. . . called Toradora! It’s pretty good.
Really though, having watched the last episode, I think I’m contractually obligated to say something about it. Especially as, in recent weeks, everyone has been up in arms about the way the show was trending.
Short version is: I liked it, I always liked it, and at no point was I, personally, bothered by any of the moves the storytellers made. Some of the things the characters did were a bit stupid, but that’s the point — it was, by virtue of their actions, in their characters to do those stupid things, as they did them. It’s tautological, but that’s essentially how characterization works; it’s a conglomeration of all the actions a given character does. It is essentially impossible for any action to be out of character for someone, as it immediately shapes what their character is.
What I suspect has happened is that fans built pictures of the characters in their heads. If you’re on top of things you’ll realize that’s not a problem; indeed, that’s how “reading” a story of any sort works, it’s the process. One of the common problems in the process of consuming a serial story is that a fan can often stop adding elements to their picture of a character/setting/plot, and anything that then deviates from their picture is “out of character,” or just plain wrong. I once again cite my acquaintance who was upset that Psych would dare to have two characters be interested in each other — her picture included sweet homosexual love for the main character, and heterosexual love obviously didn’t fit into that picture. It didn’t matter that the show did it, thus making it (in fan terms) canon, as she’d stopped adding to her picture.
I don’t know if I really manage to build my picture right up until the end or not, but in general it feels like I must, as I never have a problem with endings that go off in a direction I didn’t expect — as I never expect much other than the characters to show up and do stuff. I didn’t even have that particular problem with the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s series ending, though I easily could have, it coming pretty much out of nowhere (this is not to say I liked the ending; I thought it was ham-handed, but that’s in execution, not actual in-story events).
Also, remember Kannagi? Same thing happened.
And of course some people are bothered by the show but not for these reasons. But in observing a lot of discussion on Toradora! so far, this is what’s happening a lot of the time. It’s the curse, as I said, of serial entertainment, but all that can really be done to avoid it is for the viewers to keep an open mind. It’s worth your while, if you happen to be one of the people who should try it out: you’ll certainly end up having more fun (see my twitter for corroboration).
Toradora did something unexpected: it became wholesome family entertainment.
The bits with the Takasus, and especially Ya-chan is gold. Heartwarming and redemptive – that lays out so much possibility for the young couple’s future.
I can recommend this over most if not all the narmy fare over at the Hallmark or Lifetime cable channels. I never felt for a moment that I was being lectured or preached to.
I personally didn’t like the way the show went but that’s just me.
I think people forget that characters are in a way human too and humans like many other things change over time. We aren’t in the characters’ heads all the time. If characters change the way they think then their actions can change too and maybe even faster especially when we’re pressured or if something new comes into our lives. So we think characters should do something because that makes the most sense to us and because we think change has to be gradual and characters have to remain “in character”.
[...] So maybe I exaggerated; I do have a few comments to make about the end of Toradora! I mean, it felt strange not doing so anyway; it seems obligatory (as Cuchlann observes as well). [...]