Toradora! Ep. 7

[SimsHsia]

Episode 7: Pool Opening
Note: it has been confirmed that Toradora! will be having 25 episodes this season.

OP note: I'm adding in a spoiler toggle. Some of you may just want to see the pictures, but do not want to be tempted by the synopsis of what occurs in this episode. So, there you go!

Recap from last time:

Ami decides to show her true personality instead of masking it behind a fake one, after Ryuuji tells her that he can see through this fake "mask". When Ami asks Ryuuji whether or not he will like her when he sees her true personality, while inching closer and closer to him, Taiga walks in during this very moment.

Key plot points:

• Minori is asking Taiga from outside Ryuuji's house whether Ryuuji or Ami are inside, Taiga responds that they are not inside saving Ryuuji from any further misunderstandings.
  
• It's the summer and the school's pool is opening. Despite their homeroom teacher's excitement while announcing it, she hears the complaints from the class ranging from how stomachs or thighs look to being embarrassed. Taiga turns white upon this announcement.
  
• Minori and Ryuuji drag Taiga to the only swimsuit store in town, and discover Ami's there too. After having a glimpse of Ami's swimsuit, Ryuuji checks up on Taiga, and is dragged into the dressing room. Taiga has several swimsuits on the floor, but can not choose one, because, well...
  
• Taiga's flat chested, and the smallest teen swimsuit is loose around the chest. She also doesn't know how to swim. In addition, a certain photograph of her with a comment written about her chest size caused her to raise up bloodshed in the photography club that later completely abolished its existence in the previous year.
  
• Ryuuji solves this dilemma but sewing up chest pads, and Taiga tries them on with her swimsuit, and likes them.
  
• At the pool, her class is amazed Taiga's look, but only Minorin is able to figure out the truth. Yuusaku, without his glasses, comments on Taiga's hairdo, making her look like Mickey Mouse, as he can only make out her general figure.
  
• Ami tosses Taiga into the water. Ryuuji remembering that Taiga mentioned she couldn't swim quickly dives into the pool to save her. The only problem is that Taiga will not let him bring her out of the water, as one of her pads fell out. With no other option, Ryuuji brings Taiga underwater and re-inserts the pad back in.
  
• After school, Ami apologies to Taiga, but it quickly turns into an argument. Minorin stops the two from fighting and suggests that to resolve their argument, they should have a sports competition.
  

Episode thoughts:

Yeah, I saw it coming in this episode. If you've watched past animes staring Kugimiya Rie voice acting as the main female character, you know they are limiting in a certain area. Unlike the usual character traits she voices, I was surprised that Taiga didn't slap, pound, scream various phrases, or, heck, even kill Ryuuji when he re-inserted the missing pad (i.e. Shana or Louise). Instead, during that scene, we see nicely animated air bubbles going to the surface and the one though that goes through her mind, "humiliation". Even so, while Ami was apologizing, all she did was just lie her head on the desk in humiliation. This episode certainly was full of laughs, with Taiga's many facial expressions, and Minorin's usual genki (lively, energetic) self thrown in there. Also, why didn't Ryuuji somehow attach the pads to Taiga's swimming suit? Duct tape those things or something. I'm sure it'll be figure out (not) in the next episode.

Next episode, For Whose Sake, the sports competition is on! Looks like it's Ami vs. Taiga in a swimming competition.