“Who despises, loves” (or buys, depending on the case), says a well-known proverb of Latin origin, and it is precisely this that the entire story of Don’t torment me, Nagatoro!manga by Nanashi arrived in the Bel Paese thanks to J-POPwho has been able to take care of the Italian edition of this story down to the smallest detail, the first publication in Japan of which dates back to 2017. But let’s better explain what has just been said by going to take a closer look at the plot.
The events tell of two very different young high school students: Hayase Nagatoro is a beautiful girl, very popular at school, has a sunny disposition, is impetuous and rather brash, while the male protagonist, whose real name we do not know, as he is constantly addressed with the name of “Senpai”By Nagatoro, who also doesn’t even give him time to introduce himself, is the classic shy and awkward boy, dedicated to studying, drawing and painting. The events take place almost entirely within the school environment, where Nagatoro, who is attending the first year of high school, has fun practically every day to provoke and tease the poor little older schoolmate, who will soon begin to feel precisely tormented by his presence and annoyed by his ways of doing. But behind the mocking intent of Nagatoro and the shy behavior of his Senpai seem to hide deeper mutual feelings … Will the two ever be able to declare each other by telling each other what they actually feel for each other?
- Original title: Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san
- English title: Don’t torment me, Nagatoro!
- Japanese release: November 1, 2017
- Italian release: October 27, 2021
- Number of volumes: 11 (in progress)
- Publishing house: J-POP Manga
- Gender: comedy, sentimental, slice of life
- Drawings: Nanashi
- History: Nanashi
- Format: 12 × 17, b / w, dust jacket
- Number of pages: 144
We reviewed Don’t Harass Me, Nagatoro! through press volume provided to us by J-POP.
Opposites attract
As already mentioned, the protagonists of the manga we are analyzing are the opposite of each other: if indeed on the one hand we have the irreverent Nagatoro, always ready to joke, laugh and give rise to malicious misunderstandings, on the other hand his Senpai is a decidedly serious, solitary, taciturn boy, who gets embarrassed easily when he talks to a girl, is thoughtful and studious. Even from a physical point of view, the two are exactly the opposite: she has an athletic and slender build, he appears exile, with hair a bit tousled, and a pair of thick eyeglasses, in short, the classic nerd. As far as the secondary characters are concerned, we can see the presence, at least in the first volume, of some schoolmates of the two protagonists, to whom however a very minimal space is attributed; the story is basically totally centered on the relationship between Nagatoro and Senpai, consisting of a mutual love-hate that only with time will we be able to understand how it will evolve.
Life at school
Reading this manga can be equated to watching the anime, in fact within the volume we find relatively short episodes, in which our strange protagonists face various situations of their daily life. Whether it’s the school library, the art classroom or the way back home, the setting that forms the backdrop for the characters’ exchange is always very realistic, relating to the everyday life of two simple students who they have commitments to carry out, passions and pastimes to cultivate.
Among the topics covered we find one in particular that must necessarily be mentioned due to the weight that it currently has in the lives of many young students: bullying. The male protagonist of this story is in fact often laughed at because of his physical appearance or his passions and gifts, and this makes him very insecure, making him prefer the search for solitude and isolation, where he can take refuge and devote himself to that. which he likes best. Gradually, in the course of the story, we end up playing down more and more on this aspect, as Nagatoro will tend to worry about having exaggerated in making fun of his partner, he will do it in an increasingly affectionate and sympathetic way and will not allow others to treat him badly; however, this is an important topic, on which the author intended to focus his attention, also calling readers to do the same.
The beginning of a series to collect
Analyzing the technical aspect of this slice of lifewe can affirm that the illustrations are made up of clean and well-defined strokes, which give life to rather harmonious and soft shapes. Only the secondary characters are barely sketched in the face, just to outline the minor importance and focus all attention on the two protagonists. The backgrounds appear very simple, being composed of the basic elements that serve just to make the frame of the various scenes recognizable. As for the dialogues, they are decidedly dense, mostly aimed at arousing laughter and creating a certain amount of suspense in the reader, who will find the mischievous Nagatoro’s behavior funny but sometimes also intrusive.
The paper edition is very accurate from an aesthetic point of view: the first volume is presented in a practically pocket formatwhich allows you to easily carry the manga with you to be able to read it anywhere, whether it is in the lunch break from study or work, during a stop for a walk or on public transport. The bright blue color of the cover, of a bright blue, is able to immediately attract attention and the most curious will immediately take an interest in your reading asking you about it. Furthermore, the contagious smile and languid eyes of the beautiful Nagatoro will conquer everyone even before starting to leaf through the pages of the little book, which also contains two extra stories and a short afterword, in which the author greets readers with the hope of being managed to entertain them at best through the extravagant personality of the protagonists.
The senpai is an otaku high school student, passionate about art and completely reluctant to establish relationships with his peers. He lives a monotonous and quiet everyday life, until the meeting in the library with his younger partner Hayase Nagatoro totally upsets his life. Nagatoro is exactly the opposite of him: good at sports, sociable, surrounded by friends and energetic, but above all… rather sadistic! Thus begins the relationship of this unlikely couple, with Nagatoro who will devote himself to relentlessly torment his “Senpai”, at first in a cruel and winking way, but hiding with less and less success a genuine interest in the boy, who thanks to this ruthless “training” will unconsciously find itself coming out of its shell more and more …
Buy Don’t torment me, Nagatoro! following this link at the special price of € 5.70 (instead of € 6). Release scheduled for October 27, 2021. Support Akiba Gamers by purchasing on Amazon through this box!
Together with the first volume and only for the first edition, an exclusive is attached free of charge shikishi written by the author for Italian readers. It is a postcard with a white or colored background often decorated with ink or with powders and filaments, which in this case contains a nice dedication autographed by Nanashi, flanked by a drawing of the female protagonist of the story. Peering under the dust jacket you will discover two beautiful illustrations on the front and back covers on a white background, reproductions of two pencil sketches made by the same author, imperfect in their features, but for this very reason they are original and effective. Recommended for those looking for a little fun and relaxation, this manga is for you if you like sentimental stories that arise from sketch with school setting.
A romantic comedy not to be missed
Don’t torment me, Nagatoro! is a fresh and witty manga, centered on the relationship between two high school mates, in which everyday life, dynamism and malice are the key words. The first volume begins a series of hilarious and comical adventures between the two protagonists, whose bizarre character is perfectly outlined by the author-designer. In addition to a carefree component, this story also presents a more reflective one, making us understand how true it is that opposites often attract, and that even from a person who initially does not like us we can draw something positive, if only we go further. apparently and we deepen our knowledge. After the success of the anime, also with the manga Don’t torment me, Nagatoro! therefore an excellent entertainment product is presented, destined to involve the public thanks to a cheerful and at the same time sentimental story.
A funny manga that makes you think
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