Toradora! 02

I know that I’m hilariously far behind broadcast of all two of the series I’m blogging right now, but that should be rectified soon. I’ve cheated a bit with Toradora! and skipped ahead, which just goes to show that I quite like it so far. Which is strange, because it’s not one defining factor that keeps me watching, it’s the sum of the parts.

That wry little smile that Taiga has when she abuses Ryuuji amuses me to no end. While in the first episode I thought she was a complete bitch, I can now she that she is still a complete bitch, but knowing that she’s doing it. This makes it OK, and so much cooler. Inko-chan also continues to push the envelope of comedy this episode, thankfully.

And now, the first time we get to see and hear the opening! I think it’s important to have a good OP. It sets the mood for the series, and a badly done song is certainly not how you want to greet each week’s episode. “Pre-Parade” is quite catchy, as it should be, and borrows heavily from the synthesised, light techno playbook. This isn’t to say it’s bad – quite the opposite, in fact. I like its chirpy background singers, its far-too-fast-to-even-read lyrics, and the fact that it uses an actual range of notes, which some anime songs even fail at doing. It helps that the main voice actresses are amazingly good at singing, especially Yui Horie. The graphics from the OP are nice and colourful, fast-paced, and give off a positive vibe for what we’re about to see.

If you hadn’t realised how much of a doormat Ryuuji actually is around Taiga, this is the episode that shows it to the nth degree. She just knows how to control him, much like the owner of a dog. It’s an interesting dynamic, yet not one that can claim to be completely original.

It’s funny that on more than one occasion this episode, Ryuuji and Taiga just seem to be on exactly the same wavelength. What other two people would simultaneously pair up and hatch a plan to injure someone with a basketball to get the other two together. I mean, just partnering with them in the first place would have been easier, but still. I detect a hint of sadness from Ryuuji when he’s released from his duties as a dog. He seems to run back with his tail between his legs. There’s clearly some chemistry here which I’m sure will be delved into very soon.

Minori’s fast becoming a character for classic comedy, and with episode two over she’s already proven herself to be the purveyor of most of the references and puns. Those facial expressions of hers are highly amusing.

I thought that Rie Kugimiya’s voice acting as Taiga was spot on for the pole-tilting scene. She conveys a lot of emotion in her performance and actually manages to sound believable. Junji Majima, as Ryuuji, makes less of an impact, mostly because his big speech about standing by Taiga’s side as the dragon just sounded so farfetched and cheesy it lost all meaning. He deserved a good kicking for that.

I must congratulate whoever decided to make Taiga confess in episode two. They could have left it until episode 23 and drawn it out over weeks and weeks of anguish, but no. We get to explore some deeper territory now, and aren’t restricted to Taiga building up her courage and will over consectutive weeks and months of toil.

And the ending comes around again. Again, I like the ED’s music. It all sounds a bit manufactured and edited, but then what doesn’t? It’s a strong tune, sprinkled with some nice synth sounds and a catchy harmony, which I’ve found myself singing on more than one occasion.