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My girlfriend wished to watch the show with me. And while I realized this is on of the "I fell in love with the person who will definitely reject me" Series, I don't have actually a problem with the thematic or Romance/Slice of Life in general. I lenjoyed Nagi no Asakura and Glasslip, also two Series with a similar thematic of falling in love with the person you will most likely never date.

But there was something I disliked throughout my time with Toradora. I was, and this is really uncommon, stressed. Yes, I was annoyed by a lot of Characters. Yes, it is the structure ... of the Series that the Characters behave sometimes stupid or naive, but Toradora is a whole different Level. What annoyed me most was, Characters like Minori were the most part hyperactive or even way to aggressive. The Series is very good in to teach you, when you have problems, just run away everything will fix from itself in the end.

Of course there are a lot of good things in Toradora too. Yes, with the exception of Minori, the Characters are quite likeable. The Queen of Tsundere, Taiga, is cute enough to continue watching the show (but she too is very complicated at times). The Animations are quite nice considering it's a show from 2008 with 25 Episodes. The Animations are fluid and the Character-Designs extreme solid. But there is a chance you will confuse Ami with Sumire sometimes.

The story itself can be told in about 13 Episodes or less. There are enough Clichés to fill a bathtub. There isn't enough interesting developments when it comes to the Characters. But especially after watching Nage no Asakura, which ending was highly disappointing, you will get a reward at the end of Toradora. It may not what you wished for, but the ending is kinda cute in some ways.


Verdict:

I may give the Light Novel a shot, but I don't think this will be a whole different experience. Toradora is a solid Anime. It would be more enjoyable if the Characters would behave a litte smoother. Like I said, they are stressful and overly complicated/overreacting. Maybe the Series is a little more for the female watchers because they are able to understand the female Characters better. But most likely, it was just my own taste here. All in all, give the Series a chance if you like the Genre, but don't expect anything new here. In my opinion, you will find a lot of Series in this Genre which will add more to your enjoyment.

It's not easy, staning in the shadows of a mastermind. Well, the same goes for Isao Takahata. He is not only one of the Co-Founder of the Studio Ghibli, he also is the man for the "Different Works". He proofed this with one of the greatest animated classics ever, Grave of the Firflies. It was the first time Studio Ghibli made a movie with such a thematic, and it was their last. That haven't changed, not even in 2014.

But Takahata is not only known for "Grave of the Firieflies". He made other fine movies like "Only Yesterday" or the most unique Ghibli Work "My Neighbors ... the Yamadas". To sad, all these movies are underrated. It's such a pain to see Takahatas work for Ghibli is not so much appreciated compared to Hayao Miyazakis work.

For me, Pom Poko is equal to the great works of Miyazaki. Maybe, he surpasses Miyazakis work in this movie. The art ist stunning, I've never seen in an animated movie (besides of Chihiro) so much love and magic. The dialogues are packed full of funny moments but it is the Story, the Moral itself, which stands out in this movie. Pom Poko is not an obvious Tearjerker like "Grave of the Fireflies". You have to go deep into yoruself to fully understand the Moral of Pom Poko. It's such a nice mix of traditional japanese lifestyle and pahntastic myths from the old Japan. And yes, I've almost shed a tear at the end of the movie.

At the time of it's release, Pom Poko was on the Shortlist for an Academy Award. And I will not debate, this movie deserved an Oscar. Maybe this is the most underrated Ghibli Movie ever created. Don't let all these disappointed Reviews disappoint yourself. If you like Ghibli, no, if you like magic, animated movies and a great story, you will love Pom Poko.