Toradora! Manga, Vol. 5

漫画とらドラ / Toradora! Manga #5

by Yuyuko Takemiya

LET’S SCARE MINORI TO DEATH!

Summer vacation is here, and the whole gang heads out to Ami’s summer home for a beach vacation! Taiga and Ryuuji hatch a plan to scare Minori out of her wits so Ryuuji can swoop in and come to her rescue. However, when Kitamura overhears the cunning scheme, he demands to be let in on the action and drags Ami along for the ride. What soon follows is a trip into madness as the kids venture into a small cave by the beach where untold horrors await…

Genres: Manga, Romance, Humor, Comics, Young Adult, 21st Century, Drama

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2012

About the author

Yuyuko Takemiya (竹宮 ゆゆこ Takemiya Yuyuko) is a Japanese writer of light novels. Takemiya debuted in September 2004 with her light novel series Watashitachi no Tamura-kun (Our Tamura-kun) which first appeared in the autumn 2004 issue of Dengeki hp Special, a special edition version of Dengeki hp. That same month, Takemiya worked on the scenario for the bishōjo game Noel by FlyingShine (also known for creating Cross Channel).

Following the completion of Watashitachi no Tamura-kun, Takemiya began her best-known series, Toradora!, which she declared to be complete in April 2010 after ten volumes and three spin-off books. The first book of her next series, Golden Time, was Dengeki Bunko's 2000th published light novel. Takemiya launched the manga series Evergreen with artist Akira Kasukabe on July 19, 2011 in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh Genesis quarterly magazine.

Reviews

[stella 🍓 孔凡星 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character/relationship development in this volume was so good. I love this series!!

[Dachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Have you ever seen one? A ghost, I mean?
- What? Um, no. Never.
- Oh. I believe in ghosts, y'know. I think they're cool! But I've never actually seen one, either. Now, those psychics and mediums and what-have-you? I don't believe in them at all. 'Cause ghosts aren't something anybody can see. They just aren't. You can't talk to them, either.
I guess it's kinda like that. I totally believe that, someday, I'll find somebody I can love. Truly and with my whole heart. We'll get married, buy a house and live happly ever after. But y'know? Like the ghosts that I can't see, I've never really felt love like that before. Sure, everybody talks about it and I actually know people who've found it, so I kinda have to believe love exists. But I haven't found it. I haven't experienced it. The people who say they have, feel almost, I dunno, unreal to me.
To me, they're just like the mediums who say they can see and talk to ghosts. I can't help but doubt the truth. I mean, are they really in love? After all, I've yet to meet someone who can make me feel that way. Everyone treats it as something natural, commonplace. But I haven't ever had it happen to me, so I start doubting it even exists.
To be honest, I get a little jealous of the people who say it's happened to them.
So... I guess my answer to your question is... No, I do not have a boyfriend.
Takasu-kun, can YOU see ghosts?
- No. And like I said, I've never seen one but I want to believe they exist.
- So, you're like me?
- No. I'm a little different. I want to see ghosts someday. So I still hang around haunted places and go out at night to watch for them. It's great that you believe in them, but isn't that all you're doing?
People who say they can see ghosts... maybe they didn't all start out that way. Maybe at first, they couldn't see anything at all.
- What?
- Maybe there are some who just all of sudden saw one one day, and freaked out. Maybe there are those who caught a glimpse once, but never saw it again. Hell, maybe there are even some who totally believed ghosts didn't exists until they woke up one morning and one was right there beside them.
A lot of things that seem quite natural now, nobody ever really understood at first. So don't give up. You haven't seen a ghost yourself yet, so what? That could change, it's too early to declare you'll never see one ever, or that they don't exist.
Listen. I'm not being mean when I say this but I really do hope you get to see a ghost some day. I know horror stuff and the occult freak you out, so it may be hard for you when it happens, but I think there are ghosts out there somewhere that want you to see them. They're just waiting for you to find them.

Hermoso.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad the manga version is living up to the anime so far (plus and minus a few things, of course). This volume contains one of my absolute favorite scenes! The conversation between Minori and Ryuuji about the existance of ghosts and other paranormals, which is a whole big metaphor about believing in love, lived up to the original. It was a real big development for the two, and the trip also brings out some revelations for everyone (some of which was not in the anime). Sure, it's all a little crazy... but it wouldn't be Toradora without some over-the-top-ness.

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un volumen bastante normalito, la verdad. Tras irse de vacaciones, los chicos pasan unos días en la casa de verano de Ami. Mientras tanto, Ryuuji y Taiga quieren asustar a Minori y de alguna forma, Kitamura y Ami también terminan siendo parte de esto.

Ahora bien, realmente no hay un gran crecimiento relevante y lo único que rescato de este volumen es que tiene unas escenas muy cómicas (aunque claro, en el anime pasan otro par que son memorables). Además de que Minori y Ryuuji tienen una plática que sigo sin comprender del todo. Si soy honesta, Minori sigue siendo un misterio para mí, aun inclusive después de tantos años.

Lo cierto es que, en un par de ocasiones, Taiga los escucha o les mira juntos y se queda en silencio, lo cual demuestra que lo que siente por Ryuuji ya no es simple amistad o ‘posesión’ al ser ‘su ama’. Creo que esa es una forma clara de demostrar que no le es indiferente su compañía y como ella lo dice “cuando estoy contigo me siento tranquila”, contrario a lo que le pasa estando junto a Kitamura. Inclusive, en el último capítulo, vemos que se deja crecer el cabello porque Ryuuji es quien se lo cepilla. Y él, después de verla maquillada, con un vestido precioso y con el pelo arreglado, se queda sin palabras de lo bonita que es.

Por cierto, comparado con las novelas ligeras, me parece que el manga tiene un tomo de más. Así que calculo que van a ser unos 12, quizá. Espero que puedan continuarlo pronto porque en realidad sale un capítulo muy esporádicamente, así que terminar esta serie va a tardar, tal vez, un par de años más.

De cualquier forma, ¡no puedo esperar a leer el siguiente tomo!

REVIEWS ANTERIORES:
Volumen 1 | Volumen 2 | Volumen 3 | Volumen 4

[DonutKnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this plot going anywhere? I see Taiga is catching feelings, but damn why do they all gotta like Ryuuji? Is this another harem??? Like Nisekoi?? 😭😭😭

[☀️Mehraveh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun read.

[Sebastián Caballero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in loveeee

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried about the direction this adaptation's taking after the last volume cut a number of scenes, and this volume looked to go in the same direction at first, dropping the single funniest moment in the whole series. But it really recovered in the second half, nailing the scenes of Ryuuji and Ami fighting and the final moment with Ryuuji and Minori on the beach while Taiga watches. And the volume ends with a super-cute omake in which all the female characters have a girls' day out together.

[The Book Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be summed up as "The Beach Episode".

The gang go to the beach and decide to scare the Kushieda. For the most part the story doesn't progress a huge amount in this book, save for a few scenes, and in some cases just a few panels. But it is a really good book.

Incidentally this book is one of the best for the overwhelming awesome-force that is Kushieda Minori.

[Cynka · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was... Surprising. I adore Minori and I love learning more about her, I also like the character development and the growing relations - I think Taiga and Ami are starting to befriend and that's wholesome, because even though they hate each other they found a way to be nice to each other.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y todos terminan en la casa de playa de Ami.
Y Taiga desaprovecha oportunidades.
Divertido lo del plan de asustar.
Y hay una escena donde Taiga...

3 stars.

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

The manga adaptation of Toradora! hits its stride in this volume, which depicts my favorite arc from the novels/anime. After a convoluted bet gone wrong, our five protagonists wind up at model Ami's beach house for the summer! Ryuji is still hoping to confess his feelings for Minori, while Taiga is too nervous to make on a move on Kitamura. What results is a well-written pleasingly awkward slice of life story as this quintet dances around their feelings for each other, treated lightly but with enough grace notes to earn our empathy. Minori, who's been something of a typical eccentric anime love interest, gets a few heartfelt, introspective scenes offering her perspectives on love, friendship and ghosts (it makes sense in context) that cause Ryuji to finally see her as a human being rather than a romance object. Similarly, while Ami starts with her usual teasing, hot-cold act she reveals her loneliness and appreciation for Ryuji and Co.'s friendship over the course of the story. We don't learn anything new about Ryuji and Taiga but it's fun to see them put in a situation where confessing their romance is all but impossible. As for Kitamura, well, he's there to be enthusiastic and partially naked; God love him, he was always the least-fleshed-out of the bunch. The story hinges on Taiga and Ryuji pulling a convoluted prank on Minori, but the fact that I haven't mentioned it until this point shows how little the specifics matter. As charming as the franchise's previous installments, with an art style even better than the anime version.

[Johnathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full conclusion to the beach trip story as Taiga and Ryuuji's plan to scare Minori naturally backfires, though some progress is made in their relationships. Yuyoko Takemiya's story remains fun as ever, from the pranks backfiring to Ryuuji's awkward moments with the various female friends. However, not all is light, as Ryuuji and Minori do have a potent heart to heart while also hinting at Taiga's true feelings. Zekkyo's art is nicely cartoony, perfect from this high school romance, making for one of the best YA manga's in recent memory.

[Lori CucVig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un'avventura estiva e un pò di... horror. Chi spaventa chi? Vedremo. Intanto certe relazioni hanno modo di approfondire la conoscenza. Bene o male? Vedremo... soprattutto... un finale forse dolce/amaro...

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always really enjoyed the summer arc in the anime and the manga adapts it really well. There are several great moments with Takasu talking with Ami and Minorin. Also, Taiga is starting to have conflicting feelings. Just a lot of good stuff all around in this volume.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best one in the series so far, but still not anything notable or special.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun characters and great illustrations. Teenage angst can be pretty funny!!

[Lilkadykitty :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun slice of life manga with fun summer break shenanigans.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryuuji and Minori become closer, Ami is still a conceited little shit and I think Taiga is realizing her feelings. Also, Kitamura flashes everybody. HAHA.

Another great volume!!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading every second of it.

[Nikoletta (nikisjournal) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[David Doel · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a charming scene between Ryuuji and Minori. Otherwise, this volume is more of the same.

[Marisia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐ loved the last chapter!

[Wiktoria (^˵◕ω◕˵^) · Rating 4 out of 5]

{3.7}

[Delux · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is good but this time we get the ml with his crush having a nice talk and the fl crush seems a bit werid as in he is just a werid human.the ml,fl ,love rivalry and ml's crush has seen the fl's crushes private part because his towel fell down which was the only clothing wrapped around it.It is okay so far.very good very nice

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer vacation has arrived and with it comes an outpouring of drama and nominal goofing around for our characters. Interestingly, despite being a time to chill, this is one of the more drama-heavy instalments of Toradora yet.

I do think that part of it is because the test of courage storyline, while clearly meant to largely get played for laughs, isn’t nearly as funny as what happened last volume. It’s kind of a dead weight in a series that has typically executed tropes really well.

At least the serious stuff is here to keep the bar high. I doubt it was intentional, but Ryuuji has real human moments with all the females in the cast over this volume and each is a bit different.

His nighttime conversation with Minorin is a believably delicate pussyfooting of two people dancing around a topic and I love the illustrations that accompany what would otherwise be a fairly static scene.

Ami, meanwhile, truly comes into her own here, even as she’s still having a hard time dropping her ‘everybody please love me’ persona. Her wrestling with her blunt and grumpy actual personality versus her need to play a role to not be lonely really comes across. Given her initial appearance it’s impressive how well she integrates with the other leads.

And then there’s Taiga, who has an unfortunately childish meltdown at the start (love of Ryuuji’s curry or not, it’s my least favourite part of the book), but rebounds with some of the best, most quiet moments here.

It’s hard to tell whether she’s having a realization when Ryuuji starts to get closer to Minorin or the latter two share a moment at the fireworks (that last scene in particular feels like a heartbreaker), but the art sells the conflict really well. When she and Ryuuji find one another in the cave, the shot of them joining hands is absolutely perfect.

My favourite scene in this volume, however, is her and Ryuuji on the couch, talking about marriage and physical distance and not managing to put two and two together with how well they mesh. It’s cute and oblivious all in one motion.

Oh, did I skip Kitamura? Not really - he’s just kind of there this time around. I never really noticed until this reading how one-note he really is before the later volumes begin to dissect things. Part of that is because he plays things closer to his chest than anybody, but it doesn’t necessarily make him very interesting either.

A very good volume, not great. The comedy mostly falling through leaves the heavy lifting to the more serious stuff, but thankfully this series is typically strong on both sides, so when one dips a little it doesn’t wreck the whole thing.

[Tatiana Comet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attenzione: recensione dal numero 5 al numero 8!

Proseguendo la lettura, devo dire che ho un po' rivisto la mia valutazione del manga in sé. Per quanto i ricordi dell'anime mi facciano desistere dallo smettere di leggerlo, trovo la lettura a tratti lenta e anche un po' forzata. Ci sono troppi clichè, tipici di uno shoujo ok, ma anche troppi elementi messi per "piacere" al pubblico.
La storia potrebbe scavare più nel profondo, ma pare che ogni incursione in vicende più complesse debba essere spezzata da qualche vignetta stupida o di poco conto. Mi dispiace, perché di per sé è una storia che potrebbe funzionare e un po' fuori dagli schemi. Forse persino troppo, a questo punto.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a fun series to read. The characters are entirely realistic, as is everything about their world, and it's just refreshing to read and see how they handle standard teen issues, and how they pull each other up by the straps now and then.

[Robert Dufalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read and I liked to hear more about the other chariters. But it's starting to get a little too harim. They need to calm that the hell down.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a bucket of laughs. I enjoyed this story very much.