Toradora Volume 2 Premium Edition — anime dvd review

If you read my review of the first volume of Toradora you might remember my stating Toradora was one of my favorite titles I had the chance to review this year. With Toradora volume 2, that sentiment is intensified. I love this show. It is now one of my favorite anime series of all times, joining such greats as Welcome to the NHK and Neon Genesis Evangelion. If you want, you can skip this review right now, and go buy the darn thing. It’s that good.

Still need convincing? I’ll do my best.

As you might recall, Toradora tells the tale of two highschool “delinquents” who enlist eachother’s aid in netting their respective crushes. Ryuji (Dragon) is a kindhearted male with a gangster’s face, while Taiga (you guessed it) is a sweet looking female with a ferocious temper. This second volume continues with episode 14, with Ryuji and Taiga having just pulled off the most successful Spring Festival ever, but having made only the most basic steps toward acquiring their targets.
In fact, people are continuing to misinterpret their partnership as a secret relationship — as if the two felt feelings for eachother! But as is the case in most romantic-comedy setups, the two do start feeling something towards eachother, which only serves to complicate their bargain. Both feel that since they promised from the outset to help their friend, they now have to see it through to the end. Furthermore, one letting the other know of their newfound romantic affectations would be an act of selfishness, and would go entirely against their original promise.

As such, this second half of the show shifts its tone from fairly straightforward comedy to emotional drama. As indicated above, there’s a great deal of exploration into unspoken affections, and the pain at watching someone you love go off with someone else. This is not just illustrated through Taiga and Ryuji’s relationship, but also with supporting characters such as Kitamura and his crush/academic muse, student council president Sumire. And while that would be well and good enough for most romantic comedies, the show goes even further, extending its emotional exploration into the dynamics of Ryuji and Taiga’s relationships with their parents, and the individuals relationships with themselves. A fair word of warning: This stuff gets pretty raw. You will cry. Numerous times. And surprisingly, you will do so without feeling manipulated. Rather, every development presented in Toradora has a genuine, recognizable truthfulness to it. The characters, though animated, are characters you know. Friends from your highschool experience — maybe even yourself. Accordingly, the emotions presented are all true. It’s authentic, moving, even melancholically beautiful. As such, you will find yourself eagerly awaiting every plot development, hanging on until the final resolution.

Which brings me to my one issue with Toradora. If I have any criticism at all, it would be that the final resolution wasn’t as epic as I would have liked, given all the buildup beforehand. It certainly doesn’t fizzle out, but it’s not as intense as the dynamic, explosive personalities might seem to warrant. That said, it’s probably more believable than any I might have imagined. It’s just that’s it’s more a dessert coffee than a full blown slice of cake.

Regardless, this is one of the best anime series I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I love it. Like Welcome to the NHK, this is one I fully plan on watching again. Check it out. You won’t be sorry.

The DVD

Like NIS’s previous volume of Toradora, volume 2 delivers the final twelve episodes with a crisp anamorphic transfer, and clear Japanese audio track. The DVDs do not feature an English dub, but the subtitles are top notch, and the Japanese voice acting is totally amazing.

And as with the previous volume, NIS’s Toradora Volume 2 DVD set comes in a hard-case long box, featuring an art book and two-slimline amray cases. The art book is slim hardback containing character bios, plot summaries, and interviews with the voice actors and series creators. It’s really quite cool. The episode summaries are presented in the form of a fake school newspaper, complete with editorial comments on current developments, and speculation on future events. The book also features a number of “key point” callouts, pointing out various key phrases and events in individual episodes. These are a bit like the culture notes you see in most fansubs, though not quite as in depth. Certain jokes are called out and explained in the book, such as various Japanese puns, which, while interesting to have translated, might have more relevance in supplemental subtitles. There were a few things I noticed while watching, such as a joke about Golgo 13, and another about UFO noodles which also could have benefited from such coverage.

The interviews contained in the book are pretty in depth, and there are a number of infographics depicting the various states of interpersonal relationships as the narrative progresses. Think a series of color-coded, directed graphs, depicting who likes who, and who is having issues with someone else. It’s actually kind of fun. Lastly, the art itself. It’s Toradora. It looks great.

In terms of DVD extras, the DVD contains the final episodes of Hurray for Gourmands chibi segments. These largely nonsensical food segments are hilarious to watch, but will leave you scratching your head more than anything. Be sure to watch all of them in order to discover the final fate of Inkochan.

All in all, this is a totally awesome DVD set. I’d say pick one up for yourself, and one for a friend you care about. This show rocks.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been an off and on anime fan since the days of Streamline Pictures. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.