On Toradora and siscon shows – Denying your love

1Apr/098

On Toradora and siscon shows – Denying your love

Have you ever denied your love? Tried to smother those overwhelming, bittersweet emotions because it seems 'the right thing to do'? All my love life I've been doing that. For some inexplicable reasons, I kept meeting the right girl at the 'wrong time' or simply getting involved with 'off-limits' girls. (No not my sister you knucklehead - like for example the one your good friend fancies/ex or other folks' girlfriends or your very BEST female friend while you're attached etc etc...). So the dichotomy of denying your love yet at the same time expressing it through wanting the best for your love is a powerful theme for this tanuki in romances. That's why I enjoy siscon shows. That's why I love Toradora.

Toradora is almost all that I love in siscon shows (only lacking moelicious imoutos with ribbons) - drama from 'taboo love', fierce catfights, the struggle of the shoujo heart and others. The series only took off for me starting from the cultural festival. There, we saw the first casualty from denying her love - Sumire Kanou. Her (un)timely confession was just a small sampling of the pain of trying to reign in those unstoppable emotions.

Minori's tale kicked in next where we realised she's not only doing a Sumire but actively aiding her best friend at the expense of her own bliss. Thanks to some brilliant storytelling, we are then led to Taiga reciprocating a 'Minori' while Ami watches from the sideline, painfully aware that she's not EVEN in the race. Indeed, Taiga has come a long way from the terribly unlikeable tsuntun brat of the first 3 eps to the sacrificial angel of Christmas who blesses at the expense of her romantic fortunes.

I noted that my enjoyment of any show is proportional to the amount of nobility/integrity exhibited by the cast - whether heroes or villains, protagonists or antagonists. And the Toradora cast has exhibited a great deal of such attributes in their self-denials of love.

To the naysayers who have deemed the best segments of Toradora 'draggy', 'melodramatic' or 'unrealistic'. Simply because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it's unrealistic. And when it does, you'll then realise how powerful the emotions or how poignant the struggles were. Do watch it again when you gain more experience in love or life. I believe Toradora will blow you away then.

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lelangir
April 1st, 2009 - 13:13

>>I noted that my enjoyment of any show is proportional to the amount of nobility/integrity exhibited by the cast

You need to watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes, now.

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suguru
April 1st, 2009 - 13:55

Great post, couldn’t agree more – I’m hoping Sumire did get a happy ending though, since Kitamura went to study in America after high school…I’m guessing in the Boston area, given the address on the ‘baka’ postcard Taiga sent Sumire

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Ivysama
April 1st, 2009 - 15:11

Lovely show. Feels like its going to be ages before we get something on the same level when it comes to Romantic comedies
One thing though, I loved how Ami was used to ante the heat up with the character’s chemistry, making them realize whats reality. Although the storage room scenes with her and Ryuuji are gold, I still think she was terribly shafted in the end ><
A little more closure would sufficed as she is one of the major players in Toradora.

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Stripey
April 2nd, 2009 - 08:31

lelangir: Woah it has a respectable rating on ANN even though it looks dated . Epic like Gurren Lagann? Poignant like Mai HiME?

suguru: I assumed they’d eventually become an item – no 2 ways about it.

Ivysama: Gold indeed, the storage room scenes. Agreed on Ami’s closing bits. She could use more airtime towards the end of the series. Though I have to say I particularly enjoyed how Ami’s tale achieved closure through Ryuuji’s forced confession about Taiga in the final (2?) eps.

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vexx
April 2nd, 2009 - 23:04

Its based on 10 volumes of light novel…. I’m still amazed the story hangs together as well as it does in the anime. The compression of events was tremendous.

But yeah …. I have to say I’m seeing a correlation between life experiences and enjoyment of the series. Probably the biggest misread are the folks who kept trying to interpret it as a “harem anime”. Most of the disillusionment seems to be coming from that arena.

Anyway … thoroughly enjoyed the series and the directions all the characters went seemed very ‘realistic’ (including Ryuuji still not sure about college and how to afford it).

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Kvakond
April 4th, 2009 - 06:55

Yet again, a fantastic entry for a fantastic show.

“So the dichotomy of denying your love yet at the same time expressing it through wanting the best for your love is a powerful theme for this tanuki in romances. That

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Zan
April 5th, 2009 - 22:19

I’m was rooting for AmixRyuji despite knowing it was never meant to be…Ami fanboy 4evar!!!111111111

On another note, this entry actually reminded me of this line from the movie, Shakespeare in Love, which I watched recently. It was something like, “As how all stories must (end) when love’s denied; with tears and a journey.” I think it aptly describes the whole denied love theme in Toradora.

Now back to extreme fanboy ranting: Ami was too 1337 4 dat ubernubsauce called Ryuji anyways lololollololhegotpwnedbbq??!!!

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Stripey
April 6th, 2009 - 07:26

vexx: I attribute much of Toradora’s success to the series composer – Mari Okada. See also True Tears.

Kvakond: YEAH! There were times when I went.. “oops, I did just that… didn’t know it’d hurt so much..” XD

Zan: LOL! Ami’s my favourite girl of the lot too. In fact I personally thought she’s the most compatible with Ryuuji given that they’re equals in mental and emotional maturity. But as I like to say – timing’s everything in love. Many subscribe to BMW (Best man wins). I believe in MOW (Most opportunity wins). And Taiga clearly won (very believably btw) via MOW.

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