Toradora Character Analysis (AKA Episode 19 But Also Partially An Editorial)

Amazing and awful.

There is just way too much I loved about this episode to organize coherently, so I’m just going to do character analysis (for the main cast only, of course. Sensei was amusing as ever and Kihara as annoying as ever. Who wears hot pants to a CHRISTMAS party?)

Ryuuji

No matter what way I look at it, Ryuuji is an honest yet oblivious character. I can’t blame him for not realising Taiga’s feelings (Taiga herself didn’t realise anything until the end of the episode) but you’d have thought by now he’d have at least caught on to Ami’s continuous bitter mutterings of irritation.

One thing that does interest me about Ryuuji is the precarious balance of his relationship with Taiga. He continues to switch from what could be seen as “playing house” (fatherly actions towards Taiga) and what could be seen as the actions of a lover (though with feelings not neraly as strong as that word implies). Most of what he’s done up to this point can be seen in both ways; his actions get more and more compassionate and his reactions towards all the girls stay the same. It’s all about the large events (the swimming competition, the race etc) in comparison to the little things (such as him cutting off Tiaga’s dad’s name from the suit) which all show how he cares about Taiga . Though I believe in the one true pairing this series ever had, I’m still kind of ambivalent as to which of the two types of feelings Ryuuji feels towards Taiga.

Now that he’s been rejected by Minori, however, all that’s really left is for him to come to some much needed revelations about his relationship with her.

Taiga

In the middle of writing this sentence I realised that Taiga’s change of heart, though expected, was slightly abrupt in comparison to the first 3/4 or so of the show. There was no thought or mention of Kitamura by her at all through the entire episode, and instead she was completely doting on Ryuuji  IN THE CUTEST WAY DID YOU SEE HER SNIFFING HIS SCARF AWWWWWW.  I think it’s safe to say by this point that the worst character in the show (you heard me!) is out of the running.

Something I wrote earlier summarises some of my thoughts about Taiga here as well:

Taiga’s reaction says it all. We all know that she’s a strong gal and that she can take many-a-hit and keep on going but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need the support of her friends at times. It’s not that they don’t need to, but that they wish to and will will never stop wishing to help her that makes their bond so special.

However, in this case, repalce “they” and “friends” with Ryuuji. He has become a more important means of support for her than anyone else by this point, so it’s only natural that she’d develop feelings for him. It simply got to the point that she couldn’t harbour those feelings any longer, even if it were for the sake of Minori or Ryuuji.

Having come to her own revelation already, we need only wait in tense anticipation for her actions from this point onward.

Minori

All I can really say is poor Minori, she almost didn’t even have a chance. At all ;_;. Even so, I have the utmost respect for her actions. Al’ along, she;s known of somethnig between Taiga and Ryuuji (before they even realised it themselves) but she held her own feelings back until this point. But just when she may have been able to act on those feelings, she sees Taiga in such a condition and does what only she, as Taiga’s true friend (and secondary carer) would do. It’s tragic really, what she says as she confronts Ryuuji:

Even if it be a day late for Valentine’s, it still needs to be said that eveyone’s deserving of the experience of love, be it occuring in the present or remembered with an air of sad happiness. For once, perhaps she should’ve been selfish and done something about it, but she simply loves Taiga too much to do so.

Hopefully, she doesn’t fade into obscurity in terms of the main storyline, though the perview doesn’t look to promising. Poor Minori ;_;.

Ami

I truly think it’s time for Ami to do something beyond the aforementioned bitter mutterings of irritation. She’s so perceptive and intelligent yet she’s simply been sitting by the sidelines watching as everything moves on without her. I’d think she’d be the type of person to go after what she wants regardless of what others believe, but something always holds her back when she talks with Ryuuji. Jealousy seems obvious but too simple, as it’s not exactly Taiga or Minori whom she dislikes but Ryuuji, for not realising her feelings and for never even attempting to.

Kitamura

From reliable to emo to all-out crazy. Ah well, at least he’s good for the laughs. ERO-KAWAII KA!?!?!?!?!

I think that this is one of the key climaxes in the series and that were heading into the final run here. To be honest, I feel that it’s all happening a bit suddenly (though Toradora has a penchant for powerful climaxes hehe double entendres) and I’m wondering what J.C Staff are going to do with the final seven episodes.

Some other notes about the episode:

QUALITY animootion.

I don’t care, I consider this, fugly as it may be, STYLISH.

The insert song/ ED at the end was either bitterly ironic or cruelly inconsiderate and as to why J.C Staff would choose to play it right after the sad events of the episode is beyond me. I mean, come on, “There are lots of smiles everywhere”? Damn. In fact, reminds me of another studio who recently played an ending completely out of place in regards to the events of the episode…*cough* KyoAni *cough*.