[ Episode 6: True Colors ]

Demon Ami-chan is WIN-LOVE!

So it was a stalker! Figures that someone like her would have one or two of ‘em. In the end though, he didn’t turn out to be that big of a deal since she stomped him and his camera. Ami’s true self can be frightening from what she’s displayed so far, even more than Taiga! I think that side of her consists of the majority of her awesome factor though. I’m still not sure if she’s going to be her true self at school even though she seems to have gotten over forcing herself to keep up the facade. I guess I’ll have to wait and see. I really did like the last bit of the episode though. Ami-chan seems to have taken a liking to Ryuuji and was so close to mesmerizing him until Taiga walked in on them both, completely surprised of course. Her reaction was rather surprising though, do I sense jealousy?

[ Episode 5: Kawashima Ami ]

Ami-chaaaaaaaan!

This episode was a ton of laughs, especially thanks to Ami-chan. Her two-faced style of character brings a lot of comedy and tension to the cast and I love how she manages to piss off Taiga. She’s also pretty damn good at making people like her with that airhead persona she uses most of the time but I easily prefer her true self much more. One thing I took notice of was how Ami reacted to when Taiga said ’stalker’ and how she acted/dressed at the very end of the episode. What can be going on there I wonder? Given that she is an idol, I’m guessing that she has or is currently experiencing stalker behavior from some sick bastard? Guess I’ll see soon enough.

[ Episode 4: That Moment's Expression ]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R!

An episode where Taiga is more embarrassed and drooling rather than pissed off? Haha, I can’t say I expected it. I had quite a laugh at the blurry pictures she had of Kitamura. Though, isn’t that kind of activity almost…stalker-like? Well, whatever. The most interesting part of the episode definitely happened at the end where it’s revealed that Kitamura confessed to Taiga a year ago. His confession was pretty hilarious in some ways but he was rejected (of course) only for Taiga to fall for him immediately after that. Is that karma knocking? Anyway, Ryuuji managed to snag a copy of Minori’s picture though I find it interesting that their relationship doesn’t really seem to be advancing as much as the one he has with Taiga…*hinthinthint*

The student council president, Sumire, was unexpected but I really loved hearing her voice (that’s Kaida Yuuko for ya). I wouldn’t mind seeing her a bit more throughout the series since I like her way of speaking and her attitude. Next episode will finally introduce Ami (the blue-haired girl in the OP sequence) and she is a completely new character to me since I’ve never read the novel (assuming she is in the novel). It seems like she’ll be bringing some conflict into the mix as well.

[ Episode 3: Your Song ]

MI-TSU-KE-TA!

Haha. This episode was an absolute riot. I love seeing Ryuuji and Taiga together. They’re one of the best couples I”ve seen in a long time along side Jin and Nagi from Kannagi. I’m guessing that this episode was either purely original or from the novel but regardless it was epically wonderful. My favorite scenes were easily those when Ryuuji and Minori were trapped, Taiga pushing/attempting to ride a bike, and Taiga finding them and promptly kick-stomping Ryuuji in the face. Seriously, Taiga’s “FOU-ND YO-U!” is one of the most hilarious things I’ve seen in the past few months and I’ve already re-winded that scene back more than a few times!

Also, I have to mention that I’d really like to see some romance between Ryuuji and Taiga in future episodes. I think that, more than anything, they are more compatible for each other compared to their respective love interests. Their interaction is purely natural and nothing is forced unlike when either of them speak to Minori and Kitamura. They already pretty much act like a couple so it can’t be that far-fetched…right?

[ Episode 2: Ryuuji and Taiga ]

Hmm. There was a notable difference in pacing this week compared to the first episode. In the manga, the confusion of Ryuuji and Taiga as a couple, basketball, baking, and confession scenes were a bit longer but the anime shortened them a bit. The most notable differences were that Ryuuji was originally supposed to carry Taiga to the infirmary when she got knocked out from the ball and during the confession scene he was in the male restroom when he overheard everything. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t feel that the changes detracted from the experience and enjoyment as a whole. The Ryuuji and Taiga scenes were much stronger this time around, especially since it’s obvious that they’ve come to care for each other a lot.

Also, the opening theme is absolute crack. I’ve already listened to a MP3-rip of it at least 10 times and the way it starts is just so wonderful. The sequence is pretty awesome as well. From here on out, I’m going to be in the dark since the last chapter I read was used to end this episode (the confession). I don’t think I’m going to read ahead since taking in everything as new will help me approach future episodes in a more direct and less-comparative manner. That said, more Toradora and Ryuuji/Taiga please!

Series Information

ANN Encyclopedia | AniDB | AnimeNfo
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
OP: [Pre-Parade (プレパレード)] by Rie Kugimiya, Eri Kitamura, and Yui Horie
ED: [Vanilla Salt (バニラソルト)] by Yui Horie
テレビ東京・あにてれ とらドラ！

[ Episode 1: Tiger and Dragon ]

The first episode turned out to be pretty much what I had expected it to be. Like the first few chapters of the manga I really loved it all, especially Ryuuji and Taiga’s first meeting where he accidentally calls her “Palmtop Tiger” and gets a swift uppercut. Priceless stuff. One of my earliest favorite scenes is definitely when Taiga attacks Ryuuji in the middle of the night. I thought that was a pretty WTF moment in the manga and it translated perfectly into the anime with even more impact thanks to the great performances of both of their seiyuu. I did notice that a few things were altered but they were nothing huge and didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment. The animation is rather different from its manga counterpart but is not a negative change at all. The characters still look as they should and it matches well with Toradora-in-motion, especially any physical scenes between Ryuuji and Taiga.

J.C. Staff is doing a marvelous job so far and I’m sure they will keep it that way till the end. Speaking of which, I’m not sure of Toradora’s length. My guess would be 13 but I think it can pull 24 just fine depending on the amount of material available. Also, I decided to blog this mainly because I recently became a fan of the manga a few weeks ago, which was before the anime started. I’m not sure how dedicated I’ll be to pushing out an entry for it each week but I’ll see how my current blogging schedule goes before anything is concrete. Still, it’s looking rather hopeful since it looks as if the second episode is going to cover up to where I last read the manga (I believe scanlations had stopped there for a while too).