#forgive me tohru

[gifti3]

If solomon asked me to be a defender of humanity, i dont think i could look him in the eye and say yes

[starrynightkyoru]

Tohru being friends with Akito was one of the worst endings Takaya could have given her. And Takaya will always be hated by me for that.

It is disrespectful and insulting not only to Tohru's character but to the beautiful friendships she builds with the zodiacs. That plotline is deeply damaging to her character and that is why I don't consider it canon it adds nothing but negatives to Tohru and fuck Akito anyway she didn't deserve a friendship with someone who she treated so poorly she was straight up homicidal to her. What a beautiful friendship you crafted there Takaya.

[koganeirou]

No worries, I agree with your rant! I'm not sure if Takaya hates women though but other than that I agree. I think Kisa's abuse and hospitalization is deliberately brushed off by the other characters because the family is so resigned to dealing with Akito and violence at her hands is something that's been normalized by not just Akito but the maids as well. Not excusing it, but maybe Akito's violent offenses are so frequent that no one cares to stand up to it anymore and they're so used to it.

I definitely agree that there's a ton of enabling going on with Akito and it infuriates me how, just like with Akito, the story ends without ever holding any of the adults (high mabudachi trio) or maids accountable for how much damage they could have mitigated but chose not too 😂. I'm personally not very satisifed with how the manga ended because I just feel like there were way too many loose ends that never really get addressed in a satisfying manner, both with Akito's individual actions herself, as well as all the abuse enabling and apologism that all the adults take part in.

Thank you for the response and I agree with your rant, though I'm not sure if Takaya hates women. Other than that, you have the problem with Akito nailed down and exactly, why does Rin never get to lash out at Akito and say the most hurtful things in response to what she did to her? She never gets personally called out by her victims and she should've had to hear what she did from them personally. Some part of me hates Tohru and feels like she doesn't deserve Rin.

I definitely feel you on Tohru... definitely the biggest pitfall of her character writing imo, wtf is this garbage of her becoming besties with her friends' and future husband's abuser and going on lunch dates with her? 😭 If i were Rin, I would straight up cut Tohru out of my life lmao, this as bad as befriending your bff's rapist imo. People defend it as "oh well Tohru and Akito are narrative foils and they relate to each other!" but imo it doesn't excuse Tohru committing the most blatant violation of trust and respect in a friendship ever. I guess everyone's personal values on friendship is different, but I personally take friendships very seriously and would not respect someone like Tohru if she was real. I firmly believe there are just people you do not go out of your way to befriend or make life long associations with if you have any amount of respect for your friends, and someone who caused your friends' life long trauma and committed violent, bodily crimes on them is mayhaps one of them. Obv it's good to show compassion and kindness to someone who desparately needs it in the moment, but it's weird af how Takaya has her entire story revolve around friendship and relationships, then have her MC, whos characterized as a kind and loyal person, not even respect the most BASIC requirements of it.

[antiomnia]

A few months ago, I was Going Through It, so I did what any sensible adult would do to process my circumstances: I binged Fruits Basket.

I couldn't help but notice similarities with Mystic Messenger, another piece of media that helped me in the same way before.

So I wrote this post, and forgot about it in my drafts. There must already be several posts like this, but here's my Mystic Messenger x Fruits Basket character comparison, and why they're the same people, imo.

Zen x Ayame: The dramatic "narcissistic" white haired sexyman with brother issues

Seven x Kyo: The redhead catboy, who doesn't open up to others because he thinks he's doomed

Yoosung x Momiji: The cute blonde boy with underlying abandonment issues

Jumin x Hatori: The emotionally unavailable fan of three-piece suits

V x Shigure: The gaslight gatekeep girlboss man

Vanderwood x Kazuma: The catboy's long haired mentor/protector

Rika x Akito: The pick me girl with god complex

MC x Tohru: The WAAAAAAAAY too forgiving main character

Saeran x Yuki: The traumatized boy who was once kidnaped by the one with god complex

Jaehee x Mitsuru: The "I'm not paid nearly enough to deal with this bullshit" worker woman

Bonus: Seven x Mine the white haired man's maid fantasy

[pollen-blogs]

Rants from a tired writer: Tragic Backstories

Dear writers and readers/viewers (depends on medium), for the love of everything please PLEASE understand how to use tragic backstories for antagonists properly!!!

An antagonist's traumatic past is an EXPLANATION for their poor behaviour, not an excuse!! That kind of backstory is here to show that it's rare for someone to do bad things just for the sake of being bad; a lot of the time, antagonists have a reason for behaving antagonistically (or you could have someone like Emperor Belos who has a reason for behaving antagonistically but also does bad things just for the sake of being bad, which is awesome).

That's why sometimes it rubs me the wrong way when fans of a certain piece of media dislike an antagonist's redemption arc just because they felt like the show was throwing them a pity party. Of course, there are times where writers are guilty of doing that, and I'm criticizing them here as well. The antagonist's traumatic past is here to humanise them, to remind the audience and characters that in spite of it all, they're still a person. In cases where the antagonist is redeemable, this can make the audience and characters sympathise with or even relate to them.

A lot of people hate her but I don't care, I'm going to use her as an example anyway: Akito Sohma is one of those redeemable villains that gets humanised through her and Tohru's shared experience of being ostracised and abandoned.

No, you're not supposed to feel bad for Akito because she cried and said she felt lonely. You're supposed to feel bad for Akito because Tohru is the first person to treat her as a human being and not as a God, as well as validating her fear of being left behind by saying that she feels the same way. + You're supposed to feel bad for Akito because she is denied the right to be herself in every single way possible, including, but not limited to, her gender.

Akito getting redeemed does not take away all the pain and trauma that still affects the members of the zodiac that she hurt. In fact, not all of them forgive Akito, and that is okay. Akito herself states that she would have been fine not being forgiven at all, she just wanted to better herself. Her apology wasn't even done through words, but actions; she could not bring herself to say "I'm sorry" to all of her family because she didn't want them to think she was apologising just to make herself feel better or to gain their forgiveness. Anyway, I love Akito so much and I will write love letters to her in my analyses every time I have the opportunity to do so, you're welcome.

However, there are times where writers really do mess up and just want you to feel bad for their poor little moral scapegoat. I have not made a She-Ra critical post in so long, but who else fits the bill more than Catra? Her traumatic past does explain her resentment and violent tendencies towards Adora, but the show lost me the second they tried to make it into an excuse. Not only that, but making Adora "leaving" Catra a central point of the tension in their relationship when Catra was given multiple chances to leave just made me want to bash my head into the nearest wall.

The big problem with Catra is that she does not change, nor is she held accountable for her actions for longer than one episode. The only thing that did change is that she does not physically abuse Adora anymore, but the verbal and psychological abuse does remain. And lastly, the viewers and characters are considered objectively wrong for not trusting or liking her even though they have legitimate reasons not to. Of course, I'm not saying that the characters are not allowed to forgive her, but forgiveness is earned not owed, and Catra has done nothing to earn it, and it would have been nice for at least one character like Adora, Entrapta, Scorpia or anyone to have said "I'm glad that you're trying to become a better person, but I don't have to be there to witness that. I wish you the best but I don't want you in my life anymore."

Well, I have said my peace. I might start posting more writing takes on here while still talking about my favourite shows/books by using them as examples, let's see how it goes! I love writing so much so I'm very glad to be able to express that on my socials :)

[honey-decadence]

Ignite (Haikyuu!! 2024 Fic Exchange)

"He cried as if he hadn't opened up for years. Actually, that was very likely the case."

CW: gn reader, exes to lovers, emotional reunion, crying, falling for each other again, catch up, nostalgia and reminiscing, teeeensy bit of angst followed up by a happy ending, minor oc (Haruto is reader's younger brother for this story, it's a super common name but nonetheless, any similarities to any real or fictional persons is purely coincidental)

Word Count: 5972

a/n: @szyvrue happy holidays! forgive me for running late but I hope Oikawa made it worth the wait! Thank you for waiting patiently! and thank you @lale-txt for hosting this event!

"I really missed you Y/N chan~" You could hear him sniffling, hugging your torso even tighter. "I never once forgot about you". The man you never stopped loving for years cried gently as those words stumbled out of his mouth.

How you ended up with your old flame in your arms once more with his head tucked into the crook of your neck and his hands rubbing your back, much broader than you last remembered him, was... a bit unexpected.

Thinking back on it, the chances were slim, almost obsolete really. He had made no announcement of returning home on his social media, both private and his professional accounts, he made no comment to his family or friends, minus a few according to him.

And here he was, clinging to you like a lost child, crying tears of joy in the middle of a park with the light from the giant lamp post flickering.

You beat the odds.

Making a pro volleyball player cry on his first night home was not on your list of things to accomplish before the year ended.

- .... . .-. . .----. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -. --- / -. . .-- / .-. --- -- .- -. -.-. . / ..-. --- .-. / -- .

"Let's go Seijoh Let's go!" you shouted enthusiastically. It was only a practice match for nationals, the high school boys needed all the practice they could get before rolling out on the big national stage in Tokyo but you couldn't help but cheer them on.

The game was tense, it was 24 to 23 with the predicted winning team being Aoba Johsai, players of both teams were desperately scrambling around to score that one decisive point.

You came to cheer on your younger brother, Haruto, a setter for the team and a third year. 

After finally being able to get off work early and taking a crowded train to get to a rival school's gym, managing to overcome a mix of bad luck and inconveniences, you finally were able to come watch a game your brother was playing in for the first time today. It was only about 20 minutes away from your old high school but the amount of people you had to slip through at the station made the adventure seem more arduous this evening.

The whistle blew and everyone on the court prepared for the opposing team's serve. Seijoh's defense managed to get the ball up in the air with your little brother following through by setting a perfect arc that no wing spiker could possibly complain about and that's when you noticed... someone.

Oikawa....

but not the one you dated. 

No, this Oikawa was... Takeru? Your eyes blinked a few times before they fixated on the young man, spiking the ball through the opposing team's defense with explosive power. 

Since when did he get this big? How old must he be now? Was he the same age as your brother?

A smile then grew on your face, reminiscing the past and remembering fondly on the times Oikawa Tohru, your then boyfriend, would stop by your house to drop off some snacks and goodies, accompanied by none other than a tiny Takeru chan after his little tikes volleyball practice. He was such a little munchkin then.

You remembered the times Takeru would slip up about something silly his uncle would do, like walking in on Oikawa shaking his butt in front of his bedroom mirror, getting too loud while watching a volleyball match on his computer and his mom yelling at him shortly after, or how lame he was for drooling on his pillow. Typical reportings of a 6 year old.

Of course Oikawa would chastise his nephew for this, clearly embarrassed about his privacy being on blast in front of all people, his partner.

You thought back to the time you and Oikawa were out on a date when Takeru would call Oikawa's number through some relative's phone number to ask if he could play with Oikawa's psp. It was then that Takeru would follow up with "why is it pink?" and that was the first and last time Oikawa would put his nephew on speaker.

Much to Oikawa's exasperation, amongst other questions about this games and hobbies, even if you didn't say anything, you found that trivia about Oikawa to be adorable and wished he'd show you more of the side of him then.

You found the whole thing to be really cute in fact, the way Oikawa would care for his nephew, even when he would be annoyed by Takeru, yelling at him on the phone only to further embarrass himself as the people around you two would turn and stare. 

It made for a good laugh, more for you than for Oikawa but you could see that it made him happy. You got a kick out of him and Takeru's interactions.

Oikawa was a sweetheart then before his insecurities revolving around the sport consumed him for quite some time.

You couldn't remember the exact argument where you had broken things off with him, there were too many where you argued about why he was so obsessed with the sport, some guy from another high school, and how prideful he was about it.

But what you did remember and regret all these years was when you raised your voice at him once, telling him to quit volleyball.

It wasn't necessarily for him to choose between you and the sport but more so that you couldn't understand his obsession, an obsession that both brought him so much joy and pain. 

You couldn't fathom why he compared himself to others in this sport and still complained about not being enough, why he was so fixated on crushing certain players instead of focusing more on his supportive teammates.

For him, it was his life, for you, it was madness. It became too much for you to handle admittedly.

You bit your tongue, remembering those words, how his face changed from that of a charming sweet young man to a defensive and envious monster. 

You still felt conflicted all those years, you had to speak up but ... was it okay for you to say it the way you did? Could you have told him in a much gentler manner? Were you fed up with his frustrations by that point?

Or maybe it was becaus-

The whistle blew for what seemed like too long, deafening to everyone in its vicinity and snapping you out of your trip down memory lane.

The opposing team puffed and heaved with a glum but satisfied look on their faces, the Seijoh boys won the match, their victorious roaring replacing the whistle.

.

.

.

You practically ran outside, hit by the freezing winter winds but forgoing all that to meet up with your brother after his match. Luckily, because of those white tracksuits, it make finding the Seijoh boys a lot easier in the dark evening.

"Haruto!" you shouted, taking extra long strides to reach your little brother. He and his team were waiting for the bus to arrive; waving his hands, your brother welcomed you kindly and of course standing next to him was Takeru.

He seemed smaller on the court, in fact both of the boys did, but now seeing him up close, you realized how much taller he was, almost towering over you and your brother.

"Hey! Long time no see!" Haruto remarked, "Did you escape from hell?"

"Oh shut up, it's already 8pm, isn't it past your bedtime?" you bantered back, earning a few chuckles from Takeru and the other teammates who overheard the interaction.

"Whatever, at least I'm not gonna be stuck in an office for the next 40 years like you!"

Rolling your eyes at your brother's comment, you noticed Takeru, awkwardly caught in self doubt: he looked like he wasn't sure whether to say hello or what but he seemed kinda tense. It's been over a decade, of course he wasn't going to know how he should approach his uncle's ex.

You turned and smiled warmly at Takeru, hoping that the warm gesture would make him relax around you.

"Takeru kun, do you remember me?" you chimed, also worried if he remembered you, internally praying that he did or otherwise this interaction would be getting more awkward real quick. 

The look on his face brightened up, relieved that it wasn't only him who was hit with nostalgia. While trying to maintain his composure, he chirped:

"Of course I do! I remember you came to my uncle's house once and sometimes he'd take me down the long way to my house just to drop off gifts for you."

"Oh you remember that? How funny!"

Your brother popped in, his eyes wide. "You guys met?" He seemed so perplexed by the situation, had Haruto really not remembered your ex?

Before you could respond, Takeru answered him: "My uncle and them dated when they were in high school but then he got dumped".

You had to hold back your laughter, even years later, Takeru was still as blunt as ever it seems. You wonder how often he'd get in trouble for being too honest.

"Haruto do you really not remember me talking to mom about his uncle? I could have sworn you two met once?" even you were puzzled by his shoddy memory. Oikawa had never entered your home but you do remember your younger brother teasing you about him, as per usual children's shenanigans.

He blinked twice, furrowing his brows, trying his best to remember how your ex looked but to no avail.

You sighed, "Forget it, I'll show you a picture of him at the house". You turned back to Takeru, genuinely curious as to what he's been up to all these years. Clearly he must have been inspired by his uncle to pursue volleyball all this time. Takeru probably kept in close contact with him once he went pro, you thought. "How have you been, Takeru? I'm surprised you remember me".

"I've been good! My uncle wasn't the only one who missed you Y/N san, I remember I really liked those checkerboard cookies you made for my uncle one time!" 

"Oh how sweet, you missed my cookies?" You almost wanted to crack up, of all people to run into tonight, you least expected to get along and catch up with your ex's nephew.

Your brother interjected, "I remember Y/N got mad at me once for eating a few of them and threw a wooden spoon at me" he grinned, too proud at his failed attempted robbery.

"Oh dude, my uncle got so pissed at me that I ate all the cookies" Takeru pipes up, his voice getting caught between the bouts of laughter.

Your eyes grew wide, catching that infectious and juvenile energy from Haruto and Takeru as your own voice raised in volume.

"Wait!" you interrupted, "Did Tohr-! Did Oikawa san never eat my cookies?"

The two paused, catching that slip up in your sentence. You stared at them intensely, warning that they shouldn't comment on it, like throwing daggers in their direction. 

"Ahh... Well... no." Takeru bursted out laughing along with Haruto. "He was really mad at me but honestly I thought he had some already! They were sitting there on his desk open and everything.

"Oikawa san told me the cookies were delicious? He really lied to me didn't he?" you half joked.

"Oh probably, he always tried to save face like that." He smirked.

"Takeru shut up already..." a low voice rumbled from the dark winter night, cutting the chit chat with an intense silence, despite the Seijoh team murmuring in the background.

A tall figure appeared from the crowd and stepped into the street light's range, making it clear who he was with every step forward.

Takeru, Haruto, and you stood extremely still, slowly taking in the man before you three: it was Tohru.

"Uncle!" Takeru shouted. Your face went white, wondering if it was really him and as if on cue, the one confirmation you needed presented itself...

"Yahoo Y/N san" he waved at you, seemingly unfazed by your presence. "What are you doing here?"

Turning your attention to the taller and broader Oikawa, you did your best to remain calm and collected.

"I came to see my little brother play in today's practice of course. The better question is why are you here?"

"I just landed in Japan about 4 hours ago... I had meant for this to be a surprise but it seems you caught me first before my friends. It can't be helped I guess." sheepishly grinning, like a criminal caught red handed.

"Uncle! You didn't say anything, why didn't you tell us?" Takeru looked annoyed but also gleeful, even if his tone and words sounded rough, the smile that plastered onto his face couldn't be more obvious. 

Oikawa whipped around to look at Takeru, "I just said I wanted my visit to be a surprise, were you not listening?" His brows furrowed but his smile remained as big as ever, happy to see his beloved nephew.

You noticed he had a slight stubble, likely from his long flight; his physique changed quite a bit, going from lean and fit to muscular and powerful looking. That much you could tell despite all the layers of clothing. You wondered what sort of diet he had to be on to maintain that athletic prowess. You took a deep inhale of the icy air, stopping yourself before your mind wandered... elsewhere.

Luckily, all it took was your little brother's pubescent voice crack to grab your attention to the present moment instead of ogling Oikawa. 

"Dude! Your uncle is Oikawa san? The one that plays for Argentina?" Haruto squeaked. "It's an honor to meet you sir!" his voice trembled, knowing he was a huge fan of your ex. Admittedly, you couldn't help but join your brother in watching Oikawa's games after hearing the rumors of him playing for a Latin American team from other alumni.

"Oh you don't have to be polite, I remember you Haruto" Oikawa sheepishly grinned, not expecting his ex's brother to be so formal. "I would have met up with you three sooner but I got caught up in a conversation with coach Irihata." he chuckled.

Your brother turned to you, whispering loudly:

"HE was your ex?? How do I not remember him??" his voice was shaking.

"I should be asking you about that airhead!" You teased him. "I knew you two met once".

"O-Oikawa san!" Haruto yelped, unable to bring down his excitement. "Could I ask-"

"Aoba Johsai!" Irihata's voice rang. "The bus is here! Let's go home". Oikawa looked back and smiled.

"Oh that brings me back"

Takeru and Haruto straightened out their backs and sighed. "I guess we gotta go now" Takeru said, "I want to stay and talk to you uncle!"

Oikawa raised his hand and placed it on Takeru's head, ruffling his short hair.

"You did good there, Takeru! Try working on your foot work some more so you can get a better timing for your approach. A setter is gonna do everything they can to accommodate but you gotta put in some work too. I'll see you later!"

"Sure unc! Bye!" He parted ways with you and Oikawa, your younger brother following suit, and ran along with their team to catch their bus. Their voices grew quieter the further they got.

"DUDE, you never said your uncle is Oikawa!?" 

"You never asked?? Besides he's still..." 

You were unable to catch what Takeru said but he was probably airing out Oikawa's dirty laundry once more. When you looked over at Oikawa, you swore you saw a vein pulse for a fraction of a second.

As the kids left, it was just you two standing there with the air growing a little awkward, unsure of how exactly to approach each other after so long. 

"So..." you started. His eyes grew noticeably big, awaiting your next phrase with much anticipation.

"You wanna tell me why you lied about those cookies?" you playfully glared at him, a smile erupting across your face. 

Oikawa's once tense shoulders dropped as soon as you uttered those words, laughing as he did, it seemed like he appreciated that playful nature you always had more than ever.

"Hmm I guess I gotta explain myself huh?" smirking, knowing that he was cornered. His 12 year secret was finally exposed to his ex and they demanded answers. "As expected of my ex~" he sighed defeatedly.  

Why did that... make your heart skip a beat?

You tried not to think much of it, it's been less than an hour that you meet in such a long time and already you want to be greedy, you want to know more about him.

Quickly, you thought on your feet. "Oikawa san, are you busy?" 

You couldn't tell from his face alone but something in his eyes dimmed a little when you addressed him by his family name. 

You panicked internally, it's not like you had meant to put distance between the two of you, you just weren't sure where you stood with Oikawa, it's been over a decade since you two broke up... would he misinterpret something?

Were you being the weird one here? Wanting to have dinner with your ex and catch up? Has he changed?

Maybe YOU gravely misread the situation? Has he become more foreign in the sense that he's used to more physical responses like hugs or ... kisses on the cheek?

Your face started to grow red at the thought of introducing yourself to Oikawa so... forwardly, it just felt too... romantic for you, even when you saw other international volleyball teams greet each other this way, cultures and mannerisms that seemed like a huge offense here in Japan must be so normal for him now.

Suddenly, an idea popped into your mind, one that could hopefully bring back that shine in his eyes.

"Are you hungry? You wanna go eat at that ramen shop you used to love?" You smiled fondly. That ramen shop meant so much to him, it's where he and his team went after their games, win or lose.

The glimmer in his eyes returned, cocking his head and grinning at you, as if you read his mind.

"Oh I'd love that Y/N!" He chirped before putting his hand on his mouth, his eyes wide. "Ah could I call you that? Are we still on a first name basis?"

Your heart picked up, why is your face feeling hot again? Was he feeling the same? Or is he just more open now?

You mustered up and did the best to not let your excitement break through in your voice; you tried to assume this was purely platonic, there's no way you wanted your heart broken tonight or end up disappointed. You had to set your expectations low.

"Yes that's fine, as long as you're okay with that."

You two started to walk in the direction of the ramen shop, Oikawa suggesting first heading to the closest station and getting off a couple of stops closest, proud of himself for still remembering this city route and transportation.

"Y'know Y/N, you can call me Tohru. I really don't mind".

.. - .----. ... / ..-. --- --- .-.. .. ... .... / - --- / ... - .- .-. -

Dinner was delicious, maybe it was the 10 hour work day that seasoned your ramen and Oikawa's long flight that gave the food much more flavor, punching you both with its savory and salty goodness.

Maybe it was because you two chatted as if nothing happened, both of you lightly acknowledging the break up while slurping up noodles and maybe that's all it took, just a good meal to lighten the mood of the topic.

You admitted to Oikawa that your little brother was a fan of his, despite him not connecting the dots earlier and realizing who Oikawa was. 

You recounted a few plays of his where he set the ball in a few crucial moments that turned the tide of the game. How Oikawa's fierce serves still made you tremble, remembering the deafening sound of the ball as it slammed the gym floor. Before you knew it, you gained an understanding and appreciation for the sport, something Oikawa definitely noticed during the conversation.

Maybe it was how chatty he was now, recounting his stories and mishaps in Argentina, living abroad, the struggles of learning a foreign language and realizing that the language textbooks prepared him for nothing. 

Meeting a former rival/underclassmen of his during his trip to Brazil out of the blue was probably his most memorable story by far. He seemed proud of the guy, recounting how badly he used to play in the one year they interacted with each other during matches now kicking ass in beach volleyball.

Oikawa seemed much more... content... and less tied down by his failures and shortcomings. He focused only on the good that happened in his life since graduating. 

You felt that flame light up again, wondering if he was feeling the same. If he even had room in his heart for you to visit once again or if he was open to the idea. 

During the conversation, it took you aback to find out he was single, only mentioning it to the shop owner after a few prodding questions about Oikawa and his love life became overbearing, interrupting the flow of his and your dinner. It didn't help that he paid for your meal as well as his, making it more incriminating the more you two denied that it was a date.

.

.

It was well past 10pm at this point but the two of you strolled by the neighborhood, taking in all the nostalgic sights and smells of the night, retelling stories from your guy's school days and growing up in different parts of the city.

You felt like Oikawa was enjoying himself, not caring that he's fighting against jet lag. You couldn't help but wonder and interpret this as him wanting to spend more time with you, as if he didn't want to go home yet and stalled for time.

The way he patted you or would touch your shoulder set you ablaze. Again, maybe it's just a culture difference and him living abroad made him more open to this type of affection but even when you two had dated before, he was never this outwardly affectionate and attentive. Was it him flirting and subtly wanting to be around you more? Is he just being friendly? Is this a new normal for him and not realize it?

It was then his voice lulled you out of your thoughts, pointing at a familiar park with a swing set. "Y/N you remember this place? Let's go, come on." Excitedly, he gestured for you to follow him and like a moth attracted to light, you followed the brilliant warmth of those embers.

As you sat down on the swing set, you chuckled to yourself, raising your hand to try to stifle the noise but unfortunately for you, Oikawa didn't let this go unnoticed.

"What's up Y/N?"

"Nothing! It's just.." you paused, trying to catch your breath. "I think this is where we came to hang out after our first date, right?"

Oikawa froze, pondering his surroundings before speaking. "Hey yeah, no wonder this seemed familiar." His face flushed a little as he swiftly turned to you, raising his hands up. "Pure coincidence! I promise!"

"Tohru you're fine. I don't really mind at all!" you reassured him. Something about this hangout seemed juvenile to you but not in a negative way. It was nostalgic but it also felt like you two were back in 2012, reliving your high school prime, imagining that you two had snuck out of your homes to meet up by a local park. Things you do only when you're dating someone.

"Y/N" Oikawa spoke calmly, contrary to his excitement just a few moments ago. "Thank you."

"...."

".... What for?" You were genuinely confused. Did you do something just now? You were freezing from the winds blowing over you two but you still felt a rush of blood running through you. The way the sound of your name came out of his mouth just now melted you. 

He took a deep breath, leaning his head back like how he concentrates for his serves in between time outs. 

"Thank you for being you." 

Oh now he's done it. Your heartbeat had never pounded this loudly in your ears before until now.

"You weren't someone I was planning to see when I came back but I can't say I'm not happy that I did."

There was suddenly a twinge of guilt that struck you when he said that.

He continued, "I know we haven't spoken in years but I feel so happy that we're able to have a conversation like this, and even joke about it back at the ramen shop. I don't think I can say other people would be so willing to do the same. So thank you."

You bit your lip, feeling progressively worse and worse the more he voiced his appreciation for you. 

You knew what it was that kept eating at you, you knew exactly what made you feel so guilty. But how would you tell Oikawa? How are you going to tell him without upsetting him? Did that memory still haunt him just as much as it did for you? 

You felt so conflicted, you wanted to tell him how much you supported him on the sidelines, with each match he was in. You wanted to tell him so badly how much you missed him, almost giving in a few times to reach out to him and unblock him from social media.

But what message would that send to him? He was living in a different world, enjoying his time abroad and living his best life in a sport that greatly rewards him. Who were you to be a barrier to all that? These stupid selfish feelings kept reappearing from time to time, in between your other exes, wondering if Oikawa would ever take you back.

Just how-

"Y/N!" Oikawa raised his voice. You hadn't noticed it but he was no longer gently swinging himself on the swing next to you, he was crouched on one knee with his hand on your forearm. His other hand reached out into his coat and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to you. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

He sounded concerned, and honestly, with good reason: from his perspective, one minute he was having a conversation with an old friend and the next thing he knew, his ex hung their head and heard sniffling, watching tears fall and stain their work pants.

You had been overthinking, a habit that had a double edge. A habit that he was keen on spotting.

Taking the handkerchief, you wiped away the tears from your face before muttering out your next set of words. 

"Tohru... I'm sorry" you whispered. "I feel like... everything you just said is undeserved."

He tilted his head to the side, curious about what you had meant.

"Undeserved in what way?"

"I just.. You've said so many good things about me and yet... I said nothing but horrible things to you years ago" Taking another deep breath, you continued. "I can't believe you don't resent me."

Oikawa's hand on your forearm grasped you firmly but gently enough to convey what he's feeling. He looked into your eyes and flashed you a bright smile.

"Y/N I don't resent you at all. I'm sorry that you've carried this burden all these years."

He shifted his weight, switching knees to lean on while the other one got the blood flowing again. His other hand hovered over your knee before finally resting it there, rubbing soft circles onto it.

"I'm sorry that I got upset whenever you told me to stop being so obsessed with volleyball. I'm really sorry that you had to date someone who couldn't love himself at the time. I assume that this is what you're talking about, yeah?" His voice was sincere, almost shaking as well.

You sniffled before you could respond, not wanting to risk some water running out of your nose in front of Oikawa.

"Yeah... I knew volleyball meant everything to you but maybe... maybe I could have said things more gently then"

"But you did Y/N, at least at first. I was the one who was too stubborn to realize how badly I was doing before realizing it was too late"

You thought back to the times Oikawa would rant to you about some Ushi guy or how he enjoyed seeing the fallen look on his underclassmen’s face after a tournament. It bothered you how often he would bring it up into conversations with you, constantly seeking validation and complaining to you when you two first dated, accumulating frustration until it wasn't bearable any longer.

Maybe your anger was justified.

But the physical cringe your body made when you thought back to that one day; the day you lashed out at him to quit volleyball.

You solemnly smiled, pushing yourself gently on the swing now. "I'm so happy you didn't listen to me then". You placed your hand on top of his, and to your surprise, he didn't retract or flinch.

You looked up at him, tears running down your face now. "Tohru, I'm so sorry I told you to quit all those years ago. I felt horrible knowing that had you listened to me, you would have lived a very different life."

The winds of coming rain clouds felt sharp against the moist parts of your eyes and cheeks but the tears wouldn't stop running. You had such a range of emotions hitting you all at one: guilt, sadness, pride, joy, relief, it all overwhelmed you.

It was just as shocking that your ex still held compassion for you, for reasons that you can only guess but you couldn't be certain. 

Oikawa took a deep breath and stood up, taking your hand and gesturing for you to follow and as soon as you got up on your own two feet, he went in for the kill shot:

He wrapped his big arms around you, squeezing you until you squeaked, giggling at the sound. "Y/N you don't have to apologize for anything, it's alright."

"Tohru..." your arms slowly wrapped around him too, your hands grasping at the back of his coat as you let the tears fall some more as you hid your face in his shoulder. Partly because you were in such awe at what was happening and partly because of the cold.

"I never resented you Y/N", he continued. "When we broke up.. I never felt anger towards you. I was really mad at myself for losing you." His face gradually sunk into the crook of your neck, now hiding his own face.

"I had so many reasons to fly to Argentina and you were one of them.."

"Tohru..."

"I thought to myself, ' 'This worthless pride of mine has a price, I better make sure I do my damn best to come out on top'. I had nothing to lose after I lost you Y/N".

"I... Tohru" a sense of calm took over you, finally quelling that weight that was on your consciousness after 12 years. "That pride was never worthless you know" you reassured him. “It only made you resilient and stronger. You certainly proved me wrong.”

A gust of wind slashed through you two, almost knocking you over had it not been for Oikawa hugging you tighter. As much as you two knew a storm was coming, there was something... missing. There was something that you needed to tell him.

You felt something... wet ...

But it wasn't from the sky, no it was on your neck; a few drops of tears fell from his pretty face. From his sniffling, you knew that this man broke down; his breathing hitched and heaved in an irregular pattern and his nails began to dig into you.

You knew at that moment, the break up hurt him just as much as it did you. He cried as if he hadn’t opened up for years.

Actually, that was very likely the case.

"Tohru, it's alright" you patted him, doing your best to comfort him now. Similar to the times when he'd just cry to you after losing big matches. He would never admit it to most people but you knew Oikawa was an emotional mess, a huge crybaby for sure. It was something you found so endearing about him, something that you're weirdly glad hasn't changed after all these years. The way he opened up to you and a selected few made you feel so special. All these years later and he still had that trust in you? Your heart softened.

On reflex, you turned your head to plant a small kiss on his stubbly cheek and-

.

..

...

That's when you both froze; his breathing hitched and his grasp on your coat grew tighter; his squeezing making the synthetic material screech audibly.

Did that... That was muscle memory right?

Your heart picked up the pace, drumming loudly in your ears, your body temperature rising and those cold gusts of wind suddenly started to feel refreshing instead of prickly.

"Ah! Tohru!! That was.. It was a force of habit!" you panicked. It was like those years of dating charged head on, possessing your limbs and taking action, doing what felt right. What felt like second nature.

As you tried to push yourself away from Oikawa, to your surprise, he just held onto you tighter, bringing you closer towards him and offsetting your balance to where you practically had your weight in his arms and should he let go, you would be falling to the damp sand. You had no other choice but to surrender to your fate, your life was in his hands now, quite literally. 

"I really missed you Y/N chan~. I never once forgot about you" he whispered, almost too afraid to declare it, to have his heart broken again but he dared take the risk. He sniffled a bit more all the while holding you in a sturdy lock; you couldn't see his face but you knew the man you never stopped loving was bawling his eyes out for you.

Recollecting yourself after processing all the events that lead to this very moment, you lifted a hand and started rubbing his scalp, something that was also reminiscent of your time together, something you remembered about Oikawa always looking forward to after dates or even when you would pass by him in the hallways during lunch period.

At this point, it was obvious that those embers you held onto for years burned brightly tonight, reigniting themselves at that first spark from when he first appeared from the shadows back at the gymnasium entrance.

The hand that was rubbing his scalp dropped slowly, cupping the side of his face, prompting Oikawa to raise his head and look you in the eyes. Maybe it was the tears or maybe it was a genuine light in his eyes when you held him in the palm of your hand, you know something just... synced in that moment. 

You smiled softly, gliding your thumb over his icy cheek and wiping away a tear. Only that in doing so, it landed on your face, making you flinch.

"Pffft" Oikawa bursted into a fit of laughter, admiring your reaction. You followed suit; his laughter ringing in your ears and enveloping you. His breath escaped and dissipated into the cold night with each giggle he let out, mixing with yours.

As everything settled down, you brought his face closer to yours and without missing a beat, you spoke softly:

"Do you want to try again?"

..-. --- .-. / - .... .- - / --- .-.. -.. / ..-. . . .-.. .. -. --. / .. ... / ... - .. .-.. .-.. / .. -. / -- -.-- / .... . .- .-. -

[cinderella-ish]

How Labeling Characters "Good" or "Bad" Misses the Point of Fruits Basket

A few years ago, I decided to remove the words "good" and "bad" from my vocabulary as much as possible.

Why? Because I have OCD, and I was struggling with something called "splitting," more commonly known as "black-and-white thinking."

Beyond the benefits it would have for my mental health, I wanted to challenge myself to be more precise with my commentary, whether appreciative or critical. "Fruits Basket is soooo good!" may be a true statement (in my completely objective, unbiased opinion lol), but it doesn't actually say anything meaningful about what makes the story so "good." I'd rather say how it affected me, why I think it's absolutely worth watching or reading, what it made me think about, etc...

Something I see in a lot of Furuba fan spaces is a desire to label characters or relationships as "good" or "bad," and letting that be the focus of the commentary. This even happens without necessarily using those exact words; people will talk about whether Akito "deserved" redemption/forgiveness, whether certain relationships or even crushes are "okay," whether a certain character was "abusive," etc... and sometimes even more subtle ways of labeling characters "good" or "bad," but I think this entirely misses the point of the story, and beyond that, it's just not a helpful way to go about discussing media in general.

The thing that prompted this post was one of those much more subtle cases: a comment I saw claiming that it was out-of-character for Tohru to support Arisa and Kureno's relationship. My first reaction was, "are we talking about the same Tohru here?" because the Tohru I saw in Fruits Basket would absolutely support Arisa and Kureno's relationship. But my next thought was to wonder why that commenter would feel that way, and here's where I've landed on that:

In that commenter's mind, Tohru is "good," and the relationship between Arisa and Kureno is "bad," so it doesn't make sense that a "good" person would support a "bad" relationship.

But what a wildly simplistic take! It's one that misses so much nuance of Tohru's character; her personal history, her ways of relating to her friends, etc... To me, there's absolutely no way Tohru as she's written would ever not support that relationship, and here's why:

First, Tohru is rarely assertive, and when she is, it's in situations where one person is clearly being hurt and it must be addressed immediately. She almost seems to run on instinct in those situations. I'm thinking of when she pushed Akito away from Yuki, or when she told Akito to stop hurting Momiji, or when she told Kyo she would go against her mother, or when she chased after Saki and expressed a desire to remain friends.

On that note, with regard to Arisa and Kureno, the thing that stood out to Tohru was Arisa's heartache. She wanted to do whatever she could to soothe her friend's heartache, and that meant reuniting her with the man she'd fallen for.

It's also unclear whether Tohru knows Kureno's age, but even if she did, her own parents had a massive age gap, and she doesn't seem to be aware of the problematic power dynamic between them whatsoever. If anything, she seems to romanticize her parents' relationship.

Additionally, Tohru is basically the least judgmental person alive. I don't think she would have strong convictions about whether age gaps are "okay" even if her parents hadn't had a similar gap. Again, her primary concern would be whether her friend was happy, and if not, what she could do to make her friend happy.

In short, Tohru is not one to label things as "good" or "bad" and use those labels as a guide for her actions, but is more likely to try and understand people's motivations and work toward their happiness. This is central to her personality as an Enneagram SX 9w1/INFP.

And that last point is honestly the approach I think is most useful when it comes to critique and discussion of fiction. Rather than trying to delineate what's "good" or "bad," I find it much more meaningful to try and understand the creator's reason for depicting something a certain way, and how those creative choices support their overall creative vision (or don't).

So, with that in mind, I guess I'm going to start a series looking at the "why" behind the characters and relationships who are most often called "problematic," "bad," "abusive," or "not okay." Feel free to request topics!

[sentience-if]

the anon who compared Val to Fruits Basket is making me looking at Kyo's confession and imagining Val there instead (context: Kyo fucked up and claimed not to love Tohru when she confessed to him to try to protect her, so his confession included a lot of "please give me a second chance, i swear, i won't need another one after this" type of sentiment and groveling as a result. it's a really good confession) and ngl Val doing something of equal caliber would make my Also-Mad-At-Val Io forgive them and go back on Val's route lol 👉👈 imagining Val in Kyo's place during that final confession is such good food

(disclaimer: not saying you have to do that. this is just me in a confessional to you, my proverbial priest, for my anime-i.f. sins while also talking loud enough to encourage others to follow me in said sin)

i will be watching it on youtube thank u

[girlfatherfigure]

This pissed me off bc of how untrue it is like first of all megumi would get pissed off by every character in fruits basket ESPECIALLY tohru and her all forgiving ass ok he would find out she forgave her boyfriend’s abuser and try to throw hands like this would not be a healing experience for him he would pull out mahoraga on akito (as he should)

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

What are some of your favorite manga of all time?

Oh this will be one of the easiest asks I've ever received! You've got me all hype, anon!

Fruits Basket

Wanna get me to talk for hours? Mention Fruits Basket. This was the first manga I ever read back when I was still in elementary school and I've never grown out of my love for the series. I will always have a spot for this manga but it's honestly perfection to me.

I love the characters, the messages, the themes and the emotional depth this manga has made me feel over the years? I honestly wish I could experience Fruits Basket all over again. This is without a doubt my favorite shoujo manga of all time. I love all the characters, I love all the ships. Some of my favorite characters off rip have to be Tohru, Shigure, Hatsuharu and Arisa and Saki. But make no mistake I adore Yuki and Kyo and so on and so forth.

This series does such a great job in such a complicated subject matter concerning neglect and abuse in a way that humanizes the abuser without using said humanization to justify their shitty actions. You leave those moments understanding how that person became how they are but can still completely acknowledge how terrible they are. How you don't have to forgive that person for what they did. And that, if you do forgive that person, that doesn't mean you're just letting bygones be bygones and being kumbaya with them. You can forgive and forget or you can forgive and never forget and that's okay. Your forgiving and moving forward for yourself, not them. And that's one of the things I really liked in the series.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Another series you can get me talking for hours about. You will catch me watching video essay after video essay analyzing this story. I was so into FMA during middle school, one of my moms even bought me the games and made it habit to occasionally buy me the volumes! This is without a doubt, the best shounen has to offer. Quality female characters? Amazing action scenes? Stunning romance? Banger after banger with so many panels I can still recall perfectly.

My favorite volume is definitely volume 15! Because of the manga, Brotherhood is my preference when it comes to the anime adaptations. It has all the homies in it. Another series I wish I could just start from the beginning again with no memory of the source material. These brothers and their friends have altered the chemistry of my brain.

NANA

Still believe that one day Yozawa will grace us with her beautiful art and storytelling all over again. NANA was my first ever jousei read and my dive into jousei as a whole. Until that point all I had consumed were shounen and shoujo so the maturity of the series was one I wasn't expecting. I consumed this series when I was about in early to late middle school and it was so much fun to read.

Now that I'm in my late 20s, holy hell is this hard to binge the way I used to because the themes, the struggles of the character and the realism of those struggles are hitting a little too close to home now. So I can only do NANA in small doses now haha. I even got both of my moms into NANA. Which isn't too impressive when one of my moms has watched the anime of every manga I've mentioned on this ask, but my other mom is NOT an anime fan and she loves NANA so much.

Children of the Sea

Oh my goodness, you definitely oh it to yourself to read this manga. It's not a long a read by any means with only 5 volumes and 43 chapters but it was such a pleasure to read. Maybe this bias comes from someone obsessed with the ocean (which my url definitely implies) and the life teeming underneath the surface but wow this was truly an experience. I watched the movie first and then read the manga, and I'm not sure if that'll shape anyone's viewing experience differently but I do wish I had read the manga first. But both are truly great to check out.

If you want a story about a girl meeting two boys raised by dugongs, this is the story for you. One of my favorite aspects of this read were the side stories labeled Testimony of the Sea. It adds so much to the story without even directly influencing the plot as you see all the strange phenomena that take place in the sea leading up to this mysterious event drawing in our protagonists and what will continue well after its conclusion.

Skip & Loafer

Currently ongoing and a series I was not expecting to like as much as I did. I'm one of the people who got into sukirofa after the anime dropped. 2 episodes in and seeing the absolute beauty and grace of how the staff handled the protagonist's transgender aunt, I had to give this a read and I do not regret in the slightest. This is such a great series and a perfect example how one utilizes 'don't judge a book by its cover'.

Characters you meet at first glance? It only takes a chapter or two before their layers are peeled back and you see how much went in to crafting them and making them more complex than meets the eye. A perfect example of this is the character Mika.

But my favorite chapter has to be ch 29 where you learn what made Nao decide to come out and transition. If you haven't read this series, I won't spoil it, you have to read it for yourself. Prepare for a monthly update schedule, because once that day of the month pops up, it's amazing to see how the sukirofa fandom comes together to scream on twitter and tumblr.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

The series that gave birth to the greatest hater in anime history. Araki truly drinks and leaves no molecules every time a part comes out. Another ongoing series I didn't expect to like as much as I did. But it's become a series close to my heart since diving into it after I got over my initial hesitance with the art style. Honestly JJBA's art style really grows on you, especially as you see Araki's art and writing develop so spectacularly.

You get equal parts continuous story and standalone adventure. You do need other pieces of the pie, but each part still feels so rich and in-depth and bright and colorful. You don't feel like the new JoJo and characters introduced are extensions of previous existing ones or usurpers that have stolen the panels away from other characters. It's like watching a torch be passed down from JoJo to JoJo, generation to generation (which it technically is since this story follows the descendants of the JoJo that started it all, Jonathan Joestar).

Araki's biggest source of writing inspiration came from how he felt watching Prince concerts. How the story of the concert would suddenly flip and give you a whole new experience. I feel he truly has that down with JJBA.

Concubine Walkthrough

Can't believe I even forgot to add Concubine Walkthrough, so take this quick addendum. This is one of the best manhwa I've ever read in my life and not enough people talk about it. I'm working on a post right now all about why I recommend it.

If you're a fan of sci-fi, romance and want to read an otome isekai romp that subverts your expectations? Please read this manhwa. It's The Matrix mixed with historical Korean fiction (and of course, otome isekai at its finest).

I loved loved LOVED the philosophy behind the story, the themes. The discussion of what reality is and choosing what reality means/is to you. Just because your entire life is a simulation, does that make your entire life up until that point irrelevant? Simulated it may be, your joy, your pain, your love, all of that still felt real, right? There were so many things I never considered about that very topic until I read this series and I feel like more people should give it a go. It's not that long a read (only 128 chapters for the main story with some extra bonus content on the side), please please PLEASE read Concubine Walkthrough if you haven't already.

[gietterbug]

Fruits Basket (2019-2021) - Thoughts! ✨

I have just finished watching Fruits Basket from the 1st Season to the Final Season (+ Prelude), and it has left me feeling empty... So here's a thing or two of what I think about the series!

Fruits Basket was BEYOND my expectations! It taught me many things: perseverance, forgiveness, acceptance, and kindness. Everything about this series was AMAZING! I hate that I used to think it was just a typical, overrated romance anime when I now have grown emotionally attached to it.

—

For a show remade & readapted from the older version, the animation team did an incredible job recreating Fruits Basket (2019-2021).

The fluid plot, the complex characters and their backstories & relationships, the bitter conflicts and final resolutions… everything was just excellent!

—

Tohru Honda was easily the most beloved protagonist, because who wouldn't love her when she emits all the good things a character can do. Her existence in the series was like a ray of hope. And this is significant for other conflicted & traumatized characters around her.

She's such a wonderfully written character, and I love her so much! ❤

—

Other characters—Kyo, Yuki, & the Sohmas—had their own shares of struggles. It's painful to see, and my heart wrenched upon learning their pasts that made them the way they were.

Even Akito had a deep-rooted trauma of his (?) own. Being special since born apparently was not a privilege; it's a burden. Akito may be twisted in the mind, but he was also deeply wounded on the inside, and I couldn't bring myself to hate him.

—

All in all, Fruits Basket was a very delightful, and peak Shoujo anime. I enjoyed it through and through! I hope to see more shows as amazing as this one in the future! ☺🌸

[randoimago]

hi! could I request enemies-to-lovers “Can you ever forgive me?” “I forgave you the second you walked through the door.” for Adachi? thanks.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

Fandom: Persona 4

Character(s): Tohru Adachi

Type of Request: enemies to lovers

Warning(s): Emotional Manipulation, Toxic Relationship

Note(s): Adachi is still one of my favorite plot twists in video games

Adachi

He was annoyed with you. Adachi had asked you to do something for him and you told him no and he's been giving you the silent treatment. Adachi would be more mean, but he doesn't want his cover blown if others found out.

And so he just kept being the neglectful boyfriend. Pretending that he's too busy with work and can't see you. It isn't until he's sitting at his office desk, exhausted from dealing with idiots, that he sees you come in giving him a sad look. Adachi doesn't get to say anything before you apologize saying, "Can you ever forgive me?"

A smile slowly crosses his face as he gives you the attention he's neglected you. He pulls you into a hug so you get that affection you've been craving. "I forgave you the second you walked through the door," he murmurs, pretending to be the affectionate boyfriend just to keep you by his side.

[momoliee]

Watching, fruits basket, i surprisingly didnt have a favorite ship or care for the romance at all.

rather, i was more invested in the toxic abusive family and all the ways the characters dealt with their trauma and how they’ve overcome it at the end.

starting with the more ‘obvious’ trauma, aka kyo, basically being the black sheep of the family and dealing with it by becoming someone who constantly runs away, only sees himself, and whose whole survival revolves around protecting himself first and foremost even if his methods were harmful to others. which is, obviously, understandable and valid considering how no one was there for him and everyone was against him, so whom does he have but himself? if he wont fight tooth and nail to protect himself then who will?

then there’s yuki, whose trauma was on the very opposite extreme end of the scale. he was placed at higher threshold than anyone; however, he enjoyed none of the supposed benefits as he was isolated and abused and tortured in private without anyone knowing. he wasnt allowed to have any friends, he wasnt allowed to associate with anyone, and he was the one closest to the abuser and was the abuser’s main vessel of venting, a literal punching bag. he bore most of the bruises in the family, and as a result, became distant and cold and a bit dissociated. his healing arc honestly healed me personally, seeing him get comfortable with being vulnerable, opening up, reaching out and most importantly, forming meaningful bonds with those around him. it was very precious.

there were characters like rin, who couldnt handle any of it and crumbled more easily than the rest of the characters, who at the end, wasnt able to forgive their abuser even when everyone else did. and there were characters like momiji, who were stronger than the rest, who bared with it all head on and as bravely as possible, who broke away first with their strong will and resilience, who forgave fastest too. there were characters like a-ya, who just wanted to escape and leave and be free even if it came at the expanse of others, even if someone else had to take their place and suffer in their stead. which again, is valid, but i loved that he grew stronger and felt guilty with time, and made sure to come back and atone for his actions even if it was too late, he still wanted to give it a go. and of course, there were characters like haru, who were the naturally kind and noble heros, ready to suffer at other people’s stead, ready to fight for others even if they’ll receive a backlash, ready to take care of others even when they’re receiving the same abuse. there were characters like hatori, who became totally apathetic and uncaring, easily accepting and passive, and on the opposite end there were characters like shigure, who developed a fucked up complex and codependent attachment to their abuser. there were characters like kureno, whom even tho they had the choice to leave, they still stayed out of pity and kindness, and characters like hiro, who gave no fucks from the beginning and wanted to leave cause what’s wrong is wrong, pity or no pity.

what im trying to say is, they were all stuck in the same abusive family, they were all VICTIMS of domestic violence and terror, yet they all took it differently, coped with it differently, and healed from it differently. and what makes this even more interesting, is how accurate each character depiction was, and how all these personas really do exist in real life. other than haru, none of them helped each other or stood up for the other, but then again, they were all victims doing their best to survive a terrifying environment. they were all very brave for doing so.

im happy that torhu gave them a healthier home where the idea of family was safer and more fun, where they could have fun together instead of dreading seeing each other. i do believe that each and every single one of them saved their own self, but tohru definitely gave them the space and place to do so, which was exactly what they needed

[moltensmusings]

Finished fruits basket and genuinely, probably one of my favorite shoujos of all time. I enjoyed every minute of it, the emotional moments hit with me every time. This will be a bit long so under the cut let me ramble about my love for it.

Only a series as well written as that could make me cry during a scene of a character like Akito reaching out to Tohru without malice.

I think something that makes the ending work so well, is the knowledge that ultimately we don't really find out if everyone ends up forgiving Akito. I'm sure in the sequel series they reveal it, but we're left with the knowledge that some of that hurt is too great. That Akito herself is aware of this and willing to accept whatever comes with it.

I really did enjoy the characters and couples we got, it's a series that mixes realism with fantasy well enough that even for the ones I'd normally dislike I was willing to give into the romance.

Kyo and Tohru for very obvious reasons will always have a special place in my heart. Seeing Kyo go from a brooding teenager to one who openly expresses his love for Tohru with genuine smiles and tears was amazing.

I haven't actually gone out looking for it, but I also know Kureno is a divisive figure in the fandom because to some people I think they viewed the series as almost completely absolving him of any blame. I think a major part of his story involved the fact that he was self sacrificial to a fault and it was a bad thing. He made mistakes like everyone else and it led to pain. His guilt and pity kept him locked in place and I feel like one of the major messages is that love out of Pity can be so incredibly damaging. I viewed his character as someone who got suspended in that time of when he was a teenager just barely free of his curse, incapable of moving forward for fear of hurting someone. Unaware that staying was hurting more than leaving ever would.

Ultimately I have no doubt this is going to be a series I revisit regularly to watch. Tears and all it was a wonderful experience and I adored every second.

[hot-take-tournament]

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT

PRE-PRELIMINARY #19

Submission 55

Tohru Adachi is a better character than Goro Akechi

[SUBMITTED JUSTIFICATION UNDER THE CUT]

Pre-preliminaries will be used to determine what qualifies as a hot take. Propaganda is encouraged!

Also, remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure! (exposure like when your exposed to critical levels of radiation)

They're both terrible people but P4 doesn't try to justify Adachi's actions even if you pick the accomplice ending and side with him, meanwhile P5 constantly goes 'but he was sad tho :( his daddy doesn't love him so he's allowed to kill ppl' after the reveal that Akechi's the traitor. Also I did the math and in the cutscene where the train gets derailed alone Akechi killed at least 100x more people than Adachi did in the entire game. There's nothing wrong with liking evil characters (IMO) but acting like they're sweet innocent babies is lame

Adachi and Akechi have similar roles in the story. They’re both the subject of the main mystery of their respective games, the killer and the traitor, and in order to hide their involvement, they have fake detective personas (lowercase p personas not Personas). The issue is that while Adachi’s fake personality is a lovable dork who goofs off work by hanging out in the lobby of a department store, “accidentally” leaks critical information about the case to a bunch of teenagers, and has a weird friendship with an old lady who thinks he’s her son, Akechi's is just generic “crime bad, criminals bad” detective man with zero substance to any of his interactions with the main cast outside of literally all of them fucking hating him (the correct and morally right response to Akechi talking to you). But that’s just their fake personalities, right? It’s totally fine for a completely false, constructed persona to be a little shallow, right? Well Akechi’s real personality is just as bad. I already mentioned how his entire motivation is “Waah my dad doesn’t love me so I’m gonna help him achieve his goals then kill him” which is completely fucking stupid by the way just kill the dude and be done with it if thats what you’re gonna do anyway man, but his personality boils down to ‘generic angsty villain whos gonna get a completely undeserved redemption arc’ (thankfully cognitive Akechi killed him before that could happen, the one good thing he did and it wasn’t even really him). Adachi’s real personality is completely unhinged, his big motivation speech can be summed up as “ACAB!” “But you’re a cop!?” YEAH AND I’M A TOTAL BASTARD WHAT PART OF THAT DON’T YOU GET!?” You love to hate him, and that’s what makes a good antagonist, not feeling sorry for him because his dad doesn’t love him. Guess what Akechi, a lot of people's dads don’t love them and none of them became domestic terrorists to try to regain his love and respect!

And you might think that I’m exaggerating with how the player is supposed to sympathise and eventually forgive Akechi, but after he explains his awful motivation, the first person to extend a hand of sympathy is Haru, the girl who’s father Akechi murdered in front of her like two months prior. The second person is Futaba, who spent her entire adolescence traumatised because she thought she was such a shitty daughter that it drove her mother to suicide BECAUSE AKECHI KILLED HER MOTHER IN FRONT OF HER (the dude’s consistent I’ll give him that.)

[festivalofthe12]

mannnnnnnn IDK if it's just because I never fully finished the manga myself (sorry everyone;;) but I just. don't. really understand how Akito being just another one of Tohru's friends is supposed to. work. in practice. with Yuki.

Not because Akito is an ~irredeemable person who never earned her redemption~ or whatever. People being good is good!!! If Akito is legitimately a better person now, that's awesome!!! And frankly I love stories where legitimate kindness breaks through to save people who are shitty but also deeply deeply sad!!!!!

But to most of the cast, Akito was a pretty distant enemy. Yes, she'd show up in person now and then to be chilling and mysterious, but her primary source of contention was Being God. The way she ran the family and the rules she set up around it. Other characters might have spent a lot of time seething at her, but mainly to blame her for indirectly causing things to happen in their lives. Apart from a very small number, most have never actually had much experience just... talking to her.

Which is not true for Yuki.

Yuki has spent more time with her than almost anybody. By the end of the manga, she's still probably the person he's spent the most time in contact with, total, over his life. He literally could not get away from being in the same physical space as her.

His reactions to Akito aren't based on him blaming her for what she did to the Sohma family. His reactions to Akito are based on a very simple 'if I can see her, things about about to get very bad very quickly for me personally.'

At that point, it's not even really about whether he blames or forgives her, or what he thinks she 'deserves'. It is an immediate anxiety (let's be real: PTSD) trigger. It's neither conscious nor logical. He spent endless amounts of time waiting with horror for her to show up, unable to know or control when that would happen, and then having that horror fully justified. He was trained on it, endlessly.

I fully believe that Yuki would want to trust Tohru and respect her friendship with Akito and believe that everything has changed and it's all good now. But I just can't see him being him able to actually... act on that. In practice.

He never even really properly got to process it. Ayame did the classic oblivious parent thing of trying to override Yuki's negative emotions with happy ones before he was actually ready to move on. (Not critiquing Ayame; he's just a flawed human being in his own right!) Tohru comforted him and told him he didn't deserve it, and now she's friends with his abuser asking him to say everything's fine. If Kakeru ever fully found out what happened, it was off-screen, and not all that much time before this all went down.

I just. Really think that what Yuki needs is at least some time to just be better and angry, or at the very least openly mourn his lost childhood. And he needs to be able to do that without those constant triggers of anxiety from interacting with Akito. All things being equal, I think it would be for the best if he could just tell Tohru straight-up that he's fine with their friendship and he's not going to intervene but he just does not want to be in the same room with Akito ever again.

And... if I were to stretch this a bit further, and potentially really betray my unfamiliarity with endgame canon........... it is kind of hard for me to imagine Akito being okay with that.

Yes, Akito has changed. But surely she still needs time to grow and learn and figure out her new place in this world? And Yuki deliberately avoiding her would... be a difficult thing to accept. Firstly because she's still getting used to giving up that selfishness (especially towards Yuki), but also because it's a reminder of some of the awful shit she did. Which, if she's a changed person, should make her feel bad. Which again, she isn't qualified to process!!

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Akito twisted it around in her head to where Yuki really was her friend. Like they were in this together and Akito didn't always handle it well but at the end of the day, they're the only two who can really understand each other. Because Akito really didn't have that, either. (Kureno being... idk man he always seemed more like a guardian, or at least older brother figure than someone who was 'in the trenches' so to speak with her.)

Either way, it'd all place Tohru in such a deeply complicated position. Akito is hurting badly and needs Tohru to be on her side if no-one else is, because to be fair, that's not all wrong? (Kureno has always been there, but Tohru is her saviour.) But she can't really do that if she's enforcing Yuki's boundaries for him. I feel like Akito would really want Tohru to tell her that she's forgiven and that everything's good now, and if she hesitated even a little, it wouldn't go well. Because Akito only knows how to understand two things: obedience and manipulation. So having others set healthy boundaries - and dealing with the resulting feelings of rejection and shame and guilt - is something she still has to learn how to do.

It just sounds. A bit like a clusterfuck tbh. A clusterfuck that could, eventually, turn out okay!!!!!! But one that would take a LONG time and continued process of reflection and self-awareness (and, ideally, HEAVY THERAPY, but of course we all know nobody in the Fruits Basket universe ever gets that, so). Obviously like that's the happy ending and we don't need to extend it out for four more volumes of like 'Yuki and Akito undergo cbt separately via Tohru's infinite patience' lmfao but. Idk. It just seems to imply a lot in that happy ending that has not really set up by the story to be all that easy.

Unless I'm completely wrong and the last volume or two does in fact set this up perfectly. In which case never mind!!!!!!!!!!