Toradora approaches both of these tropes very closely, without ever crossing them, which is GENIUS. First of all, I love Ryuuji so much—his laid back, almost fatherly attitude is a perfect transition, so by the end, it's all full circle. Taiga is also extremely lovable (and I really enjoyed hearing Happy's voice again haha). The side characters also get a lot of attention and love which is perfect; none of them feel like devices to carry the story forward, and you end up caring and rooting for all the characters by the end.
I kinda wish we got to see more of the story afterward, but the ending that we're presented is enough for me to accept and love. I can easily see a great future for all the characters.
