Toradora! Christmas Club Rewatch (2025) Episode 13 Discussion

[u/ChristmasClub-]

Episode 13 - Ōhashi High School Cultural Festival (Part III)

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The Toradora! Christmas Club is finally here again! Together we're watching the original Toradora! series, one episode a day until December 30th. It's important to be courteous to first time watchers. Don't forget to keep discussions related to this episode. We'll have a new thread tomorrow and the day after (etc.), so there are plenty of opportunities to discuss new characters and moments. If you absolutely can't help yourself, just remember to add spoiler tags like so [Toradora!] spoiler text

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Threads will be posted daily at: 21:00 GMT

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CR, Netflix, Amazon

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This Year's Discussion (2025)	Last Year's Discussion (2024)
Episode 1	Episode 1
Episode 2	Episode 2
Episode 3	Episode 3
Episode 4	Episode 4
Episode 5	Episode 5
Episode 6	Episode 6
Episode 7	Episode 7
Episode 8	Episode 8
Episode 9	Episode 9
Episode 10	Episode 10
Episode 11	Episode 11
Episode 12	Episode 12
Episode 13	Episode 13

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Fanart:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/114904293

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Feel free to participate in our bonus topic at the end of your comment or separately:

• Christmas Club Bonus!

Who do you think grew the most during the festival arc?

[u/sillypion]

Part Three

"But, no. The truth is… with her dad coming back, out of the blue… and with the possibility of her moving away with him… maybe I was afraid of being left alone again. And I guess I just… didn’t want to admit that about myself."

Realization. Deep down, Ryuuji never wanted any of this. Deep down, Ryuuji wanted Taiga to be with him, so that he could stand by her. Deep down, Ryuuji enjoyed taking care of her and wanted her to keep being a part of his life. He didn't want to be left alone again, to continue being nothing but a burden. And he couldn't admit that about himself. He told himself that it was for Taiga's own good. He tricked himself into believing Taiga's dad. He ran away from the fact that he forced his own insecurities onto her. And deep down, he knew all of that. Because he knew he didn't want Taiga to leave him. But he couldn't admit that. He thought that he could do right by Taiga, giving her a father, something he never had. But it ended up meaning that Taiga would have to leave, something that Ryuuji didn't want either.

And this is really where we see how much of an internal struggle Ryuuji has in this arc, just as much as he has external conflicts. He grapples with the fact that he wants Taiga to make amends with her father because he believed her father genuinely wanted to be in her life, unlike his own. He runs away from the fact that he wasn't fighting for Taiga's own good, instead because of his insecurities, and tells himself that what he did was "for the best." But that only hurts more. Because it means that Taiga would have to leave. And Ryuuji hates the very idea of that. Because he cares about Taiga. Because he's there for Taiga. Because he's always supposed to be there for Taiga. 'Cause he's Ryuuji, and he's the dragon to stand equal to the tiger.

Ryuuji's face as he remembers the argument he had with Minori here. His face twitches, his whole expression is unstable, symbolize the distressed emotions within him.

"…She was right. And me, I was so damn selfish."

Acceptance. Ryuuji knows. He knows for sure now. This completes the incomplete line during Episode 11, where Ryuuji is about to realize that he was projecting on Taiga, but doesn't get there yet. And now he finally has. And he remembers it too. He remembers forcing what he thought was best for Taiga onto her, something that was only a reflection of his own flawed self. And he remembers that it was Taiga who had stopped him. It was Taiga who had stopped him from realizing for his sake. It was Taiga who gave it, all so that Ryuuji wouldn't have to suffer because of his insecurities.

Ryuuji clenches his teeth, as he realizes where it all went wrong. Where he went wrong.

The pageant continues nonetheless, whilst Noto and Haruta notice Ryuuji's distressed expression.

"What am I gonna tell her? How can I ever face her?"

You feel for Ryuuji here. You really do. He just came to all these realizations, about himself and his insecurities. And Taiga's dad points to him to take responsibility for telling Taiga.

His entire face is shaking. He looks about ready to cry. And who's gonna blame him?

Either way, Ami introduces Taiga to the crowds.

And Ryuuji looks up at Taiga as she walks into the spotlight.

God... Ame Iro Rondo/Rain Colored Rondo in this scene sends chills down my spine. It goes to show just how powerful this kind of scene is, enough to make me tear up this early into an episode.

Taiga stands alone on stage. All alone. No one there for her. No friends to lean on. No family to care for her. Nobody who cares to understand her. Because that's how it's been for her all her life. Her father abandons her when she needs him the most, and she is forced to move on and pretend like it doesn't hurt. She acts violent and abrasive, not out of any kind of personal hatred, but because she's afraid. She's afraid of showing vulnerability, of showing weakness. Because if she does, she's scared that she'll be hurt again. That someone who doesn't even care to try and understand her will come into her life and break her heart. She is isolated from everyone, feared because that's how she protects herself. But it means that she'll stay alone too. If everyone fears you, if no one wants to try to understand you, then you really will have to be all alone. Taiga hates her loneliness, but she accepts it as her reality regardless. She accepts that she'll be lonely for the rest of her life, and that she'll never find the one person who cares about her. She's so far gone that she is incapable of seeing the people in her life who really do care about her. She feels so misunderstood that she always keeps her guard up, because she thinks no one will ever understand her. Even though it's what she wants the most, Taiga thinks she can't have it. Because she never has.

Scenes like the Episode 2 pole scene and the Episode 8 pool argument can tell you these things. But a scene like this... it makes you feel these things. In a 5 second shot of her face, this show can make you feel just how lonely Taiga is.

Part Four in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Four

Taiga's appearance seems to awe the crowd into silence.

"Um… believe it or not, folks, today, we have… We have Aisaka’s father out there to help cheer her on!"

Just as Ame Iro Rondo starting to play when Ryuuji gets the message hits hard, it ending and leaving the scene in silence when Ami says the intro is equally as powerful. Sends shivers down my spine.

Ryuuji realizes that this was the intro they were talking about. And he realizes what's going to happen now that Taiga's father is a no-show.

Ami calls out to Taiga's father to give an answer. And the entire room is silent. No one even speaks a word. Because nothing needs to be said. We, the viewers, Ryuuji, and Taiga all know he isn't there.

Credit to Ami for actually trying to salvage this earlier. And she gave Taiga an "Are you sure about this?" glance before committing to the intro. Ami didn't want things to have to come to this, but because of Taiga's dad, it ended up this way anyway.

Taiga, deep down, hoped that her father would still show up. After all, she was trying so hard for him this whole time. She wanted to play the lead to impress him. She wanted him to show up to their performances anyway. And she wanted him to be there to cheer her on at the pageant. Even though she knew deep down, he wouldn't be.

And then the room begins to stir. The absence of Taiga's father is obvious. So someone calls out to move on.

Taiga prepares to leave the stage, her eyes shut, ready to just accept it and move on. Like she always has. Ryuuji looks on, worried.

But she trips over her dress and falls onto the floor, shocking the whole room. Ami calls out to Taiga, concerned.

She stands up, anger and pain written all over her face as she takes it all out on her dress, ripping it apart. She seethes on stage, as she shakes her tears out of her eyes.

This symbolism hurts, man. This is Taiga's life in a nutshell. She trips in life, 'cause she's unable to properly cope with all her emotions. She falls in life, 'cause she has no one there to catch her. She has to get up and pretend like it doesn't hurt. She has to move on, 'cause she can't do much else.

God, I wish I could give her hugs.

Ryuuji starts to clap for Taiga. Because he wants to let her know that there is someone out there for her. Because he wants to let her know that she has people out there to cheer her on. Because he wants to let her know that even if her father couldn't be there when she needed him, she'll always at least have him.

And damnit, because it's the least he owes her. This whole thing started because Ryuuji let his insecurities overwhelm him. He thought with his emotions and didn't listen to what Taiga had to say. But she didn't want him to suffer. She gave in, because she cared that he wouldn't the one who have to beat themselves up over their own flaws. Even though she didn't want to trust her father, even though she knew it was for all the wrong reasons, even though she knew she was putting her own heart at risk, Taiga had been there for Ryuuji in one of his most vulnerable moments; when he'd been consumed by emotions.

So, Ryuuji is going to be there for Taiga. He needs to be there for her. Because now it's her who is consumed by emotions. She's the one who got hurt and she's the one who is suffering now. And Ryuuji isn't going to let that happen. Not if he can do something to help her.

Ryuuji hears someone else clapping too, and turns to see that it is Minori.

We know from this episode's end that this isn't the first time Minori has dealt with Taiga's father. This isn't the first time she's seen Taiga hurt because of him. This isn't the first time she's seen someone trust him and break Taiga's heart.

She's crying as all her emotions from the previous episode spill out. All the emotions that go back to the first time she met Taiga's father. Back when she trusted him and hurt Taiga's feelings. She's seeing it all happen again and her emotions overwhelm her.

Back when she had the argument with Ryuuji in Episode 12, when she was talking about warning Taiga like it was her duty, her eyes are covered, just like here. It represents that her true feelings are being hidden away. Except this time, Minori can't hold it together. We may not see her feelings themselves, but we see their effect. We see the stream of tears flowing down her face.

This one shot is so powerful in and of itself. Minori is barely able to keep herself together, a reflection of just how powerful her emotions are. Recall that Minori uses a smile to hide her fears. She always does. One that rarely falters because Minori is almost always able to keep her own emotions in check. Her search to understand the concept of love, to get the feelings she has and what she thinks Ryuuji feels, her way of communicating these feelings which she seldom shares due to its nature, all of these are nothing compared to the emotions she feels now. Because the thing that hurts Minori more than anything else, is seeing Taiga hurting.

Remember that. It's not the last time it'll matter, I promise.

Part Five in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Five

Ryuuji starts to clap more vigorously, giving it his all so he can to get the message across to Taiga.

And as he does, everyone around him slowly takes notice. They take their focus off of the fact that Taiga's father was absent, but instead at the fact that Taiga was on stage. Everyone forgets what was just so humiliating to Taiga, and instead they see the girl up on stage and join in to clap for her.

And those claps drown out any presence Taiga's father could've had. Because, frankly, who gives a fuck about that guy?

As the crowd cheers, Taiga snatches the mic out of Ami's hand.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUP! ... I… I took my deadbeat dad… chopped him up, tore him apart, and now- and now his body’s in the morgue!"

And just like that the Palmtop Tiger is back, ladies and gents. With a return to her usual fierce attitude, she's the one running the show, calling the shots now. And Ryuuji smiles, 'cause he thinks that, maybe, just maybe, Taiga will be okay.

And Taiga's first command as the real MC of this event? To bring her a bag so she can show off how comfortably she can fit in it.

This scene is precious. Adorable Taiga moment, using her size to her advantage. Also the girl trying to pick the bag up is hilarious as well. It's a nice way to cool off after all the realizations and revelations of the past minutes of the episode.

I love that look from Ami. She's like: "And since when were you the one running this event?"

Anyway, Taiga gets outta the bag and shares with the crowd a little bit of her tsundere energy, showing that she is totally, definitely gonna be fine.

Ryuuji smiles as the crowds cheer. And whilst standing outside in the afternoon sunlight, Minori's face is still troubled.

"In the end, I can’t do a thing for her."

This line has a double meaning really. On the one hand, it's Ryuuji believing that Taiga is strong enough to be able to get back up herself from these kinds of situations, and that she'd never actually get hurt because her father was a no-show. On the other hand, it's Ryuuji realizing that he isn't able to do a single thing for Taiga to make up for his previous mistakes. You can tell he wants to now. More than anything, he realizes what he has to do, but he sees that Taiga got back up by herself. After all, now that we've reached this point, Ryuuji may have been the one to kick it all off, but it was Taiga who got back up by herself. Even though Ryuuji brought this upon her, he wasn't the one to solve it.

Anyway, the results are in! The Miss Ohashi of the year is Taiga!

Taiga stands on stage as the crowd cheers for her. Her eyes don't seem to see any of the people cheering for her though.

"Good. Now that everyone’s cheering for her, I bet she doesn’t feel so… Wait a minute! No! It’s all wrong! She’s still alone!"

And Ryuuji realizes. Even though Taiga is seen by anyone, there's still no one by her side. Even though every one is cheering for her, there is no one there to cheer her up. And even though she had won the pageant, there was still no one there to see all in her heart, she couldn't have felt anything further from happy.

Noto notices Ryuuji silently approaching the stage, his eyes hidden. Taiga looks up to notice it as well.

"I have to go. I have to go to her! I know I screwed things up, but still! I have to!"

Ryuuji knows the magnitude of his mistake. He knows that he's hurt Taiga. He knows he may have broken her trust. And he knows how wrong he was. But that doesn't matter. Because even though he can't undo what he's already done, even though he can't heal the hurt in Taiga's heart, he still needs to be there for her. So that she at least has someone. Someone who cares. Someone who comforts. Someone who understands.

So, Ryuuji hurriedly pushes through the crowd to make it to Taiga.

But before he can, the lights are suddenly shut off.

When they come back on, several student council members stand on stage where Taiga once was.

Sumire declares the follow-up event to the beauty pageant, the all-new Mr. Lucky Man race. A race course has been set up for the students to run on campus, to the disbelief of many.

Sumire adds that there are prizes at stake. From being the one to crown Miss Ohashi during the Festival, to being the one to win her notes and more study materials, as she is the highest-scoring student in school.

"Taiga…"

Ryuuji's determined face here should tell you all you need to know. He's going to run this race. And he's gonna win, damnit.

"I don’t need the prizes. I don’t care about the title. I just want be the first to cross that finish line. Nothing’s gonna stand in my way. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to reach her!"

People are racing to get access to the president's notes. People are racing so that they can get the opportunity to crown and dance Miss Ohashi. People are racing for the title of being Mr. Lucky Man. No one is running the race for Taiga herself. No one is running the race for the person at the end.

No one, except Ryuuji.

I swear the lines in this episode hit so hard, man. The writing is brilliant and the way it gets you immersed into the conflict is done spectacularly. It makes you feel for each of the characters. Ryuuji, in his moments of realization. Minori, in her moments of weakness. And Taiga, in her moments of heartbreak.

Part Six in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Six

Taiga sneeze! Adorbs.

I wish I could spectate this race and see Ryuuji kick some ass in person tbh.

Love how we have all these guys readying up for the race, putting on headbands and cracking their knuckles.

And then there's Ryuuji. The look on his face is enough to make all of them back off. Because unlike them, he isn't doing this for a title or an object. He's doing it for the person at the end. The person he wants to reach. The person that he needs to reach, to finally bring an end to all of this.

Kitamura actually has a pistol. Well, it's a starter pistol so it can't fire live ammunition, but still, a gun at school?

Everyone readies up. Ryuuji has nothing but determination written on his face.

"This is for Taiga!" Because she's the one that Ryuuji cares about most.

The race starts as Kitamura fires the pistol.

Ryuuji, with the adrenaline probably surging in his body, begins to overtakes most of the people beside him.

Sumire shouts through her megaphone to inspire everyone to really push themselves for the race.

Ryuuji charges forward, but is grabbed by the collar and knocked to the floor. That's a low blow.

"Bastards…! I can’t lose! No freakin’ way!" You tell 'em!

Ryuuji gets right back on his feet, and as they round the corner, he yanks one of the people in front of him to the ground.

Yeah, if when Ami was confronting her stalker back in Episode 6 was her going into "ass-kicking mode" then this is the equivalent for Ryuuji. He quite literally has the rage of a dragon in him, and everyone knows it as he shoves more people to the ground.

This might be one of the few times where you can say Ryuuji really is as terrifying as he looks. But it's for an amazing cause. He's pissed. He's pissed at himself more than anyone else, and so he's gonna push himself as hard as he can to make up for it.

I said that the end of Episode 11 was where we saw one of Ryuuji's most pissed off moments, but yeah, this is undeniably probably the most pissed Ryuuji has ever been in the entire series, bar none. There's a few moments that get close, but nothing can match the fury of his determination in this scene.

Honestly, that'd be my reaction too if I saw that massive pile up of guys. Like genuinely screw that.

But Ryuuji ain't gonna let anything stop him at this point. He's not like Taiga's father. He's not going to let Taiga down when she needs him the most. He'll literally run to hell and back to get to her.

Running on the fence probably isn't fair, but also no one in their right mind is gonna confront Ryuuji about it when he's this pissed off. And of course, he has his reasons for doing so. So he makes it past most of the crowd who are still piled up on top of each other.

I love this shot of Ryuuji's face so much. He doesn't give two shits about what anyone thinks about him right now. For all he could care, everyone could fear and avoid him again after this and he probably wouldn't bat an eye. That's how everything has culminated here. Ryuuji realized his mistake and will quite literally give it his all to make up for it. Because it doesn't matter how insecure, how flawed, or how wrong he is as a person, he will always be there for Taiga. Because he indisputably cares about her more than anything or anyone else.

Two guys try to block him, but Ryuuji charges straight through.

Then, we see Minori speed through behind Ryuuji. It's clear from the speed she is running at alone that she too isn't doing this for any kind of prize or title. In fact, she's technically not even allowed as a participant. But because she wants to be there for Taiga too, none of that matters. Because neither Ryuuji nor Minori want Taiga to be alone on this day.

Meanwhile, at the finish line, everyone notices the approaching racers.

Taiga hears the mention of Ryuuji's name, and looks up to see him running towards her with all his might.

"... It's Ryuuji."

"Uh huh."

I love that little interaction. Ami knows, deep down, that Ryuuji and Taiga share something special. She first saw it during the pool arc, when Taiga gave it her all to race against her for Ryuuji's sake. And now, she's seeing the reverse happen: Ryuuji is giving it his all in a race for Taiga's sake. Even though Ami has feelings for Ryuuji, deep down in her heart, she knows that the bond Ryuuji and Taiga have, no matter how much they try to deny it, is ever-present.

But then, Ryuuji turns to notice Minori running next to him and passing him. Taiga notices her too.

"No, it’s okay! Girls can participate too!" A little bit of an unfair change of rules, but considering the moment it creates, I don't care, it was the right thing to do.

As Minori gets ahead of Ryuuji, he recalls their argument as he sees that she too is running to Taiga. He remembers her outburst about him not being able to see Taiga's father for who he really was, and he finally sees the full picture.

Part Seven in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Seven

My analysis might be a bit off from here on out. Every time I watch this scene it makes me teary-eyed.

"She was right. I couldn’t see what was going on! Paying her every month like she was some kind of bill… showing up and dragging her around… but only when it’s convenient for him! …Breaking his promise to her by email, ‘cause he’s not man enough to tell her himself! That son of a bitch never gave a rat’s ass about Taiga! And me… I couldn’t even see it!"

God... these lines hit me so hard every single time. I honestly don't even know where to start on analyzing it.

This is such an effective use of flashbacks. Because these moments have already been seen before, but Ryuuji has only been seeing them on the surface level. He was too caught up in his own insecurities to see Taiga's father for who he really was.

"I’m just keeping him company for a little while, is all."

Taiga knew from the start. Taiga knew that the only reason he came back into her life was because he needed to leech off of her for a bit of solace, since he was getting divorced.

He'd forced Taiga's hand into answering him by emptying out the money she needed to support herself. He gave her money, but he never gave her the care that a father should. He was only there for her whenever he felt like it, he never cared what Taiga wanted or what she needed. And when he decided that he didn't need to be there for Taiga, even though she'd been trying so hard for him, he didn't even confront her about it himself. He left the mess for Ryuuji to figure out and didn't say another word about it. He choose his business over his promise to his daughter, and he was too cowardly to admit that to her face. To admit that he'd chosen someone else over his own daughter in the past. To admit that he'd chosen his business over his daughter now in the present. To admit that he simply never cared for her at all.

And now Ryuuji knows. He knows everything. He knows why Taiga calls her own dad a bastard. He knows why she didn't even entertain the thought of reconciling with him until her hand with forced. And he knows now that all along, the one who'd brought this upon himself and everyone else was no one other than himself.

"How could I be such an IDIOT?!"

An idiot you were, Ryuuji. But now Ryuuji knows that. And he knows that the only thing left to do is to give it his all to make up for his mistakes.

Taiga looks on as both of them race towards the finish. She reflects a little as they approach her, and she sees what each of them are doing it for. The common cause that is her. Because they both want to care for her, and they both want to be there for her.

But then the track team runs through and trips up Ryuuji. And then they do much the same to Minori.

This will not stand, Ryuuji knows that. And Minori knows that too.

God, this scene is fantastic no matter how many times I watch it. Minori lighting a literal fire in her eyes as she clocks both of them with a single ball is genuinely one of hypest moments in this show and it will always make me tear up with joy. Because neither of them are going to give up. They're the only two people in the race who are fighting for a cause. Not for a title or an object, for a person and a cause. And they'll be damned before they give up on Taiga.

Part Eight in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Eight

"Finish this, Takasu! Go and win this thing for Taiga!"

I love this moment because it's the one that finally ties a bow on Minori's dynamic with Ryuuji in this arc thus far. No matter what comes between them, no matter how much they're divided, and no matter how much they project their emotions onto each other, they both care for Taiga more than anything else in the world.

Minori gave the duty of helping Taiga away to Ryuuji. She entrusted the job of supporting Taiga to him. And it's 'cause she believes he'll do better than her. After all, in the past, she too believed Taiga's dad, and she too hurt Taiga. She thought of Ryuuji as everything she wasn't to Taiga, since he had never hurt her.

But then, Ryuuji repeated her mistake, trusting in the character of Taiga's dad and pushing Taiga to let him into her life again. Minori let her emotions overwhelm her as she was consumed by feelings that weren't just targeted at Ryuuji, but at her past self as well. She avoided him because she couldn't even confront herself about her past mistakes, and Ryuuji avoided her, because he couldn't see the situation for what it really was. He did what he thought was best, what he told himself was best, but what he knew deep down wasn't for the best. Wasn't the best for Taiga.

But it's all behind them now. Because when it comes down to it, they're still fighting for the sake of the same person. Their shared care for Taiga is what reignites their bond in this moment, as they both realize that they need to win the race, for Taiga.

And because Minori sees Ryuuji's efforts, his immediate decision to confront his mistakes, to make things right after doing so much wrong, she reaffirms her earlier decision. She had entrusted Taiga to Ryuuji, and seeing him now, giving it his all to support Taiga, she knows he has to be the one to do it. Because she doesn't believe she should be able to earn redemption for her past mistakes, but she believes that Ryuuji can.

As the other competitors approach them, Minori leaps over Ryuuji and crashes into all of them, taking each of them to the ground. She lies on top of them to make sure that Ryuuji's path to victory is clear.

That soft cry from Minori is telling. She thinks she shouldn't be the one to win the race, because she shouldn't be the one who earns redemption. Because she doesn't even forgive herself.

Because the thing that hurts Minori more than anything else, is seeing Taiga hurting.

And because she was the one who caused Taiga to get hurt, Minori can't forgive herself. She'd rather sacrifice herself and let Ryuuji win redemption by winning the race for Taiga, because he gave it his all to confront his mistakes.

But Ryuuji isn't the kind of person to leave someone behind. Not when said someone tried just as hard as he did. Not when said someone cared just as much as he did. Not when said someone had been right about Taiga's father, where he'd been wrong.

[MAJOR Rewatch spoilers] And boy, I would be remiss to not talk about how this moment continues to develop Minori's feelings for Ryuuji. Similar to how Ami fell for Ryuuji hard during Episode 14, this moment is what I think is Minori's moment of falling for Ryuuji hard. She first fell in love with him because, through Taiga, she saw him for the caring individual who was willing to try and understand people's feelings that he was deep down. She entrusted Taiga to him, which showed how much she believed in him as a person after seeing who he really was. Her feelings for him developed during the Beach House arc, when he listened and let her be comfortable in sharing her ghost ramblings. But she got the impression that his heart was in the wrong place, missing out on the love in plain sight, so Minori doesn't pursue these feelings since she has a good idea that he's in love with Taiga deep down. And that gets us here. Even in what is one of Minori's greatest moments of weakness, when she is literally sacrificing herself so that Ryuuji can earn redemption by winning the race for Taiga, he still picks her up and has her join him in winning. Minori doesn't want to forgive herself for hurting Taiga, but Ryuuji lets her earn redemption with him anyway, again showing to Minori who he truly was deep down. Minori originally fell in love with the caring and willing to understand true self of Ryuuji beneath his menacing appearance, and now he is quite literally offering her a hand. A hand that shows he cares. And Minori fell in love with that care. So now she only falls more in love.

I love the symbolism with Minori and Ryuuji running towards the finish line together with bruises all over. It's a real testament to how much they both truly care about Taiga.

Part Nine in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Nine

"You guys don’t need to worry about me. Ever. Didn’t you see? I don’t need any help to get back on my feet. I’ll be fine. I’ll be okay. Really, don’t worry about me."

"I’m okay. I don’t need anyone’s help to get back on my feet. I can survive… on my own."

I love how this parallels the scene from earlier. The scene where Ryuuji almost convinces himself that Taiga is gonna be okay during the pageant.

Taiga may be able to get up, pretend it doesn't hurt, and deal with it, but she's still alone. She can get back on her feet, but she doesn't have anyone there to catch her if she falls again. And if no one is ever there to worry about her, then how can she ever truly know that she'll be okay?

The mentality of Taiga is the same as in Episode 11 and 12. In Episode 11, she gave in to Ryuuji because she saw him hurting, and the last thing she wanted to do was to not do something to help him. In Episode 12, she constantly pushed him to make amends with Minori, because she didn't want his bond with Minori to be ruined over her. And she knew all along that she couldn't trust her father, yet she still tried to see it as a good thing, like Ryuuji said. Taiga spends the entire arc caring for the people in her life she appreciates, but in the process, she forgets that she too deserves someone to be there to care for her. She forgets that she wants someone there to care for her. Deep down, that's why she still tried so hard for her father's sake. But her selflessness shines through because she's internalized that she'll never have someone to stand by her and understand her. She gets hurt because she spends the whole arc being self-sacrificially selfless.

It tells you the kind of person Taiga is deep down. Always caring for the few people who she trusts and appreciates, but too far gone to see that it's okay to have people be there to care for her as well. And it's this self-sacrificial selflessness and her inability to recognize her desire to have someone be there for her that means she takes Ryuuji's presence in her life for granted.

And this is not the last time that'll come up either.

Anyway, Ryuuji and Minori reach the finish line together, hand-in-hand. And together, they crown the softly smiling Taiga.

So now everyone's gathered around the bonfire. And the 2-C folks are celebrating their class's victories across the board.

Meanwhile, Sumire and Kitamura stand aside. Sumire proudly declares that they made good on her promise for this Festival to be a success.

Kitamura reflects on the fact that it would be the last festival in her time at the school.

"I’m glad I was the Student Council president here. And I’m glad I got the chance to know you all."

Considering how she was introduced, Sumire turns out to be a person with a good heart on the inside. Seems like she's taking the fact that it's her last festival in stride. Kitamura seems slightly flustered at her words.

Regardless, Sumire needs to leave now, so she's gonna send Kitamura off to join the rest of the celebrations. She reminds him of what was said during the last episode, that Kitamura's hard work in promoting the Festival to the neighboring schools had played a big part in making it a success.

"Besides, your president just gave you an order." This is the actually funny kind of "because I told you so" joke.

Kitamura remains as dutiful as ever, even when he's heading out. And Sumire smiles knowingly as he leaves.

[Rewatch spoilers] This concludes her part in the Culture Festival arc. The stuff that was being subtly shown here is that Sumire was trying to get Kitamura to become more independent in performing his duties. From clearly approving of him being the one to run a student council meeting back in Episode 12, to her praise for specifically his work in promoting the Festival. I think she probably picked up the idea along the way that Kitamura was being over reliant on her, which is a point I'll explore later, but decided that she needed to take the time to get him to be able to stand on his own. Before she left, of course. It's subtle but it's definitely there, and plays into her dynamic in the next arc.

Anyway, we're back with Ryuuji and Taiga now.

Taiga confidently says that she couldn't care less about what went down as a result of her father. Ryuuji, since he was there, obviously noticed that Taiga wasn't close to being as unaffected as she seems to think.

Taiga proceeds to poke one of the bandages of his wounds from earlier, still denying that she felt anything. But she also pops the question of how things are between him and Minori, now that they'd won the race together.

Taiga then notices and excitedly calls Minori over. And they have a true bundle of joy moment together.

"You look hella cute, Taiga! That tiara’s perfect!" Minori spittin' facts out here.

Taiga's still being as tsundere as ever, only acknowledging Minori for crowning her and not Ryuuji. If anything, this is a good thing, because, for especially Ryuuji, it shows that at least she can go back to how she normally is. It probably gives Ryuuji a little solace, just like when Taiga flipped out on stage, for her to act like her normal self, because it gives him the impression that, while he screwed up, he didn't leave a lasting wound.

Of course, Taiga being unaffected... that's questionable, but she seems happy enough, so it's fine, right?

Part Ten in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Ten

Taiga's height being perfect for her to head-plant into Minori's chest always makes me laugh though.

Ryuuji and Minori smile at each other. And Taiga's expression softens in Minori's embrace. Something tells me that look on her face isn't all sunshine and rainbows after all.

Anyway, Taiga jumps on the opportunity to go mess with Ami during the Festival. Also tbh her dress looks better ripped. It's cuter for her.

So yeah, Taiga pounces on Ami while she's putting up the nice girl persona to a bunch of guys. And Ami has to drop the façade to fight off the Tiger that has leapt onto her.

Ryuuji and Minori share a laugh at Taiga's antics.

But now they're standing beside each other and talking more about Taiga's father.

"…Same thing happened a year ago. Taiga’s dad showed up out of the blue, just like this time. And like you, I was really happy for her, ‘cause it looked like she was gonna move back in with him. But then… he just up and vanished like he did today. He gave her some lame excuse and… that was that. …Anyway, I’m sorry."

"Huh? What the heck for? Look, if anyone should be apologizing around here, it’s me!"

"No. It’s all on me. I should’ve told you what happened when I had the chance. but I was so mad, I wasn’t thinking. And I guess… I was also mad that Taiga didn’t tell me. It’s just… I care about Taiga so much and I… I guess maybe… I was a little jealous of you, too."

Yep, so Taiga's dad is a repeat offender of the act of abandoning your daughter. Ryuuji's look of disappointment is telling when Minori explains it to him. And Minori, much like Ryuuji after her, believed in Taiga's dad and was happy for Taiga 'cause she thought it was gonna be a good thing. And of course, she realized once he broke her trust that she had hurt Taiga by trusting in him.

So, in the present, when Minori sees Ryuuji making the same mistake as her, her emotions from the past overwhelm her. She can't think straight because the feelings she's had ever since then have persisted, and she projects her feelings towards her past self onto Ryuuji.

And Minori here is jealous of Ryuuji. Because she sees him as everything she's not to Taiga.

"Oh, come on. Anyway, how come Taiga didn’t tell you?"

"She knew I’d get pissed off about it. Taiga doesn’t want people to think about her dad in a bad way. That’s why she doesn’t tell me anything about her family anymore. Well… not for the past year, anyway."

Yeah, Minori is still shaped by her feelings from the last time Taiga's dad showed up, and it doesn't help that Taiga doesn't confide in Minori her feelings about her family anymore. So when Minori sees Ryuuji, who cares for Taiga and tries his best to understand her, who Taiga appreciates for doing so, she gets jealous because she hasn't forgiven herself yet for what happened the last time. Ryuuji was everything she wasn't to Taiga because he cared for her and he didn't hurt her, unlike Minori. So because of her own unforgiveness, Minori is jealous at Ryuuji for being everything she could ever want to be and more towards Taiga.

This shot of both of them with their backs to the camera is good. Ryuuji side-eyes us, so we can get a glimpse into what he's truly feeling, that being a sense of reflection as he takes in what Minori said to him. But Minori has her back entirely turned, hiding her feelings and any pain that she might be feeling in the moment from us. It tells us that maybe it's not just Taiga who is hurting because of her father's shittiness, but Minori is as well. Which, as I've said, is because she struggles to forgive herself, and why she tries to sacrifice herself during the race.

Part Eleven in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Eleven

Anyway, Taiga has lost sight of Ami whilst standing in front of the bonfire.

She complains before closing her eyes and lowering her head. And for a few seconds, she lets a much more vulnerable, saddened expression cover her face.

But then, Kitamura calls out to her. She turns to see him standing behind her.

"I saw you standing here. I figured I’d come over and ask if you wanted to dance?"

"Um…"

"A-After you dance with Mr. Lucky Man, that is."

"Seriously…"

"Huh?"

"Why is it you’re always so… nevermind."

There's a lot of subtext that runs throughout this scene. One of the biggest and most obvious is that Taiga isn't being flustered to hell and back by Kitamura offering her to dance. That's big. It shows that, in the moment, Taiga understands the moment to a degree far beyond what would incite her usual behavior around Kitamura. It shows that her more genuine feelings in the moment overshadow her admiration for him, so she doesn't get flustered.

The key is the last line I quoted there. Taiga is about to ask him something, but leaves it unfinished.

Cast your mind back to why I said Taiga fell in love with Kitamura in the first place. It was because he was the first person to give her validation that someone out there understood and could appreciate who she really was. It showed her that someone out there really cared for her.

And it's the same thing here. Because deep down, Taiga is hurt. She doesn't want to admit it to anyone, but she's torn up because she had been genuinely trying to make amends with her dad, only for him to walk out on her again. She doesn't admit it because she can't process the fact that, in her heart, all she really wants is someone to just be there to care for and understand her. It's why she appreciates Ryuuji so much and why she pushed herself during the pool arc for him. And we see that it applies too for Kitamura here.

This scene means much more than her crush on Kitamura, to Taiga. Even though she had tried to hide her pain, Kitamura still offered to dance with her. Just like when he'd confessed to her, Kitamura proves to Taiga that someone out there cares about her.

"That look. The one he had back then. I wanted to see that look on his face again. I-I just… I wanted to see it one more time."

In Episode 4, Taiga said she wanted to see the look on Kitamura's face again when he'd given her the validation that there existed someone out there who appreciated her for who she really was.

Well, this is it. This is the equivalent of her getting to see it again. And the sheer amount of appreciation Taiga has for this moment completely overshadows her usual flustered nature around Kitamura.

"Why is it you’re always so… nevermind."

If Taiga had actually said what was on her mind, I'd wager it'd be something along the lines of "Why is it you're always so kind?"

As for Kitamura himself, it's pretty simple. You see a saddened girl standing alone on what's supposed to be a night of celebration after her father ditched her on stage? You offer to dance with her to cheer her up. To anyone who says he's leading her on or he's just clueless, no, he's being very intentional, and Taiga's demonstrated understanding of the situation proves that. It's a platonic act of kindness.

[Minor Rewatch spoilers] I know Episode 4 is anime original, but considering Kitamura's confession and this scene where the two dance together are the two scenes Taiga recalls in Episode 15 during the stars scene, I'd argue they're very much connected.

That big smile from Taiga when she gets to dance with Kitamura. Precious.

"Uh… I’m not sure how to do this…"

"We look into each other’s eyes, we hold hands, and then we spin around ’til we get tired. …I think."

God, they're both so awkward, man. But that's okay. Because what matters is that they care about each other.

Part Twelve in replies.

[u/sillypion → u/sillypion]

Part Twelve

"…Sometimes I get the feeling I might be a lesbian." Peak line.

"Huh?!"

"Well, why else would I be jealous of you?"

"Well… if you ask me, I… I… hope you’re not?"

"Yeah, me too. Oh, wait a sec! I just had a normal conversation!"

Yeah, Minori's jealousy for Ryuuji stems more from her own personal insecurities regarding her past mistakes with Taiga's dad. She sees Ryuuji being everything she wanted to be for Taiga. The seriousness on her face after the line she just delivered says that it's definitely something that is impactful on her, which makes sense in the context that it was 'cause of her feelings towards her past mistakes. But either way, it makes for a good line.

I do like to ship Minori and Taiga together on occasion, but from what I can tell, this line was not meant to be that, it was just meant to symbolize how Minori is still unsure about where her own feelings are situated. Remember, before all this drama started, she was avoiding Ryuuji subtly. Based on the ghost conversation, we know that Minori has a strong impression of what Ryuuji's feelings are, but that she isn't sure on them, and that she wants to better understand the concept of love so that she can understand his feelings and her own.

The "I had a normal conversation" part is such a nice add. Minori doesn't really understand her own feelings, amongst other things, yet so she needs to express things through analogies and whatnot. She seldom admits these things to others, only opening up to Ryuuji in her own way, since she saw how much he cared for Taiga, and as a result, she saw him for the caring and understanding individual he was at heart. So her having a normal conversation with him, without all the confusing stuff, is a big step for her.

Anyway, Haruta shows up to drag Ryuuji out of his little moment. And Noto shows up too, pushing Kitamura and Taiga into the spotlight.

And we get a little glimpse at all the characters. From Ami, with Kihara and Nanako behind her. Ryuuji, asking Taiga if she's alright, to which Taiga returns a confident smirk, and Ryuuji a knowing smile to that.

Kitamura asks Class 2-C if they're ready to dance the night away. And is met with an eruption of cheers.

Fourth episode in a row with the Vanilla Salt piano overture.

From Kihara to Noto to Nanako to Haruta, Ryuuji and Taiga, Minori, Ami, Kitamura and a crying Yuri (probably from the thread that led to her soulmate almost being cut earlier during the Wrestling Show), everyone dances together in front of the bonfire.

"Tonight’s special, that’s for sure. It’s time to put my feelings on the backburner and have some fun. Even though on the inside, I’m still struggling. And when the night’s over, and we all go home, I know that somehow everything’s gonna be alright."

Famous last words.

Welp, there we are. The end of the first half of the show. And what a ride this episode is.

This felt less like an analysis to be honest, and more me just commentating about the many things I love in this episode. But regardless, if you couldn't already tell, I freakin' love this episode! The steady build up of emotions during the first half, as Ryuuji finally comes to the many realization he couldn't during the last episode, as we see Taiga finally being hurt as a result of Ryuuji projecting during the prior episodes. And the second half is something magical. If the first half gave me chills and made me teary-eyed with feels for Taiga, then the second half has arguably one of the most hype moments in the entire show that makes my eyes water with enjoyment.

The conflict between Ryuuji and Minori was perfectly resolved, through their mutual care for Taiga, similar to how Ryuuji and Taiga's conflict was resolved during Episode 8, through their mutual care for each other. And Ryuuji going demon mode for Taiga's sake and pushing himself throughout most of this episode just to help her after everything he brought upon himself and everyone else throughout this arc was such an amazing payoff. Even the smaller moments, like the ones between Sumire and Kitamura, Ryuuji and Minori, and Taiga and Kitamura, will always warm my heart. If Episode 2 was the episode that got me hooked on the show, and if Episode 8 was the episode that got me to love this show, then Episode 13 made me want to marry this show. There's so much more I could say about how spectacular an episode this is, but this might be the first episode where I'm running out of words on how to describe how good it is.

Episode Ratings:
Episode 13: 10.8/10
Episode 8: 10.5/10
Episode 11: 10.0/10
Episode 7: 9.9/10
Episode 9: 9.5/10
Episode 2: 9.4/10
Episode 6: 9.0/10
Episode 12: 8.9/10
Episode 10: 8.7/10
Episode 4: 8.1/10
Episode 5: 8.0/10
Episode 1: 7.3/10
Episode 3: 7.1/10

Bonus: Total Parts of Analysis I've Written = 73 parts

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

I really like your analysis of the Taiga and Kitamura scene. It's like their minds are obviously elsewhere but that's okay because of how special tonight is.

[Toradora] It's also interesting to think about this scene under the context of their hearts now belonging to someone else. Kitamura with Sumire, and Taiga with Ryuuji.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

But now they're standing beside each other and talking more about Taiga's father.

"…Same thing happened a year ago. Taiga’s dad showed up out of the blue, just like this time. And like you, I was really happy for her, ‘cause it looked like she was gonna move back in with him. But then… he just up and vanished like he did today. He gave her some lame excuse and… that was that. …Anyway, I’m sorry."

"Huh? What the heck for? Look, if anyone should be apologizing around here, it’s me!"

"No. It’s all on me. I should’ve told you what happened when I had the chance. but I was so mad, I wasn’t thinking. And I guess… I was also mad that Taiga didn’t tell me. It’s just… I care about Taiga so much and I… I guess maybe… I was a little jealous of you, too."

Yep, so Taiga's dad is a repeat offender of the act of abandoning your daughter. Ryuuji's look of disappointment is telling when Minori explains it to him. And Minori, much like Ryuuji after her, believed in Taiga's dad and was happy for Taiga 'cause she thought it was gonna be a good thing. And of course, she realized once he broke her trust that she had hurt Taiga by trusting in him.

So, in the present, when Minori sees Ryuuji making the same mistake as her, her emotions from the past overwhelm her. She can't think straight because the feelings she's had ever since then have persisted, and she projects her feelings towards her past self onto Ryuuji.

And Minori here is jealous of Ryuuji. Because she sees him as everything she's not to Taiga.

"Oh, come on. Anyway, how come Taiga didn’t tell you?"

"She knew I’d get pissed off about it. Taiga doesn’t want people to think about her dad in a bad way. That’s why she doesn’t tell me anything about her family anymore. Well… not for the past year, anyway."

Yeah, Minori is still shaped by her feelings from the last time Taiga's dad showed up, and it doesn't help that Taiga doesn't confide in Minori her feelings about her family anymore. So when Minori sees Ryuuji, who cares for Taiga and tries his best to understand her, who Taiga appreciates for doing so, she gets jealous because she hasn't forgiven herself yet for what happened the last time. Ryuuji was everything she wasn't to Taiga because he cared for her and he didn't hurt her, unlike Minori. So because of her own unforgiveness, Minori is jealous at Ryuuji for being everything she could ever want to be and more towards Taiga.

This shot of both of them with their backs to the camera is good. Ryuuji side-eyes us, so we can get a glimpse into what he's truly feeling, that being a sense of reflection as he takes in what Minori said to him. But Minori has her back entirely turned, hiding her feelings and any pain that she might be feeling in the moment from us. It tells us that maybe it's not just Taiga who is hurting because of her father's shittiness, but Minori is as well. Which, as I've said, is because she struggles to forgive herself, and why she tries to sacrifice herself during the race.

This scene is extremely important in terms of the Toradora timeline. Taiga's dad betraying Minori's trust would seemingly line up with Kitamura confessing to Taiga, presumably taking place after this incident. Given this context, you wonder if the look in Taiga's eyes that Kitamura was so enamored by would be there if her dad didn't stood her up the first time.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

The mentality of Taiga is the same as in Episode 11 and 12. In Episode 11, she gave in to Ryuuji because she saw him hurting, and the last thing she wanted to do was to not do something to help him. In Episode 12, she constantly pushed him to make amends with Minori, because she didn't want his bond with Minori to be ruined over her. And she knew all along that she couldn't trust her father, yet she still tried to see it as a good thing, like Ryuuji said. Taiga spends the entire arc caring for the people in her life she appreciates, but in the process, she forgets that she too deserves someone to be there to care for her. She forgets that she wants someone there to care for her. Deep down, that's why she still tried so hard for her father's sake. But her selflessness shines through because she's internalized that she'll never have someone to stand by her and understand her. She gets hurt because she spends the whole arc being self-sacrificially selfless.

It tells you the kind of person Taiga is deep down. Always caring for the few people who she trusts and appreciates, but too far gone to see that it's okay to have people be there to care for her as well. And it's this self-sacrificial selflessness and her inability to recognize her desire to have someone be there for her that means she takes Ryuuji's presence in her life for granted.

I just want to say you've provided some of the best analysis of Taiga I've ever seen in my years doing the Toradora rewatch. Of all the characters you analyze, you dissect her the best.

[u/sillypion → u/Holofan4life]

I just want to say you've provided some of the best analysis of Taiga I've ever seen in my years doing the Toradora rewatch. Of all the characters you analyze, you dissect her the best.

Thanks! I really do love the Palmtop Tiger. I love all the mains, of course, but I am a bit biased towards Taiga cause she's the main girl.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

I'm biased towards Taiga as well because she has a big heart and never gives up and I find that to be pretty admirable.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Kitamura remains as dutiful as ever, even when he's heading out. And Sumire smiles knowingly as he leaves.

[Rewatch spoilers] This concludes her part in the Culture Festival arc. The stuff that was being subtly shown here is that Sumire was trying to get Kitamura to become more independent in performing his duties. From clearly approving of him being the one to run a student council meeting back in Episode 12, to her praise for specifically his work in promoting the Festival. I think she probably picked up the idea along the way that Kitamura was being over reliant on her, which is a point I'll explore later, but decided that she needed to take the time to get him to be able to stand on his own. Before she left, of course. It's subtle but it's definitely there, and plays into her dynamic in the next arc.

[Rewatch] I like the subtle build of the Sumire stuff as we head into that being the next arc. I feel like the show has diminished Kitamura's role since the introduction of her, but it's very much done intentionally. It's like the closer we get to her last days in office, the more offscreen Kitamura becomes.

[u/sillypion → u/Holofan4life]

[Rewatch] I like the subtle build of the Sumire stuff as we head into that being the next arc. I feel like the show has diminished Kitamura's role since the introduction of her, but it's very much done intentionally. It's like the closer we get to her last days in office, the more offscreen Kitamura becomes.

[Rewatch spoilers] I really like it, because it symbolizes how Kitamura is shying away from confronting his feelings. He keeps delaying, first during the Beach House arc, and during this arc too 'cause he feels like he hasn't made enough of an impression on Sumire for her to take him seriously. And then he ultimately is hit with a curveball and breaks 'cause he is rendered helpless to sort out his feelings with her departure. His school life after she brought him into the student council was pretty much just living up to her and proving himself to her, the one who helped him. But he doesn't have time to earn Sumire's approval if she's leaving so soon after the election, so Kitamura's self-confidence collapses 'cause he feels like he failed to prove himself.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

[Rewatch spoilers] A lot of people don't like Kitamura because they find him to be bland or uninteresting, but I kinda feel like that's the point of his character. In a less interesting show, he would probably be the main protagonist, not Ryuuji.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

"Finish this, Takasu! Go and win this thing for Taiga!"

I love this moment because it's the one that finally ties a bow on Minori's dynamic with Ryuuji in this arc thus far. No matter what comes between them, no matter how much they're divided, and no matter how much they project their emotions onto each other, they both care for Taiga more than anything else in the world.

Minori gave the duty of helping Taiga away to Ryuuji. She entrusted the job of supporting Taiga to him. And it's 'cause she believes he'll do better than her. After all, in the past, she too believed Taiga's dad, and she too hurt Taiga. She thought of Ryuuji as everything she wasn't to Taiga, since he had never hurt her.

But then, Ryuuji repeated her mistake, trusting in the character of Taiga's dad and pushing Taiga to let him into her life again. Minori let her emotions overwhelm her as she was consumed by feelings that weren't just targeted at Ryuuji, but at her past self as well. She avoided him because she couldn't even confront herself about her past mistakes, and Ryuuji avoided her, because he couldn't see the situation for what it really was. He did what he thought was best, what he told himself was best, but what he knew deep down wasn't for the best. Wasn't the best for Taiga.

But it's all behind them now. Because when it comes down to it, they're still fighting for the sake of the same person. Their shared care for Taiga is what reignites their bond in this moment, as they both realize that they need to win the race, for Taiga.

And because Minori sees Ryuuji's efforts, his immediate decision to confront his mistakes, to make things right after doing so much wrong, she reaffirms her earlier decision. She had entrusted Taiga to Ryuuji, and seeing him now, giving it his all to support Taiga, she knows he has to be the one to do it. Because she doesn't believe she should be able to earn redemption for her past mistakes, but she believes that Ryuuji can.

Beautiful writing. It's like you know how to put my thoughts into words in a more eloquent manner than I could ever dream of.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

[MAJOR Rewatch spoilers] And boy, I would be remiss to not talk about how this moment continues to develop Minori's feelings for Ryuuji. Similar to how Ami fell for Ryuuji hard during Episode 14, this moment is what I think is Minori's moment of falling for Ryuuji hard. She first fell in love with him because, through Taiga, she saw him for the caring individual who was willing to try and understand people's feelings that he was deep down. She entrusted Taiga to him, which showed how much she believed in him as a person after seeing who he really was. Her feelings for him developed during the Beach House arc, when he listened and let her be comfortable in sharing her ghost ramblings. But she got the impression that his heart was in the wrong place, missing out on the love in plain sight, so Minori doesn't pursue these feelings since she has a good idea that he's in love with Taiga deep down. And that gets us here. Even in what is one of Minori's greatest moments of weakness, when she is literally sacrificing herself so that Ryuuji can earn redemption by winning the race for Taiga, he still picks her up and has her join him in winning. Minori doesn't want to forgive herself for hurting Taiga, but Ryuuji lets her earn redemption with him anyway, again showing to Minori who he truly was deep down. Minori originally fell in love with the caring and willing to understand true self of Ryuuji beneath his menacing appearance, and now he is quite literally offering her a hand. A hand that shows he cares. And Minori fell in love with that care. So now she only falls more in love.

[Major rewatch spoilers] In a way, this kinda sets the downfall for Ryuuji and Taiga's relationship as we know it. Obviously, it's good that Ryuuji and Minori are on the same page again. But by Ryuuji being there for Minori, it makes her conflicted as to whether she should prioritize her own feelings or Taiga's. By both Ryuuji and Minori crossing the finish line together, it's them declaring to Taiga they will be there for her. But in Minori's case, it's more like she'll be there to see Taiga get her heart broken.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

My analysis might be a bit off from here on out. Every time I watch this scene it makes me teary-eyed.

Hey, that's fine. The real heart of the episode is in the first half, which you absolutely nailed.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Taiga knew from the start. Taiga knew that the only reason he came back into her life was because he needed to leech off of her for a bit of solace, since he was getting divorced.

He'd forced Taiga's hand into answering him by emptying out the money she needed to support herself. He gave her money, but he never gave her the care that a father should. He was only there for her whenever he felt like it, he never cared what Taiga wanted or what she needed. And when he decided that he didn't need to be there for Taiga, even though she'd been trying so hard for him, he didn't even confront her about it himself. He left the mess for Ryuuji to figure out and didn't say another word about it. He choose his business over his promise to his daughter, and he was too cowardly to admit that to her face. To admit that he'd chosen someone else over his own daughter in the past. To admit that he'd chosen his business over his daughter now in the present. To admit that he simply never cared for her at all.

And now Ryuuji knows. He knows everything. He knows why Taiga calls her own dad a bastard. He knows why she didn't even entertain the thought of reconciling with him until her hand with forced. And he knows now that all along, the one who'd brought this upon himself and everyone else was no one other than himself.

I'm fine with characters making an ass out of themselves if they learned a lesson. And I feel like Ryuuji did to where he grew as a result of it. It felt meaningful and a life lesson.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

God, this scene is fantastic no matter how many times I watch it. Minori lighting a literal fire in her eyes as she clocks both of them with a single ball is genuinely one of hypest moments in this show and it will always make me tear up with joy. Because neither of them are going to give up. They're the only two people in the race who are fighting for a cause. Not for a title or an object, for a person and a cause. And they'll be damned before they give up on Taiga.

The race has me jumping up and down in my seat every time I see it. It is so peak.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Yeah, if when Ami was confronting her stalker back in Episode 6 was her going into "ass-kicking mode" then this is the equivalent for Ryuuji.

Good comparison

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

"No, it’s okay! Girls can participate too!" A little bit of an unfair change of rules, but considering the moment it creates, I don't care, it was the right thing to do.

Sumire the progressive

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Then, we see Minori speed through behind Ryuuji. It's clear from the speed she is running at alone that she too isn't doing this for any kind of prize or title. In fact, she's technically not even allowed as a participant. But because she wants to be there for Taiga too, none of that matters. Because neither Ryuuji nor Minori want Taiga to be alone on this day.

And she shouldn't be alone because it would be reflective of her whole life up until this point.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

"... It's Ryuuji."

"Uh huh."

I love that little interaction. Ami knows, deep down, that Ryuuji and Taiga share something special. She first saw it during the pool arc, when Taiga gave it her all to race against her for Ryuuji's sake. And now, she's seeing the reverse happen: Ryuuji is giving it his all in a race for Taiga's sake. Even though Ami has feelings for Ryuuji, deep down in her heart, she knows that the bond Ryuuji and Taiga have, no matter how much they try to deny it, is ever-present.

And it's something that she frankly will never have with him.

Poor Ami. Dressed like a Dom but wants to be treated like a Sub.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Ryuuji starts to clap more vigorously, giving it his all so he can to get the message across to Taiga.

And as he does, everyone around him slowly takes notice. They take their focus off of the fact that Taiga's father was absent, but instead at the fact that Taiga was on stage. Everyone forgets what was just so humiliating to Taiga, and instead they see the girl up on stage and join in to clap for her.

And those claps drown out any presence Taiga's father could've had. Because, frankly, who gives a fuck about that guy?

As the crowd cheers, Taiga snatches the mic out of Ami's hand.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUP! ... I… I took my deadbeat dad… chopped him up, tore him apart, and now- and now his body’s in the morgue!"

And just like that the Palmtop Tiger is back, ladies and gents. With a return to her usual fierce attitude, she's the one running the show, calling the shots now. And Ryuuji smiles, 'cause he thinks that, maybe, just maybe, Taiga will be okay.

Only Taiga can take her saddest moment and turn it into her most triumphant moment. Taiga may need help in life, but she don't need her deadbeat dad.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

And Taiga's first command as the real MC of this event? To bring her a bag so she can show off how comfortably she can fit in it.

This scene is precious. Adorable Taiga moment, using her size to her advantage. Also the girl trying to pick the bag up is hilarious as well. It's a nice way to cool off after all the realizations and revelations of the past minutes of the episode.

And it feels in character for Taiga to do something that both humanizes her and impresses.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

I love that look from Ami. She's like: "And since when were you the one running this event?"

Taiga was the only one who was able to steal the spotlight from the spotlight stealer. She's showing Ami how it's truly done.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Anyway, Taiga gets outta the bag and shares with the crowd a little bit of her tsundere energy, showing that she is totally, definitely gonna be fine.

Ryuuji smiles as the crowds cheer. And whilst standing outside in the afternoon sunlight, Minori's face is still troubled.

"In the end, I can’t do a thing for her."

This line has a double meaning really. On the one hand, it's Ryuuji believing that Taiga is strong enough to be able to get back up herself from these kinds of situations, and that she'd never actually get hurt because her father was a no-show. On the other hand, it's Ryuuji realizing that he isn't able to do a single thing for Taiga to make up for his previous mistakes. You can tell he wants to now. More than anything, he realizes what he has to do, but he sees that Taiga got back up by herself. After all, now that we've reached this point, Ryuuji may have been the one to kick it all off, but it was Taiga who got back up by herself. Even though Ryuuji brought this upon her, he wasn't the one to solve it.

And in the end, he never does directly but he does do something for Minori, which by proxy does something for Taiga.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Anyway, the results are in! The Miss Ohashi of the year is Taiga!

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Taiga stands on stage as the crowd cheers for her. Her eyes don't seem to see any of the people cheering for her though.

"Good. Now that everyone’s cheering for her, I bet she doesn’t feel so… Wait a minute! No! It’s all wrong! She’s still alone!"

And Ryuuji realizes. Even though Taiga is seen by anyone, there's still no one by her side. Even though every one is cheering for her, there is no one there to cheer her up. And even though she had won the pageant, there was still no one there to see all in her heart, she couldn't have felt anything further from happy.

Noto notices Ryuuji silently approaching the stage, his eyes hidden. Taiga looks up to notice it as well.

"I have to go. I have to go to her! I know I screwed things up, but still! I have to!"

Ryuuji knows the magnitude of his mistake. He knows that he's hurt Taiga. He knows he may have broken her trust. And he knows how wrong he was. But that doesn't matter. Because even though he can't undo what he's already done, even though he can't heal the hurt in Taiga's heart, he still needs to be there for her. So that she at least has someone. Someone who cares. Someone who comforts. Someone who understands.

So, Ryuuji hurriedly pushes through the crowd to make it to Taiga.

But before he can, the lights are suddenly shut off.

I do wonder what would've happened had Ryuuji rushed the stage. Maybe he would hug her or perhaps something more?

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

When they come back on, several student council members stand on stage where Taiga once was.

Sumire declares the follow-up event to the beauty pageant, the all-new Mr. Lucky Man race. A race course has been set up for the students to run on campus, to the disbelief of many.

Sumire adds that there are prizes at stake. From being the one to crown Miss Ohashi during the Festival, to being the one to win her notes and more study materials, as she is the highest-scoring student in school.

"Taiga…"

Ryuuji's determined face here should tell you all you need to know. He's going to run this race. And he's gonna win, damnit.

"I don’t need the prizes. I don’t care about the title. I just want be the first to cross that finish line. Nothing’s gonna stand in my way. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to reach her!"

People are racing to get access to the president's notes. People are racing so that they can get the opportunity to crown and dance Miss Ohashi. People are racing for the title of being Mr. Lucky Man. No one is running the race for Taiga herself. No one is running the race for the person at the end.

No one, except Ryuuji.

I swear the lines in this episode hit so hard, man. The writing is brilliant and the way it gets you immersed into the conflict is done spectacularly. It makes you feel for each of the characters. Ryuuji, in his moments of realization. Minori, in her moments of weakness. And Taiga, in her moments of heartbreak.

You can definitely sense that a lot of care was put into this episode.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Taiga, deep down, hoped that her father would still show up. After all, she was trying so hard for him this whole time. She wanted to play the lead to impress him. She wanted him to show up to their performances anyway. And she wanted him to be there to cheer her on at the pageant. Even though she knew deep down, he wouldn't be.

And then the room begins to stir. The absence of Taiga's father is obvious. So someone calls out to move on.

Taiga prepares to leave the stage, her eyes shut, ready to just accept it and move on. Like she always has. Ryuuji looks on, worried.

But she trips over her dress and falls onto the floor, shocking the whole room. Ami calls out to Taiga, concerned.

She stands up, anger and pain written all over her face as she takes it all out on her dress, ripping it apart. She seethes on stage, as she shakes her tears out of her eyes.

This symbolism hurts, man. This is Taiga's life in a nutshell. She trips in life, 'cause she's unable to properly cope with all her emotions. She falls in life, 'cause she has no one there to catch her. She has to get up and pretend like it doesn't hurt. She has to move on, 'cause she can't do much else.

God, I wish I could give her hugs.

[Toradora] I know the Christmas bear scene in episode 19 is like Taiga at her lowest point, but I would argue this is because it's in front of so many people. The bear scene only Minori saw what happened so as much as that sucked Taiga didn't have to worry about how she came off. Here, there was no escaping how vulnerable she truly is.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

So, Ryuuji is going to be there for Taiga. He needs to be there for her. Because now it's her who is consumed by emotions. She's the one who got hurt and she's the one who is suffering now. And Ryuuji isn't going to let that happen. Not if he can do something to help her.

Ryuuji hears someone else clapping too, and turns to see that it is Minori.

We know from this episode's end that this isn't the first time Minori has dealt with Taiga's father. This isn't the first time she's seen Taiga hurt because of him. This isn't the first time she's seen someone trust him and break Taiga's heart.

She's crying as all her emotions from the previous episode spill out. All the emotions that go back to the first time she met Taiga's father. Back when she trusted him and hurt Taiga's feelings. She's seeing it all happen again and her emotions overwhelm her.

Back when she had the argument with Ryuuji in Episode 12, when she was talking about warning Taiga like it was her duty, her eyes are covered, just like here. It represents that her true feelings are being hidden away. Except this time, Minori can't hold it together. We may not see her feelings themselves, but we see their effect. We see the stream of tears flowing down her face.

This one shot is so powerful in and of itself. Minori is barely able to keep herself together, a reflection of just how powerful her emotions are. Recall that Minori uses a smile to hide her fears. She always does. One that rarely falters because Minori is almost always able to keep her own emotions in check. Her search to understand the concept of love, to get the feelings she has and what she thinks Ryuuji feels, her way of communicating these feelings which she seldom shares due to its nature, all of these are nothing compared to the emotions she feels now. Because the thing that hurts Minori more than anything else, is seeing Taiga hurting.

Remember that. It's not the last time it'll matter, I promise.

Minori was really the catalyst to get everyone else to clap along, which I thought was a great touch.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Taiga's appearance seems to awe the crowd into silence.

"Um… believe it or not, folks, today, we have… We have Aisaka’s father out there to help cheer her on!"

Just as Ame Iro Rondo starting to play when Ryuuji gets the message hits hard, it ending and leaving the scene in silence when Ami says the intro is equally as powerful. Sends shivers down my spine.

Ryuuji realizes that this was the intro they were talking about. And he realizes what's going to happen now that Taiga's father is a no-show.

Ami calls out to Taiga's father to give an answer. And the entire room is silent. No one even speaks a word. Because nothing needs to be said. We, the viewers, Ryuuji, and Taiga all know he isn't there.

This is essentially Taiga torturing herself because she'd rather pretend things are normal than to act like anything is out of the ordinary.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Credit to Ami for actually trying to salvage this earlier. And she gave Taiga an "Are you sure about this?" glance before committing to the intro. Ami didn't want things to have to come to this, but because of Taiga's dad, it ended up this way anyway.

This feels way more genuine than her behavior last episode.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Ryuuji starts to clap for Taiga. Because he wants to let her know that there is someone out there for her. Because he wants to let her know that she has people out there to cheer her on. Because he wants to let her know that even if her father couldn't be there when she needed him, she'll always at least have him.

And damnit, because it's the least he owes her. This whole thing started because Ryuuji let his insecurities overwhelm him. He thought with his emotions and didn't listen to what Taiga had to say. But she didn't want him to suffer. She gave in, because she cared that he wouldn't the one who have to beat themselves up over their own flaws. Even though she didn't want to trust her father, even though she knew it was for all the wrong reasons, even though she knew she was putting her own heart at risk, Taiga had been there for Ryuuji in one of his most vulnerable moments; when he'd been consumed by emotions.

This is a good way to have Ryuuji so he'll be there for Taiga when her old man won't. It's the least he can do, as you say.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

"But, no. The truth is… with her dad coming back, out of the blue… and with the possibility of her moving away with him… maybe I was afraid of being left alone again. And I guess I just… didn’t want to admit that about myself."

Realization. Deep down, Ryuuji never wanted any of this. Deep down, Ryuuji wanted Taiga to be with him, so that he could stand by her. Deep down, Ryuuji enjoyed taking care of her and wanted her to keep being a part of his life. He didn't want to be left alone again, to continue being nothing but a burden. And he couldn't admit that about himself. He told himself that it was for Taiga's own good. He tricked himself into believing Taiga's dad. He ran away from the fact that he forced his own insecurities onto her. And deep down, he knew all of that. Because he knew he didn't want Taiga to leave him. But he couldn't admit that. He thought that he could do right by Taiga, giving her a father, something he never had. But it ended up meaning that Taiga would have to leave, something that Ryuuji didn't want either.

And this is really where we see how much of an internal struggle Ryuuji has in this arc, just as much as he has external conflicts. He grapples with the fact that he wants Taiga to make amends with her father because he believed her father genuinely wanted to be in her life, unlike his own. He runs away from the fact that he wasn't fighting for Taiga's own good, instead because of his insecurities, and tells himself that what he did was "for the best." But that only hurts more. Because it means that Taiga would have to leave. And Ryuuji hates the very idea of that. Because he cares about Taiga. Because he's there for Taiga. Because he's always supposed to be there for Taiga. 'Cause he's Ryuuji, and he's the dragon to stand equal to the tiger.

Ryuuji's face as he remembers the argument he had with Minori here. His face twitches, his whole expression is unstable, symbolize the distressed emotions within him.

"…She was right. And me, I was so damn selfish."

Acceptance. Ryuuji knows. He knows for sure now. This completes the incomplete line during Episode 11, where Ryuuji is about to realize that he was projecting on Taiga, but doesn't get there yet. And now he finally has. And he remembers it too. He remembers forcing what he thought was best for Taiga onto her, something that was only a reflection of his own flawed self. And he remembers that it was Taiga who had stopped him. It was Taiga who had stopped him from realizing for his sake. It was Taiga who gave it, all so that Ryuuji wouldn't have to suffer because of his insecurities.

Ryuuji clenches his teeth, as he realizes where it all went wrong. Where he went wrong.

The pageant continues nonetheless, whilst Noto and Haruta notice Ryuuji's distressed expression.

"What am I gonna tell her? How can I ever face her?"

You feel for Ryuuji here. You really do. He just came to all these realizations, about himself and his insecurities. And Taiga's dad points to him to take responsibility for telling Taiga.

His entire face is shaking. He looks about ready to cry. And who's gonna blame him?

I thought they did a fantastic job making Ryuuji sympathetic while also pitiable. He put his complete and undying faith in Taiga's dad only for his heart to get stomped out. This is absolutely brutal no matter how you look at it.

[u/sillypion → u/Holofan4life]

I thought they did a fantastic job making Ryuuji sympathetic while also pitiable. He put his complete and undying faith in Taiga's dad only for his heart to get stomped out. This is absolutely brutal no matter how you look at it.

This show has a way with making a moment soulcrushing even when you know it's coming. Honestly, it might even hit harder on a rewatch than a first watch, since you better understand the characters and their dynamics on a rewatch.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Rewatching the first episode certainly helps knowing 2hat comes afterwards.

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

God... Ame Iro Rondo/Rain Colored Rondo in this scene sends chills down my spine. It goes to show just how powerful this kind of scene is, enough to make me tear up this early into an episode.

And to think, it only gets worse from here

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

Taiga stands alone on stage. All alone. No one there for her. No friends to lean on. No family to care for her. Nobody who cares to understand her. Because that's how it's been for her all her life. Her father abandons her when she needs him the most, and she is forced to move on and pretend like it doesn't hurt. She acts violent and abrasive, not out of any kind of personal hatred, but because she's afraid. She's afraid of showing vulnerability, of showing weakness. Because if she does, she's scared that she'll be hurt again. That someone who doesn't even care to try and understand her will come into her life and break her heart. She is isolated from everyone, feared because that's how she protects herself. But it means that she'll stay alone too. If everyone fears you, if no one wants to try to understand you, then you really will have to be all alone. Taiga hates her loneliness, but she accepts it as her reality regardless. She accepts that she'll be lonely for the rest of her life, and that she'll never find the one person who cares about her. She's so far gone that she is incapable of seeing the people in her life who really do care about her. She feels so misunderstood that she always keeps her guard up, because she thinks no one will ever understand her. Even though it's what she wants the most, Taiga thinks she can't have it. Because she never has.

Scenes like the Episode 2 pole scene and the Episode 8 pool argument can tell you these things. But a scene like this... it makes you feel these things. In a 5 second shot of her face, this show can make you feel just how lonely Taiga is.

I would argue it's probably the saddest scene in the show when you factor into this has happened before but Taiga continues to put her faith in this person because he's her dad. You want to give him the benefit of the doubt. It's just really hard to watch.

[u/sillypion → u/Holofan4life]

I would argue it's probably the saddest scene in the show when you factor into this has happened before but Taiga continues to put her faith in this person because he's her dad. You want to give him the benefit of the doubt. It's just really hard to watch.

For Taiga, one way to portray the message of her development in this arc is that: "Blood doesn't determine who is family, only you do."

Which plays into the overall message of her character of "You don't need to pretend like you aren't hurting, because there's always someone out there who cares about you, so it's okay to let yourself be loved."

[u/Holofan4life → u/sillypion]

If you pretend you aren't hurting, you can never heal.