Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Season: 1
Episodes: 25
Producer: Kenichi Kasai, Takahiro Yamanaka
Director: Tatsuyuki Nagai
Studio: J.C. Staff
Original Airtime: October 2, 2008 – March 26, 2009

Plot

Toradora! follows Ryuji Takasu who possesses a very gentle personality however his eyes makes him look like an intimidating delinquent. After class re-arrangements he finds himself in the same class as his best friend Yusaku Kitamura and his secret crush Minori Kushieda. The class also had Kushieda’s best friend Taiga Aisaka. She has a delicate appearance contradictory to the brutal personality she possesses. Now Aisaka who is secretly in love with Kitamura decides to help Ryuji in his love affair if only he helps her in return.

Story: 7.5/10

The story of Toradora! is very simple and somewhat cliched but it was executed wonderfully. The pacing was inch perfect and didn’t try to complicate too much. They did a fantastic job in maintaining the momentum throughout the series. It had high moments and moments that made you want to cry. The most enjoyable part of the story was how the relationship between Ryuji and Taiga developed from just helping each other to falling for each other.

Character: 7/10

Toradora! does not contain a wide range of character. The story basically circulates around 5-6 characters. However, those 5-6 characters were nicely crafted. Especially Minori and Ryuji were exceptional. Taiga was a perfect example of a rock hard cover but a softy underneath. She is the ideal tsundere. Kitamura was also very enjoyable and Ryuji’s mother was always there throughout the show giving us something extra to laugh about.

Here are some notable characters from the anime:

Animation and Art: 8.5/10

I was somewhat disappointed by the artwork of Toradora!. I was expecting much more especially considering the fact that lots of anime before 2008 had better visuals compared to it. However, it is only because I am writing a review. The art and animation is not an impediment towards the overall enjoyment of the anime.

Here are some screenshots from the anime:

Music: 7.5/10

Well, Toradora! definitely could have done better in this department. Generally we get to see very good soundtracks in Romantic Comedies but Toradora! was somewhat of a letdown. The only memorable piece of music in the show was the opening theme “Pre-Parade” by Kugimiya Rie. Besides that there was nothing worth mentioning.

Here is Senpai’s Favorite Track from Toradora!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKdtkZdIOaw

Final Thoughts

Toradora! may have its fair share of flaws but that does not take away the fact that it as an exceptional romantic comedy. You will get to see people show their love through their actions rather than throwing some cheesy lines or saying “I love you” every two episodes. If you are a romantic comedy fan I advise you to try Toradora!