Toradora! 2: Ryuji And Taiga

And suddenly, a zigzagging of events turned nearly half the manga’s volume into just an episode. Well, does that mean we’re going sort of 13 episodes again? If so, then this is a good time to wrap things up into just an episode without losing the important bits. This one nearly got away with it.

MUSSELS!

Taiga starts hanging around Ryuji’s home, much to Ryuji’s chagrin. Yasuko doesn’t bother about the new “resident”, even though Ryuji doesn’t approve it. Ryuji can’t say no, though. Taiga is his only link to Kushieda Minori. Saying no would have to mean whamming yourself in an iron wall. That also goes for Taiga, but I don’t know if Ryuji even has the balls.

And so, they then devise plans to get their crushes for attention. The first plan: “Be-partners-with-them” plan! The plan is to pass balls forcefully to each other, and intentionally avoid catching them for the ball to hit the partners of both Yusaku and Minori. Okay, seems like a sound plan, but I don’t get it. I mean, they could’ve asked them persons in question instead! Not to mention a failed catch and pass, which resulted in Taiga getting a bloody nose (which is sadistically moe in a way).

Moepwnt is moe.

And so the plans go out like missiles from the silo, only to fail hitting their marks every single time. JUST AS PLANNED? I don’t think so. It’s not like you can consecutively hit the PHAIL button, though that would be plausible a feat. I kind of disliked the Taiga stairfall scene here. Didn’t get as much emphasis compared to the manga version (which showed a bit of Ryuji coolness amidst a tinge of AN HERO implications). And with every single one foiled, anybody would think their undying attention to each other is fishy.

Manly enough, but failed to hit the spot.

Rumors. They spread like wildfire just by word of mouth. I’ve tasted the brunt of it, and I tell you, IT STINGS. This just proves the point on the duo’s case. The whole campus is starting to talk about why the Palmtop Tiger and Dragon Eyes Boy would always be seen together. Lovers? Couples? AND EVEN SEX?! No wonder nobody can resist the gossip! The issue’s as controversial as the persons involved, let alone take note a duo that personifies fear in school.

It’s just like trolling: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE FEED FOR THE CAUSE.

The final blow was struck when Minori calls out for Ryuji and Taiga, and then proceeds to tell Ryuji to take care of Taiga. Oioi, that was quick! Ryuji and Taiga try to reason out, only to get the nail hammered all the more by Yusaku. Bastard’s laughing maniacally, too. Someone throw TEH B&HAMMER!

STOP! HAMMER TIEM!

This puts the two at their limits. It seems that everything they try won’t work, and sometimes it would reek of PHAIL before anything could be started. Cookies would taste bad, they would get hit by the ball they could’ve intentionally dodged, and they would whore themselves over a single misunderstanding that a misplaced love letter would produce. What else could go wrong? If it seems that collaborated efforts won’t work, this may be a matter to be dealt alone, Taiga concludes. Of course, that would mean letting go of Ryuji regardless of the outcome, which worries Ryuji.

RAEG = Indiscriminate abuse of a nonliving object.

Ryuji then goes to school, only to find a wrecked classroom, courtesy of Taiga. Classmates just got their lesson taught, he guessed. But the most important item in the list is still Taiga. Ryuji knew every little failure Taiga had, and it begins to worry him now that she’s trying to do things her own way. He even ignored Minori for this, which may have garnered a sudden shock to watchers.

Ryuji then found Taiga and Yusaku, with the former mustering all her courage to confess to the latter, which she did. She got turned down, however, and the conversation ends with Yusaku saying something about being the best of friends. This baffles Taiga again, but this time, Ryuji comes with all his manly glory. He’s not a dog anymore. HE’S A DRAGON. EAT HIS MANLY FIREBALLS!

Thinking of revoicing, Minori?

I have to note the voicing, still. Hocchan is starting to be a bit iffy on Minori’s part, which still makes me go “…Huh?” sometimes. Kugyuu on the other hand still has that tingy tsundere voice coming in and out. Also, Satoshi Hino starring as a supporting role character only?! IS THIS EVEN ACCEPTABLE?! I DON’T THINK SO!

Anyways, Minori ep on preview. Not much for screencaps, but I’ll leave the idea to you.