OP Sequence

OP: 「プレパレード 」 (Pre-Parade) by 釘宮理恵, 堀江由衣, 喜多村英梨 (Kugimiya Rie, Horie Yui, Kitamura Eri)
Watch the OP!: Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Streaming

For a seiyuu group song, this isn’t bad, but I didn’t like it that much – certainly not as much as the ED. At least the visuals were pretty colorful.

Summary:

Because of Ryuuji’s promise to help her, Taiga has started coming over to his house for breakfast and is having him make her lunches. They run into Minori on their way to school, and when Minori starts to misunderstand from seeing the two of them together, Taiga claims that they only met by coincidence. This leads Ryuuji to realize that in order to succeed with Minori, he’ll first have to get Taiga and Kitamura together. Their initial plan takes place during gym class: Ryuuji and Taiga pair up to toss a basketball around with the goal of Ryuuji throwing a basketball at Kitamura’s partner. He would then rush that person to the infirmary, allowing Taiga to re-pair up with Kitamura. Unfortunately, to complicate matters, Kitamura also partners up with a girl, and Taiga ends up getting distracted, so she doesn’t avoid the basketball in time and instead gets hit in the face. The next plan involves Taiga giving Kitamura some cookies she baked during home economics class, but Kitamura is in a rush, so Taiga has to chase him. In doing so, she accidentally slips on the stairs, and Ryuuji has to catch her, but her cookies go flying out the window. This latest failure depresses Taiga because she feels that she can’t succeed, so Ryuuji tries to make her feel better by eating all the ruined cookies and saying that they were delicious.

Unfortunately, a new obstacle soon develops for the two: because of how much they’re together, their class has started to believe that Taiga and Ryuuji are a couple. The rumors quickly spread to Minori, and she takes the two onto the rooftop so that she can formally ask Ryuuji to take care of Taiga. To make matters worse, Kitamura is there as well, and he also misunderstands. Both Taiga and Ryuuji are heavily depressed afterward, and Taiga even apologizes to Ryuuji because she feels responsible. She had been living alone because she had not gotten along with her own parents and had felt at home at his house. She feels that no one understands her, and she takes her frustrations out on a utility pole by kicking it. Ryuuji joins her, and their kicking eventually causes the pole to slant a little. This small victory causes Taiga to decide that she’ll confess her feelings to Kitamura, and she claims that Ryuuji can stop being her dog. Along those lines, she declares that, starting from tomorrow, the two of them will just be classmates who live next door to each other, and she then bids Ryuuji farewell, leaving behind her lunch box.

The next day, Taiga doesn’t come over for breakfast, and when Ryuuji sees her at school, she doesn’t speak with him. What Taiga does do though is to raise a huge commotion in the class so that everyone knows that she and Ryuuji aren’t a couple, and even Minori apologizes to Ryuuji for her misunderstanding. Taiga then calls Kitamura outside so that she can confess to him, and Ryuuji just happens to overhear it all because he’s on the stairwell. Before she can say that she likes him, Kitamura first asks if Taiga is going out with Ryuuji. Taiga responds by denying that she likes Ryuuji, but she also admits that she doesn’t hate him either, and she notes how he made her delicious fried rice, cheered her up, and stayed with her. It was because Ryuuji was with her that she is able finally confess her feelings to Kitamura now. Kitamura, however, misinterprets her confession to mean that she wants to be friends, and that leaves her in shocked silence. After Kitamura is gone, Ryuuji reveals himself and asks Taiga what she’s going to do. She’s ready to go home, so Ryuuji offers to make her dinner, but Taiga claims not to want his help anymore. Ryuuji, however, feels that he can’t leave her alone, and he decides that he’s not a dog – he’s a dragon. Since old times, dragons have ranked up with tigers, and so he’ll continue to be by her side as a dragon.

All this – including the fact that Ryuuji called her by her given name instead of by her family name – shocks Taiga, and the only way she can think of responding is by kicking him. She returns to her normal bossy self and starts ordering him around again, but she’s secretly happy that he called her Taiga.

Preview

I’m a bit split about this episode. On one hand, it’s a bit worrisome that they went through a ton of material this episode – three and half chapters of the novels or eight chapters of the manga – and a lot of what was covered (the basketball scene, the confession scene) was condensed/abridged. On the other hand, I’m really beginning to like the anime adaptation’s chemistry between Taiga and Ryuuji, and the pole-kicking and confession scenes were pretty well done. A lot of that is because of the strong visuals and music – it’s not an amazing soundtrack on its own, but they’re choosing the right songs to convey the right feelings for the particular scenes. Overall, this a good episode, but I suspect a lot of manga or novel readers won’t be too pleased at the stuff cut out.

In any case, I’m not completely sold on the series yet, so I’m not going to hold off from committing to blogging it until I watch the premiere of Michiko to Hatchin next week.

60 Comments

  1. Haha, I love this show, after reading the light novels I fell and the manga I was so psyched to hear they made this into an anime xD AND the voice of Shana PLAYS THE PALMTOP TIGER w00t!

    Gabe
  2. I’ve never read the manga or the novels myself so this story is completely new to me. I’ve had the pleasure of watching two episodes now, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. It would be a shame if you didn’t blog this further, but then I can understand your reasons for not doing so. That being said, I shall continue watching this while the story appeals to me.

    Adam
  3. Well, it’s not an utter massacre yet, but at the same time they lost some of the subtext which established that those two (Ryuuji and Taiga) don’t see one another in a romantic way, but at the same time are practically joined at the hip because they understand and accept one another; which is more than their respective crushes tend to do. Kitamura accepts everything, while Minorin doesn’t really understand Taiga. Plus, Aisaka does appreciate the attention and the almost-family thing she has with Ryuuji and his mother, which is something she’s not had from her own family.

    Haesslich
  4. this was a funny episode…

    @Meido-san
    I dont think so, well if u look at it in terms of the manga then yes they basically covered the first 2 volumes already and i think there are only 2 volumes so far…

    but since this is a novel adaptation(right- i think so) i think its a good pace, now they can bring the other characters in and let all the interactions occur.

    well lets just see it through and see if this makes us happy happy or just happy.

    Chimasternmay
  5. Oh on another note Michiko to Hatchin looks pretty….unique? interesting? decent to say the least looks like a cross between samurai champloo and early dragonball but bulma and goku switched spots……
    I was also wondering if your not going to blog Ef this time around 😛

    Hei
  6. they cut a hell of a lot of material. They wrapped up a whole book in 2 episodes. I’m guessing they’ll slow the pace from here on, but if they don’t we could be in for a zero no tsukaima style massacring of the story.

    ruffles
  7. I’m actually glad they decided to fast forward to the pole-kicking scene. To me that was the pivotal scene in the manga that changed my opinion of the series for the better because it provided me with a much better understanding of Taiga’s character. I was actually hoping they wouldn’t spend too much time on the stuff that came before.

    Lyi
  8. ………….

    ok they sort of…. toned down lots of the cute scenes A LOT!!!!!!!!!

    LIKE CRAZY TONED DOWN

    atleast comparing it to the manga….

    the manga had it much much more cuter IMO, the scene at the end was done way different and it was way more dramatic… the scene with the cookies was much more cuter because they actually tasted really bad cause she mixed up the sugar with salt and he instead lies to her saying they good, they toned the the funnyness of when everyone suspects they are a couple, they toned down the cute mistakes she makes during the confession kinda like the fact it was in a different location, they toned down the cuteness of the whole day where they are helping each other and skipped through that ALOT, they toned down the POLE scene alot compared to the manga and how he joined her also to help her vent….

    so ya…. TONED THE HELL DOWN out of lots of scenes… leaving me highly disappointed as I was really eager to looking forward to them ESPECIALLY the scene at the end which feels way more dramatic in the manga…. *sigh* I’m probably gonna drop this show now lol and just read the novels…. my disappointment is that high

    Putang
  9. I really don’t care about the junk they skipped in the manga. Most of it was boring as hell anyway. Its definitely turning out to be more interesting at the least since they used up most of the manga material in the first 2 eps. At this rate all of it will be gone by the 4th or 5th eps. This is how it should be. Waiting for half the series to be over for a cruddy confession is stupid. Hopefully they can make up some greatness to follow after eps 6.

    Megas
  10. Well does anyone know how many eps this series have?I mean they should have enough for 24 if they go by the novel but it looks like 12 or 13 if its this fast.It would be a shame if they skip too novel material since I liked every part of it.

    tabs05
  11. I just watched the raw and there was hardly any impact in all the scenes that were supposed to be dramatic/romantic.What was that?Super abridged version?They skipped too much and it felt so rushed that they tried to cover the first volume in 2 episodes. The episode just felt like it was everywhere and it would have been better if they just focused on a certain chapter rather than try to squeeze everything in but still fall flat.

    tabs05
  12. How can they put a lot of chapters of the manga into a SINGLE episode? i must say that i’m really excited to see the adaptation since i read a bit of the manga but how far will this series go? i don’t know what happens next but since i read the manga… i think i’ll feel that a lot of “info” will be removed lol

    sk3
  13. It feels like they are rushing to the 2nd Vol. so they can introduce Ami. But then again the next episode looks/feels like an anime original. If they do 3 episodes per novel + the 2 already done for the 1st one then they can do 23. Throw in some anime original episodes and I think it’s doable.

    Vinn
  14. I didn’t like the light novels much. Got bored after 1 1/3 volumes, which kind sucked since I bought 3 volumes. It just seemed so repetitive for some reason and the jokes got old really fast.

    That said, I liked the first two episodes. Probably because the pacing is quite good. This could be a nice 12-13 episode series if they move things along quickly.

    Meh
  15. On a positive note, they eliminated alot of the annoying tsunderes scenes and into the relationship. Having only read the manga, the next episode will be a nice surprise no matter what happens.

    Irie
  16. i hav nooo idea, who will end up as a couple, even new characters will be introduce in the near future – i never read the novel – but i really hope, that taiga and ryuuji will somehow manage to like each other, to that extend, that they will want to be a couple (althought i can’t see that really happening i still root for it).

    it’s not another Lovely Complex anime (lovcom was soooo great, satisfaction in nearly all points)so i can’T get my hopes high.

    tommykn
  17. i didn’t read the manga or the novel, but i found the anime not too fast paced, and the scenes were pretty well done. i’m already hooked onto toradora, because taiga is too cute XD

    konakona
  18. @ konakona

    if you didn’t read the manganor the novel, how can you be able to say that the anime is not too fast paced ? you have nothing to compare it to.

    perhaps, you could say, that you like the way the story developes.

    i watched the first episode and after that i read many people, who read the manga flaming the pacing of the anime, so i decided to read the manga.
    after reading manga and watching episode 2 i realised, that everyone was right.
    if u know the manga before you watch the anime you get a little bit disappointed.

    if this is a romance/comedy than the manga focuses more on romance and the anime on comedy. while i could laught at the anime i was touched by the manga.

    i think it’s good the way it is. tiger x dragon

    tommykn
  19. I like this one. Not sure why, but I do. Well, for one, how many times do we have a manga/anime where a boy and a girl team up to help the other win over the person they like just to discover they actaully like each other.

    draksig
  20. Ugh… Well that was rushed. The lamppost scene had the completely wrong mood in my opinion. Taiga was too cheerful when she told Ryuuji that he wasn’t needed anymore. Plus the whole kicking the lamppost didn’t even symbolize anything since they didn’t show Ryuuji’s thoughts nor any emotion between him and Taiga. Taiga doesn’t even say the half of the things she says in the novel that make the scene great. Sigh I have a whole list of complaints and can’t even write them all. Should have known they would slaughter one of the best scenes in the novel.

    Fayted
  21. @fayted – I think the overall pace is hurting the necessary dramatic buildup. The confession scene lost much of it’s impact when compared to the manga. Just like the lamp post scene, we didn’t get Ryuuji’s thoughts on why Tiaga is misunderstood and far more insecure than she lets on. They did highlight a move in the relationship between the two with the closing smile. Since we are now moving into stories from the light novel’s, I can’t wait for the next episode.

    Irie
  22. Shitsux compared to the manga, I was just pissed at how they ruined all the good scenes because of the pacing. In the lamppost scene for example, Taiga is much more depressed and is crying(while Ryuuji pats her head), she even hurts her foot from the last kick and Ryuuji has to carry her home. Well, I shouldn’t have expected anything else, looking back at the recent JC Staff shows.

    illusion
  23. I’m surprised no one has mentioned this despite many having read the manga: Taiga actually confessed to Kitamura one year ago from her confession on this episode, that’s what he meant with: Do you remember? about one year ago…

    I was really expecting this part, cause it totally surprised me when I read it, and somehow I wanted a better explanation of that incident, yet they completely avoided it in the anime, maybe they mean to leave a feeling that anything may happen later…

    Anyhow, here’s a little extract from Baka Tsuki’s translated novel:

    Kitamura: “Yeah, and do you remember? It was exactly at this time last year that I confessed to you. I remember saying how I was smitten by your beauty and your directness in expressing your anger, I think.”

    Taiga: “… Yes, I remember! How could I… forget? It was strange confession, only Kitamura-kun could have pulled it off. From that point on, every time when you came to our class to find Minorin to discuss club matters, I would always think, ‘Ah… that was you…’ I remember everything!”

    Kitamura: “So you do remember! Since you never seemed to notice my existence, I had thought you had forgotten already! I confessed to you back then because I thought you were really beautiful, but when you started to hang out with Takasu, you looked even more captivating… because you would always have such very interesting expressions.”

    That certainly leaves a different impression from what we saw in the anime.

    Aside from that the only thing I resent from the adaptation is that Taiga seems more tsun tsun here, and to me, that hurts the fans’ perspective of her relationship with Takasu, which is warmer and cuter in the manga/novels much like a friendship born from individuals who sympathize with one another because they understand well what the other is going through…

    LifeCarrier
  24. I’m starting to like this anime more and more. Again, I’m wondering why it was mentioned that the confession was misinterpreted, because the show clearly shows (at least to me) that Kitamura is perfectly aware that Taiga is doing, but he just wants to stay friends. Perhaps he wants to give Ryuuji a chance, since some potential there.

    But seriously, the anime is grand. There is little of the normal protagonist stereotypes to be seen there and the pacing is nice. They also get the mood right everytime.

    Don’t know about the manga or the novel, but if you consider that anime pacing is a completely different matter altogether ánd they probably have less ‘actual anime time’ to convey all the feelings needed, it’s good that they cut out stuff. Speaking as someone only seeing the anime, it’s great.

    SpacyRicochet
  25. yeah.. i had to agree that it was too fast.. maybe they want to speed up Ami’s introduction.. hehe.. i am looking forward to that.. ^^, i’m enjoying the anime as much as the light novels.. =p

    Thousand Master
  26. I wasn’t interested in the anime that much when I saw the manga or when I read the first episode because Taiga is such a typical tsundere character and I don’t usually like tsundere that much. Mainly because Louise really annoyed me with her tsundere-ness in Zero no Tsukaima. However, I change my opinion when I see the second episode because Taiga’s character is not just the plain mean tsundere.

    Although I felt that they rush through stuff quite fast, they actually manage to give Taiga and Ryoji a certain chemistry that really makes me want to cheer for them.

    Kaitune
  27. i dont mind people not liking the pacing because of the fact that they read the manga, but i dont really want people to hate the story because of that fact. yes, they might have skipped a lot of stuff, but picture if you never read the manga, because from what i have seen so far, the pacing isnt bad at all, and they are getting everything across just fine. for manga readers, they may have that thought in the back of their minds that “there was more to that scene” or “they skipped over that too quickly” but really you are only thinking about in terms of the information the manga provided, if you just look at the anime, it wasnt confusing, it wasnt rushed in a way that it stole the scene of emotion, (you might think it did because in the manga they expanded the scene, but if they get the point across in a good manner with less bulk, that doesnt make it bad, …just different), and in the end, i absolutely love the fact that they didnt waste 6 episodes before they got to the confession, i hate when stories drag that part out forever. to me, this is a great start and cant wait to see what happens next.

    GGear0323
  28. damn, they really condensed it hard. Missed alot of the subtleties that made the novel good. Don’t know if i’ll still be watching this or not…

    on another note the first chapter on the 3rd novel translation is taking forever!!!

    typed

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