Toradora 6 – True Self

Kawashima thinks the girls in this school might be a bit too friendly.

I must say even though she didn’t seem all that likeable last episode I’m really enjoying the addition of Kawashima to the group. The cat fighting between Taiga and herself is very entertaining and even if they aren’t the best of friends right now, she’s one more person with whom Taiga can be herself around. Seeing as how Ami doesn’t judge her and the antagonistic relationship also helps to bring out Ami’s true self.

Taiga and Minorin cannot stand by and listen to Ami give out dietary advice, when Taiga had seen her leaving the convenience store with a crap load of junk the night before.
They feel it is their sworn duty to make her understand the diet god will look down kindly upon them if they all work hard.

I totally love Minorin; she puts so much effort into everything she does even if it means behaving like a complete lunatic to help someone out if she thinks somebody is in trouble.

Taiga doesn’t like it when anybody but her walks her dog.

Ami really does seem to have taken some sort of liking to Ryuji much to the irritation of Taiga. Our little cat is none too pleased with the pretty model hanging all over her dog when she tries to enlist Ryuji’s help, telling him a fan is harassing her.

Umm I don’t swing that way…

Taiga ends up the winner though when she tricks Ami into hanging out at her apartment to escape her fervent admirer instead of Ryuji’s place. While there she gives Ami some honey pickled kumquat juice made by Ryuji, but Ami isn’t too appreciative, which of course pisses Taiga off.
She can’t wait to show everyone Ami’s true nature but the model says she does not intend to show it to others. In that case, Taiga says she wants to see Ami’s fake self.

Oh shit that’s right, she’s got pictures of me nekkid!

We find out the next day that Taiga had made Ami do 150 rapid-fire impressions. Ryuji tells her she was being cruel but Kitamura on the contrary is quite happy and asks a favor of Taiga. He wants them to hang out with Ami since they are already aware of her true nature; because he believes that, she’ll only be able to make real friends by being herself.

Ami helps Ryuji out since Taiga doesn’t feed her dog enough.

To that end, Taiga blackmails the girl with releasing photos of her impressions unless she accompanies them to lunch.

Ami wants to know why Taiga’s lunch is the same as Ryuji’s which prompts Taiga to eat everything but the rice in the poor guys bento so she can say that their lunches are different.

Smiling, Ami gives Ryuji a meatball from her lunch box to make up for it and asks why he lets Taiga do as she pleases. Taiga says it is because a dog likes to please its master and Ami doesn’t seem too happy when Minorin says that Taiga and Ryuji are destined for one another.

At this point, I’m not really sure if Ami actually likes Ryuji or is just jealous because Taiga has someone like him by her side who accepts her for who she is despite her prickly personality.

If you don’t, the President will make you listen to the opening over and over again.

Since Ryuji is supposed to be helping Taiga win the affections of Kitamura, he is dragged into helping out with the monthly neighborhood clean up organized by the student council.

As usual though Taiga’s plans get foiled since she doesn’t get teamed up with Kitamura as he heads out with the rest of council even worse Ami decides to join them saying she wants to get to know the school better. The group is rounded out by Minorin who says she has to do her best as a diet warrior to stay slim.

I love the scene with the President addressing the students before they head out, talking to them as if they are heading out for battle. She’s as enthusiastic as Minorin but without the bubbly personality.

Trash talking.

Taiga and Ami end up trading insults and Taiga drags Minorin away leaving Ryuji and Ami to pick up trash together.

Hmm maybe I should go with sexy underwear instead.

Ami puts on her fake act as usual but the façade slips a little when she is freaked out by a frog on her shoe.

Ryuji asks her why she would force herself to do something she obviously hates and tells her she should show her true self but she says that is something she can’t do and then something seems to freak her out and she runs off with Ryuji chasing after her.

Clearly we are dealing with an angry full bodied apparition.

Turns out the guy who was following her earlier has returned. Ami tells Ryuji that the guy is a stalker and the reason she left her old school,home and took a break from her job.

Taiga and Minorin are out looking for Ryuji and Ami and the stalker angers Taiga by taking pictures of them. Not one to be intimidated by that kind of thing Taiga throws her bag of trash at the guy and chases after him.

This shocks Ami who can’t believe that Taiga isn’t scared of the pervert. It forces her true self out since she can’t stand the fact she let her fear of him control her life. After all, she had even been gorging on junk food because of the stress over worrying about the stalker. She also can’t stand having been beat by Taiga since she wasn’t scared of the guy at all.

Ami tells Ryuji that she won’t pretend anymore and she runs off to confront the guy. He says that in magnificent form she chased the stalker down the streets and pulverized the guy’s camera scaring him in the process with her dark personality.

After the guy runs off she finally collapses to the street, telling Ryuji that she did it, but she admits she was scared and Ryuji smiles seeing nothing but truth in her words.

I think I dropped my contact lens down my top, wanna help me find it?

Back at his place, he gives Ami some warm honey pickled kumquat juice, telling her that Taiga likes it and Ami remarks that he calls Taiga by her name directly instead of Aisaka.
He asks if she still suspicious of them maybe dating and Ami says that Taiga is lucky, she’s a stubborn mess that doesn’t put up a pretense yet she has friends, she has Ryuji.

Ami asks Ryuji what he would do if she showed him her true self and she crawls towards him in her skimpy clothing asking if he would fall in love with her. It’s at this point of course Taiga walks in and catches them in the comprising position they happen to be in.