Why I chose to watch this show :
I'm a romantic guy, and I actually enjoy a well developed romance, but this was the first time I watched a romantic focused anime. I always got pissed by the way "couples" on shounen shows just stop at the "crush point" forever hahaha even if both characters actually have mutual feelings. So I felt this need to actually watch something that could satisfy my romantic side, and Toradora! not only did that, but also made me want to watch more of that style of anime.
I started this review with that quote (which shows up at the very beginning of the first episode) because it summarizes one of the main lessons that Toradora wants to deliver : In a love story, not everyone will find love. Just a glimpse is enough to make a lot of people seek for it, but only the ones who deserve and complete each other the most will actually experience it. You might get hurt or screw up, but that's how it works. If you didn't get lucky, you need to assimilate the positive part of the experience, grow as a person and move on, or maybe even try again.
Story/Characters - 9/10
If you look at the story in general, its a big cliche, but the way characters act inside that main plot is what makes this show unique. The unusual characters and the common plot fit together, just like a love couple. Both are 9/10 for me, looking at their combination. Other thing I loved about the story is the way their love issues helped them overcome problems in other aspects of life, such as family, career, friedship etc. ( and by the way, secondary characters get some nice development at those moments. Ex: The student council president and Ryuuji's mother)
The 5 MC's are simply great, all of them have their qualities, weaknesses and odd habits, and they manage to surprise you with each one of those. They end up becoming this weird, but at the same time great love mess ! And the best part: Even if the thing you were hoping for fails to develop, the real outcome is still satisfactory. I mean, every decision and path that each one of them take is carefully explained and backed up. They make sense, nothing happens out of nowhere, even if its kind of sudden, making it easier to understand, accept, and even enjoy this new path that the plot took. The secondary characters also shine in some parts of the series, making it even more unpredictable. At any moment, someone who's been hiding can rise up and take the main story into another direction.
Enjoyment - 7/10
So, a great story/characters wombocombo, but only 7/10 enjoyment ? Yeah, unfortunately, I thought that the slow pacing of the show got me kind of bored, more specifically midway through the series, where all characters and their situations were presented to the viewer, but no major breakthrough happened and they seemed kind of stuck. Its a normal scenario in this kind of dramas, of course, but imo they extended that for too long, making it hard to fully enjoy and kind of difficult to watch a lot of back to back eps.
Art/Soud - 7/10
Not a specialist in this area, but both fit Toradora well, speacially the soundtrack, that was really well-timed and dramatic. I wouldn't say they're like a love couple, but more like casual friends ( you like them, but they don't stand out enough to be loved hahaha )
Overall - 8/10
I would reccomend Toradora to everyone, specially "main" shounen watchers like me who need their romantic needs to be satisfied ! If you're an experienced romance/drama watcher, some flaws in this anime will probably bother you more than me, but it is still a very good show ! If you get bored by that slow paced section I mentioned, just stick to that good feeling you had while in the first espisodes, watch one or two of them at a time, and when finally things get going again, you won't be able to stop.
Thanks for reading, sorry for any english mistakes and feel free to tell me if I screwed up really bad at some point !
