Lately for the anime highlights I have been picking the darker, action  packed animes.  Every once in awhile I need a funny, sweet anime to watch.  For this anime highlight, I’ve decided to highlight the romantic comedy of Toradora!  Check out this awesome fan trailer by Sweety Mina on youtube below:

Toradora is the story that centers on the lives of two characters that come from opposite ends of the spectrum.  The first is Taiga Aisaka, the petite rich girl who has an infamous temper and has garnered the nickname palm top tiger in her high school.  Even her teachers see her as a problem child.  Taiga is feisty, temperamental and is not afraid to knock a guy out as she does to the second main character in the very first episode. But she also has a very sentimental side as she has a crush on a well liked boy in her class, Yusaku Kitamura, who happens to be the second main character’s best friend.

Taiga Aisaka.

The second character in question is Ryuji Takasu.  He comes from a lower class family, lives with a single mom who works late, and essentially takes care of himself.  He’s tall and he has a face that most people mistake as being mean and thug like.  Ryuji is nothing like that.  Instead, he is kind and quiet and is madly in love with a girl named Minori Kushieda, who happens to be Taiga’s best friend.

Ryuji Takasu

Taiga and Ryuji make a pact with each other to help each other win over the people they like (Kitamura and Kushieda) and cover each other’s backs.  At first, Taiga sees Ryuji as her loyal servant and dog, but throughout the series this relationship begins to change.  We see Taiga starting to realize as does Ryuji that maybe the perfect person for them is the one person that has been right next to them the entire time.

What I liked about this was how sweet and funny it was.  It had me rolling in parts as they tried to come up with plans to win their love interest’s heart.  And there were times that were really sad especially with concerns both Taiga and Ryuji’s parents.  And when you add in Ami Kawashima, friend to Kitamura and a model, who starts to like Ryuji, it makes the story so much more interesting. Kitamura is kind and you understand why Taiga likes him, but he is the first to really see the relationship blossoming between Taiga and Ryuji even before they are aware of it.

Ryuji and Taiga.

And then there is the quirky, funny, energetic and oftentimes dense Minori Kushieda (Ryuji’s love interest).  Ryuji never seems to get through to her, and it can lead to some really funny moments.

Minori Kushieda

I also loved the progression of the relationships and how the dynamics between these five teenagers change and grow throughout the series.  It was moving and realistic as Taiga and Ryuji come to realize their feelings for each other.  So if you want something really sweet, funny and full of drama, check out Toradora!