Really, it's like opening up a beautifully wrapped box from your favorite bakery only to find the cake inside is rotting and crawling with maggots.
First, Taiga (the palmtop tiger) is simply the most annoying tsundere character ever. Is she the prototype? Did they start appearing after her popularity from Toradora? It's not even the her seiyuu's fault. She is just forced to act in the most irritating manner possible by her creator / writer. She's violent, behaves in an unfair manner to the other characters, and has very little redeeming qualities as a person. Eventually I stopped wanting her to go away and started fantasizing about her meeting some horrible, gruesome, slow and excruciatingly painful end.
Second, there are just a few too many improbable events. People just "happen" to overhear things they shouldn't or see things they shouldn't all in the service of the plot. And people do things that don't follow from their established character. Don't get me started on the amount of hand-wringing and inability to say the important things to one another. A certain amount of indecision and drama is necessary in a romantic comedy, and is to be expected. But the artificial nature of some of the plot here in Toradora is just lazy.
Finally, the wrong people get together in the end. Of course, the first episode telegraphs the eventual couple. I'm not spoiling anything: it's obvious from the very first who gets together and why. But the WAY the show goes about it absolutely maximizes the irritation. I don't agree with the premise: that people should get together because their flaws kind of match in a complementary way. Even worse, I cannot say the writer is incorrect in their assessment. People hook up because they are lonely and find kindred spirits even though they are just using the other person as a kind of self-medication. But some people call this romantic, right?
As if this were not enough, one of my favorite anime best girls of all time isn't even really considered for crossing the finish line first in the romance race. She never has a chance and as a viewer you know this, but the story still dangles the possibility in front of you just to flip you off. I didn't appreciate this almost belligerent taunting. This character is beautiful, smart, and does things to support everyone, but receives next to no gratitude or love from the other characters (or her creator, for that matter). Maybe the author is subconsciously working out some bitter resentment towards the people who seem to have it together in life? (I'll let you in on a little secret: everyone has it equally hard in life, any appearance otherwise is only illusion.)
Well, Toradora has one of the highest MAL scores of all time. Perhaps it exists as a kind of escapist drama where the viewer can think, "Yeah, I'm super flawed as a person and I'm really mean to people but I'm totally still deserving of love because that special someone will see how special I am." And therein lies its appeal: people who want instant gratification in life without putting in hard work. Shouldn't people work on their own self-confidence and love themselves before messing up other people's lives? Of course people don't have to be "perfect." But far too often people seek solace in the arms of others without ever addressing the core issues they've been assigned to work on in this lifetime, and it won't lead to fulfillment.
I believe art should uphold the highest ideals and give us great things to strive for instead of simply reiterating the harmful status quo. Toradora seems to promote self-destructive co-dependence instead of inner strength, self-reliance, and loving others unconditionally. It reminds me of how people thought bread was a critical food group when in actuality processed carbs just make you fat and lead to health problems. It might feel good to be "needed" by another person while running away from your personal problems, but it's not any proper foundation for a lasting or meaningful relationship.
