In a different time and place, perhaps 10 years ago or maybe back in college this might of been a show I feel in love with and it could be for you. I feel that I need to say that this show probably will be (and heck, clearly is) loved by many. For me though, I just can't do it anymore.
Toradora has some truly awesome moments, probably about 3 or 4 really stand out scenes that make you think "OK, this is why we're here, this is what we've signed up for", but than just kinda continues and as lame of a description as I know this is, that's Toradora. It just continues. It plods along, gives you a great moment than just continues for many episodes, shows you something special and than... continues for episode after episode and... well you get it. Toradora isn't slow, there aren't pacing problems, it just moves smoothly along at 5 below the speed limit as to not get a ticket. When all you really want is for it to just pick it up to 10 over because no one will ticket you for that and we can get to the destination sooner.
Again going back to this being my problem I hopped on this show way after the fact. So basically I've been inundated with threads, scores and youtube videos saying how great the romance is. This is where my years of anime and age will hurt you Toradora because well... that isn't really what I think of when I think romance. Man if lets say episode 26 was actually episode 20, that would be been amazing. That's what I wanted. I wasn't really looking for the weirdly rushed and out of place moments in the conclusion.
I want to see love, I want to see couples, I don't want to see dozens of episodes of the main characters "friends" saying they want to help and be their for the couple, but well, they aren't really or people leading others on with no intention of doing anything. Or episode after episode of two characters clearly knowing what they want, but neither doing anything about it. These aren't the helpful friends the show says they are or the great characters I hope to see.
What's the main romance wasn't even bad, it wasn't cheap, it wasn't rushed or any of the multitude of ways you can describe romances you didn't like, it was, well, wishy washy. I don't want to see that kind of stuff in real life let alone 26 episodes of wishy washy behavior. You can't even give it the classic "will they or won't they" description since it's more "they should be, just what is taking so long". Dragging it out and making things take too long doesn't make a payoff all the more grand, it almost makes the payoff just a sigh of relief, when you can say "finally, it's about time" and that's not a good thing.
And that brings me back to my main point. Toradora, it's me, you're just not for me anymore. You might of been, heck you most likely really were right in my wheel house, but now I just can't put up with it. You can't give me 3 awesome moments, ignore them, give me 10 minutes of great in the last episode and than insult your own ending by being all anime. Obviously I'm in a minority and this show is loved by many. I mentioned early it's not bad, this is purely a personal preference which I can clearly see. So this goes out to people like me, if you could imagine yourself saying these words than Toradora isn't for you because it will leave you disappointed and frustrated in the end.
Oh and lets see... show looks fine with satisfactory character designs, but I'm also done with little girl looking characters, but for some reason it didn't make me stop watching so good on you Toradora. I honestly can't remember music so it couldn't of been that good. Basically it was as by the book, fine as you can get from production values. Though there are a few moments when characters scream at each other or fight where things get all serious like you're about to watch some absurd fight in an action/adventure that stood out in an odd way.
Before I close this way too long review I just want to mention the supporting characters one more time because for the most part they were ehh... they kinda grated on me, I mention about how everyone's outlook is just frustrating and it seems like they aren't really great friends. Hearing someone say "but I just wanted you to be happy", but not actually helping the couple get together isn't helping that person be happy. Anime needs to learn this, that one is on you anime, that's not my problem, that's one of the few problems that's yours.
