FIF#81-Toradora

Ryuji Takasu is a young man all students fear…just because he has a scary face (he’s actually a nice guy).  Taiga Aisaka is a girl of tiny stature but bears the fangs of a true Tiger.  These two feared stars of high school want nothing to do with each other until Ryuji accidentally takes home a love letter from Taiga meant for another boy.  After stopping Taiga from tearing his head off, Ryuji agrees to help Taiga out in anyway he can.  He might come to regret that offer as Taiga’s favors are never small and her temper is even shorter.  Still, the more they hang around each other, the more Ryuji and Taiga might realize in a world that doesn’t quite get them, they might not be bad friends for each other after all.

 

Every once in a while I try to give Anime I normally wouldn’t watch a try.  In this past, this has lead to me discovering titles far outside my normal action/mecha/fantasy wheelhouse that have become long time favorites.  Ive talked about a few of these shows and movies here at length like Free, Your Name, Ouran High School Host Club and K-On.  Well I thought that for some of these First Impression Fridays, I should shake up the selections a bit.  I already gave the interesting but unorthodox Thunderbolt Fantasy a try, how about a little romance now?

 

Toradora is a series I knew little about going in besides the fact that the central heroine is…well little.  Coming out of the first episode, I can say the show is cute and has some good moments of entertainment.  I will say that Taiga herself might be the make or break factor if I want to go forward.  Taiga is one of the classic Tsundere characters in all of Anime, one as synonymous with the term as my eternal favorite Rin Tohsaka from Fate/Stay Night.  Taiga is tiny but she has a temper and carries a big stick that she isn’t afraid to hit people with.  She also has a habit of demeaning people who try to help her out, case in point with the obvious future love interest and male lead Ryuji.  It almost feels cruel.  At the same time though, there is a softness to her that is kind of cute.  Taiga’s clearly lonely and doesn’t really know how to talk to people who most focus on her height or her good looks.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ryuji is doing his best to show people he isn’t a monster everyone thinks at first glance.  One of the premieres funniest moments was when a pair of students surrender their wallets even though Ryuji never once threatens them…then Ryuji turns their wallets in (and apparently this is a common reoccurrence).  These two could learn much from one another if Taiga would just dial back the ferocity a bit.  I guess, however, she isn’t called the “Palm Top Tiger” for nothing.  Idk, maybe im just not in the mood for another Naru from Love Hina.  Still, the Ryuji/Taiga romance is one of the more infamous in all of Anime.  Maybe that is enough to keep me peeking in from time to time at Toradora?

 

The rest of Toradora’s intro is actually kind of forgettable when the two leads aren’t on screen together.  Sure there’s a cast of supporting friends and classmates and Ryuji’s party all night mother.  But no one left much of an impact save for Ryuji and Taiga and I don’t know if that will be enough to keep me coming back for more.  It’s not that I have a problem with the romance and constant bickering…ive just seen better romance Anime kick things off stronger in the past (like Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku).  Actually with looking at shows like Fushigi Yugi, Wotakoi and this one, maybe I should find a new romance Anime to delve into…it just wont be Toradora.