Toradora! (Light Novel) Vol. 7

とらドラ! [Toradora!] Light Novel #7

by Yuyuko Takemiya

'TIS THE SEASON

The festive season brings good cheer–and new trouble! Taiga's back from suspension and suddenly on her best behaviour, Minori's struggling with softball club and being weird around Ryuuji, and Kitamura, newly christened as a student council president, is planning a Christmas party! With preparations for the celebration going full-steam under these volatile conditions, it looks like stocking-stuffers won't be the only surprise in wait before the year is over!

Genres: Light Novel, Manga, Slice Of Life, Romance, Comedy, Novels, Japan

265 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

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

[M.R. Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to impress. I mentioned in my review of vol. 1 that I came to Toradora! from the anime, and so comparisons between the source material and the adaptation, much as I try to avoid them, are inevitable. However, as with any adaptation, there are things the original does that the adaptation cannot, and vice versa. Certain visual and visceral moments (the climactic swordfight in the previous volume, for instance, or a certain incident involving a baseball in this volume) land better in the show. However, the book is able to spend more time in the characters' heads, and we're given a better look at what they're thinking and feeling at any given moment, which lends a depth to the characters and the story that the show simply can't get across. One's not better than the other; they're just different.

Anyway! Regardless of whether or not you've seen the show, I heartily and unconditionally recommend this series. And hey, if everyone buys it, maybe they'll translate the spin-off novels, too! Here's hoping!

(One odd note: this book came out in 2008, but the 2019 translation is using terms and phrases which wouldn't have been in popular use back then. I'm not sure how I feel about that.)

[melanie loyola · Rating 5 out of 5]

last chapter of this one hurts

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

De nueva cuenta: gracias a la traducción en español de esta séptima entrega. El final se aproxima y sin duda, todo comienza a tensarse entre Ryuuji, Taiga, Minori e inclusive Ami y Kitamura.
Taiga ama la navidad pues de una u otra forma, es una época en que puede ser buena chica y ayudar a los demás; es una clara forma de su búsqueda por alguien que vea y cuide de ella.
Ryuuji, por su parte, se da cuenta de que las cosas no progresan como quisiera, sino todo lo contrario, Minori lo evade y eso no hace sino acrecentar su desesperación.
La amiga de Taiga se comporta sumamente extraño y no suelta información hasta casi el final...
Pese a ello, la festividad navideña se celebra entre los chicos de la escuela; cada uno ayuda y arreglan una pequeña pero calurosa fiesta en la que Taiga y Ami sorprenden al público cantando y bailando, robándose el corazón de los presentes. Pero, oh, sorpresa, ambas dejan la fiesta apenas un momento después.
Taiga se comporta como "una chica buena" hasta el final, cuando se da cuenta de que ha cometido el error de querer a Ryuuji. Pero ya no puede hacer nada para detenerse. Vive en la constante situación de que él y su mejor amiga pueden estar juntos, pues pasa que se gustan (o eso deduce por la actitud de Minori) y eso la alejaría indiscutiblemente de sus vidas. La Tigre de bolsillo es solo una chica, la cual ha tenido una epifanía: no puede permanecer al lado de Ryuuji, no como quisiera. Nadie va a cuidarla. Nadie se dará cuenta de su torpeza ni su debilidad. Y sin embargo, llora y grita su nombre al viento...


Tengo que aceptarlo, hubieron escenas preciosas y momentos demasiado bellos en esta entrega, tanto, que no pude contener las lágrimas y dejé que fluyeran libres. Me hizo pensar cosas que yo también me he cuestionando y que he vivido. A veces el amor no esta claro a nuestros ojos, y sin embargo, no quiere decir que no esté allí. Lamentablemente a veces es demasiado tarde para darnos cuenta.

Siendo sinceros, ya quiero leer novela que sigue.

[Shawn McLain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of this book is something!

[Luke Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this series from the anime and I’ve always felt that the scene where Taiga realizes she loves Ryuuji was super powerful. Whenever I watch that scene I end up crying and getting shivers down my spine. I’m glad that the scene in the book where that exact same thing happens is just as powerful. I was close to tears when I read it, but the shivers down my spine when I read it were more powerful than when I’ve watched that scene. Honestly, I felt that reading it I got more out of it than just watching it on the anime. Don’t get me wrong it’s an immensely powerful scene in the anime, but it doesn’t portray everything to quite the same degree the book is able to. On to the next volume!

[Jacob O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toradora! Vol. 7
Rating: 9/10
She smiled because she was paralyzed. It was because she'd been left to feel pain that she believed was normal."
Christmas arc, what more needs to be said.

She didn't want it to be the end, she couldn't believe it was the end, she didn't want to not be by Ryuuji's side. She couldn't stand it and couldn't live with it. She didn't want that. She didn't want that to happen.
*sobs*

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg that ending! It's already so emotional in the anime that I didn't expect the book to surpass it but it so did.
Also, I feel really bad for those who read it as it was being published. Imagine having to wait months for the next installment after ending on THAT note!
The bear Santa scene was exquisite. It will forever go down as one of my favorite rom-com moments. Seriously, it smashes the "I'm just a girl" line from Notting Hill to smithereens

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the Christmas episode I was looking forward to this volume, but wow, the heart wrenching drama in this was even more amazing! There would be no way of transferring that into the anime.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a powerful ending...
I don’t even know what to say ...

[Roxanne Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without getting into the spoiler zone, this was the best volume so far. Lots of good scenes, both happy and sad, and some very nice emotional turning points. On to the next one~!

[Dhiraaj Naidu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.
Easily the strongest, most character-focussed and most emotionally complex volume so far.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is time for the Christmas Eve party event. As always things do not go exactly as planned. Minori is in a dip, while Taiga is in the good-girl mode because of Santa. The volume has its moments, but it lacks some of the over the top flair of earlier volumes, instead focussing more on character development and a bit of drama. Still, a good read. Curious for how things are going to evolve...

[🌙 mynte sofie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a warning. pls don’t listen to not a lot just forever by adrianne lenker or merry christmas pls don’t call by the bleachers after finishing this my heart genuinely hurts i’m sobbing

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read/rated in grade school.

[DJ Linick · Rating 5 out of 5]

😭🤧