~STORY~
I have a big issue with the story, one that took me until around episode 16 to really forgive - that is that it should never have started at all. I don't count anything that happens in the first 2 episodes to be spoilers, but others may differ so... SPOILERS I guess - Here is my issue: When a violent bitch of a girl breaks into your house and attempts to severely injure you and causes property damage because that was her first response rather than "Hey, I put something in your bag that I wasn't supposed to, can I have it back please?" YOU DO NOT BEFRIEND AND ULTIMATELY LOOK AFTER THAT PERSON. You should call the police instead. And look, I get it, it's a thing of the genre that Toradora! is in; that people don't react normally to crazy violence. But it caused me to stop being engaged with the anime!
But moving on - The rest of the story actually handles quite nicely, there are very few episodes that I'd consider 'wasted', rather each episode is used to reach the final goal (Unlike Nisekoi, amiright?) which is something to be admired in the genre. It helps that, save for our main protagonist, the cast aren't as dumb as a sack of bricks, which means the story can move about unhindered by needless stupidity.
However, even a great journey can be soiled by a lackluster destination, and this is where Toradora! stumbled over the finish line. First non-spoilers: To sum it up, pretty much the big emotional scene feels like it happens too suddenly (though to its credit, the show handles it well), then when the story seems like it may pay off to a satisfying conclusion, a hideous trope rears its head to create fake drama - but then almost completely undoes itself in the span of an episode with little rhyme or reason.
**SPOILERSPOILERS - Of course I'm referring to Taiga suddenly disappearing. It is hardly telegraphed, it serves no purpose except to serve up some kindergarten-style moral message (painstakingly given, mind you), it supposed to make you feel 'WHERE DID SHE GO, I WANT HER BACK' sentiment, but it invoked a "well that was stupid and a let down" sentiment (in me) instead. Not to mention that she appears, quite literally out of nowhere, at the very end, which desperately begs the question - WHY THE RADIO SILENCE IF YOU WERE JUST GOING TO SHOW UP ANYWAY!? Is it just to stupidly reenact a scene from at the start of the anime? What is the point? END SPOILERS**
And really, that is what bugged me about the ending - "what is the point", I would've been happy if it finished midway through the previous episode. ugh.
~ART~
I watched the bluray of Toradora! and there were some weird visual issues. I mean, no animation is perfect (unless it's done by ufotable anyway), but irregular proportioning and facial features being out of whack seemed to happen a fair bit more than other anime I watch. Other than that, it's just pretty standard, I guess.
~SOUND~
With the exception of one or two bits of OST, I didn't really notice or care about the Toradora soundtrack. Just more standard affair.
~CHARACTERS~
The story section made this review a bit long, so I'll try and be fast:
Ryuuji - Our main protagonist is as standard as they come. He can cook and clean, he's "nice" and he's thick as mud. He also has blue hair. His specialist perk is his 'scary' face. Really nothing else to say, so I won't.
Taiga - Ugh. I hate Tsunderes with no concept of self-control. It's such a tired cliche. Though, once she starts to stops being an annoyance, she actually starts to build character and become interesting. However one of her later 'developments' seems to happen way to quickly, though is still kept relatively quiet until the audience has already guessed it a thousand times over. Still, I haven't seen a pain-in-the-ass tsundere turn out so well in a long while.
Minori - Now we get to the good stuff. I actually quite enjoyed Minori, the... uh... dammit, if I talk about why she's a good character, it's spoilers! That being said, her bizarre 6th sense-type capabilities did make me roll my eyes a bit too frequently.
Ami - Apart from the whole "protagonist made me a better person" moment early when she is introduced, I felt like Ami was the most realistic character of the main cast. The way she interacted with the rest of the characters was actually pretty refreshing.
Yuusaku - I like him, he's great. He's quirky and silly; but also a serious-but-smiling character. There's a whole undertone of knowing more than he lets on, but doesn't try to directly interfere. I was really disappointed when he faded out near the end.
The rest - I like the teacher, she's a good laugh. The other side characters are... one dimensional, but not too disappointing.
~ENJOYMENT~
All in all, I did enjoy Toradora! more than I had expected I would. I finished it over the course of a couple of days, and even had a couple of instances of "just one more episode, I swear", which is always a point in the anime's favour. However, what I found to be a disappointing ending, and my annoyance with the beginning, colours my view of the whole show probably a little bit more negatively that it probably deserves.
~OVERALL~
Although it certainly wasn't a genre I particularly enjoy, and one that is rife with cliches, I did enjoy Toradora! and found it to be a stand-out in its field. I guess it wasn't frequently recommended to me without reason. Hopefully what bugged me doesn't bug you, and you may enjoy it more that I did!
Toodles~
