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The Winter 2023 Anime Preview Guide
Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro 2nd Attack

How would you rate episode 1 of
Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro 2nd Attack (TV 2) ?
Community score: 4.0



What is this?

Mischievous Nagatoro always bugs her upperclassman. He can't figure out if it's just to get a reaction out of him, make his life miserable, or if she's secretly harboring feelings for him.

Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro 2nd Attack is based on Nanashi's manga and streams on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.


How was the first episode?

Nicholas Dupree
Rating:

Yep, she's back. The internet's favorite harassment gremlin has returned to vicariously neg her audience for another season! If you're somebody who made it through the first season, you'll probably like this sequel, as we pick up exactly where the last left off, sliding right back into the winning formula of Nagatoro prodding at her nebbish upperclassman in the world's most problematic courtship ritual. And if you didn't like the start of the first season, this might be a good place to try again.

That's not to say this is a radically different take on the formula of Nagatoro bullying her crush. In fact, the only real change here is in the visuals, and sadly it's a downgrade. While this episode never looks terrible, it lacks the fluid and expressive animation that was so good at stringing together gags in season one. Instead, there's a stiffness and intentionally conservative approach to adapting the manga's jokes, focusing solely on recreating specific panels without adding the connective tissue that made the first season's humor so infectious. It's not enough to kill the comedy – the voice cast is killing it and do more than enough to land the jokes – but it's a change worth noting.

What this offers for non-converts, however, is the subtle softening of Senpai and Nagatoro's rapport that came around in the latter parts of last season. So if folks were interested in the series before but were put off by the meaner humor of the opening episodes, this might give you a better idea of what the show is now. The humor is simple and self-explanatory enough that you don't need the full context of earlier episodes. After a while away, it's genuinely fun to see these kids together again. It's not for everyone, but I'm glad to have Nagatoro back.


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