As long as there's at least one person in life that understands me, I'll be okay

I've settled into a kind of melancholy over the past few days not necessarily due to events in my own life (although I'm sure those play a part) but instead due to a profound emptiness from finishing the anime series Toradora! I don't watch anime often but I've definitely warmed up to the idea over the past couple of years, as a number of scattered entries on this blog will attest. I wouldn't say I've been profoundly affected by any of those that I've watched, aside from being immensely entertained by Nichijou and drawn in by the drama and action of Attack on Titan. 

Toradora! is exactly the kind of anime I've always (subconsciously) been looking for. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it's not about saving the world--it concerns itself primarily with every day life and the relationships between a group of friends. These same elements are what draw me to the Persona series and to visual novels. The dialogue and interactions between characters are more important than the overall arc of the plot. The friendship between Ryuji and Taiga, their shared hardships and idiosyncrasies--they're so funny and poignant, and so entertaining.

I think I'd watch a lot more anime in general if I weren't so obsessed with multitasking. Toradora! has an excellent dub so I was able to watch it while playing Etrian Odyssey IV. I'll admit, however, that there were many occasions where I was drawn in enough that I found myself ignoring the game and paying close attention to what I was watching. I found something to like in all of the anime's principal characters. Ryuji is kind and driven despite being dismissed for his startling features. Taiga is extremely short both in temper and figure but hopes desperately that she'll find the courage to let herself have what she wants. Minori is immensely motivated and cheerful despite being beset by setbacks at every turn. Kitamura (voiced by the ubiquitous Johnny Yong Bosch) is almost comically well-adjusted but still grapples with his own personal demons.

Ryuji and Taiga form a friendship in order to help each other achieve their goals. Ryuji likes Minori. Taiga likes Kitamura. They both resolve to help the other impress their crushes and a lot of hijinks result. The setup could easily become a very formulaic story but I was so impressed by the amount of respect each character was given in the situation. Minori and Kitamura are never treated as idyllic unobtainable avatars of perfection. They are revealed to be characters just as fleshed out as any other--and I came to root for them just as much as I was rooting for Ryuji and Taiga.

So, now, I do feel some emptiness from having finished Toradora! not just because I miss watching these characters grow and evolve--but also because the resolution left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The last couple of episodes are very cathartic in some ways but I can't help but feel that a couple of the principal characters were left with no particular resolution. My heart breaks in particular for my favorite character, even if I know instinctively that this character is definitely going to be fine in the long run.