In Yuyuko Takemiya’s beloved manga and anime series Toradora!, co-protagonist Taiga Aisaka is the poster girl for the classic tsundere archetype. This term describes a character who acts extremely cold-hearted at first but later shows a warmer and friendlier side to close friends.
However, Taiga's character is more than a simple tsundere. She was born on July 27th, making her a Leo -- and she displays many of her zodiac sign's characteristics. Here’s an in-depth look into Taiga's personality and how her astrological sign defines her choices throughout Toradora!
As a Leo, the highly compassionate and courageous Taiga and displayed her fiery courage early in Toradora! She fought the student council president, Sumire Kano, when Yusaku Kitamura’s feelings were hurt by Kano’s lackluster reaction to his love confession. Taiga was hoping Kano would realize her feelings and dare to admit them to Kitamura. She was even willing to get suspended, just so Kitamura can hear Kano's confession. Taiga cares for her friends earnestly through her willingness to put their needs and desires above her own. Like a classic Leo, Taiga is also loyal and shows extraneous effort in maintaining strong relationships with her loved ones.
Leos are commonly known to be popular and are natural leaders. Ironically, Taiga exerts these qualities in unconventional ways. She is popular among her peers, but her reputation around the school is a violent and outspoken young woman, granting her the nickname "The Palmtop Tiger." She may lack a womanly figure like that of Ami Kawashima, but her small, cute appearance makes her a target for love confessions from male classmates. Unfortunately for the guys, she bluntly rejects their confessions.
Taiga also reveals natural leadership qualities throughout Toradora! However, her skills only go as far as bossing people around to get what she wants. Co-protagonist Ryuuji Takasu, who lives in the next-door apartment building and discovers Taiga can't take care of herself properly, acts as her servant. He ends up cleaning her apartment and even provides her with delicious home-cooked meals. If Taiga has a request, even if it’s an inconvenience, Ryuuji complies with it.
Taiga also exhibits some of a Leo’s more negative traits, such as naivety and stubbornness. Leos have such a generous and compassionate heart that they can easily be taken advantage of by others. Taiga, for instance, has an estranged relationship with her parents, especially her father. When he decides to return to her life, Taiga was reluctant to make amends at first but does so after Ryuuji’s encouragement.
Soon after, she naively believes her father is permanently back in her life and puts great effort into her school’s cultural festival so he'll be impressed. However, she is let down when he's a no-show during the festival's beauty pageant. The incident with her father shows how generous Taiga is when it comes to forgiving people; she is willing to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of others, even if they disappoint her.
Furthermore, Taiga is known to be highly stubborn about expressing her feelings or changing her attitude toward something. For example, she was determined to keep her feelings for Ryuuji a secret since she knew that he and her best friend, Minori Kushieda, had feelings for one another. Taiga didn’t want to overstep her boundaries by getting between them. However, she was eventually forced to reveal her feelings to Ryuuji after some tough-love encouragement by Kitamura and Kawashima. Taiga is stubborn when it comes to expressing herself, but she will do so if encouraged by others.
Taiga Aisaka perfectly represents the fiery zodiac sign of Leo. She can be bullheaded and can naively forgive people who hurt her, but overall Taiga is a natural-born leader and is popular among crowds for her charming appearance and assertive personality. What makes Leos a force to be reckoned with is their fiery passion and generous heart when it comes to those they care about. As a Leo, Toradora!'s Taiga Aisaka should be considered the overall “Queen of the Jungle.”
