First off, I started watching this series on a whim and thought the beginning was interesting. Never read no novels or manga about it.
The show started picking up and Ami-chan came into the picture. At first though I predicted this series is gonna end with Ryuuji and Taiga being together but Ami-chan threw a wrench into that and I held out for her. These last 2 episodes I about barfed during them but continued watching just out of the fact I watched all the other episodes. I was hoping the writers of this show would do something completely out of left field for the ending but that didn't happen. Everyone expected this and it was just a big let down. They should've portrayed the sadness of Minori and Ami better and had a conclusion for them as well.
Much of what I wanted to say has already been said, now that I've finished this series.
I will say this: this series is the stuff of high school life. I've never seen a romance series come off quite so well like this with it's ridiculously complicated love diagram pentagram. Pentagram of all things, and I think the producers juggled that well. I don't care what other people say about the ending or it's pace - it was excellent in comparision to many other massive failures of pacing and endings in romance anime series. I loved that scene where Ryuji says, "I like you," and then Taiga gets all flustered and blushes... then headbutts Ryuji - win. This is seriously one of the best shows I've seen so far, rivaling with Clannad. It's that good.
I dunno about you, but I got a hard-on after watching the scene where Ryuji and Taiga kiss. And Taiga looked great in her new school threads.