Toradora! Ep. 16 - 19

[SimsHsia]

Episode 16: One Step Forward

SAMURAI TAIGA!

Unfortunately, the new OP/EDs did not appear in ep. 16, they appear in ep. 17 after Yuusaku's story arc. J.C. Staff is good, they keep us guessing on when the new OP/ED will come.

Recap from last time:
Yuusaku doesn't want to run for election as student council president and resigns as vice president, as a result he bleaches his hair. To encourage Yuusaku and bring him back to normal, Taiga decides to run for student council president.

Key plot points:

• At the front of the school, Taiga announces her candidacy (for Yuusaku's sake). Ryuuji announces that he the campaign manager for the Taiga camp. Students in distress begin asking if there will be any one to oppose her.
  
• Ryuuji receives a phone call from a student council member regarding the current council president, Kanou Sumire, going on a study abroad in America; the reason why Yuusaku had a radical change in his behavior: he loves Sumire. Ryuuji begins to go find where Yuusaku is, and once he does, they both talk for a short while then part their ways.
  
• The following morning, the day before the day of the election, Yuusaku is seen in his normal hair color and announces his candidacy for student council president. However, Yuusaku hasn't yet turned in his application form until a little encouragement from Sumire does he finally turn it in at the deadline time of 4:00 PM.
  
• On Saturday, it is announced that Taiga has conceded from the running, thus leaving the only candidate in running, Yuusaku, to give a speech before the election process begins. At his speech in front of the entire student body, Yuusaku unexpectedly confesses his feelings to Sumire. When asked to answer him, Sumire does not answer him properly, instead she encourages all students to give their vote to Yuusaku.
  
• That afternoon, Taiga and Sumire fight it out in a classroom. In the end, it turns out that Sumire didn't answer properly because if she did, Yuusaku would do whatever she would say -- no matter how hard he must sacrifice. In light of this, Sumire wanted Yuusaku to make his own decisions and live out his life with his own intentions and desires.
  
• On the following Monday, Yuusaku is president of the student council, Sumire spent her last day in Japan bruised and two days later moved to America, and Taiga ended up being suspended from school for two weeks.
  
• Taiga, during her suspension, is assigned to write an apology letter to Sumire. After the credits / ED sequence rolls, Sumire, now in America, receives Taiga's apology letter consisting of one word: Idiot and laughs.
  

Episode thoughts:
Well, alright, it wasn't so ABSOLUTE to have a new OP/ED in this episode -- J.C. Staff sure likes to trick us, but it seems logical to wait until Yuusaku's story arc ends first to reach the pinnacle climax point of the series. Oh well, one more episode of Pre-Parade/Vanilla Salt is just fine after a three week break from anime.

Well, this episode certain has a fair share of drama and fighting. The fighting scene between Taiga and Sumire was nicely and fluidly animated. After the fight, one thing is confirmed about Minorin: it is hinted that she does have some feelings for Ryuuji. I found that Taiga's apology to Sumire was fitting of her and laughed it as well. And, thus, ends Yuusaku's story arc...sort of, anyways.