The classic rom-com anime Toradora! has become a fan-favorite since it debuted in 2008. The series revolves around fiery co-protagonist Taiga Aisaka trying to garner the attention of her crush Yusaku Kitamura, whom she had previously turned down when he confessed to her the year before.
To do that, she enlists the assistance of his best friend, Ryūji Takasu, who in turn wants her help to confess to his own crush Minori Kushieda, Taiga's best friend. The arrangement leads to situations that cause the characters to reflect on how they really feel about each other. But one question remains: Why did Taiga develop feelings for Kitamura after she turned him down?
Taiga's character at the beginning of Toradora! is brash and quick to anger. She snaps at the slightest thing, and even picks fights against people who are bigger than her. Taiga's height is one of the biggest points of contention for her, as she is much smaller than most other girls her age. Despite that, she's also shown to be a klutz and doesn't have the same aggression toward her friends Minori and Yusaku. In fact, Yusaku uses her feelings for him to calm her down and deescalate matters.
As to why Taiga would develop feelings for Yusaku, it could be he represented the stability that her life lacked. Her parents divorced and her father remarried; while she lived with them for a while, she didn't get along with her stepmother, causing tension in the household. Eventually, it got to a point where she asked to move out, and her father quickly accepted, essentially kicking her out, even though it was a mutual agreement. Although he pays for his daughter's living expenses, her father made his stance clear. It wasn't until he got divorced that he reached out to try and reconnect to Taiga. He only wanted a relationship with her when it was convenient for him.
Taiga probably never thought anyone would develop feelings for her after that. If her own father didn't love her, why would anyone else? It's also possible that, after seeing her parents' marriage crumble, she didn't want to put herself in that same situation. But then Yusaku confessed his feelings. Although she initially turned him down, his expressed interest in her proved she was indeed someone who could be loved. The more Taiga paid attention to him, the more she began to see the stability that she longed for in her life. Yusaku was quiet, intelligent, athletic and a member of student council. He showed traits that her father lacked, and that's probably what drew her to him.
The same could probably be said for Yusaku's feelings before Toradora!'s story began. To him, Taiga represented freedom. She lived on her own and wasn't limited by rules and regulations. She let her true feelings out, even if it was in a destructive way. Yusaku later bleaches his hair in a bid to avoid his student council responsibilities, a more passive-aggressive way to go about things. Despite eventually getting over his feelings for Taiga, his confession is what sparked the entire series, and led Taiga and Ryūji to each other.
