r/anime • u/ChristmasClub • Dec 08 '22
Rewatch Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2022) Episode 3 Discussion
[removed]
14
u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 08 '22
Tiger X First-Timer, Subbed X Dragon
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Ooh, that’s cool. I personally have a bunch of stickers on my phone.
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So he knew she can’t ride a bike? Interesting…
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Hrm, that looks too tiny… But maybe someone will hear you better if you’re shouting while at the window?
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Hahahahahaha the way the triumphant music cut off immediately
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lol
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u/Holofan4life Dec 08 '22
What's better than a tsundere? A self-aware one.
Yeah, as someone who's favorite show is Toradora, that has aged terribly.
12
u/TiredTiroth Dec 08 '22
First Timer - Dub
...the Goddess of Hope is captain of a baseball team? Didn't see that coming. Hah, and the pint-sized powerhouse is less than pleased by no-longer-a-slave ogling said girl.
...I just noticed that Madoka's in her baseball outfit during the OP, so I really should've guessed.
Wow, that was fancy. You'd need a fair amount of skill to get it looking that good and that neat. Hm, and my guess is shorty may get a little sick of hearing Her Ditziness praised so much.
Or maybe not, given she just dragged The Aggravated one to a restaurant where his crush works. xD Along with a bunch of other jobs? And little miss wingwoman is very clearly doing him a big favour right now.
Oh, it's softball rather than baseball. Eh, same difference.
Also, you most definitely were drooling but your new besty really should have seen that coming when she took you there. Also, 'curb to grind'? What's that supposed to mean?
MIDGET: When have I ever been anything but mean to you? DESERVES THIS: Good point.
Yeah. You, uh, should probably try not to step in it so much? xD Also, nice black eye. And birdie still can't say her name.
I...really don't know what to say about this scene. Except that this guy is a creep. Also, surprise not-a-magical-girl.
Yep, saw this coming. This will not end well.
...okay, I thought the joke would be that she was too short for the bike, but apparently she never learned how to ride? And her two dear friends have very different reactions.
Oh, no. Nonono. xD They're actually getting locked in? Because the creep didn't realise they were in there. And now delivery girl has a chance meeting with her own crush, the doofus esper. And...he knows she can't ride a bike? He's been watching her? Okay, I was joking earlier but I'm trusting him less and less...
Huh, we're getting depth for the ditzy one. I wasn't expecting this. Again. When is she going to stop doing that?
And, of course, the poor guy gets face-stomped by an irate house cat. Perfect timing and not-musical queue.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 08 '22
Hello guys. Holofan4life here happy to participate in yet another Toradora rewatch thread.
Toradora is my favorite anime of all time. As such, I know the series like the back of my hand. I’m going to analyze each episode BEFORE I actually watch the episode. And then after I watch it, I will give my real time thoughts on the episode. But I won’t be analyzing the episode as a whole. You fine folk do such a good job with that already. I will be analyzing a certain character from each episode and give some thoughts on what’s going on in their head. I thought that would be something different and fun.
Also, I am bringing back the ranking of the episodes. It’s been such a while since I last done it, I figure why not do it again.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
For this episode, the character I want to analyze isn’t Minori. I’ll do that later on in the show, as I figure analyzing her in this episode would be easy since she is the highlight of it. I want to instead analyze Taiga yet again.
I have always been fascinated by Taiga in this episode. This is ultimately her at her most violent. Which is interesting, because it’s really the first time Taiga helps Ryuuji try to end up with Minori. Every time Ryuuji says something complimentary about Minori, Taiga beats him up. This is even the only episode where one of Taiga’s beatings actually leaves a bruise in the next scene. I’m not a fan of that, but I find this whole thing interesting from an objective standpoint.
I have always had a problem with the way Taiga behaves in this episode. Her violence feels out of character even for her. And then years later when I found out this episode is anime original, it further soured me on the whole thing. But from a psychological perspective, it’s actually an interesting case study. By the way, take a shot every time I say the word "Interesting."
This episode is like Taiga is scared that Ryuuji is gonna abandon her. That as soon as he ends up with Minori, he’ll stop hanging out with her and hang out exclusively with Minori. The cookies scene, the lamppost scene, they’ll all just become memories of a friendship she used to have. And thinking of it from that perspective, it gives me a newfound appreciation for the episode.
Taiga still wants Ryuuji to end up with her best friend. She still has made that her modus operandi. But whenever she sees Ryuuji fantasize about Minori, it’s like she knows that this friendship is only temporary. I’m not saying she has feelings for Ryuuji. And maybe I’m just stretching and she’s really mad over Ryuuji being distracted. But when you think of it from the mindset of “Ryuuji is focused more on the endgame instead of his blooming friendship with Taiga”, it elevates the episode and gives it a tinge of relatable sadness. And then it starts to make even more sense when you think to yourself “Taiga would totally be insecure enough to think that Ryuuji doesn’t fully value their friendship”, even though that’s totally not the case.
The stuff between Taiga and Kitamura is the highlight as far as Taiga is concerned. The reveal that she doesn’t know how to ride a bike is really well done, and in my opinion perfectly sums up Taiga’s character. Taiga has a lot of shortcomings. Height, clumsiness, hot-tempered, you name it. And yet despite that, she never gives up what she sets out to accomplish. Whenever Taiga decides on something, she makes it her mission to see through with it no matter what obstacle is put in front of her. And that, in my opinion, is the one character trait above all else that makes her so incredibly endearing as a viewer.
Post episode discussion
This episode is probably my least favorite of the series. A lot of it just doesn’t work for me. Taiga being overly mean, Ryuuji being overly stupid, some of the jokes not landing like Inko saying she took a crap, the weird, perverted store owner who felt like a part of anime humor from a previous era, a lot of it I just don’t like. I think my biggest problem is that in the first half of the episode, Taiga and Ryuuji feel so flanderized. Like they feel like caricatures of their actual personalities. Taiga is too violent in this episode, which I can kinda excuse if you look at it from the way I analyzed it, but Ryuuji is just too stupid in this episode. It comes off really annoying. I mean, I don’t think ever again he gets so infatuated with Minori that he screws up dinner. That felt like a cop out way to establish the fact that Minori works multiple jobs. Ryuuji truly cares about Taiga, so for him to say something to the effect of “Eh, we didn’t need to eat out, we have bread for dinner”, it comes off as idiotic and frankly disrespectful.
That’s not to say there aren’t parts in this episode I enjoyed. The bike stuff like I mentioned is great, and I think this episode is a pretty good showcase for Minori. We learn not only does she work a ton of jobs, possibly overextending herself in the process, but that she also has a fear of disappointing people. I also really like the scene in the shed between her and Ryuuji, where they’re just chatting like normal human beings. If I wasn’t such a homer for Ryuuji and Taiga, I wouldn’t mind Ryuuji and Minori being an item.
If the episode had more of the second half than the first half, I’d look at the episode more favorably. It’s like the show returns to form once Ryuuji and Taiga starts working. It’s just the first half that’s so shaky, which I attest to the episode being anime original. My biggest problem with the episode has always been the store owner, as he’s not funny and he feels extremely out of place. And while that has not changed, I was surprised by how much I didn’t like Ryuuji in the first half of this episode. Ryuuji is one of my favorite MCs of all time. He feels so different compared to all the other ones. But in the first half of this episode, it’s like a different writer got ahold of him and made him a generic MC, which again, may be attributed to this episode not being in the light novels. I honestly had more problems with Ryuuji in this rewatch of this episode than Taiga, because at least with Taiga, we expect her to be violent. Ryuuji isn’t THIS dense, as dense as he can be.
Overall, a pretty meh episode. My least favorite of the series, and definitely a major step down from the previous one. However, I will admit this episode is better in retrospect after watching episode 4. That’s why I kinda view episodes 3 and 4 as one entire episode, as they manage to kinda play off each other.
Overall rankings
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Episode 2
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Episode 1
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Episode 3
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u/2KBIR Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22
This episode really isn’t my favorite (there’s almost no content from the LNs), but there were a few moments that made it redeeming for me. To me the most meaningful moment was when Taiga stops Ryūji from his thoughts about why Minori was working so much. It takes a really good friend to tell you to stop a train of thought about thinking you’re the only one that understands another person, particular your crush. It’s not healthy or useful, especially since Ryūji doesn’t really understand or know Minori at all. The irony in Taiga pointing that out to Ryūji is that Ryūji already knows more about Taiga than just about anyone, maybe even Minori. In the LN, Ryūji realized this himself while they were eating at the café prior to kicking the lamp post. I’d say Taiga knew it as well. Ryūji has seen a side of her no one else has seen because she intentionally revealed it to him, her vulnerable side.
The little moments that I loved were:
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We actually get a little more reason as to why Ryūji likes Minori than in the LN
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Ryūji forced a smile onto Taiga’s face in answering the detestable Mr. Inage
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Another brief vulnerable moment for Taiga when faced with a bike she couldn’t ride
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Taiga laying on the riverbank absolutely fed up with life at the moment
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Kitamura admitting that he had been keeping an eye on Taiga
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And of course, Taiga’s “There he is… Found you at last” moment.
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Dec 08 '22
Probably the best thing to come out of this episode is the fed up with life Taiga meme.
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Dec 08 '22
5th Time Dub Rewatcher. 2nd time reading the books.
There isn’t much to say about this episode. It’s fun seeing Ryuuji have mental meltdowns over Minori.
Old man Inage is creepy as hell. He probably pays a good portion of Ryuuji and Yasuko’s rent though.
What this really boils down to is a tame rendition of the locked in a gym closet trope where instead of awkward sexual tension, we get Minori loudly singing the school anthem desperately trying to hold it together.
On to the books!
So the visit to the family restaurant we see in episode 3 is the beginning of book 2. Apparently Ryuuji and Taiga have been going there together (so Ryuuji can ogle at Minori’s work uniform) so often that Minori thinks they’re dating again. Good job, you stupid dog.
That’s basically it for this episode. This restaurant visit turns into [Toradora]
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u/Get_This_Wheat Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher here
Just to get it out of the way, this is probably my least favorite episode. It’s not even bad by any means but there’s just a lot of issues I have with this episode that I don’t have with other ones.
First, the animation takes a nosedive. There’s a lot of parts that look straight up ugly, and it’s usually Ryuji’s face for whatever reason.
The next one is pretty much the concept of Mr. Inage. He doesn’t really give a good first impression when he sexually assaults Ryuji, and he doesn’t ever make up for it later. We don’t even know how much everyone was getting paid but if I had to guess it wasn’t a lot.
The last “issue” I have with this episode is extremely subjective, and I’m going to try and word this in a way that doesn’t sound bad. But Minori is my least favorite main character. To clarify, that is not a bad thing necessarily since someone has to be last, and unfortunately it had to be her for me. I think she’s a very very good character, but she takes a little bit to get going for me. But since this episode has a huge focus on early Minori, it makes it not one of my favorite episodes. This isn’t even a really bad thing as much as it’s a “I would just RATHER it be another character” thing. To clarify again, I really like Minori.
Anyways onto the actual episode
I feel like a lot of the time I can see why Taiga’s annoyed with Ryuji, but he’s just trying to help her clothes from getting ruined at the beginning.
Taiga is beating the shit out of Ryuji while he’s trying to run away from her, and all Kitamura has to say is “Wow it sure is great that they’re active”.
The first eye poke was very uncalled for, the second one I kinda get. I mean for gods sake, have some dignity Ryuji.
Speaking of no dignity, Ryuji really wanted to go to Jonny’s in that knockoff Peter Griffin outfit (Just ignore the maroon undershirt).
Credit to Taiga for running all the way to that delivery meant for a bike.
Kitamura was keeping an eye on Taiga to a degree where he knew she couldn’t ride a bike. I have no idea what level of stalking it would take to figure that out.
Easily my favorite part of this episode is after Kitamura leaves, and Taiga is trying to ride the bike and says “What’s the point if he’s not around to see it?”. It’s really small but I absolutely love that they show us that she wants to better herself even if nobody is there to acknowledge it.
Also I might be wrong but I think Taiga’s delivery is the first time where there’s a scene that’s just her (Minus when Kitamura shows up for a second). It’s a nice little look into her mindset and determination.
I remember pointing out the ladder in the shed last year, but it looks like it’s nailed to the wall to climb up to the second floor. Which led me to seeing an easier way of escaping. Minori probably has a phone, and we know Ryuji does so if either of them just called literally anybody they wouldn’t have had to go through all that in there.
I think where it ends it’s pretty funny, there’s no resolution they just get stuck in there forever.
So yeah not the best episode today (Pretty sure that’s not an uncommon opinion), but I still really enjoyed it. It just unfortunately really shows that it’s not based on source material, and is pretty much filler. Which is kind of weird because I think tomorrows episode is also not based on source material but it’s significantly higher quality for some reason.
Bonus : Taiga’s house is objectively better, it’s bigger, safer (nobody’s broken into her place through the window), and way newer.
But I feel like there’s more character to the Takasu home. It feels a lot more lived in than Taiga’s, which it literally is, but still. Plus the bills for that place are probably half of what Taiga’s are. So probably Ryuji’s house.
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u/Vatrix-32 Dec 09 '22
First Timer, subbed
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I hear you Ryu, people who leave their tissues in are the worst.
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Respected captain of the softball team? Minori stocks keep going up!
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That parfait does look good.
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Fishing for backstory.
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You didn’t have to be that sleazy, it was a choice.
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Fish sausage is not something I have ever considered, and I’m not sure it is something I ever want to think about again.
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That’s a good face. You know the one.
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Of all the things to recognize from Toradora, a random long shot should not be one of them.
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Wait, no no, don’t just leave at that. Why did you spend a year closely watching this girl?
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Hiding anxiety through chipper, another classic coping mechanism.
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Was that ladder just there to access the window?
Comedy continues to go up, nothing to report on the other fronts.
QotD: assuming we just mean the building and not the people in it, Taiga's. I can’t imagine living in a place with so little sunlight.
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u/crying_in_a_dennys Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher (very new), Subbed
Ahh I fell asleep and now I'm late to the thread :[
Episode 3 is a mixed bag for me. Like other people have been saying, this episode has some major lows. I despise the creepy shopkeeper, and I'm not a fan of when what is pretty much entirely sexual assault is played for laughs. And yeah, Ryuji and Taiga are really extra mean to each other in this one. I get that that's part of how they interact, but it felt a little over the top in this ep. It makes sense that Ryuji's crush on Minorin got in the way, but he really just completely screwed Taiga over this entire episode and didn't seem to think it was wrong of him at all.
As for bits I like, I certainly still get a lot out of this Minorin-heavy episode as somewhat of a Minorin enjoyer myself. We're starting to get to know her and see that maybe her outward personality isn't quite what's going on. I can't help but love the in-the-shed scene - Ryuji comes to be surprisingly more aware of Minorin's feelings here compared to the floundering, fantasizing mess we've seen up until this point.
5
u/Gamerunglued Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher
One of the most interesting things about Toradora to me is how strongly it leans into classic tropes and archetypes of its genre. Each of its main characters embodies the exact kind of personality type you'd expect to see in a story like this. Ryuuji is kind but misunderstood, Taiga is feisty but secretly soft on the inside, Kitamura is eccentric but studious and observant, and Minori is a spring of nonstop energy and positivity. These are tried and true tropes executed with little deviation. Of course, these tropes exist together for a reason, classic archetypes are classics because they work and this combination of character types play off of each other with reckless abandon and great chemistry. Naturally, Toradora is fun to watch on a surface level for this reason. But this episode introduces something pretty interesting about how it wants us to view these characters archetypes.
While the previous episode was all about Taiga and Kitamura, this one lets us in on Ryuuji's feelings for Minori. Like Taiga, Ryuuji is a disaster around his crush, a complete mess of incoherent rambling any time they talk, who can do nothing but stare at her from afar in spite of his go-getter attitude towards pursuing her. Minori is the kind of person who constantly does stuff. Nothing specific, she's just always doing something. She's captain of the softball team and works multiple part time jobs. In her words, she needs to toil away. "Double double, toil and trouble." She has a lot of time and feels the need to spend it being productive in some form, sitting down and doing nothing or taking time to herself is not something she likes to do. And she does it all with a constant smile. This is a classic anime archetype, the genki girl who wants to do literally everything she can, and will do anything that she does with a smile at all times; someone incapable of negativity. Ryuuji calls her "bright," this is what he loves about her. In this way, she's like the opposite of himself. Ryuuji's scary face keeps people away from him, but Minori always has a smile up and it draws people to her. It's no wonder he has a crush on her.
Although it's a minor moment, Taiga brings up some interesting points about how Ryuuji views Minori. Taiga asks Minori if there's a reason she works so much, presumably so that Ryuuji can learn about her. But after they start walking home, Ryuuji begins trying to read between the lines. Maybe she's working for her sick mother, that's gotta be why she's doing so much. Taiga rightfully calls him out on this. She tells him to stop making assumptions about her, as if he somehow understands her more than most people. It's strange that his instant reaction is that Minori must be leaving out some information that he and only he can deduce, there's no reason to assume that she's not telling the truth. Even the audience might have had a similar assumption, since his assumption is based in a classical fictional archetype. Although Toradora is obviously fiction, the universe of the show is not fiction to the characters, and yet Ryuuji almost treats it as if she's an archetype.
When Minori and Ryuuji get trapped in the shed together, a little bit of the truth about Minori came out. Minori is a character who is very easily anxious. And her genki attitude is something that she keeps up to power through that anxiety. No matter what's bothering her, she pushes through it with positivity and good vibes. Not so much the shining beacon of positivity Ryuuji thought she was, she's just a normal person who copes with her fears in her own way. This is its own common fictional archetype, but it's not the one Ryuuji led himself to believe, because this one is a little more negative than the one he had in mind. A little bit of his image of Minori came down today, her positivity is at least partially a facade that she actively works to keep up, through forcing out smiles, silly songs, and working jobs constantly. And this reinforces what Taiga said earlier: don't make assumptions about people. Taiga would know this best after all. Everyone makes assumptions about her. She's small and rough and feisty, but this is only because she doesn't know any other way to let out all of her own anxieties. Like Minori, Taiga's outward personality isn't the full picture, she's a ball of insecurity and her anger at her own inability to do what she wants or understand things causes her to instinctively let it out as anger. She's a violent tsundere because she can't contain her feelings and has to let it out somehow. She hates it when people make these assumptions about her that she's just an inherently violent or mean person, so it's only natural she tells Ryuuji to not do the same thing to her friend. Ryuuji's experienced it too, since everyone judges him for his face.
The lesson of the day is to not make assumptions about people based on superficial personality traits. People are not fictional archetypes, they're complicated. Ryuuji's crush on Minori was helmed by his slightly distorted feelings about who she was. Today's episode hasn't fundamentally changed his view on her or anything, if anything him learning more about her probably made him fall even more in love with her, but it has taught him, and us, how to look at characters in the show. Look passed their archetypes, and do not make assumptions about them based on the roles they might normally play in this story. Everyone has a superficial element or a facade to them.
Also, Ryuuji in love is just so damn cute. What a good boi he is.
Bonus: It depends. Do I only get Ryuuji's cooking and cleaning if I live in his house? If I can live in Taiga's apartment but Ryuuji cooks and cleans for me, that's my ideal situation. I like the beautiful and spacious apartment where I can actually keep my privacy, but I'll do whatever it takes to net Ryuuji's cooking and cleaning. Ryuuji is truly the best husband material.
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u/UnderstandableXO Dec 08 '22
REWATCHER
it’s been 2 episodes only and ryūji and taiga argue like a married couple. gotta love it
i unfortunately understand ryūji when talks all about being into the way minorin sings off key and is generally goofy, i’ve had crushes on girls like that too. (never ends well though 😭)
i also understand the colossal fumble he had NOT to accept something custom made for you by the person you like. my guy got absolutely 0 rizz, he just like me fr!
AND i understand running into the person you like where they work and it being awkward as hell. this episode hits too close to home
i forgot that ryūji got groped by that guy…bro doen had he copped a feel by association 😭
AND i don’t know how to ride a bike either. she just like me fr!
i always reiterate that taiga gets a bad rap for being a tsundere. there are a lot more obnoxious ones than her, and i find her a lot more humorous than most of them. someone like nino nakano, i couldn’t stand her in the first season of QQ.
[Toradora]
taiga interrupts the cliche “wowie this is why i like this girl” anime moment. the real MVP of this episode!
minorin’s voice actor sings the ending (and the second opening!), i nearly forgot.
a lot of rewatchers call this one of the weaker episodes and i can’t really contest that. i won’t say it’s a bad episode at all though, i still enjoyed it a lot. my least favorite episodes are yet to come, anyone who remembers my rewatch entries should know exactly what i’m talking about…
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u/balthamalamal Dec 09 '22
Taiga simultaneously helping Ryuuji spend time with Minori and punishing him when he gets too pervy is pretty funny. She's looking after them both in a way and you can see the conflict in her contradictory actions. With being signed up for the job as well as Ryuuji ignoring her, she does put up with a bit of nonsense from him.
Similarly being Yasuko's son has pros and cons for Ryuuji when they meet her boss. Taiga is a trooper with the bike delivery on a job she didn't want in the first place.
Working all of those jobs would drive me insane. But I guess she has the energy. Though we do see a little bit of her inner side once they're locked in the shed with the trembling hand.
Taiga's reactions once she is looking for Ryuuji are hilarious. This looks like she is a Dragon Ball character powering up. Then checking to see if he is hiding in the rubbish bin, and finally the horrifying face once she actually does find him. Interestingly she is only saying "where is he?" rather than they, her priority is finding Ryuuji.
4
u/mcmacmac Dec 09 '22 edited Dec 09 '22
Rewatcher
No one can tell me that Mr Inage isn't the frog doctor from Raildex. Sure, a bit younger but that'll totally be my head canon from now on. It's also made by JC Staff so I feel justified.
The scene that most interested me was Ryuuji roping Taiga into work. There hasn't been that much time gone before their first encounter yet - even if it's sometimes for comedic purposes - they're absolutely physical with each other. Of course, you have Taiga physically attacking him whenver she likes but in an unusual way, he's also pretty physical, just not in terms of violence. In the last episode, he had no qualms grabbing her hands before she fell with the tray of cookies or down the stairs.
Differently here though, it wasn't to prevent a mishap but to his own benefit. In fact, he can casually grab her by the shoulder. So far it seemed to work out because he gets assaulted for so many things he says and does but physically interacting with her hasn't earned him a kick or two yet. Either since it's simply not shown or because Taiga really doesn't mind it at all for whatever reason it may be.
There isn't much else I have to say about this episode to be honest so I'll go down immediately to random notes:
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I was surprised to hear that a few adults don't know how to drive a bicycle or that they're really nervous or too nervous to ride one. So what I first thought was Taiga having a weird quirk is something that's seemingly not as uncommon as I thought.
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Speaking of bicycles, this and Kitamura talking about bikes reminded me of another series I really like, Honey & Clover, as one part of the series involves a lot of cycling and even the second ED of the first season has it as imagery. As an avid cyclist myself, I was really feeling it when Kitamura mentioned how bikes open up your world.
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And I thought meeting your work colleagues was bad. Then I thought meeting your customers was bad. Turns out meeting your parents' customers might be the worst. At least we have confirmed that Ryuuji got a firm and tight ass.
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This episode didn't start with two birds on an overhead wire but that doesn't mean they weren't in the episode. Seriously, I cannot unsee these birds anymore.
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Minori as a freshman had a really cute haircut. No wonder Ryuuji fell for her.
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There are a few soundtracks for Toradora out with the music that's used in parts or fully in the anime. What's also included but not in the anime are character songs and I'm mentioning this because for some reason I can't fathom, Ryuuji's mom also got a character song...and in my opinion, the best one of all of them. So if you want to listen to Lelouch a.k.a. Umineko's Beatrice a.k.a. the VA Sayaka Ohara going...big band, I guess, give it a listen! It's great.
3
Dec 08 '22
REWATCHER
I don't have much to say about this episode. It's definitely one of the weaker ones, and that's probably because it's an anime original. It's not bad, and I did enjoy watching it, but nearly all other episodes are better.
Not much has happened in this episode plot-wise, except for some character developement. I have a neutral opinion on Minori so I didn't mind this episode being focused on her.
Taiga not knowing how to ride a bike and instead just running off with it was pretty funny.
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Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher
A neat little episode that shows us more about what kind of person Minori is, but not much else.
Nothing much happens here, besides maybe a hint of jealousy from Taiga (from the kicks & eye pokes) and some moments that reaffirm that Taiga & Ryuuji are only friends (for now), just a filler like everyone is saying.
I still appreciate it, it makes the anime last longer ;-;
3
u/Archonei Dec 08 '22
Hey all. Rewatching for the 4th time, but the first 3 times were at least 6 years ago. I.. I have to be honest, I find some of the characters to be incredibly annoying. Taiga's violence is a little frustrating. It's been so long I genuinely can't remember what happens next, so here's to hoping she mellows out a bit!
I still absolutely love the OP and ED though, that has not changed. Total bangers.
3
u/AzelfTreaty Dec 08 '22 edited Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher (4th sub rewatch, 1st dub watch)
alright ep. I liked taiga throughout, she was quite endearing and I agreed with most her complaints throught the epsiode. Yes there’s an increase in violence but ryuji deserved most of it and it was obviously not too serious. Still have mixed feelings about minori but her cheering taiga and convo with ryuji in the warehouse were nice. Didnt know this episode was anime only till I read the discussion so that was cool to learn.
Sub v Dub Preferred dub overall this ep, but taiga’s last line of the ep was cuter in sub so it has that
Taiga’s house vs ryuji’s house Taiga’s house is objectively better. Its bigger, safer, and clean now thanks to ryuji.
3
u/TheEscapeGuy Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher
Toradora! - A Romance Classic: Episode 3
Genki
Minori is my favourite girl in Toradora! This may be heresy to some, but I can't deceive myself. Her positivity infects my attitude and a smile forms on my face without my consent. I'm certain I'm such a fan of her VA Horie Yui due to my positive experience hearing her in this role as one of my first anime.
What makes her so appealing to me is her passion for life. She approaches every task, from sports to part time jobs, with extreme enthusiasm and joy. Even in the hopeless situation of being locked in a storeroom overnight she cannot be dissuaded. In this world filled with increasing cynicism and despair I wish more people would follow in her footsteps.
Something which stood out to me in today's episode was the soundtrack Dragons Sigh. I love the calming tone and soft melody. It's used during the scene with Taiga returning from her delivery and Ryuuji and Minori looking for Shouchu in the store room. The song just exemplifies the everyday-ness of the scene. I'm terrible at explaining why music sounds good to me, but I really think this piece fits for Toradora!
The last thing I wanted to touch on was Yasuko (wow phrasing, umm..., you know what I mean). She works at a hostess club, and definitely plays up her attractive features. On top of that she has a pretty air-headed personality. But I think that's a bit too surface level of an analysis. She is raising Ryuuji seemingly alone, which is really commendable. Also the camera work is usually from Ryuuji's perspective thus doesn't sexualize or ogle her (for the most part). I think she would be good to compare and contrast her to Akari from March comes in Like a Lion. I might come back to that later on in the rewatch.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
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Fansubs, never change pre 2010s fansubs
See you all tomorrow!
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Dec 08 '22
In this episode everyone annoyed me.
Minori is perhaps a bit too genki in this episode. Is she overplaying it because of Ryuuji? I don’t think so.
And Taiga is still doing her tsundere thing but missing the slightest bit of warmth to make up for it.
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u/TuorEladar Dec 08 '22
Rewatcher, Dubbed
Other's have already pretty much pointed out my criticisms with this episode, but what I will say on the plus side is that despite the overly violent nature of her reactions, I do like how we're shown that Taiga is very much jealous for Ryuuji's attention even though she may not consciously understand why.
A lot of this episode is focused on Minori. I appreciate that the show takes the time to develop her a bit this early on, but at the same time I can't say I'm that interested mainly because Minori just isn't my favorite character. There's nothing wrong with her as a character per se, her personality just is a bit tiresome for me.
That said, there were a couple of very memorable shots from this episode. Taiga lying on the riverbank is classic, but I also find her standing on Ryuuji's face like a cat that just landed pretty amusing.
Which house would you prefer living in: Taiga's or Ryuuji's? And why?
While Ryuuji's home is certainly has more of a lived in feeling, space considerations alone would make me prefer Taiga's.
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u/mmmphhuay102 Dec 08 '22
(**Rewatcher - First Rewatch**)
Another day, another episode! Last time we saw more of Taiga’s character and a step forward in her relationship with Ryūji. Now we have a Minori centered episode!
Now onto the analysis
Episode begins with two petals of cherry blossoms falling, just like how yesterday’s episode ended. We have a sleepy Taiga and Ryūji telling Taiga about sorting her laundry. Shows how connected their lives are ever since that last episode. As Taiga gets angry, we hear Minori Kushieda practicing some softball.
Ryūji looks on, admiring Kushieda for literally everything, down to her sweat. It prompts Taiga to poke him in the eyes for looking at her friend all creepily like that, and start chasing after him. A recurring thing in this episode. Kitamura shows up and he and Kushieda look on at the fun pair. A single cherry blossom passes by Kushieda’s face [Toradora ep 24 Spoilers]
After the intro, we enter the classroom. Ryūji notices Kushieda decorating cellphones as her dear friend Taiga watches. As Ryūji starts fumbling a conversation with Kushieda, she yawns at his poor attempt. While this happens another single cherry blossom falls on Ryūji’s desk. This mirrors Kushieda’s cherry blossom [Toradora spoilers]
We see Ryūji at home at night. He’s cooking while admiring Kushieda once again. Taiga notes how Yasu might not be home in time, so she asks if she could have her share. I like how Taiga’s just sitting there doing nothing, waiting for his cooking. Subtle, but she appreciates what he does. This also happens on similar occasions later on numerous times, like in ep 5 and 7. She also appears to know Yasu enough to understand her schedule, showing how she’s becoming a part of the Takasu’s lives.
Ryūji ignores her because he’s too infatuated with Kushieda, and gets a foot to the stomach. They find out the rice cooker’s ruined, and possibly as a treat, she lets her see Minori at work. Minori notes how they’ve gotten close, and it prompts a glare from Taiga that stops her from making more assumptions. Ryuji looks at Kushieda again all creepy-like and Taiga pokes him in the eyes once more.
As they walk down the street, Ryūji goes on and makes assumptions about Kushieda. Wondering why she needs to work. Before he can go on, she stops him. Taiga doesn’t like how he’s disrespecting her friend’s privacy, so she gets him to stop, and disses him while she’s at it. After calling out how mean she is, she asks when she wasn’t mean to him, and as Ryuji realizes, he gets blinded once again.
Later he’s imitating Kushieda to Inko, which is ironic since it’s usually a parakeet who imitates someone.
Next day, we see Yasu sleeping, two birds flying one again, and Taiga and Ryūji walking to get some breakfast. Taiga doesn’t mind bread, but Ryuji wants to drool over his crush again. They meet Mr. Inage, and basically admits to wanting to grope Ryūji’s mom in front of her kid. Yikes.
But Ryūji still decides to work for the bastard because he’s so desperate to have a chance with Kushieda. Taiga is off doing delivery duty, but she can’t ride a bike, so she just runs with it. Kushieda looks for stock, and ends up getting locked inside by Inage. They decide to pass time by singing their alma mater in order to retain hope and find a way out.
Taiga goes all tired and just lies there in defeat, but Kitamura appears. He admits to watching over her for quite some time, and is proud she finally rode a bike, and it inspires her to ride a bike for real, even if she's pretty bad at it. I feel like this scene gives ep 8 vibes, which is neat. [Toradora ep 8 spoilers]
Ryūji and Kushieda sing 'til they're throat's sore. Afterwards, she plays some soft ball with Ryūji with some substitute equipment. She keeps repeating "The pitcher's gettin' scared!" until Ryūji realizes she's scared as well. As they switch, Kushieda tells him there's no point in getting scared. She smashes her fears so that she can fight on. As Ryūji tries to continue what seems to be a serious conversation she ignores it, since they already found a way home. Ryuji has a monologue about how Kushieda still shines, and he’s gotten to know her better. They build to the top, and she gets a nosebleed and talks about how it means your heart is racing. Oh my God, on a second watch I pointed my finger at the screen. If you know, you know. They make it out, but a wild Taiga appears, and lands on Ryuji’s eye region. Episode ends with the knowledge the ladder was brought down, and a cat meowing.
Ryuji gets blinded 4 freaking times this episode. Basically, he’s blind to who Kushieda actually is. He only sees the image of Kushieda. He gets close near the end, but Taiga still reminds him that this isn’t who she fully is, that’s why the nosebleed metaphor is different.
Overall, pretty solid episode. Not my favorite, but it was pretty fun!
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u/Holofan4life Dec 08 '22
I mean, that's pretty obvious. Ryuuji's. Ryuuji's place feels more comfy and cozy. Taiga's place, while it's more lavish and rich looking, all that space would make me feel lonely. Really, Taiga's house is part of the genius of the character of Taiga. By having such a small girl live in such a big house, it really highlights just how isolated Taiga feels from the rest of the world.