Toradora! is a moving story of love, loss and the depths of friendship and sacrifice, with plenty of laughs and wacky hijinks along the way. In the '00s anime, five high school-aged friends strive to flesh out their identities, what they're feeling -- toward themselves and each other -- and what they truly want out of life. When Ryuuji and Taiga finally acknowledge their romantic feelings for one another, it comes at an especially high cost for two other characters. Minori's sacrifice, in particular, is huge, knowing her relationship with her best friend and the boy she loves will never be the same yet doing her part to aid them and cheering them on all the way.
Ami Kawashima's sacrifice, on the other hand, tends to fly under the radar but is no less meaningful to the narrative. The final arc of the series regrettably, but understandably, moves Ami's feelings and personal development to the side so the Minori/Ryuuji/Taiga triangle can take center stage and be resolved. Let's look at Ami's personal story, her relationship to Ryuuji, and the sacrifices she makes both internally and externally.
Part of what makes Toradora! such a memorable rom-com is its take on identity, with an important theme for several characters being the inner struggle between who they are in public versus who they are in private. When Ami first arrives on the scene, it's difficult to get a read on her true character. Publicly, she plays the charming, perfectly behaved princess type while her attractiveness and professional modeling job make her extremely popular with both the boys and girls. Under the surface, however, there's deep-seated loneliness that stems from the fear of what others will think of her if she shows her true personality. When that mask comes off, Ami reveals herself to be cynical, sarcastic, exceptionally observant of others and can be bluntly honest to the point of rudeness.
This is a major reason why Ami develops feelings for Ryuuji. He doesn't worship her or give her any special treatment; instead, treating her like he would any other classmate, which makes her feel more comfortable opening up to him. Somewhat ironically, then, Ami dislikes Minori for much of the series for putting on an always-happy act and not being honest with herself, or others, about her feelings for Ryuuji. Ami herself is well aware of and annoyed by Ryuuji's denseness, but even so, she only ever drops hints about liking him rather than telling him in a straightforward manner.
The important difference between Ami and Minori is Ami's sharp observation skills, which see her become a kind of narrator at times. She comments on the other characters' thoughts and actions while repeatedly warning Minori and Ryuuji that they are hurting others, and themselves, by not being honest about their feelings. Realizing how they feel -- along with her own internal struggles with her identity -- leads her to stop pursuing her own feelings and, in her own blunt way, encourage a final resolution for everyone. It may not be in a kindhearted, compassionate manner, but Ami watches over the others and repeatedly does what she feels is best for them, even pushing Ryuuji to grow comfortable with saying he's in love with Taiga. It's a notable transformation from the selfish, arrogant girl who was happy just to bask in the entire school's adoration when she first moves to town.
Like Minori, Ami also makes sacrifices for her friends and lets go of her romantic feelings. Unlike Minori, Ami isn't able to voice her feelings until the very end -- after the main conflicts have been resolved. It makes it all the sadder that Ami's personal future is moved into the background.
Minori firmly declares her intention to go to college and become a star athlete. Kitamura plans to study abroad in the United States. Taiga goes away for a year to mend the broken relationships with her family. Ami, however, has no clear plans for the future, but her final talk with Ryuuji at least implies some level of contentment. For a character who had such excellent development through much of the series and a growing desire to get more out of life -- and greatly contributed in helping Taiga and Ryuuji come together -- it feels like an unfulfilled ending to her personal story.