ToraDora! 25: Final Verdict on ToraDora!
Posted: March 26, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments »WIN-O-METER
Episode filled with epicly epic win.
Disclaimer: this post came out a lot shorter than I expected. 🙁
This was the kind of epic ending I was expecting from CLANNAD ~After Story~, but didn’t receive.
In retrospect, Taiga leaving was pretty predictable… but it came as the biggest shock so far this year for me.
I thought that the buildup to Taiga’s leaving was incredible.
I mean, come on.
Half an episode of “happily ever after” vibes, Taiga and Ryuuji kissing and holding hands, happy happy happ- OH SHI- ?!
I can’t believe how this anime managed to fit in a whole new piece of drama mixed with the themes of “not running away” and maturity into the last episode… and pull it off so damn well!
And that’s all I have to say about this episode, seriously.
I don’t think more mountains of praise are necessary, so I’ll just leave it at that.
Moving on to my overall ToraDora! impression…
Awesome.
10/10
This is the perfect example of my type of surprise hit.
In the beginning, this show looked like… well, any old school-life comedic romance with some pretty bad art at times (episode 3… *shudder*)
….and then I met Taiga, Ryuuji, Kitamura, Minorin, Ami, etc.
Each and every single one of these main characters was incredible.
There’s no static main character in this series, and each of the five main characters has his or her own little quirks that made me familiar with them after only a few episodes.
The characters have exaggerated traits, like Ryuuji’s cleaning fetish, yet they are in no way unbelievable.
The realism present in this series derives itself mainly from the realistic characters that are presented.
We see a tsundere girl and a not-delinquent guy get dumped and fall in love with each other.
True, it’s kind of weird, but isn’t that what life and love really are?
Unlike Air, ef, and many other romance anime, ToraDora! lets us connect and bond with its characters.
In this aspect (and Minorin), ToraDora! is like True Tears.
In being able to bond with Taiga and Ryuuji, we become sensitive.
When Taiga and the president fought, we could feel Taiga’s pain.
When Minorin dumped Ryuuji, we could see both sides of the story.
When Taiga left, we left Ryuuji’s shock and later understanding.
And now, when Taiga and Ryuuji finally get to see each other again, we feel relief and happiness.
There have been many complaints about the slow progression of Ryuuji and Taiga’s relationship.
I see this slowness as a good thing.
In life, do you really go straight to the bed (ef)?
There have also been many complaints about the quick progression of events in episode 23.
I see this as a good thing.
It’s like emotional buildup all released in one moment.
We don’t get a slow and steady progression (CLANNAD), nor do we get a fast and painful resolution (School Days).
Rather, ToraDora! presents a story about two confused youths who end up falling in love by chance (by fate?*).
And thus the intense realism of this anime paves the way for a deeper story.
Instead of simple drama as presented in Kanon or simple romance as seen in Shana, ToraDora! gives a story where you actually have to think.
Does Minorin love Ryuuji?
Does Ami love Ryuuji?
Does Minorin love Ami?
Does Kitamura love Ryuuji?
Does Inko love Haruta? (intelligence levels are equal, desho?)
Minorin and Ryuuji talk about ghosts.
Ami and Ryuuji discuss the “fatherly love” Ryuuji has for Taiga.
Ami and Minorin get into a fight.
So what does this all mean?
If you don’t think, you’ll just end up giving ToraDora! a low score for your own lack of intelligence or will to think.
Other less important aspects of ToraDora!:
- Music: Catchiest anime songs of 2008.
BGM wasn’t that great. - Art and Animation…
The art is not good. There, I said it.
It’s barely passable as mediocre. It has nothing on the scale of Akikan!, but ToraDora! has frequent small inconsistencies in eye placement, face shape, etc.In addition, the animation in several scenes is done quite badly.
Take, for example, Taiga lowering her head at the end of this episode.
It’s not exactly spectacular, really.
And thus ends one of the best anime of 2008/2009, ToraDora!.
Idk about the art, the childish feel kind of goes along with the content that it is for; I didn’t like the art at all when the series started, but I fell in love with it somehow.
You could’ve added more to this post in my opinion. The note Taiga leaves for Ryuji, Ryuji reuniting with family (Taiga’s departure), The prank that began the episode (lol). I’m just recommending stuff, not bashing, but in this post you more evaluated the overall series (taking overall concepts and lessons then comparing to other anime and rating overall aspects) and really lacked a lot in discussing the episode itself in its pure epicness.
Yeah, this post was pretty short, really.
Still, I…
1) Didn’t have time (Procrastinating before a major test?! Bad idea!)
2) Thought that other blogs had already commented enough about the pure win of the episode by itself.
3) Am lazy as hell.
Same with me for the art.
It was kind of like Zetsubou Sensei for me: I thought that the artistic quality was crap until I got fully used to it halfway through.
And I don’t really care if you bash or whatnot… After all, my blog bashes many anime (among other things), so there are bound to be intense disagreements.