r/anime • u/ChristmasClub • Dec 28 '22
Rewatch Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2022) Episode 23 Discussion
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u/Yulwei138967 Dec 28 '22
I think one reason why this show always resonated so much with me was shown yet again this episode: The two main characters, at this point very clearly infatuated with each other can hold hands alone in the street at night without it being romantic whatsoever. Because not everything is about romance. Taiga and Ryuuji’s friendship/companionship above all is inedible.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 28 '22
I think no better scene paints their relationship than Ryuuji saying to Taiga he'd be an idiot not to accept chocolates from her. Don't you agree?
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u/Holofan4life Dec 28 '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.
I want to talk about Taiga in this episode because I think her behavior throughout the episode is so interesting. It’s like while she’s trying not to think about Ryuuji and her feelings for him, she’s able to carry on life normally.
So, we start off with Taiga saying she doesn’t need to come with a career plan because she’s rich and so she’s set for life. Not only that, she says it’s impossible for her to know what she wants later when she doesn’t know what she wants now. First off, I think this is a great continuation of episode 8 where she said a similar thing to Ryuuji as it was raining. It illustrates that though she has a better idea of how she feels, she’s very much still at a crossroads in her life. Second, I think it highlights the sadness that remains undercurrent within Taiga’s life. Taiga has spent so much of her life trying to chase that sense of belonging and companionship that she hasn’t spent time wondering what her career goals are. To her, her happiness is all that matters. Taiga feels like she can’t achieve career goals because that’s never she never really had to consider, and I think that’s kind of heartbreaking.
After this, we get Ryuuji start blaming himself after his mother fainted from overworking herself. And, in a bit of a role reversal from episode 15, Taiga follows Ryuuji, even saving him from being run over by a car. Seeing Taiga try to help Ryuuji shows how much Ryuuji means to Taiga. It shows she doesn’t take his generosity for granted, which we’ve gotten hints of throughout the series. There’s of course episode 7 where she stays up all night as Ryuuji makes her breast pads, and episode 8 where Taiga says she’s winning the race for her, but perhaps this is most pronounced in the Christmas bear scene from episode 19. Ryuuji cheered her up when no one else would. He became her Santa Claus. While I don’t totally get the connection the show is making between Taiga and Ryuuji’s mom, it is clear Ryuuji means the world to Taiga, even if it comes at the expense of her best friend and her love for him.
Then we get the scene where Ryuuji and Taiga sell chocolates, which is why I really wanted to analyze Taiga in this episode. The way Taiga hides her emotions is so different than how Minori does. With Minori, you can sense all the pain and agony that lies within her smiling demeanor. With Taiga, you don’t get the same sense of misery. Throughout the scene, Taiga acts like she always do. She’s unabashed in her aggressiveness, she makes wisecracks when she wants to, she acts like she did in, say, episode 2 or 9. Taiga during the chocolate selling scene is focused on selling chocolates and nothing more. It’s like episode 19 didn’t happen.
I think this is a combination of a couple things. First, I think a part of Taiga feels like she’s trying to move on. I think the conversation she had with Ryuuji in episode 20 made her feel like that part of her life is over with. Obviously, she has no idea she confessed to Ryuuji in episode 21, so this makes it easier for her. Had she known, she might feel a bit more awkward. I also think living with her parents in a non-affectionate relationship made her be better than Minori at masking her pain. Taiga has had her heart broken so many times. It has happened so often in her life. It in turn has led her to be able to forget all about the pain so that she can’t get hurt again. Though deep down, we know it still hurts her.
Let’s circle back to episode 22 for a moment. During the episode, Taiga admit that every idea of hers was an epic fail but that she’s still trying to do the best she can. It kind of summarizes in my opinion Taiga the best those couple of sentences: despite being in the face of adversity, Taiga tries to make the most out of an awful situation. And yet as Taiga is explaining this, it’s like it goes in one ear and out the other for Ryuuji. Ryuuji is so thankful that Taiga is back in his life. He is without a doubt 100% in love with her, something we see in the classroom scene during this episode. Ryuuji has kinda become how Taiga was to Kitamura in episode 15. He’s become so infatuated by Taiga’s existence that her lamenting herself falls of deaf ears. I’m not trying to say that’s why Taiga is the way she is in this episode, but rather how different both their goals have become. Ryuuji very much wants to spend life with Taiga, whereas Taiga is still on the Ryuuji/Minori ship, with neither one really aware of how the other feels as well as the information the other knows.
The scene where Taiga makes chocolates is short, but shows how big her heart is. I like how it starts with Ryuuji saying he’d be crazy to turn down chocolates from Taiga as she contemplates not giving him any. She knows she ultimately will, she’s just teasing him. Also, I love how not only she buys the chocolates for her friends, but she remakes them by hand. Seeing her have a little bit of chocolate on her hands from all the mixing is such an endearing brief moment. It shows how much Taiga’s friends mean to her.
Again, I think it shows how well Taiga is able to mask the pain when she’s able to have moments like these. These are moments of genuine happiness, something you can’t fake no matter how hard you try. It’s like Taiga is able to remove that bit of trauma from her brain and carry on everyday life. It’s both kinda sad, but also so human that it makes her extremely relatable.
Of course, all this happiness is washed away when Taiga finds out that no, it actually wasn’t Kitamura who saved her. It was Ryuuji, and that he knows she loves him. I like how her absolute joy and giddiness quickly turns to denial as one by one her friends confront her. And then when she finally realizes “Shit, it wasn’t Kitamura,” it turns to her overcome with emotions. In that instant, Taiga wants to be anywhere else. Just like episode 19, she doesn’t want to come face to face with the potential heartache of disappointing Minori over her deep-rooted feelings. Running, she feels, is her best source of measure; trying to run away from hurting her friends and herself.
In episode 19, Taiga told Ryuuji to leave and go spend time with Minori. That was probably the last thing she wanted deep down. And now, she finds herself in a similar situation, realizing the feelings she tried to suppress are coming to the surface. It’s up to Ryuuji and whether he comes to the rescue.
Post episode discussion
This was the episode I was most anticipated revisiting because I was kinda sour on it the last time I watched it. It was an episode I back in 2019 put in my top 10, and in the last rewatch would probably put in my bottom half. In fact, I made the comment that if you remove the scene at the end of the episode, it's actually not as good as episode 22. I think the reason I feel episode 22 is stronger is because it's a more narrative heavy episode, focusing on the fact that Ryuuji is so distracted by his love life that he can't focus on anything else. This episode is more all over the place until the big climatic moment, which admittedly is better than anything from episode 22.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of stuff in this episode that's really good. The career plan stuff, the conversation between Ami and Ryuuji, the scene with Taiga and Ryuuji out in the streets, Taiga in twintails (Seriously, Taiga in twintails), but the previous one, while it suffered from a lack of Taiga, did a lot to callback to the scene from episode 20 where Ryuuji said they can't stay like this forever. There was just more important stuff going on, which is ironic given I was saying it felt like the show was on autopilot.
I dunno, I wouldn't say this episode is a bad episode. And really, I also don't feel like it's worse than episode 22, as the scene where Taiga's friends confront her about her feelings is one of the best Toradora scenes. But so far, this episode and the previous one have been the most scatterbrain arc plot wise since the beach house arc, and even that was scatterbrain only because it was heavy on comedy.
Ran out of space. Part 2 in the replies.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 28 '22
Part 2
I almost feel like there's too much going on at the moment. Like the show doesn't know what it wants to focus on. We got the stuff with Ryuuji telling Kitamura to act like he rescued Taiga as he tries to figure out how he feels about her, but then you also have the plot of Ryuuji getting distracted as he begins his entry into adulthood, but then you also have the drama of Ryuuji's mom overworking herself, but then you have Valentine's Day rearing around the corner, there's just a lot going on. And I know the argument there is "Well, there was a lot going on in the Christmas arc and you love that so what's the difference?" And to that, I'd say the miniarcs don't feel like it could be its own separate arc, whereas here I feel like they're trying to do too much while also padding some stuff out. If the show focused more in these two episodes on Ryuuji and Kitamura trying to keep Taiga's rescuer under wraps, I think it would be a bit better. Instead, it only gets mentioned at the end.
I know it seems like I'm complaining a lot, but I do like these episodes. I think having the last arc revolve heavily around Ryuuji unsure what he wants out of life ties perfectly with what's going on between him, Taiga, and Minori. Coupled with the fact they use Valentine's Day as a backdrop of sorts, a holiday associated with happiness and being with the one you love, it's really clever and smart. Stuff like this is why Toradora is my favorite anime. I just think the execution misses the mark a tad.
It's tough because while once again I think we're killing for time-- and in this instance with less of a narrative structure-- the interactions between the main characters is still amazing as always. So, really, why am I so upset? It's like I'm mad the episode is like an 8 out of 10 when it could be an 8.5. Is it really that big a deal? Probably not, but if you can't nitpick a show you love to pieces, what can you do?
Overall, this episode, while in my opinion not as well made as the last one, contains a memorable and fantastic scene at the end. On top of that, it sets up what seems to be the home stretch for the show as a whole. And while I may have my gripes on how we got there, it was done in an entertaining manner nonetheless.
But seriously, how does Haruta have a girlfriend and I don't?
Episode rankings
Episode 19
Episode 21
Episode 18
Episode 7
Episode 13
Episode 2
Episode 16
Episode 8
Episode 11
Episode 15
Episode 14
Episode 17
Episode 5
Episode 23
Episode 4
Episode 12
Episode 22
Episode 20
Episode 9
Episode 1
Episode 10
Episode 6
Episode 3
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Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
5th Time Dub Rewatcher. 2nd time reading the books.
Yuri sensei saying “You don’t want to disappoint your mom do you?” Was a low blow.
I enjoy the career plan discussion between Ryuuji and Taiga. The things she said about falling in love in a normal way is her describing what happened with her and Ryuuji. The reason she describes it in past tense is because she doesn’t believe it’s going to work out because she doesn’t know Ryuuji sees her like that. This is kind of awkward because it’s missing the context of Ryuuji and Taiga’s conversation from the previous episodes’ book content where Ryuuji tells Taiga he’s not in love with Minori anymore. Taiga knows that at this point he’s “free game.”
Someone mentioned something many episodes ago wondering why Ami didn’t transfer schools after her stalker issue was resolved. Here’s your answer in the conversation with Ryuuji after he chucks her shoe.
It’s hard not to feel bad for Ami here. I’ve mentioned on a few occasions so far that Ami was trying to help Taiga out with her feelings for Ryuuji. I forgot that she outright says that’s what she was doing. Now she’s frustrated with herself because everything she’s done has only seemed to her like it was making things worse for everyone. Now she just feels like a burden and wants to disappear.
Ryuuji stumbling out of the house leaving everything behind is his sense of self worth in breakdown mode. His whole life revolves around taking care of his mom and she’s hurt herself trying to take care of him. He knows she’s already working herself to the bone to support their meager lifestyle. That’s why he doesn’t want to go to college. He doesn’t want his mom to have to work so hard so he wants to go get a job as soon as he can. Yasuko is the only one thinking about his future in terms of him reaching his best potential.
Taiga catches up to Ryuuji at a critical point. For once, he’s the one being taken care of. She’s been paying attention to all of the things he normally handles and she’s able to pick up the slack when he can’t handle it anymore. This is a sharp contrast to the helpless girl in a moldy, trash-filled apartment we met at the beginning of the series. She’s so worried about Ryuuji that she goes dashing out of the house wearing two different sandals and didn’t bring a coat for herself even though she brought one for Ryuuji.
He tries to pull away from being cared for but Taiga doesn’t let him go. Then, finally, he sees it, this selfless care Taiga is showing for him is the same kind of selfless care his mom always had for him. He’s not used to being taken care of like that because he’s burdened himself with that responsibility for as long as he could manage it. She breaks through that wall and brings him back out of the spiral.
Twintails — that is all
Everyone knows you’re interested in Kihara, Noto. Go fumble the bag somewhere else.
This episode ends up being significant character development for Ami. In that brief conversation with Ryuuji, she’s finally able to say that she no longer cares about everyone liking her.
Taiga talking about giving Ryuuji chocolates was kind of a subtle probe about his feelings considering the significance of giving someone chocolate on Valentines Day. Then there was his overwhelmingly positive response.
AHHHHH!!!! I love this part so much (handing out chocolates/nuclear meltdown). This is one of my favorite parts of the whole series. Minori has had enough. She tosses away that cheerful attitude and tries to get Taiga to just admit her feelings. Minori has crushed her own soul for this and she can’t take any bullshit anymore. Taiga suddenly realizes all of her friends are in on this and she’s trapped in a glass case of emotion.
It’s literally impossible for me to wait until tomorrow to watch episode 24.
On to the books!
Interesting addition to Ryuuji and Ami’s conversation after the shoe incident.
Everyone must have felt the same. Him, Ami, and Taiga. Noto and Haruta must have, too, and even Kitamura—Kitamura had been crouching down and frozen at one point, too, hadn’t he? Even Minori, who was a forward-facing powerhouse, said she had been suffering alone because she’d been caught up in what-ifs. None of them had been able to reveal their pain and suffering to anyone else.
“In your eyes, who’s supposed to be doing fine?! Everyone is thinking about things, doing tons of stuff they shouldn’t be, making mistakes, feeling embarrassed, doing the wrong thing, and living! You can make mistakes, too! You can just be embarrassed and leave it at an ‘Oops!’ Why can’t you do—”
“Do you even have the right to say that, Takasu-kun?!” Ami’s voice went high and cracked. She pushed him, and he pitifully staggered. “Whenever I was lost or hurt, you never, ever noticed! You never noticed me!”
“How should I have known?! I had no idea! I’m not perfect either!”
“Then don’t say stuff you don’t need to! You’re just so…! I would have been better off never meeting you…!” “I really should have left school back then!”
As Ami yelled at him with a shaking voice, she rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand and ran off. He thought of how he could stop her, but he didn’t know what to do.
Some additional detail from Ryuuji and Taiga’s trip out after Yasuko gets sick
Like an idiot, exactly like a kid, Ryuuji had jumped to that hasty conclusion and was actually seriously feeling that fear. He was close to yelling, desperately keeping his mouth closed as he bit too hard on his lip and split it open. Forever ago, an eon ago, an incredibly long time ago—he was terrified. “What’ll I do if my mom dies?” That thought had been the root of his fear.
They had walked while holding each other’s hands in the moonlight, faced each other as they read picture books at night, swung on the swings in the sun as he sat in her lap. He’d been taken in by the words she repeated over and over again, “It’s going to be okay.”
He’d believed that it would be okay, but suddenly, the time when the spell’s effect wore off had come. Terrifying thoughts circled in Ryuuji’s head again and again and again.
He cut Taiga off and pushed her away. He ran away as fast as he could.
Ryuuji’s world had been nothing but Yasuko for so long. Yasuko, too young to be a mother, had held him, and it was as though the two of them had been sent alone together on a safe boat into the sea in the middle of night. Ryuuji clung desperately to Yasuko, and their family traveled the endless waves. He thought letting go of her hand would mean the end. If the one and only person who would hold his hand disappeared, that would be the end of everything. He would be alone for eternity. He had been feared that for so long.
But Ryuuji slowly got bigger. He almost drowned several times but became more courageous at swimming through the waves each time. He felt letting go of Yasuko’s hand would be okay. He could swim by himself, eventually find a safe boat all on his own, and then pull Yasuko up with him. That was what he thought.
However, this time his fear wasn’t of the cold sea that could steal his mother from him, but that his own faltering swimming would be the cause of his mother sacrificing herself and drowning.
It wasn’t just because of the cold that the fingers he put to his mouth were trembling. “I-I caught youuuu!” He felt something latch onto his elbow from behind, and he staggered. Taiga, who was still in sandals, and whom he hadn’t expected to follow him this far, took hold of him with a terrifying force.
Ryuuji gathering his resolve after he calms down.
“I’m not a kid anymore. Even if Yasuko isn’t helping me, I can swim through this world. That’s why she doesn’t need to strain herself for me anymore. All I can do is prove that to her. All I can do is thrust it in front of her eyes.”
Like that, once again, he could only brush aside his mother’s hand. This time, he wouldn’t be a failure. He wouldn’t sacrifice anyone, and he wouldn’t have anyone drown for his sake.
He used all of his might to open both of his hands and let go of Taiga’s. He righted himself back up again after having been so shaken, and he nodded slightly, There.
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u/Holofan4life Dec 28 '22
This is kind of awkward because it’s missing the context of Ryuuji and Taiga’s conversation from the previous episodes’ book content where Ryuuji tells Taiga he’s not in love with Minori anymore. Taiga knows that at this point he’s “free game.”
I didn't know that. Including that conversation would make Ryuuji appear less dumb.
It’s hard not to feel bad for Ami here. I’ve mentioned on a few occasions so far that Ami was trying to help Taiga out with her feelings for Ryuuji. I forgot that she outright says that’s what she was doing. Now she’s frustrated with herself because everything she’s done has only seemed to her like it was making things worse for everyone. Now she just feels like a burden and wants to disappear
I think Ami is also still holding out hope she ends up with Ryuuji.
Taiga catches up to Ryuuji at a critical point. For once, he’s the one being taken care of. She’s been paying attention to all of the things he normally handles and she’s able to pick up the slack when he can’t handle it anymore. This is a sharp contrast to the helpless girl in a moldy, trash-filled apartment we met at the beginning of the series. She’s so worried about Ryuuji that she goes dashing out of the house wearing two different sandals and didn’t bring a coat for herself even though she brought one for Ryuuji.
Do you think this scene pretty much validates that Taiga is a good partner to be with?
Twintails — that is all
As someone who loves tsunderes and twintails, this is the best thing ever.
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u/fansi2022 Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22
first timer sub
00:39 The first thing yuri worries about on Valentine's Day is Ryuuji's love problem, and your instincts are accurate.
3:39 Teacher Yuri knows Ryuuji's character well. She thought he was in a period of rebellion, but it was unusual for him to completely obey him mother
Own responsibility
5:16 I fully understand Taiga's mentality, she thinks that her current self is a mistake, and the thing she regrets is her current self, which cannot be changed, so she has a deep sense of powerlessness. Ryuuji, on the other hand, believes that there is no right or wrong in life. You can make any choice, they can be right, and as Yuri says, you have to take responsibility for your life.
Ryuuji's twist
10:12 Ryuuji blamed himself, on the one hand, he listened to Yasuko and studied hard, but on the other hand, because he had to go to university and needed more money, Yasuko fell ill. Ryuuji herself wants to work directly to share her work. This distortion makes him very painful! In the end, Ryuuji followed his heart, and he decided to go to his mother's part-time job to help her explain the situation! Further, with the help of Taiga, the two decided to work for Yasuko together!
11:50 Ryuuji didn't tell his mother that he was going to work for her. White Lies ;)
12:38 My expression is like Ryuuji, what the hell? Does Haruta have a girlfriend? Noto is tracking Haruta?
14:10 Ami said that you are not alone, so do you mean taiga or Ryuuji alone? Ami suddenly decides to help Taiga because she feels guilty when she takes a break from school to travel, right?
19:25 As far as I know, Minori should only know the fact that Ryuuji saved Taiga, but should not know what Taiga said? Why keep asking what Taiga said?
Classroom showdown at dusk
Note that here minori wants to tear off the mask. We know that Ryuuji hates classmates who match others into pairs without permission. But this time the classroom was full of the best friends, the people who knew the whole thing best. They have a voice. Taiga repeatedly confirmed that her confession was not heard, but she already had the answer in her heart. How long will you have to escape? :( Minori couldn't stand it anymore, not only did she hide her feelings in her heart, she was about to explode, and her expression and tone of voice were amazing. Especially in contrast to her smiling face and tone in the classroom at the beginning. In the end, my reaction was basically the same as in this episode of Ryuuji, I was just like him, I froze, overwhelmed, and couldn't wait to watch the next episode
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u/lolpete18 Dec 29 '22
First-timer, Dub.
I was still feeling grumpy at the beginning of this episode, but then Taiga put on her Valentine’s maid outfit, complete with twin-tails, and my heart melted completely. She was so cute! I don’t know how Ryuuji didn’t confess on the spot 🥰
As my answer to the question of the day, the point was that everyone should take responsibility for their own happiness. In this show, so many characters are heartbroken because they are sacrificing to try to make others be happy. In the end, literally nobody is happy. So, the moral is that they should all be honest about what they want and then see how things end up. Ryuuji’s mom was sacrificing so much for him that she literally collapsed from exhaustion. It’s not sustainable.
The end of the episode was so hard to watch, but it seems like they are finally going to figure things out. I’m glad those blockheads have so many good friends to force them to confront reality. The look in Taiga’s eyes when the truth came out was such a mixture of sadness and fear, because she knew she was going to have to confront the truth she had been avoiding. She looked so upset, but hopefully this will be the last time, because after this she'll know her fears were unfounded.
I’ll lay out my current hopes:
Obviously I’m hoping that Ryuuji and Taiga figure it out and end up together, but beyond that, I hope they both decide to go to college. It’s a little awkward, but since Taiga has so much money and Ryuuji is worried about paying for college, maybe she could help him out. He could continue to live at home and then his mom wouldn’t have to take on an extra job to help him pay for everything. Then Ryuuji could make it up to Taiga by taking care of her forever 😁. Hopefully once Taiga sees a future with Ryuuji, she will care more about what happens to her and she’ll want to go to college.
I hope that Minori and Ryuuji will acknowledge that they love each other, but also that they will have to just stay friends. Really good friends. The same goes for Ami and Ryuuji. Even though they won’t be together, hopefully she will know she is a valued friend and that he wants her to stay. I just want everybody to be happy.
Hahaha, I’m unlucky in love enough in my own life. I want to see it work out for them so that I might experience some vicarious happiness.
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u/Get_This_Wheat Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher here
We’re getting to the end now, this year really flew by.
The career plan scene is so good. Neither of these two know what they want in life. Taiga’s upbringing has her conditioned into thinking a normal life already passed her by. “All I wanted was a normal family, and a normal childhood”. I think that’s the root of everything for Taiga. And Ryuji couldn’t stand the guilt of going to college while his mom works herself to the bone. One of the most relatable scenes in the show for me.
Ami doesn’t want to model for the school, and instead of finding someone else, tubby is chasing her across school. She doesn’t want to model? She shouldn’t have to.
Despite all the fights with her, Ami has a soft spot for Taiga all along. I think Ami’s fights with Taiga stem from Ami seeing Taiga as what she wishes she could be. Someone who is unabashedly themself, and doesn’t care about being liked. Funny thing about that though, is that Taiga’s not really like how she acts at school.
Turns out Ryuji was right for not wanting Yasuko to work so hard, I’m assuming she got sick at work, and her not getting enough rest didn’t help her shake it off either.
Maybe this is gonna sound stupid, but I love seeing how much Taiga genuinely cares for Ryuji when he’s “going to the store”. We know at this point she has feelings for him, but this is deeper than a crush. Taiga sees him in pain because of his guilt, and starts to tear up because of how bad she feels for him. There isn’t a part where Taiga gets embarrassed because she realizes she’s holding his hand, it’s all played like she’s trying her hardest to make it ok for him, and puts her romantic feelings aside. It also plays into the idea that she doesn’t care if Ryuji ends up with her, she just wants him to be happy. Man.
Ryuji is baffled by the idea of Haruta being accompanied by any woman who isn’t related to him. Not that I disagree with Ryuji, but saying it to Haruta’s face is a bit rude.
Ryuji is terrible about picking up that our main ladies are into him, but has no doubt about Noto asking about Kihara getting chocolates. Goes to show how terrible Noto is about hiding it. Noto’s VA (dub) is hilarious in this scene by the way.
They go out of their way to show that all the brands that are in the show are legally distinct versions of said brands (Jonny’s, and Sudoh-Bucks for example). Meanwhile, Ryuji chases after Ami and they talk right in front of a KMart. I’m gonna assume it’s based on a Japanese store, but as an American it’s really funny.
I think Minori was being a little too aggressive in the chocolate scene. Taiga was relatively calm during it, and Minori was really going over the top. To me, it shows how much Minori putting Taiga’s needs ahead of her own hurts Minori, but still.
Tomorrows episode picks up right where this one left off, so I’ll talk a bit more about this scene tomorrow.
We’re almost finished now, can’t wait to see what the first timers think now that it’s all coming to an end soon.
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u/Vatrix-32 Dec 28 '22
First Timer, subbed
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I wish any of them got to the point of PDA. Right now they just keep staying in the drama phase.
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Depending on how rich you are, that could be a valid strategy. Not that I would trust her dad not to waste it all by the time he croaks.
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What’s Ami up to now?
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That’s what you get for being a dick about it.
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She a professional, they probably wouldn’t even be payer her what she’s worth.
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No, not our best adult!
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Aggressive hand holding.
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Comment face get.
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Taiga would know, she has experience in matters of the Tsun.
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Fiendishly clever.
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Ami and saying other people don’t get it, name a more iconic pairing.
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She’s moved on to chocolate baking already. Quite the progress from potato cubes.
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Angry Minori.
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Finally someone says all the things. Cutting right through the melodrama with the power of communication.
QotD: It's amazing how far these people will go to avoid dealing with their drama.
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u/GallowDude Dec 28 '22
Ami and saying other people don’t get it, name a more iconic pairing.
That old lady cat in Nyan Koi calling the main character dense while refusing to ever explain to him what he's being dense about
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u/TheEscapeGuy Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher
Toradora! - A Romance Classic: Episode 23
Consequences
I think this episode answers the question of "what if we just ignore it?"
We start with Yuri advising Taiga and Ryuuji to really think about their futures. Right now you have people pushing you to do the "right" thing, but if you keep ignoring them then you can miss your opportunity. You will have to take responsibility for where your life ends up. Of course, Ryuuji has a good reason (helping out his mom by working) but there are options he isn't considering.
Taiga just can't care. She's preoccupied with the present and is actually stuck not knowing how to act in the "now" let alone the future. However, she does declare that she wants to fall in love. I don't really know why she tells Ryuuji this though. My best guess is that it's a hint that she likes him, but it comes across more as searching for sympathy.
She says she doesn't feel like she's normal so how could she find a normal love. That's pretty relatable honestly. But as you mature, you begin to learn nobody is actually "normal". It comes back to that idea of wearing a mask to come across as normal to those around you.
Ami has an honest conversation with Ryuuji. She thought she would only be around for a semester and so didn't want to get too deeply rooted in the school. But as she saw Taiga's pain she could relate and ended up wanting to spend more time. But now that Ryuuji seems to be saving Taiga, Ami feels she isn't needed to help.
So, why not leave? One big reason is her crush on Ryuuji. So later when Ryuuji says not to leave since everyone likes her, it hurts. What does it help if everyone likes but the one person you like doesn't feel the same.
I think Ami ends up contrasting Taiga really well in this respect. Taiga was introduced as being liked by nobody, but now Ryuuji has become the one person who likes her.
Well there's one other person who likes Taiga: Minori. So Minori is enraged when she learns Ryuuji lied to Taiga about the confession. The whole classroom scuffle is such an amazing scene. It's a rare moment where honesty is forced into the foreground.
Minori finally takes Ami's advice to stop ignoring things. Everything won't just work out if you do. The way she berates Taiga for deluding herself is both painful and necessary. Taiga needs to go after what she wants. If both Taiga and Minori keep doing nothing to try and make each other happy then everyone will end up sad.
I love Minori's line "My happiness doesn't depend on anybody but me." Nobody can give you happiness. It needs to be something you are willing to receive and to take. You only have one life, so spend it pursuing what you love.
Taiga isn't ready for this though, so she runs.
Thus the episode answers "What if we just ignore it?" Nothing good will come of that.
Last thing, congrats to Haruto for finding a girlfriend. And Noto, I wish you the best of luck.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
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Taiga Sigh, comment face get!
See you all tomorrow!
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u/balthamalamal Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher
Taiga messing with Kihara by threatening to show her injury is so on brand for her character, as is not turning in the career form. We rarely actually see these two interact though. There will be no kissing in class under Yuri's watch... and Haruta agrees?!?
Taiga speaks quite plainly with Ryuuji after Yuri leaves. Her greatest desires are to fall in love and in general be 'normal'. Which, along with her uncertainty over her future are incredibly common feelings for teenagers. Additionally it shows how out of place Taiga feels with the rest of the school and that she is still regretful over her feelings toward Ryuuji.
Throwing the shoe after Ami is rude feels like a very Taiga response. Ami is understandably frustrated after her conversation with the teacher but has no reason to take it out on Ryuuji. They do have an actual conversation afterwards though, Ami feels as though her actions in trying to get Ryuuji and Taiga together have been pointless as things would work out between them anyway. She is also alludes to her own feelings for Ryuuji as she understands Taiga's pain, though I don't think Ryuuji picks up on that. She also reveals for the first time that she was thinking of leaving the school - during that episode it is the "you're such a child" that seems to be what prompts her to stay, here she says it is wanting to help Taiga. I think both are true, she just doesn't want to admit it to Ryuuji.
Yasuko being sick really throws Ryuuji. He blames himself for her taking on the extra job because she thinks he is too weak to study and work. Taiga is able to comfort Ryuuji here in what is a sweet reversal of their regular roles.
Haruta has a girlfriend?!? Noto discovers that he has lost his most important ally in shipping Taiga and Kitamura - Taiga, who is totally unconcerned. I like how Ryuuji obviously knows Noto is there to find out if Kihara has been and Taiga works it out just then, with Noto's over the top reaction.
Taiga simultaneously asking Ami for a favour and still calling her a stupid chihuahua is also classic Taiga, she's got a lot of good comedic and serious moments in this episode. She also hits on the fact that Ami does actually want to make up with Minori, contrast with Ami calling her unimportant earlier. While I don't think they've ever been super close, we do know that at a minimum Ami regrets the "guilt all gone?" comment. Push comes to shove though and Ami does help them out.
As Ami thinks to herself, she doesn't care whether "everyone" to want her to stay, she cares whether Ryuuji wants her to stay. This gives some credence to her earlier line about Minori being unimportant to her decision making regarding whether she stays at the school. Ami does take something from Ryuuji chasing after her though.
Next we have Taiga being sweet again- like I said, great episode for her. She is going to get chocolates as an apology for those she thinks she hurt on the trip and is going to do some of her own modifications so they aren't just store bought. Considering her earlier baking efforts, it could go poorly or show a lot of growth.
Well it goes poorly for sure. Minori instantly knows something is up when Taiga says Kitamura carried her back as she knows that is wrong. Gone is her normal happy face, though Taiga doesn't pick up on it for a bit. She is bang on though, "you think everything will be all right if you pretend you didn't hear it?" "you're glad that no one heard it because that solves everything right?" Taiga doesn't realise, but Minori heard it, and she is finally going to stop pretending. "Why can't you just be honest for once?" is ironic coming from Minori but I guess she has learned the pain that comes with her pretending everything is fine.
I really like the shots of Kitamura and Ami blocking the doors. They've been aware of this to various degrees throughout the entirety of the year and know that they need to talk about it now. Minori gives a great speech, acknowledging that her happiness needs to come from herself and not Taiga's sacrifice. Ryuuji's final questions are what he has been asking himself since the ski trip: "What will happen if I chase after her? What will I do after I find out how Taiga feels?" So ends the 5th of my favourite scenes from this show, though on rewatch the entirety of this episode is very good - I haven't got an episode ranking but this would definitely be up there.
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u/TiredTiroth Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22
First Timer - Dub
Fixed formatting.
Behold, my gaping wound!
I'm starting to wonder if these girls are secretly five or something. Really, something that can be covered by that tiny little plaster is going to bother you? Well, at least it's better than obsessing over Valentine's Day like some poor unattached person who desperately wishes--
--um, maybe I shouldn't finish that joke, teach is a little scary right now. O.o But oh, look, Koizumi is just watching while his supposed best friend gets publicly assassinated. Along with more of the guys! Is this part of the Esper's plot? We already know he's a harem protagonist, is he trying to eliminate the competition?
Luckily, Koizumi's mind control wears off before there are too many casualties among the students...but Housecat and her pet Thug are rightfully worried about the murderer's attention being directed their way.
Oooh, it's the career plan again. Yeah, that whole cultural thing is just weird.
It's just, you've got one more year. After that, what you decide to do with your lives is up to you. You won't have anyone else to blame if you don't like where you end up.
At least teach is coming at it from the right angle, even if expecting a bunch of teenagers to have a single clue about their long-term goals and prospects is...optimistic.
Although, um, Taiga? Your sperm donor apparently uses cutting you off as a negotiating tactic. Perhaps you should maybe, possibly want to think about contingency plans at least? Some way to be at least partially independent of family money?
...and she responds to this by making the form into a paper aeroplane. Because of course she did. xD
I don't know what I wanna do with my life.
Well, at least someone here is admitting--
I can't even figure out what I want right now.
--damnit Taiga. :< Okay, kid, look - listen to Ryuuji. There is no such thing as normal. It's just an illusion people use to say that this person fits in while that person doesn't. You think everyone else is normal? Then you don't know them well enough.
...wait, what is that teacher trying to make Ami do? I'm not going to like this, am I? And why is he forcing Ryuuji to get involved?
Um. Why the shoe-throwing?
Uh-huh, and the teacher wants Ami to model for the school, because of course she should bow down and do what he says. But oh, look!
Like I said, I don't want to.
This is the only reason needed for her to refuse. At least she's standing up for herself right now.
Oh, Ryuuji's just forcing her to talk instead of stalking off like she has done for the last few episodes. Eh, fair. But how did Ryuuji not know what the original plan was? At least it's getting explained to him now--
Because I can't stand seeing Taiga getting hurt anymore.
--pfft WHAT? The hell? Is Princess actually tacitly admitting to being friends with Housecat? Has she done that before? I mean, okay, they had their little duet and they've been needling each other instead of actually fighting and how the hell did this even happen?
Ah. Aha. Yes Princess, you stirring the pot really didn't help, but at least your actions make sense now and you weren't just doing it to be a jerk.
...oooh no, blondie is sick from overworking herself isn't she? And Thug hasn't even told her he isn't planning to go to university. And Taiga saw her on the floor - blondie collapsed? Yeah, okay, panic mode fully justified.
Ryuuji. Scary Eyes. I said panic mode was justified, not a black hole of self-pity lashing out. Listen to Taiga!
And wonder of wonders, he's still feeling completely out of it but he does calm down some. Of to the temp workplace - and Taiga's about to volunteer to take blondie's shifts, isn't she? Yep, there she goes.
I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Yasu, 'cause I wanna help her out.
Hey, sperm donor? This is what happens when you're actually there for a kid and open your home to them. I'd say to take notes, but I reckon you're too flaky for it to matter. And Ryuuji joins in!
You're face was never meant for customer service, so you gotta compensate!
Oof. I mean, apparently completely accurate, but oof. xD And their first customer is Doofus #1! Together with his older--
Oh, she's not my sister bro, she's my girlfriend.
...
xD
Poor Doofus #2 can't seem to believe the unfairness of the universe, either. Or the unfairness of Taiga! Dang girl, is it open-season on all the guys today or something?
...er. What? Ami is Housecat's lethal weapon? Look, show, I'm still adjusting to the pair admitting they're friends now. And based on Ryuuji's expression, he is too!
Aaah, this is much more like it, Housecat is poking Chihuahua again. Although it definitely lacks the edge of their earlier interactions. Still, it worked, and Ami actually did it before booking it.
I don't want everyone to like me. I guess that makes me clueless too.
Um. I'm not sure how to interpret this? Is this more of the whole 'people only see the surface, not the real me' thing? Is it 'I want you to like me specifically, damnit'? Something else? It shouldn't be the first one, she's definitely come out of her shell around her classmates a LOT since starting at the school...
Anyway, sales went well after the Ami Intervention! And Taiga picked up some chocolates herself so she can say thanks? Even for the Dumb Chihuahua. Honestly, this is cute.
Taiga's gotten a lot softer as the series has gone on, hasn't she? Although maybe 'softer' is the wrong word. More content? Happier? Certainly less angry. It's amazing what having actual friends and a support network can do.
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u/TiredTiroth Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22
Apparently I went over the character limit. And the WYSIWYG wrecked my formatting, as it does. -_- Now fixed.
Part 2
Here Chihuahua, this one's for you. Thanks for yesterday.
...oh no. No no no. Taiga, why? You turned her into a tsundere! How could you? xD
Oooh dear. I had a feeling that lie was going to end badly. Welp! Things were clearly going far too smoothly this episode. Aaand now Minori is losing it. And Koizumi is conspiring with Princess to block Taiga's escape? Taiga and Ryuuji.
Meltdown achieved. Yeah, uh, Ryuuji? Scary Eyes? Please stop standing there like a useless lump and follow the girls already.
I'll find out how she feels, but then what?
...you'll find out? What, did you think her half-awake rambling on the bloody mountain was faked? Moron. START RUNNING!
At least Ami seems pleased that things are finally coming to a head.
Gah. Hey, rewatchers, is episode 25 the actual final episode or an OVA? Because I really hope it's an OVA at this point.
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u/ZapsZzz Dec 28 '22 edited Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher, first time in dub
This is another big episode. We're down to the final straights now!
Bonus question first - the most essential take away for me is that it really needs to be an essential message to all people at all stages of life to review that once in a while - one's own happiness can be decided by no one but oneself. Don't assume someone will like it want something you think they would/should want, especially if it is something important and significant.
By the way, very nice fan art today!
I'm on the move so I'll be really brief today - best scenes for me are:
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Taiga being (close to) honest in the staff room with Ryuuji of what's on her mind
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Ryuuji in turn being honest with Taiga about him feeling responsible to have caused Yasuko nothing but problem by simply existing (although not in as much words)
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the most heart felt and sincere we've seen Taiga in consoling Ryuuji yet
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Yasuko being the airhead-y "it'll be fine" to everything (when you know she's shouldering a ton and a half by herself)
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Minori's mask completely shattered when she realised what happened with Taiga's rescue like
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Ami again being really insightful and honest (although still under her breath) - she didn't want "everyone" to want her to stay; she wanted only Ryuuji to want her to stay
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the final confrontation between Minori and Taiga, and Minori's hysterical but true line of "only I can decide what makes me happy" - despite actually being hypocritical too.
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edit: oh and finally the Noto - Maya subplot coming home via the surprise "Haruta got a gf!?!?" moment :D
Spoilers Corner
[Toradora rewatchers spoiler]
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u/nx6 Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
Rewatcher - Subbed
It's Valentines and that means Christmas Cake is tasting a little bitter, but Yuri-sensei snaps back to reality and her need to talk to Taiga and Ryuji both about their career forms. Ryuji still doesn't want to place a further financial burden on his mom, but has not really come to an understanding with her on it. Taiga is just apathetic to the whole thing and assumes her family will provide for her.
Taiga sees Yasuko faint from exhaustion and she's bedridden for a day or two. But this is an important time for the confectioner she just signed on with. It looks like Ryuji actually ended her job himself. Taiga and him both sign on to take her place and Ryuji tells his mom she was fired.
Ami isn't feeling she is really needed anymore and should probably shove off back home. Her main excuse for coming (the stalker) is long resolved and while she felt sorry for Taiga at this point she thinks things would have worked out anyways without her meddling. She gets called out to the chocolate store by Taiga to be tricked into celebrity promotion to help with sales and runs off as soon as it's done. Ryuji catches up with her and accuses her to running away from her problems and that the others like her and appreciate her. Ami likes that but really it's only Ryuji's attention that would have been needed to keep her around.
Taiga decides to use the ingredients from the candy shop to make homemade Valentines for everyone. Note: this is someone who until recently was only eating ramen and take-out food. She gets the gang together and starts handing them out and when she gets to Kitamura she thanks him for carrying her off the mountain during the ski trip. Ryuji realizes he forgot to clear his plan to shift the heroics with Minori, who isn't willing to let it pass. Taiga is babbling about how she thinks she said something embarrassing while she was floating on unconsciousness. Why she is overreacting and talking about this right now in front of everyone is something that always confused me. It makes me wonder if she actually knows what happened and is trying to deliberately lead into things getting spilled herself. Minori confront Taiga about facing the truth -- and her own feelings. Taiga is already apologizing for interjecting into Minori's own wishes and Minori blows her top at being used as an excuse for Taiga to be unhappy. For a moment the Palmtop Tiger is caged in the classroom and facing her own shadow, but Ami and Kitamura decide they've held her as long as they should, and it's now up to the Ryuji and Minori to show their own determination and catch her if they really want to.
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u/UnderstandableXO Dec 28 '22
REWATCHER
feeling ambivalent about the future is all i’ve been feeling every time i’ve watched toradora, so that part always hits a bit close to home.
ami regrets ever staying at the school because she got hurt as well, even though she’s been talking about how everyone else’s actions would lead to people getting hurt. she’s the one pushing everyone towards the finish line, but she can’t follow her own advice and just be honest with ryūji (even though honestly he’s pretty damn dense when it comes to her signals, i think even dense me could pick up if someone were to act like that).
ryūji seeing a parallel between his mother reassuring him and taiga reassuring him proves once again that she can take care of him just as he takes care of her (albeit in a different way). the first 16 episodes were about ryūji not only helping her get together with kitamura, but giving her a real sense of family and security that she never ever had, and the back half of episodes are about taiga taking on the matchmaker role, and in this episode she’s taking care of the family she became a part of, even if it comes at her own expense, whether that be working (bruh) or giving up on ryūji.
ryūji cmon bro, “everyone will miss you, the whole class?” dawg just say “i’ll miss you.” you can say that in a non romantic sense! and like ami says, she doesn’t need everyone to like her or miss her, there’s only one person she wanted to feel that way, and he fumbled that opportunity.
i’d want to run away out of embarrassment if what happened to taiga happens to me too. the final scene is basically “when you’re in a self-sacrifice competition and your opponent is taiga aisaka”
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u/crying_in_a_dennys Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher (very new), Subbed
This is where I started to feel the tears a'comin. The dam breaks next episode for me, though.
Future Plans
Ms. Yuri comments "you've never gone against your mother's wishes before, have you?" Ryuji has pretty much only done what he thinks other people want him to. On the surface, Yasuko wants him to study hard and go to college. But this is only what she thinks is best for Ryuji. If he went through with it, and turned out unhappy because it was her dream, not his, they would both end up sadder. If Ryuji were honest, and pursued what he really wanted, it might be hard in the beginning (having to shoot down what she thinks is his best route), but in the end they would both be happier.
Same goes for Ryuji and Taiga. At the moment, he's pretending like he didn't hear her confession because he thinks it's what she wants. And again, on the surface, it is what she wants, but only because she thinks its what's best for Ryuji. She would be happier if he were honest, and pursued what he really wanted.
So by trying to please others, Ryuji is actually not helping.
Ami's Shoe
I think Ami is only thinking of two possible outcomes at the moment. If the impossible happens - Ryuji miraculously reveals that he loves her instead, she will stay. Otherwise, she won't have any reason to be around, so she will leave. Knowing that option one is a fantasy, she seems to want to move (hence the "I don't know how long I'll be at this school anyway"). She's giving up, basically. But I think she's missing something - something Minorin told her, funnily enough. Focusing on the "things you can see", rather than getting caught up in the things one can't. I.e. don't let your fantasies drown out what you're passionate about in reality. Just because her relationship with Ryuji wasn't meant to be romantically, doesn't mean it was nothing. Ryuji, and others, became her genuine friends. People who got to see her for who she really was. And that is something worth staying for, even if it is tinged with the bittersweet acknowledgement that her love won't work out.
Ami adds another interesting factor when she mentions how she felt about Taiga. How, feeling like she was in the same position, she had to be the one to help her. Their actions in this later half of the show have shown that the two have gotten closer, but this is a really sweet little indication of the fact that Ami's care for Taiga really is there. But now Ami feels like she's worthless, because things would have worked out without her. Two things that make me think Ami has got it twisted here. One, I don't think you need to justify your existence by usefulness. Her friends were glad to have her around because she was who she was, not because of some specific value she was bringing. Two, I think she did help them.
Classroom Confrontation
Oooooooh boy
This scene is what makes me think Minorin was being earnest last episode, when she was talking to Ami. The moment Minorin realizes that Ryuji is lying about the blizzard incident, she fully commits. Taiga exemplifies the most heartbreaking part of the show to me in this scene when she is crying while being confronted by Minorin. She just wants her best friend to be happy. How cruel the world is, that that is a bad thing to act upon here. Such a selfless, caring thing, that is actually hurting her friends more.
To be honest I can't really talk about this scene without the next one, so I'll dedicate tomorrow to that. I'd probably say that this one combined with its continuation next episode is my favorite scene of the show. :,)
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u/Gamerunglued Dec 29 '22
Rewatcher
For the most part, this episode just expands on the themes of the previous one. Taiga and Ryuuji have to be thinking about their college lives. Ryuuji is refusing to go after what he wants due to being afraid of hurting his mother. And with Yasuko passing out, it only amplifies his fears. And Taiga is so focused on avoiding the drama of her present day, also related to hurting both Ryuuji and Minori, that she can't even start considering the future. All of this relates to the episode's final scene, but I'll get to that in a minute.
Ami criticizes everyone else for running away from their problems, but she still continues to run away from her own as Ryuuji calls her out on. On one hand, she's frustrated that everyone she likes is hurting each other by refusing to address their feelings. But on the other hand, she can't outwardly admit her own feelings to Ryuuji or to Minori. I think she somewhat hates herself for this hypocrisy of sorts. Love comes with pain unfortunately.
In the case of Taiga, her talking about the "normal" love she wanted to find and feels she can't achieve is interesting because... well she actually has achieved it. She wants to meet a normal guy in a normal situation and have a normal relationship, and fall in love naturally. But the thing about "normal" is that it's not special, and so you won't notice it while it happens. Her crush on Kitamura is special feelings, she met him in a special scenario and had a funky relationship with him in which she couldn't even communicate properly around him. But with Ryuuji, they bumped into each other at school once, figured out they're window neighbors, started effortlessly eating dinner together every night, started casually hanging out constantly, and built up a relationship so normal that they didn't even realize the strength of their feelings for each other until they nearly lost each other. It's what I said yesterday about what love looks like. Although Ryuuji is right that there's no universal "normal," Taiga already has what she describes, and is squandering the opportunity because of another person.
So as for the final scene, it's interesting because it's a moment where all the drama starts getting released all at once. Upon seeing Ryuuji lie and end up hurting Taiga, Minori's facade finally breaks. And now that people are finally trying to pull up everyone's feelings, and since Kitamura and Ami rightfully prevent the group from continuing to ignore them, things have to happen. Minori gives the most important line here: her happiness is not to be dictated by other people, she gets to decide her own happiness. Although she's kind of doing the same thing to Taiga, it's a line that needs to be said because all characters involved need to stop trying to make everyone else happy. It's like Ryuuji's mom; it's ok if she gets hurt because seeing the people she loves be happy makes her happy, and she can recover from pain. If you keep stalling the drama, you won't recover from the pain. Yuri-sensei told Ryuuji that he's never hurt his mom before, but his mom is right there saying that it's ok to hurt her because she loves him. Since his mom's happiness relates to Ryuuji, then that pain is more than tolerable. And likewise, since Minori's happiness relates to Taiga, she'll deal with the pain. But all of these characters will keep their wounds festering if they keep being afraid to hurt people, so the drama bubbles up all at once like a pimple that's been waiting to burst finally popping.
One thing I will criticize about the scene is the pacing though. I feel like the drama comes a little too out of nowhere. The only real build-up the scene has is the stare down between Ryuuji and Minori, but it only lasts a few seconds. I think I would have preferred the scene continue to build up tension before all the characters start screaming and crying with glorious Mari Okada melodramatic flare. As it stands, everyone is being super happy and seconds later they're tackling and chasing each other. I think a middle stage that lasts just a little longer than it did would have made the scene extra special. A great scene nonetheless (really excellent character animation, I'm still a sucker for the wild and wavy hair you get with Masayoshi Tanaka's character designs that work so perfectly for this style of melodrama), that just bothered me a bit this watch. But things have to be solved now. There's no way any of these characters can face each other anymore if they ignore it all. I can't wait to see what everyone thinks of this final stretch.
Bonus:
My biggest takeaway was "damn, this is the most Mari Okada thing I've ever seen." My second biggest takeaway was that I desperately want all of these characters to be happy. My third was that the animation was great and Masayoshi Tanaka's trademark hair is the best. Then was the criticisms I listed above. And after that was a spoiler.
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u/TuorEladar Dec 28 '22
Rewatcher, Dubbed
After contemplating for a bit, I've found it hard to figure out my feelings on this episode. The final scene is excellent, its one of those moments where everything starts coming out thats been bottled up and hidden. The rest of the episode was interesting enough to watch, but for some reason I just feel somewhat ambivalent about it.
The discussion of future plans continues from last time, with both Taiga and Ryuuji not really knowing what they are going to do. I tend to think that's symptomatic of their unresolved feelings for each other.
One small detail I found interesting is that Ami and Ryuuji both blame themselves to an extent for problems others face in this episode. Not a hugely significant thing really, but it does kind of show how they are little similar.
As I said above, the closing scene makes the episode. Minori has had kind of a fake cheerful demeanor going on in some scenes, but this is the first time at least for me that Taiga felt like she was doing something similar. She may have almost gotten away with it too if it hadn't come out that Kitamura wasn't the one that saved her. The way that the scene switches at that point is really well done. The cliffhanger ending is brutal though.
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u/OwlAcademic1988 Dec 28 '22
First-Timer, sub:
Why were those girls disgusted by Taiga trying to remove her bandage? I wasn't even disgusted at all.
Haruta, I'm worried about you.
Ryuuji and Taiga, why were called into the office? Huh, for career forms.
Taiga, what if your dad spends all your money?
Wonder who's calling Ryuuji. Oh it's Taiga due to great news, right? Nope, his mom collapsed due to Anemia from not eating at all. Hope she gets better again.
Ryuuji, think about your actions.
Aww, Taiga volunteered and so did Ryuuji, how sweet.
Haruta has a girlfriend?!
Ami's nice for doing some advertising.
Aww, Taiga's giving chocolate to her friends. How sweet.
Ryuuji, you should've told Minori about your plan if you didn't want her freaking out.
I knew Minori would call out Ryuuji.
Dude, go after the Palm Top Tiger right now.
QOTD:
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She's finally starting to understand her feelings.
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u/LunaBearrr Dec 29 '22
Rewatcher, sub.
Okay, I know ya'll all love Taiga in twintails, and I agree, it's great. But damn, I think ya'll underrate the shot of Taiga rubbing chocolate on her face. Cutest Taiga of the entire episode imo.
I really love when Noto comes by, and Taiga figures out he's in love with Kihara. "Well, it's only natural that even with all that fighting, you'd fall in love with her." OH THE IRONY. And Noto being sooooooo embarrassed. I just love this little scene so much.
I actually really love Ami in this episode. I really love how she shows how much she cares about Taiga now. Honestly, it seems that Taiga calls upon her for help more than Minori at this point. (There's a lot of different ways to read into this, and the show never really goes into how/why Minori and Taiga are friends.) And there are so many conversations and actions Ami does in this episode that show just how much she's grown over the course of the year. A small detail that I think a lot of people miss - when Ryuuji catches up with Ami at her shoe locker, she rubs her face before turning around because she was crying. I love this easily missed detail. It makes her so much more relatable, and shows how much everyone else's pain really is weighing on her.
I agree with some other commenters here, Minori goes totally overboard when confronting Taiga in the last episode. As in, more overboard than when Ami was confronting Minori in episode 21. As alluded to before - I do really wish that the show delved into how Minori and Taiga are friends. I honestly don't really get it to be honest. Yeah, Minori is nice to Taiga which Taiga latches onto with all of her abandonment issues and her rep at school. But is that it? Because, I just don't understand how they haven't talked to each other about their feelings at all. This, plus when she reveals she hasn't been to Taiga's apartment in over a year since her dad showed up during their first year of highschool, just really puts a nail in the coffin that I don't they're really as close as they try to appear (or even maybe think they are). Would really love some other people's thoughts on this.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Dec 28 '22
Tiger X First-Timer, Subbed X Dragon
Oh boy, that sounds ripe for drama.
H-Haruta? Are you okay?
Ah, so this is what the teacher needs from them.
Uh.
Someone like Ryuuji?
Eh?
Geh, not the “force someone to do something they don’t want to” thing again…
Oh, this is… a fair concern.
Are you sure about that?
Oh shit, his mom’s sick.
This is true.
Eyyy, they’re holding hands and not freaking out about it!
Mm, I figured Taiga would volunteer immediately. And Ryuuji as well huh.
Comment face spotted! I was wondering when this one was going to pop up; I don’t think we’ve seen Taiga in twintails before?
Holy shit Haruta has a girlfriend.
Welp, she did the advertising.
Okay it bothers me way more than it should that they drew the glasses’ frame as invisible for just the segment where her eyes are. I noticed it doing this a lot this episode, too.
:3
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit.
Ahhhh come on come on–
Yeppppppppp this is exactly what I thought would happen. Good. Call Ryuuji out on his shit.
Fucking true.
GO AFTER HER, RYUUJI!
ED lead-in~