Toradora!

In this world, there’s this thing that no one’s ever seen. This thing is very kind and gentle. And if anyone could actually see it, there’d be a whole bunch of people wanting to have it. Maybe that’s why the world keeps it hidden from everyone... Because if it’s that hard to get, that makes it even more special. And one day, someone will find it. Whoever does find it, they’ll be the one that was supposed to. Because that’s the way it’s meant to be.

Ryuji Takesu is trying to find this something... He’s in love with ... an energetic girl in his class, but his reputation as the second scariest student in the school has kept him at a distance from her. One day, the first scariest student in the school slips a love note into his bag by mistake, and the two of them realize that they’re in love with each others’ best friends. By joining forces in the pursuit of their unrequited loves, can this tiger and dragon finally find that one thing that they long to see?

Well, once again, we’re returning to JC Staff, although this series is an entirely different creature than the two shows I’ve reviewed before. It combines the budget allocation from Ghost Hunt with the hyper-cheap aesthetic from Ookami-san to some surprisingly great effect. It’s not what you’d call a great looking series, as movement is limited, but for the most part, the movement it DOES showcase is smooth and kinetic. The only time it really becomes ugly is during a few of the biggest emotional moments of the show, and their attempt to get as much movement as possible out of the characters leads to frameless, poorly drawn monsters that look absolutely hilarious when paused. But luckily, those moments are few and far between, and the high emotions involved are enough to overpower and revulsion these images may cause.

As for the artwork, it’s above average. The character designs are brilliant, with inspired looks and bright, sharp color choices keeping the entire cast fresh in your mind for days after you finish the series, but outside of that, it’s pretty standard slice-of-life stuff. The CG, at least in the few moments that they choose to employ it, is flawlessly done, so it’s pretty easy to pick out where a good chunk of the budget went. The only aspect of the artwork that really bothered me were the constant jagged outlines around the characters, which is not an uncommon problem in anime from around the late aughts... Even Brotherhood and Spice and Wolf suffered from it. That problem is completely erased if you’re watching it on Blu-ray, however.

In any case, the show does it’s job visually, as all the extra effort in the animation makes for some impeccable comic timing, and the lighting and color scheme suddenly become gorgeous whenever there’s a romantic scene to showcase. The facial expressions are detailed and dynamic enough to make Kyoto Animation eat it’s heart out, which is important because in a lot of ways, the characters are the most important part of the show. The main characters... The ones who appear most prominently in the opening... Take the standard love triangle and evolve it into a full blown love pentagon, with enough plotting and emotional nuance that each one of them is as important to the unfolding drama as the next.

Our central character, Ryuji Takesu, is a hopeless romantic who’s been mistaken for a scary thug because of his tough face and quiet demeanor. If that sounds familiar to you, it’s because his character was ripped off wholesale by a series that I like to call “Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Original Ideas.” He’s the standard nice guy rom-com lead, but there’s more to him than others of his ilk... He was raised by a very childish single parent, which lead to him becoming the responsible housewife she could never be... He cooks, fusses, and is an obsessive neat-freak who can’t stand to let dirt or mold sit unchallenged. His personality may not resonate with everyone, but that’s what’s so wonderful about it... He actually has personality traits that aren’t just positive gimmicks, and the majority of the people surrounding him actually DO find him weird because of it. He’s not the glorified perfect guy everyone loves, and after Kyo-Ani’s domination of the market, that’s pretty refreshing.

The other main character is Taiga Aisaka, a tiny girl who’s actually earned her frightful reputation. Blunt and brutal, she’s been given the diminutive nickname “The Palmtop Tiger.” At first glance, she may appear to be some calculated pander to the fans of the lolicon and tsundere archetypes, and I can kind of understand where people who say this are coming from. But as the story progresses, and you learn more about her family situation, her tough nature becomes more and more understandable, and it also becomes very clear that her physical shortcomings are a thing that she has to overcompensate for. Yeah, you can condemn her as being a shallow grab at the loli market, but the truth is, I knew plenty of girls like her in school, so it’s hard for me to become offended when one of them is very accurately represented in a story. She’s the most complex and (ironically) the most developed character in the cast, so it makes sense that she’s become the posterchild for the series.

Their friends(and initial love interests) are Yusaku Kitamura and Minori Kushieda, two lovable oddballs who are active in a lot of school activities. Yusaku is a relatively simple character, and in the beginning, he’s the only one who knows that Taiga and Ryuji are good people. This probably has something to do with his involvement in student council, as he seems to be the kind of person who makes an effort to get to know everybody. Despite being a little simple, he does have his problems, and he does get his own arc, and they don’t disappoint. Minori is the class’s genki girl, a bright ball of energy who tries her best in everything she does, is highly perceptive of other peoples’ true feelings, and holds about a dozen jobs outside of school. She can be annoying to some viewers, but while it’s never fully explored, it’s implied several times throughout the anime that she has a wealth of issues below the surface, and that she may secretly suffer from poverty, or even severe depression in her home life. Whatever the case, the only ones who never really believe in her sunny exterior are herself and...

My favorite character in the show, Ami Kawashima. When she’s introduced to the story, it’s as a sort of villain... Or, at least, an antagonist. She’s a bratty, arrogant model who puts on a much more manufactured, moe-like facade in order to manipulate people, and if you’re the kind of person who can’t stand all the infantilized doe-eyed ladies of the Key Trinity, you’ll be laughing right along with her over it. As she develops, and we learn more about why she transferred to this school and why she is the way she is, she’s eventually forced to drop her act, at which point she becomes arguably the most important character in the series. She becomes an almost Shakespearian character, a fifth wheel who’s free to observe the web of lies going on between her cast mates. She takes an active role in the story, pulling strings and making calculated comments, getting way too involved as she tries to unravel the truth behind it all.

The supporting cast is used with surprising efficiency, as none of them are featured any more or less than they need to be. Characters like The Student council President, Inko the brain-damaged parrot, and the parents of our two central characters exist not only to augment the comedy or drama of the material, but to drop subtle hints about why the characters are the way they are. Characters like Miss Koigakubo and four other select students exist to deliver some stunning paralells in regards to what’s going on in the main story, as well as to serve as a constant reminder that there’s a world outside of Taiga's circle.

Toradora is one of a small list of shows that I’ve seen in both English and Japanese, and even though I may be woefully monolingual, I can personally attest to the fact that both tracks are nothing short of pure gold. I can’t really say anything about the Japanese track that a simple list of names wouldn’t say all on it’s own, as I don’t think anybody is a virgin to the works of people like Rie Kugimiya and Yui Horie, but the English dub really doesn’t have that kind of star power, so it does merit a bit more discussion.

In recent years, Bang Zoom Entertainment has taken to pushing it’s main stable to the back row, and instead giving some of it’s best roles to a series of newer actors that haven’t gotten nearly as much work in the past. This transition was a little rocky at first, with projects like K-On and Oblivion Island at the forefront, and some decent yet rather awkward acting in Madoka Magica. Well, Toradora was their moment, and they rose to it, putting forth better performances than I could have possibly imagined. They all far surpassed the relatively little work they’ve previously done, and after hearing them in this, I sincerely hope this stable becomes the next big industry powerhouse.

Going in, I already had respect for Cassandra Lee’s ability to understand her characters, as her performances in both K-On and Madoka Magica were outstanding, but I felt Taiga’s depth was out of her range… And I never really liked Christine Marie Cabanos, although she was decent in Squidgirl. I wasn’t initially expecting much, but this dub is literally perfect. And yes, I know what I’m implying by putting the word literally before the word perfect… Believe me, I mean it that way. I can’t imagine any cast coming together for Toradora better than this one did. All of those actors I’d never heard of before… Like Erika Herlacher and Erik Kimerer… Are names I’m going to be looking out for from now on. Cassandra Lee has only strengthened my confidence in her abilities, and as for Cabanos? I take back every negative thing I ever said about her. She is the star of this dub, and as such, I don’t want to live in a world where her performance is anything other than star-making. Every inch of her becomes Minori Kushieda, from her sunny and boisterous exterior all the way down to her complex, insecure interior. She’s apparently found her niche in loud, energetic characters, so I hope she keeps getting roles like that one.

There are a handful of seasoned veterans among the cast, with Johnny Yong Bosch and Karen Strassman pulling off performances that are about what you’d expect from them... Which is a good thing, mind you. And even though she’s playing multiple second-string roles, like that weird parrot-thing, Wendee Lee hasn’t sounded this good since Cowboy Bebop.

So, right from the first episode, or just from a simple explanation of the plot, most viewers will give this show a dismissive wave and say that it sounds too predictable. “Okay, so they’re in love with each others’ best friends, but they’re going to wind up falling in love with each other, right?” I have literally sat and watched this with a first time viewer who said pretty much this, and then throw his hands up in defeat after about eight episodes of NOTHING going the way he predicted it would. And that’s part of the genius of this series. The characters are familiar, the tropes are familiar, the setting is familiar, but none of it is ever played the way you’d expect it to be played. Take any problem that the romantic comedy/harem genre may have, and Toradora either avoids it completely or turns it upside down.

For example, there’s the harem aspet. It’s a trend in way too many shows that nearly every female character in the cast will inexplicably fall head over heels in love with the male protagonist, ignoring all other options as not being main enough for them. This is one of the biggest issues I had with Sword Art Online and Clannad, but it’s not just a numbers issue... In Tiger and Bunny, the main character had ONE girl fawning over him, and it was still bugged me by being completely unexplained. In Toradora, yes, the three main girls have feelings for Ryuji, but there are a few things that set this series apart... First off, it’s only those three characters. Second, all three of these love interests are explained in story, either explicitly or with subtlety, and they’re all played out differently. And finally, Ryuji’s not the only eligible bachelor in the show... His friend Yusaku gets just as much attention, and hell, the first character in the named cast to get a significant other is one of their classmates!

Another example is that in most harem shows, particularly the ones adapted from dating games (Which Toradora thankfully wasn’t), the story seems disjointed, as each character gets their own arc while the main relationship just sits on the backburner until all the filler is done and the writers are damn well good and ready to just get to the point already. But Toradora’s story is, however, VERY tightly written. There is not a single story arc in the single freaking series that doesn’t somehow involve Taiga and Ryuji and their ever-developing dynamic, nor does the central plot ever get forgotten. The other three mains may occasionally take a backseat, but they never disappear from a story completely.

Hell, when you get down to it, all the little things that make up your typical romantic comedy are here... But they’re used in new, clever, often subversive ways that are never just there for the sake of being checked off of a tropes list. Everything that you’d expect to see in a show like this... From bathing suit shopping to the obligatory beach episode... Is executed in a way that’s fresh, unique, and important to the story. Hell, where most anime are happy to settle on a cafe or a haunted house for their culture fest episode, Toradora goes balls-out with a professional wrestling show, complete with faces, heels, an over-the-top script and choreographed in-ring action! We never see any characters in the bath, because no matter what a lot of other shows may think, no on screen conversation ever NEEDS to take place in the bath. There’s a little bit of fanservice, but it’s never gratuitous... Except for a dream that one of the side characters has right before the Christmas arc, which was funny enough to be excusable... And it’s offset by a heaping helping of manservice, often willingly supplied by the unnervingly confident Yusaku, and even then, it’s played entirely for laughs.

But if I had to pick out one thing that makes this series stand out over the tops of all the other rom-coms out there, it would be exactly that... Confidence. Toradora is one hundred percent confident in the quality of the material it has to offer, and unlike a lot of other shows that value enthusiasm over ability, it’s smart enough to know that it’s confidence is well founded. It never doubts itself, nor does it ever assume that YOU doubt it, and it never slows down or breaks it’s outstanding pace to try and convince you otherwise. It’s this confidence that gives Toradora it’s energy. Well, that, and the amazing soundtrack.

Toradora has an unwavering, dazzling energy just radiating from it at every moment of screen time. That energy never goes away, even during the more tear-jerking scenes, because it never screws around... Instead of pop culture references, Toradora casually rolls out references and metaphors related to it’s own universe. Where there are plenty of anime that fall into the trap of stopping their stories dead to show you backstory episodes you don’t care about for characters who are just going to fade into the background afterwards... His and Her Circumstances was particularly bad about this... Toradora doesn’t, because it knows that you’ll care about the characters anyway. It never does anything just because it feels like it should, nor does it ever show us anything just because we might want to see it. The only time it really slows down is towards the end, and it only does it then because it has one hell of a perfect post-credits ending to close on.

Toradora was originally released on a pair of undubbed DVDs by Sentai Filmworks, and while those DVDs were just fine and dandy... Once again, the sub is great all on it’s own... I would still highly recommend purchasing the DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack that was released last year by NIS America. It’s pricey, but it comes with a full color fan book and a generous helping of special features, including the cute and charming Hooray for Foodies mini-sodes. It also comes with a short video of some of the impressions that Taiga made Ami do, and a dubbed OVA episode about the magic of making bento boxes, but I’ll be honest, they were both kind of disappointing. The OVA wasn’t necessarily bad, but it would have dragged down the series if it had actually been included. You can also stream the entire series, in either language, on Crunchyroll!

Toradora isn’t just great, it’s glowing. With the exception of the animation, which is at the very least better than it has any right to be, there is nothing this series does wrong. At twenty five episodes long, it’s as fun to rewatch as any other show with half the episode count. The high rewatch quality doesn’t stop there, either, as the comedic and dramatic material are both so effective and so timeless that I still found myself constantly laughing and choking up after seven entire viewings. It takes some of the worst things about the romantic comedy and harem genres and proves just how amazing those things can become with a little bit of effort, focus, and tender loving care. I won’t say whether or not the characters found that mysterious ‘thing’ they were looking for, but I found what I was looking for... The best anime romantic comedy ever made. I give Toradora a 10/10.

Romantic Comedies are some of the most common stories in modern entertainment, there never seems to be a shortage of them. Naturally, the genre can often be stale, relying on the same old tired formula over and over again. Some try to change things up with peculiar or supernatural circumstances, but more often than not just come off gimmicky. But every once in a while a really good romantic comedy comes out that reminds people of the value of the genre. Toradora is definitely one of these.

The story follows two high school misfits, Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, and their developing friendship. Ryuji is misunderstood ... by his schoolmates because of his intimidating appearance; in reality he is actually responsible nice guy (albeit certainly not a social butterfly). Taiga, on the other hand, despite her petite appearance is a real trouble child. She has a fierce and anti-social demeanor, and does not hesitate to put a beating to anyone who crosses her. These two are brought together because each has a crush on the other's best friend. They make an agreement to help one another win the hearts of their respective crushes. However, this is a lot harder done than said, as neither really has a clue about relationships. At the same time, they begin to find comfort in their makeshift friendship.

Admittedly, there is not anything particularly special about this set-up, and the story is actually quite predictable. You would have to be blind not to see how it ends from the moment Taiga and Ryuji meet. The funny thing is, though, none of that really matters. The real joy of Toradora lies in its presentation. Where other romantic comedies might rely on a quick gimmick to distinguish themselves from their kin, Toradora does not. What it does rely on, refreshingly enough, is quality writing and strong characterization.

Toradora has a nice balance of comedy and drama. The show can have you laughing one moment, then knock you down with hard hitting emotion the next. Silly misunderstandings, romantic rivalries, and other traits of the genre are utilized to develop characters in unexpected ways. Take for example the swimming contest between Taiga and her then rival Ami. It provided plenty of comedic moments that were amusing on their own, but also created a situation that further deepens Taiga and Ryuji's relationship as well. The way Toradora squeezes in character development at every opportunity is the key to its success. It turns what would otherwise be standard romantic comedy and school-life fair into something special.

The characters themselves, at first appearance, look like little more than a collection of tropes. Taiga is clearly a tsundere from the moment she appears, and there is not much that separates Ryuji from other protagonists. Taiga's best friend (Ryuji's crush) Minori is a hyperactive athlete; Ryuji's best friend (Taiga's crush) is an odd but popular student council member; and transfer student Ami serves as a rival to the tiny Taiga. Though they do not seem like anything special at first, they develop into well-rounded believable characters as the story progresses. Taiga's violent disposition becomes understandable as her numerous family problems are revealed; her tsudere tendencies are utilized convincingly to portray her as an aggressively guarded teenage girl. As energetic and weird as Minori is, she is more than just comedic relief, her hyperactive demeanor hides surprising depth. The two-faced Ami can come off as a bitch, but also has a side that is a sympathetic, and is remarkably well developed and interesting all on her own. While not as colorful in personality as the girls, Ryuji is an endearing lead whose presence never becomes bothersome. The rest of the cast is equally as likeable, though none shine as bright as the main cast.

Being in the slice-of-life genre, it is easy what to expect from Toradora visually. However, even here, the show delivers exceptionally well. Character designs are quite attractive; even though they are not particularly unconventional, there is a certain flair to them. The body language and facial expressions of each character is what brings them to life visually. Simlpy by the way they carry themselves and the way they move, it is easy to get a feel of who these characters are. Facial expressions are pivotal in conveying emotion, and it is clear Toradora's animators knew this, as they carefully handled the characters' exceptionally expressive faces to carry the subtlest of emotion.

Not to be outdone, the show's soundtrack is equally as impressive, if not even more so. While again not unconventional in the realm of slice-of-life anime, the music is magnificently composed. From the bubbly electrical pieces used in everyday school life scenes, to the fully orchestrated ones used in the show's emotional climaxes, every beat is a joy to listen to. This music is used masterfully, fitting the tone of every scene perfectly; becoming engraved with the emotion each contained. Even the transition into the charming J-pop ending themes is incredibly well done and memorable.

It is apparent that Toradora is not so much groundbreaking as it is incredibly well executed. It does not do anything especially innovative with its narrative, in fact, utilizing genre conventions. However, at the end of the day, such criticisms pale in comparison overwhelming merits of the show. It is inviting, funny, heartfelt, and overflowing with emotion. It easily stands proud among the best of its genre.

There are two kinds of camps I have seen when it comes to people who dislike this show. Some will watch the first couple of episodes and just find not to like it, which is somewhat understandable. But then worse fate is being part of the group who watches the show and enjoys it just to have it ruined by the ending.

In a way, I feel like alot of the people who say the ending is fine or even good are on huge doses of copium because they enjoyed the show like I did. I wont spoil it here, but trust me when I say ... it feels very dumb and not well written.

Despite that this show has a cast of likeable and unique characters, so its not the worst thing in the world. without the ending I would call this a solid 7.5/8

This is just too cute.
Oh just thinking about this series makes me want to get in a relationship and do some lovey dovey stuff. DAMN THE REALISTIC WORLD.
-Insert forever alone meme-

Good high school romantic comedies can be a lot of fun to watch. The bad ones, on the other hand, have the tendency to annoy viewers with tired clichés and are often neither romantic nor funny. Without a doubt, the anime title Toradora! falls into the first category. It not only contains some touching romance and hilarious comedy, but is also beautifully animated and cleverly scripted, making it a highly energetic and entertaining series. ...

Takasu Ryuuji dislikes the way his eyes look: menacing and rebellious. It is the first day of his second year in high school, and he is trying to change his appearance to match his kind personality. At school, Ryuuji bumps into a short girl who is known for bringing trouble, Aisaka Taiga. After a long turn of events, Taiga reveals that she likes Kitamura Yuusaku, one of Ryuuji’s few friends and Ryuuji then reciprocates by revealing to her that he likes Taiga’s friend, Kushieda Minori. They decide to make a pact in which Taiga will help Ryuuji confess to Minori if he becomes her “dog”.

The character designs on the whole are simple but attractive, and each each character's animation helps to communicate his or her personality: Ryuuji's slumped posture, Minori's exuberance, and Ami's haughty cool can be read equally well from their body language as from their dialogue. Far and away, the most visual sugar gets sprinkled on Aisaka Taiga; whether she be sleeping, toweling her hair, or using a doughnut as a halo, she looks fantastic.

Sound-wise, you have catchy opening and ending themes set alongside beautifully animated sequences. It's all a beautiful riot of colors and is extremely well-timed. The BGM is alright in my opinion; there's a few memorable pieces such several piano themes and guitar pieces that really compliment a few of scenes. They bring out the emotions of the characters and really strike the feeling home. Otherwise, the music didn't catch my attention too much. The voice acting is extremely well done, delivering the dialogues with all the right emotions.

I could go on and on about the characters but I'll try to keep it brief. The personalities and interactions of the characters really brings this entire show above the normal threshold for such a genre. Though they seem cookie-cutter in the beginning, it quickly changes as the story continues and they gain a level of depth and believability. You become so invested in their endeavors and become invested in their goals, especially in Ryūji and Taiga. The side characters are a little more predictable, but they each have their levels of depth that make the show enjoyable to watch

To put it simply, Toradora is a good anime. There's a great mix between comedy and romance, although sometimes the melodrama could be over the top if you're not used to it. The pacing of the story is done well and the cast of characters are charming and entertaining to watch. One gripe would probably be that the ending left a little more to be desired. It was a little out of the blue and for a second I was worried that the characters would make all the wrong choices but they pulled through in the end!

The people I've seen talk about Toradora! tend to get fixated on either half of the show, which is a horrible mistake. Taken as a whole, this work's honesty and humor paints a picture of high school romance and heartbreak that rings true. The loving, detailed visuals, laid back atmosphere and modest scope make the series a perfect introduction to the romance genre and a standout anime in its own right. No matter how angry it makes me at one moment, the next scene or episode has me singing its praises. In short, Toradora! is a lot like it's subject matter: In turns hilarious, rambling, confused, charming, and foolish, but ultimately a worthwhile and heartwarming experience.

Well, I'd better get back to my seat. The unmarried woman with her unmarried face is about to come to start the unmarried homeroom.

As we dash forward to chase our ideals, we may eventually realize that what we were chasing was beside us this whole time.

That is the basic premise that Toradora builds its story upon. Although Toradora is a rom com, the story line is not your typical rom com plot line. Our two main characters, Ryuji and Taiga, help each other get matched up with the other's friend. Furthermore, Taiga, for some reason, does not know how to take care of herself so it's up to Ryuji to make sure Taiga eats well and lives like a human. Obviously, it's inevitable that they will grow closer ... together. I enjoyed the fact that we don't have the main characters "coincidentally" encounter each other and develop feelings for one other that way. Instead, Toradora makes it so that we always see our couple together, scheming how they should get the guy/girl of their dreams.
As you begin watching the show, you may realize that it's mainly funny moments with Taiga and Ryuji and that the romance is meh. But as you move into the second half of Toradora, the comedic elements begin to take second wheel and the romantic elements take center stage. I assure that it's a great feels trip. If you haven't been rooting for a character at this point, the story will convince you to root for someone. I definitely would say that the second half of Toradora is the best part of the entire anime and what makes it endearing for so long.

In Toradora, we have Ryuji as the male lead who is often mistaken to be a goon but in fact, deep down, he is a very caring guy (who is also a clean freak). Taiga is our main female lead. Aptly nicknamed "Palmtop Tiger," she is someone who is not afraid to let her fists do the talking. For our "secondary" characters, we have Minori (Ryuji's crush), Kitamura (Taiga's crush), and Ami, a model who is an acquaintance of Kitamura. Although I label these three as "secondary" characters, they get ample screen time and a lot of development. This is another aspect that Toradora does well. The writers did not abandon them. Rather, Minori, Kitamura, and Ami are essential characters to the story but they don't take away our desire to see the developing chemistry between Taiga and Ryuji.
The only troubling aspect of Toradora is that at times, I found myself extremely frustrated because the characters can't either express themselves or seem oblivious to the feelings of others. Indeed, these are things that happen in real relationships, which makes Toradora very relatable, but since the anime is a rom com, this element doesn't mesh well with the genre.

The sound was fairly good. There were a few emotional scenes where the music helped bring out my emotions but other than that, the background music was alright. However, it was not intrusive in any way and was well-composed for the situation. The voice actors brought out the unique characteristics of each character and did a wonderful job.
I didn't quite like the opening and ending themes to Toradora. Although the beat of the first opening is pretty cool, I found the opening did not match the atmosphere of Toradora.

The artwork was good. There were some scenes where the colours were very rich and captured the mood really well. In general, Toradora leans on a vibrant colour palette. I felt that the character designs were a little simple. For example, Ami isn't drawn like a model as she should be so without telling you she's a model, you will think of her as just another student.

Although I don't think Toradora lived up to its hype, I enjoyed the anime. Since Taiga is the Queen of Tsunderes, you should have Toradora on your anime list (otherwise, she may come at night and hit you with her wooden katana). Even if you aren't a big Tsundere fan but still enjoy rom coms, you should have Toradora on your list because it is a very memorable anime.

I definitely would tell you to check out Toradora! Let me know what you liked or disliked about this anime. Was it over-hyped? Was the ending spot on? I would love to hear from you!

[Spoilers Mates] I have had my Toradora box set sitting on my shelf since 2012 or 13. I've had the VN for the PSP sitting around for years too, I have no idea why it took me so long to watch and finish this amazing show but god damn was it worth it.

Now with the story let me start off by saying I was really impressed with the pacing, romance and drama in the story. I mean, it was unfortunately too predictable for me however that did not stop it from being great. I liked that no matter what episode I was watching there ... was always a sense of joy and a little bit of wonder. I'd always be thinking to myself "Hmm, I wonder what antics Ryuji and Taiga are going to try to get closer to the ones they allegedly love." Now, there were numerous moments that I was disappointed about. From the first or second episode when Taiga confesses and gets friend-zoned by Yuusaku it's a dead give away from her speech about Ryuji that she may have already fallen for him. I was disappointed about that because I felt that it was too early for that to be established. Additional moments that made it predictable and a bit less enjoyable or less suspenseful for me was that after Ryuji's mother calls Taiga family, and lastly, more importantly is how they both go so far to support each others unrequited love.

Moving on from the story the artwork and most character designs are pretty good, especially for it's time. I think the only character's whose character designs I didn't care for was Ryuji. I'm not going to complain to much though because his character was supposed to be the delinquent type and the eyes, giving him such evil looking eyes and messy-ish hair work in that sense. Soundtrack... meh, only one good song that stood out for me and that was the track played when something sad or emotional was occurring. I'm a sucker for piano songs.

Characters were pretty amazing for the most part! I liked the relationships between the main and supporting characters, I felt like no characters were wasted. Even the background characters like Ryuji's friends. It was like every character had a purpose in the show and that's something I always like to see. Characters being put to good use even if they are people you don't really care about.

Toradora! was totally an enjoyable experience for me in some sense. I would recommend it to those who are more or less new to romance series. This is because as I mentioned earlier, it's really predictable and that easy predictability can really take away the enjoyment of the show.

Overall I have to give Toradora! 8/10 because while the story wasn't it's strong point the bond between the characters is something that makes it greater!

Toradora! is one of those animes that immediately pop into my mind when someone asks me for a rom/com recommendation. It's simply a must-watch if you're a fan of rom/com. Even if you aren't a typical watcher of these kinds of shows, Toradora! is definitely a great first step into that world.

STORY:
Toradora! follows a typical plot: a guy named Takasu Ryuuji has a crush on a girl, who just happens to be his neighbor's best friend. Coincidentally, the neighbor, Aisaka Taiga, has a crush on Takasu's best friend, Yuusaka Kitamura. The two team up and try to help each other get their targets through ... their adventures. But as the story introduces more characters and progresses from its light-hearted comedy to its heavy drama, the story evolves from its cliche'd plot and takes on a much deeper story. And while many animes are able to conduct such a transition, Toradora! is one that is able to do so subtly and beautifully.
10/10.

ART:
I'm not particularly picky about the art for animes, and to be completely honest, there's nothing special about the art for Toradora!. But it's definitely visually appealing and is well done. The only issue I had was he striking similarity between Kawashima Ami and the Student Countil President. The two were so similar I constantly confused one for the other when they were both introduced. Other than that, I thought the art was great.
9/10.

SOUND:
When an anime has a great OP, I never skip it for each episode. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Toradora!. While the first OP was quite catchy when I first heard it, it soon became something I just skipped to get to the show. Generally, the music was nothing special, especially during the light-hearted scenes. But the more touching moments of the anime had wonderful music that practically drove me to tears. Many dramatic scenes with crying characters or fights sent shivers done my spine as my vision started to blur in front of the screen. Such music was simply nicely fit into such moments and I couldn't describe it any other way.
10/10.

CHARACTER:
The characters at first appear to be two dimensional. But they have a lot more to them later when the story really hits the dramatic point. At that point, a lot of the characters' different sides and hidden desires are revealed and each changing angle is so interesting. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the story, so unfortunately I cannot substantiate my view. The characters are all lovable with their quirks and moments, especially Aisaka Taiga. She was by far my favorite character throughout the whole anime.
9/10.

ENJOYMENT:
With the unique execution and traversal of such an cliche'd story, I was well caught off-guard with such a emotional ride. The music and the story just blended together to create something that was truly amazing. I cried plenty and was hungry for more after I finished the series. It got so bad that afterwards, I went into a state of depression because I couldn't find anything like Toradora!
Toradora! definitely remains as one of the animes at the top of my list.

*sigh*

You know, I’m starting to lose all hope when it comes to romance / slice of life anime as they tend to either go in a certain way: they try to be outrageously funny and/or dramatic but it ends up being only one or the other and I’m left cold feeling that have doing nothing remarkable or distinctive to make me care about the characters, what they go through and the story as a whole and if you wondered what title made me like this, let’s say that I’m all out of LOVE for this genre. But, then, there’s Toradora and I have heard mixed ... things about the series (few either good than bad) but I don’t have the biggest expectations for the show.

Despite Ryuji Takasu’s gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent. Class rearrangements on his second high school year put him together with his best friend, Yusaku Kitamura, and his hidden crush, Minori Kushieda. Along with these two comes Kushieda’s best friend, Taiga Aisaka. Her delicate appearance contrasts with her brutal personality. Secretly in love with Kitamura, Taiga agrees to help Ryuji with his love interest as long as he helps her get closer to hers.

Now, as first it may seem like this is going to be some typical love story where the main guy tries to get with this girl by the help of the girl’s said friend and that said friend wants to hook up with the main guy’s best friend and then it turns out that those two might fall in love with each other. BUT…..it actually ends up being more than that. The show illustrates that love is a complicated thing and if something comes crumbling down, no one is going to be left unscathed emotionally, no matter how well you try to hide it. Originally, I was drawn by the comedic aspects of the show as I did had myself a great laugh throughout the earlier episodes but once it gets into the dramatic episodes later on, I was hooked and invested in knowing how the characters will progress throughout. One aspect of the show never overshadowed the other as both the comedy and drama are rightfully balanced without a hint of overexerted awkwardness in the writing.

I really appreciated how the characters in the show remain to be interesting and likable despite being some clichéd character-types at first but they are portrayed as realistic characters and the show equally get in-depth with them as the show goes on. At first, I thought Taiga was just going that annoying tsundere type that I loathe in anime so much, but eventually, she turns out to be an endearing character and reasons why she is what she is (i.e. coming from a broken home, parents don’t give a damn) and how she does stand up for her friends various times and is straight to the point honest. Ryuuji is somebody that isn’t a spineless male lead nor an off-the-wall perverted idiot lead, but a level-headed genuine character that doesn’t come off as Gary Stu-ish or manufactured as he does have his inner struggles to challenge through. Yusaku, to me, can be often funny and OK but he wasn’t really that important of a character to me to get fully invested but he does have a moment in that in the latter half of the series. But the ones to get me fully invested are Minori and Ami. For Minori, she does seems like the energetic best friend character with a nice girl personality that I really did like at first but she really progresses from that as she show signs of her not confronting her true feelings that she seems like a coward even though she does care for her friends. Ami on the other hand, I never would have expect to like someone as her being a bitch-in-sheep’s clothing character but honestly she wants more in friends than just having followers and admirers and while often she does pick on Taiga, she does care if anything were to happen to her.


J.C. Staff animated this production and it was a great effort from their part. However, this is nothing I would call new but more of the standard fare I expect from them as the artwork is gorgeous and the movement is performed smoothly and fluid within the context of the show. Character designs are also much to the standard of many anime characters but it is nothing over-the-top or fan service related but manageable.

For the music portion, “Pre-Parade”, the 1st opening theme performed by the main three female leads (Rie Kugimiya, Yui Horie, and Eri Kitamura) does set the mood for the series’ first half and I got to say, this is a decent track with some small flaws in it like it does sound like it’s over-produced in some areas but I actually like the track enough to not skip it. The 2nd opening theme, “silky heart”, also appropriately set the tone during the latter half of the series remarkably acceptable. The rest of the music delivers the dramatic moments spot-on as did the ending themes, “Vanilla Salt” and “Orange”, which sounds like ingredients for a cake than a song.

Now when I say this show was a surprise to me being good, there is also another surprise.


THIS SHOW ACTUALLY HAS AN ENGLISH DUB!!!!


No, really. This show is licensed by NIS America and normally they do sub-only anime releases and this is their first English dub release and also with the dub being done by Bang Zoom Entertainment and with director Alex Von David on the helm. I’m also proud to say that this is a damn good—no, a damn great dub!! Mainly, it’s because BZ is doing a slice-of-life show for once since recently they have only been dubbing action anime titles for some time and I think the dub shows off the VA’s acting range a bit more. Erik Scott Kimerer and Cassandra Lee Morris give out great performances as Ryuuji and Taiga. Johnny Yong Bosch was rather fine as Yusaka, usually the standard from him but he did his part exceptionally. Personally I think the standouts goes to both Christine Marie Cabanos as Minori and Erika Harlacher as Ami. Cabanos unquestionably delivers more to her acting range as Minori during the dramatic moments as well as her comedic scenes. Most of her comedic scenes did felt like a preview of what to see her as Mako in Kill La Kill (which I’m dying to see in the English dub, BTW). Harlacher sounds very natural as Ami, maintaining both the bitchiness and reasonableness in the character without feeling too overbearing or over the top and this is practically the actress’ best role yet.

FINAL VERDICT: Toradora is a complete surprise from me. Here I was expecting to be some run of the mill cliché romance anime but I got something more from this. Everything from the characters, the basic storyline and the soundtrack was executed well despite being plain on paper. Has this made me look at slice of life romantic anime in a different light? Maybe. This show gave me hope for this genre of anime and I hope future titles can learn from this show and how to make me care for the story, the characters and how they’re able to manage that. Toradora, you are definitely a title that I recommend to people. I should’ve never doubted you.

Toradora is based off of some romantic comedy light novels written by Takemiya Yuyuko. From October '08 to March '09, an anime adaptation aired. It was brought to us by J.C. Staff, the same studio behind Shakugan no Shana, Yami no Matsuei & Hachimitsu to Clover. So, this could be terrible, really good or bland, based on that. The anime version's writer doesn't help narrow things down either. It was handled by Okada Mari. She's worked on such anime as Canaan & Kuroshitsuji II. So, let's take a look and see if this is one of J.C's better works, or at least entertainingly bad ... like their work on Garzey no Tsubasa.

Story:

Ryuuji has romantic feelings for his classmate, Kushieda. Kushieda's best friend, Taiga, has a crush on Ryuuji's best friend, Kitamura. A fact that Ryuuji learns when she mistakenly leaves love letter in his bag. Ryuuji and Taiga become friends, planning to help one another in order to make their romantic dreams come true. Next stop, shenanigans.

The biggest flaw with the series is that its relatively unique set up for a rom-com becomes progressively more clichéd and predictable as the series progresses. In fact, a lot of you will be able to guess how the series ends just from applying romantic comedy logic to that short description. It's a shame because the early stuff can be fairly amusing. The series also has its share of always so “wonderful” jokes about a girl hitting a guy. Although, in all fairness, they aren't as prevalent in Toradora as they are in certain other series. The main romance is also quite bad with a convoluted love... heptagon... no, hexagon and with several overly melodramatic moments leading up to it.

Moving on to the positives. To reiterate, the early episodes are pretty entertaining and there are some genuinely funny moments in there with clever set ups and good pay offs. Seeing Ryuuji and Taiga try to help one another leads to quite a few good jokes.

Characters:

The characters in this aren't particularly complex, but they're perfectly functional for a comedic series and most of the main cast get their share of good comedic moments. Where the series really excels is with the developing friendship between Ryuuji and Taiga early on. Although, the series sets about ruining it in the second half.

Art:

The animation in this is pretty good. Granted, they don't have to do much with it since most of the series takes place in a rather generic townscape and at a rather generic school, but it has some strong details and the characters do look unique. The series also has some success at using lighting to set the mood at various points. It's a nice little detail.

Sound:

They got some good actors for this series. Kugimiya Rie, Majima Junji, Horie Yui, Nojima Hirofumi & Kitamura Eri are all fine actors. I won't claim that Toradora shows any of them at their absolute best, but there's enough for them to work with that they can show their skills. The music is pretty mediocre. There's nothing that really sets it apart from the music of any other romantic comedy.

Ho-yay:

There are points in the story where it definitely seems like Kushieda has feelings beyond friendship for Taiga. But as the series continues and becomes more trite, it becomes apparent that that isn't the case.

Final Thoughts:

Toradora is a series with a strong start. In the beginning, it has a lot going for it. A legitimately different premise. Some strong comedic scenes. A good dynamic betwixt Ryuuji and Taiga. However, as the series progresses it gradually eliminates all of that. It tosses it away to make things, to be completely frank, boring and generic. Instead of taking some risks, Takemiya decides to play it the safe, dull route we've seen in every romantic comedy ever made. As a result, the series squanders its early good will and ends things on a disappointing note. I sill wouldn't call it a bad series but I would say it ends up being as mediocre as Hachimitsu to Clover. My final rating is a 5/10. If you really like the standard rom-com clichés, you'll probably like it throughout. If you want something unique in any way you'll spend the first half of the series thinking “this could work if they don't decide to bog it down with obvious clichés” and the second half pressing your palm against your face a lot. Next week I'll look at Sword Art Online II.

Just from reading the synopsis and glancing over a few of the scores this anime received, I decided not to watch to it. One day I was in the mood for a romance and decided to check out Toradora! again, this time reading through several of the reviews. And, in all honesty, if I hadn't, I probably would have dropped the anime after the first few episodes. Yet, the promises that it would get a lot better by around episode six kept me watching. That, plus the fact that so many of the reviewers like it so much. It was also said to be similar ... to Lovely Complex, which it wasn't. At all.

Story/Characters;

It goes like this: Meet cute, crazy stuff, they work together and develop a sort of abusive friendship, then a lot, lot, lot of crazy stuff happens, not just with the two main characters, but also with the majority of the supporting characters. This anime makes sure to focus on everyone in the anime -- and nobody in class 2-C seems to have a boring life.

A lot of people seemed to rate this anime lower than they would have liked to due to predictability. If that is something that turns you off, then in my opinion, you should totally watch this anime. It was one of the least predictable animes I have ever watched. Sure, you think you know what is going to happen (and what obviously is supposed to happen) at the start, but then everything goes haywire and you are left with several different options. And all of them have a very, very likely chance of being correct. Until the very end, each option is given enough supporting evidence to be proven a valid guess. I promise you, it is very unlikely that you will know what will happen next in this story. If anything, you will be dying to know or pissed off because all of your assumptions were incorrect.

Now, I didn't like the story of this anime so much. Although it seemed obvious that they will be happiest together, I feel like Taiga and Ryuuji are an odd couple. Taiga is pretty abusive towards Ryuuji throughout the show, and a lot of the time I felt like he deserved better. They are both pretty selfish characters in their own way, as well. I never felt like they really belonged together. They seemed to be perfect best friends for each other, but no more than that. While watching the show, I really did get the sense of a father/daughter relationship between them, instead of two classmates and peers. That didn't really appeal to me.

Most romantic animes really let you see inside the characters' heads and into their hearts. This show doesn't do that. At the end, you will find that there is a lot that you didn't know about the characters -- things that could have completely changed your feelings about the show had they been introduced earlier. Instead of feeling like someone watching the lives of these characters play out before you, you almost just feel like an invisible person sitting in their classrooms and sometimes following the characters around. Like a stalker. Not a fan of the show, but a stalker. Although that does sound very nice, it does help you feel like you are a part of the characters' lives. You learn things just as slowly as any involved fellow classmate would.

Now for a hardcore romance fan like myself, this story like may seem very tedious and hard to get through, for the romantic progression is very slow. It's there, but it is dragging along to the point where you may feel like skipping a few episodes in order to find out if the pace will ever speed up. I am here to tell you that it does. For about the last five or six episodes, it does. And what you get in those last episodes isn't really enough to endure for. For those who love humor, I didn't really feel like this show was great for that either. I didn't really find myself laughing a lot. Then again, that may just be because everything else is so consuming that I didn't really pay attention to any possible humor.

Now, the characters in this show are pretty...amazing, to say the least. They all of have depth and each one could easily have at least a mediocre level anime set around them. Each character is very important to the show, as you will see if you watch it. They take up some screen time, but because of the time and effort put into their character development, that screen time is very enjoyable to watch. I was never frustrated when episodes focused on another character more often than Taiga and Ryuuji. Each character also has a nice air of mystery around them, which I feel added to the show's overall enjoyability.

While many people say that this is one of the best animes that they have ever watched, I disagree. Surely it is memorable because of how original it is and because of the ending, but not because I was blown away by it. The ending wasn't enough to make up for the other 20 or so episodes.

Art/Sound;

The art in Toradora! was pretty unique. It's memorable for being different, just like the rest of the show. The coloring is pretty arrogant, but very eye-catching. The action scenes are drawn very well, though. They were very good about keeping proportions throughout the show. Now, while things were accurate, all of the detail seemed to be focused on the eyes of the characters -- which were some of the best I have ever seen. Although at times the eyes just seemed to take over their entire face, I didn't find it to be too distracting. The facial expressions were amazing as well. You could really feel what the character's felt just by looking at their intense and masterfully drawn expressions.

I did love the music for the anime, though. Both the EDs and the OPs were very nice. I believe that I will be listening to them for quite some time. I also really liked the fact that the voice actors sang the songs. It helped me really connect to the show.

Conclusion;

I wouldn't recommend this to a friend, but I wouldn't tell them it would be a waste of their time to watch it if they felt like it. I don't feel like this anime held up to all the astounding reviews it had, but it also didn't hold up for all the weak points other reviewers suggested, in my mind. It is a very memorable show, but only because it is different and what you think will happen doesn't really happens -- this show really manages to shock you very frequently. This show is a lot more about friendship than it is about romance, in my opinion.

Should I watch it?;

If you are in the mood for a dramatic romance, or a hysterical romantic comedy, that has a predictable plot line and focuses on the ups and downs of one relationship and lets you see into the hearts of the characters -- a show that talks about how high school life fits into a romance, one that has a nice shoujo art style and really helps you feel for the characters, I suggest you find something else. On the other hand, if you want to watch a nice coming-of-age story, one that deals with friendship a lot more than it does romance, one that focuses on the difficulties of finding and accepting yourself while still pleasing others, and is about finding those that mean a lot to you and filling a void in your life -- one that has a not-so-normal couple and a lot of love possibilities (and a lot of possibility in general), one that gives each character a lot of depth, mystery, and some adequate screen time, and one that makes you feel like a part of the story and is a pretty memorable tale, then this is for you.

Looking to expand my occasionally action or intellectually centered anime tastes, I perused the top rated anime list in the hopes of sparking interest for something a little different. Toradora has been recommended to me a number of times over the years, but I've always been hesitant or too busy to give it a try. Perhaps it's the inconsistencies I have with the romantic comedies genre. Shows like Nodame Cantabile have left significant impressions on me, while others have been mediocre or laughable at best. Believable love stories can be difficult to convey as a narrative, especially when you start to add petty high school ... drama and love triangles into the mix. Finish everything off with an emotional punching bag mc and exasperating tsundere and you've got the potential for failure. It took me over two months to finish Toradora for good reason. I took small breaks from it, tried to put it on hold and even considered dropping it entirely, but through sheer willpower I have reached its conclusion and wish to share why Toradora just doesn't work as a romantic anime.

I'll cut right to the chase. From its opening scene, you can tell Toradora is not trying to be your stereotypical slice of life anime. The dialogue is witty and the comedy is crass and rapidfire. Ryuji initially seemed like a refreshing protagonist in both appearance and attitude. Given his parental background, his desire to be self-sufficient is understandable. This perception quickly deteriorates as more of the characters and setting are introduced, and the infamous tsundere, Aisaka or "Taiga" steals the show. Now if there's one thing I've learned, it's that girls and guys have a limited number of situations in which it's believable for them to be friends. Maybe they were in diapers together or what have you but most of the time it doesn't work out without someone getting hurt or having feelings for each other. Knowing this fact you can pretty much sum up the entire plot of Toradora within the first two episodes. They're eventually going to end up together. Ryuchi and Taiga are both in love with each other's best friends, so naturally they miserably attempt to help each other pursue the affections of the other party. Every attempt to get the prospective couples alone goes awry, a great bit of foreshadowing on the writer's behalf. It sounds like a simple love story, and it really should've been. Except the countless awkward conversations and feeble advances our main characters had with their respective love interests help to cement the fact they don't deserve to be in love at their age. The ensuing 25 episodes consist of these awkward exchanges and the melodrama is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Most every interaction is misunderstood or blown out of proportion, and literally everything becomes an emotional crisis with these characters. All the while Ryuji is incessantly berated with physical and emotional abuse from Taiga. But it's OK, that just means she loves him... or something like that.

Forgive my philosophical ramblings, but I've learned through the years and relationships I've had that you can't choose who you want to fall in love with. Love just happens. It can be crude and fickle, but at the end of the day it can give you a feeling unlike anything you've felt before. This is why I don't question the validity of odd couple romances (Ore Monogatari/Nodame Cantabile etc.) throughout entertainment. Sometimes characters are polar opposites in personality and looks but something subconscious draws them together. This is what Toradora tries to accomplish. However, a relationship constructed in this manner must be done with finesse, while not being overshadowed by such melodrama as this series has. Similarly growing up in a house without a father as I have, the furthest idea from my mind would be to take care of someone with so much baggage. Taiga takes advantage of the doormat Ryuji is and carries herself in the most bombastic way possible. Ryuji is most certainly a glutton for punishment. Even if I would've enjoyed the romance elements I don't know if I could've stomached the abortion of an ending Toradora had. Many anime fail at getting love right, and this series ends up no different. All it takes is for someone to have an overly emo moment and the entire conclusion gets blown to smithereens. As the final credits were about to roll, the same tsundere stigma that was starting to fade away was slammed back into my face, taking a big shit on my hopes and expectations for the show. Those who have seen the series know exactly what I'm talking about, One of the worst endings I have seen in quite some time, a romance cop out.

Toradora's writing was frustratingly inconsistent. Character's dialogue and emotions would swap from operatic to deeply intellectual within seconds, leaving me dumbfounded as a viewer. All five main characters put on some sort of a façade with their personality, driving the story into many arguments and miscommunications. That was an aspect that I enjoyed to some extent, as I believe most everyone acts a little differently in groups of people than in a one on one interaction. The pacing is well constructed, and the series ends up being split into three major parts. The first half of the series is used mostly to set up the relationships for the five characters, but unfortunately ended up being quite boring as a result. Around episode 14 things really begin to pick up, with conflicts coming to a head as the main characters start running out of time to profess their love appropriately. Everything is assimilated effectively but falls flat due to a train wreck ending. I feel like most people who consider the ending good are only fooling themselves with false reassurance for investing so much time in the series only to be greatly disappointed. I understand that I'm probably not the target audience for this anime, but just because you're portraying a high school romantic comedy doesn't mean you have to sensationalize each line of dialogue or character's emotions. We all went to high school, but I never felt like everyone was that annoying... at least not all the time.

Although there were numerous moments of immaturity, Toradora created a setting that made me quite reminiscent of my time in high school. Embarking on school trips, creating chances to talk to that one girl you liked since grade school, or waiting for that same opportunity during a school dance or function. Although I'm frustrated by it now, hindsight is 20/20 and I could probably imagine myself being slightly timid or awkward when it came to confession time... perhaps just not on the same level as the writer portrayed here. I also love the scene with Ryuji and Minori when they were at Ami's beachhouse at night. The way they were talking about love without coming out and blatantly saying the word kind of made me laugh, and help me put back into perspective what I was watching, and how young the characters really were.

I found it irritating when the writers tried to pass off Ryuji's slanted eyes as the reason everyone thought he was rough around the edges. I know I've judged books by their covers before, but this one is just silly... not to mention the fact that most, if not all of these characters are Asian, which kind of throws that reasoning out the window. As I said before, I related to Ryuji based on personal experiences, and I was initially hoping he'd be a character I could identify with. His germaphobic nature and desire to be the patriarchal figure in his household was right on point, but I didn't buy into his relationship with Taiga one bit. The tsundere trope has always felt unnecessary to me. Even yanderes like Senjougahara from the Monogatari series has some believability, because I've encountered some crazy chicks in my lifetime... And sometimes it makes them even hotter. But it just isn't working in Taiga's case. I can give positive remarks to the amount of depth she had as a character though... and the relationship with her parents was certainly believable. I guess you never realize how pampered some kids can be until they start trying to live on their own (Taiga=primordial millennial). I just don't understand everyone's general praise for Taiga as a character, he'll she's not even the most enjoyable character from the series, let alone all of anime.

Minori actually had some depth as a character. She put on such a ditzy and carefree attitude, but in all actuality she was just as perceptive as anyone else in the series, especially when it came to Ryuji. It was refreshing to see a character playing an "out of reach" love interest that was everything but one-dimensional. That scene when she approached Ryuji while he was in the bear suit was kind of heartbreaking. By that point you knew the feelings she had for him were mutual, and how covered up she got them to be for Taiga's sake. Kitamura is a turd. High school taught me how vain and superficial girls can be, and if I learned anything from that, it's that no girls are attracted to the guy with glasses. Not to mention he was a complete dweeb, with spastic mannerisms that often made no sense and a complete lack of composure when he finds out his crush doesn't like him. Grow up dude, you're barely old enough to drive! It's like he almost went completely nihilistic after he bleached his hair. I kind of kept wondering how Ryuji even became friends with him, they're really nothing alike. Ami is the only character in Toradora that I actually liked to be honest. It seems that her history and modeling has actually injected a sense of maturity into her mind that the other characters just don't have. While the rest of the cast is laden with melodrama, Ami seems to come out of left field with a comment I'd expect to see in real life. Although I don't understand what she saw in Ryuji, I would've preferred if they would've ended up together vice the way that it turned out. I can only imagine how she struggled to take her friends seriously.

The music in Toradora is so-so. It didn't necessarily add or subtract much from the series... But there wasn't much variety in the use of background music. I really enjoyed the first OP and ED, but the 2nd OP really didn't flow well with the rest of the show for me... And those lyrics are ghastly. I will give props to the voice acting in Toradora, as most all of the characters were played fantastically and were very distinguishable. Most notably was Rie Kugimiya as Taiga. Her voice absolutely nailed Taiga's seething personality and tsunderisms to a tee. Yui Horie also dos a fine job as the spacey Minori. The art and animation is okay, considering the anime came out over 7 years ago I'd say it aged quite well. As I mentioned above I was pleased by the stark differences between the five main characters, in character models especially. Some older anime have trouble differentiating the characters due to lackluster illustrators, but Toradora does not fall into that trap.

Overall, I was quite disappointed with this series. It just didn't capture the natural, unadulterated love that so many romance stories have. It even got boring with its unneeded drama and emotion-stricken scenes, leaving me to take the characters less seriously. People say that Toradora is the pinnacle of the romantic comedy genre, and if that's the case I may not be returning to it for quite some time. I can't say I enjoyed it all that much. I'd recommend Toradora to fans of romance anime since that's the target audience, or someone who enjoys the tsundere trope... it just wasn't necessarily for me. As always, thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other reviews!

“If you trip while running down a hallway, you’ll get a nosebleed. If you trip in life, you’ll cry.
Minori Kushieda Toradora.

Toradora is a special anime for me. It was not of the two anime that introduced me to the rom-com genre back in 2012 the other one being Clannad but it was the first romcom anime that I ever loved. I loved it so much that when I eventually started to buy animes DVDs back in 2015 Toradora was the third anime I purchased. From that point on I re-watched Toradora least 2 to 3 times per year and I still love it ... even if it had some flaws that I started to notice on my last re-watch of it. Now unlike Clannad where my opinion of that show worst as years went on to a point, I haven’t touched my Season 1 and After Story DVD sets for almost a year thanks to me having a low value of the series due to it serious killing flaws. My opinion on Toradora has stayed positive to this day despite its minor flaws I still think Toradora is the best modern romcom anime to ever come out.
So what made Toradora so special.
Why do I still love this show to this day?
Well let's find out, shall we?

The story follows Ryuji Takasu who is getting ready for his second year at high school. Despite being an overall nice guy he has a mistaking reputation for looking like a delinquent thanks to he evil looking eyes as well as his facial structure looking like a young yakuza member rather than a high school student. His best friend Yuusaku as well his crush Minori (whom he is too bashful to approach) are the only two people who actually don’t mind his evil looking eye appearance. Soon by complete accident, he bumps into a main female lead and tsundere Taiga Aisaka aka the Palmtop Tiger.

After an accidental first encounter that ends with Taiga KO-ing him in the face, Ryuuji finds out at the end of the school day that Taiga has put a love letter to Kitamura (whom she has a crush on but is too bashful to approach) in his bag by accident. This leads to Taiga breaking into his house that night to retrieve the letter by killing him with a bamboo sword only to discover that she forgot to put the letter in the envelope and has inadvertently outed her crush on Kitamura to Ryuuji.
After much ado and a few sword-blows, Ryuuji and Taiga strike a tenuous deal to use their positions as The Best Friends to help each other bag their respective crushes.

Now the story of Toradora may be very simple in nature but the execution is downright amazing.
Right out the bat, the show makes a great first impression as the first episode does a wonderful job at establishing the setting, tone, characters, and themes of the show. The show also knows what it wants as it says true to its roots as a slice of life, drama romcom series without being something that is not.
The show does a brilliant job of exploring the themes and topics of running away, true love, being your true self, breaking your shell and it does them all great.
The show also does a great job at keeping the audience with all the story events that happen in the show by having great writing and for the most part great overall pacing.

The characters in Toradora are all fantastic.
Ryuji is a great male lead. He may appear as this generic delinquent who hates everyone with that Yakuza look but he’s actually a nice and friendly guy who care for others. He also an obsessive neat freak where he doesn’t like messy houses and he would go out of his way to clean everything that he can. The best example of this was when Ryuji enters Taiga house for the first time. Despite Ryuiji having great personality traits he’s is a well-developed character who has great character chemistry with the cast especially Taiga.

Taiga despite being the queen of tsundere is actually a pretty great character. From start to finish I liked her character development as her interactions towards the rest of the cast. She may appear as this Lousie and Shana but unlike Lousie and at times Shana where they are tsundere for the sake for it Taiga’s tsundere behaviour rarely mirror her true feelings.
She may not be for everyone but if you can pass her tsundere side you will start to see how humanly flawed Taiga is as a person.

If I had to pick my favourite character in Toradora it would be Minori.
She is a sweet and upbeat person who loves to keep everybody happy but there’s a lot than that. In order for her to cope with own internal struggles and loneliness, she plays softball as well as working on a series of part-time jobs. Her character development in the series was great and I really loved every scene that she’s was in. Overall brilliant character.

Now we have Kitamura Taiga crush and Ryuji best friend. Not gonna lie I thought I Kitamaru was pretty bland in the beginning as he just came as this typical smart guy chararters. Thankfully he does become a much better character as the series as he had a great character arc that was well told and it had a satisfying conclusion.

Finally, we have Ami who is a childhood friend of Kitamura who before transferring schools, she was a fashion designer.
She may start off as this typical fan-service character but there is much more to her. In school, she plays a facade where she behaves as this cute and ditzy girl but she’s actually a mean and spoiled bitch. I honestly really loved this character. She’s probably my second favourite character in the show only losing to Minori. She is just is a joy to watch every-time she was on screen especially in the end of her character arc where she confronts the guy who takes pictures of her by smashing his camera while giving that devious look to him.

The side characters are good for what they were but apart from Yuri and Sumire the side characters are not as memorable as the mains.

I could go on and on how great this anime is sadly I have to talk about the show’s flaws because there are only two of them.

For starters, I didn’t like the portrayal of Ryuji mom where she doesn’t really behave an adult figure where instead of being a prideful or strick mother she often behaves like a kid who lazy and constantly have parties while the child always picks up all the things for them. Am not saying that Adults cannot have any fun whatsoever because I believe that all adults should have fun when are not working but Ryuji mother doesn’t feel like a responsible mother at all. As much I liked how Ryuji mother aspects Taiga as a family member she doesn’t really set any rules or do anything that a mother should do.

The second and final minor flaw is its predictable nature. Personally, I don’t mind if a show is predictable in nature because as long if it’s written well I can completely ignore its predictable nature and thankfully Toradora, for the most part, is a great ride that I enjoyed even it’s predictable. However if you a person who is not a fan of predictable stories than this show will most likely won’t like this show especially when certain scenes in Toradora actually highlight the end of the show before you even get there.

Other than the two minor flaws which I just mentioned the story and characters in Toradora was amazing.

J.C Staff is known to have great art in the shows that the make and Toradora is no different.
The background scenery is very appealing to look at thanks to smooth soft colour pallet. The charterers for both the main and supporting were aagreat looking.
As for the actual animation itself, I thought it was very good and well handled. Sure the beginning the animation is basic stuff but when we get to the actual action and emotional scenes of the series the animation really shines. The best examples of this were Taiga vs Sumire fight in episode 16 to Taiga emotional breakdown in episode 19.
Fantastic job J.C Staff

The soundtrack for Toradora is fantastic and nicely composed. I know not many people were a not fan of the soundtrack and I can understand they are coming from but I thought the soundtrack for Toradora was well made as it perfectly captures the tone and setting of Toradora perfectly. One of the song track Lost my Pieces from Toradora is not only my favourite track from Toradora but it’s also my second favourite track piece from a romance only losing to Always be With You from Kodocha.

Some of my other favourite tracks include Startup, Magic of Love, Morning Glory, Happy Monday and Ready Steady Go. They are just brilliant tracks overall.

All the opening and endings themes in Toradora are great in their own ways and they are extremely catchy.

Now for sub vs dub.
I only saw the sub twice back in 2012 but I remember it being great filled with talented Seiyuus. However, as soon as I put in DVD disc one for Toradora as well watching the first couple of episodes dubbed I immediately decided to never touch the sub again. Don’t get me wrong the sub is great but the dub was a special case of awesomeness. Out of all the romcom anime that I have seen Toradora has the best English dub that I have seen from a romcom anime. I was blown away by how awesome the dub was as every single voice actor and I mean every single one did a fantastic job voicing their respective characters. The one thing that the Toradora dub had over the sub is how realistic the acting was. Just a well-made and directed dub overall.

Toradora is a perfect example of a modern romcom anime done right. The story is well written, theme exploration is masterful, the characters are wonderful in their own ways, the visuals were nice, the soundtrack was great and the English dub was perfect.

Toradora is not only the best modern romcom anime to ever come out it’s but it’s also my third favourite romcom anime period. The show may not be for everyone but for those who adored the series such we can get past its predictable nature and flaws we see a show that is beautiful and heartwarming.
If you’re looking for a great romcom anime that has great characters and amazing themes exploration then I recommend Toradora.
It is a anime that will forerver stay in my elite four of romcom anime.

First of all, if you're into Romantic Genres, you'll LOVE this, if you like School Life Themes, you'll LOVE THIS, in fact if you like anything you'll LOVE TORADORA!(Contains heavy Spoilers, not reccomended to read if you haven't watched it)

ToraDora has a very interesting story, probably the reason why I keep on watching it, I love it. Taiga loves Kitamura(which is Ryuuji's Friend) while Ryuuji loves Minorin(Taiga's friend) sound simple? as if, Both Taiga and Ryuuji really doesn't feel comfortable talking to the people they like so they decide to both help each other. That's the story in a nutshell, but what makes the story ... so epic is how they develop their feelings for each other. The story is indeed a bit cliche however, how they develop it is interesting. The fact that they go from accomplice to lovers is what I found very outstanding. They go through life not noticing that the person they love is actually just right beside them. Indeed a very Interesting Story. I have got to say that the ending is also very fitting and I liked it very much!

I got nothing more to say to the art apart from it's decent, I liked the way they drew everyone, it's brilliant and I couldn't wish for anything more. Although to be honest with you, Ryuuji doesn't look THAT scary =), other than that, it's good.

Sound, probably the only thing I don't like about ToraDora, I don't hate it, it's just not my cup of tea. However, even if I didn't like the sound, it is very fitting, the cute atmosphere that the opening gives is good.

Characters, Aside from the storyline the characters plays a vital point in the story itself, if it wasn't for the characters it wouldn't be such a good anime.

Ryuuji is what you would call scary, yet very admirable inside, he's easily misunderstood because of his appearance. Looks can be deceiving. He is caring and helped taiga "survive" everyday life by giving her comfort and food. He also want to make Taiga very happy, which is probably the reason why I liked this character. She helps her with her communication difficulties and even helped her make decisions that she would probably never done herself. She Likes Minorin, and tries very hard, however he is too shy to express his feelings.

Taiga is what you would call Tsundere - I.E. a violent human outside yet in the inside is a caring girl. She is very interesting in the fact that she can't seem to do anything right! she needs ryuuji(and was shown through the last few episodes of the anime itself) to live life. She Likes Kitamura to the point where she can barely talk to him. She also has a very special relationship with Ryuuji, the fact that he takes care of her is a special bond between Taiga and Ryuuji. She wants Ryuuji to be Happy by confessing to Minoring, however she regrets that because deep inside she likes Ryuuji, she cries and regrets. She actually Loves Ryuuji and in fact looking back at it now she loved Ryuuji from the start.

Kitamura, is also yet another interesting character, he doesn't dislike Taiga and in fact he got rejected by Taiga before. He likes the Student Council president very much that he'd actually die for her. He is very caring and doesn't want to hurt anybody. But he'd do anything for his Love, to the extreme point.

Minorin, is probably my favourite character, she is sweet, air headed but very cunning, she knows taiga the most in the series and that fact is vital to the ending of the story itself. She blows off fear by being very lively, that's one of the reason why Ryuuji liked her. She doesn't like anyone though she reveals that she liked Ryuuji in the end however she thinks that Taiga is what best for Ryuuji, she sacrificed her love for her friend, I really loved Minorin.

Ami, is a very dark and distinct character that works behind the scenes most of the time. She is afraid to show her true colours as she wants people to believe that she's actually evil inside, she has show her true colours on the main characters. She goes through her life as a model, she has a stalker, but she couldn't find the courage to stand up for herself, instead Ryuuji helped her to face her fear. She, only hinted, loves Ryuuji because of the fact that Ryuuji would like her for what she is and not for what she isn't. She is indeed an interesting character.

The Enjoyment of the show is 100% 100/10. I love it, in fact it took me less than 24 hours to actually watch the whole show, that's how much I love it. The Comedy and the Romance scene are very well put, if I was a bit more emotional I'd have cried through the series. Cry laughing and Cry sad. I would've also cried on how I wanted so much more of ToraDora, but that's how it is.

Overall a very outstanding anime. Reccomended!

Alright, let's get this over with.

I am going to preface this "review" (probably little more than a trite rant because I can't review worth a damn) by saying that I'm sure you have your reasons for liking Toradora, you know, that's totally fine. I'm not the be all and end all.

But to be blunt, I don't just dislike this show. I despise it and everything it stands for.

Let's see: Toradora is supposed to be a rom-com-drom, right? So, how does each category stand?

1. Romance
The romance is bad. Plain and simple. The connections between Taiga and Ryuuji are barely prevalent throughout the course of the show, ... barring like maybe the last few episodes, and even then it didn't give me any kind of emotions at all.

There's rushing your romance, and then there's dragging on for so long you almost forget who's supposed to be with who.

But hey, I could be interpreting it wrong.

2. Comedy
Comedy is subjective, right? Well, in my subjective opinion, this show is dull as fuck when it comes to comedy. Not much to elaborate on here, besides the fact I don't find this show funny.

3. Drama
Well, with the dull romance and comedy, we're left with drama.

And well, this show does have drama. Melodrama. And this is where my true hatred for this show comes into play.

I'm not kidding when I say the characters COMPLETELY overreact over the smallest fucking things in this show.

For instance, your crush gets rejected by his own crush?
Go fucking MURDER her with a wooden sword! Because that's not over reacting!

Your father sometimes neglects you?
FUCKING DESTROY his testicles when you finally see him!

You didn't give someone a box of chocolates?
Well, overreact over that too, because we don't have enough melodrama in this show!

The last example isn't a joke by the way. That's literally one of the scenes.

Honestly, this show tries to be dramatic just for the purpose of shoehorning in drama. It's almost obnoxious to be honest.

And to go over the characters briefly:

Ryuuji is forgettable.

Taiga is the worst tsundere ever.

Kitamura is forgettable.

Ami exists solely to spew meaningless meaningful words.

And Minori is bi, apparently.

If it wasn't obvious enough, I don't care about anyone in this show.
________________________________________________________
Overall, it's very likely I'm interpreting all of the messages that Toradora gives wrong, and for that reason, I suppose I can see why people actually go as far to say that this is their favourite show.

But according to my interpretation, Toradora is nothing more than a painfully unfunny, melodramatic failure of a romance.

At least the music and animation is good.

Kudos to whoever actually read my god-awful "review".

Story: Not much to say for a storyline in Toradora, it seems pretty much to be a series of conflicts, one following the other. However, I'm not saying that the conflicts aren't interesting, but for people who like one strong storyline, this series is not for you.

Art: One of the strong points of Toradora. The artwork I must say, sorry IamJoe, is "fabulous" ^^. The artwork is fluid and clean. The pictures have strong colors that catch the eye, and keep your attention. Shading, light, etc, are all well composed throughout the anime. Each scene, disregarding events, are highly detailed, and only compliments and enhcances ... the anime.

Sound: The music in the OP and ED, though not my style, succeed in conveying the events in the anime, which is actually quite rare in anime. In addition to actually matching the story, the music is catchy. I often find myself in school or at home bored, and before realizing it, I am singing "Banira, salturade, banira." Quite embarrassing when everybody in class turns around and stares at me. <<
But yeah, good music.

Characters: Another strong point in Toradora, the characters all have strong personalities, and are generably likable. The characters go through life changing events that do change them forever, giving the anime a sense of realism. The characters all have unique designs that support their personalities, and make the series that much better.

Enjoyment: Toradora is mostly enjoyable. Now, notice I say "mostly". There are a considerable number of dull points that made me want to stop watching the series, for me, mostly in the beginning. However, if you give the anime a chance, after a few episodes, the anime will grow on you, and you will come to like it.

Overall: Good

Haven't had a chance to watch a lot of the fall schedule's anime, but this is becoming one of my personal favorites. Taiga starts out as one of the most obnoxious schoolgirls you'll ever meet. and Ryuuji is one of those misunderstood guys that can't seem to catch a break from his classmates. but the repartee between him and Taiga is priceless. The artwork could be a little sharper, but this is J.C. Staff, so i'll cut them a little slack. and the ED is a little bit of an earworm. but hey, i like a good song that sticks in yr. earhole.
and the ... supporting cast so far is very funny, espec. Minorin. she'd be a a good blonde.
Overall, this is one of the funnier shows i've seen this fall.

This anime, when it had finished, had left me thinking and wondering. It had left me in a way where no other anime has made me felt before. It was a unique and different feeling than anything I've ever felt before. Whether it was to do with the dramatic yet subtle entrance, or the closing, last few moments that were intended to be light hearted but at the same time very "deep." This anime had left me with a feeling like none other. The dramatic twist and the steady trend to lead to the final conclusion that had (to most people) left to leave the ... audience awed at how for once this was not a story to go with the obvious route that most had expected. Most anime do not take the turn that Toradora had taken, and that is what had made this anime beautiful and wonderful. The simplicity of this show as well, as it puts together the dramatic romantic scenes along with the light hearted comedic moments. It starts and finishes in two different lights, and when you are finished you are left to believe that these two parts were completely different, in which they are. This anime had found a way to make both the playful moments and the dramatic moments entertaining and enjoyable. The slow build up of emotions that is being piled up, the feelings that are flowing through behind the scenes, the inevitable conclusion that the two characters face. It all had led to Toradora being one of the best animes I have ever witnessed. I had found, no disappointment in this show, it had only left me with joy to the very end.
P.S
If you want a deeper reason as to why Toradora could possible be one of the best romantic animes so far, (after you have watched if of course), then watch this review. But please, watch it AFTER Toradora. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fEkFtmIRU0
*copy and paste onto URL link*

I began Toradora thinking it was going to be just another romantic comedy. I had read various reviews, not expecting much from this anime at all, and so allow me to start of my review by saying: Toradora is phenomenal, stupefying, heart-stirring and just plain amazing. It exceeded all my expectations BY FAR and will surely leave a huge impact on rest of my life. After I finished the series, I was lost for words. I literally just sat there staring at my computer screen still astonished at what I have just completed.

The story of Toradora is unique and realistic. This is not your typical ... romantic comedy; it will leave MUCH more of an impact on you. The anime includes various twists and turns that left me pretty much speechless. There are times when you will be laughing your head off and there will be times when it feels like someone stabbed your heart, so when you get that lump in your throat, don't be surprised! What I love about Toradora is its overall message, and although I don't want to give much out, I want to say that Toradora teaches you what love truly is. It is acquired by being yourself and not being afraid to express your own, true feelings.

The art is not the best I have ever seen, but it is pretty amazing, still pleasing to the eye. You definitely will not have a problem with the art of Toradora; it is simple and fantastic. There are times when the art is really fitting to the scene, reflecting upon its meaning, leaving me in awe.

Toradora's soundtrack is something that doesn't really stand out, but is fitting for the whole anime. When there are comedic scenes, there will be joyful music and when times are getting rough, there will be sad music. It's nothing extraordinary, but needless to say it is still great.

The characters are another reason why I love this anime so much. There are 5 main characters: Ryūji Takasu, Taiga Aisaka, Minori Kushieda, Yūsaku Kitamura and Ami Kawashima. They have a complicated relationship with one another, but that's what makes this so realistic. Friends are not always nice and friendly with each other, but things do happen. Life happens. Each of them have their own unique personalities and fit extremely well with the story line. To be honest, I love all the characters and I can relate to many of them. Be sure to pay attention to the anime because there are so many little details that are extremely important and reveal SO much about the characters. The main female character, Taiga Aisaka, and the main male character, Ryūji Takasu are extremely fun to watch and always managed to steal my attention , getting me completely hooked to the anime.

If it isn't obvious enough, this anime was beyond enjoyable to me. I loved every single minute and even though I am satisfied with the ending, I can't stop wanting more Toradora. Yuyuko Takemiya did such an amazing job with this anime, and I want to thank them for creating this masterpiece which in my opinion exceeds Clannad. If you don't watch romantic comedies, definitely give this a try, you won't regret it. If you like romantic comedies, I can assure you that you will be more than satisfied with this anime, and hopefully it will leave the same impact on you as it did on me.

When it comes to watching anime, I really consider myself more of a marathon runner than a sprinter. Usually I like to take my time and watch a couple of shows simultaneously, so 24 episode series usually take me like 3 or 4 months to finish. Therefore it’s something of a testament to how much I liked Toradora! that I wound up finishing it in a mere 12 days.

Admittedly after watching the first episode I wasn’t overly impressed with the prospects for Toradora! It seemed like it would be a show with a slightly unique take on the rom-com if nothing else ... and be pretty good. And the first few episodes in the series were very funny and enjoyable but didn’t particularly stand out. It’s a slice of life/school life series so there isn’t really much in the way of a linear plot but as the series goes on you see the character interactions start to become more significant and the comedy takes a backseat in order for more serious issues and developments to be brought up. The more I watched, the more interested I became in watching how the characters interacted and how the story progressed.

What was great about Toradora! then was that it started off as a light-hearted tale of two misunderstood love-struck teenagers but developed into a great story about growing up and finding your place in the world, even if you are a dragon looking for understanding and acceptance in a world where people think that you want to eat them because of your intimidating appearance. Personally I love shows that start off with a comedic tone and get more serious as they progress so this was a huge plus for me, plus it had some of the most touching and (Tora)dorable moments of any anime I’ve seen.

For a slice of life/romance story with a fairly tried-and-true plot to stand out, there tends to be a need for a strong base built in your characters in order to set yourself apart. This was probably the best aspect of the show because all of the characters were unique, flushed out, and on the whole very likable. All of the characters were stood out in this anime and I can even say that down to the supporting characters I enjoyed everyone in Toradora!

In order to see a prime example of why the characters are so great and unique in Toradora!, all we need do is take a look at Ryujii, one of our love-struck protagonists. Although he has the eyes of a delinquent, which leads people to think that he is a bad person, in all actuality he is one of the kindest, most caring people you could ever meet. This theme of initial superficial appearances being different from what lies beneath is eventually applied to all of our main characters as the story progresses, which becomes the most interesting, realistic, and gripping part of Toradora! As we are given characters who, over the course of the show, have good development and display a wide range of motivations and emotions.

The best example of this would probably be a tie between Minori, Taiga’s best friend and Ryujii’s crush, and Ami, Kitamura’s childhood friend and a stupid Chihuahua (at least in Taiga’s eyes). Minori started off as the sunshine of the show and brought about some of the best comedy in the series. As the story progressed though, she became gloomy and distant, and her actions seemed totally out of character. This total change of character and the reasons behind it was one of the aspects of the story that made me frustrated and confused but also kept me interested and made me want to keep watching to discover the reason. As for Ami, when she was first introduced I figured that she was there to be the bitchy, prissy, “everybody look at me girl,” which she was for a while. Once again though as the story progressed she showed that she was the most emotionally perceptive character and that even for someone who seems so mature and has the world figured out, it turns out that she’s just a normal, confused high school kid trying to find her way in life like the rest of them. The only person who really didn’t seem to stand out to me in terms of character growth or development was Kitamura, Ryujii’s best friend and Taiga’s crush, who seemed mostly to be there for comedic effect in the end.

Moving on to the main protagonists I have to say that they were also very unique and showed some great depth as well. Ryujii’s struggles with managing school, household chores, while at the same time trying not to be perceived as a delinquent were very realistic and I liked his generally kind and caring personality. In addition to that his growth and maturity over the course of the series really developed nicely and he certainly impressed me as a character. In regards to Taiga initially I have to say I was not very thrilled. She seemed like she was going to be your typical tsundere with the whole “I’m your master so quit being a perverted dog” relationship with Ryujii for 25 episodes (her being voiced by Rie Kugimiya certainly didn’t help this case either). Yet as the story went on you see that perhaps she is just socially awkward and doesn’t like her life of being feared and alone. When you hear about some of the stuff that has happened to her you really have to sympathize. Not since watching Fruits Basket have I seen parents be such assholes to their children like Taiga’s were to her. Her developed background over the course of the series really made me like her more and her relationship with Ryujii grew and developed nicely from what it was at the start of the series. Plus, she loves Christmas. My stance is that anyone who like Christmas is alright with me.

The art for Toradora! was absolutely fantastic. When at first I wasn’t particularly impressed by the story, the art kept me coming back. Throughout the series it was always consistently great but then at times it seemed like the animators said, “You know what? Let’s make the next scene look awesome,” and would then proceed to do so. Sometimes it was only subtle effects but it was enough to make me love Toradora! for, if nothing else, how unique and impressive it looked. I have seen other J.C. Staff works and I have to say they really brought their A-game for this production because it looks like none of their other works I’ve seen or anything else I’ve ever seen for that matter.

The voice acting in Toradora! was really fantastic as well. It’s a pretty experienced and well-known cast who I felt all did great, although I particularly enjoyed Yui Horie’s performance as the super-weird and energetic Minori. When it comes to theme pieces in anime I’m pretty easy to please. But surprisingly for a show that I loved so much I did not like the theme music at all. Once again the show was unique in this aspect because the music was like nothing else I’d ever heard before. Unfortunately for the most part this meant that I just skipped over them or blanked them out, with the exception of the first ending, “Vanilla Salt” sung by Yui Horie, which is actually one of my favorite anime pieces of all time now.

In the end all I can say is that I couldn’t possibly recommend Toradora! any more. If you’ve dropped it I say go pick it back up. If you plan on watching it I say go start right now. There are some things about it that people aren’t going to like, it’s going to be the same for all media and I for one can acknowledge what some of these aspects might be. However for a show that I enjoyed so much there is no possible way that I couldn’t completely recommend it. Worst case scenario you waste a few hours of your time and walk away with a nasty taste in your mouth. However it seems like there's a good chance you’ll walk away after finishing Toradora! having watched a great series.

Why is it that we choose to watch a show rather than just read a synopsis of what happens during it? It's because the value of a show comes from more than just how it sounds when you summarize it: it comes from experiencing it, getting invested in a world other than the one you live in. It comes from the little things.

Toradora is all about the little things.

This is an instance where I feel the MAL system of evaluation breaks down: story, art, sound, character, enjoyment: what does it matter what each of these may be individually when you're never going to experience them ... individually? Yes, Toradora's premise isn't all that unique, nor does it deconstruct it or make any particularly unexpected decisions. Yes, the art is solid but not mind-blowing. But the difference between the 1970s animated Lord of the Rings movies and Peter Jackson's epic masterpieces isn't any of that: they're both telling the exact same story. It lies in the execution, the actual process of telling it. I would liken Toradora to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings in that both of them are a story that we've all seen before, and both of them nevertheless stand apart and above for doing it better, far FAR better, then anything that came before or after them. When you're watching an anime, all that you're ever going to experience is the "overall", and so that's the kind of review that I'm writing for Toradora. It's an "overall" review.

Toradora follows the story of Ryuji Takasu and his high-school adventures with his group of friends, with the main five characters being Taiga, the short, feisty delinquent; Minori, the peppy go-getter; Ami, the vain yet self-conscious model; Kitamura, the upstanding cool-and-collected member of the student council; and Ryuji himself. From the beginning all five of these characters possess an enchanting depth and color, immediately defying the archetypes that we assume them to be. They converse like actual people, with captivating often irrelevant dialogue that is nevertheless extremely enjoyable. It's actually a pretty funny show (believe it or not, given the track record anime has with comedy), with what I found to be some solid laugh-out-loud moments that help to carry it along very nicely.

The character Ryuji initially grows closest with is Taiga Aisaka, and let me just say that I was absolutely blown away by her character. I've heard it said that Taiga is nothing more than a traditional Tsundere, and I would have to entirely disagree. I would find it hard to even classify her as a Tsundere, or someone who expresses their affection through coldness or aggression. At the beginning of the series it is revealed that Taiga has a crush on Kitamura, and throughout the entirety of the series she is outwardly caring, polite and forthright with him. There's nothing remotely Tsundere about it. This assumption instead spawns from the way that Taiga interacts with most of the other people in her life: she is blunt and easily angered. This stems not from some contrived shyness but rather from a fundamental fear of being rejected by the people she opens up to, a desire to be compassionate that has been buried by personal experience. Taiga's issues are much more deep-seated and pathological, and whilst at the beginning of the series I initially found her to be annoying and vicious, by the end she had essentially taught me to look at people in a different light. You DON'T know someone else just through a couple of interactions, and you don't know an anime character just because you've watched four episodes of their show. The idea behind Taiga's character is perhaps nothing new, but the WAY in which Toradora handles it is: it's compelling, believable and eye-opening.

Taiga's not the only character the show manages to execute with divine grace: the two other girls, Ami Kawashima and Minori Kushieda (a name that has been forever etched upon my mind) add their own gleam to the outstanding cast. I don't want to go nearly as much into what makes them amazing for spoiler reasons, but I will say this: Minori Kushieda is without a doubt one of my favorite characters of all time. Ryuji himself is a very solid male lead: we've all seen the dark-haired young male protagonist through which the story is told, but Ryuji definitely lends it a new flair with his own tragically fitting yet often hysterical eccentricities involving cooking and cleaning, and his subtly masochistic nature. He also hits a perfect balance between being able to handle situations in a mature manner and not being turned into a Gary-Stu like SAO's Kirito. He's an intelligent boy who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to voice his opinions, but he can get hot-blooded or embarrassed and loses much of his functionality around his crush.

Speaking of crushes, do you like romance? Because that's where Toradora really tips the balance from "amazing character study" to "one of the all-time best" for me.

Toradora: a romance like no other. Not because of some bold decision it makes, just because of the Toradora way: taking what has already been done and doing it that much better. I have said before that Toradora gets what love is, and I stand by that. It doesn't romanticize it or glorify it, it shows it for what it is: messy, confusing, difficult and beautiful. It has a grasp on real chemistry, and its romance feels as though it springs not from the creator's decisions but from the decisions that the actual characters would make. Feelings are not eternal: they change a bit with each new day, and what we experience can either reinforce or alter them. People are not "meant" for each other, and relationships are not founded on the simple joy of mutual affection: they take work, patience, experience, and time to mature. All of this is and always will be part of love, and its what makes it a wonderful, complex thing. Perfection is woven from the strands of imperfection, and that's what makes love such a perfect thing.

Overall? Overall I give Toradora a "watch it". It's one of the greatest things I've ever seen, and it's definitely my favorite romance. If you're seeking plot or action, take a pass on this one. It's simply not for you. But if when you hear "outstanding characters" or "high-school rom-com done right" your ears perk up and your heart beats a little faster, then open up watchcartoononline.com or whatever site you may use and start on episode 1. Enjoy!

*Note: Despite the controversy I'm sure this will cause, I recommend the dub over the sub. I've watched the series all the way through twice, one in each, and I thought that the dub was stellar and gave the character's voices more individuality. However, this is widely chalked up to personal preference so I wouldn't put too much weight on it.