Toradora Returns With 15th Anniversary Illustration

Yasu, the illustrator of the light novel series Toradora!, created a new piece of art to celebrate the popular romantic comedy's 15th anniversary.

The commemorative illustration depicts beloved main and supporting characters of the series as they lounge around their classroom. Taiga Aisaka, one of Toradora!'s title characters, stands at the forefront of the picture as she brandishes her iconic wooden sword over her shoulder, ready to strike down anyone who dares cross her. Ryuji Takasu, the series'point-of-view protagonist, sits at a desk as he gazes at Taiga with his precocious pet parakeet Inko-chan at his side. The pair are surrounded by their friends and classmates, including Minori Kushieda and Yusaku Kitamura, the long-time crushes of Ryuji and Taiga respectively.

The accompanying text also teases that new projects celebrating the series will be unveiled over the coming days. Dengeki Bunko, the imprint under which the Toradora! light novels were published, previously teased these new projects last month, though details about what these will exactly be or entail have yet to be released.

Yuyuko Takemiya's Toradora! largely centers around high-school students Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka and the unlikely friendship that develops between them. The two, while having vastly different personalities, are similar in that their appearances do not reflect who they truly are, with the kind-hearted and gentle Ryuji labeled as a delinquent due to his intimidating face and the fiery, brash Taiga mistaken for a fragile and soft girl because of her doll-like features. When Ryuji unwittingly discovers that Taiga has a crush on his best friend Yusaku Kitamura and Taiga learns that Ryuji is similarly interested in her best friend Minori Kushieda, the two enter an arrangement of mutual gain as they try to help each other win the affections of their respective crushes.

The series has enjoyed great popularity since its first novel was released in 2006, with over 3 million copies of the light novel series being sold in Japan as of April 2009. Toradora! also spawned a highly successful anime adaptation, which ran for 25 episodes from Oct. 2008 to March 2009. The manga adaptation of the light novel series is still ongoing, with 9 volumes released in Japanese and English to date.

The Toradora! anime can be streamed on Netflix, Prime Now, Tubi, Funimation and Crunchyroll.  The light novels and manga are also available to Western audiences both physically and digitally through Seven Seas Entertainment.

Source: Twitter