Toradora! 17

Yep, still watching this show from last season. Have to say, this is getting to be one of my all time favourite animes now, as it’s just so easy to watch and feel emotion, and you feel that the characters are so realistic, despite some of the more absurd moments in the show. I may start blogging more about shows that I’m watching, as my content can’t be all about figures and writing can it? Yeah, I’m procastinating on the writing ^_^;;

Anyway, it looks like episode 17 may be the start of the more emo and meaty parts of the series. Finally we are getting to drama with the main characters, and now it’s the whole Minorin x Ryuji x Taiga business. I won’t put Ami-chan in the triangle, as it looks like Toradora is using her more of a supporting character for now, much as I like her. Last arc was about Kitamura being emo, now it’s Minorin’s turn. I KNEW this was going to happen. You can’t be a class clown forever.

Minorin is really thinking about what Ami-chan said last episode. After she saw the picture in Taiga’s wallet with her and Kitamura, it seems like Ami was taunting her, that she doesn’t have to feel guilty (about liking Ryuji) because Taiga really likes someone else. But is that really the case? It’s never flat out stated anywhere that Minorin likes Ryuji, but the fact you can just tell from their body language, and actions, just shows the attention to detail that the author / animators went to to make the characters as real as they could.

There was also a new OP in this episode. I dunno, I still kinda like the original one, though this one isn’t bad. The OP animation also seems very Taiga X Ryuji focused. We can all guess that the show is going to be about them in the end, but I kinda wish they made it more open.

The animators seemed to be going the extra mile to make Taiga as cute as possible. But it seems so out of character lol. Though I do like the idea that her feelings on Santa. I like this analysis from Tri-ring on the AnimeSuki Forums:

Originally Posted by Tri-ring

All that “I love Christmas”act by Taiga is painful.
If you listen to her comments, it about “If I be a GOOD GIRL, Santa will bring a gift” meaning she’s repenting her past acts. It also means that she wants something in exchange but deep down she knows that there is no Santa meaning she’s grasping for something she knows she can’t possibly reach.
When she realizes that she is grasping then shes going to have a complete emotional break down dragging in all that are involved with her.

Again a train wreck waiting to happen.

This picture is so sweet it would make Lactose Intolerant people throw up. Hmm I don’t think that made sense ^_^;;

Can Minorin PLEASE stop using the bald cover. Kawakune (Not cute!)

This whole sequence had me laughing out loud. “Y-chan” talks about her love troubles with Kitamura who has gotten a reputation for being a Love Advisor from the last arc. But they all know Y-chan is really Yuri-sensei. The story really paints her in a pathetic light lol. She looks so cute though, WHY would men not go out with her? (Yes, I know, every female drawn in anime is cute, unless it’s a grandma of some sort).

Ami-chan gets her 20 seconds in the show (Poor Ami-chan, delegated to minor supporting character). However I love it how she teases the hell out of Taiga, and injects a dose of reality into the other characters and the show. I can only hope we get an arc about her that completes her development. I know she won’t ever get with Ryuji no matter how much people might want it to happen, but the arc would be full of juicy drama!

Oh! Almost forgot! We do get some awesome fan-service of Ami-chan, in one Ryuji’s friend’s hentai dreams.

WTB Ami-chan ❤

Didn’t know that the other girls in their class were this cute. The one on the left looks like Mikuru-chan from Haruhi. She’s even wearing the same red bunny suit. Kihara I think her name is? She suddenly becomes a somewhat main character in this episode for some reason, she actually gets named!

And here we get more of Minorin’s emo and she refuses to go to the “couples” Christmas party. Did I mention yet that I’m not really a Minorin fan? But I can somewhat understand her feelings. She doesn’t want to get close to Ryuji because she’s afraid she’s be stealing him from Taiga. Even though we know she knows that Taiga really likes Kitamura, however, even if Minorin and Ryuji started going out, Ryuji might stop taking care of Taiga?

Especially when Taiga has no one else in the world, since her father is such a douche bag. Really, if Ryuji stopped hanging around with Taiga, I wonder what would happen to her? Revert back to the angry hermit with such a dirty house, who eats junk food everyday? Or would Taiga finally realise how much Ryuji really does for her, and realise that she had been taking him for granted? Would she realise her own feelings for Ryuji? These are all questions I would like to find out in this arc or the next. In fact this same problem would arise if Ryuji were to go out with AMI as well.

Second favourite part of the episode (or third, forgot about the Ami Fan Service part <3). Inko-chan sees the roast bird book and rebels against Ryuji ^_^;;

Kihara is really cute. Her voice is awesome, I know I’ve heard it somewhere before, but I can’t put my finger on it. Her design kinda reminds me of Orihime and Mikuru mixed together.

She seems to like Kitamura also – why do so many like him again??? She wanted to sit next to him, but gets foiled by Ryuji’s friends who are trying to setup Taiga with Kitamura instead. Kinda makes me laugh to think that she probably invited herself to this session, all for the purpose of getting closer to Kitamura.

Taiga knows that Kitamura likes the School Prez (old one at least), I wonder if she is still setting her cap for him? It hasn’t been made clear yet. Though we know Kitamura has moved on from Taiga, I wonder what his feelings are now also? It’s obvious that Taiga still likes him due to the way she still gets flustered…

Another Saccherine sweet picture of Taiga that makes you think, are we still watching Toradora? An anime about a Tsundere? However it looks like that she’s mostly moved on from that now. Her character has developed a lot since the start, and I really think we can thank Ryuji for the reason she is like the way she is now.

And finally we get some Ryuji emo. As he sees Taiga with Kitamura, he seems to have a sudden realisation that maybe he ISN’T so happy with Taiga liking Kitamura. I wonder why all of a sudden he is feeling this way now? Is it because he’s been with her so long, and only now he’s starting to realise what he stands to lose? Was his original reason for taking care of Taiga one of pity, or was it because he really did have some romantic type feeling even in the start?

My favourite character of the episode though has to be the newbie, Kihara. Her design and her voice actress, I don’t know, can’t put my finger on it why I like her so much. Must be the voice ^_^;;. Also it’s funny how she tries to use Ryuji to put Taiga out of the picture so she can get with Kitamura. It sounds just like a plan a devious girl in real life would use. And just like in real life, it would probably fail, because out of all things, the plan is only successful, if the guy also likes you back ^_^;;

So it looks like this was mostly a set-up episode for a promising arc that looks to be very drama and angst-filled. Nothing much really happened, but it sets the stage for how the drama will be delivered – for instance the Christmas Couples Party, Kihara trying to setup Ryuji with Taiga, Minorin’s confusion on her feelings with Ryuji, and Ryuji’s own confusion on his feelings for Taiga. Can’t wait for next week!