Ep 17. Mercury is Retrograde at Christmas
- TV-14
- August 11, 2011
- 23 min
"Toradora!" season 1 episode 17, "Mercury is Retrograde at Christmas," finds our beloved characters in the midst of the holiday season. Taiga is excited to spend Christmas with Ryuuji and his family, but her own father has other plans and demands that she return home for the holidays. Meanwhile, Ryuuji's mom is struggling to make ends meet and is forced to take on a side job working for a strange old man who claims to be a fortune teller.
As the title suggests, everything seems to be going wrong as Mercury is in retrograde, causing miscommunications and misunderstandings between all the characters. Taiga's father is not impressed with her new found independence and tries to assert his authority, while Ryuuji is struggling to understand why his mother is working for the fortune teller. Minoru, one of Ryuuji's classmates, decides to help Taiga out by using his tech skills to create a fake email from Taiga's father allowing her to stay with the Takasu family for the holidays.
However, their plans go awry when they learn that Taiga's father has actually come to visit, and a series of mishaps and misunderstandings ensue. Meanwhile, Ami is struggling with her own feelings and tries to convince herself that she only likes Ryuuji as a friend, but her actions suggest otherwise.
As the episode ends, all the characters come together for a Christmas party, and their feelings and emotions come to the forefront. With Mercury no longer in retrograde, the characters are finally able to communicate clearly and understand each other better. The episode concludes with a heartwarming moment where Ryuuji's mother is able to finally buy him the gift he's been dreaming of, thanks to the money she earned working for the fortune teller.
"Mercury is Retrograde at Christmas" is a standout episode of "Toradora!", showcasing the show's excellent character development and emotional depth. Despite the chaos that ensues, the episode manages to be heartwarming and funny, leaving viewers feeling satisfied and happy.
