Toradora is a Japanese anime television series based on Yuyuko Takemiya’s light novel series of the same name. Directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, the series was first released on 2 October 2008. Toradora contains twenty-five episodes that premiered on Netflix on 1 August 2020.
The anime series is a high school romantic comedy. It is about Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, who form an unexpected friendship with each other to get close to their crushes. However, by the end of the series, the two of them end up falling for each other.
There are a few shows which are similar to the anime series. If you enjoyed watching Toradora and are wondering what to watch next, you may want to add the following shows to your watchlist.
1. Komi Can’t Communicate
Komi Can’t Communicate a Japanese coming-of-age/ romantic comedy manga series about an elite girl who suffers from extreme anxiety and has difficulty communicating. Directed by Ayume Watanabe, Komi Can’t Communicate revolves around Komi, a beautiful but lonely girl who suffers from a severe anxiety disorder.
She faces difficulty in verbally communicating with people because of this issue. Tadano, her seatmate, discovers this problem and promises to help her make friends and talk to people. Her goal is to make at least a hundred friends before graduating from school.
Later in the show, Tadano and Komi take a step further to develop their friendship into a romantic relationship. Komi Can’t Communicate currently streaming on Netflix. New episodes premiere every Wednesday.
2. Kaguya Sama: Love is War
Kaguya Sama: Love is War is about two high school students, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya. They are the president and vice-president of their school’s student council, and both are in love with each other.
The two make a perfect couple, but neither wants to confess their love to the other. However, they are too proud to confess, so they plan to make the other person confess first. This romance anime was first released in 2019 and is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
3. Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends
Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends is another high school anime that centers on the misfits without much company. The series’ lead character is Kodaka, a transfer student. New to his school, St. Chronica’s Academy, Kodaka struggles to make friends due to his intimidating looks. His classmates are prejudiced and find him unapproachable.
When he comes across Yozora, who also does not have any friends (except her one imaginary friend Tomo), they form a club called the Neighbors Club, intending to change their social life and learn to make friends. The show is streaming on Netflix.
4. Teasing Master Tagaki-san
Teasing Master Tagaki-san is a romantic comedy and feel-good anime about a girl from middle school who loves teasing her crush, Nishikata. The two have been friends for a long time, and Tagaki uses this to her advantage as she knows him inside-out.
He promises to make her feel embarrassed someday and make her pay back, but she is always a step ahead of him. The anime series is also available on Netflix.
5. Lovely Complex
The team of Risa and Atsushi is comparable to Toradora!’s unlikely combination Ryuji and Taiga. Atsushi is a smaller-than-average boy, whereas Risa is taller than the typical female. The people around them find them attractive and entertaining even though they are constantly mocking and fighting.
After assisting one another in pursuing their individual love interests, they inevitably become the best of friends. But Risa quickly realises that she has fallen for Atsushi, which ushers in the start of a complicated but charming romance.
6. True Tears
High school student Shinichiro is in a circumstance that other boys his age could only imagine. Hiromi, a popular student, now resides with his family after Hiromi’s father passed away a year ago.
Even though they share a home, Shinichiro finds it difficult to communicate with Hiromi, who in fact behaves somewhat oddly. She has a big smile and is well-known for her talent at school. Hiromi, however, tends to put everyone at a distance when they are at home.
The strange schoolgirl Noe Isurugi is the next person Shinichiro encounters. Noe Isurugi tells Shinichiro that she has lost the ability to cry because she spilled her tears. She eventually starts to feel something for Shinichiro, only to learn that he has affections for Hiromi.
7. Clannad
Popular anime Clannad is known for bringing its viewers to tears. It tells the tale of school misbehaviour Tomoya Okazaki. He meets Nagisa Furukawa, a quiet young woman who is repeating her senior year due to illness the previous year. He meets her, and they start dating.
In his school, Tomoya meets a number of other girls, and each of them strikes up a different kind of friendship with him. But he soon realises that he only cares about one.
8. Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
Misaki Ayuzawa is attempting to change Seika High institution, which was formerly an all-boys institution but just became coed. The female students are in desperate need of someone who can speak up for them because the female population still lags behind the number of boys. Misaki takes the initiative and gets elected as the head of the student council.
Her tough-as-nails demeanour is unstoppable by the wild males of Seika High School, but one boy, Usui Takumi, gradually tames her. Takumi, a popular and alluring student, learns that the president secretly supports her family by working at a maid cafe. Misaki consents to spend time with Usui in order to prevent anyone from finding out.
Related: The 35 Best Anime on Netflix to Watch Right Now
9. Ef: A Tale of Memories
A girl who is chasing a robber who stole her pocketbook steals Hiro Hirono’s bike on Christmas Eve. He pursues the girl and soon discovers her asleep on the ground. Eventually, Miyako Miyamura wakes up, and Hiro checks on her to make sure she’s okay. During their Christmas Eve together, they discover that they go to the same school.
Hiro and Miyako start spending more time together. Hiro’s childhood buddy Kei Shindou, who has had emotions for him all along, starts to act jealously towards Miyako.
10. Shakugan no Shana
Like Toradora, Shakugan no Shana is an anime. after seeing Shana, a girl with red hair and eyes, it can very well make you think of Taiga.
Yuji Sakai, the male protagonist, is informed by Shana, commonly known as the Flame Haze girl, that he actually passed quite a while ago. She goes on to say that Yuji is a Torch, a person whose Power of Existence has been significantly decreased and will eventually run out.
11. Kimi ni Todoke
Kuronuma Sawako finds it difficult to establish friends and is referred to as “Sadako” at school because of her resemblance to the well-known character from the movie The Ring. Some even propagate the myth that she can curse people and see ghosts, but in reality, she is just a shy, kind girl.
After talking to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular student in the class, she finally fulfils her wish to make friends. Sawako is able to converse with many different people and form new friendships because to Kazehaya. They slowly develop a romantic relationship and support one another as they face difficulties in their life.
12. Cross Game
The proprietor of Kitamura Sports is Kou Kitamura’s father. In the same area, the Tsukishima family also operates a batting cage. The two families are in close proximity to one another because of the nature of their businesses, and their children have been friends for a very long time.
Kou spends a lot of time with Wakaba, the daughter of Tsukishima, because they are the same age. Wakaba’s younger sister Aoba feels envious of this. Baseball is Aoba’s favourite sport. When Kou observes Aoba’s flawless pitching technique, she tries to train covertly to match it.
Related: The 35 Best Romance Anime Movies Of All Time
13. Zero no Tsukaima
A magician in the Tristein Academy is Louise. Because she is so bad at utilizing magic, she is frequently called Zero Louise. She must call a familiar—a servant and partner—to support her through an exam at her academy. As she fails once more and summons Hiraga Saito, a typical Japanese boy, she lives up to her nickname.
Although neither Saito nor Louise wants to accept the other, they are powerless to do so. Saito receives terrible treatment by Lousie, who has him wash her clothing, makes him lie on a bed of hay, and even hits him. But as they get to know one another, they discover the truth about Louise’s incapacity to wield magic.
14. Itazura na Kiss
Naoki Irie is a popular student at school, and Kotoko Aihara has always had a crush on him. Naoki is one of the smartest kids in the class, while Kotoko is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Kotoko wants to be in the same class as him.
Kotoko confesses to Naoki her emotions for him, but he rejects her. However, destiny seemed to have a plan for how to bring them together.Kotoko’s family home is destroyed by a minor earthquake, so they are forced to reside at the home of the father’s boyhood buddy, whose son is Naoki. The near proximity causes Naoki to start like Kotoko and having romantic feelings for her.
