#spoilers for fruits basket???

[seagreenstardust]

Been watching Fruits Basket with my cousin and when Tohru falls off the cliff and Kyo finds her, Tohru’s inner monologue is just “please let me reach you” while stretching out her hand to Kyo and

I am just saying

[zodiac-monkey]

[soath]

one of the last barriers keeping jester from sending ludinus da'leth the most threatening four part save the date to her wedding has finally been removed. only the cage surrounding the moon still protects him.

[guardian-angle22]

911 lone star -> acknowledging the belts 🫡

[sunwhispers]

another week another shoujo manga. i read furuba through this week and just as my best friend speculated..........i'm insane about akito................... my princess with a disorder. she reminds me of my warrior cat oc.

[goldenharmony]

Oshi no Ko & Fruits Basket: Monologue Comparison

I noticed there were some similarities between the relationship-based monologues in Oshi no Ko (Aqua/Akane & Aqua/Kana) and Fruits Basket (Yuki/Tohru and Kyo/Tohru). One thing I like about them is how they are able to portray both relationships in the mangas as distinct while making it clear which pairing is the endgame one based on what is focused on.

Yuki/Tohru & Aqua/Akane: Emotional Support

Yuki's feelings about Tohru: "I was hopeless...but she appeared before the helpless me once again. To be with me, close to me. She even listened to what someone like me had to say. She wasn't disgusted and she didn't scold. Time after time. She accepted me time and again. She's beloved to me. Like how the sky feels so close, yet so far. Like a mother."

Aqua's feelings about Akane:

One thing I noted is that both Yuki's and Aqua's monologues focus on what the girls did for them. There was unconditional acceptance and both note that the girls got close to "someone like them". The relationships are not equal as both have that mother/son angle, where the girl is not receiving as much in return.

Kyo/Tohru & Aqua/Kana: The romantic endgame

Kyo's feelings about Tohru: "Finding joy in the smallest things. Being happy and smiling so cheerfully. Why? She should think of herself more. Why? Doesn't she think she's getting the short end of the stick? She thinks that she's stupid, or that there's nothing good about her. I love you. I love you so much...just as you are."

Aqua's feelings about Kana:

Like with Fruits Basket, when we see Aqua's POV on Kana, it focuses on what he specifically likes about Kana, mentioning her personality and how she acts in situations. Both guys also want the girls to not get the short end of the stick, and wish that the girls would think about themselves more - as both girls adopted a selfless attitude due to their childhood trauma. These points also make it clear to me on why these 2 ships are the romantic endgames of their respective series.

[chodzacaparodia]

Another reason why Episode Nagi is a shoujo manga

One thing from Episode Nagi chapter 21 hit me hard. I mean the moment when Nagi was thinking about how Reo believed in him.

No one had ever placed hope in Nagi before. He himself has also never shown any initiative before. Nagi didn't seem like a person who would do something or be motivated to act because he believed in himself.

It wasn't until he realized that someone believed in him. Thanks to this faith, he began to act. And when there was no one around who believed in him, he was left with faith in himself.

However, Nagi would never believe in himself unless someone (Reo) believed in him first. Without it, he would still remain passive and do nothing with his life.

When I noticed this dependence, I immediately thought that a similar philosophy was presented in Fruits Basket (shoujo manga).

I'm specifically talking about story of Kisa, who had problems getting along with her classmates. She received a letter from a teacher who briefly advised her to like herself first so that others would like her.

However, Yuki did not agree with this.

When someone likes you, you will like yourself.

When someone believes in you, you will believe in yourself.

In both cases, the entire change depends on the other person. The character won't do much on their own because they need some motivator to influence them.

In Fruits Basket, this should not be surprising, because it is a shoujo manga that will focus on interpersonal relationships.

However, for example, in the main series of Blue Lock, where Isagi is the protagonist, the main character does not really need anyone's help for his development, because he is his own cause. Isagi does everything himself. Yes, he uses the help of others, but it is not perceived that way. He didn't need anyone else to believe in him to believe in himself. (Yes, this could be an example of his initial relationship with Bachira, when Meguru immediately began to have great hopes in Isagi. However, I don't see it as "Oh, Bachira believed in me, now I believe in myself! I wouldn't have gone this far, if it weren't for him.", because Isagi very quickly began to notice his own possibilities, which he was entitled to himself).

But Nagi is not like Isagi. He couldn't do anything on his own. He needed someone who would believe in him. If it weren't for Reo, his life would have come to a standstill. He would have no reason to believe in himself or work on himself.

Nagi is more like a shoujo protagonist who needs the presence of another person to initiate his development. He doesn't necessarily need this person all the time in order to continue to develop, but he certainly wouldn't be able to make any changes in his life without their constant presence in his mind.

And Episode Nagi (compared to Blue Lock) does not focus just on the independent development of the main character, but also devotes a lot of attention to his relationship with another person.

I'm not saying it doesn't exist in Blue Lock. It's just more emphasized in Episode Nagi, in a shoujo manga style.

[novelist-becca]

Somebody hug me, Kyo and Tohru from Fruits Basket are making me bawl

[iammissingautumn]

Okay but canonically out of all the elder zodiac members (fruba spoilers ahead) . Kureno, Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, and Ritsu. Ritsu is the only one who doesn’t know about the family head’s gender. Ritsu is basically a complete parallel to Akito in a lot of ways. Akito is uncomfortable dressing as a man but does it anyways out of needing to present powerful. Ritsu on the other hand loves dressing as a woman. To her it is bracing her femininity. For Akito it is filling in a dead man’s shoes with a bitter mother’s heart. Akito claims to never be at the wrong for anything and Ritsu apologizes for everything. Explodes.

[allhailnarusama]

Not me comparing atla and fruits basket as i suffer with hay fever and not sleeping and realizing i have a ship type.

If you like zutara as I do, please watch Fruits Basket or read the manga I beg.

[yukinohoshikuzu]

his little fangs I just can’t-

[solunstell]

Akito Sohma, Fruits Basket, 9-25-24

[all-too-random]

I recently introduced Fruits Basket to my younger cousins (both 13 years old). We got to the first episode where Kagura is introduced, and there's a part at the end of that episode where Tohru and Kagura decide to cook together and start talking and giggling.

My cousins said, "Aww, they're just being girls!"

And in a world where so many characters are hated for "just being girls", I thought that was really beautiful.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

People who don't bother to watch Fruits Basket or don't understand the psychology behind the character: Tohru is too perfect, she's unrealistic--

Yeah, that's the point, it's a fake persona she built up as a trauma response. She's taking on the caretaker role, compulsively taking care of others, being who they need her to be, trying to ignore her own pain, deny the reality of her mother's death by talking to the photograph, and bottle up her suffering.

She's a contrast to Akito, as the final season shows, too, as both are desperately afraid of losing love. The story about why she speaks so formally, because her father spoke that way, and she was scared her mother would follow him in death, so she hated him in a childish way, so she spoke the way he did in the hopes of securing her mother's love... they're similar in terms of their abandonment issues, they just present it very differently.

One can certainly argue we saw too little of it as viewers because of just how much she's become the mask and how she bottles everything up, but Tohru is as broken and human as everyone else in Fruits Basket, she's just also a very genuinely kind and trusting person, even if part of her motivations are born of "selfishness" (read: a natural desire to be loved, complicated by a fear of abandonment).

[musicalmoritz]

Akigure from Akito’s pov except it was supposed to be a joke and I got carried away so now it’s half-serious and half-cracked tf up

Akigure from Akito’s pov is so weird because imagine you’re basically god and you have a crush on this guy. But he’s a bit older than you and he’s very distant and on top of that, your toxic mother is raising you as a boy so you’re pretty sure you don’t have a chance, even though you believe he should love you for your status. You’re kinda convinced he doesn’t fw you because everyone else dotes on you except for him. Still, you want him to like you so one day you build up the courage to ask him if he loves you. You’re probably bracing yourself for disappointment, he’s all aloof and mysterious so at best you don’t expect him to be direct. But this guy picks a flower, takes your hands, and tells you that you are the most important thing to him. And then after that he goes back to ignoring you

Years pass and nothing happens, you start hooking up with this other dude but he’s really only doing it out of pity so it’s kinda sad. Since nothing came of the flower situation, you assume the original guy has forgotten about it. Then, out of nowhere, he fucks your mom. The one person in your life who freely treats you like shit and is always in competition with you. The woman who constantly tells you that no one really loves you and that everyone is going to leave you someday. So you’re like “damn I guess he really goes hate me” and you banish him from your property. He takes your best friend/cousin (?) that you’ve been taking out your pain on and basically holding captive with him but you don’t really care because you just want him gone. You’re angry and hurt, and you decide to leave him before he can leave you. But you can’t bring yourself to stay away from him entirely, you crave human connection, you crave him, and so you let him visit every once in awhile

Anyways shortly after that you learn that he’s taken in some random homeless girl and your other cousin who you hate and refuse to associate with. They’re all living together with your ex-bestie like a happy little family and it’s hella annoying. But he asks you nicely if he can keep them around and, well, you decide to be a generous god for once

A lot of shit happens, you don’t vibe with the homeless girl at all because she’s a reminder that there are good and selfless people in this world who are easily loved and you are so far from that. The guy gives you a paper flower for Valentine’s Day just like the real one he gave you all those years ago, and you’re taken aback because you were so sure he’d forgotten about that. He’s hard to talk to though so you guys don’t really discuss it. Plus he fucked your mom so there’s that

The big confrontation happens at a dinner party, you invite him and his family and he chooses to ignore you all night. Of course he does, that’s all he’s ever done. You request that he meet you alone so you can lecture him, and all the pent-up anger comes out. You tell him that you’ve always known he’s hated you, that he’s always been the farthest from you and you knew he would someday leave you. You ask him to admit that he likes your mother better than you, because it’s pathetically easy to believe. No one is obligated to love her the way they are you, and the one person you’ve never felt stable with chose her over you in a heartbeat. You tell him to say he likes her better to your face, but he does no such thing. Instead, he reaffirms that promise he made all those years ago. You are the most important thing to him, and he loves you more than anything

Then you guys finally [redacted], and it’s probably the best either of you have ever had because for him it’s always been you and you’re highkey fine af; and lbr that other dude was NOT taking you to the finish line. Frustratingly, he leaves before you wake up the next morning because once a bitch always a bitch. That only makes you more mad because this dude could not be more confusing

More shit happens, you stab your pity boyfriend and spiral into your redemption arc. Then the homeless girl falls off a cliff after telling you it’s okay to start over, which is kinda sad because you showed up to kill her but she’s lowkey an Empath. You run to the guy in a fit of panic and he calms you down and tells you to explain what happened. While you wait for Scorned Cousin and Ex-Bestie to save Homeless Girl, he gives you his jacket (gotta break the pov for this one- omg this scene is so cute and no one ever talks abt it)

*clears throat*

So you’ve fully decided to apologize to the people you hurt and turn your life around. No more of this god business, which means you have to face the terrifying possibility that people may leave you. You may not be loved, in fact that is something you’re going to have to work for after all you’ve done. Not with this man though. In the very end, he stays by your side. Now that you’ve given up your power and found your humanity, he is there to welcome you with open arms. And it’s very jarring at first, you think he’s going to leave you so you lash out because you always knew he hated you. At least, you thought you did. You were wrong, because then he’s giving you a gift and reaffirming that he loves you, that you’re the only one he wants. He tells you he’ll stay by your side forever, that he’ll help you run your clan and do whatever it takes you have a happy life with you. Only if you want it though. He gives you the day to think it over, stubbornly promising to leave forever if you don’t meet him by the end of the day

You wear his gift, your first feminine outfit, as you go to apologize to your family. You set everyone free and vow to spend the rest of your life repenting for all you’ve done. Some forgive you, some don’t. When it’s over, you return to him. You realize that his vagueness lowkey does smth for you and give a weird yandere-ish thirst monologue about it. Then, you take your place alongside him. He has chosen to stay with you after everything, and you are coming to understand that it is because you are all he’s ever wanted. He’s a dick about it but you suppose his tough love approach did kinda humble you in the way you needed. Now if only someone would humble him

Somehow, you guys make it work. It takes some time, but you end up getting married and raising a cute little son together. You’d be mad at all the shit he pulled but ehhhh you’re actually kind of worse so you guys match each other’s freaks. And then you live happily ever afterrrrr <3

[marimeeko]

Now that Bakugou takes every opportunity(official artwork) to just stand to the side and silently look at Izuku with the new softness he has for him, the more he looks like Kyo Sohma from Fruits Basket and I think that is so funny because I have ALWAYS thought that a soft Bakugou who develops/accepts feelings for Izuku would look and feel just like Kyo Sohma

Kyo Sohma is the male love interest of a popular Shojo series Fruits Basket by the way, and coincidentally, his beloved(Tohru Honda) is also SELFLESS TO A FAULT who doesn't think of herself and Kyo worries about her all the time and wants to protect her....

Just pointing that one out 🙂