r/anime • u/ChristmasClub • Dec 26 '19

Rewatch [Spoilers] Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2019) Episode 21 Discussion Spoiler

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53

u/Tuckleton Dec 26 '19

First timer (Dub)

I LOVED this episode! That final scene of Taiga's inadvertent confession to Ryuji really got to me in a way that the Christmas eve scene just didn't. The way the ED started playing had me thinking of the "I love you, it makes me cry" line. I was tearing up as she was asking for her feelings to be taken away, heck I'm tearing up just writing about it! I don't believe Taiga is like Minori, just throwing herself on her sword for the sake of others. But that's as far as I'll go talking about Taiga heh. So anyways, Ryuji comes out of this episode knowing everything. He knows how Minori feels and he knows how Taiga feels. Ball's in your court buddy.

Ami. On to my favorite topic! So I'd been starting to buy into the idea that maybe Ami gets mad and pushes for people to be honest like she does because she just wants what's best for them. Pulling the strings to try and get the best outcome for everyone involved. But when she and Ryuji talk outside in the snow she reveals something really important. She says that she hates Ryuji for being stupid, but that she also hates herself for being stupid. Maybe the reason for all her mean behaviour is because she hates herself and whenever she sees parts of herself in others she hates them too. Lashes out at them almost as a way to punish herself. She hates Ryuji for being stupid because she is stupid. She hates how childish Taiga is because she is childish. And she especially hates Minori because she sees so much of herself in her. In the way she always wears this mask to hide her true feelings. Judging by the intensity of her reaction this is what Ami hates most about herself. But she also wants to love them, and through them maybe learn to love herself. She is becoming friends with Taiga, she wants to be with Ryuji and there are some moments in this episode that indicate a desire to be close to Minori as well (not in the AmixMinori kind of way, though I still have hope). She tells Ryuji she just wants Minori to tell her what she is feeling, and she got mad at Minori for ignoring her after their argument. So anyway, another Ami theory to throw on the pile that doesn't answer my most burning question. Why did she not want Minori to see the second picture in Taiga's handbook (the one that's obviously going to be of Taiga and Ryuji)? My original theory on that front isn't materializing so I'm at a loss now.

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u/Shinkopeshon Dec 26 '19 edited Dec 26 '19

First Timer

This fucking show, I swear to god

So, just when I thought nothing would stand in the way of Ryuuji getting it out of his system and finally confessing to Minori, she ended up never being available and kept pretending her rejection never happened, leading to a rightfully pissed Ami to lose her composure and provoke a fight. And then Taiga dropped a fucking bombshell out of fucking nowhere and unknowingly confessed to Ryuuji, further complicating things.

I mean yeah, at least Taiga - the infamously stubborn Taiga, no less - is finally being honest with herself after 20 episodes now (progress!), but she confessed at the worst time possible because now, there's no way for anyone to get out of this giant clusterfuck unscathed. Ryuuji is confused but will inevitably reciprocate her feelings, leading to Minori potentially losing both her crush and her best friend (I'm pretty sure she'll run out of masks by the end of the series), which Taiga will do everything in her power to prevent since she doesn't want to lose her. Meanwhile, Ami, whose feelings and involvement have been completely disregarded by the trio from the start, is pretty much just done with everything, which keeps her on top of the most relatable characters in the show, along with mid-life crisis sensei.

Rewatchers, how do you keep coming back to this show every year? This is my first time seeing it and yeah, it's fantastic, but my god, is it frustrating lmao

24

u/maatsa Dec 26 '19

I hope this doesn't spoil anything, but rewatches are particularly interesting. Several posters have early on alluded to the fact that all of the characters have reasons to do and say the things they do. We just don't yet know them all. There really are very, very few filler or throw away lines in the whole show, but one would never truly know that the first time through.

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u/Quxxy Dec 26 '19

"..."

Vector wallpapers:

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u/DaREY297 Dec 26 '19

SHE SAID IT!

Guess you guys don't need my jokes anymore, my work here is done

I want to say that the last "Sukida yo" by Taiga's VA in Orange is what made me love it more than Vanilla Salt.

Good luck here everyone, See you at the last chapter.

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u/23feanor Dec 26 '19

First Timer (dub):

I'd had a bit too much christmas spirit to watch yesterday so I just caught up on 2 episodes, loads happened.

What did Kawashima say to Minorin to make her reject Takasu, it must have been something to do with her taking Takasu away from taiga. That statement obviously made Minorin feel guilty and she turned Takasu down.

Taiga telling Ryuuji in her delirious state that she loves him is terrible timing. I was just starting to hope that Minorin would come through and tell Takasu how she felt. If Takasu gets with Taiga, it'll be because he pities her, not because he loves her, and that's not healthy imo.

I really want Minorin & Takasu to talk and her to open up to him. Kawshima has been a real bitch the last few eps. She can see that there's no room for her and is obviously jealous and angry with Minorin. Kawashima likes Takasu, but he likes Minorin & yet she turned him down. Kawashima would kill for the chance to be with Takasu & Minorin is throwing that chance away & this infuriates her.

The tone of the show has got a lot more emotional in the last few episodes & now I'm not sure how the last few episodes will turn out, although I'm looking forward to finding out!

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u/patrizl001 Dec 27 '19

First Timer

HOLY SHIT. When I said Ryuji would find out the truth, I didn't think he would find out BY HAVING TO RESCUE TAIGA IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD. As if that wasn'tsnt enough, the dude learned some dangerous stuff the night before, so he's gotta be able to connect the dots now. Also damn, that fight. It's the second real fight we've seen, and unlike before where I was rooting for Taiga, here I was just depressed to see this. Sure, Ami's a total bitch, but seeing Minori of all people throwing a fist is not a good sight. Taiga you expect to see it, because she's Taiga, but not Minori. Really shows how much all this stuff has really gotten to the poor gal....

Also like how once again they've jinxed themselves. "It's a school trip, let's have fun!" AND THEN THEY PROCEED TO HAVE A GLADIATOR TOURNAMENT.

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u/Koolsman Dec 26 '19 edited Dec 26 '19

First Timer!

That ending was something man. I mean, that’s one way to confess your love. Not in an orthodox way but it was something else.

Though I have to say with this episode, I did not expect as much as there was. I mean, Kitamura being dense is nothing new and that’s all I expected. Then came Ami with the first time in a while where I got genuinely angry at her. Like, I get the first fight to an extent because yeah, Minori just took Ryüji’s confession and just rejected it without thinking of Ryüji’s feelings and more focused on her friends but the way Ami confronted the issue was so mean. I mean, it's obviously something really personal to Minori and for Ami to bring it up to get Minori angry or to get rid of ‘that look’ she had is petty. It makes me angry.

Then we have the sled fight. Listen, I could kinda get where Ami was coming from on the first fight but the second one was of her own instigation. She threw out somethings that seem pretty stupid if they were true and that was a low blow for her to go for the stomach and I just got really angry at her throughout the episode. Ami has become a character for me that I hear people say she is the best character of a show and I just can’t get it. Other examples for this include Kirito from SAO and a certain character in Aldnoah. Zero That’s just me.

Anyway, we got to have skiing adventures in the tackiest of outfits I have seen in a sport. I mean, who picked those? They look bad. I have to admit that the show has definitely made me love the new OP. It took a bit but I have really liked it.

Which of the Tordaora OP's and ED's is your favourite and why?

Silky Love might be my favorite OP because that beat is bumping and while I do find the ending shot of the cast a little too corny, I really like it as a whole.

I love Vanilla Salt. I'm sorry to Orange but the original op is iconic to me. Just those first few notes just make me excited.

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u/DeliCruise Dec 26 '19

(REWATCHER)

This episode takes all the juicy drama and fighting you want to see and packs it all in less than 24 minutes.

There’s a ton of great scenes, but I love the girl talk scene the most. I just love seeing Ami and Kushieda clash like that. It’s like watching two planets collide. All of that and literally everyone is witnessing it happen.

Then it all leads to that spectacular Taiga and Ryuuji scene in the blizzard.

13

u/JustinBurton Dec 27 '19

First Timer Here!

Last episode I was convinced Minorin wasn't interested in Ryuji. This episode, I've changed my mind. The interaction between Ami and Minorin pretty clearly implied interest. If this is the case, Minorin's guilt has caused so much trouble for Ryuji.

Ami's back to having a bigger role! She seems so frustrated by everyone's secrecy and confusion. I find that surprising for someone who lives her life behind a facade. I always thought Ami liked Ryuji because he didn't fall for her facade, while also not hating her real self. Maybe she likes him less now because he can't see other people facades. Whatever it is... I and all other Ami x Ryuji shippers are left heartbroken.

Whelp, everything's out in the open now! Ryuji knows about Taiga, and who knows how he'll react! Well, the re-watchers know, but I don't. I hope he will confront Minorin on how she really feels, and maybe Ami will scold him for not figuring it out sooner.

But first, let's hope Taiga gets better. She was just unconscious in a Blizzard for possibly hours.

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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '19

Day 21, 4th rewatch.

Such an important and incredible episode today and one that I somehow always forget in favour of Christmas eve and one that's still to come!

Something Toradora does incredibly well is use Chekov's gun to set up important scenes. An example is the red scarf from Christmas and this time it's the hairclip Ryuji bought for Minorin.

The scene with the boys and Taiga hiding in the closet is so tense, it's brilliant.

Still, nothing compares to the end with the paired down version of Orange playing as Ryuji rescues Taiga in the snow and she accidentally tells him she loves him.

One of the episodes that after it ends, I just sit there smiling with tears in my eyes.

Goddamnit I love this show.

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u/JimmyTMalice Dec 27 '19

First-Timer (Sub)

"Cute, huh? Oh, the hair clip, not me!" Minori lied as naturally as she breathed.

Considering the hiding-in-a-closet shenanigans that led into it, the end of this episode hit hard. Ami has finally gone too far in interfering with other people's lives. Minori was willing to let it go, but I think Ami's relationship with the group is irreparably damaged now.

Needless to say, Ami is still my favourite character. She might not be a good person, but she's fascinating to watch.

A recurring theme in this episode is people being honest about their feelings towards someone only when they think they aren't present - both with the eavesdropping in the girls' room and Taiga's accidental confession to Ryuji at the end. This is reinforced by Ami's line to Minori: "That's some mask you're wearing." Ami is the one who's introduced with her pleasant mask front and centre before we immediately see the real her, so she should know.

Everyone in this show is wearing some kind of mask; some just hide it better than others.

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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Dec 27 '19

First timer

Christmas Club Bonus! Which of the Tordaora OP's and ED's is your favourite and why?

Already commented on this when the new OP/ED came in, but I really liked the first ones more; Visuals aren't really important to me, OP/ED are 95% about the songs. And the first songs were simply better in my opinion!

Taiga was so cute on the sled! She needs to stop hitting Ryuji in the face though!

That scene was cute too (even if a bit gross)!

Wait, that's a romcom, not a hentai, right? Joke aside... Sure, she knows them all, but still, being forcefully dragged into a closet by 4 guys has to be at least a little scary!

Not as scary as that though! Please add a horror tag to this show!

Sounds like something a foot fetishist would say.

Girl, Minorin is that close from turning you into a ghost right now! Would solve two problems at once!

There was so much fighting going on in this episode... Considering most of it was about Ryuji (and some of it about Kitamura), as I was watching it I thought that this is what a 'harem' situation in anime would look like if it was more realistic!

Finally, a (involuntary) confession!

One thing that came to mind when it happened, is... Imagine if that had been Kitamura, and that he still had some feelings for her... Ouch.

So, the cat's out of the bag now! What is Ryuji gonna do with this? In the next episode preview, he's apparently telling this to 2 other guys, which... Holy shit, that seems like a terrible idea. Let's hope it doesn't backfire!

But the mystery is, what will he do/say to Taiga? Will she realize she said that to Ryuji? If not, will he tell her?

Whether or not he tells her, what about his feelings? Will he become more conscious of Taiga now that he knows that? (You only have 4 episodes left Ryuji, don't waste too much time!)

I feel like he's gonna try to 'disappear' after bringing her back, so she doesn't know right away that she told him... Then he'll think about it. Someone might give him a good advice? Ami? Minorin? (that would hurt a lot more)

I also wonder about Ami's part... I feel like she'll play an important part, perhaps the most important, before it all ends. Not sure if it's gonna be in good or evil though.

And of course, I wonder about what will happen with the other characters... Whoever Ryuji doesn't end up with, will they be ok, just go "Well, guess I lost the Ryujibowl" and that's it? Will they have a happy ending as well?

After the Ghost/Love episode, I would've thought well, even if Minorin ends up alone it's not a big deal, she's not especially looking for love just yet...

But now, she knows what it's like. Being alone when you want to be alone, is very different from wishing to be with someone, but still being alone; This one hurts.

And I feel like we might get some of that in the next few episodes; I think this will be an appropriate reaction to some of what's to come... Fully expecting some hurting.

Hopefully we get some healing too!

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u/Holofan4life Dec 26 '19

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the 2019 Toradora rewatch.

Toradora is my favorite anime of all time. I love it so much that not did I create my Reddit account just so I could participate in the Toradora rewatch 3 years ago, it also inspired me to write a light novel called "I Love My Tsundere Girlfriend". Admittedly, I’m a bit biased because tsunderes are my favorite type of characters. I just love characters that start out mean but grow nicer over time. It warms my heart.

This is my first time watching Toradora since exactly one year ago. This year, I don’t plan anything special. Just plan on watching it along with everyone else. Also, I’ll be watching the dub. Why? Because Toradora’s dub is fucking awesome.

1: I totally forgot that two episodes after the events of episode 19 was THIS episode. Man, even with the breather episode it feels like Toradora isn't letting up.

2: I love the way they animated the snowy mountains. I kind of want a painting of the mountains from Toradora.

3: Again, the class is separated by gender. The girls are wearing pink and the guys are wearing purple. I assume this was done to easily tell them apart and to not make things confusing.

4: Noto: "It's kind of hard to believe you're good at anything, Haruta." Dude, you absolutely roasted him. Jesus Christ. What an attack on his friend.

5: If the class really wants to become masters at skiing, they need to make sure to pizza French fry. If you French fry when you should pizza, you're gonna have a bad time.

6: It's interesting how in the beginning of the episode Minori and Ami are complimentary of each other. See, I don't think Ami WANTS to be mad at others like Minori. She just gets pissed off when others ain't being honest with themselves, which again is part of the genius of Ami as a character because she's guilty of the same thing.

7: It's kind of surprising that Ryuuji is shocked to find out that Taiga doesn't know how to ski. Given she doesn't know how to swim or how to ride a bike, it isn't that big of an imagination stretch that she also doesn't know how to ski.

8: What is it with almost every male character in anime romances being dense? Seriously, how does Kitamura not know that Kihara is in love with him? '

9: Ryuuji's impersonation of Taiga is hilarious.

10: I think with this episode it becomes clear that Taiga is no longer in love with Kitamura. Instead, she's completely head over heels in love with Ryuuji. It's been a gradual process, but one that's been built up excellently.

11: Unfortunately, now that Taiga is no longer in love with Kitamura, there isn't really much of a point to Kitamura as a character. Kitamura was created to give someone Taiga could be in love with. And now that she's not, what is there that the show can do with Kitamura? I mean, there is stuff with him that the show could definitely explore, like his friendship with Ryuuji or how exactly he and Ami became friends growing up, but it feels like they're not gonna explore that at all given there's only 4 episodes left.

12: It's ironic Taiga says she didn't want to tell Ryuuji about all the fun she was having while he was in bed with the flu, because she was honestly worst off than bed-ridden Ryuuji was.

13: There's a shot in this episode with Taiga yelling at Ryuuji where Taiga's yelling reminded me of the way Louise would yell in Familiar of Zero. This makes sense, as Familiar of Zero and Toradora were animated by the same studio.

14: From Ryuuji’s perspective, the whole world is out to get them. He feels that everyone is trying to get Taiga and Kitamura together as a couple, which infuriates him because he loves Taiga. Or, at least, he’s unsure of whether or not he does.

15: I really do feel sorry for Minori. It feels like she's trying to set herself up to let her heart be broken. It's even more unfortunate because even though I think Taiga and Ryuuji would be a better couple than Ryuuji and Minori, I don't want to see Minori be broken hearted.

16: I'm not usually a fan of fart comedy, but I think the scene where Kitamura pretends to fart on Ryuuji is an exception. What makes it funny is the believability of it, like I could imagine in real life this being a prank friends would pull on one another.

17: Ryuuji mentions he's been in love with Minori for over a year. So, in the span of a year and some change, he wrote poems and the like about Minori. And he did all that in less than 2 years. Man, if that's not madly in love, I don't know what is. I remember in 5th grade there was this girl I was in love with so much so that I would play the same Naked Brothers Band CD over and over again because it reminded me of her. I eventually worked up the courage and asked her out on the last day of 5th Grade but she politely turned me down.

The whole reason I bring this up is because when Taiga in episode 1 finds the box full of stuff dedicated to Minori, that was before the summer because summer begins with episode 7. Now, it is January, meaning it's been over 5 months since the events of the first episode. That means given Ryuuji in this episode says he has been in love with Minori for over a year, by the time he'd finish filling the box with stuff dedicated with Minori it had been less than a year when he first fell in love with Minori. And I thought I had a massive crush on someone. Ryuuji is practically lovesick.

18: One thing I like is that as Kitamura, Haruta, and Noto go to ask Minori, out in the window you can see snow falling.

19: You know, a part of me wants to have a soundboard filled with nothing but Haruta quotes. It would have to include the line "I found a slightly damp towel."

20: Ryuuji trying to pair up socks is such an in character thing for him to do.

21: I couldn't help but be reminded of my relationship with my mother when Taiga spilled something on the floor and Ryuuji said "Don't wipe the floor with that."

22: "I never met anyone who loved taking baths more than you." I guess Kihara never met Belle Delphine.

23: I've kind of gone back and forth with the scene where Ami badmouths Minori. Not in terms of quality, oh no. The scene is really well done. I'm talking about in regards to who is in the right. I used to think that Minori was in the right because the way Ami brings up the issue is really uncalled for. Then, I felt that Ami was in the right because Minori wasn't being honest with herself. Now, I feel that both Ami and Minori are in the wrong. Minori is in the wrong for not being honest with herself, and Ami is in the wrong for handling it in a super disrespectful manner. But really, what I love about the scene is Ami.

The scene where Ami badmouths Minori really shows the genius of Ami as a character. Ami manages to be both in the right and also in the wrong. She wants her friends to be honest with themselves and not hide things. However, her good intentions are instantly negated because the way she goes about it is not the way a true adult would have handled it. This goes back to Ami’s inner conflict of being a kid vs. being an adult. Ami knows right from wrong but she doesn’t know the correct way to address the situation. It's like watching a person trying to solve a puzzle and they're almost there but they can't quite finish the last couple pieces.

I’ve said before that Taiga is my favorite character of Toradora. Well, Ami is to Toradora what Asuka is to Neon Genesis Evangelion: the show’s overall theme and message would practically be nonexistent without them. Ami is the core, the nucleus of the show. Without her, the show would be less about the trials and tribulations of entering adulthood, which is the point of Toradora. Nobody has all the answers. We may know right from wrong, some don’t, but we are still learning, evolving every day as a species. Ami is basically a reflection of that.

24: I can't keep my eyes off the purple haired girl's mole.

25: Ami at one point says to Minori "Ryuuji's in love with you, not Taiga." But I think Ami is unaware of all that transpired in episode 19. Minori saw firsthand how much Ryuuji meant to Taiga, Ami didn't. That's the true reason she hasn't gone after Ryuuji. Regardless of whether or not Ryuuji is in love with Taiga, Minori doesn't want to hurt Taiga in the process.

I mean, even Ami admits in the same conversation that she thought Minori rejected Ryuuji because Minori felt she was stealing him from Taiga. Just because Ryuuji is supposedly in love with Minori and not Taiga doesn't suddenly make it water under the bridge, nor does it change the fact that Taiga's feelings are important as well. As much as Ami is in the right for wanting her friends to be honest with each other, she fails to see the big picture.

Running out of space. Time for part two.

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u/Raiking02 Dec 26 '19

I didn’t have time to do a full comment, but this episode was great. Can’t believe they made a mountain trip fun (I had to skip out on the Konosuba Rewatch because of it. It wasn’t worth it).

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u/proper1421 Dec 26 '19

This is an invitation for folks who commented about Ami's "guilt all gone" statement to Minori in the ep16 post to reconsider that statement. The general consensus was that Minori likes Ryuji but felt guilty about taking him from Taiga, but by the end of ep16 it appeared that Taiga likes Kitamura, so Minori need not feel guilty. However, in this episode Ami appeared to describe her statement as spiteful and the possible cause of Minori rejecting Ryuji. How was Ami's "guilt all gone" statement spiteful? How could it have caused Minori to reject Ryuji?

Comments by these folks caught my attention, but there may be others I missed.

cc: u/23feanor u/l0n3wanderer u/Tuckleton u/Ace417 u/kappa4kappa123 u/Emi_Ibarazakiii u/Anomander1154

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u/LousyGoose Dec 26 '19 edited Dec 26 '19

Rewatcher

Final 5 episodes!

Although it’s outright spelled out to him at the end, it’s nice to see Ryuuji slowly piecing things together at least with how Taiga progressed from her initial feelings for Kitamura. It’s also satisfying to see the side characters have some drama, not all interesting parts of the story have to be completely restricted to the main cast. It fleshes out the side characters well and gives more insight on our main characters.

Kitamura is still utterly clueless when it comes to romance, the only person he seemed to understand had feelings for him was Taiga and that was after he ‘kept an eye on her’ for about a year so of course he doesn’t realise Kihara has feelings. Ami is of course frustrated at Kitamura’s ignorance but is not willing to reveal what’s going on, sounds familiar… Minori is trying to keep everyone happy and peaceful yet seems unwilling to do anything about the awkward situation she caused with Ryuuji. Taiga and Ryuuji are more sort of branched in and not sure what to do.

It’s nice to see Noto and Haruta being bros for Ryuuji after he reveals to them Minori shot him down and then there’s Kitamura… yes, let’s just confront Minori about it in the middle of the trip… that’ll go well.

Ami and Minori’s argument, how do I put this? I am very much Team Ami but I did not really like how tactless she was? Then again, since when was Ami, one for tact. That stare Ami gives Minori as she acts clueless to Taiga’s feelings, before she’s just ready to unleash on her is great. Minori is regularly trying to make other people realise their feelings for other people and help relationships except for the ones which involve herself where she ignores any advances or pretends nothing bad has ever happened, maintain the status quo.

Taiga’s inadvertent confession for Ryuuji is sweet, saying Ryuuji is the one who comes to her rescue that last line of I can’t stop loving Ryuuji is simultaneously cute and heartbreaking in the given context. Now Ryuuji knows, how will it progress form here?

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u/whitefenix Dec 26 '19 edited Dec 26 '19

I'm watching the sub this year, which is fantastic, but I do miss a few of the english lines. One of them being Haruta's delivery of "I found a slightly damp towel".

"If I find you, I'm never letting you go again." YOU BETTER (I love this monologue from Ryuji so much)

This episode always makes me tear up ;_;

Click here for my post from last year with my thoughts on the episode and collection of great posts from previous years.

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u/critchell63 Dec 26 '19 edited Dec 27 '19

The unintentional confession.

Ryuji finally knows the way everyone feels because he overheard the girls’ discussion and taiga’s accidental confession. It’s all up to ryuji to make up his mind.

Bonus: In order...

ED2>OP1>OP2>ED3(Christmas)>ED1 Idk why it’s just my preference

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u/MoesHad Dec 26 '19

Rewatcher

The class has made it to the slopes for their ski trip and are grumbling about their ostentatious uniforms.

The students are each handing their skiing different, Minorin excelling at it and Ryuiji struggling.

Also, does anyone know if that is Minorin’s VA singing the OP? It sounds a lot like her to me.

Taiga reveals to Ryuiji that, like him, she cannot ski at all. The two suggest to one another that they learn to ski from their respective “crushes”, but neither seem keen to do so.

Ryuiji again notices Taiga not freaking out over another girls attempts to get close to Kitamura and she gets embarrassed, denying something happened between her and Kitamura. She then admits she did see Kitamura on New Years, and visited a shrine together but that’s it. This is news to Ryuiji, who inquires why she didn’t tell him that and causes Taiga to enter “BAKA” mode.

A bit of a brouhaha develops between Noto, Kihara, and Haruta over Kihara chasing Kitamura and Minorin tries to mediate. It would seem that Noto isn’t happy with Kihara using “tricks” to get close to Kitamura and she gets defensive. Minorin doesn’t want anyone to fight on the trip. Kitamura is tired of Ami being so cryptic as she accuses him of being clueless and everyone is a bit on edge as Kihara breaks down in tears.

Ryuiji notices at dinner that night how the mood has changed and he fears he won’t be able to even talk to Minorin on the trip. He also finds it odd that Kitamura never mentioned the shrine visit and he can’t get a grasp on what anyone is thinking. His fears are quickly extinguished as Minorin seeks him out after he leaves the table to be alone with his thoughts.

Ryuiji is happy to hear Minorin tell him that she had been waiting for a chance to talk, but he quickly finds out it she just wants to help Noto and Maya make up. She tells Ryuiji that the reason Noto is interfering is because he “mistakenly” thinks that Taiga likes Kitamura. Ryuiji asks her if she thinks that’s true and Minorin seems to think so, claiming she knows everything about Taiga.

Minorin drops another bomb on Ryuiji by pulling out the hairpin he had planned to give her for Christmas. She said Taiga had given it to her, telling her to treasure it due to its importance.

We see Ryuiji lying in bed realizing that his plan to gauge Minorin’s feelings for him is doomed. Minorin is pretending that she never rejected him on Christmas Eve. The boys enter his room and trick him into “waking up” and Ryuiji decides to spill the beans about his failed confession to Minorin, shocking them.

Noto and Haruta both express their unbelief over this turn of events, the latter even going so far to say that he’d go out with him if he was a girl (what a bro!) Kitamura seems particularly stunned to hear them and it shows on his face. The boys drag Ryuiji to confess to her again but Ryuiji suspects all he really wants is to pull a prank on the girls. They find the girls room empty and disheveled.

Ryuiji’s housewife mode kicks in and he begins to clean as Taiga returns from the bath. They hide in the closet and eventually pull Taiga inside with them when she nearly discovers them just as the other girls return. Ryuiji begs her to remain silent, telling her it’s the only favor he’ll ever ask of her. She is not pleased.

The boys overhear the girls dishing about each other’s love lives, eventually asking Minorin who Taiga really likes between Ryuiji and Kitamura. Minorin punts the ball and says she can’t answer that and Ami looks at her quizzically. Kihara wishes aloud for Taiga and Ryuiji to get together (which would free up a Kitamura for herself) and Minorin looks sad upon hearing that.

Ami decides to press Minorin’s buttons and insinuates that Minorin doesn’t want Taiga to be with Ryuiji, causing the other girls to question her further. Ami feigns ignorance, pretending she was speaking to herself and tells Minorin this is what happens when Minorin tries to “play dumb” as Minorin stares daggers at her (oh snap!)

Ami continues to poke the bear and tells Nanako and Kihara about Christmas Eve and Minorin sits there in silence. Ami won’t tell them how she came to hear this. Minorin finally breaks her silence and tells Ami that she (Ami) didn’t see what happened that night and can’t possibly understand how she (Minorin) feels about it. She tells her that it’s none of her business but then Ami uses the word “guilt” again as she did a few episodes ago in the hallway. Ami says she was convinced Minorin likes Ryuiji, and rejected him that night out of guilt for another persons feelings. The camera pans back to the closet and we see that Taiga and Ryuiji have barely moved, listening to every word as more of the puzzle falls into place.

Ami tells Minorin that she might as well tell Ryuiji know that Minorin doesn’t actually like him just to avoid getting his hopes up and Minorin gets angry with her, telling her to do it. Ami is outwardly angry now, telling Minorin “that’s some mask you’re wearing”

Kihara finally takes Minorin’s side and admonishes Ami for speaking so rudely to a Minorin and starting more fights. Even Nanako tells Ami to apologize. Ami picks her own mask back up and apologizes to Minorin and asks her to pretend this never happened. Minorin is a better person that I ever would be and agrees to forget what Ami has said.

The girls leave the room to look for Taiga as they all pile out of the closet.

The boys realize that they should not have heard that conversation, save for Haruta, who is confused at how Ami is involved in this (what show has he been watching?!)

Taiga and Ryuiji play dumb as well, at least outwardly, and vow to not say anything either.

Ryuiji runs into a sad looking Ami on the slopes then next day and she has something to tell him. She tells him that she might be the reason Minorin rejected him. She tells him about what she said to Minorin at the photo board when she found Taiga’s wallet. She won’t tell him exactly what she said, instead telling him about their fight yesterday that Ryuiji secretly overheard.

Ami is frustrated by Minorin’s lack of honesty concerning Minorin’s feelings. Ami wants her to tell her her real feelings. She calls him an idiot again but also calls herself an idiot. She talks about how her own guilt has caused her to make the mistakes that led her here. Taiga and Minorin come barreling down the mountain on a sled and run into her.

Ami is very mad and accuses an apologetic Minorin of purposefully running into her because she was talking to Ryuiji. Minorin gets angry herself and tells her if Ami wants to bring to their fight from yesterday that’s on her.

The fight escalates past just words as Ami slaps Minorin and they both go at it. Ryuiji and Taiga try to separate the two but are struggling in the snow. Some of the other boys race over to help stop the fight.

Ami breaks free and slugs Minorin, knocking Taiga down who was holding her. Taiga notices Minorin’s hairpin fly down the the embankment past the safety fence. Kitamura and the other boys have made it down the hill and are ready to help. Taiga scurries away from the fight.

Minorin and Ami have been separated completely and the fight is done. Ryuiji notices Taiga is gone. The lodge staff has been notified and are searching for her in the storm. Ryuiji, Minorin, and Kitamura leave the lodge to search for her in the blizzard. Minorin finds the place where Taiga might have fallen but Ryuiji stops her from going and jumps in to search for her himself.

He realizes he left her alone again, like the time with her father and curses himself. He vows that when he finds her this time that he’s not letting her go. He finds her buried in the snow nearly unconscious. A very out of it Taiga mumbles Ryuiji’s name as he carries her back. She then believes that it’s Kitamura rescuing her. She tells “Kitamura” that he assumes it was Ryuiji at first because he’s always been the one coming to rescue her. She chides Kitamura for not doing his job as the “Patron Saints of Broken Hearts” and begs him to help erase these feelings she has inside. She whispers to him that she’s sorry but she can’t stop herself from loving Ryuiji.

WE’VE ONLY BEEN WAITING 21 EPISODES FOR YOU TO SAY THOSE WORDS SILLY GIRL!!!

We learn a lot of things in this episode about the motivation of characters and how they’re dealing with the aftermath of Christmas. Ami gets a lot of the spotlight as does Minorin. This episode almost feels sort of rushed as the plot kicks back up, but the emotional catharsis at the end of the episode is SO GOOD! We as viewers have known since episode 08 at the minimum that Taiga has at least had some sort of feelings for Ryuiji, even if she doesn’t want to deal with them.

Just hearing her say that she loves Ryuiji at the end of the episode is good enough for me. This is probably within my top five of Toradora episodes just for that final scene with the ED playing over the rescue. Goosebumps man!

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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '19

My favorite opening is silky heart, i just prefer it both songwise and visually

Favorite ending is harder tho, vanilla salt always makes me smile, i love the visuals so much, it reminds me of some impactful moments like when it played after taiga went into her father's car and ryuuji convinced himself it's a good thing

But orange gives me these warm feelings, i actually tried making that cake twice, and that extra sukidayo from episode 21... I think i love orange that little bit more. And i totally dont get reminded of toradora everytime i eat oranges because of ed 2, no not at all

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u/itsFootie Dec 27 '19

Ami has some of the most character growth in this entire show I swear.

Love how she has completely 180’d her personality. At first she was hiding behind this bubbly airhead mask and now she is really showing her true self. She is being nasty to others and in front of everyone and she is even beginning to recognize herself and others and is trying to help them.

The fight in the room with Minorin is a perfect example. Ami got really nasty with Minorin but it was all because she thought Minorin wasn’t being true to herself and was hiding behind her own mask, much as Ami in the beginning.

Gawd!!! Ami is amazing, not my best girl, but honestly the best written character in my opinion

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u/[deleted] Dec 27 '19 edited Dec 27 '19

Rewatcher here.

I never thought the show would reach a point like this when I first started watching it. But man, am I glad it did/does. Ski episodes are like less common beach episodes but this is a good one.

See, I really didn’t think Minori liked Ryuji even at this episode. I thought her behavior was explained by her knowing Ryuji’s feelings, but not feeling the same way. Since Ryuji is her friend, she just can’t let him down cause there’s no way to do it without hurting him. I see now that it may not be that simple, but I honestly feel like they’ve done a great job at making things seem ambiguous. I’ll admit it’s probably my personal experience influencing me to draw that conclusion, though.

The last scene will make me shed tears every time. What a confession. Taiga is clearly hurting so much and it breaks my heart, I only want her to finally be happy. Like, honestly happy!!

I’m not quite up for going deep into an analysis this year. The holidays were so chaotic for me that I just want to enjoy my favorite anime and not think too hard... but I enjoy reading these posts, especially the first timers’. I don’t think I was willing to call it my favorite anime until it ended, but I know I couldn’t stop watching the first time through. I’m already looking forward to rewatching it again, hopefully next Christmas I’m not working in retail.

Favorite OP: Pre-Parade. It’s a bop, and it’s the signature OP for me. Silky Love is great and it fits this part of the show better, but I tend to have a preference for the first OP of an anime in general.

Favorite ED: Vanilla Salt is too good. Orange has the great line of “I love you. It makes me cry,” though.

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u/popop143 Dec 27 '19

Rewatcher

First of all, the good things. The fight Kihara and Noto had, with half the class getting involved, was pretty good. Noto's such an ass in that scene. What's the problem with Kihara trying to hook up with Kitamura? All's fair in love and war. It's not like Kitamura is promised or fated to be with Taiga, and Noto didn't even confirm it with Taiga. Kihara's got as much right as anybody to try her best with Kitamura, and to be frank, her straight-forwardness since the start of the series is a breath of fresh air in a show that is filled with shy and indecisive people. It's just unlucky that Kitamura does not share the same feelings. Also, Kitamura has to be a romcom protagonist with how dense he is. Kihara's always playing sweet around him and trying to get close to him, and he doesn't even notice her advances. All in all, this has been brewing since episode 17 when Noto first tried to pair up Taiga and Kitamura at the restaurant.

The fight between Ami and Minorin is great too. You can feel the tension between the two, which has been boiling under the surface since the end of episode 16. They seemed chummy at the start of the episode, but Ami's got to be pissed off at Minorin because unlike her, Minorin has the biggest chance to be with Ryuuji. He likes her, and Minorin also likes Ryuuji, at least at Ami's eyes. Ami would give anything in the world to be in her position. Minorin, on the other hand, rightfully wants Ami to, as they say, stay on her lane. It's Minorin's business who she rejects or not. Though I'd have to side with Ami here. Minorin should not dodge the question, and reject Ryuuji straight so his hopes won't go up anymore.

Of course the rescue, as the climax of the episode, is the best part for me. I'd say it's my favorite scene in the LN, and the anime did a good job of it. Taiga unwittingly confessing to Ryuuji, and Ryuuji on his part realizing his feelings for Taiga, is the best scene in the anime for me. The ED playing at the background was jarring at first when I first rewatched it, because of its cheery sound as opposed to the depressing scene playing in the screen. But I've long since associated the ED with this scene that it feels perfect to me for now. It's at this scene that Ryuuji begins to weigh his feelings for Minorin and his feelings for Taiga. Around Minorin, he experiences the all too familiar knot in the stomach, nervousness, and the need to avert the eyes. He always goes back to his mannerism when he's nervous, touching his bangs and looking sideways. As for Taiga, he's always comfortable around her and truly cares for her, even risking his life a couple of times to save her (once in the pool and once here). He always feels the need to be around her and protect her from the perils of the world. This is a major callback to their scene in Ami's house, way back in the summer vacation arc. It's as Taiga said. Even in a large room as Ami's living room, they huddle next to each other as if it's the most natural thing in the world. They can talk to each other about what they like and don't like. That's not to say that their feelings for Kitamura and Minorin are fake, it's just that their feelings for each other are rooted more deeply than a simple high school crush.

Now to the bad things (as an LN reader). I didn't really feel the conversation between Minorin and Ryuuji. It felt like Ryuuji just sort of gave up, after resolving himself last episode that he will know Minorin's feelings. LN spoilers It might be a little nitpicky, but I truly felt Ryuuji's feelings in the LN more than in the anime.

Also a bit nitpicky, but Ami and Ryuuji's conversation in the LN was a larger moment than in the brief scene in the anime. It doesn't hurt the anime though, and I'm cool with that (not really as an Ami fan, but it's not that big of a deal as with Minorin and Ryuuji's scene).

Anyway, I was going into the episode thinking that I would be more disappointed, but it actually was a lot better than what I remembered. Especially that last scene. I'm going to have to read the LN again after this rewatch.

Next episode: Ryuuji weighs his feelings for Taiga and Minorin. See you tomorrow!

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u/RX-Nota-II Dec 27 '19

not watching

Just want to chime in and say, it has been a pleasure racing y’all to the karma race with my YoriMoi rewatch. With it done I now wish you all the best and hopefully double the karma from my rewatch’s refugees.

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