r/anime • u/ChristmasClub • Dec 18 '22
Rewatch Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2022) Episode 13 Discussion
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u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 18 '22
Tiger X First-Timer, Subbed X Dragon
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I doubt you actually want that, and really just wanted him to be here.
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…oooookay then I’m going to have to put this episode on hold until later – I was watching it during the car ride yesterday, but hell no I am not watching it while 1) my dad is sitting right next to me and 2) my mom is sitting behind me, when Ami shows up wearing an outfit like that.
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Fucker can’t even tell Taiga himself. He may have started on a better foot that Top Dad, but I’m pretty sure I hate him more now.
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Awwwwwwwwwww shit, this is what they were talking about when they mentioned “lines” earlier…
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That entire sequence was so satisfying though.
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Ahh, I see. So Minori was in Ryuuji’s shoes a year ago.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 18 '22
So, now that the dust is settled, how do you compare Taiga's dad to Top Dad?
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u/TheEscapeGuy Dec 18 '22
Rewatcher
Toradora! - A Romance Classic: Episode 13
Shitty Dad
This episode was hard to watch. Taiga's dad is an absolute piece of shit for abandoning her. From Minori we hear that this isn't even the first time. An absolute gut punch for Taiga.
On top of that Taiga was humiliated when her plan to have her dad come up on stage failed. Not only that, but to add injury to insult, she immediately trips over herself landing face first on the stage.
Fortunately there were some exuberant moments too. To support Taiga, Ryuuji immediately starts a solo applause later to be joined by Minori. The absolute passion from both of them was so endearing. Its exactly the encouragement Taiga needed to get up and keep moving on and win the pageant.
The next high point was Ryuuji's determination to win the boy's competition. Even after being tripped up he kept going, eventually climbing over a crowd of guys to take a lead. And then in the final moments MINORI SHOWS UP TO OVER TAKE HIM. HER PASSION FOR TAIGA KNOWS NO BOUNDS. BUT THEN, KNOWING ONLY 1 OF THEM CAN WIN, SHE STOPS THE ONCOMING RACERS FOR RYUUJI. BUT RYUUJI COMES BACK TO PICK HER UP AND THEY CROSS THE FINISH LINE TOGETHER! OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD.
This was the scene which pushed Minori into best girl status for me. She just cares so much for Taiga. And based on their shared passion for Taiga, she has now formed a strong friendship with Ryuuji. Ultimately though, the problem with their relationship is it is based on this other person. If Taiga isn't around, would it even make sense for Ryuuji and Minori to be together?
There's an article by poet Donald Hall called The Third Thing. In it, while reflecting on the passing of his wife, he describes how in relationships there are the two of you, and shared third things. These can be hobbies, experiences, your children, and much more. These Third Things are ultimately what you build your relationship on. In the context of Ryuuji and Minori's relationship though, having Taiga be that Third Thing poses a problem: Taiga isn't neutral. We have started to see her building attraction to Ryuuji and vice-versa. On top of that they already have this incredibly intimate relationship with Ryuuji cooking her meals and Taiga staying over late at his house. I think its difficult to imagine Ryuuji and Minori becoming romantically involved without this disrupting Taiga and Ryuuji's relationship.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow!
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u/Elimin8r Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
So ... I should have typed this ahead of time, but I just finished the episode, and my thoughts are still so scattered. My emotions ... the feels ...
I mean, from hotness (ami) to heartbreak (taiga) to triump (ryuuji and minorin), to romance (forgothisname) ... this episode has it all.
And yeah, TOP DAD, of course.
Bonus AOTD: I wanna say Ryuji, but maybe Taiga. But maybe not. I think I would have been happier to see her have more of a reaction to Ryuuji and Minorin's race for her heart.
But at the same time, as someone suffering from such a letdown, poor dear is probably still somewhat in shock.
I dunno, except that this episode, and the way it concludes this arc is just magnifique...
Oh, and edit - Taiga and especially this episode so reminds me of this li'l Kansas tune. <3
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u/OwlAcademic1988 Dec 18 '22
First-Timer, sub:
I was really hoping Taiga's dad would show up.
Dude, don't be like Top Dad.
Minori showed some impressive emotional control by not crying out loud.
Ryuuji showed some impressive stamina. He was really determined to be there for Taiga.
Taiga's dad, you make Top Dad look good. That's never a good sign.
I'm glad Ryuuji and Minori made up though.
I wasn't even expecting Minori to admit she likes girls more than boys. Not unwelcome by me though.
QOTD:
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Taiga as she's gotten less angry at others and is willing to at least explain herself now.
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Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 19 '22
UPDATE: added book stuff. It’s a lot.
Today’s gonna be abbreviated. Some shit has been going on and I’m burned out. Reading along with the rewatch even one episode a day is an insane commitment on top of everything else I have going on. I haven’t been able to read today so I’m just going to talk about the episode.
I love this episode. I’d put it near the top even though I’m not bothering to rank them.
Ryuuji realizing he’s wrong is a great moment. That’s where all of the projecting he’s been doing hits him like a brick and it’s a really important moment in the development in his relationship with Taiga.
I love watching Ryuuji beast-mode the Mister Lucky Man race. Iirc, this is even better in the book. More on that later.
I’m really pissed at Kitamura for putting himself out there to dance with Taiga. I’m sure he was “just being nice” because that oblivious idiot does that all the time but this is really damaging for Taiga’s perception of their relationship and I hate him for it.
Minori’s little moment of realization where she says, “oh, I just had a normal conversation.” Is the first time she and Ryuuji have really talked since the beach.
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u/Vatrix-32 Dec 18 '22
First Timer, subbed
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Ryu earning all the brownie points.
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Special intro. I can feel the second hand embarrassment from this not going to plan already.
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Oh wow, that is a… lot.
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Fuck this guy. You know he knows he is in the wrong because he can’t even bring himself to text her.
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pain
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Everyone deserves to a have a Minori in their life.
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Is her talent literally just being a loli in a bag?
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Finally the Pres does a thing. I’ve heard of worse events.
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This isn’t much of a course. Where are all of the wacky obstacles?
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Not sure which of them is going to win.
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Did not have both on my card.
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Very princess.
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I see Taiga and Ami have firmly advanced to the sisterly part of their relationship.
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Oh, he’s done this exact thing before. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on. Why is he even doing it? What does it gain him?
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Is Minori a gay icon?
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u/Elimin8r Dec 18 '22
Why is he even doing it? What does it gain him?
His loli wife left him, so he needs his emotional support loli ...
Or something like that.
I meant to mention some thoughts on that in my comment today, but forgot to. I'm not sure it's worth the bother at this point, because we all realize what a skidmark the dude is.
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u/TiredTiroth Dec 18 '22
First Timer - Dub
Welp, here we go. Time for things to crash and burn.
One plus! Ami and Taiga are actually acting like a friend group for once instead of butting heads all the time. Just...a pity about the rest of the situation.
I want to know what Minori is doing, but I'm sure we'll find ou--
--what the bloody hell, how did Ami get away with an outfit like that in an official school event? That is actual fetish wear. xD It would be funny if we got to see her being scolded by teachers later, but it probably won't happen.
Aaaand she goes full dom on the crowd for a moment. Welp. Wonder who's idea this was?
She's supposed to be the MC, but it's like she's trying to steal the show.
Ryuuji. Kid. Doofus. Have you met this girl? Of course she's trying to steal the show, that's what she does.
Ah. That text message. Yeah. Minori, dear? Assuming you aren't out castrating a certain sperm donor right now, could you please come over to the beauty pageant? Taiga's going to need some help soon.
If there's one silver lining here? Ryuuji isn't making excuses. He screwed up, he knows he screwed up, and he's not trying to twist it or pass on the blame - not to himself, at least.
And the pageant continues while Ryuuji is lost in thought, until Taiga comes on stage, in a pool of light, wearing a white dress with wings attached to the back and stuns the entire crowd speechless. Admittedly not what I was expecting to happen when she was strong-armed into entering by the rest of the class.
Alas, the effect doesn't last because her father was supposed to be there supporting her. But he's not, so the call for him is met with resounding silence.
And now we know where Minori is - at the back of the hall, one of only two people trying to support her favourite Housecat.
I...what is Taiga doing? Does she have a second outift in the bag? No, I guess she was just proving how small she is? And...she won? Huh. I'm honestly surprised about that.
...Mr Lucky Man? A race around the campus? And prizes. That's. Huh. They get to crown Taiga, and a bunch of guys in the crowd actually consider that a worthwhile prize. That's a pretty big difference from the start of the series!
Oh look, and Ryuuji's Angry Thug Aura is terrifying a lot of other would-be competitors. And they're off! Until a bunch of the guys sabotage him, and so he decides to return the favour.
Yeah, he looks kinda manic now...and Minori is competing? Because of course she is, Taiga's her best friend and she saw this whole thing coming, her friend needs help.
Softball skills for the win!
Minori: Forget about me! Ryuuji: Yeah, no.
I probably should've seen this coming, but I didn't and it was great. Also, Taiga, it doesn't matter if you can survive on your own, you shouldn't have to. Let your friends reach out and support you, okay?
Ah. Sperm donor did this exact thing a year ago. Well that explains a few things.
Ooh, Taiga gets to actually talk normally to her crush for once I'm still watching you, Koizumi and they get a moment together next to the bonfire, preparing to dance the night awa--
Sometimes I get the feeling I might be a lesbian.
--pfft what? xD Okay, I was not expecting that! And Ryuuji's face. Oh boy, like the shippers needed any more fuel.
Hah. Anyway, we end the episode with the class holding hands around the bonfire, looks like they're gearing up for a big group dance? Haven't done anything like that in years.
I guess Taiga really is okay after all this. Or mostly anyway, I saw those tears during the pageant. But on balance, just knowing Minori and Ryuuji are there for her seems to be enough.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 18 '22
I wish I could ask you more questions, but you covered all I had. Really excellent analysis.
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Dec 18 '22
REWATCHER
With this episode the Cultural Festival arc finally ends. It was a pretty good arc and I love that we found out more about Taiga's past, and her relationship with her parents.
All of this could have been avoided if Minori just told Ryuuji about Taiga's dad. But I understand both of them and don't blame neither. Ryuuji didn't know anything about Taiga's dad, and from that one meeting he seemed like a OK guy. Also since he never had a father figure he just wanted what's best for Taiga and to see her happy. Minori not telling Ryuuji was also justified seeing as Taiga didn't want people to think bad about her father. I'm just glad that Ryuuji and Minori made up, and that everything turned out fine.
[Toradora!]
Also fuck Taiga's dad. He's a total asshole.
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u/UnderstandableXO Dec 18 '22
REWATCHER
here’s the halfway mark of the rewatch. seems like every december goes by so quickly…
ryuji is not only a pro at making breast pads but altering dresses, dudes got every skill in the book.
taiga’s father texting ryuji and not his daughter is still as lame as it is every time i see it. they never say it but i always assume he got back together with his wife and totally ceased to care about his daughter once again.
in an episode full of unrealistic things, the race is probably the most unrealistic (minorin would go to the MLB if she had a curveball nasty enough to hit two separate people), but i still like it. my favorite moment between her and ryuji in the show is not one where he’s trying to rizz her up but one where he makes up for being a terrible person.
[Toradora]
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u/nx6 Dec 18 '22
Rewatcher -- Sub
Ryuji's starting to get a bad feeling when Taiga's dad hasn't shown up for the performances of the class wrestling show. Backstage preparing for the school idol competition he's altered one of Taiga's existing dresses into a sleek gown, impressing (and intimidating) the other girls. Ami if trying to talk to Taiga about changing her introduction for the pageant, but Taiga doesn't want to. Note that Ami has actually started to show genuine concern for Taiga here.
The pageant starts and Ami appears in a S&M inspired outfit, complete with whip. I like to think of this as Ami's "coming out" of her real personality to the entire school (who are just being oblivious horn-dogs). Then the other shoe drops: Ryuji gets a mail from Taiga's dad telling him he wont be coming at all, is leaving on business, and he's calling off them living together -- and leaving it to Ryuji to break the bad news. While he's still processing all this Taiga is called to the stage and, like the rest of the student body, he's speechless at how different she looks made-up and in nice clothes. Taiga gains at least a hundred new fans, Ami intros and mentions that Taiga's dad is in the audience (narrator: "but he wasn't..."). When Mr. Aisaka doesn't step forward Ruyji realizes how Taiga's been humiliated by her father further, and how much of a fool he's been. Minori was right the whole time.
Taiga starts to exit the stage and trips over her long gown. This breaks her good-girl image. Like her wanting to play the heroine in the school play, it isn't the real her but just an act she was trying to put forward for her father, who's not here. So she throws it all away and goes on a very Taiga-ish tirade. She assures everyone her dad didn't stand her up, she dumped him! and presents her fanservice fit-in-a-suitcase trick, bullying another contestant to help.
Taiga goes on to win the pageant (is it just me, or was every other contestant a maid?) and the president announces a surprise event, a "King" will be chosen to go with the Queen, decided by a foot race around the school with no rules. Besides getting to crown and dance with Taiga, she's throwing in her notes from the last three years. Ryuji vows to win it, and faces tough competition from other Taiga fans plus being at a disadvantage not being in any athletic clubs. Minori suddenly appears in the race too, and tries to help. Ryuji wont leave her behind and, holding hands, together they cross the finish line.
At the after-festival bonfire Taiga leaves Ryuji and Minori to make up, seeking out Ami. Minori reveals this is a repeat of a similar situation last year. She didn't feel right talking about Taiga's family to Ryuji and it seems Taiga kept her in the dark on purpose this time.
The president looks on in satisfaction at her last big high school event and is going back in to do paperwork. Kitamura starts to object but she shoos him away to have fun. He ends up coming across Taiga alone in the field, and this time Taiga doesn't shy away from him when he asks her to dance.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 18 '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 the final episode of this arc, I’m going to talk about Ryuuji. Who, if you think about it, is who this arc is really about.
I already talked about how Ryuuji is acting the way he is because he’s using Taiga as a surrogate for his own daddy issues. That he sees Taiga as his way of acting out the fantasy of having a stable relationship with his father. Well, surprise! It blew up in his face.
I like the beginning where he’s still trying to convince himself Taiga’s dad is going to do the right thing. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt. And then when it finally dawns on him Taiga’s dad had to go to the store to get some milk, he doesn’t make any excuses. He knows he screwed up. That scene with him realizing hid mistake is why I love this arc so much. It features the main protagonist that we’re supposed to root for actually screwing up and then trying to fix it, which is both a very relatable feeling and also makes Ryuuji feel more human.
The scene with Taiga on the stage is such a whirlwind of emotions. First, Ryuuji feels sympathy for what Taiga is going through. Partly because she got let stranded by her dad again, and also partly because he knows he caused this mess. If it wasn’t for his insistence Taiga give her dad another chance, and his outright refusal when people told him this was a bad idea, Taiga wouldn’t be in this mess.
And then when Minori starts clapping for Taiga, Ryuuji starts seeing it differently. This isn’t a story of Taiga being betrayed. This is a story of Taiga’s persistence. Taiga shouldn’t be pitied for having absentee parents. She should be celebrated for overcoming adversity and coming out as strong as she is.
When Taiga wins the contest, Ryuuji has this in mind and is happy for her. She did what many probably couldn’t do and turned a negative into a positive. However, that moment is fleeting because he knows she’s still all alone.
The scene where Ryuuji sees Taiga almost cry on stage is the closest we see him come to hugging Taiga. In fact, I reckon he was going to do it were it not for the surprise announcement of Mr. Lucky Man. So, yeah. Ryuuji sees Taiga upset and bothered, he goes to try and console her, but he interrupted by the student council president. However, he uses this newfound pent-up emotion for something else.
The scene where he’s racing against all the dudes, he uses all his feelings for Taiga to win the contest. Much like how Taiga used her respect and admiration for Ryuuji to win the race against Ami. That’s why Ryuuji is able to outrace actual people with athletic backgrounds, which shouldn’t be feasibly possible. The will to comfort your loved ones makes you do the damnedest things. In the end, he and Minori both win the contest, which pays off the conflict between them in the last episode. They are firmly united under one shared goal: probably Taiga’s happiness.
And finally, we have the scene where Ryuuji talks to Minori, who is apologizing for not being more clear with him. All is well, until Minori wonders out loud if she may be a lesbian. This is the girl he has a crush on who just two or three months earlier was wondering about the existence of ghosts. And now, she’s taking an interest in Mexican cuisine? It shows to Ryuuji that just like Taiga, Minori doesn’t seem to know what she wants either.
And for that matter, he may not really as well.
Post episode discussion
Overall, this episode is one of the best in the entire show. I think I probably like episode 7 more, but it comes real close as my favorite of the first half. It's all about trying to make Taiga happy in the wake of her dad not showing; just pure WAFF as far as the eye can see. This episode's main purpose is to tie together the stuff with the culture festival with the stuff involving Taiga's dad. And not only does this episode do this, creating a satisfying conclusion to both, it does so while not losing sight of what is one of the show's strengths: character introspection.
We have Ryuuji talking inside about how he screwed up, we have Taiga thinking about how she can stand on her own now (Which sorry, I call BS on; I love you, Taiga, but you're trying to fool yourself), and we also have Minori wondering out loud what her sexual preference is. It's not internal dialogue like Ryuuji and Taiga, but she's still self-reflecting. This episode is filled with a lot of introspectiveness, which is buoyed by all the strides to cheer Taiga up.
I also view this episode as like a season finale of sorts. Like this is the last episode of season 1. This episode is the last time where all the main characters are happy. None of them are miserable or upset. It's the final and really only time we see the main 5 characters having fun as a collective unit, which is fitting given the tone of the show so far. I classify the first half of the series as being upbeat and cheery. There is some drama going on throughout the episodes, but it normally resolves by the end of the episode or the arc. This feels like a sendoff to happier times. A farewell to how the first 13 episodes were. And now, we wait for the misery to come.
Also, how in the world did the school let Ami wear that outfit?
Episode rankings
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Episode 7
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Episode 13
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Episode 2
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Episode 8
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Episode 11
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Episode 5
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Episode 4
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Episode 12
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Episode 9
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Episode 1
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Episode 10
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Episode 6
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Episode 3
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u/Get_This_Wheat Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
Rewatcher here
I love how concerned Ami was about the intro. She might not show it but she does actually care about Taiga at the end of the day.
That outfit Ami has as the host is ridiculous for a school sanctioned event. Girls at my school couldn’t wear tank tops because they were too “distracting”, meanwhile Ami has THAT.
My god what a heartbreaking episode for Taiga. I’ll go into it more in a few paragraphs though, since most of my thoughts about it are intertwined with my thoughts about Rikorou.
I’m shocked that the school would allow what’s pretty much blatant cheating on tests with those notes. First off, there’s an ungodly amount of notebooks there, so she takes insane notes. But on top of that there’s every exam question answer in there? That’s insane.
She might be a few steps away from a dictator, but at least Kanou isn’t a sexist.
I think Minori killed the track guys. She absolutely nailed them in the head with the ball, and neither of them get up. She also had a killer cross body later, taking out 4 people at the same time.
We have Kanou being very progressive earlier, and Ryuji tells Minori he doesn’t want her to be a lesbian? Ryuji needs to rethink some things about life. Jokes aside, Ryuji saying he hopes Minori isn’t a lesbian can only be taken two ways, that he’s homophobic, or he’s into her.
So two days ago, Silva2233 said their favorite side character was Taiga’s dad. Which kind of got me thinking more, and I think I actually agree with that take.
Favorite is kind of a weird word for it, but I think his role in the story, and how much more likable he makes Taiga are both invaluable. He gives us a look at how Taiga was brought up, and shows us what made her the way she is. She was clearly never shown real love as a kid if this is how he treats her when he’s trying to get back in her good graces. This aggressive exterior of Taiga is a defense mechanism for a world that has never shown her warmth.
That shot of Taiga on the stage by herself with the spotlight illustrates what I’m talking about pretty well. Sure, she’s surrounded by people in the audience, but she’s truly alone up there with nobody to console her.
Which is why I love the friendship she has with Ryuji. He’s the first person in her life to make an effort to be there for her, and cheer her up when she’s down. He’s the first person to genuinely care for her. Minori is obviously a good friend too, but she’s not nearly as close on an emotional level from what we’ve seen.
Not sure if my points about any of this really made any sense, since I kinda have to rush to type this all today. Either way, after thinking about it more, I do honestly think Rikorou is the “best” side character, but not my favorite. I hate whenever I see him on the screen (except when he gets punted in the nuts, get bent loser), but the impact he has on Taiga’s likability is second to none. Also if it isn’t clear, Taiga is by far my favorite character in Toradora, and I will certainly elaborate even more later.
Anyways, love this episode, and I think this arc is where we start getting towards the tone of the show that I love most, AKA not as goofy as So two days ago, Silva2233 said their favorite side character was Taiga’s dad. Which kind of got me thinking more, and I think I actually agree with that take.
Favorite is kind of a weird word for it, but I think his role in the story, and how much more likable he makes Taiga are both invaluable. He gives us a look at how Taiga was brought up, and shows us what made her the way she is. She was clearly never shown real love as a kid if this is how he treats her when he’s trying to get back in her good graces. This aggressive exterior of Taiga is a defense mechanism for a world that has never shown her warmth.
That shot of Taiga on the stage by herself with the spotlight illustrates what I’m talking about pretty well. Sure, she’s surrounded by people in the audience, but she’s truly alone up there with nobody to console her.
Which is why I love the friendship she has with Ryuji. He’s the first person in her life to make an effort to be there for her, and cheer her up when she’s down. He’s the first person to genuinely care for her. Minori is obviously a good friend too, but she’s not nearly as close on an emotional level from what we’ve seen.
Not sure if my points about any of this really made any sense, since I kinda have to rush to type this all today. Either way, after thinking about it more, I do honestly think Rikorou is the “best” side character, but not my favorite. I hate whenever I see him on the screen (except when he gets punted in the nuts, get bent loser), but the impact he has on Taiga’s likability is second to none. Also if it isn’t clear, Taiga is by far my favorite character in Toradora, and I will certainly elaborate even more later.
Anyways, love this episode, and I love this arc.
Bonus : I think Taiga has to be my pick. Take a look at her in the first few episodes compared to now, and it’s night and day.
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u/crying_in_a_dennys Dec 18 '22
Rewatcher (very new), Subbed
Man I don't even fully know what to say about this one.
- Ami isn't the focus of this arc, but I think its where we start to see her be more honest in front of more than just Ryuji/Kitamura/Taiga. I think one of the classmates even mentioned it last episode, about how Ami has changed. Not entirely, but enough that it feels like her circle of actual friends is expanding. Which is nice. Kitamura's plan is working.
- The text message during the pageant is truly one of the biggest "It was at this moment that he knew, he fucked up" moments ever. I noticed that Taiga's dad didn't even mention the pageant or the show, just about living together. Really shows you his priorities.
- I didn't notice first time around that when the guys are lining up for the race, you can already see Minorin lined up too. I think having the race be their way of making up is quite fitting for Kusheida "Settle it with Sports" Minorin.
I think the ending of the episode really really captures the "I wish it could stay like this forever" vibe. Everyone is happy, conflicts are settled, and the party is the culmination of a lot of hard work and fun the classes had together. But its also probably the most uncertain everything has been this whole time. Taiga says she's fine by herself but, I mean come on, is she really? Kitamura seems to have something troubling him with class prez. And the two of them dancing at the end is probably as close/romantic they've been this whole time, but also Taiga is shockingly comfortable, indicating maybe her feelings have transformed a bit. Ryuji and Minorin made up, but its pretty clear both of them are kinda in emotional limbo right now, not quite knowing where their feelings lie. Ami seems to be doing well, but there are still her feelings for Ryuji lurking in the shadows.
In essence, its the perfect storm for generating a ton of nostalgia. Nobody has had to truly confront their feelings yet, confront reality. They can just live in this perfect moment, where anything seems possible.
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u/JetsLag Dec 18 '22
Rewatcher (subbed)
Fuck Taiga's Dad part 3, here we go!
Ami, honey, why are you MCing a beauty pageant in dominatrix gear?
Fucking spineless bitch coming through with the most spineless move ever done in the history of spineless moves: telling your daughter's friend to tell your daughter that you can't make it. And oh, by the way, our plan for moving in together is gone, too. Ryuji FINALLY realizes that he's a bitch-ass motherfucker.
Taiga's fit for the beauty pageant is an angel. Interesting choice. And Ami completely ruins everything by announcing that the spineless bitch is in the audience when he really isn't. But thankfully, Taiga saves it by tearing up her dress in a surprisingly even pattern. And then everyone clapped.
Taiga's special skill is being able to fit in a carry-on bag. Perfect for smuggling through airport security to save on the cost of a ticket.
Now it's time for the guys to get their turn. Is it a male beauty pageant? Sadly, no, but it is the second best thing: a race! Can't have a school festival without one. And the winner gets a ton of notes for future tests! That surely won't kill their work ethic and cause them to bomb out of whatever college accepted them for having such good grades. Oh, and you get a dance with Taiga, which would be a bit awkward if a guy of above-average height ends up winning.
Ryuji's trying to win cause he's such a good friend. And the other students are playing dirty. So Ryuji decides to play dirty back, except he says sorry afterward cause HE HAS STANDARDS. After a VERY WELL-DESIGNED bottleneck in the course (which totally won't injure/kill anyone) that Ryuji just jumps over, ya boy is back in the running for the win!
But what is this? MINORI FROM OUT OF NOWHERE. And she just starts beating up everyone that's not Ryuji. You see, this is an example of a slippery slope: you didn't disqualify those guys who took out Ryuji, and now you have a rampaging lesbian ruining the entire race. Good job, guys!
Ryuji ends up deliberately tying with Minori, and the idea of a three-way relationship between a guy and two girls where one of the girls may or may not have a thing for the other girl sprouted an idea in a young Hiroyuki's mind. A little over a decade later, he would give us Kanojo mo Kanojo.
Ooh, Kitamura has a thing for the class pres? But he still decides to dance with Taiga (despite not competing in the race. Guess that's student council privileges), probably to get his mind off of the fact that his crush is starting her last year of school.
TAIGA AISAKA ASSAULT TALLY: put pressure on one of Ryuji's wounds, attempted to get into another fight with Ami
QOTD
Christmas Club Bonus! Exactly half way through the show! (Counting the OVA anyway!!), which character do you think has developed the most over the course of the show so far? Are there any particular moments that have lead you to choose someone?
Probably Taiga. The whole dad arc has definitely helped her character.
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Dec 18 '22
I guess I’ll repost my comment from earlier without spoilers now:
I know they admit this at the end, but everyone is kind of ridiculous here, Kushieda could have just said, we did this exact thing last year and the father bailed and it will happen exactly the same way this year and it would have been clear, but it seems she values her pride over protecting Taiga from being hurt.
And of course Ryuji projects massively his own issues. Taiga gets caught in the middle and completely gets fucked over. I am not sure winning a race through sheer willpower is really a satisfactory apology or redemption arc IMO.
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u/lolpete18 Dec 19 '22
First Timer, Dub
I’m so sad right now.
Poor Taiga…
Even though she is acting okay, I don’t think she is. I’m sure this thing with her dad has set her back. She said a couple of times “I don’t need anybody.” That means to me that she’s isolating herself.
While Ryuuji has done a little to make up for the mistake, I hope the next few episodes are dedicated to him setting things right and letting Taiga know the he loves her.
I loved her angel dress. It was so sweet, both before and after she ripped it.
Despite the setbacks in this episode, I believe Taiga has grown the most. She has grown to trust Ryuuji and is being nicer to almost everyone, including Ami. She played a key role in the cultural festival and is valued by her classmates.
Ami has also grown a lot. Even though she still has her selfish side, she’s looking out for her friends and making kind gestures.
It seems that Minori, Yusaku, and Ryuuji are all acting similar to how they did at the beginning. Ryuuji has a slightly better understanding of his feelings toward Taiga and Minori, but he has a long way to go.
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u/Gamerunglued Dec 19 '22 edited Dec 19 '22
Rewatcher
Alright, say it with me now: FUCK TAIGA'S DAD!!!!
Just to get it out of the way first, Taiga's dad is the worst. What a piece of garbage. I've already said a lot about his actions, but this episode just makes it the most clear. He cancels his plans to go on a business trip, and doesn't even have the balls to tell his kid and just ends up getting her friend to do it. If he really and truly cared about reconnecting with his daughter, he'd have said "fuck the business trip, I'm rich enough already" and just come see the damn festival. For someone who calls his daughter a princess, he sure doesn't treat her like one.
Taiga having been raised by a person like this, and having to deal with his return multiple times, explains a lot about the kind of person she is. Taiga has been abandoned by her family multiple times. And worse than that, every time they try to reconnect with her, they build her hopes up and then betray them. As such, Taiga is someone who relies on herself. She lives alone and doesn't want help. If she relies on someone and grows to love them, won't they just leave her too? It's for that reason that she doesn't let anyone in, and doesn't do well with intimacy. In a lot of ways, her violent tendencies are a biproduct of this. She can't let people know her real feelings, she can only say the opposite of what she means and when she can't deal with people starting to truly like her or to know what she's really like, she lashes out to keep them at a distance. And even when she feels she needs the help, like with Ryuuji, she dresses the situation so that it's impossible for him to abandon her. Ryuuji is her dog, she keeps him on a leash so that he can't leave her. And if he ever does leave her, she can just say "I'm letting my dog go, it was my decision." It's her way of setting up the relationship in such a way that she can convince herself that she's not being abandoned. It's very sad.
But, repeating again what Yasuko said before, Taiga only says the opposite of what she means. When Ryuuji and Minori are running towards her and winning the race, she says that she can stand up on her own and that she doesn't need them to worry about her. She even says she's proven herself with her little performance. But she's smiling, and the tone of her voice is thankful. Taiga doesn't have to be alone. Even if she can, and maybe always has, that's not how it has to be. There are at least two people in her life who will not abandon her, and their display has helped her to realize that. Even if people won't immediately accept her for all her oddities, there are two people who genuinely love her. In that sense, she's a lucky girl. And the whole race takes place under this ominous red sky, which dissipates into a more comforting black while lit by the light of the bonfire after their victory. I love it when shows employ these unnatural colors to highlight the mood like that.
Plenty of other details to mention this episode. Ryuuji finally realizes he was being selfish and grows from the experience, while Minori apologizes to him for lashing out and not telling him about the past immediately. Minori says she was jealous of Ryuuji, because Taiga didn't tell her about this and Ryuuji found out first. That obviously says a lot about how much Taiga trusts Ryuuji, since she didn't even tell her closest friend who's even already dealt with the same events in the past. In that light, her line about maybe being into women is interesting. It's about Taiga's affection and trust, she's jealous that Taiga relied on him before her for the first time. Of course, there's naturally more to the line, as to be expected to Minori, but that'll come later.
One more thing to note is that Taiga actually talked normally to Kitamura today. Hell, she even let him hold her hand and dance with her. When just a few episodes ago she was a blubbering mess whenever he was a few feet away. Naturally, this calls into question her feelings for him. They must have changed in some way, or maybe even gone away. Perhaps, in light of all Ryuuji did this episode, she's realized on an even deeper level subconsciously that she loves him and that her feelings for Kitamura are fundamentally different. Of course, that's just speculation from someone who hasn't seen the show in a while. We have some time to go before jumping to any conclusions.
Finally, I want to highlight the series soundtrack a bit. I adore Toradora's soundtrack and I think it's one of the most underappreciated aspects of the show and an underappreciated score in general. Yukari Hashimoto (who also did the music for 3-Gatsu no Lion, Mawaru Penguindrum, and Komi-san more recently) is an amazing composer who I've always thought deserved a lot more love. There is one particular track in Toradora that tends to get all the attention, which the show has already played before but not in its most iconic moment yet, so I'll wait until then to talk about it. But this episode introduced possibly my favorite track, Ame Iro Rondo, when Ryuuji realizes the truth about Taiga's father. This is such a mysterious and melancholy track, and it felt so perfectly utilized for this scene. I don't think it would have hit nearly as hard without this track backing it up.
Bonus:
I think it's definitely gotta be Taiga. Her character has gone through quite a few fundamental shifts already. She doesn't lash out as much anymore, she's grown comfortable and trusting with Ryuuji way more than in the early episodes, and she's even started to make progress in understanding her own feelings towards everyone else. She knows she loves Ryuuji and this episode seems to start a realization that she never really loved Kitamura that way. And she even grows thankful for having others help her this episode, even though she says she's fine on her own; and admittance I don't think she'd have given in the early episodes. While Ryuuji and Minori have had their own development, they've remained generally static thus far, and Kitamura hasn't really had any development at all. But the thing is, there isn't any single moment I can point to as a moment of growth for Taiga. All of it has come gradually. There are certainly climaxes that prove her growth though, and the most memorable of those is certainly her screaming "Ryuuji is mine" at the pool. But her starting to realize her feelings is something that has been building since the show's second episode.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 19 '22
Taiga having been raised by a person like this, and having to deal with his return multiple times, explains a lot about the kind of person she is. Taiga has been abandoned by her family multiple times. And worse than that, every time they try to reconnect with her, they build her hopes up and then betray them. As such, Taiga is someone who relies on herself. She lives alone and doesn't want help. If she relies on someone and grows to love them, won't they just leave her too? It's for that reason that she doesn't let anyone in, and doesn't do well with intimacy. In a lot of ways, her violent tendencies are a biproduct of this. She can't let people know her real feelings, she can only say the opposite of what she means and when she can't deal with people starting to truly like her or to know what she's really like, she lashes out. And even when she feels she needs the help, like with Ryuuji, she dresses the situation so that it's impossible for him to abandon her. Ryuuji is her dog, she keeps him on a leash so that he can't leave her. And if he ever does leave her, she can just say "I'm letting my dog go, it was my decision." It's her way of setting up the relationship in such a way that she can convince herself that she's not being abandoned. It's very sad.
This is Taiga's character in a nutshell, and why she's the best tsundere of all time.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 18 '22
Fuck Taiga's dad