Toradora! (Season 1)

Toradora! (2008) is a romantic comedy-drama anime from studio J.C.Staff that you can watch online on iFILM. Adapted from Yuyuko Takemiya's light novels, it follows high schooler Ryuuji Takasu, a soft-hearted neat freak cursed with the glare of a street thug nobody wants to cross.

His seatmate turns out to be Taiga Aisaka — tiny, furious and armed with a vicious tongue that earns her the nickname Palmtop Tiger. Then the catch lands: Ryuuji has a crush on her best friend Minori, and Taiga is hopeless for his pal Kitamura. So they strike a pact to play wingman for each other. The scheme is doomed from the first episode, and the real joke is how long these two take to notice who's been standing right beside them.

Rie Kugimiya voices Taiga, and that brittle, snapping delivery basically set the gold standard for the tsundere archetype. Under the slapstick sits an honest story about broken homes, loneliness and growing up. If you like school romances that start as comedy and leave a lump in your throat, this one nails it. Stream every episode of Toradora! online on iFILM.