Senpai and Nagatoro are closer than ever, but Senpai’s art career is in jeopardy from his chronic nerves. Enlisting the help of her nemesis, Nagatoro finds the cure might be worse than the disease, unless she plans to reveal way more of herself than usual. Yes, it’s time to put the right to bare arms, and pretty much everything else, on the line.
After a recent run of mediocrity in my manga, I turned to the foolish antics of these two doorknobs to try and turn the tide, which ended up being the absolute correct choice as this volume is a solid notch above the baseline Nagatoro fare and one of the best in recent memory.
Now that any pretence of them not liking one another is out the window, you’d think we’d just be killing time until the confession and the kiss, which we are, but the decision to be as ridiculous as possible while we wait pays off in massive dividends this time out.
The first chapter is actually a rather sweet one about Senpai trying to hold Nagatoro’s hand and if there’s one trope I won’t be sick of any time soon, it’s a character who proclaims they know all about romance from shojo manga.
My only complaint here is that we don’t see more of the story-within-the-story, which is just gender swap Nagatoro and very funny as a consequence. It’s an easy joke, but that doesn’t make it less fun and there’s a very clever callback within the chapter at the end that I liked.
I’m particularly focused on this one chapter because it really drives home the new dynamic between Senpai and Nagatoro - he tries very, very hard and sometimes he needs a hand (cough) and then she helps get him the rest of the way. It’s very cute.
The big story, however, is Senpai getting in over his head at art school, or, more accurately, stuck in his head and on the verge of his big dream going under due to his nerves.
Naturally Nagatoro comes to the rescue, but knowing nothing about art she turns to the former Club President, whose penchant for exhibitionism and back-breaking breasts are once more on full display, especially once she says that the solution is for Senpai to draw more nude models.
The story even directly references the monkey’s paw idea, so it knows what it’s doing, even as the Ex-President displays herself all over creation (the censoring of her nipples being annoyed Nagatoro chibi heads is so good).
So while the former President prepares to do her bit for Senpai, Nagatoro has a minor meltdown, but then has another (more major) meltdown when the obvious solution is presented to her to get around this problem.
Oh yes, we go there. And it is not for nothing that I note the way this plays out is shockingly tasteful given everything that surrounds it. There’s definitely some ‘have your ecchi and eat it too’, but it’s pretty much the reverse of how godawful that shower sequence was a book or two ago.
Everything else is just as fun, honestly. There’s a funny callback to an idea Nagatoro had several volumes back and some of the between-chapter gags are the best the series has ever done - the one after the ‘secret move’ chapter is exactly the kind of insanity you want in your gag manga.
Also, Yoshi decides to speak in Spanish for a few panels just because and it probably made me laugh the hardest of anything in the entire volume because it’s so incredibly random, yet she is saying things that are contextually accurate (yes, I went and looked up translations).
If there’s a failing, it is indeed that nothing is going on here in terms of plotting, so you can charitably call it a little slow, but I think the fun more than makes up for it. Even the extra horny bonus manga pays off with one absolute banger of a punch line.
4.5 stars - yeah, it doesn’t really go anywhere, but it makes sure that everybody, including the reader, is having a really great time while it drags out the inevitable. And if all the volumes were this fun, I wouldn’t even complain, so I’ll give it the high praise this time out.
The President is such a great supporting character, her every scene is a riot. Our illustrious pair is inching ever closer to being an actual boyfriend/girlfriend couple. The anticipation is palpable. I’m really looking forward to the next volume!
Nao is challenged by the past Art Club president (now a college student) to keep improving his skills and insists he level up to paint a nude model....and offers up....herself, naturally.
Hayase Nagatoro is having none of that. She demands to be his nude model instead....but has to find the courage to back this declaration up. They compromise so that she can turn away from him and also use a towel.
These two definitely have feelings for each other and Nagatoro seems increasingly horny as these volumes go on...it's awkward & funny. Nagatoro's jealousy constantly gets the better of her...and she's affirmed out loud she wants to kiss him and that she wasn't kidding, which is real progress. All good romance in fiction is earned and this one is a long time in building. I suspect it will be worth it.
Mi piace Nagatoro, perché è abbastanza diversa dallo stereotipo di personaggio femminile da manga giapponese. Mi piace che prenda l’iniziativa nella relazione, che le prese in giro siano la sua love language, e che abbia obiettivi e interessi al di là dell’amore. Il problema è che sta diventando tutto un po’ ripetitivo, forse se si stringesse un po’ per arrivare al dunque sarebbe meglio.
Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro Vol. 15 I like the relationship between Nagatoro and her Senpai... and that's about it. The comedy is very hit-and-miss and the fanservice is goes a little overboard. At least, there is "progress" in the story and somewhat character development. To be fair, I like the main couple and this manga is a rom-com so I shouldn't complain too much.
The sweetest thing is when Senpai tries to casually take her hand and they clasp pinky fingers...he tries to pass it off as a joke but without a word she takes his full hand and they continue walking & holding hands. They are passed by a random woman on the street and Nagatoro doesn't let go. She wants to be seen as with him.
Behind the scenes, Nagatoro is trying to bolster Senpai's confidence as an artist but realizes she knows nothing about art and so calls upon the Art Club's previous President to help, and she does, but by insisting Senpai practice drawing nude models and offers herself up as his first subject. This triggers Nagatoro's jealousy and she steps up to offer herself instead...but internally the embarrassment is almost too much to bear. It turns out to be a lot more difficult than either realized because of their underlying but as yet not fully acknowledged feelings for each other getting in the way. After some awkward small-talk, they reach a compromise and Senpai is able to sketch Hayase naked--from the back, facing away from him at an angle, in a sitting position. He even adjusts the angle to not include the side of her breast he can actually see. The magic works and his skills improve at the art summer camp.
So at last the stakes are clear. Their first kiss is riding on Nagatoro winning her rematch in Judo with Orihara. His love confession is riding on winning first place in the next art competition. The manga is definitely drawing this out as long as possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was beginning to wonder if the story was going to lose its momentum, but it's seems I need not.have worried. The story is running at a pace, and as a result you become more invested in it as it goes on. Looking forward to next book!
I've actually getting impressed by mostly every new chapter. Hayase began as a really annoying character and, while she's still a bit annoying, I actually do believe her as a girl with a crush. Not a realistic one mind you, just in the context of this comic.