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Toradora!

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Post by Konaxookami Wed Sep 01, 2010 8:10 pm

There is something in this world that no one has ever seen before.
It is gentle and sweet.
Maybe if it could be seen, everyone would fight over it.
That's why no one has ever seen it.
The world hid it so no one could get their hands on it easily.
However, someday, someone will find it.
the person who deserves it most will definitely find it.
This is how it begins

Toradora starts off with this exchange of words. Pretty deep stuff right? You'd expect some deep, sad, romantic cheesy show from lines like this. But take a look at the OP:

Role reversal eh? This series is hard to classify. You could call it a slice of life, you could call it comedy, a romance, coming of age, heck, even moe if you wanted to. But Toradora is so much more than anything a genre can explain.

Our main protaganists? Aisaka Taiga and Takasu Ryuuji. Yes, their names sound familiar right? Taiga sounds close to our version of how to say 'Tiger' and Ryuuji literally means 'son of the dragon'. Now look at the title. Toradora. Tora is the japanese word for tiger, and Dora is partof the romanji way of saying Dragon (Doragon). Get the play on words there? Anyways...Aisaka Taiga is the little one with the brown hair and the scowl. cute, but deadly. In every sense of the word. Everyone thinks she's the cutest thing-but her personality and sour face keep them faaaaaar away. (Though, Taiga is a typical tsundere as you'll find out) Now Takasu Ryuuji (Dark blue hair and the scary eyes) on the other hand is the opposite-has the scary look of a yakuza member, but the guy wouldn't hurt a fly. He's a typical housewife sort of guy, good at cooking, cleaning, managing money and the like. Two polar opposites.

Now this is where you say-oh, well if it's romantic comedy these two are bound to fall in love on the sight, right?! WRONG. Taiga and Ryuuji's meeting is nothing short of a disaster. When Ryuuji runs into Taiga (Very literally) he blurts out the class's nickname for the girl, Tenori Taiga. Or the palm top tiger that could supposedly grant wishes if you could touch the top. How does Taiga react? Ryuuji gets a falcon punch right to the cheek. What a greeting, eh?

Ryuuji's misfortune with the girl doesn't end though. Mistakening Ryuuji's bag for his good friend Yusaku's, Taiga slips a love confession into the bag and freaks out as Ryuuji walks off with it. Later that night when Ryuuji is home alone trying to sleep-in bursts a angry and ferocious Taiga-demanding he give the letter back. She's threatening the boy with a bokuto and it's near midnight-and Ryuuji? Totally scared out of his mind. Taiga, though, collapses on his floor in hunger. What's a boy to do? Ryuuji's 'mother'-ly instincts tell him to feed her.

Truth is, Taiga's on bad terms with her family and lives alone. Without any skills at domestic life she eats instant meals and really goes hungry during the day when she can't make a bento for herself. Ryuuji sees this, and the two strike a bargain. Taiga's got a crush on Ryuuji's friend, and Ryuuji's got a crush on Taiga's friend. The two team up, and hope to help one another to gain their other party's affection. In return for the help with his love life, Ryuuji helps Taiga survive and the two make an unlikely duo.

The story itself plays a lot on the comedy of the situation, there are some fanservice moments that are understandable, but not so much that it dominates the series. You'd think that the series is a humorous one until it throws genuine and shocking moments at you that will touch your heart. The sort of moments that define a series or change your view on it entirely. I won't ruin the whole series for you, but Taiga and Ryuuji's friendship run deep, and you can watch it grow in Ryuuji's need to protect and help Taiga, and Taiga's familiarity with Ryuuji(Though at the beginning she treats him like a dog). Ryuuji always stands by Taiga as well-and it's lines like this that really make the series:

You are the tiger-The only thing on the same level as a tiger is a dragon. I will become a dragon! And stay by Taiga's side-as a dog I can't stay beside you!

You'd think there'd be romantic atmosphere or the shojo bubbles-everything else but the two characters staring into each other's eyes. Toradora is completely empty of those cliched things, and that's what makes the series so real. Besides that, after Ryuuji said that sappy line to try to cheer Taiga up, she yelled at him for being impertinent.

The series is heartwarming, and without yourself realizing it, you'll be rooting for the characters and finding yourself getting attached to them. Toradora surprised me when my friend recommended it. I thought the art and animation was good, so I gave it a shot. It's a beautiful thing to watch-consistent animation and the voice work superb. I recommend it highly. The characters are lovable, and the music, art and voice work very good. The American release is out too-with the first half the series already out. The NIS America anime company even kept the original voice work-so no terrible dub to even TRY to hurt the series.

END review. xD That wasn't too horrible was it? xD My first go at a sorta summary/review ish thing. xD

Toradora! Torado10
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Post by Luu Sky Sapphire Fri Sep 03, 2010 12:01 pm

I really enjoyed your review on Toradora! Never seen the series before, nor has anybody recommended it to me. So sad. It sounds like a very diverse series with lots of dynamic characters. You have convinced me to give it a shot! ^_~ A series free of cliches will make it a worthy addition to my collection. As long as the story is good and I become very attached to the characters, I'll treasure it. ^_^
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Post by Konaxookami Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:10 pm

Thanks Luu! ^^ My friend told me about Taiga and I was like-oh! she's cute! Tsundere? and then she begged me to watch the series. xD Went in thinking it'd be some shoujo b-grade sap, and ended up hooked. xD It's a decent watch, and I think if it got more attention, it'd be super popular.
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Post by Luu Sky Sapphire Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:30 pm

Kona wrote:Thanks Luu! ^^ My friend told me about Taiga and I was like-oh! she's cute! Tsundere? and then she begged me to watch the series. xD Went in thinking it'd be some shoujo b-grade sap, and ended up hooked. xD It's a decent watch, and I think if it got more attention, it'd be super popular.

Looking at Taiga kinda reminds me of Natsuki. XD I'm surprised a series that is a blend of genres isn't very popular. I'm serious, I never heard of this series until recently. Might of been mentioned in the latest anime magazines, but that's it. The best anime is usually on DVD and Japan, not on American TV. @_@ No offense, since you're a fan of Naruto. lol
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Post by Konaxookami Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:46 pm

The best anime is usually on DVD and Japan, not on American TV. @_@ No offense, since you're a fan of Naruto. lol

xD No offense taken. Naruto is really a load crap recently, and I only hang around for the off chance that maybe Hinata will get a moment or they'll give me more information on Kushina and Minato. The manga and the anime are shitactularly ridiculous and I swear Naruto's got a crush on Sasuke.

Toradora I had to watch online. I need to get my hands on the American released DVD soon-but it's only available on the NIS America website-so I'll have to beg to order it. xD Taiga does remind me of Natsuki now that you mention it. xD I was happy that it got mentioned in OtakuUSA. They did a feature on it and Kona was a happy panda. xD So it inspired me to write a review myself.
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Post by Luu Sky Sapphire Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:00 pm

Naruto's got a crush on Sasuke.

I know right? It's Goku x Vegeta all over again. *shivers*

My only reason for tuning in is to hopefully see Temari and Tsunade do something. Especially Tsunade. That woman is beyond hawt. >_<

Toradora I had to watch online. I need to get my hands on the American released DVD soon-but it's only available on the NIS America website-so I'll have to beg to order it. xD Taiga does remind me of Natsuki now that you mention it. xD I was happy that it got mentioned in OtakuUSA. They did a feature on it and Kona was a happy panda. xD So it inspired me to write a review myself.


O_O I added it to my wish list for Christmas time, so expect a review sometime in 2011. lol I have a lot of other anime to complete first. AH! OtakuUSA is probably where I heard about it too. I'm glad you're into writing reviews like me. We could use them since I noticed the others here are always looking for the next best thing in anime. Or the best thing they missed out on. XD
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Post by Konaxookami Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:06 pm

I know right? It's Goku x Vegeta all over again. *shivers*

Dear god that hurts my brain. x-X

We could use them since I noticed the others here are always looking for the next best thing in anime. Or the best thing they missed out on.

I normally jump on bandwagons late- but those few gems I find by myself are great and I've got plenty to write about. I've gota review in store for the Higurashi and Umineko series next-since I enjoyed those a lot too. xD
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Post by Luu Sky Sapphire Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:32 pm

Kona wrote:I normally jump on bandwagons late- but those few gems I find by myself are great and I've got plenty to write about. I've gota review in store for the Higurashi and Umineko series next-since I enjoyed those a lot too. xD

Amen to that. I discovered a couple of gems recently thanks to Charcoal and Kino-chan. You may of seen the threads for them, Kuttsukiboshi and Occult Academy. Kuttsukiboshi has promise, but you NEED to see Occult Academy. It's one of the best series I've seen in a while.
:D

I haven't seen Umineko yet sadly, and I've already finished Higurashi. Now that's an intense series. Couldn't get into the fandom all the way since it was always harassed by Elfen Lied fans. XD I could give a rat's ass which was more violent. Rolling Eyes What does that have to do with anything?
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Post by Konaxookami Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:36 pm

I haven't seen Umineko yet sadly, and I've already finished Higurashi. Now that's an intense series. Couldn't get into the fandom all the way since it was always harassed by Elfen Lied fans. XD I could give a rat's ass which was more violent. Rolling Eyes What does that have to do with anything?

Well, I was never a big fan of Elfen Lied actually. But if people want to argue about a bloodier series-Umineko's the way to go. It's gore rating was about five or so times higher than Higurashi and the way the story is set up is amazing. And Beatrice. Dear god I'd love to be HER furniture. xD But as much as a liked Higurashi (I was Keiichi to my first con actually) I enjoy Umineko more because it allows me more room to think and it's creepier and bloodier than most horror movies I could watch. I think after Higurashi-not much scared me in live action-but after Umineko-I was set for any bullcrap horror people threw at me. xD
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Post by Luu Sky Sapphire Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:29 am

Kona wrote:Well, I was never a big fan of Elfen Lied actually. But if people want to argue about a bloodier series-Umineko's the way to go. It's gore rating was about five or so times higher than Higurashi and the way the story is set up is amazing. And Beatrice. Dear god I'd love to be HER furniture. xD But as much as a liked Higurashi (I was Keiichi to my first con actually) I enjoy Umineko more because it allows me more room to think and it's creepier and bloodier than most horror movies I could watch. I think after Higurashi-not much scared me in live action-but after Umineko-I was set for any bullcrap horror people threw at me. xD

Umineko sounds like a winner! :twisted: I don't mind all the gore and violent stuff in an anime, as long as there's a reason for it. You know what I mean? Like the anime can't be made for the sake of gore, you gotta have a great story to support the brutality going on. You said it's a series where you're given room to think, so there's hope.
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Post by Konaxookami Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:45 pm

You know what I mean? Like the anime can't be made for the sake of gore, you gotta have a great story to support the brutality going on. You said it's a series where you're given room to think, so there's hope.

Most of the violence HAS a reason-and that's the great thing. There are different sides to the story too. You can take the non-magic believing side, or the magic believing side. Most of the murders follow a epitaph too-and though the cycle is repeated, much like in Higurashi, the people, places, and times change. It's a lot like a murder mystery-but so much better. xD
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Post by Kyubey Mittens Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:30 pm

I watched Toradora last week, great anime. Your review is spot on for the series and I leaned a few things I didn't know before about the series(like the Toradora name).
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Post by The Fire Stirring Ruby Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:14 am

Tora Dora! has been aired here in my place, and the whole series was cute, and the love-hate relationship by Aisaka and Takasu was very interesting. I loved this show and when I finished the series, I found it very nice to watch it again. Nice review Kona!
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