Toradora may be known as one of the most beloved romantic and dramatic comedies in anime history. Telling the story of the relationship between the miniature terror known as Taiga Aisaka and the gentle but intimidating Ryuji Takasu, it deals heavily with themes of how people build connections. Although the many members of its multifaceted cast contribute to the growth of the others, one character in particular casts a shadow over the entire course of the story. Ryuji's father, who is notably missing from his family, left a massive impact on the lives of both Ryuji and his mother. While shrouded in mystery at first, the reason for his absence and its effects on Ryuji and Yasuko are of utmost importance to understanding their characters.
When Ryuji was a young child, his mother Yasuko told him that his father was a "cool and good-looking person" who died before Ryuji was born. Still, she never gave Ryuji any details on how he died or said much about what kind of person he was. Without even the faintest memory of his dad, Ryuji was only able to learn about him through his mother's account and a keepsake photo of his parents together. At the beginning of Toradora, this is the bulk of what both Ryuji and the audience know about his father.
Nevertheless, while Ryuji's unnamed father was never around to teach him any life lessons, he still had a critical influence on his son. Despite Ryuji himself being a kindhearted soul, he inherited his father's stern and menacing eyes. These eyes were suitable for the sort of thug-like man seen in his mother's photo but only served to ostracize Ryuji from his peers, who misconstrued him as a delinquent. Because of his genetic looks and the lonely position they placed him in, Ryuji grew up feeling bitter toward himself and the man who sired him.
Additionally, because Yasuko had to raise Ryuji as a single mother, Ryuji was often left to fend for himself. Rather than enjoy a typical childhood, Ryuji found it necessary to take up domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning. By the time he entered high school, this had become a major part of his personality. It's likely that since he grew up with a negative image of his father as some kind of ruffian, Ryuji found empowerment in an alternative approach to masculinity based on household responsibility and familial care.
However, in reality, Yasuko's story of Ryuji's father meeting an untimely demise turned out to be a lie. Near the end of the series, Ryuji learned from his maternal grandparents that his father had abandoned Yasuko during her pregnancy with Ryuji. In response to his desertion, as well as her parents' urging her to have an abortion, Yasuko ran off to bring Ryuji into the world and start a new life with him.
In order to ensure that Ryuji would grow up to have a good life, Yasuko worked hard to provide for him. She encouraged him to focus on his studies so that he could build a future for himself and avoid making what she saw as mistakes similar to her own. While Yasuko attempted to care for Ryuji properly, it's clear that her partner's abandonment of them left her in dire straits.
As part of her attempts to bring Ryuji up in a loving and supportive environment, Yasuko told him that she would be a "supermom" to make up for his lack of a father. She did so in the hope that the two of them would be able to remain happy forever as a family. To enforce this optimistic mentality, she maintained a bubbly and cute personality at all times. Although she may have always been a carefree individual, it's probable that at least some of this demeanor was a façade meant to reassure Ryuji. In other words, his father's neglect not only left Ryuji with a difficult childhood but also ensured that Yasuko would be unable to express her own vulnerabilities to anybody.
Still, the ethics of Ryuji's father notwithstanding, there were some positives that came out of the situation as well. Both Ryuji and Yasuko's hardships not only helped them become stronger people; they also built a bond between mother and son that could never be broken. Likewise, Ryuji's lack of a father allowed him to relate to Taiga, whose strained relationship with her own father left her in a state of emotional estrangement. While it's a shame that he had to do it without a father to watch over him, Ryuji grew into a brave and loving man capable of supporting those he cared about. This was only possible thanks to the amazing mother that dedicated her all to him.
