So, every season, I try to watch one show and report on it, episode by episode. Sometimes these shows have been pretty decent, other times they’ve been bloody terrible. The main qualification is that the show has to be something new, not a second season, sequel, or anything like that. I’ve tried to reach for originals sometimes, but I’ve also done adaptations. This season, I said to myself “Well, I got through Ex-Arm, one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen, clearly I can take on anything.”
I was
wrong. I was so, so wrong. Suffice to say, I will NOT be watching
through “Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro” as my Seasonal
Selection for Spring 2021, but having watched the first episode with
the intent of doing so, I feel I would be remiss if I did not at
least report on what I’d seen.
Part
of the reason I wanted to try to watch Nagatoro, despite the fact
that it didn’t sound like the kind of thing that would normally be up
my alley, is because even before there was set to be an anime
featuring her, the character and work were the subject of a lot of
debates (arguments, if you prefer) to which I was privy. Some people
found Nagatoro to be a bully, and considered the manga to
problematically glorify bullying. Others seemed to think more that
her actions were, if not always nice, at least in good enough humor
that her teasing wasn’t really a problem. Now, having not read the
Manga myself, I couldn’t really chime in on these arguments, but I’d
seen their like before and knew I could come down on either side,
even if the arguments in favor of Nagatoro sounded more cogent most
of the time.
Suffice to say, I now largely find myself agreeing with the arguments against Nagatoro, and that’s because of how exactly the comedy fails. The basic formula for comedy (surrealism aside) is Pain plus Distance. In order for something to be funny, somebody usually has to experience some kind of suffering. There are other elements as well, like cause and effect and timing, and other formulas that can produce comedy, but I feel like most would agree that’s the big one. However, Distance is also a really important factor. Our empathy for the victim in a comedy needs to be limited in proportion to how much they’re suffering. Wile E. Coyote failing catastrophically to catch that roadrunner and often getting hurt in the process would not be funny if we were in his head getting a constant narrative of how much this meant to him and how much mental anguish the failure was causing (at least not if it was relatable, rather than melodramatic) or if his injuries were handled in a visceral or realistic way. If it were just about the anguish, Elfen Lied would be a laugh riot.
Nagatoro
is… cruel. She is sadistic and realistic in her bullying, with no
real hint of softness or mercy, and Senpai is all too relatable in
his suffering. I know what they’re going for – Senpai obviously
has some issues and does need something to upset his routine and
bring him out of his shell, but Nagatoro is all too nasty to be the
hammer that Senpai needs and feel decent about it. The typical manic
pixie dream girl upsets the order that the male lead experiences but
is positive and likable. Nagatoro seems set up to serve the same
purpose, but she’s just awful. A total bully.
The
entire episode, I was cringing. I don’t like to say that because
it’s become something of a meme, but that’s the most accurate
description of the experience of watching “Don’t Toy With Me, Miss
Nagatoro”. Cringing. I felt horrible for Senpai and just wanted
to see Nagatoro get smacked in her sadistic face. THAT would be
funny, she comes in to bully but gets layed out by uncoordinated,
frightened flailing. The show is not.
If
there is one thing good I can say about the show… the animation is
decent? Nagatoro’s faces in particular are creative and
well-executed, ranging from “nice normal girl” to “annoying
little sister” to (more true to what she is) “Smug fiend”
“Grinning sadist” or “eccentric big-eyed villain”. The
expressions go huge in a way that could at least resemble good
comedy, and they do land. But that’s not going to save the
experience of watching the show. Not by a long shot.