Toradora 2

Yuyuko Takemiya / Zekkyo – Seven Seas Entertainment – 2011 – 4+ volumes

So, I honestly enjoyed the first volume of this, and the second was just as good. Far from being a typical formulaic shounen romantic comedy, this one has its characters pegged perfectly, and so far, I love it to pieces.

It’s fairly well-written, too. A climax that would’ve waited until the end of the series happens in this volume, and I was shocked when it… actually went through with everything. I’m a little torn about it, because afterwards it seems like it could keep going down that path, but I’d also like to see the plot move in a different direction and not loop endlessly over the romantic triangle between the two main characters and their love interests.

Basically, Taiga and Ryuji are forced into a corner by their respective love interests, who think the two of them are going out, and Taiga winds up confessing. Meanwhile, much is said between Taiga and Ryuji. It was… an interesting and very sweet few chapters, though I’d hate to say any more than that for fear of spoiling anything. It was an unexpected surprise to see a confrontation so early.

The plot did take a different direction after that, too. Ryuji’s friend and Taiga’s crush, Yusaku, introduces them to a childhood friend named Ami. Ami has an absolutely horrible personality, but hides it well in front of most people. She and Taiga get off on the wrong foot, but in front of everyone, including Yusaku, she plays the part of the slightly ditzy model. Yusaku asks for Ryuji’s help in getting Ami to “be herself,” and the volume ends before anything serious happens.

I liked the new storyline quite a bit, though at this point the focus is less on Taiga and Ryuji. Those two are the big draw for me, and not even entirely because of the romance. They’re both great characters, and this volume makes them that much better. They support each other, but they also bicker like an old couple and fit perfectly together in terms of strengths and weaknesses. There are dozens of great scenes between the two in this volume, both touching and funny. Usually, when I read shounen romances, the comedy is too over-the-top for my taste, the jokes fall flat, and the main characters are little more that character types, with no personality. This series doesn’t indulge in any of these pitfalls, and is more or less everything I want in a romantic comedy.

It’s a great little read, genuinely funny with great characters. I like it enough that I suspect it would appeal to even picky readers who enjoy shoujo and shounen romance, and I encourage you to give it a try if it sounds at all appealing. Hmm… it reminds me a lot of Your & My Secret, less laugh-out-loud funny but a little more touching in the right way. Sad about not getting to read the end of that series? Try this one instead.

This was a review copy provided by Seven Seas.