Toradora!
Toradora! is a Japanese light novel series written by Yuyuko Takemiya and illustrated by Yasu. ASCII Media Works released ten volumes between March 2006 and March 2009 under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. Three volumes of a spin-off light novel series titled Toradora Spin-off! were later published. The main series follows Ryūji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, two social outcasts who gradually fall in love while trying to help each other get with their crushes. The title Toradora! is derived from the names of the two main characters.
A manga adaptation by Zekkyō was serialized in MediaWorks' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from September 2007 to March 2008. The manga continued serialization in ASCII Media Works' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh in the May 2008 issue.
A 25-episode anime adaptation produced by J.C.Staff aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 2008 and March 2009. NIS America released the anime in North America in two half-season DVD collections in July and August 2010, with an English dub released in July 2014. An original video animation episode was released on December 21, 2011.
Plot
Ryuji Takasu is frustrated at his appearance as he enters his second year of high school. Despite his gentle personality, his glaring eyes give him the appearance of a delinquent. He is happy to be classmates with his best friend Yusaku Kitamura, as well as the girl he has a crush on, Minori Kushieda. However, he unexpectedly runs into Taiga Aisaka, an infamously short-tempered girl, who is Minori's best friend. Taiga takes an instant dislike to Ryuji. She also happens to live in an apartment next to Ryuji's house. When Ryuji discovers that Taiga has a crush on Yusaku, and Taiga finds out about Ryuji's affection towards Minori, they decide to help set each other up with their crushes.Over the course of the series, Ryuji and Taiga try to set up romantic situations to help each other get to know their friends, but many of the situations backfire. Their classmates observe that they are spending a lot of time with each other, leading to rumors that they might be a couple. Although Ryuji and Taiga try to dispel the rumors, they find that they do enjoy each other's company, with Taiga visiting Ryuji's house to share meals, and Ryuji checking up on Taiga and cleaning her messy house. Later, they meet Yusaku's childhood friend Ami Kawashima, a popular teen model who transfers into their school. She appears to be friendly and is a self-proclaimed ditz, but beneath her facade is a more mean and spoiled side, and she quickly finds herself at odds with Taiga. In spite of this, Taiga tries to put up with her antics as Yusaku wants them to all get along, and Ami begins to grow feelings for Ryuji. The series follows the lives of these friends and how love blossoms among them.
Characters
Main characters
Supporting characters
Production
Light novels
Conception
The title Toradora! was derived from the names of the two main characters. Taiga's name is almost homophonic with taigā from English tiger, which is synonymous with the native Japanese word tora. Inversely, ryū means dragon, and is synonymous with doragon, the English word dragon transcribed into Japanese.Media
Light novels
The light novels of Toradora! are written by Yuyuko Takemiya and drawn by Yasu. Ten novels were published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint between March 10, 2006, and March 10, 2009. Four additional chapters were not collected into volumes; three of them were published in separate light novel anthologies released by MediaWorks in November 2006, March 2007, and November 2007, while the last came with a plush tiger stuffed animal released in April 2007. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed series in North America, releasing the first volume in 2018 and the last in 2020.Three volumes of a spin-off of the series under the title Toradora Spin-off! were also created. The first volume of the spin-off series was released on May 10, 2007, and compiled four chapters, three of which had been serialized in MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp between June 10, 2006, and February 10, 2007, and one of which was written especially for the volume release. A single chapter of the spin-off series, originally published in February 2006 in Dengeki hp, was included in the second volume of the regular novel series. More chapters started serialization in Dengeki hp's successor Dengeki Bunko Magazine on December 10, 2007. The second volume of Toradora Spin-off! was released on January 10, 2009, followed by the third volume on April 10, 2010, which was released to commemorate 2010 as the Year of the Tiger.
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Zekkyō started serialization in the September 2007 issue of MediaWorks' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!. The manga ended its run in Dengeki Comic Gao! in the March 2008 issue, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from the May 2008 issue onward. The first tankōbon volume was released on February 27, 2008, under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint; as of January 26, 2023, 11 volumes have been released. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga in North America and began publishing the series in English on March 1, 2011.Anime
An anime television series adaptation was first announced on a promotional advertisement for light novels being released under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint for April 2008. The anime is directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai and produced by the animation studio J.C.Staff. Toradora! contains 25 episodes, which aired between October 2, 2008, and March 26, 2009, on TV Tokyo in Japan. The episodes aired at later dates on AT-X, TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting. The anime premiered in the Philippines through TV5 on May 18, 2009, one of the first to air it outside Japan.The first volume DVD compilation, which contains the first four episodes, was released in Japan on January 21, 2009, by King Records in limited and regular editions. Seven more DVD compilations, each containing three episodes, were released between February 25 and August 26, 2009, also in limited and regular editions. Starting from the second DVD, there were extra animated shorts included in the DVD volumes, Toradora SOS!, which features the cast as chibis trying out various foods. A six-disc Blu-ray Disc box set, released in Japan on December 21, 2011, contains an original video animation episode.
The Toradora! anime was licensed by NIS America in North America. The series was released in two half-season DVD compilation volumes in early July and late August 2010. NIS America re-released the series on Blu-ray on July 1, 2014, including the unreleased OVA and featuring an English dub. It was broadcast in Italy on Rai 4 between April 28 and October 13, 2011. MVM Entertainment have licensed the Blu-ray collection in the United Kingdom. The series was simulcast worldwide by Crunchyroll on October 18, 2012. After Sony acquired Crunchyroll, the series was removed from the streaming service on April 1, 2025. The anime series was streamed on Netflix on August 1, 2020.
The anime series makes use of four pieces of theme music: two opening and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "Pre-Parade" by Rie Kugimiya, Eri Kitamura, and Yui Horie. The first ending theme is "Vanilla Salt" by Horie. The second opening is "Silky Heart" by Horie, and the second ending is "Orange" by Kugimiya, Kitamura, and Horie. The insert theme for episode nineteen is "Holy Night" performed by Kugimiya and Kitamura. The anime's original soundtrack was released on January 7, 2009.
Internet radio show
An internet radio show to promote the anime series and other Toradora! media titled ToradoRadio! aired 38 episodes between September 4, 2008, and May 28, 2009, on Animate TV. The show was streamed online every Thursday, and was hosted by Junji Majima and Eri Kitamura, who voiced Ryūji Takasu and Ami Kawashima from the anime respectively. The show featured additional voice actors from the anime as guests.Video games
A visual novel developed by Guyzware and published by Bandai Namco Games based on Toradora! is playable on the PlayStation Portable, and was released on April 30, 2009. The player assumes the role of Ryuji Takasu where he moves around school and town, conversing with characters and working towards multiple endings as part of an original storyline. The game also features a minigame where players play as Taiga, fending off lovesick guys.Taiga is a playable character in the game Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus for the Nintendo DS, released on March 19, 2009, in Japan. She appears as a cameo character and optional costume for the main character in Nippon Ichi Software's Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman for the PlayStation Portable. Taiga is a playable character in the fighting game Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, with Ryuji as an assisting character. She appears in Twinkle Crusaders Starlit Brave, which was released on September 30, 2010.
Reception
Sales
By April 2009, over 3 million copies of the light novel series had been sold in Japan. By October 2017, it had over 5 million copies in circulation. The seventh volume of the Toradora! light novels ranked as the tenth best-selling light novel between December 2007 and November 2008 by Amazon's Japanese subsidiary. The second volume of the Toradora! manga was ranked 28th on the Tohan charts between March 3–9, 2009.The first Toradora! DVD ranked 13th on the Oricon DVD chart between January 20–26, 2009. The second DVD ranked 15th between February 24 and March 2, 2009. The third DVD ranked 27th between March 24–30, 2009. The fourth DVD ranked 17th between April 21–28, 2009. The fifth DVD ranked 7th between May 25–31, 2009. The sixth DVD ranked 11th between June 22–28, 2009. The seventh DVD ranked 19th between July 20–26, 2009. The eighth DVD ranked 13th between August 24–30, 2009.
Critical reception
Thereon Martin of Anime News Network gave particular praise to the first half of the anime for its character writing, describing the series as "blessed" in that regard. He opined that while the plot elements were typical of anime romantic comedies, the series distinguished itself through "quality writing and genuine depth", as well as a strong balance between humor and drama. He called the show a "rare gem" and gave the first half an "A-" rating.Reviewing the second half of the anime, Martin was even more effusive in his praise, calling it one of the "best romantic comedies anime has ever generated". He acclaimed the "fresh and wonderful" drama, realism of the characters' emotions, and "superb" writing held together by a "great sense of timing and dialog". He concluded by giving the "immensely entertaining and moving" second half an "A" rating.
Stig Høgset of THEM Anime Reviews expressed reservations about the initial episodes of the anime, opining that the story went on a "pretty steep upward slope". He also criticized Taiga's behavior towards Ryuji, as well as the story arc with the introduction of Taiga's father. He was more enthused about the story's clear resolution to Ryuji and Taiga's relationship, which he felt distinguished it from similar shows with more than one love interest. Despite Høgset's mixed comments, he remarked that it was "on average a good show".
Accolades
The light novel series has ranked four times in Takarajimasha's light novel guide book Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! published yearly: sixth in 2007, fourth in 2008 and 2010, and second in 2009. In Kadokawa Shoten's first Light Novel Award contest held in 2007, Toradora! won an award in the romantic comedy category.The Toradora! anime was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the thirteenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2009. Taiga Aisaka's character was named the champion of the eighth Anime Saimoe Tournament in 2009. In 2009, Rie Kugimiya won Best Actress in the third Seiyu Awards partly for voicing Taiga Aisaka.