#Furuba Dub

[mrsmarymorstan]

Went to MCM on Friday and managed to get my Art Book signed by a bunch of the English Dub Cast 🥰

[majokkoradio]

"For Fruits Basket" - Fruits Basket - English Dub Opening

Requested by Anon

[always-a-joyful-note]

So when Tohru asked Kyo if "not forgiving" and "forgiving" were the only two choices there were that was actually the greatest commentary on the nature of forgiveness in recent media. It's about understanding that forgiveness does not erase the past but it does free your present and future. It's about understanding that wanting to be hated because you cannot forgive yourself can also be so selfish and hurt the people around you as well as yourself. It's about how not forgiving and forgiving actually are the only two choices only that there are so many ways to do the latter that it's hard to understand what it's about. I am unwell about Tohru and Kyo's shared trauma and the incredibly violent symbolism about moving on it offers and in this essay I will -

[frogs-in3-hills]

LAURA BAILEY VOICED TOHRU HONDA??

[aparticularbandit]

Yes, I did go back to the cosplay cafe episode. Just for the cosplay cafe scene. Just to hear the character voice switching from Konata to Haruhi and back again.

Like that's seriously impressive and voice actors are amazing and Lucky Star is a treasure.

[choco-mooooose]

HELP WHAT IS THAT NOISE HE MAKES

the fact that he and saiki share the same va just kills me

[the-stray-liger]

Man the fact that I can still hear the dialogue in french

[peskyfirefly]

tohru and kyo are the blueprint

[triptychgrip]

I had a dream last night that one of my favorite anime characters (Viktor Nikiforov, from Yuri!!! on Ice) met another one of my favorite anime/manga characters (Sohma Ayame from Fruits Basket) and now I very well may have to write a crossover fanfic.

For one thing, the two of them seem to share some fundamental personality traits (easily excitable, very practiced in masking insecurities), but secondly, I think their meeting and sizing each other up would be so fun to write about. Like, I can totally see a situation where Sohma Yuki and Yuri Plisetsky bond over how extremely irritating they find the collective energy of Ayame and Viktor, together. And Mine and Yuuri would just watch their significant others with fond/exasperated expressions. Plus, I think it'd be hilarious to write about Viktor and Ayame being envious/admiring of the other’s hair care regimen and flair for the dramatic.

But that’s actually not what I intended this post to be about.

This dream got me thinking about the parallels between both shows, so I decided I'd make a 3 point pitch to fans of each to go check out the other, if it’s not already on your radar. I talk about both shows pretty broadly, so I don't believe I'm spoiling anything with this post.

Both pieces of media (I say ‘media’, because I prefer the Fruits Basket manga, even though both the original anime/remake are excellent) get me so in my feels, so I’ll try not to go on forever and ever. That being said, please do read to the end for my two disclaimers.

Reason 1: I think fans of both would agree that a big theme of their canon work is the transformational power of vulnerability. This feeds into the sub-themes of found family, and how the “practice” of letting love into one’s life (because it truly does take practice, despite society making us think it’s easy-breezy) can deeply shift us as people.

At its core, each implements huge characters arcs for their MC's that demonstrate this.

For Yuri!!! on Ice, this applies to Katsuki Yuuri and Viktor Nikiforov -- two professional male figure skaters, the former known as "Japan's Ace" skater, and the latter dubbed a "Living Legend" -- and for Fruits Basket, this applies to higher schoolers Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru, and Sohma Kyo (though, truly, it could apply to all of the Sohmas). Right off the bat, I'll say that a big difference between yoi and furuba revolves around age. Yuuri and Viktor are adults, while Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo start off as (what seems to be) high school juniors. Yuri!!! on Ice fans, don't let that dissuade you from checking out Fruits Basket, however; its themes are very complex, and will challenge you.

Both media start off with their main characters at low points.

Katsuki Yuuri has just come in last place at his first Grand Prix Final competition: the competition it seems he's been working towards his entire career, and the one where he'd hoped to gain Viktor's attention (as he's looked up to the "Living Legend" since he was just twelve years old).

Similarly, we see that Tohru Honda has recently lost her mother (her father is also dead), and is practically homeless. She is living in a flimsy tent on Sohma Shigure's property. While Yuuri decides to leave the United States to move back home to Japan, and is contemplating retiring from figure skating altogether, Tohru is taken in by Shigure and Yuki in exchange for helping out with chores around their house.

In yoi, the plot moves along when we see Viktor -- who has just won his 5th World Championship title -- decide to drop everything and move to Japan to be Yuuri's coach, after seeing a viral video of him skating to one of his routines. And in furuba, the plot moves along as we watch Tohru meet more of the Sohmas, and learn about the big secret plaguing their family.

Canon shows us that while Katsuki Yuuri has a lot of love/support in his life prior to Viktor’s arrival in his hometown (his parents, his ballet teacher, etc), his own anxiety/insecurities makes it so that he struggles to realize the love around him. He has a hard time seeking out comfort or opening up to people when navigating hardships. But this fundamentally shifts with Viktor’s role in becoming his figure skating coach (and, eventually, romantic partner).

I would be remiss if I didn't make a content warning, here. Generational trauma and neglect are big themes in Fruits Basket.

In Fruits Basket, the zodiac "curse" -- a generational Sohma family trait that makes physical contact between its members and those of the opposite sex challenging, as touching leads each Sohma member to turn into its zodiac animal (i.e. Yuki turns into the rat, Kyo turns into the cat, etc.) -- as well as Sohma Akito's cruelty has made it so that Yuki and Kyo have been brainwashed into believing they are burdens...that they are unlovable, with no redeeming value, even in the eyes of their own family members.

But the presence of Tohru in their lives (and her ripple effect of positivity that completely upends the curse dynamic) causes Yuki and Kyo to unlearn these entrenched beliefs, and to realize that they have always, inherently, been worthy of love *brb sobbing*

While the idea of cute zodiac animals might lead one to think the manga/show is this cotton-candy fluff ride, there is a lot of heaviness that I personally found super compelling, and a reason that ppl who don't typically like content featuring high schoolers might make an exception for it.

Now, of course, Yuri!!! on Ice has its own heavy themes: navigating anxiety as well as feelings of apathy/depression, and while it's not canon, the lack of detail on Viktor's backstory has led many in the fandom to develop headcanons around possible strained family relationships/trauma history. Because it's something I actually have been wondering about, I thought I'd make a poll.

Reason 2: Both are very funny, with compelling romantic development.

Regarding the former, I found myself laughing out loud while reading/watching. I think a huge part of the reason has to do with the 'tsundere' archetype that Yuri Plisetsky (another figure skater) embodies in yoi, and that Sohma Kyo embodies in Fruits Basket. These grouchy characters are hilarious and lovable, and the audience enjoys seeing their energy play off of contrasting personality types.

Reason 3: It's more obvious off-the-bat in Yuri!!! on Ice, but the element of surprise is used to great effect in both. While there are tons of examples I could give, I'll say that each contains a fundamental "twist" that really makes you reconceptualize your entire understanding of the storyline/character relationships. I know that's not a lot to go off of, but each major surprise really shifted my perception of the pre-conceived power dynamics that we are led to believe exist in each.

It's no secret that Yuri Plisetsky is actually a big fan of Katsuki Yuuri, but his teenage pride won't allow him to admit this. Seeing Yuri adamantly insist that he thinks Yuuri is a loser, and just generally being aggravated by Viktor's extraness is pretty comical. Similarly, Kyo is quite prickly, and it's clear that Tohru Honda's diametrically opposed nature (i.e. she is warm and caring, to a fault) throws him for a loop. Seeing him flustered by it is hilarious.

I won't say any more about the romance development b/c I don't want to spoil anything in Fruits Basket, but suffice it to say that both media have plenty of "awww" moments that will have you swooning as characters open up to one another.

Disclaimers:

1) I think it's unfair to compare these pieces of media solely based on the amount of canon content around them.

Yuri!!! on Ice is an original anime, and (thus far) only has 1 season of 12 episodes (whyyyyy MAPPA?! I like Attack on Titan as much as the next person but please, I beg, give us season 2!). On the other hand, Fruits Basket has an original anime, plus a remake, and was a manga that went on for years. Thus, you will likely think the characterization/plot development is much richer. But, one thing I absolutely adore about the yoi fandom is how much fan-created content exists. Like, years after the show came out (in late 2016), there are still ppl actively writing fic (like me! I discovered it in 2020 but only started writing last year), making fanart, etc.

2) Another note about comparison that is pretty important:

Because of the overtness of certain elements in Fruits Basket (i.e. two very clear kisses happen, and we also see follow-up content that was released that shows a marriage take place in the future, etc.), fans might watch Yuri!!! on Ice and be disappointment with what they might characterize as understated romance between Yuuri and Viktor. But I think it's important to note how revolutionary the show was for portraying a queer romance between its main characters, especially in a show that was never marketed as a yaoi (boys' love) series. Despite several obvious indicators of the romantic nature of Yuuri and Viktor's relationship, there are still ppl that will argue that these two were merely coach/skater, and nothing more, and I just...don't even know where to begin in addressing that without dropping spoilers. If you're that curious, go to my AMA feature and drop me a question and I will happily write you a novel of a response.

Alright, that's mostly it...if you've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading! If you do end up checking out one or other, I hope you'll let me know what you think.

The very last thing I'll say is that I've only written fanfic for Yuri!!! on Ice (all post-canon, I've linked my Ao3 Dashboard), but I've been ideating around some Fruits Basket ideas, so may give it a whirl in the coming weeks. With every fiber of my being, I wish that I had artistic ability so that I could make fanart of Ayame and Viktor meeting...one can dream lol

[velvetineblue]

things your muse will notice about mine. ( repost, don't reblog. )

what they look like : although his personal style tends toward a darkness ( sometimes even a slight-grungy, purposely disheveled aesthetic? ) , I'd say he's still notably, in contrast, pretty. elegant, 'princely'. catlike, feline... definite pretty boy vibes asjajj. he's lanky; long legs, pianists' hands, thin spindly fingers that can't hide the delicate skeletal structure that lies beneath our skins. slender and sleek rather than broad. but he's very physically active, so muscular definition is apparent, though carried on a lightweight frame. some other notable, distinctive features is he has a prominent nose & prominent dark eyebrows, very defined cheekbones, and sharp canine teefies. he's naturally smirky, with a dry/sardonic expression, sharp observant cat-like eyes, and tends to radiate a sort of devil-may-care casual confidence, with an undertone of mischief .

what they smell like : the shampoo/conditioner & soaps he uses tend to be tea tree, yuzu scented, a little minty, and very-lightly-citrus scents: clean, bright, white... natural, but I feel, almost, medicinal?? but like in a 'traditional medicine' sort of way. there's usually a little bit of product in his hair, so there may be a hint of that modern, polished smell when leaning in close. and he has a habit of chewing cinnamon flavored gum when bored/nervous/etc/all-the-time so there is a undertone of cinnamon & spice from the gum chewed & kept in his pockets . when he wears cologne, he likes sort of fresh scents; things that hearken back to wind-blown laundry left outside on the line to dry; the ocean breeze; an open meadow ... but, he will wear stronger, darker scents with a hint of sharp SPICE in the fragrance notes, for special occasions... like a date night, or something else where you want to leave a strong IMPRESSION .

what they taste like : cinnamon, a little sweet & a little spicy. ( see above~ ^ )

what they sound like : rich and deep and warm, like pouring thick velvety honey. less smooth and more hoarse/raspy when he raises his voice (or is otherwise emotionally affected) . but most of the time, his voice is calm, relaxed... i use his rl faceclaim as his voiceclaim, but i also really love haru from fruit's baskets TONE as an example of how he speaks; very chill and unbothered. quite frank and deadpan, but not ( usually ) unfriendly & cold?? i wish there were more clips i could share to exemplify it !! if there was, i would maybe even consider using dub haru as his voiceclaim bc HE'S SO TAI-CODED IS2FUCJAS. but yeah. there are not many clips out there, so you just gotta watch furuba ok. JUST DO IT !!

what they feel like : sharp. angular. he feels at best like the cool touch of silk on your skin or the cool side of the pillow. the comfort of ice soothing your dry throat on a hot day. he's not soft to the touch and he can't be your heavy weighted blanket of a lover, either. he's not soft like flower petals; and he's not pure muscle and sinew that signifies strength. he's human, warm pumping blood and bone; a lot of bones; angles and edges that you adjust around in the bed in order to cuddle comfortably. an imperfect creature, but when he holds you tight against him, you feel loved so deeply, to the core, the way that only something flawed and empathetic in their flaws can feel.

tagged by : no-one, i stole it, i am a criminal mastermind xoxo tagging : @yaoogui & @wingached & @ofgentleresolve ( for any muses you want !! ) and STEAL IT !!! i wanna read it for all the muses on my dash ... for science.

[haleigh-sloth]

I only watched the old anime and never read the Manga, what's in the manga that's questionable?

Well the old anime was pretty much entirely a comedy, and left out, well, pretty much everything.

In the full story the things that are questionable are some of the romantic/sexual relationships. Some of them are just really ick because of the dynamic at play. For at least 4 that I can think of there are either extreme age gaps, or there are power dynamics that veer into gross/ick territory.

Depending on the ages of characters, age gaps don't particularly bother me just because of the fact that there is an age gap. It depends on the actual ages chosen. But in Furuba, 2 of the 4 relationships consist of early high school aged girls and men in their early/mid 20s. Granted by the end they are all graduating high school, but that puts the adult men 2 years older too, so.

Shigure and Akito, the age gap isn't confirmed, but context tells us it's there. And to push it into y i k e s 😬 territory there is just really toxic (literally "toxic", not just me throwing the word around "toxic") behavior and is pretty emotionally abusive (toward each other). There's a weird power dynamic between the two that--looking back now that I'm older--is pretty fucked up. This is the dynamic I'm surprised to not see a big fuss about in general, honestly.

Because we don't know Akito's actual age, we also can't say 100% that her and Kureno's relationship was like that with the age gap also, but their entire thing was also ICK 🤮. He stayed with the Sohmas because he didn't want to see a sorrowful girl cry anymore--which the phrasing itself paired with the flashbacks kind of emphasizes their maturity differences--and then he goes and has a sexual relationship with her and it's just ugh.

Truthfully the most messed up situation is Tohru's parents--whose backstory didn't get animated into the main anime and instead got its own one hour special. It's a 15 year old student and a 22 year old teacher....literally. They meet when one is a student and the other is a teacher. It's a hot mess. But they end up happy and have Tohru lol.

Pretty much all of the relationships in question end on the note that they're happy and leading happy lives together with families of their own, not wallowing in abuse and misery. So there's not really any arguing that they went on to have gross disturbing dynamics in their relationships.

There's also a lot of blatant forgiveness toward god awful abusive behavior at the end.

Personally I have no serious complaints about any of these things--mostly because I've been aware for 13 years and slowly realized over time how fucked everything is in Furuba lol. It's a good story overall and I still recommend it highly, just with a warning label lol.

****On another note entirely, the 2001 anime in the dub is fucking hilarious and I recommend everyone watch it for a good laugh. The 2019 anime actually captures the whole story and mood, but the first one is just really funny.

[mrsmarymorstan]

Fucking love that, following the release of the DnD Movie, "Sexy Paladin" was trending in Japan and that his JP Dub Actor is the same guy as does Gojo (JJK), Shigure (Furuba), Hawks (MHA), Mamoswine (PKMN), Greed (FMAB), and Shirogane (TMMN).

Fucking Iconic.

Otaku are not immune to the double sexy whammy of Regé-Jean Page and Yuichi Nakamura.

Amazing.

[master-kazuma]

anyways laura bailey >>>>

[ashesandhackles]

Also for dub, Colleen Clinkenbeard is going all out with her Akito, isn't she? She is just adding so many nuances to her line readings. It might be my favourite dub performance of the episode.

When she says, "Father...Father, please" and I am like ugh how do you get Akito so well

[aparticularbandit]

me: I recognize Katsuya's dub voice. Who is he.

me: OH he's Kyoya-senpai! From Ouran!

me: ...wait what do you mean he's jin fucking kirigiri

me: ....

me: HEY KYOKO YOU AND TOHRU ARE SISTERS NOW I DON'T MAKE THE RULES

[fruitsbasketdubpodcast]