Toradora!

[shinta|hikari]

I agree that Kanou and Kitamura did not start dating. Kitamura respected her decision to move on for both their sakes, so he gave up. I think it was stupid of him to do so. He should have just gone with her and made a new start. What the hell is he even leaving behind in Japan? A bunch of weird friends? A father that beats on him (though he might have deserved it a bit)? On the other hand, Kanou is hot and cold at the same time. What else can you ask for?

On the Ami and Takasu bit, I personally think that Takasu is more of an M, so he needs someone like Taiga or Ami as a match to make him feel satisfied. I just prefer the intelligent painful remarks over actual physical pain from violence. Taiga is just far too brutish and clumsy for my tastes.

[Yukimura]

I failed to consider that Takasu might genuinely be a glutton for punishment be it physical or emotional. If that's the case and any relationship involving him is going to have to involve him being shit on to be satisfied I'd have to say I'm in the Ami as opposed to the Taiga camp. It's too bad this camp was doomed to failure from the start (Rie Kugimiya always gets her man). Even if I don't completely trust that it's genuine at least Ami puts up an air of respectability in public and thoughtfulness when she's being snarky in private. Whatever she is or isn't hiding she doesn't lay it out in front of everyone in the world and demand people acknowledge it. Taiga on the other hand seems to just be a raging emotion factory, throwing her inner turmoils out at the world rather than deal with them in a more respectable manner.

With the new twist of Minorin potentially joining the run for Takasu's heart I can't help but see a tragedy coming. Takasu is supposed to want Minorin, apparently Minorin also wants him but had been denying it for Taiga's sake, and Taiga doesn't seem to know what she wants. Figuring things have to end up swinging towards TakasuxTaiga means either Takasu and Minorin end up not being as compatible as they thought or Takasu and Minorin's guilt over Taiga's emo pain due to being rebuked by Kitamura will overpower any potential attraction they have and pull Takasu deeper into her web.

[RyougaZell]

When you put it that way I can definitely see Minorin suppresing her own feelings for the sake of Taiga. After all... she always starts saying other things when it seems Takasu is trying to tell her how she feels. Plus... there is the guilt of having pushed Taiga towards seeing her father one year prior (as we can assume from her reactions... she did try the same thing as Takasu... for Taiga to see her father).

The series is obviously set for Taiga to win at the end... but I wouldn't mind Minorin being with Takasu for a while. Ami... I still can't like her that much.

[Death BOO Z]

finally caught up.

that was a narutoesque fight scene (note: not a compliment), but it's a comedy drama, so it's expected to be assed.

I still think that Minorin's character is practically being written for each episode separately. she shifts far too much from quirky, semi-quirky and plain annoying for it to make any sense for me. I can't believe she didn't know that Taiga had a crush on kitamura. she's taiga's best (and only) friend, and she supposedly has amazing insight into people's heart, it's not as if taiga's has been so district about it that it should be treated like an horrible secret.

so, they pushed out the president? I liked her character from the start, she acts like a likable, more self confident Ami. too bad.

I did enjoy taiga's father bits, a nice, deep insight at both taiga and ryuuji. of course, Minorin craze had to ruin it all (no bitch, he didn't gain any amazing mind reading abilities to see that her dad is a jerk, just like her dad fooled you last year. so if there's something you need to say, say it).

Kitamura still doesn't feel like a real character to me, despite his rebellion arc. he's a bit better than minorin, but he also has 'support' written all over.

[KrayZ33]

(no bitch, he didn't gain any amazing mind reading abilities to see that her dad is a jerk, just like her dad fooled you last year. so if there's something you need to say, say it).

/sign

really.. I was annoyed too when that happened, just tell him what happened.
I bet Ryuuji would have done something the second she mentioned it.. but no she had to play the "mysterious hero" part and I was so happy that Ryuuji got mad at her, because he is/was so right.

However Minorin still has some funny moments now and then, which is the only reason why I can endure her, for example the Yu-gi-oh parody (last?) ep and so on. However she destroys everything with her absolutely nonesense behavior and actions.. ( I really disliked it when she joined the Mr. Happy Guy contest for example)

[Ryllharu]

really.. I was annoyed too when that happened, just tell him what happened.
I bet Ryuuji would have done something the second she mentioned it.. but no she had to play the "mysterious hero" part and I was so happy that Ryuuji got mad at her, because he is/was so right.

I believe Minorin went over why she didn't tell him before hand. Takasu simply wouldn't believe her if he told her, because Taiga's dad comes off as such a nice guy to everyone else. He's exactly like Ami used to be. But he only forces Taiga to do things when he's alone with her. Forcing her to move all her shit out of the apartment, promising this, promising that, taking her to expensive restaurants without asking her where she'd actually like to go or even what she actually likes to eat, the list goes on and on. From the outside looking in, it looks like he really cares for Taiga, but you can't know that isn't true until he betrays your trust.

Minorin didn't tell him outright because she fell for exactly the same routine. Unless he experienced his own viewpoint betrayed the same way Minorin's was and how Taiga always ends up, he simply wouldn't believe her.

For Takasu, it was even worse because he never had a father, and the only anecdotes he ever hears about his own father was what a badass Yakuza punk he was. Takasu views his father as a dirtbag, and without ever experiencing what a father was actually like (Yacchan only tells him that he was super cool, and she's pretty unreliable) Takasu was even further tricked into believing that Taiga's father was a good guy.

Takasu impressed his own vision of what finally getting his father back would be like, and made it worse because from the outside looking in, Taiga's dad is a really stand up guy, who like Takasu inwardly hopes about his own father, maybe just got a bad reputation undeservedly.

[shinta|hikari]

Minorin may have thought of it that way, but such thinking in itself is a mistake. While Ryuuji is an emotional fool, he can be easily reasoned with. Even if he does have personal issues that may affect his judgment, a clear explanation of what has happened before should overrule any nice guy act that the father can pull off, especially since the story can be confirmed by Taiga herself.

The only reason why Ryuuji forced the issue was because he was kept in the dark. How can you trust the advice (or rather emotional outburst) of someone who refuses to explain, even if you do have romantic feelings for them?

If Minorin didn't tell Ryuuji about what happened before because she fell for the same routine, she is an absolute idiot. She owes him (or any friend) that much, even if you think he won't believe you. So what if he doesn't believe her (which I don't think will happen)? What harm can at least informing him of the past do? Minorin was only preserving her own feelings, both by not wanting to recount her mistakes and not risking getting hurt if Ryuuji chooses to believe Taiga's father instead of her. Because of that, both Taiga and Ryuuji were hurt.

[Marik]

[CoalGuys] Toradora - 17 [728461D3].mkv

[Nipponsei] Toradora! OP2 Single - silky heart [Horie Yui].zip

[Nipponsei] Toradora! ED2 Single - Orange [Rie Kugimiya, Yui Horie, & Eri Kitamura].zip

[KrayZ33]

I like both the new OP and ED animation-wise. The music is so-so, but the lyrics from the ED are nice

Well I saw the part with Kihara comming already, poor (hot) thing...getting pushed away by those 2 guys. :sob:

Oh and Kushieda was just as annoying as Ryuuji's parrot in this episode, but that might be the case because I didn't get the joke when she was sitting on the desk, talking shit and after she finished doing that, she cried on the floor...

It's ok if she is not okay yet, because she can't sort out her feelings or "allow" them, but at least she could act a little bit more like she did when everyone talked about the christmas party.. and not in such a weird way (this is just *too* weird for me..)

and I want to see more of Ryuuji's mother Yasuko and class C's teacher ^^

but I still wonder how everything will turn out... and who with whom. A happy ending for everyone is surely not possible

[Ryllharu]

I've never been a fan of Yui Horie's songs, there are very few of her songs I've liked...this one is no exception. Something about them just rubs me the wrong way. The new ED was better.

It's a little sad about Kihara. She's way too late to the game, and I wish they would have developed her a little more if they are going to add another vertex to the Love Polygon.

Tanaka Rie's eternally heartbroken sensei is always a good laugh. This was a great rant, she has outdone herself each time so far in this series.

As cheap as it was, I couldn't help but get drawn into Taiga's childlike joy over Christmas. It was kind of creepy, but definitely cute. I like the white coat too.


On to the main topic: Kushieda.

I'm still not totally sure what her fuss is all about. If Taiga can be happy with Kitamura, why is she all bent out of shape about forcing Taiga and Takasu together, leaving her all alone? While it certainly become more complicated with Kihara also announcing her interests, it still doesn't mean that Minorin can't be happy too. Only Kihara would be. Maybe Minorin is holding so grudge about the whole thing because Taiga rejected Kitamura before he joined the Student Council, and now Minorin doesn't like the fact that Taiga wants him later?

The whole thing doesn't make any damn sense, I hope Ami can get to the root of the problem soon.

[Death BOO Z]

woop, new episode, and i'm up to date with it.

first impression of the OP, kitamura gets midly booted, and it seems that he'll have a much smaller role. clearing some space for Ami.

which I'm all in for, since kitamura is boring as hell, and ami is goodness.

Kihara is pretty cute as well, and it seems that she has a sort of functioning brain, did I say she's cute?

as always, Christmas appears awfully out of place in anime. it's proabably a matter of cultural upbringing, but I find it lacking that we see chirstmas before any traditional holiday. also, Taiga trying to be nice can only lead to disappointment.

Kushieda, as previously said by just about anyone, is crazy. and I can hardly say she's worth looking into her actions and trying to find an explanation.

last thing, I think it's a shame we haven't seen the off time that Taiga didn't go to school. it could have been used to show different sides of AisakA and ryuuji when they aren't constantly orbiting each other.

[MFauli]

but I still wonder how everything will turn out... and who with whom. A happy ending for everyone is surely not possible

Not if you go by typical society standards, yeah

[KrayZ33]

[Nipponsei] Toradora! OP2 Single - silky heart [Horie Yui].zip

[Nipponsei] Toradora! ED2 Single - Orange [Rie Kugimiya, Yui Horie, & Eri Kitamura].zip

how come that Nipponsei's files are always so big? I normally wait until it's on Gendou's site because they are a lot smaller and I can't tell much of a difference in quality.

btw.. I also always wondered what music-company produce animation-songs? is it King Records or what kind of company is doing them?

[Marik]

how come that Nipponsei's files are always so big? I normally wait until it's on Gendou's site because they are a lot smaller and I can't tell much of a difference in quality

Because they don't only contain just one track, it's the entire cd single + scans.

Tracklist:

1. Orange
2. Koi Kurage
3. Orange (off vocal ver.)
4. Koi Kurage (off vocal ver.)

and

Tracklist:

1. silky heart
2. Love Countdown
3. Hoshizora to Pajama
4. silky heart (off vocal ver.)
5. Love Countdown (off vocal ver.)
6. Hoshizora to Pajama (off vocal ver.)

and yeah, both of them are on King Records.

Edit: If you only want the actual OP and ED, here you go.

ED - Orange | OP - silky heart

[Marik]

[CoalGuys] Toradora - 18 [83D26DC8].mkv




------



The scene with Ami and Ryuuji in the gym storeroom was great. Ami was right when she said that Ryuuji was acting like a father to Taiga and needed to stop. I wish she would have admitted her own feelings more clearly.

Minorin has been annoying these last few episodes. Her character has always been weird and out there, but it was fun and entertaining at least. Now she's just depressed and gloomy over her feelings for Ryuuji and it's kind of painful to watch.

Taiga was toradorable in this episode, especially in the scene with Santa. I found it hard to believe that she went to an all-girls catholic school. That doesn't suit her character at all.

Ugh, wtf was with the Super Duper Baseball of Doom. It went through a window and a curtain and still managed to destroy the tree.

[Death BOO Z]

Me - [big love] - Ami.
Me - [really like] - Kiharra
Me - [able to sympathize with] - Taiga.

it's a really nice to hear about taiga and her being from a Catholic school, it puts her character into order. As always, Ami is a girl who got both brains, body and heart. while Kihara is simply really pretty-looking, and has a decent personality.

Kushieda. as usual, is out of place.

edit: when I wrote this post: Me - [simply adore] - 1.6 liters of alcohol

[Ryllharu]

Taiga really shone in this episode. Even if she feels betrayed by her father, and maybe hates her stepmother, she won't let that get in the way of how she feels about Christmas. She tried multiple times in the coversations about the presents to put herself down, 'Doing it out of obligation, doing it out of habit, doing it to satisfy my own selfish desires, etc.'

Taiga, despite how hostile, cold, or nasty she is normally, really loves the Christmas holiday and doesn't want to see it tarnished in any way. She even does her best to make sure that children experience the same happiness she did as a child. It doesn't matter that she was only doing it because she was in a Catholic school then, she's still sending presents to them now.


My heart ached for Ami a little bit in that scene. We saw some truly honest emotion out of her in the storage room. She knew she gave him a nasty impression of her selfishness over the months, and after seeing what kind of person he really is, she wanted to redo it all if she could.

As for Minorin, she's totally going to have an emotional meltdown soon. She almost lost it when she saw that she broke Taiga's party and in her mind, ruined everything for Taiga. Sadly, Taiga couldn't possibly be more benevolent during Christmas (it's gotten a little creepy at times) and it would matter even less to her that it was Minorin who did it. I just wish they'd definitively tell us WHY Minorin has been getting so bent out of shape. We all know vaguely, but it's about time they told us specifically.

[animus]

Poor Yuri-chan.

Minorin is starting to grate on the nerves. Her character has always been out of place, and now it's even crazier.

Also, how the hell did a base ball that already cracked a window, have enough strength to topple that tree? Ridiculous. Maybe if by chance it just hit the star, but the whole damn tree went down. What the hell? Maybe if it was an actual tree with a base, it might. But that thing had a huge flat, circular base. It's nitpicking but it was such a WTF moment for me.

[Ryllharu]

Also, how the hell did a base ball that already cracked a window, have enough strength to topple that tree? Ridiculous. Maybe if by chance it just hit the star, but the whole damn tree went down. What the hell? Maybe if it was an actual tree with a base, it might. But that thing had a huge flat, circular base. It's nitpicking but it was such a WTF moment for me.

What bothered me more about that momemt was that it got through thick blackout curtains as well. It would never have had the momentum to get to the star, much less knock over the tree.

[MFauli]

I actually was disappointed in how easily the christmas tree-matter was resolved. It would have been more interesting if the tree was totally broken/ruined, and everyone started hating Kushieda. Oh, well, maybe i wanted that because Kushieda became such an annoying character.

This episode made me rooting for Ryuuji+Ami-couple even more...just tell him you love him!

btw i´ve figured out the ideal outcome in terms of couples for this series:

Ryuuji + Ami
Kitamura + Taiga/Kihara/Kushieda

That way all of them are happy, and Kitamura the most XD

PS: Yeah, i really think that Kushieda likes Kitamura, not Ryuuji. That´s why Ami spoke with her, and that´s why she dont want to meet Taiga as well. Cant tell her that she likes the guy she likes.