Toradora made me cry. I cannot tell you why, or where specifically. But once I finished the anime I was an emotional mess. The ending, which I will not spoil, is just so heartwarming and sweet, so maybe that's why.
Anyways. The story is about Ryuuji, a high school softie who is feared just because of his face. He runs into a girl named Taiga Aisaka on the first day of school. After a mix up she does by putting a love letter in the wrong bag, they discover that they both harbor feelings for the others best friend. They agree to help each other get with the person of their dreams, but will it work?
It's a pretty original idea. Usually school romances are just about a girl/ guy who likes a guy/girl and their friends try to help them win that person affection. In the end it turns out the other person always did like them or eventually fell for them and it's happily ever after. The best part about this show is that it shows the beginning of their relationship to the very end. It's nice to see the duo like someone else before eventually realizing that they have feelings for each other, because that does happen in real life.
The one main complaint I have is the second half of the story. I feel the light-hearted aspects of the first half were replaced with such a dark and almost dramatic tone. It was well done, sure, but they could've kept the light-hearted idea instead of just dropping this whole angsty and dramatic bomb on us. However, that didn't pull me from the story at all.
All of the characters are a lot of fun. Taiga is one of my favorite characters ever, as well as Kishinuma, her first crush. All five of the main characters are very dynamic and complez characters, and don't all necessarily stick into the stereotypes of a nerd, or the athletic girl, or the tsundere. They have relatable personalities.
This anime is really a lot of fun to watch. Maybe the dramatic middle of the story is a bit to much, but it will not take away from the story. It's really a bittersweet anime, and one of my favorite school romances ever. I recommend anyone to watch it if they enjoy the genre
