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Aug 23, 2017
Story (8/10)
I'm a sucker for the premise itself, but the story itself is absolutely hilarious and fluffy. If you're up for a feelsy story, then yeah, this will make you squeal with joy and happiness (although sometimes you may end up pounding your fists on the table... like I do).
In the midst of all the fluff, there are some pretty enlightening messages too. Besides, I really like how the basketball matches here are pretty realistic (especially after having watched Kuroko no Basket... don't get me wrong by the way I love Kuroko no Basket a lot). The only thing that bothers me is the
...
conflicts are kinda contrived, and some scenes are pretty typical so you'll get this deja vu feel, but well that's pretty normal for a shoujo manga and the things that happen here aren't as ridiculous as some other shoujo manga I've read, so I'm all right xD
Flow-wise, it's actually paced well, even if some things are dragged out a little (like the whole relationship... oh god...) but well, I'm not very surprised.
At least, I'm happy that no one's a secret child from America or London or has a super tragic family background. Yet. Please don't disappoint me, Namai...
Characters (9/10)
General
It's basically Naruse and Yuki's show lol- Jkjk there are some side characters who actually stand out to me a lot. But generally the characters have pretty good chemistry and I find myself loving them all, even if we may not know every single character individually. The good thing is that Namaikizakari doesn't have the typical 'bad guy' or 'bad girl' (like we totally have enough of those), but those fangirls are really annoying. Like I get Naruse is hot, but seriously? Stalking him 24/7? It's as if normal female high school students don't have anything to do with their lives... But well, this is a shoujo manga, so I'll put away my excessive realism xD
Yuki
Yuki is like a mix of a tsundere and a kuudere. More on the kuudere side, but she shows more emotions than a normal kuudere. But at least, she has a reason for being 'tsun' as we call it. I find her pretty relatable, because she kinda reminds me of me somehow (except I'm less smart and reliable... /sobs sobs), but she's the kind of person who can't multitask. She also shoulders a lot of burden on herself. The refreshing thing about Yuki is that even though she dragged the saying-I-like-you-to-Naruse part, she admitted it to herself (in her head), which is not what normal tsunderes do. She acknowledges her feelings, but she's just really bad at expressing them, and chooses to run away instead. Yeah, it gets annoying, but then I'll probably do that if I were her so I kinda forgive her for that... lol.
Still, she's a pretty admirable character, because she always works behind-the-scenes, and is always determined to reach her goals. She's always selfless even if she doesn't show it in front of others. Also, the story really portrays that manager-basketball club relationship well, because I totally imagine Yuki being like the older sister of a bunch of kids. HOW I WANT AN OLDER SISTER LIKE YUKIII
Also, her family is absolutely adorbs. ; u ;
Naruse
Naruse is that popular guy who's handsome but is pretty much a jerk blahblah. If you read Kaichou wa Maid sama, he reminds me a lot of Usui (perverted, smart blabla), in my opinion, except that Naruse is a lot more clingy and stuck-up. Because I swear Naruse and Yuki kiss like every. single. chapter. Lol the skinship is just overwhelming. But what he has which Usui kind of lacks (sorry Usui, I still love you) is development. He really does change for the better. From someone who didn't give a damn about anyone at the past, he starts to care for his teammates, even the feelings of the girls who confessed to him etc, and it's really heartwarming to see. Heck, he even showed a really mature side to him later on, which is really evident when you compare his interactions with Yuki now vs then.
At the same time, he retains everything that's unique to him, like him being blunt and forgetting things easily, even if they mean a lot to the other person... But well, it's Naruse-style. So it's okay. xD
Hakamada
I'm okay with him, although I think the story exaggerated his girl-phobia a lot. But he does remind me of Yuki, with how passionate he is for basketball and determined to complete his goals. That makes me admire him a lot.
Arisa
Arisa surprised me a lot, because I thought she would be that typical stuck-up girl but she's actually really nice and easygoing. A girl who likes the main guy but isn't painted out to be a horrid person! What a miracle! Special shoutout to Rina too, who's nothing but lovable with Kido ; u ;
Himeno
She's a pretty late addition but I love how she is not afraid to face her fears. Like Yuki, she kinda reminds me of me but she takes advice better than I can (sadly...)
Relationships
Naruse and Yuki's relationship is basically a Tom-and-Jerry relationship, with Naruse being Tom and Yuki being Jerry. Their chemistry is the bomb, although sometimes I do feel like smacking both of them (particularly Yuki) for being so stupid. I guess that's the joy of young love... I do wish their relationship will be able to develop on a more mature level someday, even though it's really fun to see them be jealous at each other like two idiots xP I also particularly like Yuki and Himeno's relationship, because Yuki is like being such a supportive senior to her junior and it's just- cute. :D
Art (9/10)
I really like Namai's art style. The characters are drawn very cleanly(?) and the cutting isn't too confusing. Naruse is especially eye-catching (though I guess that's a given...) The other characters are also drawn with pretty distinctive traits, so it's easy to recognise them.
Enjoyment (9/10)
THUMBS UP! It's just so fluffy and fun, although I do wish they would take a break from all that kissing lol (maybe I'm light-hearted ~.~) and that Yuki would be 'nicer' to Naruse for once lmao. But still it's her wacky charm. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and the fact that I marathoned 58 chapters in 2 days despite having some work going on kinda show that.
Overall (9/10)
Recommended for:
; Relatable but fun characters
; Tom-and-Jerry relationship
; Flufffff
; The occasional meaningful messages
; Finally, the main character isn't stupid... Finally, no more tragic backstories... Finally, no solely evil characters...
; Kisses
Not recommended for:
; Yuki being such a wimp most of the time. But to cut her off some slack, she did have a reason and she's progressing a little now xD
Overall, this is a really good shoujo manga so if you love reading shoujo mangas, then yeah this is probably the one for you! :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 14, 2016
Story (5/10)
After watching a track-and-field competition, Ashiya Mizuki begins to admire Sano Izumi, a high jump competitor, for his beautiful form. She decides to secretly enroll into Osaka Gakeun which Izumi is in. However, Osaka Gakeun is an all-boys' school, which means that Mizuki has to disguise herself as a boy!
+
; The comedy in this manga is golden, and it's probably its best point. It's a delight to read the manga because I know it can always bring out laughter of me.
; It is easy for the readers to follow the story because every volume has a clear focus and at the end of
...
the day, the readers won't go (???) over what they have just read.
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; The flow is a little sketchy. Hana Kimi has around 140 chapters (excluding the special chapters) and the story spends half of the time making no progress. It almost feels like the middle portion of the manga is just fillers (most which are good fillers though, because at least we get character development which is pretty much the main selling point of the manga). That being said, the actual climax comes off as sudden, and the ending itself is also sudden, so the page distribution here is a little uneven.
Characters (9/10)
The manga, of course, focuses a lot on Mizuki and Izumi, but it does spend much of its time on the other side characters (to name a few, Nakatsu, Minami, Hokuto are some examples). Hana Kimi is largely centered around characters' arcs or school events, and how the main characters (primarily Mizuki) deal with the situations.
+
; Most characters are distinctive and have their own perks and sense of humour, so it's fairly easy to fall for them.
; CHEMISTRY. Hana Kimi just nails it when it comes to the chemistry from the romance aspect to the friendship aspect.
; We get to learn a lot about the characters' backstories and how they shape the way the characters think and act, so all of that really ups how relatable the characters are. We get to see other characters' reactions towards certain events as well, and that really allows us to have a better idea of who they are as people.
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; ...Seems like it's a common thing in anime/manga in general, but really, TOO MUCH DENSENESS. It's pretty much why the manga has dragged on for so long. Moderate denseness is fine, but when the characters are oblivious about terribly obvious things, it gets very frustrating.
; Too many side characters. Of course, I love side characters, but I feel like there are too many irrelevant ones who don't add to the significance of the plot. Sometimes, cutting down is better than adding more. It allows the readers to focus more on the more important characters.
Mizuki
One word: Dense. Seriously. Okay, actually Mizuki isn't all about denseness, and although I really really hate dense protagonists, I feel that Mizuki is pretty likable in her own way. Maybe it's just the way how she has extremely strong beliefs and is very willing to stand up for what she believes for. She also really cherishes the people around her, and that is of course an admirable trait!
I feel like she's the least developed out of all the characters, though. She starts off as a happy, dense Mizuki and ends off as a happy, dense Mizuki. Her memories in the school don't allow her to grow in any way (or even if she had some realisations, her growth isn't really shown in the manga).
Izumi
One word: Tsundere. And he denies that he isn't one >.> He's not all that bad of a tsundere, though. He's actually quite a cool guy, but of course, he is really dense (even if he doesn't seem like it). It may sound weird, but I think he's more clingy than Mizuki is. Unlike Mizuki who seems to be able to talk to anyone, Izumi has a very limited number of friends. This makes this dynamic very interesting to watch.
Others
I'm not going to go through everyone but I sure love the side characters (we even have one that can see ghosts... maybe he can be the main protagonist for a supernatural story hoho). There are some which are forgettable but most of them are really memorable, and that's quite a feat because Hana Kimi has a huge cast of side characters. By the way, Hana Kimi isn't really a reverse harem (although we do have one certain guy who crushes on Mizuki and other side characters who have some unique relationships with her... but considering the huge cast involved I won't consider that as a harem)
Relationships
Although I'll say that Izumi does pamper Mizuki a lot, I feel that their relationship is a fairly balanced one because we also see Mizuki taking care of Izumi a lot, and it's just adorable :) Their denseness does get out of hand, but even as friends, they're still endearing to watch. I think the friendship aspect is the best part though, and it's great to see how Mizuki just meshes so well with the other students in Osaka Gakeun and it feels like they're genuinely friends.
Art (9/10)
The art is adorable and comical when it needs to be, but when it comes down to the more serious/beautiful parts, it nails the atmosphere just as it should be as well. It gives off a more sketchy(?) feeling which suits Hana Kimi's mood very well.
Enjoyment (8/10)
I've enjoyed the manga while it has lasted, but I do feel like the romance can be sped up a lot. Other than that, I really have no major complaints. The manga is funny, has amazing characters with amazing chemistry; what more can I really ask for?
Overall (8/10)
Recommended for:
; Chemistry (not the Science one, but the relationships one ^^'')
; Developed characters
; Golden jokes
; A storyline which is easy to follow
Not recommended for:
; ...Too much denseness
; Flow/pacing issues. Too much fillers in the middle, and abrupt turn at the end.
; Predictability. Don't expect a groundbreaking story of originality because this story is largely about its characters and relationships.
I think I would actually recommend this manga to pretty much anyone who likes SOL + romcom (especially the comedy part) and people who like genderbender stories too. But if you want a serious or adventure kind of manga, then yeah, this may not be the manga for you!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 9, 2016
Story (6/10)
Basically, the story revolves around our the relationships between our main protagonists: Ryuuji, Taiga, Yusaku, Minori and Ami. Ryuuji has a crush on Minori, who is Taiga's best friend, and Taiga has a crush on Yusaku, who is Ryuuji's best friend. So what's the best thing you can do in this situation? Of course it's to help each other out! And so Ryuuji and Taiga promise to lend each other a helping hand, but things don't turn out quite like they may expect...
+
; The story is structured in a way that the first half is absolutely hilarious, but the second half takes a drastic
...
turn with more drama and angst. Personally, I like the shift in tone; due to the appropriate contrast, it makes the second half seem a lot more significant.
; Of course, the story is predictable. I mean, it's kinda hard to expect a unique story from SOL anime. I do think the execution itself makes up for that, however. It's like you know how it'll turn out as, but you still want to watch it simply because you feel for the characters and are interested to know what will happen to them. That's the magic of SOL stories.
; I appreciate the messages that the anime wants to convey to the readers; it feels like a life lesson somehow. Yes, the characters make a lot of stupid mistakes, but I find that what's more important is what they have gained out of their experience. I'll talk more about this later.
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; I feel that the transitions between scenes themselves are poor. Sometimes, the flow can go too slow, but at other times, scenes would jump from one to another. And it can get very confusing.
; There are some logical faults and inconsistencies. I'm usually forgiving about stuff like that, but they can get a little overbearing as the series goes on.
Characters (9/10)
The series does pay heavy attention to Ryuuji and Taiga, our two main protagonists, but it doesn't shaft the other three protagonists that we have either.
+
; All characters are distinctive and they have their own quirks, flaws, strengths etc... Of course, we have the stereotypical tsundere, but the development of her character makes up for it.
; Relationships have natural chemistry and you do feel like everyone is genuinely friends with one another.
; All characters are developed adequately and are relatable in a way or another.
-
; ...DENSENESS. TOO MUCH OF IT.
; Violence. A bit too much of it as well.
Ryuuji
He's a very untypical male protagonist. Okay, granted that he's an overall very dense and silly guy (why does SOL anime love dense protagonists...) but he has other very appealing personality traits to him. He seems tough, but he actually has a motherly heart and cares deeply for the friends around him. He's OCD (pretty much), has a huge sense of responsibility etc... Despite the denseness, he's a very likable person overall.
Of course, that doesn't mean he has no flaws at all, and these little flaws come together to make him an even more sympathisable character. He does push his opinions on others sometimes. He does try to escape from situations (literally everyone in this anime does that tbh). But he's all but a teenager, and as a teenager myself, I can certainly relate to his moments of stupidity because I can be like him sometimes. And once again, that makes him all the more likable.
A lot of people hate him for being dense and some other reasons. Admittedly, I get frustrated with him because half of the problems would have been solved if he was just more straight with himself. But in the end, I still think Ryuuji's a pretty great character.
Taiga
I actually came to this anime because Taiga is a really popular tsundere and she looks ADOORABLE. \o/ Well, she reminds me a lot of Chitoge (they're both tsundere buddies after all), but a more violent(?) kind in a sense. Personally, I think some of the violence is a bit unnecessary, but what'd you expect—it's anime. The violent stuff can get out-of-hand sometimes, though.
It's just a delight to see how Taiga progresses as a character as the series goes on. She turns from a lazy, spoiled, bossy kid to someone who can actually take care of herself and even others. And so, even though I was (???) about her at first, she grew on me a lot.
A lot of people hate her for not stepping up but I think her self-denial makes sense. After all, she has always believed that her crush is Yusaku, and furthermore, she didn't have a positive impression of Ryuuji to begin with. Of course, I do think it's too exaggerated at times just to drag the series on longer, and it can be lessened drastically.
Minori
Minori's deceiving. She seems like the sun, but truthfully, no one is perfect. I don't know if going on will be considered a spoiler so I'll just stop here to be safe. Just know that her character is like a rollercoaster ride. That being said, she's interesting and I like her a lot. Of course, many people hate her for not being honest with herself, but I think it's very understandable considering her backstory and how her personality she is like. It's just very frustrating to watch as a viewer.
Yusaku
Honestly speaking, I think he has received the least development out of everyone. At the end of the day, I still don't have a full grasp of how his personality is really like... It's interesting to see someone who looks like a nerd, is the student president but is actually very sociable and popular (for once!!) He has some eccentrics and ridiculous moments but I can't say that I terribly hate him.
Ami
At the start, I really hated Ami, but she has really matured a lot as the series goes on. The whole facade thing is kinda weird to me though, because by the end of the series, I don't understand if she's still putting on a mask or not (this is probably due to the transition between scenes). It's funny how she knows everyone's feelings but the people involved are like dumb bricks who just don't get it -.-'' She's like a representation of us in a way. That being said, her vague statements are annoying (Ami, dear, dense people won't get you no matter what unless you say it straight... which is something the characters in this series never seem to do). It is kinda heartbreaking to see her put away her feelings for Ryuuji so silently without complaints, though.
Relationships
Taiga and Ryuuji's relationship is very natural, but honestly I can't imagine them doing the cheesy stuff they did in the ending (maybe because I have always seen them more as frenemies than anything?) The other characters' relationships are nicely developed as well, and it's heartwarming to see how strong the friendships between the various characters have become!
Speaking about relationships, here's a special shoutout to family relations. I feel like Taiga's family can be developed more, because I still don't like and can't understand them. Ya-chan is amazing, though; she really is.
Art & Animation (8/10)
I'm not an expert when it comes to animation, but Toradora! is aesthetically pleasing. I feel like the character faces aren't that distinctive though (Ami and Kano, anyone?) and can appear a little plain. No biggie though.
Sound (8/10)
Again, I'm not an expert, but I do enjoy the OP and ED songs (idk why, but Vanilla Salt is constantly stuck in my head). The soundtracks fit with the various scenarios perfectly as well, but I don't think they're particularly outstanding.
Enjoyment (7/10)
It's definitely a fun ride. I admit there are times when I feel like banging my head on the table because of the characters, or times when I feel that the story is a little too draggy, but this series has successfully got me to immerse myself in the characters' stories and that's really a success in my book.
Overall (8/10)
Recommended for:
; Developed and sympathisable characters
; Adorable relationships
; Comedy comedy comedy... because who doesn't like comedy? \o/
; Its many life lessons which we can learn from the characters' stupidity. Yes, the characters can be very silly sometimes, but making mistakes is human. Making mistakes is the way to gain experience. And throughout the journey with Toradora! characters, we as the watchers can laugh, cry and grow with them. And there lies its magic.
Not recommended for:
; Lots of denseness, stupidity, and sometimes violence (do you hate dense characters or characters who can't seem to admit their own feelings? do you hate it when the female character abuses the male character? do you hate it when you are put through a love triangle-like story? if you said no, then Toradora! may not be for you)
; Its poor transition in scenes (if you hate anime where the story gets a little too draggy/goes a little too fast at times, then Toradora! may not be your cup of tea)
; Predictability
; Occasional fillers (P.S. There is one action(?) scene in Toradora if that can be considered action... but be warned, majority of the time there's no action or any fantasy-like elements)
; Are you extremely disturbed by moments of unrealism, exaggeration or inconsistencies? If yes, then yeah, Toradora! may not be for you.
All in all, I do think people should give this anime a try even if they're a bit iffy about it, because it is a really fun experience (especially for SOL romcom lovers).
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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