny: When Nishikata's making funny faces to Takagi in class, Tanabe interrupts him while he's contorting his face, making him snicker. Tanabe then proceeds to yell Nishikata's ear off.
- The Dreaded: Nishikata often makes himself the target of Tanabe's well-placed chalk pitches whenever he's caught talking to Takagi.
- Face of a Thug: He looks more like a P.E. teacher than an English teacher.
- Fish out of Water: This terrifying-looking guy obviously looks like he's not comfortable teaching middle school.
- Perpetual Frowner: His scowl is his default expression.
- Reasonable Authority Figure:
- In Chapter 47, he confiscates a bunch of chocolate Mina brought to school because it's against regulations. However, when he stumbles upon Mano desperately trying to give chocolate to Nakai, he chooses to believe the lie that the colorfully wrapped package is just a book Mano's returning. His facial expressions show that he doesn't really buy it, but since Mano is such a quiet girl and was on the verge of tears he just sighs and walks away.
- Despite confiscating Mina's chocolate, the anime version reveals that he returned them to her after school.
- Also in the anime, he feels bad over having to ask Kimura and Takao to participate in the traditional dance on the girls' side, since there are more boys than girls. This is right after he overheard them declare to Nishikata and Nakai that they were looking forward to the dance, since unlike them they weren't close to any girls.
- Rules Lawyer: While he confiscates Mina's chocolate during Valentine's Day, he returns them to her after school since school regulations only forbid bringing chocolate during school. After school hours, she's free to give them away.
- Stern Teacher: He's somewhat inflexible towards his students, especially for a middle school teacher, but he does have multiple Pet the Dog moments.
Ooshiro
Ooshiro
Voiced by: Yūto Uemura (Japanese)
Left: In kindergarten; Right: In middle school
Chi Nishikata's classmate in middle school and her occassionally former childhood playmate. He apparently wins a lot of games and challenges Chi puts him through. Alongside Chi, he's the protagonist of Karakai Jouzu (?) no Nishikata-san.
- Cavalier Competitor: He always seems to take Chi's challenges in stride.
- Childhood Friends: He and Chi first meet in Chapter 93 of (Moto) Takagi-san at a park as little kids, although he refuses to play with her at first. He remembers having played with her when they reunite as middle schoolers, but Chi doesn't.
- Does Not Like Spam: According to a classmate, he does not like green peppers. This is why Chi's suspicious when he goes out of his way to eat the ones in her lunchbox for her.
- Forgotten First Meeting: In Chapter 93 of (Moto) Takagi-san, he and Chi first met at a park when Chi is in kindergarten, where he refuses to play with her and later beats her in arm wrestling. When they reunite in middle school, it turns out she forgot about him whereas he hasn't; this is noteworthy, as it's pointed out he's bad at remembering old classmates and would likely only remember someone he likes (in this case, Chi).
- Hidden Depths: In spite of his deadpan exterior, it's implied that he enjoys Chi's playfulness and he likes her.
- Love Confession: He confesses to Chi in Chapter 296 of (Moto) Takagi-san because he's moving and he won't be able to meet her. They won't meet again until middle school.
- Love at First Sight: It's implied that he has liked Chi since the moment he met her.
- No Name Given: His name wouldn't be revealed until the first chapter of Karakai Jouzu (?) no Nishikata-san.
- Spear Counterpart: To Takagi in middle school. Chi, like her dad, tries to play games with her next-seat classmate, only to lose unexpectedly every time. However, unlike Takagi, Ooshiro is less playful nor he's as coy towards Chi as Takagi was towards Nishikata.
- The Stoic: His stoic face seems to be his default expression, and he isn't fazed one bit when Chi tries to prank him.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: He often acts cool and aloof in front of Chi, but it's obvious that he likes her.
