This series left me speechless. I'm surprised i can even find the words to write this review right now. I watched Toradora twice. the first time it made me laugh and it occasionally made me sad. this happened when i was 15. 2 years later, this series made me laugh and it made me wander around in my room thinking "what the hell?! how did i miss all that?! I never thought she meant THAT..." and "man I feel sorry for ****"
Toradora is a series you can sit back and enjoy as an (almost) carefree comedy, but it is also a series you can look into.most of what is said has a back-side. a lot is "coded" in the context. It's in metaphors used in previous episodes, it's in the actions and faces they made before, it's in their behavior... things you don't notice at first. and it's written and executed so fucking well that... well... it left me speechless.
---story---
plain and simple. a slice of the lives of Takasu Ryuuji, Aisaka Taiga, Kitamura Yuusake and Kusieda Minori. As they fall for each other and get over it and fall again. The usual love-comedy stuff. That is not really interesting as the main plot is very predictable. the only thing holding this series together is the awesomeness of the character design, and their dialogues.
---(the awesome) character design ---
"They relay to you exactly what they feel, and you can't help but love them." this sentence sums it up pretty well. when they're sad, you're out there sad with them. only a handful of series, out of the dozens I've watched, managed to do that. Besides - they're lively, adorable, and make you laugh.
second great trait of the characters here is that they do not talk nonsense, no matter if you watch it for fun or dive into it looking for what's between the lines. The texts do not seem out of place. they're not random and they're not about lame, unrealistic stuff. BUT they're a little too dramatic at times, though. Drama haters - beware.
Lastly - a very special spot is reserved to the characters that make this story roll. in a weird fashion, it is not the protagonist that drives the plot forward. It's a bunch of side characters that, through what they say and do, the others act. How it is different from other animes? i cannot explain. it just is.
---art and sound---
they serve the plot and characters very well, enhancing whatever you're supposed to feel, and often help define the characters' personality and thoughts.
overall - watch it. it's suitable for everyone.
Story: 8
Art : 7.5
Sound: 8
Character: 15
Overall: ~9.6~
P.S
if you liked either of the following I think you'll Enjoy Toradora!
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Zero no Tsukaima, Onegai TeacherTwins,Kanon, Air, Clannad ~After Story~ and probably there are probably more and more I didn't watch. can't remember.
