Loading AI tools
Japanese light novel series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toradora! (Japanese: とらドラ!) is a Japanese light novel series by Yuyuko Takemiya, with illustrations by Yasu. The series includes 10 novels released between March 10, 2006, and March 10, 2009, published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint.[3] Three volumes of a spin-off light novel series were also created, aptly titled Toradora Spin-off!. A manga adaptation by Zekkyō started serialization in the September 2007 issue of the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!, published by MediaWorks. The manga ended serialization in Dengeki Comic Gao! with the March 2008 issue, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh with the May 2008 issue.[4]
| Toradora! | |
 First light novel volume cover, featuring Taiga Aisaka | |
| とらドラ! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Light novel | |
| Written by | Yuyuko Takemiya |
| Illustrated by | Yasu |
| Published by | ASCII Media Works |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Dengeki Bunko |
| Demographic | Male |
| Original run | March 10, 2006 – March 10, 2009 |
| Volumes | 10 |
| Light novel | |
| Toradora Spin-off! | |
| Written by | Yuyuko Takemiya |
| Illustrated by | Yasu |
| Published by | ASCII Media Works |
| Imprint | Dengeki Bunko |
| Magazine | Dengeki Bunko Magazine |
| Demographic | Male |
| Original run | May 10, 2007 – April 10, 2010 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yuyuko Takemiya |
| Illustrated by | Zekkyō |
| Published by | ASCII Media Works |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine |
|
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | July 27, 2007 – present |
| Volumes | 11 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tatsuyuki Nagai |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Mari Okada |
| Music by | Yukari Hashimoto |
| Studio | J.C.Staff |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | TXN (TV Tokyo) |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 2, 2008 – March 26, 2009 |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Video game | |
| Developer | Guyzware |
| Publisher | Namco Bandai Games |
| Genre | Visual novel |
| Platform | PlayStation Portable |
| Released | April 30, 2009 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Tatsuyuki Nagai |
| Written by | Mari Okada |
| Studio | J.C.Staff |
| Licensed by |
|
| Released | December 21, 2011 |
| Runtime | 27 minutes |
The title Toradora! is derived from the names of the two main characters Taiga Aisaka and Ryūji Takasu. Taiga's name is almost homophonic with taigā (タイガー) from English tiger (the final a is more lengthened in the English loanword), which is synonymous with the native Japanese word tora (とら). Inversely, ryū (竜) means dragon, and is synonymous with doragon (ドラゴン), the English word dragon transcribed into Japanese.[5]
An Internet radio show was broadcast between September 2008 and May 2009 hosted by Animate TV. A 25-episode anime adaptation produced by J.C.Staff aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 2008 and March 2009.[6] A Blu-ray box set containing an original video animation (OVA) episode was released on December 21, 2011. NIS America licensed the anime and released it in North America in two half-season DVD collections in July and August 2010, with an English dubbed BD collection released in July 2014. A visual novel based on the series was released in April 2009 by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation Portable.[7]
Ryuji Takasu is frustrated at trying to look his best as he enters his second year of high school. Despite his gentle personality, his eyes give him the appearance of an intimidating delinquent. He is happy to be classmates with his best friend Yusaku Kitamura, as well as the girl he has a crush on, Minori Kushieda. However, he unexpectedly runs into "the school's most dangerous animal of the highest risk level"—Taiga Aisaka—who just happens to be Minori's best friend. Taiga has a negative attitude towards others and has a habit of snapping violently at people. She takes an instant dislike to Ryuji, and it turns out she is living in an apartment facing Ryuji's house. When Ryuji discovers that Taiga has a crush on Yusaku, and Taiga finds out about Ryuji's affections towards Minori, they make an arrangement to help set each other up with their crushes.
Over the course of the series, Ryuji and Taiga try to set up romantic situations to help each other get to know their friends, but many of the situations backfire. Their classmates observe that they are spending a lot of time with each other, leading to rumors that they might be a couple. Although Ryuji and Taiga try to dispel the rumors, they find that they do enjoy each other's company, with Taiga visiting Ryuji's house to share meals, and Ryuji checking up on Taiga to get her to school, and cleaning for her. They meet Yusaku's childhood friend Ami Kawashima, a popular teen model who transfers into their school. She appears to be friendly and is a self-proclaimed ditz, but beneath her facade is a rather mean and spoiled brat, and she quickly finds herself at odds with Taiga. In spite of this, Taiga tries to put up with her antics as Yusaku wants them to all get along, and Ami begins to grow feelings for Ryuji. The series follows the lives of these friends and how love blossoms among them.
Toradora! began as a series of light novels written by Yuyuko Takemiya and drawn by Yasu. 10 novels were published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint between March 10, 2006, and March 10, 2009.[3][11] There are four additional chapters not collected into volumes; three of which appeared in three separate light novel anthologies released by MediaWorks in November 2006, March 2007, and November 2007, and the last chapter entitled Toradora! came with a plush tiger stuffed animal first released in April 2007.[12] Seven Seas Entertainment licensed series in North America, releasing the first volume in 2018 and the last in 2020.[13][14]
Three volumes of a spin-off of the regular series under the title Toradora Spin-off! (とらドラ・スピンオフ!) were also created. The first volume of the spin-off series was released on May 10, 2007, and compiled four chapters, three of which had been serialized in MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp between June 10, 2006, and February 10, 2007, and the last chapter was written especially for the volume release. A single chapter of the spin-off series, originally published in February 2006 in Dengeki hp was included in the second volume of the regular novel series. More chapters started serialization in Dengeki hp's successor Dengeki Bunko Magazine on December 10, 2007. Additional chapters of the main series started serialization in the same magazine on April 10, 2008. The second volume of Toradora Spin-off! was released on January 10, 2009, followed by the third volume on April 10, 2010. The third volume was released to commemorate the Year of the Tiger (2010).
A manga adaptation illustrated by Zekkyō started serialization in the September 2007 issue of MediaWorks' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!.[15] The manga ended its run in Dengeki Comic Gao! in the March 2008 issue, but continued serialization in ASCII Media Works' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from the May 2008 issue.[4][16] The first tankōbon volume was released on February 27, 2008 under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint; as of January 26, 2023, 11 volumes have been released.[17] North American publisher Seven Seas Entertainment began publishing the series in English on March 1, 2011.[18][19]
An Internet radio show to promote the anime series and other Toradora! media titled ToradoRadio! (とらドラジオ!, Toradorajio!) aired 38 episodes between September 4, 2008, and May 28, 2009, on Animate TV.[20] The show was streamed online every Thursday, and was hosted by Junji Majima and Eri Kitamura who voiced Ryūji Takasu and Ami Kawashima from the anime, respectively. The show featured additional voice actors from the anime as guests.
A Toradora! anime television series was first announced on a promotional advertisement for light novels being released under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko imprint for April 2008.[21] The anime is directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai and produced by the animation studio J.C.Staff. Toradora! contains 25 episodes, which aired between October 2, 2008, and March 26, 2009, on TV Tokyo in Japan.[6][22] The episodes aired at later dates on AT-X, TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting. The anime premiered in the Philippines through TV5 on May 18, 2009, one of the first to air it outside Japan.[23] The first volume DVD compilation, which contains the first four episodes was released in Japan on January 21, 2009, by King Records in limited and regular editions.[24] Seven more DVD compilations, each containing three episodes, were released between February 25 and August 26, 2009, also in limited and regular editions.[24] Starting from the second DVD, there were extra animated shorts included in the DVD volumes, Toradora SOS!, which features the cast as chibis trying out various foods. The Toradora! anime was licensed by NIS America as its first anime.[25] The series was released in two half-season DVD compilation volumes in early July and late August 2010.[26] A six-disc Blu-ray Disc box set, released in Japan on December 21, 2011, contains an original video animation (OVA) episode.[27] It was broadcast in Italy on Rai 4 between April 28 and October 13, 2011. NIS America re-released the series on Blu-ray on July 1, 2014, including the unreleased OVA and featuring an English dub.[8] MVM Films have licensed the Blu-ray collection in the United Kingdom.[28] The anime series was streamed on Netflix on August 1, 2020.[29]
The anime series makes use of four pieces of theme music: two opening and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "Pre-Parade" (プレパレード, Pureparēdo) by Rie Kugimiya, Eri Kitamura, and Yui Horie.[30] The first ending theme is "Vanilla Salt" (バニラソルト, Banira Soruto) by Horie.[31] The second opening is "Silky Heart" by Horie,[32] and the second ending is "Orange" (オレンジ, Orenji) by Kugimiya, Kitamura, and Horie.[32][33] The insert theme for episode nineteen is "Holy Night" (ホーリーナイト, Hōrī Naito) performed by Kugimiya and Kitamura.[34] The anime's original soundtrack was released on January 7, 2009.[35][36]
A visual novel developed by Guyzware and published by Bandai Namco Games based on Toradora! is playable on the PlayStation Portable, and was released on April 30, 2009.[7][37][38] The player assumes the role of Ryuji Takasu where he moves around school and town, conversing with characters and working towards multiple endings as part of an original storyline. The game also features a minigame where players play as Taiga, fending off lovesick guys.
Taiga is a playable character in the RPG, Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus for the Nintendo DS, released on March 19, 2009, in Japan.[39][40] She also appears as a cameo character and optional costume for the main character in Nippon Ichi Software's Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman for the PlayStation Portable. Taiga is also a playable character in the fighting game Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, with Ryuji as an assist character.[41] She also appears in Twinkle Crusaders Starlit Brave which was released on September 30, 2010.[39]
The Mainichi Shimbun reported in April 2009 that over 3 million copies of the light novel series have been sold in Japan.[42] By October 2017, it had over 5 million copies in circulation.[43] The light novel series has ranked four times in Takarajimasha's light novel guide book Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! published yearly: sixth in 2007, fourth in 2008 and 2010, and second in 2009.[citation needed][44] In Kadokawa Shoten's first Light Novel Award contest held in 2007, Toradora! won an award in the romantic comedy category.[45][46] The seventh volume of the Toradora! light novels was ranked tenth best selling between December 2007 and November 2008 by Amazon.co.jp.[47] The second volume of the Toradora! manga was ranked 28th on the Tohan charts between March 3–9, 2009.[48] Taiga Aisaka became the champion of the eighth Anime Saimoe Tournament in 2009.[49] The Toradora! anime was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the thirteenth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2009.[50] In 2009, Rie Kugimiya won the Best Actress in the third Seiyu Awards partly for voicing Taiga Aisaka.[51]
The first Toradora! DVD was ranked 13th on the Oricon DVD chart between January 20–26, 2009.[52] The second DVD was ranked 15th between February 24 and March 2, 2009.[53] The third DVD was ranked 27th between March 24–30, 2009.[54] The fourth DVD was ranked 17th between April 21–28, 2009.[55] The fifth DVD was ranked 7th between May 25–31, 2009.[56] The sixth DVD was ranked 11th between June 22–28, 2009.[57] The seventh DVD was ranked 19th between July 20–26, 2009.[58] The eighth DVD was ranked 13th between August 24–30, 2009.[59] THEM Anime Review's Stig Høgset commends the anime for how it "actually resolves the relationship issue it set out to do instead of wimping out like so many romantic shows with several girls tends to do in an attempt to not make people angry or disappointed."[60] He also comments Taiga as the "genetical marriage" of Shana from Shakugan no Shana and Louise from Zero no Tsukaima.[60] However, he also criticized "Taiga's continuous behavior, particularly towards Ryuji" and the introduction of Taiga's father in which Høgset "felt that the whole story arc jerked me around".[60]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
