#sohma akito

[owarinaki]

Kyo & Tohru & Yuki- Fruits Basket Manga Illustration arts part II

Part 1 // Part2 // Part3

Anime S1 // S2 // S3 Final

[triptychgrip]

Fruits Basket and the temptation to individualize systemic abuse

I certainly wouldn't be the first or last person to think about this, but one thing that I think happens open with Fruits Basket -- or any other piece of media that focuses on generational trauma/systemic abuse -- is that it becomes really easy to focus on an individual perpetrator and to desire for that person to atone for their harm -- in this case, that would be Akito Sohma -- while failing to consider reparations for an abusive system in totality (the Sohma estate and the generations that came before the current zodiac spirits).

And, of course, by focusing so much on the former as opposed to the latter, we often forget that individual perpetrators of abuse are often themselves victims in the system as a whole. NOTE: this does not mean that individuals don't deserve to be held accountable, merely that in the focus on individual accountability, a lot gets left on the table and a lot of nuance gets lost in the shuffle.

The tendency to individualize when it comes to harm is understandable given what we know about human nature; it's much easier to wrap our brains around the concrete in the form of a single emotionally or physically abusive person, rather than to think of an entire system that enables abusive power dynamics to flourish over long periods of time. The latter is so weighty, and if we're talking about pragmatism, reparations offered from a single person are much easier to conceptualize than reparations from the many people who uphold a corrupt system (who are usually indoctrinated from birth to do so).

Spoilers ahead!

We get the sense fairly early on in the manga/anime that the Sohma family is a very powerful one in Japan. As we get further and further into the story, Tohru learns that various people on the "inside" have been responsible for keeping the secret of the zodiac curse (and for allowing the current zodiac spirits to believe that their fate is inevitable). The curse is truly a shackle, and by the point the story begins, it's clear that all of the current spirits -- perhaps with the exception of Shigure who even admits that the curse doesn't really affect him -- feel the heavy weight of its binding.

We learn that Hatori is the only current zodiac member to possess memory suppression, but it's also true that his father once had this ability, and that it was on behalf of Akito and his father that Hatori learned and employed this power (suppressing Kana's memories, Yuki's friends' memories, etc). However, unless I've overlooked something, we never learn Hatori's father's name, or learn about his backstory. Similarly, there are a number of "insider" maids -- some part of the "Ren" faction, and some part of the "Akito" faction -- that we see throughout the story, but we don't know any of their names either, or their backstories. And yet, these maids are a huge part of what enables the corrupt system to flourish (and to a lesser extent, what keeps the power struggle between Ren and Akito going).

I actually find it a little astounding how little focus there is on the maids, considering that 1) they know about the curse, and 2) they are not part of the zodiac, which means they could theoretically defy Akito without enduring emotional or physical turmoil (unlike the zodiac spirits themselves). And honestly, it would have been entirely plausible for them -- at least, in the most practical sense -- to defy her, as we know that Akito is rather frail. Sure, we see her be physically violent at many times throughout the story, but it's a little silly to think that she would be able to hold her own against one or more of them if they teamed up together.

A question that I find myself returning to again and again is: what incentive do the maids have to uphold the corrupt system they are part of?

Does it truly come down to their being raised with a certain set of values, and a disposition to not go against the status quo? Given what we know about Akito, it's not as if we're led to believe that she treats any of them particularly well. So does their loyalty to the idea of the curse come down to having a proximity to power? Even power in the form of a person who is clearly very fickle, prone to tantrums, and generally speaking, emotionally unwell due to severe loneliness and fears of abandonment (note: this description could apply to both Ren and Akito)? Is the prospect of being a mouthpiece for the head(s) of the family really so appealing?

I obviously don't have answers to these questions, but they still inform my thoughts around how dangerous it is to think of Akito as the lynchpin of everything, particularly when it's clear that she has been so incredibly damaged by the family, both in terms of being told that she is "special" from such a young age -- thereby basically ensuring that she has a life of loneliness due to her being put on a pedestal -- and by way of the more obvious point in being raised as a male, counter to her own desires.

Honestly, the first time that I saw the below manga panel, I broke down.

I think it was my first time truly seeing Akito as the scared little girl that she really is...I mean look at her face. She looks like a wailing baby, so utterly helpless.

She is a victim of toxic abuse, and don't get me wrong: she absolutely perpetrated horrific emotional and physical abuse that she deserves to be accountable for.

But, I really wish we had seen more follow-up to the point of reparations...and not only for the individual zodiac spirits. Perhaps this starts with some decent therapy...and to that point, how would that even work? Wouldn't most therapists just generally not believe in a zodiac curse in the first place? -- but some acknowledgment that all of them, even Akito, were caught up in a world that stripped them of their own agency all due to indoctrination that began long before any of them were even born.

[eurydicees]

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Fruits Basket | フルーツバスケット| Flower-Viewing

[anonomouswriter-blr]

Male Akito Sohma X Female Reader (a fruits basket one-shot)

This is a story I wrote a long time ago, so it's not my current writing style, but I figured I'd post it here anyway because why not?

Story starts under the cut.

You knocked on the door to Akito’s room.

“Akito~San?” You asked sliding open the shōji door.

“Haven’t I told you to wait for my approval before opening my door?” they said bitterly. Akito didn't bother to look at you, he just kept lying down at his window.

“I apologize, I just-”

“What?” he snapped, whipping his head in your direction.

“It’s Valentine's day!”

“So what? You want me to allow you to leave me? You want to make sure that on this happy day, you stay as far away from me as possible, so that you may be with the ones you love most? So I can’t ruin this most joyous day?”

“What? No! That’s not it. Why would you think that? No, I have something for you,”

“Something… for me?”

You grinned at him. “Of course! I was only able to afford one thing… and it had to be homemade but… I hope you will enjoy it!”

You handed him a red square-like box with small pink hearts on it. Akito’s eyes widened.

‘Did Y/n really make chocolates… for… me?’ Akito thought to himself. He picked one up and examined it. It was shaped as 2 hearts, one overlapping the other.

“Sorry,” you scratched your neck nervously, “I guess I should have asked if you liked chocolates. Or, even ask Hiroti~San if you’re even allowed to have chocolates…”

Akito placed the chocolate back in its spot and looked up at you, eyes full of wonder.

“A..Akito?” you were getting a bit concerned. He reached out and grabbed your wrist to yank you down. “Yeek!”

“Sit.” He demanded. He stared at the chocolate box in anticipation. “You made the box… which one should I eat first?”

“Um, well, I personally like these ones,” you said, picking up the peanut butter caramel chocolate. Akito took It between his fingers. “The caramels really sticky so I'd brush hard afterward.”

Akito looked at the chocolate for a while longer, then brought it to his lips to take a bite. As his teeth sunk past the chocolate layer and into the peanut butter caramel, he closed his eyes and took in the flavour. As he chewed the delicious sweet, he hummed in delight. You stared at him, rubbing your hands (like the villains in cartoon movies) in anticipation. Finally, you asked him. “D-do you like it?”

He finished the rest of the candy and looked at you. He then did something you wouldn’t expect. He gave you a gentle smile, “I love it,”

You blushed. ‘Adorable…’

“Which should I taste next?”

“Mmmm, that one,” you pointed. He picked it up and bit off some of it. Then he turned to you. As he chewed his piece, he was staring at you with the other piece of chocolate held up. Then you got what he meant. “M-me?”

He nodded. You slightly reached for it but he pulled it back a little and shook his head. You were confused at first, but then he prodded it towards your mouth somewhat. You pointed to your mouth and raised your eyebrows- not completely knowing if you understood- but then he nodded; so you opened your mouth.

He gently placed the chocolate on your tongue. You closed your mouth and chewed. He smiled sweetly at you and you smiled back in return. When you finished you said:

“Happy Valentine’s day, Akito~san,”

     “Happy Valentine's day… F/n~san”

[matt0044]

You think Tohru had a mythic status among the Sohma family estate beyond the Zodiac?

Like stories of the inner family leading more fulfilling lives thanks to this Honda outsider, one who even Akito was touched by. Like they tell a troubled family member that it "looks like you need to meet Honda" or "Her smile can heal even the most wounded of souls" or "She choose the Cat above all other out of love."

All the while, Tohru is tripping over her own feet and spilling mop bucket water at work to her dismay.

[solunstell]

Akito Sohma, Fruits Basket, 9-25-24

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Morally Questionable Anime Milfs Side B Round 2 Match 8

Propaganda:

Akito -

"As the product of a toxic and abusive upbringing, Akito sure does a lot of fucked up shit and inflicts a lot of trauma on the other members of her clan. However, in the sequel series, she is shown to have made an effort to grow past that and atone, breaking the cycle of abuse by being a warm and loving mother to her own son, Shiki. Maybe it's controversial, but I do find her very attractive, and a super interesting character."

Lee Sookyung -

"She… goes to great lengths to protect her child. She goes to prison to protect him!!! And later in the apocalypse, she risks the entire group she was leading in an effort to save her son's life! But she also gives him the silent treatment for like 20 years and also kills him to try to save his life (dw abt it). Her love is pretty ruthless - all action and self-sacrifice, but no emotional comforting, no vulnerability. She's willing to make herself into a villain to protect what matters the most, but when she finally tries to say sorry and I love you, it's too little too late. In the end, her son doesn't even hear the truth from her own mouth (which he wanted more than anything). As for her milfness, need i say anything?? She's an incredible badass, wears a cool mask for a bit, is all mysterious yet wolrd weary, a certified eyebags-and-cigarette type of mom!! Mother is motheringggggg."

[schrodingers-romy]

Me @ Akito Sohma

[anaharaeicons]

Fruits Basket Icons II

[hellsamethyst]

pffft- nah im not rewatching fruits basket, what are you talking about?

[owarinaki]

Fruits Basket Manga Illustration arts part VI END

Part 1 // Part2 // Part3

Anime S1 // S2 // S3 Final

[triptychgrip]

Post-canon, Akito-centric fic recs

I'm back with 2 more Akito-centric fic recs because over the weekend, I had an incredibly vivid dream about her and immediately had to hunt down some fanfic, lol.

These two one-shots are the kinds of stories that are so beautifully written, it almost hurts. The prose and imagery used in each is so evocative and moving, and I was in tears by the end of them both.

The first is the hope i want to share with you by ao3 user warsfeil (I tried looking them up on Tumblr and couldn't find a blog, but if you know them under a different username, please let me know, as I would obviously love to tag them for credit!).

It's a 13K story told through vignettes, and MY GOD. It's actually a bit difficult for me to convey how reading it made me feel, but I've included an excerpt below that I really loved. For context, this takes place after Akito has a dream in which she and Shigure are getting married, and Ren is present at the wedding, taunting her:

Akito can’t speak, for a moment: she grips onto Shigure so tightly he hisses, her nails leaving crescent moons of red welling in their wake, and she buries her face into his chest and squeezes her eyes shut like it will help subside the fear that permeates her entire body.

“I’m here,” Shigure says, which is the exact right thing to say but also the wrong thing entirely because it makes that fear bubble back up into Akito’s chest until she can’t help but cry. “What were you dreaming about?”

Akito can’t manage the words, at first, so she just stays there. It’s familiar, to cry against Shigure, to let him wrap his arms around her and stroke her hair until she sleeps -- but she doesn’t think she’ll be going back to sleep, this time.

“I don’t want a wedding,” Akito says, and she feels Shigure pause. “I don’t mean I don’t want to get married. I don’t -- I don’t want a wedding. I don’t want anything to go wrong”

“Then we won’t have one,” Shigure says, “but even if we did, I wouldn’t let her touch it.”

Akito knows, she knows the kind of things Shigure thinks about -- he talks about revenge with his fingers trailing around his sake cup, he reads records and papers and forms plans and ideas that Akito can barely follow, much less follow through on -- but something in her heart still aches at the idea of it all. Relief that he’d fight for her; sadness that he has to; guilt that she could ever think of allowing anyone to get revenge on her behalf when she’s left so many broken on her own.

----

The second is worthy, by @renywrites (Renegade_Reaper on ao3). I think I'd read anything you write, Reny!!

Just like their story 'I can barely breathe', worthy is so, so gorgeously written, and is a 6K fic exploring Akito's mental state after the curse break. Have you ever read prose so beautiful it's like a wallop to the face? Lol, that's how it felt reading this, in a good way!!

I've included an excerpt from it as well, and for context, this scene takes place in a Catholic church, during a trip that Shigure and Akito take to San Francisco. Note that Akito uses they/them pronouns:

Shigure leads them into the large building, into a huge room with stained glass windows depicting men and women and children. Akito was sure they meant something, but to them, it was just pretty imagery.

They’re left by the altar as Shigure goes to track someone down, likely to interrogate for his book. They watch him go, left to take in their surroundings and hope that nobody tried to speak to them. Akito looks up at the wall above the altar, and wonders if this religion had any truth to it, too.

They had been a god, once. They had been revered, feared, respected, obeyed. They had been worshipped, too. But being a god had been such a horribly lonely existence. Everything had been so dark, so crushing, so significant. The slightest act of defiance had sent them into a rage, and in their attempts to draw everyone closer, they had only succeeded in driving them away.

Akito lowers their dark gaze to the altar, and wonders if sacrifice had ever been necessary in this religion. They wonder if it would matter if they had sacrificed themself, bled out on a stone cold slab for their own glory.

----

The Fruits Basket fandom is full of such talent, I'm so grateful for incredible writers sharing their work!! If anyone wants to reblog with their own Akito fic recs (post-canon or otherwise, including ones they've written themselves), it would make my day!!

[eurydicees]

one day you'll be more than i ever was (fruits basket genfic, 16657 words)

Shiki and Akito, doing as best they can in a world that doesn't always want them. Or, three times that Akito, Shigure, and Shiki talk about the Zodiac Curse and all that came with it. (Can be read as a standalone.)

so i'm normal about akito post-canon. don't look at me like that.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Fruit basket ask zodiac plus tohru reaction to akito falling off the cliff instead of tohru

Zodiac+Tohru reaction If Akito fell;

I think their reaction would be mostly shocked and confused be cause most of zodiac members dont know how to feel about her. Whether its hatred, fear, care, etc but most importantly, they wouldnt imagine her in a sitution like this so once again, they would be confused. And they wouldnt enjoy from someone's falling in front of them so of course, they would be slightly (for some, very) worried too. Tohru would be shocked, regardless.

[anonomouswriter-blr]

Female Akito X Male Reader: Pretty Girl

If you couldn't tell already, this is a very quick one-shot based on the two prompts above. Sorry the images are so big; I don't know how to make them smaller. But any tips on how to do that are appreciated.

347 words.

Story begins under the cut.

     It was a beautiful spring day and Y/n didn't have a clue of what to do with it. A visit to his girlfriend might be nice. He never did anything anyway. Paying a quick "Hello" to Hatori, he went to Akito's room only to find it empty with the back door open. Y/n stepped outside to see Akito peacefully reading a book under a tree: A book that, if he wasn't mistaken, Y/n had lent her.

     Y/n quietly walked over to his girlfriend with his own book in his bag. He kissed Akito on the cheek then sat down beside her. The sunlight was warm and the light breeze was relaxing. All the pair needed was the beautiful weather and the comforting presence of each other.

     Y/n wanted to focus on what he was supposed to be reading, but he couldn't help but get distracted by how cute Akito's facial expressions were. Sometimes her eyebrows would twitch together in annoyance or a confused surprise, then they would relax and her lips would release a breath of relief. How could Y/n help but smile?

     Akito's eyes flicked to her boyfriend for a fraction of a second before she spoke. "What are you staring at?"

     "You. Pretty girl,"

     "Shut up. Stare at something else,"

     "I don't want to stare at something else. I was to stare at the beam of beauty reading next to me,"

     "I said shut up. Stare at… stare at the flowers there. They're beautiful,"

     "Not like you," Akito rolled her eyes and went back to her book, trying ignore Y/n's gaze. Y/n spoke again. "Hey, you wanna see something beautiful?"

     Akito rolled her eyes. "Fine," With a cheeky smile Y/n pulled a small mirror out of his bag and faced it at Akito. Akito blushed a shade of rouge and turned away, trying to cover the blush with her hand. She spoke again quietly "I wish you would stop sometimes…"

     "Only when you stop being so irresponsibly adorable," Akito only blushed harder.

     "I'm gonna hit you,"

________________

Posted 17.Sunday.March.2024 17.32 (5:32 pm)