A very satisfying ending to a great series...

Written by stevodevo on August 3, 2011 at 8:35 AM

First off, to the reviewer below me, I thought I was reading my own review - my wife and I just finished watching this anime also and we agree it was a wonderful series and very touching.

If you want humour without silliness, romance without sappiness, and entertainment without filler then you've come to the right place. Toradora was a very satisfying and enjoyable series that although wrapped up *mostly* nicely at the end still left me wanting more. More on that ending to come...

The animation is very good, rich and detailed. The music was appropriate, nothing standoutish. I particularly enjoyed the 'Christmas' song that two of the main characters sing in a later episode and ended up downloading the full version of that. Dialogue was solid - as I mentioned earlier, not silly or over the top. The series as a whole stayed within 'reality' and didn't drift much into chibbiness or 'like that could ever happen' moments, which I greatly appreciated. The humour was definitely good although not overwhelming and it had serious and touching moments, especially as it begins to wrap up in the later episodes.

My main point of criticism, which is also one of the reasons I enjoyed this series so much, was the way the series wrapped up at the end. Without giving too much away, it definitely had a happy ending but it was the unanswered question of "why" that had both me and my wife a little puzzled. I came to my own conclusion but it would have been nice to see that particular question answered by the character(s) themselves. Of course, you're still led to assume that it all works out sometime in the future but what about the now? Don't get me wrong, it was a happy ending, it just seemed like they realized it was a little 'too' happy so they tried to add some 'bittersweet' right at the end.

In any case, this series is a keeper and highly recommended viewing. So far I've only seen maybe 1 or 2 anime that ended with that kind of relationship between the two main characters and I really enjoy it when it does happen. Of course, as with most romantic series they'll drag it out til the very end so stick with it, enjoy the humour and relationships as they unfold, and you'll be rewarded in the end!