- We all know that Toradora! was likely going to be a predictable series judging by the description. The whole matchmaker plot doesn't fool anybody. But, because of the way it was executed, it got much love in 2006 and the present day. It lives on in our hearts, because of the characters and/or the story arks, whichever you prefer to judge by. We all knew that Taiga Aisaka and Ryuji Takasu would end up together, but very few people could've guessed it happening in such a way. It was a mess, a very intrguing mess that caused fans to watch it til the end. It is not the best romance series ever, but it is one of my favorites. Certainly.
- Many people didn't like it for obvious reasons:
- Taiga's mean to Ryuji.
- Ryuji takes the abuse.
- The crushes in the show are strangely developed (ex. Ryuji for Minori, Taiga's for Yusaku)
- Minori pops out with a big "I always loved Ryuji" at the end.
- She cried at the climax and no one is 100% sure why.
- Taiga used her broken family as an excuse for her pompous behavior.
- Ryuji's "scary" appearance is a thing, but it barely affects the plot in a significant way. It's just a quirk.
- Ami wasted everyone's time with her bad attitude and made things complicated.
- Yusaku barely has characterization.
So anyway, those things are definitely problems that could have made the series more enjoyable if they weren't pleasant, but I excepted these flaws because of the upsides. The character development, the growing feelings: Taiga admitting to her stubborness and stupidity, Ami admitting to making things worse, Minori and Taiga having platonic feelings for each other (as they are friends)..etc.
It's the little things that the author did that made the series really special for me, and many other people.