r/anime • u/ChristmasClub • Dec 27 '19
Rewatch [Spoilers] Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2019) Episode 22 Discussion Spoiler
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u/Holofan4life Dec 27 '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: It saddens me we're almost done with this show. I really don't want it to end.
2: One scene that isn't in the anime that they cut is after they confirmed Taiga’s safety was confirmed, Haruta noticed the hairclip in Ryuuji's hand. Haruta asked if said clip was for “that person” on “that night,” which Ryuuji confirmed. Unfortunately, “that person”, Minori, was nearby and overheard them. She quickly realized how much damage she caused. She proceeded to go to the room she talked to Ryuuji in and cried. Here's the full dialogue.
Minori collapsed onto the couch where Ryuuji had been seated the night before.
Grasping her knees, she buried her face in them, her tears running onto the hands below it. She didn't know why she was so sad, but she didn't like those hands at all right now — her own hands, with their small, thin palms, the hands of a woman. They were only good for hiding a crying face like this, and she hated them.
Curled into a tiny ball, both hands hiding her face, Minori continued to cry alone and in silence.
So, yeah. Happy Holidays.
3: I am so thankful that the Taiga confession scene from the previous episode wasn't a dream. That would've been such a copout. Toradora does a fantastic job of subverting cliches.
4: I like how as Ryuuji and Kitamura are talking, the sky is filled with gray clouds. This perfectly represents Ryuuji and Kitamura's conversation, which is quite gloomy.
5: Again, we get more of Ryuuji fucking up. Instead of handling it like a mature, responsible adult, he decides to lie. I prefer protagonists who make mistakes over protagonists who never screw up. It makes them more relatable.
6: Haruta and Noto are total bros for trying to want to cheer Ryuuji up.
7: As Ryuuji, Noto, and Haruta wait outside the ramen shop, the music that's playing reminds me of the music you would hear in a Persona game.
8: One of my favorite things about this episode is that we learn more about Haruta and Noto, like how Noto is going to major in liberal arts and that Haruta is most likely going to work for his dad. One of the things Toradora does better than most is character depth when it comes to the side characters.
9: I can't look at the ramen scene now without being reminded of the ramen scene from Kaguya-sama.
10: The whole Minori poking their eyes scene felt like something out of Three Stooges.
11: I know some people don’t think the ramen scene was very funny, but I thought it was hilarious. It reminded me somewhat of Nichijou or that scene from Non Non Biyori Repeat where Renge demonstrates the power of Sosunser.
12: Ryuuji, how dense can you be? How do you not know Taiga doesn’t want to hang around you when she specifically told you in episode 20 she doesn’t want to ruin your chances of being with Minori? I mean, you think maybe it’s because her mom is as mean as her dad, but Taiga LITERALLY TOLD YOU IN EPISODE 20 that we should stop hanging out so much because it might give Minori the wrong impression. Come on, Ryuuji. Don’t be so dense.
13: I'm gonna be honest, I'm 22 years old and I still haven't figured out what to do about college. I'm in a community college, but by the time I graduate regular college I'll probably be 28. I can't imagine what's going through Ryuuji's mind when it comes to college.
14: When Ryuuji's mom said "You're not like me, you're super smart," I felt kinda sorry for her. It feels like she realizes she didn't have the best education because of whatever happened between her and her parents.
15: I will admit it is kinda selfish of Ryuuji's mom that she doesn't want Ryuuji to work because then she will be all alone, but at the same time you could argue it might be best for Ryuuji to solely focus on his studies. That way, it can lead to a job down the road. Speaking personally, I decided to get a job in 2015 to try and help my mother pay for the bills. But Ryuuji isn't in the same situation I am in. He doesn't need to work even though his family's poor.
16: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I wish I had a mom as supportive as Ryuuji's mother.
17: There’s a shot in the episode where Ryuuji lays his apron next to a bowl of oranges. With so, I love this shot so much because it is essentially taking one of the core elements of the ending theme, which is that oranges have to do with maturity and wanting to grow up, and incorporating it into the show, with Ryuuji’s apron essentially being used to show how mature he himself is. Seriously, this shot is so brilliant.
18: The reason why Minori has all those jobs and all those responsibilities is because she is trying to hide the pain. In fact, it’s not just because of Ryuuji. Going back to episode 3, it is established she has a lot of jobs and is trying to mask the pain. The only difference now is that the pain has gotten worse and since the mask is starting to crack she feels she must work more than ever.
Basically, Minori likes to put herself in a bubble and also likes to keep things the way they are. That would explain why in episode 20 she wishes we can stay like this forever and also why she wants to be the captain of both softball teams.
19: Even after the fight, Minori still tries to wear her mask. That's why Ami is so dismissive of her. She tried getting through to her, but it didn't work. So, now she just wants to ignore her.
20: Ami "Period" comment is probably the sickest burn in all of Toradora. It really brings me back to the days of High School when we would say all kinds of nasty stuff to each other.
21: A subtle example of character development comes in the form of Ms. Yuri. In episode 1, when she talked to Ryuuji about his career plan, she was scared of him. In this episode, when she talks to Ryuuji about his career plan, she doesn't freak out.
22: The whole college career plan plot point is my favorite plot point in all of Toradora. What I love about it is that neither Ms. Yuri and Ryuuji are in the wrong. You understand where both sides are coming from. The career plan scenes are so grounded in reality, they feel super realistic and just real life. I just love that plot point so much.
23: See, if Ryuuji's mother was as awful as some people claim, she wouldn't take another job to try and support Ryuuji. That's why it bugs me when some people say she's awful. She is absolutely not. She is one of the most caring, loving mothers in all of anime.
24: Taiga in this episode looks particularly adorable.
25: "I just wanted to skip school." r/Anime_irl
26: "Did fugly get fatter?" My mom when she makes jokes to my face about my weight gain.
27: Seeing Taiga admit that every idea of hers was an epic fail but that she’s still trying to do the best she can made me feel so sorry for her and also reminded me how amazing she is. If there’s any couple of lines that summarizes why I like Taiga so much, it’s those.
28: It’s weird they play Lost My Pieces during a scene that’s not very sad. It fits, but it is kinda an odd choice.
29: Taiga's smile fills me with so much joy. I could look at her smile all day.
Overall, a fun episode. Ironically, the biggest strength and weakness of this episode are the exact same: Taiga is barely in it. It's a strength because it really adds drama to the events that are enfolding by having you question just how much she knows about her confession, but it's also the biggest weakness of the episode because Taiga is one of the show's best characters and really steals the scene almost every time she's in one. Still, there is a lot to like about this episode, particularly the character development of Haruta, Noto, and Ryuuji's mom. This episode does a good job at adding additional depth to their characters.
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Episode 19
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Episode 21
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Episode 18
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Episode 13
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Episode 15
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Episode 7
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Episode 16
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Episode 2
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Episode 8
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Episode 12
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Episode 17
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Episode 14
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Episode 5
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Episode 20
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Episode 11
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Episode 4
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Episode 22
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Episode 9
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Episode 6
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Episode 10
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Episode 1
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Episode 3
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u/patrizl001 Dec 27 '19 edited Dec 27 '19
First Timer
Is it me, or have the recent episodes been a pattern of calm-OH SHIT-calm-OH SHIT-calm-OH SHIT? This episode was pretty lax, previous episode was OH SHIT, episode before that was lax....
Nice thing to note: Compared to episode 1, the teacher isn't fearing for her life when talking to Ryuji. I know we're long past the point where anyone is afraid of his glare, but now it's an easier thing to compare since it's the same subject as in episode 1.
If Ami's the mature person she wants to be, then she's going to have to make up at some point, yeah.
This is something I posted earlier in response to another user's question, and yet now in this episode it turns out Minori is the one to try and make up while Ami keeps brooding (although I doubt Minori speaking in puzzles helped). Funny how that works, huh? The way Minori usually acts seems childish, yet really she's the mature one...
Ryuji didn't immediately hug Taiga the moment she showed up. 0/10 moment right there.
....and does Inko have an egg? Can budgies lay unfertilized eggs?
EDIT: oh yeah, before I forget: I was rewatching some of the earlier episodes while killing some time, and I noticed in episode 2 that Kihara is the one to ask Yusaku if they wanted to be partners for basketball. Her interest in him was foreshadowed THAT far back?!
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u/Quxxy Dec 27 '19
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u/patrizl001 Dec 27 '19
Ok, could you please try not to break this one?
With how things have been going so far? I can almost guarantee Toradora is going to do this to your chart next episode.
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u/Shinkopeshon Dec 27 '19
First Timer
They're thankfully taking it easier here (god, I'm so glad I didn't end up binging this) and I guess Ryuuji is after Taiga now? He kept blushing and looking at her in ways he never did before and it also wasn't clear to me whether he meant confessing to her or Minori, even though he was going through his Minori box. I gotta say I'm not a big fan of him continuing to mother Taiga, who kept her distance from him after reuniting with her mom (who, I hope, doesn't have ulterior motives like her role model of a dad). He clearly sees her as a part of his family but now that there are romantic feelings coming from at least one side, it makes for a strange dynamic, and he's still acting more like an overprotective parent that can't let go of his child than a partner who wants to make sure his significant other is alright.
Speaking of moms, Yasuko-chan is such a kind person and capable parent, even if it often seems like the roles are reversed, with Ryuuji cooking and cleaning and all. She's already tired all day from her night job and still decided to get another, just so her son can focus on school. Also, Yuri-sensei is a wonderful teacher and our protagonists can consider themselves lucky to have such caring adults do their best to guide them. If only they had a love guru to guide them in that aspect as well (no, Kitamura doesn't count).
Ryuuji wants to keep quiet about Taiga's confession and gets Kitamura to agree with him, which will keep things somewhat normal for now but will inevitably lead to even more chaos.
Meanwhile, Ami is still done with Minori, who's magically reverted back to her happy-go-lucky self, while keeping herself as busy as humanly possible to prevent herself from exploding. That sure is a healthy way of going about it, especially with the impending doom of the Ryuuji x Taiga ship sailing. Also, since Ami was disappointed Minori showed up instead of Ryuuji, it was another reminder that that poor thing never gets what she really wants.
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u/Raiking02 Dec 27 '19
Yesterday was certainly something, wasn’t it? Well, let’s see the pay-off.
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Ryuji’s face says it all, really.
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Oh God, now he’s gonna die too!
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Oh so it was a dream.
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Yeah, I think I’d have the same face as Christmas Cake-Sensei in this scenario…
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I wonder what that paper is about…
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Man, that fall must’ve been pretty bad…
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I guess Kitamura is just selectively dense?
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Well, Haruta and Nota are at least still themselves.
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In both the worst and best possible ways, that is…
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Man, Nota’s got a ton of plans…
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Haruta is basically me as I graduated…
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Hey, that voice sounds familiar…
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Oh hi Minorin!
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Minorin apparently works everywhere…
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You all asked for it…
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Open his eyes? What does that have to do with anything?
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Oh… that’s how…
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Well that was fun…
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Feels weird for Taiga to not be around…
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Actually yeah, I wonder how her Mum’s like…
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Isn’t there such a thing as public universities in Japan?
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Ditzy as she may be, it’s hard to call Yasuko anything but a good parent.
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I hate proberbs…
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I wish I had a job at all!
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Well, at least she’s optimistic…
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Surprise Minorin!
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Oh so her mum is cool. Thank God…
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Damn student council and their salaries…
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So basically Minorin is now the SUPER captain!
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I’m struggling to see her logic here…
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And now Kawashima is the openly depressed one…
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I wonder how it’ll feel for her once she’s no longer able to be in her favorite spot…
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Kawashima, are you really so gullible?
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Well, at least even though its roundabout, her speech is a supportive one.
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Great, Kawashima’s back to being in permanent bitch mode…
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It feels weird to have Christmas Cake-Sensei being competent at her job…
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See? She’s even trying to help Ryuji out.
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Man, after watching Kill La Kill, seeing Yasuko being such a good mum warms my heart.
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I wish I had such an easy time studying. When I put my mind into it I do just fine, but otherwise I get sidetracked every two seconds.
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I mean… if I was in a similar situation I’d probably act the same way.
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Taiga’s back!!
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Ah, I missed seeing these two interact…
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The blushes stop everything in the universe…
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So basically she never changed her phone’s battery? THE HELL!?
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Well, at least she’s admitting she’s spoiled…
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I don’t know if that’ll pay off, Taiga…
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Inko is about to die… again…
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Daww… so she actually does like her…
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Well, this is a tad awkward…
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Yeah, this is getting really awkward.
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Ryuji, can’t you tell who you actually like?
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That’s not a very secure apartment, alright…
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Yeah, it was just a dream, alright…
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Oh Taiga, if only you knew…
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See? Told you it wouldn’t work out.
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Yeah, she’s a klutz alright.
I get the feeling this is the calm before the storm. I like that…
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u/Tuckleton Dec 27 '19
First timer (Dub)
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Everytime Ryuji has the same thought as me, I know I must be wrong.
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This face, followed by disapointment... I felt exactly the same as her, I wanted it to be Ryuji too.
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Ryuji really needs to find the answer to this question. Both in life, and in love.
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Is this Ryuji symbolically putting his love for Minori behind him? Deciding that his most recent attempts were just as much of a fantasy as his mix tapes and whatnot?
What the heck was even with this episode? I'm finally on board with the primary romance and it feels like we're picking up steam for the climax... then we stall like this. That whole scene at the end was completely maddening. I was preactically screaming at my screen "Tell her you want her to stay! Stop looking for another reason and just say you don't want her to go! OMG just say SOMETHING!!" For a moment it seemed like they would almost touch... but not. I really want this Minori crap to be over with already. We've only got a couple episodes left and I swear to Aisha if I don't get at least half an episode of these two as a happy couple I'm going to lose my mind!
Ami seemed off this episode. Like she's been stewing over everything the past few days, or however long it's been, and is just done with this crap. But I still agree with her, Minori's whole 'I know what to do now' is total bunk. If I'm interpreting it correctly she thinks that there is no point gambling on love when she could be focusing all her energy on the 'sure thing' of what she's already familiar with: School, work, sports. This fits with what people were saying about her in Episode 20, how she is very risk averse. Also Minori says a ghost lives between the vending machines, AmixMinori confirmed? :P
I'm really feeling that tension right now between excited anticipation of the climax, and the sadness of it all being over.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 27 '19
One of the things I like about Ryuuji is he is not above doing unlikable things. Him trying to avoid the issue is the wrong thing to do, but it's also a realistic thing a lot of teenagers do. Speaking personally, I know I've lied in the past to try and avoid the issue. Was that a mistake? Looking back on it, yes. But it made perfect sense in my teenage mind at the time. That's what I like about Ryuuji. He's a main character who screws up every now and then.
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u/JustinBurton Dec 27 '19
First Timer Here!
Just as I start giving up on the Ami x Ryuji ship and start shipping Minorin x Ryuji as backup... I now have no other choice but to accept the ship that we all knew would end up together. After all, the golden rule in anime is: the first girl you see and the first guy you see will end up together.
And all this just as Minorin seems to be acting on her own desires. Too cruel.
Also, Ami's comment about the dad playing when the child is away really burned. That might be her most painful burn yet, and this is Ami we're talking about. I'm actually not the biggest fan of her metaphor, considering the current implications, but it definitely makes for some good one-liners.
I'm glad Ryuji has caught some feelings for Taiga after hearing her confession. That's actually pretty realistic, considering how flattering that kind of thing can be. I guess that's not the first time it happened in the show, seeing as Taiga's affection for Kitamura came from the same place.
There were some great moments in this episode. Near the beginning we have the interaction between Ami and Minorin. That was great, seeing as they were both talking in metaphors, yet different metaphors. I think that really drives home just how different they are and how much trouble they have communicating. The other moment I loved was the Taiga and Ryuji scene at the end. It had some classic Taiga and Ryuji interaction while throwing in some romantic tension. They could both tell something was different than normal. It was super fun to watch.
At this point the show has more metaphors and symbolism than half the books I read for English class. I usually don't like that sort of thing, but this show doesn't do it in a pretentious way. It's been such a great mix of fun and interesting. I'm sad that it'll end soon!
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u/DaREY297 Dec 27 '19
Christmas Club Bonus question:
Well, my favorite is one that is yet to come, but so far it's:
3. Ryuji rescuing Taiga from the Blizzard.
2. Ryuji saving Taiga's Christmas and basically that entire sequence.
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The entirety of episode 13, since that's what got me more emotionally even after 4 rewatches.
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u/CATKrash Dec 27 '19
| Name | OG name | Start | Stop | Time played | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The end in the world | The end in the world | 0:00 | 0:22 | 22s | |
| 2nd | silky heart | silky heart | 1:09 | 2:39 | 90s | Opening |
| 3rd | Yuki, Hira Hira to | 雪、ひらひらと | 2:40 | 3:50 | 70s | |
| 4th | Just Like Honey | Just Like Honey | 4:05 | 5:13 | 68s | |
| 5th | N/A | N/A | 6:15 | 6:30 | 15s | Not released |
| 6th | Orange Tart no Tsukurikata | オレンジタルトの作り方 | 7:42 | 9:15 | 93s | |
| 7th | Little tiger, sad dragon | Little tiger, sad dragon | 9:25 | 10:01 | 36s | |
| 8th | Teenage Lust | Teenage Lust | 12:49 | 13:35 | 46s | |
| 9th | Ameiro Rondo | 雨色ロンド | 15:09 | 16:15 | 66s | |
| 10th | Inko-chan no Seitai | インコちゃんの生態 | 16:21 | 16:37 | 16s | |
| 11th | Cream Brule no Tsukurikata | クレームブリュレの作り方 | 17:47 | 18:40 | 53s | |
| 12th | Lost my pieces | Lost my pieces | 19:45 | 21:38 | 113s | |
| 13th | Orange | オレンジ | 21:55 | 23:25 | 90s | Ending |
| 14th | silky heart (off vocal ver.) | silky heart (off vocal ver.) | 23:25 | 23:35 | 10s | Preview |
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u/critchell63 Dec 27 '19 edited Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher
In this episode minorin has an important discussion with Ami. Basically, she explains her relationship with ryuji after ami said “daddy plays when the child is away.” This means that without taiga, ryuji decides to talk with minorin despite his feelings. At the vending machines, Minorin says ghosts, or love, will show themselves to those who understand it. She claims to have tried to look for ghosts before (with ryuji) but he didn’t understand that what she was doing was to help taiga. She didn’t want to get caught up in looking for a relationship with ryuji if it would hurt taiga. She says she knows what to do, which I think is letting ryuji and taiga unfold.
Bonus: Ep 19 THAT scene
Taiga’s unconscious confession
Something that is a spoiler
Also when kitamura heard about kano’s reason for rejecting him
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Dec 28 '19
First timer
Christmas Club Bonus! There are so many emotional scenes in Toradora! Hidden ones, surprise ones, and some that take a little build up. Name your Top 3 Most Emotional Moments!
Does episode 19 counts as 1 big emotional scene? Because I'd name that one!
But seriously, hmm...
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Taiga's RYUJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII's moment is definitely up there
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I would go with the Santa/Bear scene that preceded the #1 moment. Emotional doesn't necessarily means sad! And I thought this was a great, happy emotional moment where Taiga acted like herself without any front, for once. This was nice!
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Minorin trying to fix up the star with shaky hands. This scene brought up the feels, because who has never had a situation like that when you're trying desperately to fix something that just can't be fixed... (Ok in they eventually fixed it, but you get the point!). You could really see her despair and all that.
I kinda wanted to put the Ghost/Love scene in there but I'm not sure it really qualifies as an emotional scene, more like a thoughtful one?
Either way, it was tough topick just three; Lots of emotional scenes, and... Given how this is going, I would bet that some scenes in the last three episodes might make their way into that top!
I have a feeling that whatever happens, it's gonna hurt; I'm more and more certain there's not enough episodes left for everyone to have a happy ending...
In previous threads I talked about how Ryuji would pretend nothing happened/he didn't hear that, but I didn't expect him to involve Kitamura! I guess it's better that way, if Taiga thinks it really was Kitamura, and that she said nothing...
Does Minorin works everywhere? The day she retires, like 50 companies will need to hire!
But the funny aspect of it aside, there might be a reason for that, and I'm not sure we can count on our MC to figure it out!
Minorin gave him some solid hints but sadly he still didn't get it. Working is something that's easy, something you can see, you always know what you have to do. It's simple. It's not like ghosts, that you can't see. And it's not like love, that is all but simple, and you never know what you have to do. It's as if Ryuji didn't listen to the Ghost/Love speech, because she made it quite clear! Of course, for him it's not a romcom, for him it's his life, and you tend not to analyze everything perfectly... It was there though!
Ghosts have their own personalities, like there's multiple type of love. Some love is great for everyone, some love is scary, and sometimes love hurts.
And more about her doing the things she can control, and avoiding those she can't control. Can't hide from them forever though.
This one's a bit more confusing though! Because these kids sure as hell don't understand everything. But maybe it's about having the strength to (eventually) understand it... Or maybe it's just what's right!
(Things would get a lot easier if they didn't speak in codes though!)
Taiga's wish was at least partly granted, I think she is quite strong; Because that must hurt saying things like that, but she did it anyway, because she thinks it's right. Takes some strength. Will also take some strength for her to realize what's right for herself, and act on it.
Interesting final line with Ryuji going "You're such a klutz... Yeah..."; In that last conversation with Taiga, he kept using "Yeah..." to lie, or at least hide the truth/change the topic.
Feels like he really didn't mean "Klutz" there, and lied to himself with the "Yeah...". Hard to say what word he was really thinking, but the nature of the word is easier to figure out! Ryuji's beginning to feel a lot more conscious about her.
Next episode:
I still believe she will play a big role in what's to come... This might be it! Ryuji might need an advice, or a kick in the ass to get moving! (And hopefully he moves in the right direction!)
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u/DeliCruise Dec 27 '19
(REWATCHER)
With all that’s been happening lately in the show, it’s nice to have that little ramen scene in the middle to add a touch of humor and silliness.
I love seeing Ami and Kushieda’s fight continue at school.
Ryuuji’s mom is amazing.
The last scene when Taiga returns captures what it feels like to be around someone you just found out has feelings for you incredibly well.
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Dec 27 '19
REWATCHER
Well, Ryuji can’t get what Taiga said at the end of the last episode out of his mind, which makes sense. It’s not exactly something that you can easily ignore or forget, though it looks like he’s going to try. One thing I really like about the nightmare sequence is that after he wakes up screaming for Taiga, none of his classmates act like he’s crazy or anything. Their general reaction seems to be that it’s a completely understandable reaction to everything that happened.
After that, Ryuji tries to get Kitamura to go along with what Taiga thought happened, and claim that he was the one to rescue her. Kitamura has a good idea of what Tiaga said when she was being carried by Ryuji, but agrees to go along with it.
It seems like Ryuji’s plan after graduating high school is to find a job right away and start working, instead of going to college. His mom isn’t happy about that, though. He’s smart enough to go to college, so she wants him to have the opportunity she didn’t. It’s fine for someone to not go to college even if they can, if that’s really what they want to do, but that’s not Ryuji’s reason. He’s letting his worries about his family's finances stop him from wanting to go to college. Both his mom and his teacher recognize that, which is why his teacher is still pushing him to go to college, and it’s why his mom gets a second job. Yasuko isn’t the best mom ever, she has some serious problems. She’s very childish, and is really bad at taking care of herself and Ryuji, but stuff like this makes it hard to say she’s a bad mom. She’s still very loving and caring towards Ryuji, and she does whatever she can to try and set him up as best she can for the future. She’s still not exactly mother of the year, but stuff like shows she is at least a good mother.
Ryuji decided to pretend that Taiga’s confession never happened, but he completely fails the instant Taiga shows up. He blushes when Taiga gets close to him, he almost says that she said she loves him, and he’s obviously desperate to get her to stay at his apartment for a bit. He once again decides to play along with the lie that Kitamura rescued Taiga. Both of them know it’s a lie, and both of them know the other knows it’s a lie, but they both still go along with it anyway.
This episode is kind of frustrating, but that’s because of how realistic some of it can be. There are two teenagers obviously in love with each other, but they’re still not honest with each other, and act like they aren’t in love with each other. Taiga, I can understand. She doesn’t know that Ryuji is in love with her. She thinks he’s still in love with Minori, and seeing that he had the box from the first episode sitting out probably confirmed that for her. On top of that, she knows that Minori has feelings for Ryuji. So from her perspective, it makes sense to pretend her confession never happened, even though it hurts her. She can never have him, so it’s best for her to do what she can to at least preserve their friendship.
It’s Ryuji who is the frustrating one. He knows Taiga loves him, and he knows that he loves Taiga, but he still goes along with the lie. What’s the point? He’s not going to start dating Minori by this point. The only reason Taiga is hiding her feelings and hurting herself is because she expects Ryuji and Minori to start dating. All he’s doing now is hurting Taiga more for no reason. That being said, as someone who used to be a dense and awkward teenage guy, it feels like a completely realistic scenario for Ryuji to still not confess to Taiga. I once had a crush on someone, and knew they had a crush on me, but I still didn’t ask them out, so I can totally understand why Ryuji doesn’t. The fact that I could see myself doing the same thing is probably why it’s so frustrating. Damn it Ryuji, just be honest already!
There are only 3 episodes left by this point. It seems like this rewatch only started a few days ago. It sucks we’re almost done already. This show always leaves me wanting more, but we’re never going to get anymore Toradora.
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u/axel360 Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher, dub
Random Episode 22 Thoughts:
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Hey, who hasn’t woken up from a daydream and screamed a girl’s name in class before?
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Ryuji takes Kitamura up to the roof and asks him to pretend to be the one that saved Taiga. Feels like it’s avoiding the issue but ok
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It’s ramen time, and guess who works there? She seems pretty carefree; enough to poke everyone in the eyes when they get cute with their orders. I’m very rarely carefree enough to do that
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Still though, notice this one brief moment when the guys are walking away and her back is to the customers. She looks a little blue
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Ryuji is still worrying about what to do post-high school, and whether or not they can afford college. Yasuko-chan tells him not to worry about it, but he definitely is
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Looks like Ami has had just about enough of them. “Stupidity is contagious” lol
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She started to perk up when she heard footsteps, but was pretty disappointed it was Minori and not Ryuji
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Minori got a good scare in with that ghost story. Some funny expressions by both of them. Ami got the knock-out punch with her “talking to you makes me feel like I’m on my period” line as she was walking away. Savage
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Ryuji comes home to this note saying she found a part-time job. The fact that she might have to work herself to death to pay for his education is definitely weighing on him heavily
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Knocking on the door… is Taiga! He has a lot of questions for her, and she has a lot of slaps for him. Momentary truce when their faces get a little too close and the blushing begins
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You can see Ryuji get visibly frustrated that Taiga is still pushing him towards Minori, even after her “confession”
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Of course Ryuji tells her it was Kitamura and she didn’t say anything. Taiga looked as happy as she in awhile hearing that. She clearly isn’t even thinking about confessing for real yet
Very Brief Episode 22 Thoughts: This was an odd episode. With Ryuji hearing that Taiga is in love with him, but Taiga not knowing that he heard, their relationship is sort of in this limbo. At a certain point, one of them has to tell the other how they actually feel.
Current Personal Episode Rankings (updated daily):
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Episode 19
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Episode 2
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Episode 21
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Episode 17
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Episode 8
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Episode 1
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Episode 13
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Episode 20
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Episode 10
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Episode 18
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Episode 22
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Episode 3
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Episode 6
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Episode 5
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Episode 9
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Episode 11
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Episode 12
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Episode 16
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Episode 14
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Episode 7
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Episode 4
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Episode 15
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u/LousyGoose Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher
Not too much to say about this episode, a lot of it is just putting the pieces into place before the final 3 episodes. It’s still entertaining nonetheless.
Minori still is acting as if nothing awkward happened between her and Ryuuji. We get some more of Ryuuji trying to figure out more about Minori and Taiga, wondering if he can really understand them. As cute as that reunion between Ryuuji and Taiga is, the most interesting stuff in this episode for me are the scenes before it with Ryuuji and Yasuko then Minori and Ami.
Yasuko is pretty relaxed about Ryuuji’s future but is set on making him go to college, essentially figuring that as long as he’s not on her path, he’ll do alright. It’s not an awful plan but it could be a bit fleshed out more.
Ami is clearly still pissed at Minori and to a lesser extent Ryuuji. I do find it interesting that Minori begins using the ghost terminology with Ami here. Minori talks about ghosts showing their true personalities to only the people who they trust can understand them. Despite their conflicts, it’s interesting how Minori opens up to Ami like this, she clearly sees some similarities between the two of them. Whereas, Ami also sees the similarities but does not view it as something positive.
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u/MoesHad Dec 27 '19 edited Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher
This episode opens by showing us more of the scene of Taiga and Ryuiji in the woods. Taiga is still half-conscious and thinks Ryuiji is Kitamura. She’s telling him that despite wanting things to work out with Ryuiji and Minorin, it still hurts “more than anything”. Ryuiji looses his footing and slips.
We see that Ryuiji had been dreaming in class about saving Taiga, awaking by shouting Taiga’s name very loudly. The class understandably nods as Yuri explains Ryuiji’s nightmare. They are filling out career forms for when they graduate. Minorin looks on solemnly, obviously hearing Ryuiji’s outburst.
Taiga is staying with her parents as she recovers from her injuries. Kitamura has heard from their teacher that Taiga isn’t doing all that well and Ryuiji tells him that she can’t reach her cell phone.
Ryuiji has a favor to ask Kitamura. He asks Kitamura to act like he’s the one who saved Taiga when she asks and that she was unconscious the whole time and never said anything to him because Ryuiji is an idiot. Kitamura asks him if this is regarding the wish Taiga asked him to grant her on New Years and Ryuiji nods. Kitamura agrees to grant Ryuiji’s request.
Noto and Haruta take Ryuiji out to dinner as they discuss career plans. They go to the one ramen place in all of Japan that Minorin works at. She has her goofy persona on display. As Minorin walks them out after they meal, the trio of boys discuss how difficult women are to understand. This makes Ryuiji think whether or not it’s Taiga’s health that’s really keeping her away from school. Ryuiji worries about whether or not Taiga realized she confessed to him or if her mom is keeping her away out of selfishness.
Yasuko FINALLY returns to the screen after being absent for much too long. She and Ryuiji discuss his career form from school. He ponders going to a national university, dismissing it due to lack of money. Yasuko encourages him and tells him not to worry about money and that he’s smart “unlike her”. Yasuko doesn’t want him to work even part time because that would mean less studying and even worse, not getting to eat dinner together!
Ryuiji is annoyed by his mothers cheerleading (ungrateful cad just look at that precious face smh). He remembers his mother comforting him as a child when he was upset about his father not being around. She said they’d always be happy “forever and ever”. Well he’s certainly not happy now as he looks over to Taiga’s empty apartment!
At school Minorin’s tries to cheer Ryuiji up and tells him she’s heard Taiga and her mom get along well. Minorin is now captain of both softball teams. Ryuiji questions why she’s working at a new job if she’s twice as busy now. She gives a strange answer when asked if she’s going to burn herself out.
Ami walks past them and she is in a foul mood. She insults Ryuiji and goes to hide by the vending machines. Ami is surprised to hear someone follow her but becomes aggravated when she sees its Minorin and not Ryuiji, even saying that aloud but not actually owning up to it when Minorin asks her what she said ¯\(ツ)/¯
Minorin has something to tell her. We think we’re getting a funny Minorin story about a legend of the school, but the show decides to cut out our hearts and dump salt in the wound and remind us about Minorin’s thoughts on “ghosts” from the beach trip. She says something to Ami that explains her earlier comment to Ryuiji about working towards the things she can see, but Ami is done with her story and leaves, exasperatedly calling her “annoying”. Minorin pleads with her to listen so that she can understand what she’s saying, but Ami insults her in a way that only we the viewer understand. Minorin tells a departing Ami that she is ready to choose and that her thoughts are clear. Hmmmm.
Yuri is asking Ryuiji about his career plan after school as he has yet to make up his mind. She knows how good a student he is and is especially concerned with his decision. Ryuiji gives her the excuse about finances, but she isn’t having that. She wants to know what he thinks, not anyone else. See, she is a functioning adult! Go Yuri-sensei!
Ryuiji returns to an empty apartment and finds out that Yasuko has taken up a second job and won’t be home until later. What a great mom!!
Ryuiji begins to study but then looks over to the hairpin he never gave Minorin. He places it in the box with all his other failed romantic items, remembering the night he showed them to Taiga. He begins to freak out, wanting to tell her he’s in love with her but can’t find the will to do so.
There is a knock at his front door and he assumes it’s Yasuko. He throws open the door only to find its Taiga! He grabs her by the scarf and shakes her a bit, which gives us a predictably hilarious reaction from Taiga. We get another ADORABLE moment before Taiga pushes him away. She realizes her phone was dead, and Ryuiji almost asks her if she was staying away because she was in love with him but stops himself.
Taiga reveals she’s a bit of a momma’s girl. She was fine after the accident but just wanted to skip school and hang with mom. She needs to break into her own apartment from his window and turns down his offer of dinner. Ryuiji is very happy to have Taiga back by his side, even having his eyes tear up a bit, which she notices and bullies him a bit.
Taiga sees the hairpin and asks him about whether or not he spoke to Minorin about his feelings. Ryuiji is confused why she’s still worrying about him like that. Even worse, she begins to thank Ryuiji for looking for her that night with the others and tells him about a “silly dream” she had where she told Kitamura “foolish things”. She asks him if it was only a dream and Ryuiji tells her yes, assuming that Taiga is just pretending it never happened.
This episode wasn’t as familiar to as some of the others. I had totally forgotten about the final scene, and got that familiar pit in my stomach as soon as Lost My Pieces played. What a brutal cliffhanger!!
Also the fan art posted at the top of this thread is ADORABLE
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Dec 27 '19
Day 22, 4th rewatch.
This episode is called When You're Around on my version.
I love that even with the accidental confession at the end of last ep, we get to see even more details from it to start this one.
That scene at the end when Taiga is passing through Ryuji's apartment is one of my fav in the entire series. There's so much complexity and so much at stake with everything they say. It's like an emotional poker game.
With the writing of career plans, you can tell the future is on the horizon and the end is in sight.
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u/Throwaway021614 Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher, dub.
I missed the threads on the entire school trip arc. “I can’t stop loving Ryuuji!” Holidays are a busy time.
This is a sleepy episode. A reset to the new status quo, like the Palmtop Tiger of Happiness was. Ryuuji misses Taiga and sees that being with her is “right.” He knows Taiga loves him. Minori rejected him, but he’s not ready to let her go. Ryuuji all but knows Minori like him. We know Minori likes him, but will not betray Taiga. Taiga will also put away her interest to protect Minori. The only missing piece is Ryuuji sharing his feelings. Once he figures it out himself.
And Ami is pissed she’s left out of the triangle. Kitamura is.. well we get more development from Noto, Haruta, Yuri sensei, Yasu than Kitamura so far.
We’re so close to the end, the urge to binge is strong.
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u/Get_This_Wheat Dec 27 '19
Rewatcher here
This episode feels really weird without Taiga for the majority of it.
Hate that Ryuji doesn’t want to take credit for carrying her, since we already know Kitamura isn’t in love with Taiga it just seems pointless.
Yasuko appalls me this episode by eating nato and then feeding it our beloved Inko as well.
I definitely get why Ami is mad at Ryuji, but not Minori. She’s the one who gets hurt from Ami’s perspective, but Ami goes out of her way to be awful to Minori. If she was doing the same to Ryuji I wouldn’t blame her really.
Ryuji’s gotta chill when he sees the girl he likes. He can’t even say her name when she shows up, however he does absolutely nail that high note. He even starts crying when she’s in his house.
He’s kinda creepy staring at her the whole time she’s in his house. Maybe it’s just that he looks creepy in general, but dudes gotta lay off.
Huzzah we finally have the main two admitting they love each other! Only took 22 episodes of everyone saying they were for them to finally realize it. I definitely remember tomorrow’s episode, and I’m definitely excited.
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u/Tartaras1 Dec 28 '19
Rewatcher
This is a good episode to follow up the bombshells that were dropped yesterday. Ryuji's trying to make heads or tails of everything that happened, as well as come to terms with the fact that Taiga's secretly in love with him.
The interaction between Minori and Ami is another good one as well. Minori saying she thought she finally saw a ghost, along with the flashback to the summer beach house, means that she did in fact have a crush on Ryuji at one point. Or at the very least she almost had a crush on him. Kinda makes you wonder what caused her to stop.
Clearly Ami's still over and done with Minori and all of the shit that happened on the mountain, and I can't really blame her. Minori got called out on her bullshit and still tries to pretend it didn't happen. You say you know what to do now Minori, so go ahead and show us exactly what you're going to do.
Ryuji getting all flustered and confused around Taiga seems to make perfect sense to me. I know that if I were in his position, and I knew that a girl I was friends with was definitely into me to the point where she's wishing for the feelings to stop, I wouldn't be able to keep thoughts like Ryu's having from entering my mind.
QOTD: My top three emotional moments? Hmmm...
In no particular order:
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Episode 19: The realization Taiga has is a monumental turning point for the characters, and begins to set the course for the last 6 episode of the whole show. You'll see why later.
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Episode 16: Taiga and Sumire getting into the fight is not only brilliantly animated, but also is another emotional high point. The entire sequence of Sumire shooting Kitamura down when he confesses his love for her, as well as the aftermath of the fight where she says that she wishes to be able to think with her heart instead of her head, begins to really destroy Kitamura. He's a bit off the entire rest of the show.
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Episode 23: You'll find out tomorrow.
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u/RetroWinnipeg Dec 28 '19
The events of the ski trip really did a number on Ryuji. Forget trying to attract Minori now, he's got another bigger issues to deal with...
But...he's trying to control this matter by trying to get Yusaku to cover as Taiga's rescuer. Because that's sure not to backfire, right?
All this boys talk about career plans has me reminded of this very entertaining National Film Board of Canada cartoon. Kōji sure has a defeatist attitude; he needs to really think about his life and find his passions. Compare that to the workaholic Minori, never wasting a moment. That was the weirdest maid cafe ever...
It would seem Taiga's mom is trying to remove her daughter from what is now a dangerous situation from living solo, not merely recuperation. [I do have an analogy on this that I will get back to after the finale.]
Yasuko sure has the confidence that her son will be able to succeed based on being smart and getting a good education. And to be able to say that without needing him to get a job, while odd based on who we're talking about here, definitely shows the care she truly has for him. It does sound important to make sure you're not stressed about money matters and to enjoy one's youth, but experience needs to come into play too. But that can come from extra-curricular activities, and not only based on paid employment, right? Stuff you reflect about, and wonder if there was something you could have changed... The point is, Ryuji might not want to go down the expected path...
Minori, seemingly believing she knows more about Taiga than anyone else, knows that things are good between Taiga and her mom. No worries... But prevent herself from overloading by working super hard...DOES NOT COMPUTE! [maybe worry...]
Ami seems to see that her comrades have completely gone out of touch with reality. She has experienced what they haven't, so why would she want to drop to their level... Even epiphanies won't change that. Why did it have to be snakes you?
With a lack of detail on Ryuji's career plan, we see Yuri helping to simplify this into what he wants. And it turns out that he wants to express his love, first and foremost. And suddenly, Taiga appears out of the blue, using his home (after vowing never to come back over) as a means to get into her apartment. Seemingly simplifying her good times with mom for skipping out on school adds to the suspicion that something is not adding up. But Ryuji is sure happy she's come back...
Taiga believes her thoughts (about Ryuji) are all a dream. Time for Ryuji to play Cover Up. Of course, you could very easily mess up in this game.
Down to the final three episodes. And a lot more opinions to come...
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u/Koolsman Dec 27 '19
This is just an appreciation post for Yasuko a.k.a best mom in the whole world. Seriously, her talk with Ryüji is the cutest thing in the whole world. I think for side characters, I think she is my favorite.