What's this? The extreme version of Uzaki-chan? Not really. Honestly, the bully part is the first episode. After that, it slowly turns more into teasing because Nagatoro realizes she was harsh and is trying to make amends in her own awkward but cute way. I don't want to get into that whole hell hole of how Nagatoro is promoting the bad things. Because it really not. I am more inclined to believe people are jealous of the senpai's character and rant to express their pain. Don't joke. Many would kill to be in his position. All that aside, if you are expecting me to rant without purpose and act all smarty pants, then don't worry. I don't do cringe. I will be honest with my feelings. I have absolutely enjoyed the hell out of Nagaoro-san. It's far more than Uzaki-chan: The Bully Edition. Trust me on that one. Sure, I see the problems, but most of you are trying too hard.

Ah, I can already see the dislikes pouring from the haters. It's too bad. So many of you overlook entirely that this is a harmless piece of media unless you try to take it seriously. Only then might it be damaging. This would be toxic Nagatoro is affected by for foolish reasons. They are the ones making it damaging all on their own. And what's the true reason for that? Because none of us will have a cute devilish cinnamon roll to push us around and flash us with incredibly enamoring and exciting facial expressions. We can talk about how it's promoting bullying all we want. I will never convince everyone or maybe anyone. People are too stubborn for that. But no one can convince me the facial expressions in this anime are not charming. I have never seen so many variations of smug ever.

Should I say I expected no less from a doujin artist? Oh, yes. They make those big boi naughty pervy books. It's clear by how efficiently things are depicted where the author Nanashi got their talent from. Nagatoro-san can be quite lewd and spicy. I kid you not. It's not afraid to flash a big helping of racy fanservice. If I were to note everything down I have seen for the fetish bait enthusiasts, we would be here all day. It got everything from melons, tan lines, peaches, panties, thighs, enticing expressions, midriff, fingernails. The list goes on. It will surely sate your obsession. Nanashi could probably rival the author of the ecchi harem To Love-Ru, Yabuki Kentaro. It's that sultry at times. However, even though it seems like another trashy fanservice anime masqueraded as RomCom. It does have an actual story and character development. You read right. Nagatoro and senpai character—my gosh, that will be annoying to say all the time. I am going to just shorten it to senpai. He got a name, but I won't use it due to spoilers, even if I don't like it. So, senpai and Nagatoro's relationship starts out of being bullied and bully.

Honestly, the title should've given away who the lucky one is. Its senpai. Nagatoro is relentless and ruthless with her bullying to the point she makes senpai cry and even makes him uncomfortable. As we go on, we realize Nagatoro just finds it difficult to express herself. She and senpai got off on the wrong foot, and now Nagatoro has difficulty changing the dynamics. She used that identity of being pushy and annoying. Hence she might find it weird to change her attitude. That being said, she's clearly comfortable with her childish and jittery personality overflowing with boldness and energy. It might even be her true self which she doesn't mind showing to senpai because she feels most comfortable being around him. Due to a misunderstanding, however, Nagatoro struggles to adjust herself, which is shown in how she hesitates before taking action. It always ends with dragging and pushing around senpai. Still, she can't help herself as it's become a part of their relationship. Not that senpai mind it either, as by the end as he grows more confident and outgoing due to Nagaotro's teasing.

There are many reasons for that. Firstly, who wouldn't want to be pushed by a super cute cinnamon all day long? The second is due to how Nagatoro is having a positive effect on senpai in the long run. His development is crystal as, by the end, he doesn't let others walk over him. He talks out his mind. There is still room for improvement, but senpai is more than what he was at the start. What I mean to say is that Nagatoro-san is not your usual cheap RomCom. It's grounded in reality, and the character's emotions are executed realistically. If you have read the beautiful manga, you know how drastically different things are right now. Even in the anime, we saw senpai going from shy to someone who can handle many loud and flashy gyarus. In the beginning, he was intimidated by them to even muster a word, much less get the book he wanted from the library where the gyarus was sitting across him. Yet now, he can do all of that without breaking a sweat. That's what you call progression, which actually many RomCom fails to express properly. This is one of the reasons why I hold Nagaotoro-san in high esteem. Because it shows the result and is not just a mindless source of entertainment without a pay-off.

Nagatoro also attacks senpai because she realizes his potential is more than just being stuck in his own fantasy drawing lewd art while feeling sorry for himself. She wants to help him. One example is when he had such low esteem and gave up without even trying to fight. First when Nagatoro helped him train his stamina while in that sultry outfit wearing that savory ponytail. Senpai ran with her but eventually gave up. Nagatoro threw few insulting words that might've pushed him to cry before. This time however it was a boost of motivation to prove her wrong. So he kept running and proved that effort can take you far. This later helped him overcome the situation when his bouncy art club president came to cause some trouble. Nagatoro-san shows me that sometimes words won't do much, so you have to take matters into your own hands and take action that is harder to dodge. Due to this, senpai was able to grow plenty.

So for me, Nagatoro is not just a kouhai bullying their senpai. It's about growth and learning to not give up without actually fighting first. In other words, Nagatoro knows senpai is meant for more and won't allow him to rot away without showing that to him. If I am a bit symbolic, she's our conscious telling us to get to work. Probably most of us could use a Nagatoro in our life if you think like that. On another note, Nagatoro-san's production is top-notch, it's not as animated focus, but the art style to the character design is gorgeous. Plus, when we do see the animation, it's pretty solid. It's incredible to see that from a RomCom. It sure made the experience much more enjoyable. Nagatoro-san's voice acting is top-notch. The actors can capture senpai's shy nature and Nagatoro's chipper and boldness flawlessly. Nagatoro's voice is a blessing to my ears. I couldn't be happier with the pick. Besides that, we got such a banging opening song. I feel like I could the lyrics from the getgo. It's that addicting. I absolutely love it. The same goes for ED.

I also want to mention how effective the comedy was. I laughed so much to the point of tears at times. I realize comedic relief is subjective, but it's clear that Nagatoro and senpai got chemistry as well as with the rest of the fun and quirky side cast. So it was an absolute blast. One of the best RomCom I have seen in recent years, no question. It got everything you want, fanservice, and a wholesome romance to soothe the soul. Oh, let's not forget to mention the incredible amount of variations for smug expressions Trust me, you have not seen that many smug before. To top it all off, it can be so terribly adorable when you least expect it. If you feel tired and want to just relax to a solid, a bit realistic RomCom in terms of character emotional portrayal. I definitely recommend snapping on an episode of Nagatoro-san. It grows so well with time and is overall such an addicting and entertaining watch.