Toradora!: Bentou no Gokui

I had just finished Toradora! When I did some research and learned that special had just come out only two months prior. Excited, and since the original anime was so darn good, I quickly watched it, thinking it was going to be, at the very least, AWESOME. However, it turned out to be much more disappointing than I originally had anticipated. In fact, it made me almost cry - not with tears of sympathy or sadness or humor, but just plain BORING. Story: 7/10 Presumedly taking place a couple weeks after Toradora! ended, it started off logically but fell flat on its face in the first5 minutes. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but the fact that I knew this was going to be "one of those specials." Moe-blob, circular plot sort of thing, where the storyline isn't advanced and everyone remains static. Poo. I was really expecting some sort of plot twist or SOMETHING to keep me glued to the screen, but it just wasn't good storytelling. I think they went sort of over the top with comedy as well; the producers seemed to focus mainly on the natural humor and personalities of the characters to create simply a side episode. This was accomplished - halfway. I laughed, oh yes I laughed, but the slap-stick humor really confused me: was this the Toradora! that I had loved only one episode ago? The background is simple: a couple days (maybe a couple weeks) after Toradora! ended, Ryujji Takasu and Tenori Taiga are back again with Kitamaru, Ami, Minorin, and the rest of class 2-C. The whole episode focuses on one thing (the title of the episode): lunch. Bento boxes, to be precise. The lesson at the end made sense, but this was pretty much lame. Compared to the rugged sort of interactions the characters had in the original anime, this specials really let me down in terms of things like a deeper meaning, or worse: no storyline. Art: 9/10 I'll stand my ground on the art; like I said with the original Toradora!, the wonderful facial expressions are back! I love their realistic portrayal of anger or sorrow and especially embarrassment. The art was what made this so good in the first place: Takasu's scary face along with Taiga's small stature really made such a great juxtaposition, and continued while viewing this episode. The environment was crisp and clean, the colors bright and cheerful, never skipping a beat on the animation. So yes, the art deserved this great score. Sound: 8/10 I rated the sound decently high because I always loved the OP and ED; both are on my Ipod and have at least 10 plays already. Great songs; but, again, what irked me a little was the fact that there was almost no background music. I love, even a little, background sound to let the story flow better and to sort of pave the way for the next scene. Again, like the anime, it lacked background sound; but no matter, because what made up for it was, again, the voice acting. I love me some good actors; especially when they make the characters sound so real. You could tell their feelings just by listening to the tone of the voice; no small feat. If you don't believe me, try saying something happy followed by something depressingly sad; can't do it with emotion, can you? Exactly. Character: 7/10 Why so low of a character score? BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DEVELOPMENT. Static characters always incite my deepest anger; what makes a story good are the CHARACTERS. You can have the CRAPPIEST animation ever with the worse music in the history of nails-on-chalkboard, but if the characters are half-decent, so is the overall show! The only reason we know the characters is from the original anime; if this was a whole OVA or something on its own, I'd give it a 4. There's no development, no internal conflict, just silly moe-blob the entire time. Takasu stays almost exactly the same (though they do show a personality quirk of his the entire time). Taiga acts a little less tsundere, though not by much. Ami hardly appears, Minorin is there for very little time, and Kitamaru says barely anything. Then again, this is simply a "special" and I shouldn't berate it so hard, especially since this isn't part of the main series; however, I was more than disappointed with the work they put into this... Overall, I WAS entertained; though I may have said some harsh insults, overall it wasn't that bad. It just needs some polish (and a whole plot-rewrite) to be better. The only reason I didn't give this below a 6 was because I knew the background from the original series; if it wasn't for that, like I said, I wouldn't even be writing this review. I loved the comedy; the producers worked so hard on it, I thought I would at least acknowledge it. Wonderful laughs all around. However, I was also disappointed, so don't expect too much. Whatever; a good bento is a good bento.

Ok, what we have here is generally is a 1 off OVA of the parent anime "Toradora," it still follows the same genre and it still maintains the same cast, however this is one OVA that should have been included as an episode of its parent anime instead of a separate OVA. So my rating: Story: Good 7. Ok, so the OVA is all about Ryuuji who is having some insecurities of losing out to Yuusaku's grandmother who happens to make a good bento meal for the latter, so he does all the unnecessary things that he can to beat his best friend's grandmom's cooking, which overallit is the comic part of this OVA that makes it to have such rating. Art and sound: Mediocre 5. No need for me to say on this parts. Character: Mediocre 5. I did mention that the original cast of this OVA are still here. Enjoyment and Overall: Good 7. I not gonna elaborate anymore, all I can say is that this OVA is worth watching and one has to think of it as a long awaited episode that is finally been aired.

The triple cast is back with Taiga, Amy, and Minori! or should I say Kugimiya Rie, Horie Yui, and Kitamura Eri! Unfortunately, this show was mostly all about Takasu, Ryuuji's ego of trying to surpass a certain someone as a housewife. This isn't a bad thing but I'm assuming a lot of viewers were looking forward to a post scenario with our couple. The shows kick off with Kitamura Yuusaku a friend of Ryuuji by bringing a super deluxe fancy 3 stories tall buffet Bento to school. Kitamura being the nice guy as he wants to share his food with all his friends. They each trya little bit of something from the bento and of course Taiga wants the main course the Lobster and gets tease by Ryuuji. However, he then tries the chicken and finds out it's nothing in comparison to his ben-to. He soon declares war against Kitamura Yuusaku's oh-baah-sahn! Checklist of what makes a good Toradora OVA. Humor ✔ Lovable characters ✔ Ridiculous plot ✔ Ryuuji scary face ✔ The show sells itself the minute Ryuuji declares war. Showing his more real personality from the novels. Viewers who have just watched Toradora! now get to see Ryuuji's real side. A top-notch housewife! Every minute of the show was overjoyed with humor. Being able to see Ryuuji giving his all in his ben-to and seeing Taiga's cooking again brings back memories! Cookies anyone? Toradora! not only shines in Humor and having solid characters but also delivers life lessons. The ending of this OVA combining with the refreshing music is what makes Toradora! If you're a fan of Toradora! This is an OVA you must watch!

I enjoyed Bento Battle. It was a good insight and made me happy. Minori is always a delight to have as always. The Story: The episode begins with Ryuuji and Taiga preparing their bentos with the help of their friends. As they gather ingredients and put their culinary skills to the test, the friendly rivalry between them intensifies. The atmosphere is filled with excitement and anticipation as everyone works diligently to create mouthwatering bentos. As the competition commences, Ryuuji and Taiga present their creations to a panel of judges. Each bento reflects the unique personalities of its creator, showcasing their dedication and creativity. The intense battle results ina surprising turn of events, challenging the characters' bonds and bringing unexpected revelations. The music: Op1 is the best OP for toradora and I enjoyed that as well The Animation: Same as the rest of the show. This ones a no brainer. Watch it cuz it is fun and light hearted. Final Score: 7/10 Thanks! -CyanCheetah

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