“There’s something in the world that no one has seen before. It is something gentle and very sweet. And if you had been able to put your eyes on it, then you would yearn for it. That’s why no one has ever seen it. The world hid it so that no one could get their hands on it easily. However, someday, someone will find it. The person who deserves it the most will definitely find it. That’s just how it is.”
The story centers around 2nd year student Takasu Ryūji (Majima Junji), who is a real neat-freak, and is often mistaken for as a delinquent due to his looks. He’s a very kind guy, but can be pretty dumb when it comes to certain situations. Then there’s the other story’s protagonist, Aisaka Taiga (Kugimiya Rie), who is quite the opposite of Ryūji; self-centered, messy, aggressive, very small, and doll-like. Unlike most anime of the current day, Toradora! gets the story rolling pretty quickly within the first episode, and really does a great job of carrying through until the end. Within that first episode, you learn that Taiga has a crush on Ryūji’s best friend, Kitamura Yūsaku (Nojima Hirofumi); captain of the men’s softball team, as well as the Student Council Vice-President. As Taiga has this secret crush on Ryūji’s best friend, so does Ryūji have a crush on her best friend, Kushieda Minori (Horie Yui); captain of the women’s softball team, a very hard worker, and a dieting warrior. Through the series they both try their best to support each other with their love interests, but there are some hindrance to their plans. Enter Kawashima Ami (Kitamura Eri); daughter of a very famous model, and a model herself. She is a childhood friend of Kitamura’s who has split personalities to start out, but really becomes a key element to the series.
So I started this series last October (2008) when it started, but I failed to actually watch it. I downloaded the first episode, with some other stuff, put it on my laptop and tried to watch it at work… but due to it actually being busy that day, I didn’t get to watch much more than Taiga rolling out of the storage cabinet. After a while I deleted the file and forgot about it… This past week came around (July 12-18, 2009) I got to thinking… I really didn’t give the series a chance, since I really couldn’t, so let’s go download it again! I am soooo thankful I did. Watching Toradora! has been about the most enjoyable anime viewing experience I have had in quite a long while, so much so I rewatched the series 2 days after watching it the first time. The second time through really touched me more than the first time through, more things made sense. Even as I type, I’m listening to the OST…. beautiful music that was well placed. Scenes so unforgetable as the events they represented, the story they helped to tell. Everything with this series was just so… nice.
Rating time!
Themes: 10/10
The OP/ED’s for the series, paired with nice visuals really stuck with me. Around episode 8 I decided to download the openings and endings, seeing as there are 2, I figured there was the typical switch around episodes 12,13, or 14. This was not the case, and with perfect reason. With the shift in the series came the theme changes around episode 17. Silky Heart paired with the visuals they created for it stuck even more than Pre-Parade did. The endings always transitioned very nicely at the end of the episode. Everything just blended, and made for a perfect set of songs.
Story: 10/10
Perfect, absolutely perfect. If there was one single thing to point as a negative, I would say the fact that there is a tad bit of predictability in some situations, but other wise the story is excellent. It started off right, and ended right. Character development was superb, as they really worked to show the characters grow, not just go from point a to point b in a flash.
Visuals: 9/10
There were a few things that bugged me… It’s the same way with Tokyo Magnitude 8.0… the use of 3DCG integrated in 2D… you can just tell! What I mean is, Inko-chan in several scenes seemed very glitchy in a sense… you could just tell it was 3D… and that bugs me. Other than that one thing, the art was very well done. Scenes were well drawn and executed as needed.
Characters: 10/10
Flawless. The characters personalities, development, everything was just…. so good. I don’t think there was really a character in the series that I thought of as just junk… everyone worked with a purpose. INKO-CHAN FTW.
Overall: 10/10
I consider it a weighted score, as the one minor visual annoyance to me can’t really be made as a negative to the overall score. The series may be put as a #1 or 2 on my all-time list of favorites. I cried, I laughed, I got pissed… it was an emotional roller-coaster that I will ride over and over again.
Toradora~! Volumes 1 and 2 are now available for purchase thanks to NIS America. They are amazing sets to have, and everyone should own them. Not only do you get the fantastic series, but it includes a hardbound guide to each volume which is very nice in itself.
Toradora~! Volume 1 Premium Edition
Vol. 1 Premium Edition Package Includes:
– 2 DVD disc set
– Total of 13 episodes
– Approximately 25 min/episode
– Features original Japanese voice acting
– English subtitles
– Bonus movies: Toradora! SOS! Hurray for Gourmands #1 – Gobbling up little lives, Lumpy and Delicious – Viva Tarako Spaghetti; Toradora! SOS! Hurray for Gourmands #2 – Sweets for Kids, aka Pudding, High purine? Or low purine?; Clean OP/ED
– 32-page Hardcover Artbook (approx. 10″ x 7″) filled with story guides, character introduction and relationships charts, key terms, and opening/ending theme liner notes. Also includes interviews with Ryoji Majima who performed Takasu Ryuji, Hirofumi Nojima who performed Yusaku Kitamura, Eri Kitamura who performed Ami Kawashima, and Yui Horie who performed Minori Kushieda, plus Mari Okada who did Story Composition! Premium Showcase Package.
– NISA Exclusive Double Sided 20″X13″ Poster (Illustration of Toradora! on one side and Persona on the other side)
Toradora~! Volume 2 Premium Edition
Vol. 2 Premium Edition Package Includes:
– 2 DVD disc set
– Total of 13 episodes
– Approximately 25 min/episode
– Features original Japanese voice acting
– English subtitles
– Bonus movies: Toradora! SOS! Hurray for Gourmands #3 – In India, Right Hand for Curry, Left for the Bathroom, Keep Dragging On, The Way of Curry!; Toradora! SOS! Hurray for Gourmands #4 – Don’t be judgmental!, It’s what everyone loves and cherishes, pink and fatty corned beef.; Clean OP/ED; Clean ED from EP19, 21, 24, 25
– Premium Box with full color, 32-page Hardcover Artbook (approx. 11″ x 7″), filled with story guides, character introduction and relationships charts, key terms, and opening/ending theme liner notes. Also includes interviews with Rie Kugimiya and Ryoji Majima who performed Taiga Aisaka and Takasu Ryuji, plus the director! Premium Showcase Package.
An amazing series through and through, that everyone needs to watch. Enjoy!
