#we need more of kakeru interacting with the sohmas

[riceballmari]

wtf chapter 125 is so good?? we not only get those yuki and kakeru panels, cute yuchi fertilizer and mogeta scene, but also kakeru with the mabudachi trio! definitely my favorite chapter so far in this volume.

[cinderella-ish]

Yuki, Kakeru, and the boyhoods they never had

So, I was talking with my partner the other day about how Kakeru and Yuki are always touching each other (one of many reasons they're the most popular non-canonical furuba pairing on Ao3). Anyway, it got me thinking-- if we don't read all this physical contact as necessarily romantic, what are some other possible explanations? An examination:

When Yuki first meets Kakeru, he immediately gets up in his face talking about his favorite Super Sentai character, then walks him out of the student council office with an arm around his neck, despite Yuki's obvious discomfort.

When Kakeru puts a hand on his shoulder soon after, he teases Yuki about his feminine features. Yuki bats his hand away and decides he already hates Kakeru.

In Kakeru's next appearance, he puts a hand on Yuki's shoulder, removing it when Yuki gives him a death glare.

When Kakeru stays behind that day to needle Yuki about Tohru, Yuki is the one to initiate touch this time. This leads to the two of them sharing a moment of vulnerability and the true beginning of their friendship. Kakeru putting his thumbs up on Yuki's shoulder is also a change to the way he's touched Yuki before - it's perhaps a bit more comfortable for Yuki, who's reacted negatively to all touch from Kakeru before this. Kakeru's communicating in his own way that he'll try and consider Yuki's needs from now on.

Next, we have the Kyoto trip, in which Yuki is still not fully comfortable with Kakeru (shown by his embarrassment when he tells Kakeru they wouldn't be friends anymore), but is starting to consider him a friend and spend time with him intentionally. We also have some sweet moments like this exchange between Haru and Kakeru, which Kakeru takes very seriously.

After this, Yuki finally learns (some of) Kakeru's backstory when he goes to help Kakeru clean up after Machi destroyed the student council office again. Yuki gets context for why Kakeru is the way that he is, learns about the successorship conflict, and then tries out some Kakeru chaos for himself. We also see Yuki initiate touch for the third time. I think this episode is where the real shift in their relationship happened. Yuki sees that there's a wisdom to Kakeru that he wasn't seeing without that context of Kakeru's oppressive childhood-- something to which Yuki can relate all too well. In a way, Kakeru's impulsiveness and sense of fun is his own way of either reclaiming or living out the childhood he didn't get to have, along with other traits like his love of Super Sentai.

And now, a brief aside.

We see pretty clearly that the other three cursed Sohma boys around Yuki's age are all pretty comfortable interacting with each other physically. Kyo will roughhouse with Haru and give Momiji noogies, Momiji will hug or lean on both Kyo and Haru. These sorts of interactions began when they were young boys, and are pretty typical of boys through adolescence. Yuki, being shut in a room with Akito or alone, didn't get to have that experience of boyhood. All his physical interactions with Kyo are negative, and his physical interactions with Momiji are neutral-ish (Momiji jumps on him at the culture festival, Yuki dabs his tears in Kisa's first episode, and Yuki scolds Momiji a handful of times). (Aside within the aside: while Haru sometimes reciprocates the affection from Momiji or rough play from Kyo, he clearly has a special way of physically interacting with Yuki in the T-shape and shirt pinch, or the stroking of his chin, etc..., and he initiates touch with Yuki much more often than with the other two, likely because he noticed that as one more thing Yuki was missing out on and wanted to include him in a way that would be comfortable for him.)

So when Kakeru tells Yuki about his childhood, and Yuki gets stuck in the storage room later that episode and has a flashback to his own terrible childhood, he's already primed to open up to Kakeru about his own childhood and to start looking at the world more like Kakeru does.

So, after that day, their friendship becomes much more physical. Yuki no longer bats away Kakeru's hand and even initiates touch more often. They roughhouse and Kakeru often puts his arm around Yuki in a gesture of affection. To me, it's a way of reclaiming those experiences they didn't get to have in their childhood-- especially the type of friendships neither of them got to form when they were younger.

[sohmaluver]

let's stay together! (2) 

time for part two!! today we're starting the zodiac :)

yuki sohma is by far one of my favorite characters in this series. not because of what was, but what could have been.

yuki grew up an excluded child, not only because of his illness but because of his mother giving most control to akito once he hit a certain age. the constant verbal and physical abuse from akito where she would lock him in a dark room for days on end forced yuki into a quiet shell. this is what gave yuki his “soft” demeanor that he uses with his prince front.

although heading up the zodiac, yuki does not actually fit into the characteristics of the rat. people born under the rat are ambitious, charming, talkative, and serious to name a few traits. yuki CAN fit these when he puts up his prince front. for a large chunk of his life yuki avoided friends and contact, and would only interact with people IF THEY INTERACTED WITH HIM FIRST. this is a huge thing to note his front and “kindness” were fake. (this is mainly going off of how yuki perceives himself, i don't think that yuki's kindness is fake.)

things genuinely take a turn for the better in his life once tohru enters. for a while, his front is still there, which i partially think was done because yuki was unsure how to establish himself as either a friend or love interest. i think a major part of this is yuki wanting to present himself as a man and act upon the fact that tohru is a pretty girl his age and it "only makes sense" for him to be attracted to her/want a relationship with her. (of course, tohru is the first woman in his life to genuinely care for him so obviously, it turned into motherly love.) but it really isn't until we have great scenes like him laughing at the hot spring after tohru misses the ball in ping pong that we finally see the REAL yuki.

we see this even further when we hit season two and FINALLY, GET THE STUDENT COUNCIL (YAYAYAY) !! this group of unique and comedic characters brings out a whole new exasperation in yuki. it's so refreshing to see genuine reactions from him because he is trying to have actual relationships with people now. emphasis on the fact that he is trying. with his past, it makes sense for him to be such an introverted person. he doesn't feel that he is deserving of relationships when akito made him feel so frail and worthless, taking advantage of him in his weakest state as a child.

this is also what is so beautiful with his relationship with machi. as the prince of the school, yuki is used to constantly hearing how he "deserves the world" or "is so perfect" ect ect... which is something he did lack hearing at home. in contrast, machi never said anything like that about him. she basically called him bland, which for some reason, he appreciated more. yuki is such an interesting character in that way where you would think he would need some extra praise because of his childhood, yet maybe you would argue he wouldn't want to hear it at all because of the fan club at school. my two cents is that yuki just wants to be treated normally!! growing up it was the constant abuse from akito that he "needed her to survive", at school, it's constant attention and adoration; with kyo, it's being the perfect rat. yuki just wanted to be normal. machi treated him normally, even slightly less, which made him fall in love with her. (they're both such messes, i love them.)

now here's "the what could have been:" yuki is arguably one of the most queer-baited characters in anime. as much as i love his relationship with machi, the chemistry was always with kakeru and other male characters. it would have added so much to his development especially after he went from a “potential love interest” for tohru to after he understood his true love for her was more of motherly love. i could argue that yuki lacked SO much potential as a character because he ended up straight. if he ended up with a male character i think it would have made soo much more sense after watching him grow with tohru. (LIKE THINK OF THE SCENE ON THE BEACH WHERE ITS JUST YUKI AND TOHRU LIKE CMON WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HIM COME OUT TOO.) regardless, i do love yuki and his character was the first to catch my interest when i started watching the original fruits basket back in 6th grade.

i DO highly suggest all of you check out the president perfect animatic on youtube!! it's by emirichu with the song covered by Caleb Hyles. its a beautiful AU and depicts my thoughts on yuki quite perfectly. :)

in conclusion, yuki is really battling a lot. from trying to repair broken relationships with his brother (which i will discuss in ayame's post) to being envious of kyo, to where he stands romantically.

(i apologize now that this is a little all over the place, i just have a lot to say lol. the rest of this series will have talking points!)

songs:

last words of a shooting star - mitski

pluto projector - rex orange county

grow as we go - ben platt

everything i wanted - billie eilish

president perfect - caleb hyles

i love you so - the walters

nobody - mitski

if i'm being honest - dodie

this december - ricky montgomery

i’ve added a link to my yuki playlist too!

[coldflame96]

To Move Forward

Summary: Kyo and Akito come to an understanding. Post-manga and pre-Another. 

Rating: T

Can also be found on AO3 and FF.net

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to go down there right now?” he asked his wife for the umpteenth time. 

“Hmm?” she cocked her head adorably. “We go down there every summer.”

“Well, yeah, but we’re supposed to reach record high temperatures down there this week.” He gave a fleeting look towards her stomach area. “I don’t want you to exert yourself too much.”

She kissed his cheek. “I’m fine, Kyo-kun, really. And I promised Akito-san I would go and visit.” She frowned sadly. “She’s having a really rough time with the pregnancy and she’s due in only a month or two.”

He wanted to argue that Akito’s issues weren’t Tohru’s problem, but he knew it was a losing battle. His wife was always trying to help everyone and had so much love to give. It was one of the many things he loved about her. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “But if you’re going to the main estate, we should leave Hajime with the rat. That place is oppressive and I don’t want him to deal with it.” And I don’t want him near Akito either.

Tohru paused for the briefest moment, chewing her lip thoughtfully. She probably had wanted Hajime and Akito to meet, and maybe they would one day, but not now. Not if he could help it. He wanted to preserve his son’s innocence for as long as he could. 

“Alright,” she agreed quietly. And then she smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes and clapped her hands. “I’m sure Yuki-kun won’t mind. Mutsuki-kun loves Hajime-kun.”

He could tell she was disappointed, but he curbed the instinct to cave in. She was friends with Akito and trusted her and he respected that, but she was always a much better person than he was. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s so hot!” Tohru gasped, her movements heavy with the heat. 

He nudged her gently on the head with his fist. “That’s why I told you to bring your sun hat, dummy.” She’d left it behind at Dad’s place because she’d insisted she didn’t need it. “It’s not that far a walk, Kyo-kun!”

“Dad,” Hajime whined from his other side, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Are we there yet?”

He ruffled his hair. “Yeah, we’re almost there.” And then he pointed ahead. “Look, there’s Mutsuki’s house right there.”

Normally the walk from the train stop to Yuki’s wasn’t too horrible, but in this heat, it was practically unbearable. Living up in the mountains really spoiled them. 

He approached the door with lead footsteps and knocked quietly. 

The door slid open a little too fast to be natural, the child behind it gasping with wide eyes.

“Jime-chan!” Mutsuki yelled, launching himself at Hajime. Jime-chan? What kind of nickname was that? Hajime seemed to share the same sentiment as he wrinkled his nose, but was kind enough not to actually say anything. A trait he clearly inherited from his mother.

“Mutsuki,” a woman who sounded like Kuragi scolded from the hallway. “Don’t leave them all standing out in the heat.”

“Sorry, Mom!” 

The small child grabbed Hajime’s hand and Tohru’s at the same time, dragging them both inside while Kyo followed. 

Kuragi appeared, face impassive as usual, but she did smile softly. “Sorry you had to come down in this weather.”

Tohru waved her hands. “Oh, no, it’s no problem at all!” Then she looked around curiously. “Yuki-kun’s not here?”

“Him and my stupid brother went to the store. Can I get you anything?”

“No, that’s okay! You’re already doing more than enough watching Hajime-kun for us.”

Kuragi’s eyes were sharp and she smiled wryly. “It’s not a big deal. He’s a good kid and he keeps Mutsuki occupied.” They both watched as Mutsuki grabbed Hajime to drag him towards his room.  And then she looked to him and nodded. “You guys are raising him well.”

He nodded back. “Thanks.” He never knew what to say around Kuragi, she was typically pretty quiet, especially compared to her brother, but she was nice enough, he supposed, and Tohru liked her. But then again, Tohru liked everyone, even creeps like Shigure, so that wasn’t saying much. 

“Hey, senpai,” she was addressing him now. That was another thing that was weird about her. She always called him ‘senpai’ like they were still in school and not fully grown adults with children. She got a teasing glint in her eyes. “Yuki should be home soon if you wanted to wait and say hi.”

He snorted, not rising to the bait. “No thanks, I’m sure I’ll have to deal with him later when we pick up Hajime.”

“Oh, really?” she cocked her head a bit too innocently. “But he’ll be so disappointed he missed you. Kakeru too.”

He twitched and Tohru spoke up, bowing. “Thank you so much for your help, Machi-san. We really should be going to the estate, but I’d love to catch up with everyone later!”

Kuragi smiled, more open this time. Tohru did have that effect on people. “Yes, I would like that. I’m sure Yuki would, too. We’ll make sure Hajime gets back to you in one piece.”

“Thank you so much!” Tohru bowed again, and if this continued, they’d be here all day. 

He put his hand over her face gently, dragging her away. “C’mon, Tohru, we gotta get going.” It was already past noon. 

“Right! Thank you again, Machi-san!” she said, while she was being dragged away, “Tell Yuki-kun thank you too!”

Kuragi gave a small wave and then they were out the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even after all these years, going into the main Sohma estate made him...uneasy. The few times he’d interacted with Akito here as a kid never meant anything good. It was where he made that bet...he looked to Tohru, who greeted all the maids politely and smiled to himself. Without that dumb bet, he never would’ve met her. 

He thought nothing about Akito would’ve shocked him more than when she came out in that kimono all those years ago, pledging to turn over a whole new leaf, but he was wrong. The sight of her pregnant and sweating, lounging around in her sleepwear and looking absolutely miserable, was more of a shock. 

Her eyes widened and she looked so innocent he had to look away completely. 

“Tohru,” she breathed, “You made it.”

Tohru smiled softly. “Akito-san!” And she went to hug her, taking care to be gentle. “It’s so good to see you!”

Akito grunted in response and Tohru frowned. “Are you alright?”

Akito paused and then mumbled, “No.” Her voice trembled. “Tohru? Please help me. I’m scared. I’m so, so scared.”

He was never good at handling crying people, not even when that crying person was Akito. “Tohru?” he called out gently, catching his wife’s attention. He gestured to the door. “I’ll be outside.”

Akito stiffened and then stared at him, dark eyes lingering which made him shift uncomfortably. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had only just noticed him. It was so...stifling in here all of a sudden. Hot, even. It was when he closed the door behind him as he stood out in the hallway, he allowed himself to breathe again. He slumped down on the floor, energy sapped away. 

He was glad he’d stuck to his guns about bringing Hajime here. The last thing he needed was for his small son to see how weak his dad was. It was stupid, the way just hearing Akito’s voice made something start clawing at his throat, made him freeze in place...like a coward. 

“Were you banished to the hallway?” A familiar, irritating voice asked, and he looked up to see Shigure staring down at him curiously, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. Of course he would be here. 

“Leave me alone,” he sighed, “I don’t have the energy to deal with you.”

Shigure being Shigure, he instead took that as an invitation to sit next to him, much to his annoyance. “I’m assuming Tohru-kun is in there then?” He nodded. And then Shigure asked, “How did she look?”

He gave him a weary look. “What do you care? You’re spoken for already.”

“I was referring to Akito.”

He furrowed his brow. “Shouldn’t you know? She’s your wife.” And he still had a hard time wrapping his head around that. After everything Akito put them through, what was Shigure thinking? Then again, it was probably better he didn’t know.

Shigure gave a carefree shrug, but if Kyo didn’t know any better, he would say he looked...bitter. “She’s been cooped up in there for days and refuses to let me see her.”

He scoffed. “What? And you just listened? It’s not like she’s God anymore.” 

He got a dark look in his eyes. “Old habits die hard, I suppose.”

This guy’s flippancy really pissed him off sometimes. He tried to imagine what he would do if Tohru refused to see him for days. Especially if she was pregnant with his child...break down the door, probably. 

He recalled the wide, trembling eyes he’d gotten a glimpse of before he left the room. “She looked...terrified,” he finally answered.

He heard a light thump against the wall and saw Shigure resting his head, a defeated look. “Yes, I was afraid of that.” He smiled ruefully. “Despite how far she’s come, she’s still afraid to be seen as weak in front of me.”

And yet you’re her husband and you’re just letting her cry alone. Scumbag. He glowered at him. 

Shigure chuckled nervously. “Hey now, what’s with that ‘you’re a horrible person’ look?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growled. “Your wife is in there, crying and scared, and with your child, and you’re out here shooting the breeze with me while my wife does your job?”

Shigure stared at him coldly, mocking, all friendly pretense gone. “I didn’t realize you cared so deeply about my wife.”

“I don’t!” he snapped. “I just hate that I have to be here because of you when I could be spending time with my own family.”

“If I recall correctly, it was Tohru-kun’s idea to come, was it not? No one forced you to be here.”

“Yeah, well I’m not a prick like you so of course I wasn’t gonna leave her alone!”

“That’s all well and good but you and I are not the same. I’m not a nice person, and comfort is not my strong suit. Never has been.” His eyes were hard. “Akito knows that.”

He was almost starting to feel bad for Akito and that was not a feeling he was equipped to deal with. 

“Whatever. You piss me off. I don’t get you at all.” He wanted to storm off but he didn’t wanna leave Tohru alone and he didn’t have much energy to really do anything except lean against the wall.

Thankfully, Shigure took the hint this time and didn’t say anything else, so they both just sat in a tense silence. “Terrified, huh?” Shigure mumbled so quietly Kyo was sure he wasn’t supposed to hear it. “That makes two of us.”

He didn’t say anything, he couldn’t say anything. Even if he tried, he would get brushed off. But he did silently feel a bit of solidarity at that rare instance of vulnerability. He remembered how terrified he was before Hajime was born, that visceral fear that he would fuck him up like his own biological father did, that maybe the curse would come back somehow, and that feeling never quite went away. 

He only vaguely registered the door being opened behind him and then a gasp. “Oh! Shigure-san!”

“Hello, Tohru-kun!” Like a switch, the man next to him laid on the charm. “You’re looking as radiant as ever. I would even say you’re glowing.” Shigure smirked in his direction and that moment of sympathy was gone.

Tohru blushed. “Oh, really?” She scratched her cheek shyly. “You think so? I don’t think I look any different than usual.” She really was glowing...and gorgeous of course, but Kyo was biased. 

He stepped in between the two. “You ready to go?” he asked his wife softly. 

“Yes!” she confirmed. “I just have to use the restroom real quick!” And then she pecked his cheek before running around the corner. 

She left the door open and out of the corner of his eye, Kyo saw Akito slumped over a table, hair and clothes half askew. 

She looked so small. Pitiful, even. It wasn’t an image that went with what he always knew about her. That she was someone to be feared. .

“Shigure?” she called out weakly. 

“Yes, my flower?” he responded, tone playful but strained. 

She didn’t look up. “Get Hatori.”

If Kyo didn’t know any better, he would say Shigure looked almost disappointed by that. 

“As you wish,” he responded, and to Kyo’s surprise, he actually obeyed. There was more going on there than he cared to know about...He made to follow the direction that Tohru went. 

“Kyo?” Akito called him and just like when he was a kid and he was still wrapped up in the curse, he froze. 

Akito lifted her head, looking paler than usual, almost ashen, as she attempted to get up slowly, the weight of her stomach hindering her, and if Kyo had to guess, the heat probably wasn’t helping. 

He should just walk away. He didn’t owe her anything and he had no reason to talk to her. He should walk away. 

She padded her way to him slowly and it was like his feet were stuck inside the floor. 

“My little monster.” The cruel tone rang through his ears and his eyes widened. 

“Don’t come closer!” he burst out. He expected her to keep coming anyway like she would’ve before, but to his surprise, she stopped, still halfway across the room. Her expression was unreadable. And from his experience, that was always a bad thing. But she was barely holding herself up and she certainly didn’t appear hostile, so he allowed himself to relax, if only a little bit. 

He took a deep breath. “Did you need something?”

She averted her eyes. “No.”

He nodded and prepared to walk away again when he heard behind him. “I appreciate you bringing Tohru here.”

He gave her a cool look. “She came here of her own choice. I don’t control her.”

She had steadied herself enough to look in his eyes, gaze steady. “But you came too. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.” He wasn’t sure what to say to that, this was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now, so she took that as her cue to continue. “I know it doesn't mean much at this point, but I wanted to-”

“Save it,” he cut her off, already knowing where this was heading. “I never expected an apology, and I don’t need it either. It doesn’t change anything.” He clenched his fist. “I just...want to move forward.”

She looked surprised. “I see. I never expected this from you of all people.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” he responded as neutrally as he could. “I’m only here because of Tohru. That doesn’t make us friends.”

He saw those eyes darken in anger for just a flash and flinched away, waiting for a blow that never came. But Akito just wilted in defeat, her eyes turning sad. 

“I understand.” 

Tohru sure was taking a long time. Maybe he should check on her. He nodded to Akito, but she called him back. 

“Kyo?”

He looked at her expectantly, but she smiled, a shy, broken thing. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Your honesty. You were never much of a people-pleaser, always saying exactly what was on your mind no matter how much trouble it got you in.”

He felt himself bristle, “Look, you-”

“I never said it was a bad thing.” she cut him off coolly, her eyes steely, but not angry. He felt himself deflate. She was...complimenting him? It was weird and backhanded, but it was a compliment, wasn’t it?

“I’m finished!” Tohru came back, breaking the tension. She grabbed his hand. “We can get going now.” And then noticing the thick air, she frowned. “Was I...interrupting something?”

Akito smiled at her warmly, which was something Kyo didn’t think she was capable of until now. “I was just thanking Kyo for taking the time to come visit.” And then her eyes shifted to him, sharp and calculating. “Right, Kyo?” 

Well, it wasn’t a lie. “Yeah.” And then he turned to her. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “This mansion is so huge I got a bit lost.” 

Figured. “You should’ve asked one of the maids to help you.”

“Oh, but I didn’t wanna trouble them! I found it eventually.”

“Tohru?” Akito called softly. They both turned to her and Kyo had to be dreaming because it looked like she was...blushing. Akito. Blushing. “Thank you...for coming. I hope you can meet Shiki one day.”

She grinned. “Oh yes, I’d love to! I’m sure he’ll be adorable!” It was just then that Shigure returned with Hatori in tow. Kyo wondered if he took so long on purpose. 

Tohru bowed. “Thank you for having us, Akito-san! Good luck with little Shiki-kun!”

Kyo didn’t bow or say anything, but he did dip his head in acknowledgement. Akito gave them both a grateful look.

Today was a weird day. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was quieter than usual on the train ride back to Yuki’s. She’d been quiet ever since they left the estate now that he thought about it. He wondered if something happened between her and Akito. Did they fight? He felt a surge of protectiveness. He wouldn’t hit a woman, and especially not a pregnant woman, but Akito better not have done anything to his wife or she’d be sorry.

“Tohru.”

She jolted like she’d been spacing out. “Yes?”

“Did you and Akito get in a fight or something? You’ve been really quiet.”

Her eyes widened. “No, of course not!” 

Well, if it wasn’t Akito then…”Did Shigure say something weird to you?” One of these days he was gonna send that guy flying for real. 

“It wasn’t Shigure-san,” she mumbled.

Then did that mean…”Was it something I did?” She stiffened and he felt the dread in his stomach. Was she mad at him?  Was it because he left the room? He hoped she didn’t think he was trying to abandon her..

“You and Akito-san…” she started, “What were you talking about before I got there?” Tohru normally didn’t ask questions like that, so he felt he owed her to be honest. 

“Exactly what she said. She was just glad we came to visit.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. Why?”

“It’s just...you seemed really tense. I was worried that maybe…”  She didn’t need to finish that sentence. For someone so openly trusting, the fact that she was willing to doubt one of her friends for his sake was...touching. He always found a new reason to fall in love with this woman. He put an arm around her, kissing her hair. 

“I was tense,” he admitted, holding her close, “But she didn’t say anything bad.” Tohru leaned her head against his shoulder in response. “Actually, she complimented me, I think.”

She blinked in surprise. “Oh. Really?”

He nodded. “I guess she really has changed.”

The grip on his arm tightened. “I’m glad.”

He wanted to share that sentiment. He was glad Akito had changed for the better, especially since she was bringing a child into the world. For once, it had felt like they were on equal ground, no longer a God talking to a lowly monster. But even still...when she looked at him, he couldn’t quite forget how she’d used to look at him before, with pity and hate. He’d told her today they weren’t friends and that was true, but he’d also said he wanted to move forward. How could he do that if he only ever saw her as who she used to be and not who she was now?

“Maybe in the winter,” he found himself saying, “Hajime could meet his new cousin.”

He heard a light gasp from next to him. “That...would be okay?” She almost looked skeptical like she was waiting for him to say ‘sike!’

“Yeah, I think so. It’s his family, right?”

The look of pride on her face was too much for him to deal with. “Right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was early evening by the time they made it back to Yuki’s and the heat hadn’t let up at all,  but Tohru hardly seemed bothered at all by it this time around. Hell, she was practically skipping to Yuki’s house. He suspected that what he told her on the train had something to do with it…

In a repeat of this morning, they were knocking on Yuki’s door again, only this time it was answered by... 

“Oh hey, it’s Kyon!” an overly cheerful voice greeted. Manabe. Of course it’d be him. 

“I told you not to call me that,” he grunted in annoyance. 

“Good evening, Kakeru-kun!” Tohru greeted cheerfully. “Can we come in?”

He shrugged, “Sure.” And then he shouted across the house. “Hey, Yun-yun! Your mom’s here!”

Tohru blinked in confusion and Kyo resisted the urge to hit something. What did Yuki see in this guy?!

And like he was the devil himself, Yuki appeared with a dangerous glint in his eye and a sinister smile. “Kakeru, I will literally send you flying into the sun.”

Manabe started laughing but then his eyes went wide as saucers. “Oh shit,” he muttered, “Kou no, that’s not a toy!” And then he ran around the corner, out of sight.

“Yuki-kun, it’s so good to see you!” Tohru said sweetly. “I’m so sorry we missed you earlier.” 

He gave her a warm look, stepping aside so they could go further in. “You can thank that idiot over there for that,” he gestured towards Manabe, who was wrestling with a toddler, “He forgot the grocery list so it ended up taking twice as long. It’s good to see you, Tohru.” And then his gaze cooled towards him and gave him an amicable nod. “Kyo.”

He nodded back. “Where’s Hajime? I wanna make sure you didn’t corrupt him.”

Yuki got that sinister look back. “Oh? Is this how you typically repay favors, stupid cat? And to think I took my entire day to watch your son for you.”

“What, was a 6 year old so difficult you needed four adults for him?” He fired back.  “How pathetic.”

“You say that and yet you’re the one who apparently couldn’t handle him. Hence why he’s here.”

Tohru looked like she wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or amused and then a flash of sandy orange bolted behind his legs. 

“Hajime-kun!” Tohru cooed. “Did you have fun?”

Hajime pouted. “No.” Then he pointed at the two kids chasing after him. “Michi keeps trying to make me play dress up!”

Oh right, Manabe’s daughter. The girl in question frowned adorably. “Oh, c’mon, Jime-chan! You’ll be so cute!”

“I don’t wanna be cute! And stop calling me ‘Jime-chan’!”

“Yeah, Michi-nee!” Mutsuki strutted in, wearing a dress and looking way too proud of himself. “Jime-chan’s a scaredy-cat so just forget about him!”

Hajime’s face flushed in embarrassment and Tohru started giggling. He pinched the bridge of his nose, huffing in amusement. His poor son would have no dignity left by the end of the night. 

“Don’t call me a scaredy-cat!” Hajime bristled. 

“Well, then put on the dress then,” Michi mocked, “Scaredy-cat.”

“Fine, I will!” And then he stomped over to the other two, snatching the dress from the smug looking girl. Well, that was easy bait. He could see Yuki staring at him and just knew he was about to make a smart ass remark. 

“Don’t,” he said. 

“Don’t what?” he asked innocently with that damnable smirk. Bastard. 

Kuragi appeared at that moment. “Komaki went to get us dinner. Did you want to stay while the kids are having fun?”

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to intrude,” Tohru tried to backtrack. 

“You’re never intruding, Tohru,” Yuki smiled at her, a genuine one. “You’re always welcome here.”

He saw Tohru about to protest again because that’s just how she was, always worrying about being a nuisance, and gently covered her mouth. “We’ll stick around for a bit. Thanks.” 

There was a dull thud from the next room over where the kids went and Yuki’s smile dropped. “I’ll go check on them.”

When he was gone, Kuragi turned to them. “Did you want some tea, Tohru-san?”

Kyo pulled out a seat from the table for her as she said, “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Thank you!”

Kuragi nodded. “How about you, Kyon-senpai?”

He glowered at the nickname and muttered, “Just water for me.”

Her lips twitched in amusement and he rolled his eyes, pulling the chair out next to Tohru.  

These people all drove him crazy. 

But...he supposed...as his wife turned to him to smile warmly, and as his son played with his friends like the normal child he himself never got to be...and how in a few months, his family would be just a little bit bigger...he supposed they weren’t all bad. 

"Hey, stupid cat!" Yuki came back in, eye twitching and holding a ripped piece of fabric. "You owe my daughter a new dress." 

Scratch that. 

The damn rat was still the worst.

[furubabes]

Okay. Somebody Asked. @shoujobell and @cryptidaicat, y’all encouraged this. I’m gonna tag this #long post if you wanna filter.

So here. I got the urge to write and so I ranked the Fruits Basket couples from my favorite to least favorite. These aren’t my complete thoughts because I could honestly do multiple full meta posts on each pairing, but I tried to justify and explain all my choices. Standard disclaimer, this is subjective and we can agree to disagree.

Part 1: Just the reasonably popular ones

1. Kyoru: Someone’s gonna call me unoriginal for this but it’s fine. Kyoru is the main romance of Fruits Basket! They bring out the best in each other and build each other up as characters. Kyoru is basically my gold standard take on Sunshine Girl x Grouchy Dude, and I’m not even usually into that trope otherwise. Their romance is one of the few that feels so genuinely necessary to the story. They love each other and like each other. Kyo understands Tohru in a way no one else in the narrative does, and vice versa. They’re in love like soulmates and also like awkward teenagers. Kyoru invented romance. If it’s boring to like healthy romances with realistic development, I’ll be boring.

2. Tohrin: If Tohru didn’t end up with Kyo I would only want her to be with Rin. I guess they have some of the same appeal as Kyoru for me - Rin reads Tohru in a way a lot of people don’t. I also like how honest and raw they are with each other. They yell! They fight! Rin is down to just straight up knock Tohru over to keep her from rushing off. Also, they’re both absolute fashion icons. Goth x Prep rights. I firmly believe Tohru Honda is bisexual.

3. Yukeru: This is my favorite Yuki pairing. I followed @yunsoh way back when the reboot first started and her blog has got me absolutely hooked on Yukeru. I think Yuki’s arc would have just made a ridiculous amount of sense if he was gay. It screams comphet. Kakeru is an excellent complement to Yuki, and their bond feels incredibly natural. Honestly I feel like it’s the most organic romantic development outside of Kyoru. I think realistically they wouldn’t have gotten together until post-canon and frankly Yuki shines in his friendships much more than romances, so I’m not absolutely dying for them to be together, but if Yuki’s going to date anyone Kakeru is my pick.

4. Arisaki: Man... I just like them. They strike me as less of an epic love and more of a comfortable partnership. I also read them both as lesbians anyway lol. Honestly I think they both had feelings for Tohru at one point and bonded over it. The way I picture them happening is honestly just Arisa at 25 frantically googling “is it gay to hold hands with my girl roommate who I spend all my time with and also we never date men“ because Saki bought them rings that look like wedding bands but they could just be super close friendship rings and oh god she’s in too deep. They’re dating for four years before they notice.

5. AyaMine: But Jessie! You literally never post about this pairing! Yeah, you’re right. I never think about them actively. But when ranking the canon ships I realized that I like the two of them together because they’re chill and understated. They’re huge loud personalities on their own but as a couple, they just feel like two people who are happy together and like spending time with one another. No drama, no mess, very understated. No plot contrivances driving their relationship. Good for them.

6. YukiKyo: Okay, so I can be convinced to put on my YukiKyo goggles more often than not. It feels iffy because there’s debate about how closely related all the Sohmas are and these two are called “cousins” a lot in school, but since half of the Sohmas are dating each other anyway, I err on the side of them being more of a clan than a proper blood family. Anyway, YukiKyo is my designated angst fuel. I think it would realistically be pretty one-sided from Yuki’s side, since we see him wanting Kyo’s approval from a very young age, but I like exploring the what-ifs of their lives if they’d been friends instead of rivals. In canon, I like to think that after high school they’re not best friends in the traditional sense, but either one could show up with a dead body and the other would help them bury it, no questions asked.

7. Yuchi: Really? Yuki’s wife is my third favorite pairing for him? Look, I adore Machi, and I still like Yuchi. But as I’ve been watching the reboot and reading others’ metas, I think I agree that their relationship could have been very powerful as a platonic one, sort of running parallel to Yuki and Tohru. I like them together but I think there wasn’t quite time for a complete character arc for Machi and her growth sort of begins and ends with Yuki. I don’t object to them being a couple in canon and I think they’re genuinely very sweet, but once again, I think Yuki stands out in his friendships more than anything. I would have liked to see Machi strike out on her own a little more.

8. Haru x Yuki: I don’t have any particular feelings towards them but I love their dynamic already and I think as a couple they’d both be really easygoing and comfortable with each other. I think a childhood crush turned close friendship is honestly the narrative that works best for them so I have no need for the two to date canonically, but every time they interact in the anime it gets a laugh out of me. They’re cool. They’d make a very pretty pair.

9. Mayutori: I’m Mayutori-neutral. I think they suffer from Fruits Basket’s pair the spare syndrome, but out of the side pairings that don’t have too much impact, they’re one I enjoy. Mayu’s fun as a character, and painfully relatable, and I like that Hatori’s eventual romance isn’t with someone who reminds him of Kana or something like that. I also want good things for Hatori. Mayutori has serious heterosexual energy though. I’m not saying this as a pro or con, they’re just very straight.

10. Hatsuzu: Okay, Haru and Rin aren’t this far down because I hate them. I’m perfectly fine with them being together in canon. But I think their romance almost... functions better as individual motivation for their character arcs than it does as an actual relationship, if that makes sense? Rin’s backstory episode is heartbreaking and her motivation to protect Haru is compelling and sympathetic, but their actual scenes together just don’t move me that much. Their romance is the least interesting part of either character for me.

11. Hiro x Kisa: Yeah I never got into it that much. It’s cute, it’s a sweet depiction of childhood crushes, but I’m not a fan of the idea of them ending up together. Kisa’s a cutie and Hiro is entertaining but the two of them together don’t actually do much for me. The dynamic between them is almost like if someone did Kyoru with none of the nuance. Ultimately though, they’re kids. I don’t expect them to have a deep and complex romance.

12. Yukiru: I think it would be a disservice to their characters if they were a couple. People far more eloquent than me have already written plenty of meta on why Yuki and Tohru aren’t what the other needs romantically, so I won’t get into it, but basically I just think their canon friendship is so beautiful and meaningful that I wouldn’t want to change it. Yuki and Tohru support my thesis that not all soulmates are romantic.

13. Tohru x Momiji: Welcome to the subjective dislike corner! This pairing is reasonably popular among people theorizing who Tohru would be with if not Kyo, but for some reason it just sits poorly with me. I can’t rank it any lower because there’s nothing evil or morally wrong about it! I just really don’t like it. I’ve quit a few fics because this pairing came up and I just can’t enjoy it.

14. Kakeru x Komaki: Idk, I just think Kakeru latching onto the one girl who was nice to him and put up with his bullshit and then being with her forever isn’t compelling. Komaki’s also probably his beard. She’s likable as an individual though.

15. Akigure: There’s plenty to say about the age gap, Shigure being in love with Akito since she was a fetus because of The Dream, the implications of a 15-18 year old knowing he’d one day want to be with a then-10-year-old... yeah, you get it. But even if I was able to put all that aside because Soulmate Destiny Logic, I still don’t think I’d like Akigure. I think they’re interesting as bitter, codependent exes, but I don’t like the idea of Akito ending up with anyone who she abused or who abused her. I think she has so much growing to do as a character and staying in a relationship within the Sohma family to do it can’t be healthy for her. I can’t see them living happily ever after, nor do I really want to.

16. Kurisa: I think what frustrates me the most here is that I want to like Kureno and everything about this romance is written to dull his most interesting traits. First of all, the age gap. Yeah, it’s gross, I don’t like it. But even past that, the love at first sight, instant fixation with each other, and lack of actual chemistry just kills me. Arisa’s stated reason to like Kureno is that he reminds her of Tohru, basically piggybacking off the chemistry she and Tohru already have, and his total lack of agency means the plot just sort of carries him along. It frustrates me that Takaya could have done something pretty cool by making them simply friends who have a chance encounter and then build a friendship from there that parallels Kureno’s abusive dynamic with Akito. It would be neat if a stranger’s kindness was the push Kureno needed to get himself out of the Sohmas’ grasp, without all the nonsensical drama about them being in love. It would also be less of a disservice to Arisa, who basically just spends the whole series pining for Kureno after they meet and I hate it. I could write a whole post about this. Maybe I will sometime.

17. Kyoko x Katsuya: I don’t think their story is romantic. I think it’s tragic for Kyoko, and if it were framed that way within the narrative, I wouldn’t object so much to its existence. But... Takaya just really likes age gaps with a younger woman and an older man, so the narrative romanticizes this man marrying his student. Katsuya can be depicted as well-meaning as you want, but he’s still got a ridiculous amount of power over Kyoko. She was also still pretty young when she had Tohru, which doesn’t make things any better because it’s clear that the relationship turned physical when Kyoko was a teen, thus dashing the idea of Katsuya legally marrying her to save her but not actually doing anything creepy. I wish Fruits Basket framed this as a story of Kyoko escaping one dangerous situation by entering a relationship with a huge power imbalance, because that happens to girls all the time and it’s tragic and compelling. The events of the story could stay the exact same and if the framing changed I would be fine with it. But this is not that. This is just a really romanticized teacher/student age gap. I’m not into it.

Part 2: Rarepairs, weird shit, and others (oh my!)

1. Yuki x Kakeru x Kimi: OT3. I’m enamored with the idea of this hot mess polycule.

2. Momiji x Kimi: Chaos meets chaos. This couple would say uwu without any irony and also steal your car keys. They’re both perceptive and smart hidden under a layer of cute and I’d wanna watch them play 4D chess with each other.

3. Kazuma x Kunimitsu: Idk how old Kunimitsu is so if he’s like 20, strike this one from the record. But I saw one post once that was like Kyo slowly realizing Kazuma and Kunimitsu were gay and had been dating for years and it was funny as hell.

4. AyaTori: It’s cute. Opposites attract, black and white hair, and Aya only listens to Hatori anyway. It’s just fun to think about.

5. Megumi x Hiro: They don’t interact in canon I just think Goth x Punk-Ass Bitch is a great concept.

6. Motoko x Nao: They’re both loud as hell and Nao having a gf that towers over him is funny. Maybe Yuki would finally get some peace.

7. Machi x Kimi: I don’t see them actually being compatible in canon but I think they could have a really homoerotic college friendship.

8. Hajime x Mutsuki: This is just YukiKyo, the non angst version.

9. Akito x Hanajima: I’m so wary of shipping Akito with anyone but this is kind of fun. The two are friends in canon and Hana isn’t remotely afraid of Akito. Plus Akito never abused Hana. I can sort of see it.

10. Hiroshi x Yusuke: Makes no sense, wouldn’t be relevant, but if those two just never spent any time apart and continued being a pair for life it would be a really good bit.

11. Akitohru: I don’t think it’s healthy to date anyone who’s previously stabbed you.

12. Kazuma x Hanajima: Stop. Go to jail. Hana’s one-sided crush is funny though.

[wretchedbitch]

I adored your post about the ending of 01 of Fruits Basket. I liked 19 more after I started season 2 and could stop comparing them, because there were some parts of 01 that hit much harder even as I wanted more of the story. For 01, the scene with Yuki and Kagura was pretty powerful for me and I loved Yuki’s line about running away. I wish that had been included in the remake somehow. Do you have any more thoughts on that theme and Yuki’s character?

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it <3

My thoughts on Yuki's character in 01 veer a bit on the unpopular side. I do agree, wholeheartedly, that compared to the depth and development Yuki gets in the manga, 01 did him dirty. HOWEVER, in the vein of making sense of what we got from 01, I'm I don't think Yuki's little arc in that anime should go overlooked. It's supremely watered down in comparison, but, for what it is, I like it a lot.

When compared to the manga (and, I'll say generously, even the reboot), 01 falls flat in its inability to really flesh the plot and its characters out. And, this is all due to the anime needing to tell a complete story from about a third of its source material. So, 01 had to find a way to wrap up Yuki's character by the time we get Kyo's true form when, in accordance with the manga, that's when Yuki's arc is really only beginning. We never get to see Yuki interact with the student council or become friends with Kakeru, which really mold him into a more genuine and confident guy, and nor do we get to see Yuki understand his true feelings for Tohru. So, we're left with these half baked-instances of Yuki's character where his decision to become student council president goes nowhere, and his relationship with Tohru is presented as a more genuinely budding/possible romance rather than weird and performative (because we also never get to see the weird moments like 'I'll kidnap you', etc.). Which, we been knew.

BUT, THAT BEING SAID: Yuki, I think, is the only character in the 01 anime who gets any real semblance of a character arc where he undergoes a change. (I wish I could say the same thing for Kyo since the true form arc is something that does change him, but his bizarre disconnect with Tohru at the very end there with the whole 'when are you gonna make lunch, bitch I'm HUNGRY' is just awful writing and really retracts from any development and sets him back to square one. So, rip Kyo).

Your mention of Yuki's conversation with Kagura is gonna make my next point obvious BECAUSE YOU RAISE A VERY GOOD & IMPORTANT POINT but let me explain 😌

With no student council, no Kakeru, and no 'Tohru is actually my mom' realization, there is only one angle left for the 01 anime to explore with Yuki and that's his relationship with the curse, specifically his relationships with Kyo and Akito.

Yuki and Kyo's relationship in 01 is something else that gets the short stick, so we never really get to understand why Kyo blames Yuki like he does and we never learn that Yuki envies Kyo as much as he does. So, their rivalry is chalked up to old zodiac convention, because the conflict of the curse in 01 isn't a supernatural bond but a way of living that is engrained so deeply in this family's history that challenging it would be, blasphemous, I guess.

(sidenote: how cool would it have been if this angle was explored? That when Akito said to Tohru: 'you'll suffer as we suffer', the Sohma's suffering is because centuries ago their family was cursed for some punishable offense by the original Sohma against God or something and now they have to suffer and atone for their ancient sins? [And, like, Akito is dying because he in particular is a direct descendent of that original Sohma---I may have fucking cracked the code, guys]. But, by the time we get to Fruits Basket, the curse is still intact due to unimpeded tradition rather than like ... any legitimate force or threat. IDK)

ANYWAY: Kagura and Yuki's conversation about "why does it have to be this way?" REALLY cements this vague narrative structure that the curse is convention waiting to be challenged. Tohru has been meddling and challenging Sohma norm since the beginning, and as she goes out there to run after Kyo, Yuki and Kagura have this conversation which really, for the first time in the series, paints the curse as some bullshit that shouldn't dictate WHO the Sohma are, even if it dictates WHAT they are. In running after Kyo, Yuki is setting aside his age old rivalry with Kyo that was more indicative of the curse than it ever was of who they are as people (according to 01, anyway).

And, when Yuki says that he's tired of running and doesn't want to do it anymore, I always interpreted that as Yuki confronting his and Kyo's inability to face fear and uncertainty, as, in that moment, Kyo is desperately trying to avoid the possibility that Tohru might reject him. Whereas, Yuki was always running from the main house, and trying to separate himself from Akito (and, I guess, in a way, 'Sohma' as a concept? IDK we're working with tea leaves here). So, it's, in my opinion, pretty dang powerful at the end of the anime when Yuki helps Shigure to protect Tohru from Akito because he's exhibiting power over his abuser and directly defying him which is GROWTH.

This got so winded and my thoughts became more and more scattered as I wrote it but I guess the TL;DR is

Yuki doesn't get the extensive development that he does in the manga, but in 01, he contradicts zodiac convention (i.e, the curse, I guess) in going after Kyo, he confronts his cowardly and complacent way of running from his own bullshit, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, HE STANDS UP TO HIS ABUSER WHICH IS PRETTY RAD. & IDK, in a way I just think this shit rules. (I also really live for Yuki getting to scream & yell & roll around in the dirt).

[bluecoloreddreams]

(Disclaimer: this contains spoilers for the Fruits Basket and Fruits Basket: Another manga, as well as taking into consideration tidbits from Takaya’s twitter.) 

So, okay, first of all we have to address the YMMV aspect: Some people don’t like this ship. As long as they’re respectful, I have no beef with that. I’m well aware that some people cannot/choose not to make the distinction between “real life” and “fiction”— I have the luxury of this choice, so some of the “problematic” ships/character aspects within Furuba don’t bother me (for the most part). It’s fiction, and I’m aware of this.  

Again, some people cannot/do not make this distinction, and that’s none of my business because that’s their personal life. I’m aware that people dislike aspects of Akigure, and that’s fine. 

Personally? I’ve been reading Furuba since like, basically the dawn of time. I was reading scans on, like,  MSN groups. I remember a friend at church (of all places) telling me about the Akito reveal because I was behind on updates. It’s literally engrained upon my shipping heart at this point. 

(Headcanons ahoy! Like literally, this is all headcanon/my perspective on the series as a whole. YMMV/YKINMK/Dead Dove, the whole works, if you know you know

YES I wrote it like it’s an actual research paper because I have No Chill At All, please forgive me. It’s long and pretty rambling.) 

Addressing the first elephant in the room: Given my limited interactions with the fandom, my impression of Akigure from a generalized fan POV is that it’s pretty divisive. Every episode she comes up there are “I hate this kid” comments and I cry

Akito is a favorite of mine, and it’s impossible for anime-only’s to make a deep, informed call on her character. On the other hand, a lot of manga-readers dislike her too. 

So, why am I talking about whether or not people like Akito as a character? 

I’m of the opinion that it impacts people’s ability to view her character arc as one that deserves a happy ending. That she doesn’t deserve to have love, happiness, or forgiveness, all of which are given to her when she and Shigure finally end up together on equal footing. (Do I think the way it’s rushed in the original Furuba ending? Yeah, but hey. Sensei had like a huge ensemble cast to wrap ends on. Now there’s Furubana to look to and it’s just chef’s kiss.)

There’s a mental aspect in this, involving the dichotomy between “reality” and “fiction”. 

There is absolutely zero argument that are a lot of things that Akito does that uh, listen, if it was IRL she’d be in jail! Jail for terror baby! Jail for life! 

Fortunately, Fruits Basket is a work of fiction. These characters aren’t real, they’re idealized brushstrokes of human nature created to move a plot and a message along. 

That’s why Akito and Shigure work as a couple and as characters: 

They’re both incredibly deep characters that get passed off as one-dimensional by a lot of people (and the original anime, woof). Some of it is again, because anime-only fans just don’t have the whole story, since Akito’s arc is one that builds gradually until it hits a point where all hell breaks loose, which we are a ways away from. 

So what’s the message that their relationship and characters are supposed to pass on? 

Well, it breaks down into two categories: world building and thematic arcs. The latter is more important and what I’ll be focusing on, while the former is just a little spice that I, personally enjoy, and won’t really talk about in depth. (It’s that the magical realism in Furuba sets up the idea of soulmates, it’s just…. Something I enjoy and it’s really heacanony, so I can’t really justify spending more words on it!) 

When discussing Fruits Baskets in any capacity, I feel like we must first keep in mind the thematic “lessons” of the series: 

There is an inherent loneliness in living as a human being, since loss, grief, and hurt are indelible parts of the human experience, and learning to cope with these feelings in a compassionate manner is a life-long lesson 

People react differently to the loneliness of existence, and their reactions are based upon their personalities, their upbringings, and their own choices 

Everyone is capable of change and learning, if they choose to do so, however: 

Personal agency is taught, but in the vacuum of positive reinforcement, the ability of a person to choose to be compassionate is stifled or outright inaccessible

Therefore, if you are not taught to deal with your grief and existence outside of others, your ability to connect may become warped, manipulative, or abusive, and this is not the fault of the child but instead the parental figure 

Eventually, you will be aware of your actions, and then it is your burden to choose—some people do not take this choice (the head maid, Ren, Kyo’s bio dad, Rin’s parents, Sawa’s mother in Furubana)  

Abuse has long lasting effects on the psyche and can be physical, emotional, and/or mental in nature and must be dealt with in order to grow as a person

“Dealt with” does not mean that it goes away, but that it is acknowledged and given a positive outlet (Yuki’s garden, Aaya’s shop, Rin’s art, Momiji’s violin playing)

Forgiveness is not linear

Forgiving yourself is a long and arduous process, and happens independent of other people’s forgiveness

This is really brought to the forefront in Fruits Basket: Another, when Shiki talks about how his mother interacts with the rest of the Sohma family. It’s shown she’s done what she can to make amends, but recognizes that while she can individually hold relationships with certain family members, as a whole, it's best if she allows them to be away from her. 

This is a whole tangent on its own, but there’s a certain blanket of casual forgiveness given to Akito by the entirety of the shown Zodiac in Furubana, in that they trust that she’s raised a kind and thoughtful son and allow him the grace of his own family. 

Again, in Takaya’s tweets post-series that acknowledges that Akito’s friends with Uo-chan, despite her relationship with Kureno (and it shows a depth of awareness on Kureno’s part that he stays away

People flourish in environments where love and positive reinforcement is given freely, even when people are in the wrong

This doesn’t mean that no one is ever scolded: see Komaki and Kakeru, Kisa and Hiro, Hatori chews out Shigure all the time, but never ceases being his confidant 

So okay, that’s A Lot. But every single character in Furuba follows these themes in their own manner, because the series is about healing and learning how to heal from abuse, neglect, and isolation. Someone’s gonna have to be doing it. Point blank, the end, to tell a story there must be conflict, and boy howdy, there’s a lot of conflict in Furuba. Every personal thematic arc in the series ends up tying into a romantic one, because Furuba is a romcom drama. 

There’s a loop that goes “personal betterment”->”crush”/”friendship”->”conflict”->”personal growth”/”relationship growth” in the series for every character. That’s the bread and butter of Furuba. 

But anyway. To the question: 

I love them because they work, they’re both their own people with their own narrative focuses, motivations, conflicts, and flaws. Both Shigure and Akito are believable in their own right in the context of Furuba, and I think Takaya did wonderfully in crafting a story where their personalities mesh well and give each other reasons to better themselves.

To talk about them together, you have to talk about them separately. 

I’m gonna start with Shigure because, truthfully? 

I just want to lament about how often he’s simply passed off as either comic relief or absolute trash. He’s so underestimated! 

“He’s a joke of a grown man… He is reliable and I trust him.” (Another, v. 3)

He’s incredibly intelligent when it comes to interpersonal relationships, which is why he’s able to do what he does. He’s also incredibly kind—no one made him take in Yuki or Kyo or Tohru. He could have just went “ah, I’d prefer not to” and moved on. But he didn’t, made up some bullshit so Haru would feel like taking in Yuki was a transaction, and let me just tell you, I am the same age as Shigure and if you gave ME three teenagers to be the guardian of?! It would be a full on disaster.

He’s actually incredibly trustworthy (if he wants to be), insightful, and a genuinely good guardian despite his jokes and wisecracking. 

He forced Kyo to go back to school, knowing full well it would be good for him. He lets a whole host of children run rampant through his home. Kids who actually enjoy his presence. He’s shown as having a good familial relationship with Rin (who tries to warp that for her own means), Kisa, Haru, and Momiji. His advice to Tohru is genuine, insightful, and ridiculously helpful. 

Shigure is good with people. He gets up at the crack of dawn to drive Shiki to see Sawa in Furubana. He’s who Mutsuki and Hajime immediately go “holy shit you need to do something about this” to when they find out Shiki’s getting nasty notes about Akito. He’s who Shiki goes to when Sawa fell down the stairs as a child. As much as Shiki and the others make fun of Shigure, he’s obviously someone who’s trustworthy. And that’s not some new development, he’s always been trustworthy in regards to those he loves. No one asked him to show up to Tohru’s teacher conference, he volunteered. Like this dude loves people, he’s the dog spirit after all, and rightly so. 

Does he have his own motivations? Of course! But so does everyone else in Furuba. He’s a complex character, man! 

He laughs and jokes a lot because he’s projecting this image of a laid back, doofus. When you think about who he’s friends with, the whole middling goofball act makes a lot of sense. Just like some of Ayame’s over the top behavior is a defense mechanism, I believe that Shigure casts himself as a generally unappealing man to keep himself safe from advances when he was in school, but also to temper the wildly unequal personalities of his other two friends. He’s the sort of person who would just go “eh, whatever makes it easy”, and that’s just how he is. 

He doesn’t mean the creepy school girl thing, it’s a bit and I think the only people who don’t realize he’s running a bit are Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru who are absolutely too stupid to realize he’s playing them for reactions. He thinks it’s funny. 

Anyway:

When the older Zodiac had the dream of Shigure, Shigure is the only one who made the active choice to seek out that feeling. His soul was touched, and he decided that he wanted that and only that. This doesn’t necessarily mean he went full Jacob from Breaking Dawn, but it does mean he acknowledged there was a bond, and he wanted it. 

When you get into the technicalities of the curse, it’s mentioned that their Zodiac spirits influence how they interact with Akito, and that going against her can cause physical and emotional pain. Yuki cries when meeting her, and it’s mentioned that that’s just the normal reaction for the Zodiacs. 

It’s hard to say how much of their early interactions are influenced by the curse, but it’s obvious that Shigure has genuine fondness for her. She wasn’t always absolutely broken, as shown in Yuki’s backstory, and was a precocious child, one who sought affection openly. 

Shigure has an indulgent personality, and is shown to love being adored. Guess who loves him! Akito! Guess who wants lots and lots of affection! Akito! 

Their personalities are very well matched as they get older: They’re both intelligent and coy. They both have fairly sharp tongues when needed, and have no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get what they want. 

Shigure wants Akito to be independent from the curse. He’s made it clear to her he doesn’t want to be her father, he doesn’t want to be her friend, he wants to be her lover. Those are boundaries that Akito’s never been given before, and his frankness with her and his jealousy with Kureno is something she agonizes over, simply because she’s never been given any sort of serious interpersonal boundaries, or repercussions for her actions. He’s always kept himself separate from her, because of those boundaries, even when they were children. 

That’s important. It opens the door to the idea that her actions have consequences, and is a persistent nagging in the back of her mind. 

“Even though you hadn’t realized it, I was waiting for that day.” (ch 101)

For the bulk of the series, the only person who sees Akito as a person separate from the curse, and sees a future where she can grow is Akito. He has an extraordinary amount of patience for her, and forgives her for a lot. 

There are only two incidents that Shigure cannot forgive: Her sleeping with Kureno, and at the very end of the series, I’m of the full opinion that if Akito had pushed Tohru off the cliff, Shigure would have been done with her. Look at that expression, that is the look of someone who is toeing the line of throwing away all his hopes and dreams. If she really had pushed Tohru, I just...... The series would have taken a much darker tone. 

OKAY that’s enough about our favorite terrible author! (Okay, an aside, Shigure, please share your work ethic, you goof off so much but you’ve published so many things…how…)  

ONTO AKITO! 

“I’ve  finally realized… she hated her own shallowness all this time, from the very start.” // “It’s frightening because you have no choices.” (ch 121) 

A lot of people dislike Akito because she, for the bulk of the manga, is violent, manipulative and just downright unpleasant. And that’s fine, but it’s not the point of her arc or the themes of the manga.  (It is, however, the point of Rin’s: you don’t have to forgive everyone.) 

She’s not the only violent person in the series. If we as readers can forgive Uo-chan and Kyoko, or even Hana-chan for her moment of violence, why can we not extend the same grace to Akito? 

Violence is often shown as a knee-jerk reaction to fear and sadness: Kyoko, Uo, Hana, Kyo, Rin, and Akito all react violently to negative situations and feelings. Even Kisa reacts violently when she’s at her worst, biting both Haru and Tohru when she’s in her tiger form, which is shown to actually cause pain like a real tiger would. (It’s played for laughs, but has anyone been bitten for realsies by a house cat? That hurts! How much more would a house-cat sized tiger hurt!!!) 

Out of all of them, Hanajima and Kisa are the only characters to show immediate remorse, because they have what the others don’t: A positive support system. Once positive role models and support systems are in place, all of the others begin to learn how to react differently and ease out of the knee-jerk reactions that were ingrained in them. 

It’s made explicit in the manga that you have to be taught how to react positively, you have to learn and choose to be good, to be friendly, to love yourself outside of others’ perceptions of yourself. Look at Yuki’s arc. Look at Uo-chan’s. Kyoko’s. 

Yuki sums it up nicely in the last chapter of the manga, where he tells Tohru that she taught the Zodiac how to become human. She allows them to grow into people who can make the choice to be loving, compassionate individuals. 

Just because Akito doesn’t interact positively with Tohru for the bulk of the manga, it doesn’t make it any less true: 

Akito is kept in a juvenile state of being: No one teaches her to suck it up, that the world exists outside of herself, that other people are people and not things. In fact, she’s actively encouraged to act the way she does. She’s incredibly broken, between the maids of the Sohma estate just… allowing her to do whatever the fuck she wants and her absolutely jacked up relationship with Ren and Akira. She has no moral compass at all. No one bothers to teach her that her actions have serious consequences. 

She knows, in a roundabout way that hey, these people don’t like me. There’s a serious mental dissonance between what she latently knows—these are all people with no connection to her other than the bond of the curse. This is why Tohru is able to break through to her at the climax of the manga: 

She knows she’s wrong, but no one has ever told her she’s wrong but understood why she’s doing it. Akito just didn’t have the words to explain herself. What do children do when they cannot communicate? They lash out. Kids will bite, scratch, yell, kick, fall to the floor and have screaming tantrums out of frustration. Eventually, most kids learn that there are other ways to express frustration, and move along. (Not all, though, but most.)

Akito was taught that this is acceptable, allowable, and is her right as god. She is actively broken and kept that way through the neglect of the Sohma family maids, Ren’s abuse, and how Akira framed her role in the Zodiac. 

I can go on and on and on and on why the way Akito was treated for her role in the Zodiac by her parents and the rest of the Sohma estate was just awful. I hate it, it’s terrible, she never had a chance to learn and grow and be the genuinely thoughtful woman we know she grows into. 

She doesn’t force her path of forgiveness onto others and is fully cognizant of what she did, the repercussions of her actions, and lives her entire life after the curse breaks trying to right what she did wrong. 

“Even if she gets hurt, she says she deserves it. She tells me not to let it bother me, but… I’ve always, always loved her so much.” (Another, ch. 13) 

Tohru opens the door for Akito. She extends her hand, offers her friendship despite having seen the absolute worst of Akito. She tells Akito that everyone is lonely, everyone wants bonds, and acknowledges Akito’s worst fears, that Akito herself is selfish and dirty for wanting something assured and unending because she, Tohru, herself is dirty and selfish. Tohru knows what Akito has done, knows she’s injured some of her beloved friends, had plans to lock up Kyo, hurt Hatori. 

Tohru still forgives her. One of Tohru’s striking traits in the manga is that she is suffering, every day, she struggles with the grief of losing her mother and the fear of being alone in the world. Through nothing but her own empathy and realization that loneliness is universal, she’s able to forgive people. She forgives Akito and cares for her, and through Tohru, Akito is introduced to the realization that she’s been wrong and that maybe, she shouldn’t be forgiven. 

Shigure also forgives her, and this is the crux of their ship. 

To me, that itself is wildly important. 

They’ve always circled around each other, and Shigure has always been waiting for Akito to be able to come to him again, in full control of her life and choices. He wants Akito the woman, not Akito the god. 

He’s been waiting for the day Akito can meet him as an equal. Akito wants it too, and has wanted him to turn and see her for a very very long time. But she’s been terrified, the entire time, that when he does see her as herself, Shigure won’t like what he sees, and will leave. She’s aware of what she’s done post-curse, she’s aware of the impacts it will have on the former Zodiac members, and she’s aware that once the “bonds” of god and the animals is gone, there may not be anyone left for her.

Neither of them are under any illusions at the end of the series: Akito knows she has to atone for what she did, Shigure knows she has to learn to grow into a person who can function alone. They both know that there are people who are against them changing the oppressive structure of the Sohma family. 

Neither of them care. There are things that they want, together, and it’s enough. There’s a whole new world for them to explore and learn about. And in Furubana, this is shown to be a lifelong effort on their parts: 

“She said after meeting me, she learned so many things for the first time. She smiled happily as she said it.” (Another, #13) 

To close, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the curse and Shigure, and how he set things in motion. 

Without Shigure, the curse would have devolved on its own, yes, but the circumstances would not have allowed for the freedom the Zodiac had at the end of the manga. It would not have ended with Akito being able to learn and live freely. Allowing Tohru into the Sohma family cracked open a door to compassion and kindness none of them had ever experienced before, because the Sohma family seems to exist in a vacuum of stability and love. 

It wasn’t that Shigure knew instantly that Tohru was kind and loving and thoughtful, if anything, his read on her was “completely normal, albeit strange, teenage girl who obviously has a rough life”. But she was normal, she was from outside the Sohmas, and he knew that was enough. No one in the family was stepping up to change the status quo and how stifling and abusive it was, so he did it himself. 

He did it because he loved Akito. 

Not because he felt bad for himself, or Hatori, or any of the others, but merely because he loved her to the point of manipulation. It backfired in his face, because he got a big ol’ dose of “loving and respecting” juice from Tohru, but he still got the end he wanted. 

What I mean to say is best summarized in  chapter 123: 

“It would be nice to live in a kind world, without any troubles, without any fear, without hurting anybody, without ever being hurt, only doing the right thing. I wish I could reach this kind world by the shortest path possible. … “That’s wrong”, or “that’s stupid”: If it’s someone else’s life it’s so easy to make such irresponsible comments. ...It would be great, but it doesn’t exist. … Little by little, walking one step at a time, is all you can do.” 

We get to experience the roughest part of the path with Akito and Shigure, we got to watch them be terrible people who were lonely and in want of love struggle and learn how to get up and move on. 

They tease each other, Shigure is thoughtful of the distinction between “the person Akito was raised to be” and “the person who Akito is”. He’s seen her at her messiest, and she’s seen him at his most jealous. They still chose each other, despite the hurt they caused each other, and others. They make up for it, reflect, and live a life that demonstrates that they have learned. They have friends who are thoughtful and loving and would not hesitate to drop everything and help them, lend an ear when they’re frustrated, help them not to make the same mistakes. 

And then we get to see them be wonderful, kind, thoughtful, loving parents in Furubana. 

We got to see their adorable, kind, compassionate child be friends with the children of the people Akito hurt, because everyone in the former Zodiac’s family collectively decided “never again, no”. 

Their child adores them. Shiki in Furubana #13 radiates love for Akito and Shigure the same way Mutsuki and Hajime do. 

They are genuinely good parents, even when they tease Shiki, and I think that is testament for how good they are for each other and how much they’ve changed as adults. 

I think that’s enough of a reason to ship them, don’t you?

[classichearted]

plots please <3

So we need more Trixie and Rose. I need them to just design things together. Go out and be adorable. And Rose would be more than happy to help her with her channel. 

Also any of your ocs. They all seem so interesting. I would love to learn so much more about them. We can always talk on how to get Rose situated in each verse for whoever we’d like to do. 

The Outsiders definitely. Rose being a mama to those boys and treating them well. She wants to get to know all the Curtis boys better. I can see it being hard for them to accept her at first but then it gets comfortable. I think she would just bond with Pony. And maybe that’s what gets her there is her always making it a point to be friendly to Pony. Like her always seeing him on his way to school. Like the gang doesn’t even believe him at first. Then they meet Rose and she just becomes a fixture there. 

More with the Sohma clan together. All the kids interacting with each other and such. They can be mix and match. Like Kyo interacting with the others more because he’s actually very close with Haru and Momiji. I think too because we didn’t see Yuki interact with Hiro at all. That one would be fun. Also Kakeru always wants to bother his sister. Future generation stuff too.

Out of familial in the FB verse. I absolutely would love more with Kakeru interacting with Haru and the other Sohmas. He would also love Hana and ask her all kinds of questions about her waves. Mix and match all of those too.

maybe Tony and Thor? or Tony and any of the more super oriented muses. I also have Loki! Loki would be even better to do with Thor. then I have Bucky too so it can be mix and match with those.

Rose interacting with Koga or Sango would be fun. I have her as a healer in the that verse. Since they’re all travelers it would be pretty easy for them to run into each other. 

I also love that you have a humanized AC:NH character. I think he would be fun with Yuki or Rose. Cause that would be entirely wholesome.

I would also love for Rose to interact with any of your drama muses. I think they would be fun and we can think up scenarios. And honestly I would love to try her and a mix of different characters or your characters and any mix of mine. I would just like to learn more about the other fandoms you’re into too.

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket, SE02, Ep24

This is a buildup ep for the finale. looks like furuba’s tradition for awkward buildup eps continues as this ep is clearly divided into two parts: machi & zodiac banquet.

-Killing the Vibe (furuba style):

Usually when writers buildup an emotional moment, they either go with it right away or if it is not its time, they slowly dissolve it or gradually redirect the story somewhere else. But the most important thing is that you hold on to the feeling they worked so hard to build but know that it will be dealt with later. Usually this is done with minor visuals such as quick flashback to the main event & the character taking deep breath ignoring it. But it is acknowledged that now it is not the time. Furuba doesn’t do that. If they build high moment & decide it is not the time to continue with it, they drop it abruptly, using the ending ost as a closing sign....which is odd cuz this is not episodic eps but continuing plot. They did it twice now: (a) tohru’s nightmare ep 19. it was treated as cliffhanger, but the next, we opened with yuki’s narrative where we see tohru normal. I know tohru’s issues will be dealt with later, perhaps season 3. But the nightmare moment was left hanging weirdly!! we never saw tohru deciding not to focus on it or anything! then (b) the kyo/tohru moment on stage & the symbolic tearing image ep23. Big moment which I  know will be focused on later. But it is so freakin odd that we see them so normal in their daily activities..as if nothing happened. Not a slight visual hint that either one is troubled... I praised how in ep, 23, they showed tohru face worrying abt bits & pieces here & there. These visual hints connects the plot.. For a moment I thought Cinderella play is a filler!! but I don’t think so, since 3 major things happened (Tohru’s near confession, machi’s opinion of yuki, arisa’s recorded outburst) two of which dealt with this ep. I know they want the focus to be on yuki, seeing that his plotline is moving smoothly without awkward breaks, but why not smooth out the other’s plotline with minor visuals without the jarring jumps. Ending ost is not automatic shifts in continued plot. Oh well, it is a minor thing I felt, no big deal.

-Machi pov is here!:

I never expected to see machi today! nice surprise! So machi is not only lonely, she lives alone! that’s odd & tragic! how can a junior high school student live alone? since when was she living alone? & her mom calling to check on her or insult her or scold her! I never wanted a phone call to end this fast. Machi’s monologue was amazingly done. Rather than describing her feelings to us or stating what we are already seeing, the words came cold.. automatic.. slow.. without much emotions. Exactly imitating how machi feels abt herself. DULL. She never thought abt things such as fave color or fave place. never thought abt anything that requires personality or preferences. The imagery they used while she was walking in the street is epic! It explained her mentality! honestly even if she said nothing around that time while she was walking, the image would’ve done enough! Machi was able to see the change in yuki cuz she was able to sense that yuki too was dull/boring or felt he felt so. Now he laughs, jokes, interacts, & joins outside school activities. Negating the dull persona. Now, it is only her. machi questions if she can do the same but her question comes out loaded with her negativity. Instead of can I do the same? it is “ why Am i here? Her bad habits are pulling her back & resisting the change.

- Since they’re deciding to embark into the romantic aspect of mach/yuki & to further add contrast to his interaction with tohru, machi is shown so struck by yuki’s presence, she falls. Typical romantic moment that I appreciate for machi who thinks she isn’t typical girl. but dull girl. Yuki finding the leaf & being happy that she treasures it adds to his self-esteem as it tells him that he is worthy to be treasured. I love machi’s indecisive responses! It gives her personality! as she is reluctant between denying or telling the truth. She was never in such situation, so she doesn’t know what to do!! blushing red like her leaf, machi didn’t only go with friends, she also learned her fave color! yuki, developing the future boyfriend detective sense like kyo, guessed it that machi likes red. You remember things abt ppl you find interesting! Machi felt that perhaps to yuki she is not dull, but interesting enough to want to learn things abt her!

-Tohru is a grown woman!!!

trust me to take 5sec interaction that involves my girl & write a deep analytic paragraph! Call it building sandcastles out of nothing but I don’t care! XD. tohru deserves some spotlight! I’m a bit disappointed that the scene is shown form a far to include yuki & shiggure..(WHY???. They can have their moment later! let my girl have a screenshot for a change!!) & the art quality is the lowest in the ep, lol & but whatever~~~ let’s focus on the positive side! my tohru bought sth for herself!! tohru who spent her hard earned money on buying candy ingredients for the filthy rich sohma’s instead of paying her tuition fees?!! tohru who wore a worn out swimsuit for school & didn’t see the value in buying new one ?! tohru whose school bag have seen better days as hiro said?!! tohru bough herself a scarf with pompom!!& she’s PROUD!! & she goes & shows kyo!!!! cuz she loves him & cuz in SE01 he was mad she doesn't buy herself stuff & cuz she knows he’ll be proud of her & cuz she want show off her cuteness & get his attention & cuz she wanna tease him!! Did you see my girl deliberately hit him with the pompom??? my girl is feisty!! She teases!! Tohru has this feisty, forward personality that she hides but peeks in certain instances!! Like when she teased kyo that he’s still scared of the stain on the wall..like when she calls him cute later this ep!! I’m so happy for every tiny teeny moment of tohru where she is herself & not the worrying mom or friend, when she is focused abt what she shows & what she wants & right now she wants kyo to notice her! GIRL HE ALREADY DOES! you are killing him already tohru..he’d be dead by now if he wasn’t a cat with 9 souls! XD.

-Yuki is leaving Akito’s side:

coming to the big moment in this ep. Akito is loosing yuki. Not only yuki decided by himself to attend the banquet that he avoided last year, he also talked to akito & forgave him for everything before. Yuki is letting go of the past. Forgiveness is a cure ppl! it’s the hardest achieved cure. it cuts the ties to negativity & free the person from the painful feelings. Akito knows she’ll be loosing a zodiac member soon! she reacts the same way she did with hatori! violently resisting change, violently making a statement that I’m the ruler of you. However, unlike when it was hatori, no one came to her. Kureno stopped her. but the rest went to yuki, to the rebel, to the one who caused her pain & rage. Akito is not only loosing yuki...she is slowly loosing all of them.

- Yuki continues the next step in his growth & frees hatori from his sins. By allowing himself to accept that he is not a helpless victim, yuki was able to see the others plain as well. Before, in his mind, he was the only one suffering, others are cruel, but now, he sees the criminal who erased his friends memories was also suffering all along. Perhaps yuki thinks that akito is suffering too? That’s why chose to forgive her & tell her that I don’t hate you anymore or hold grudge.

Side Notes:

I’m so glad kakeru had so little to do with machi & yuki interaction here. He is a character that demands spotlight & if his role was bigger, machi would disappear, it will be another yuki/kakeru moment. Also, since machi/kakeru parallel aya/yuki, you bet kakeru will be more involved between them in order to get closer to his sister & fix the gap like aya did, so I appreciate the moment of only yuki/machi now as it is unique moment without any parallels involved.

After learning of Shigure’s correct line, I can now see how things would’ve been better for akito, if she learned from yuki’s rebellion. loosing one is less painful than loosing them all, which she will. Shigure was eager for her to be spared the pain. or he might be eager for sth else entirely! but he wants this to end.

Shigure sure wasn’t himself this ep! he was restless & his jokes were all over the place, he nearly caused a misunderstanding between hatori & Mayko. I think shigure is hearing the curse breaking!!!!!

Rin & kyo!!!! I never knew I needed this!!! like last ep, I was celebrating hana & kyo, & the return of kyo & haru!! but rin & kyo is unique duo since it is not a teasing dynamics! it is a we-are-too-similar dynamics! XD

Kazuma is luv!! ugh!! my heart! what a man!! so caring & kind & ever so gentle! look at him going to rin to invite her! no kid should be alone in new years! look at him teasing his son!! look at him out polite tohru! just look at him!!!

I appreciate that the boys (kyo,yuki.haru,momiji) have different body types from each other. however, since kyo’s body changing is mentioned in the story many times, they focused on showing him growing since the 2nd ep of season 2 & more so in the beach arc & they steadily continued ever since!!! this ep, even with the low quality they showed his Adam’s apple & he is taller next to shishio. Also his baggy clothes help defy the lanky art style. With yuki, since his beauty is mentioned in the story, they’ve been focused on his face, giving him HD quality beauty all the time, but not much when it comes to his body. but today, he looked a lil bit older in machi’s scene? I duno if it is the new clothes or they’re finally allowing his body to grow?! I hope so. They are still making him so lanky as his legs were only a bit meatier than machi’s in the fight scene, but hey lankiness is the show’s art style, just look at hatori </3. They focused on making Momiji baby as it is mentioned in the story that he doesn’t look like a highschooler at all, but I swear he looks a bit older this ep!! right???

Speaking of hatori, hello there~ doc~ I never knew I needed hatori in Japanese clothes this much! It hid the lankiness & gave him the adult manly look he deserves!! so hot!!! I heard his grunt in my heart as he took his clothes off! XD. Soyou’re attached to the school sensie now~~ a lit bit worried your filthy buddy is putting hands on her..huh? oh!, if only you knew that your goofy pal is the master mind behind your new love story! I think he knows tho~

I never expected machi to be that cute!!! machi/yuki is so cute!

Rin sleeps sitting...like a horse? rin didn’t feel haru? i thought horses are as jumpy as cats! lol

Tohru & kyo are having quality flirting time with no interference from either shigure or yuki. lol.. shishio is amazing! XD

Kureno has the DVD now..let the war begins!!!

[animegenork]

Fruits Basket Season 2, Episode 15

In case we’re not clear, I love Ayame very much.

WE GOT KYO THIS WEEK. NOT MUCH, BUT ENOUGH TO SATE ME UNTIL WE HOPEFULLY RETURN TO HIM NEXT WEEK. (I’m doubting it, but I’m hoping for it anyway because I need my boy to smile more.)

I’m not mad, per se, that we got another episode that had something to do with Yuki, but I’m starting to run out of “YUKI NO I LOVE YOU” steam. I understand why this is going on - boy has quite the complex life - but I’d like the interjections between Yuki’s appearances to be more than just Haru and Ayame, who are both quite intertwined in his life.

But I digress.

(Don’t roast me, I really do love him and am very empathetic to his various plights. I just also want to give Kyo some love.)

This week we also saw a little more of Uo and Hana being Best Friends of the Year, and I’m so glad we got at least a little bit of a moment with them. They know Tohru well, but since they haven’t seen all the things she’s seen to the extent that she’s seen them, in a way, the Sohmas have started to know her better. This is demonstrated almost right off the bat in the first season when the girls come over to see if the Shigure’s house is a good place for her to live. However, even though they don’t know the extent to which Tohru is shouldering her empathetic feelings and worries about the Sohmas, they still know enough to tell her that she shouldn’t have to bear it alone. And this is why we love them. Because even though Tohru’s probably going to still shoulder it all by her lonesome, at least she knows she can always, always rely on Uo and Hana.

Also, Hana being in love with Shishou? 10/10

Quick sidenote, I love that Mayu and Shigure’s interaction was radiating ice and Tohru picked up on it. I can’t think off the top of my head which characters that reminded me of, but it was hilarious nonetheless. There’s also the bit where Mayu muses that he doesn’t treat people he loves right and he just smirks. [FORESHADOWING. AT. ITS. FINEST.] But I’m gonna sit on my hands for that.

We see Kyo and Kazuma go to the parent-teacher conference, with Mayu asking what he wants to do. Of course, not that she knows this, but Kyo is pretty convinced he won’t have much of a future, what with Akito’s promise to lock him in the Cat’s room forever once he graduates. Kazuma tells Kyo that he’s not about to interfere in his decision making, but he’s also not going to sit back and pretend everything’s fine. Kazuma and Kyo’s dynamic has always been beautiful in that Kazuma lets him be his own person but is also there when his son needs him.

Then there’s Yuki’s mother.

[Someone explain to me why the two best boys got the shittiest parents.]

Finally, an excuse to use this line from my favorite movie.

Moving on.

Seeing his mother is enough to nearly set Yuki into a spiral, which says a lot about their (lack of) relationship. This is the woman who basically allowed Akito to do whatever the fuck he wanted because it gave her status in the Sohma family.

So after rarely seeing her son for the past two years, she has the nerve to come into this parent-teacher conference that she rescheduled for her own convenience and tell Mayu that she’s already laid out Yuki’s future for him. When he protests, she tells him that he doesn’t have thoughts of his own and she needs to decide these things for him, with an implied “for your own good” tagged on the end of it.

Now, this is important to understand about Fruits Basket. The thing about the curse is, while it gives your branch of the family a certain status, there is still a stigma surrounding it. If you’re cursed, you’re subhuman. Even if you love your child, someone else might look at them and see a monster. It’s not just Kyo, and it’s not just the others whose parents rejected them, like Momiji. All of them have to bear the brunt of this stigma, and it’s so awful that they do. [Logic dictates that if your son or daughter turns into a cute animal you should love them forever, but WHATEVER SOHMAS.]

Thank GOD Ayame comes in then, because he puts their mother in her place. She’s horrible at handling him, which is hilarious to behold, and while Mayu herself is pretty much like, “wtf is going on here,” Yuki has this undeniable sense of relief that someone who cares about him showed up and saved him from completely spiraling into his pit of insecurity and self-loathing.

Ayame tells their mother to her face that she has no concept of what she is doing to Yuki by treating him this way, much like Ayame didn’t understand when the boys were growing up. I don’t remember why Ayame started caring, but it undoubtedly caused him to change for the better... even if his narcissism hasn’t changed a bit.

Yuki’s mother storms out of the room, and when Yuki follows her, he finally tells her (in more words than this) that he is his own person and he’s going to live his life the way he wants. He’s going to go outside the Sohma family, her opinions be damned. She doesn’t respond, but it’s clear she got the message.

I think my favorite part of the episode is when Tohru takes off her hair ribbon and cradles it in her arms. It’s the most indirect way of hugging Yuki as possible, and it’s quite beautiful as far as symbolism goes. I didn’t even realize it was the one he had given to her until she took it off, and it makes me all the more thankful that Yuki has someone like Tohru in his life. She silently supported him this whole time, and I think he knew that without her even saying anything.

Huh, and here I thought I had nothing to really analyze this week. Go me!

P.S. Nothing beats Kakeru worshiping Ayame. Those two together are a headache and a half and I love it.

[ffamranxii]

I just finished Fruits Basket Another and I have some Feelings, okay? Under the cut, because spoilers.

THE CHARACTERS

Hoooo boy let’s unpack here. Furubana is about Sawa Mitoma, a nervous first year in high school. She firmly believes that she’s basically human trash, and resolves to take up as little space in the world as possible, and that’s not even me paraphrasing. She says within the first few pages she wants to take up as little space as humanly possible. We find out that she’s the daughter of an extremely abusive mother - emotionally abusive. Sawa’s mother never hits her, but she’s also never once nice to her in any of her appearances. She isolates Sawa from any and all friends, she constantly drags Sawa down, and she’s rarely even at home, even back when Sawa was a little girl. How long has Sawa been looking after herself? Sawa is what Tohru could have become if Kyoko had been involved with a gang member rather than Katsuya. 

The main trio of characters is rounded out by essentially the same trio as before: Mutsuki Sohma as the son of Yuki and Machi and Hajime Sohma as the son of Tohru and Kyo. Visually, they look nearly identical, which is why I chose that ^ picture. But they could not be more different. Sawa is every Sohma insecurity rolled into one, and the Sohmas are what their parents could have been without the curse and the constant abuse. Hajime is one of the oldest of the cousins, smothered with love and affection by his entire family, and is lovingly referred to as Dad and Papa (which annoys him), being one of the few in the family who cooks, cleans, or is, y’know, responsible. (Good job, Kyoru! Teach your boy right!) He is unwillingly elected student council president, and manages it easily. Unlike his father’s life, things come easily to Hajime, but he doesn’t let that make him conceited. He’s a down to earth character who trades biting remarks with Mutsuki. Mutsuki, on the other hand, I love. I adore. I want to erect a shrine to this boy. Poor Yuki, his wife hath birthed him a miniature Ayame. Mutsuki is trouble under a beautiful exterior, subtle snark and gentle teasing, but over the top in other aspects (like his thing that was once a desk and complete inability to do the most basic of tasks like buy laundry detergent, his utter willingness to let other people do things for him). He is also a deeply caring individual, and has an extremely close relationship with his cousin Shiki which is the complete opposite of his father’s relationship with Shiki’s mother that I nearly cried right there while reading volume three.

Kinu Sohma is the daughter of Hatori and Mayuko (a pairing of which I am not fond), and I actually was not fond of her until volume three, at which point she became a treat. A college student, Kinu seems to have no real ambitions or life goals (much like many college freshmen), spends much of her time sleeping, and only really sweeps in at the last chapter to comfort a very distressed Sawa in the way only a fellow woman can, delivering a wonderful speech right up with Kyoko’s Words Of Wisdom about how no one has the right to treat you badly, even your own family. No one has the right to abuse you, demean you, hurt you. That is a curse. She actually uses the word curse, and it makes me wonder what her parents told her of the Sohma curse, if Hatori ever mentioned how Akito used to be, or how Shigure was such a piece of shit about the seahorse, and it made me love Hatori all over again, for teaching his daughter such a powerful thing. Volume three also gave wonderful interaction between Kinu and the entirely deranged (but perfectly appropriate) Hibika Sohma, the daughter of Ayame and Mine. Just like Hatori is the only one who has any sort of control over Ayame, Kinu is the only one who can reign in Hibika. I believe these two are the oldest, out of all of the cousins, because in volume two, Hibika just fucking jets off to Paris with no warning, at the top of one of her tiny tophats instead of setting up her parents’ second store, because she needed inspiration to create new dresses. I don’t think a high school student could do that. Hibika may possibly be the oldest (Kinu is still a minor at 19 [Japan’s age of adulthood is 20]), because I don’t think a minor could do that either. She’s obsessed with Sawa and playing dress up with her, something Kinu is able to reign her away from doing with ease. She’s only the tiniest bit toned down from Ayame. I love her.

Michi Manabe is the daughter of Kakeru and Komaki and is sometimes at odds with Hajime. My biggest complaint with Furubana is that she is not in it enough!! Despite not being a Sohma proper, Michi is included in nearly all Sohma activities and all the Sohma cousins know her. She and Mutsuki were raised as siblings and address each other as such, which is precious because awww, but also because Kakeru has a deep sibling bond with his half sister as an adult, Komaki (who I view as another Tohru in a way, from how she was introduced) made an effort to keep Yuki and Machi in their lives and comfortable, and Yuki and Machi both created a family unit with the one family member who wanted Machi around, a bond so strong that their children saw each other so much growing up that they refer to each other as siblings. How precious is that?? Poor Hajime is probably the only voice of reason Mutsuki ever had in his life because you know Michi is to Mutsuki what Kakeru would be to Ayame. God I need a Kakeru-meets-Ayame-centric episode right now. Yuki would DIE. Riku Sohma is one half of the twin siblings born to Haru and Rin, and while he looks like Haru, this boy is a lot like his mother. He doesn’t have the anger issues his parents have, not really (except for instance of punching out Hibika’s brother), but he can be a bit spacey, he’s very serious and literal, and he likes to sleep. Everywhere. This family and their sleep. It kills me. He also gets himself a cute little girlfriend, and because of his crush on this girl and his watching of her, he notices her wanting to reach out to Sawa, and Sawa makes her first friend (mostly) on her own in nearly her entire life! On the other hand, Sora Sohma, his twin sister, is cute and spacey, a bit ditzy, and looks like their mother but is 100% Haru. She has nicknames for everyone in the family, and never calls anyone by their actual name. She’s my second favorite character after Hibika. Sora reminds me very much of Usagi Tsukino: instead of seeing a person, Sora sees a friend.

Poor Chizuru Sohma should’ve been Yuki’s kid. Honestly I’m surprised Ayame and Mine don’t have more kids, given how passionate I’m sure they are. And while Chizuru loves his father, he does declare the man crazy (as does every other character, minus Mutsuki, who says he’s “the most terrific of all uncles”) on more than one occasion. Chizuru is the more responsible of the Ayame/Mine Sohma children, setting up the Ayame II shop essentially on his own until Mutsuki offers Sawa’s help as a part timer (because remember, Hibika decided to go to Paris for the week).  He hates that others view his family as eccentric and him as normal and especially hates when they comment on it, and he tends to be a bit foul-mouthed and outspoken. A bit like Hiro. Poor kid. Rio Mosca is Saki Hanajima’s boy and he is NOT KAZUMA’S SON AND THIS MAKES ME SO SAD. His parents’ love story is rather cute, however. His father is a foreigner (Italian, given that his surname is Mosca), and the two met on a plane, making this a cute little callback to when young Megumi prayed for a someone for Saki to “get on a plane and meet her.” Mina Sohma is the most precious baby and is the daughter of our boy Momiji! Although, look at her - could she be anyone else’s child? She is sweet and cute and seems to be without Momiji a lot - Momiji inherited his father’s business (which seems to be international?), and he travels all the time. Mina has a great talent for batting and rather than be privately tutored and follow her father all over the world, she stays behind in Japan to play baseball for her school. Her dream is to take over the family business from her father like he did from his. It seems Momiji’s terribly tragic story ended happily, as it seems he reconciled with his father enough to inherit his business... (more on this later). And then we have Shiki Sohma, who is surprisingly the son of Shigure and Akito! :O Shiki seems to inhabit two worlds, much like the Sohmas of Furuba. On the one hand, he is part of a generation who was raised by those healed by Tohru Honda. Loving, caring parents who love and adore their children. He has friends who care deeply for him - his best friends, despite all being in different grades, are Chizuru and Rio, and they all play Go together in the school club. His family are all deeply committed to him - Mutsuki especially is close to him, as seen in the first volume where Shiki was teased at but not seen, as Mutsuki called him to come to the house where he, Hajime, Kinu, and Sawa were having a hot pot with Michi, Riku, and Sora.  His parents both are and aren’t the Shigure and Akito we know from Furuba - Shigure is still the immature jokester and Akito is still the serious head of the family, but they both love their son immensely, totally and completely in a way that Akito remembers being loved as a child by her father, in a way that Shigure’s parents probably loved him. On the other hand, in volume three, it is shown that, being the son of the head of the family, and living in the Sohma compound, with the old servants, the “old timers,” and Ren, subjects Shiki to some truly horrific abuse the likes of which no other second gen Sohma child has had to go through. Shiki would greet guests who would give him gifts, only to find that within those gifts were notes badmouthing his mother. Ren attempted to stab him as a small child, something the old Akito would and has attempted on the first gen Sohmas, and it’s implied the only reason was because Shiki was Akito’s child. Akito threw herself in front of Ren’s knife and took the blow for her boy. Shiki is a quiet and withdrawn child, one foot in each of these worlds, and seemingly paralyzed over how to act. Much like Sawa, especially once she meets the Sohmas.

Remember I said we’d come back to Momiji’s happy ending? See that woman in the top left? That’s Momo Sohma, Momiji’s sister. In Furubana, Momiji has reconciled not only with his father, but with his sister as well! Momo appears to pick up Momo from the Sohma house; she is Momiji’s assistant and Mina seems to stay with her sometimes when Momiji is out of the country. Momiji has his family back!!! Speaking of families, Hinata Sohma, Hiro’s little sister, is all grown up and makes her own appearance in the third volume (and is a slight alcoholic, lol). She also mentions brothers - did Hiro did another sibling after his curse broke?? Megumi Hanajima makes an appearance as a teacher at Kaibara High School, and this is my second complaint about Furubana - there is not enough Megumi!! He grew up sexy! Second best glow up in the series after Momiji! It’s Megumi who tells the romantic story of how Saki met her husband on the plane. Also making an appearance is Makoto Takei, former student council president, unwilling witness to Haru’s natural hair color explanation. He is now a teacher as well, and Sawa and Riku’s homeroom teacher. He’s also still in love with Yuki, and lets Mutsuki get away with anything. He is often at odds with Ruriko Kageyama, the daughter of Motoko Minagawa of the Prince Yuki Fan Club. Ruriko has inherited her mother’s obsession, though unlike Motoko and Makoto (god those two would’ve made a great obsessed couple), Ruriko loves ALL Sohmas. I don’t understand how the worship of an entire family to stalker levels is an official school club but whatever. Ruriko is actually pretty cool, and while she’s pretty strict, she’s also on somewhat friendly (like, “person I talk to at school but nowhere else” type friend) terms with Sawa. 

THE STORY

I feel this can best be summed up in five sentences and in reverse: When Sawa was little, she fell down the stairs. She was found by Shiki, who simultaneously called an ambulance and fell in love with her. Her piece of shit mother sued Shiki because he was rich as shit. Ten years later, no Sohmas harbor any grudges against Sawa, her mother is still a piece of shit, the Sohma children are full of Tohru-and-Kyoko wisdom passed down from their parents, and try to help Sawa. And also they all hardcore ship Shiki/Sawa. The end. 

No seriously, that’s the story. It’s beautiful. I wish there was one or two more volumes, a cameo featuring the adults, it would be perfect. Could you imagine the terrible awkward jokes Shigure would make? “Honey look, Shiki’s in love with the girl he pushed down the stairs as a kid. Was marrying her one of the terms of the lawsuit? Hahaha.” And Akito would just be like “....baby, you and Sawa go outside while I smack your father, you don’t need to see this.” And the two go outside and we then see Shigure fucking fly through the paper door and a loud “YOU FUCKING MORON” follow him out with the classic -_- “did I say something wrong?” Shigure face. And Shiki is just a fascinating color of ruby fire about the cheeks and mumbles, “so yeah... that’s my father....” and Sawa is a similar color and staring at her shoes like “he seems nice...” and Akito opens the ruined door as though she didn’t just beat the shit out of her husband and calls out to them, “come and have tea, your father had to step out for a bit. Sawa, dear, I’d love to hear more about you. would you prefer jasmine tea or green,” because Akito has done a complete 180 and become a decent human being since becoming a mother and Shiki is EVERYTHING to her and if her son loves this girl then GODDAMNIT SO DOES SHE. 

[kyosohmastan]

Fruits Basket Another Vol 1 Review

I thought I’d share my thoughts on the first volume of Fruits Basket Another since I FINALLY got to it. I’m in love!

First of all, the MC. I think I’m going to relate to Sawa more than I ever did with Tohru. We share very similar traits and anxieties. She has a fear of forming relationships due to trauma she experienced when her friends suddenly abandoned her because she was too “annoying”. I don’t remember the majority of my childhood (due to the fact that I had epilepsy, but that’s a whole other story) but one thing that stood out to me because it left me so heartbroken was when I was in first grade and my friends decided they didn’t want to hang out with me anymore because I was too weird for wanting to play in the grass and dirt when they thought that’s not something a girl should do. Which is dumb, but kids will be kids. So I really connected with Sawa over that. Based on how much Takaya has a talent for developing characters seamlessly, I can see her opening up more and becoming more comfortable around the Sohmas and others throughout the series.

As for other characters, let’s move onto Mutsuki who is seriously drop dead gorgeous. Of course, Yuki’s son would also look like a girl (although tbh Yuki is more feminine.) He has a lot of optimism and clear signs of kindness, but he’s very mischievous as well. He reminds me a lot of Kakeru in a way which that is his uncle so I’m sure he influenced him. I find it hilarious that he’s naturally messy and his excuse is “My parents are messy too”. And they are haha! Then he follows it up with a sweet comment saying “I’m happy to be like them.” He’s like “Yeah, it’s a bad trait. But I wouldn’t have it any other way because I can connect with my parents over it.” The family vibes has me all smiles.

I’m most excited to follow Hajime since I adore Kyo and Tohru so of course, I’m super pumped to get to know their son. He’s like a toned down version of Kyo. He has a temper, but it never gets too out of control. But then again, he’s kind of like Tohru having a considerate side to him as well as the fact that the family refers to him as “papa” because he addresses Sawa as a father would. And Tohru had always been the motherly type. I love how both of their traits are mixed into him. It makes for a very balanced personality! His first meeting with Sawa was hilarious. Obviously he’d be like Kyo and sleep on the floor haha. Or is the cat part of his blood coming out?

I’ll discuss Sora and Riku together. First of all, HARU AND RIN HAD TWINS?! I can only imagine Rin was terrified of that lol. I think Sora will be the Momiji of this series. That bubbly personality is adorable. I don’t know enough about Riku yet, but he seems very caring albeit stoic. I loved the part when Sawa finally asked him if she offended him and he told her he was concerned that she didn’t know a girl wanted to have lunch with her. So he worried over her which was sweet.

Michi I don’t have much of an opinion on yet. I was never a huge fan of Kakeru in the first place so....We’ll see if she grows on me. 

The most BEAUTIFUL woman so far is Kinu, holy smokes. I’m guessing she’s the parental figure in this series since she seems to be the oldest. I’m very excited to get to know her. And I’m thrilled that Hatori and Mayu ended up staying together and had a daughter awwww.

Shiki made a brief appearance and since he’s the head of the family, that’s gotta be Akito and Shigure’s son. He’ll be in volume 2 a lot more, I assume. 

And then this chick shows up and I’m like oh, hell, naw. Motoko is the most annoying character of FB and her daughter is no different. Grrrr. It is interesting that Motoko was only a fan of Yuki, but Ruriko’s club is a fan club for all the Sohmas. Their popularity has grown that much dang.

Two other characters that showed up from the OG series are Megumi and Takei. Megumi looks soooo good. And he still has his habit of doing curses!

Takei hasn’t changed. Still obsessed with Yuki.

Now going over specific scenes I liked. I suppose starting from the beginning. 

I like how Mutsuki and Hajime are trying to help Sawa get over her fear of being a burden to people. I saw a tumblr post mentioning how Tohru was the one who saved the Sohmas from their trauma and the Sohmas are the ones saving Sawa from hers and so far that is so true. It think it goes to show how differently the previous generation raised their children in comparison to how they were raised from hate and spite. This generation is so much more carefree and considerate as their parents probably shared with them their own previous trauma so they’re able to understand what that’s like. I think overtime, they’re really going to help Sawa get over her fears and she’ll find a place where she belongs with this family. I’m so excited to see that unravel.

And so Sawa is forced onto the student council with Mutsuki and Hajime lol. I like how it gives her that push to interact with others because she will have to now. I expected Mutsuki to be the president since his dad was, but Hajime is? He was forced into it tho. xD

Possibly one of the best things is that Hajime is (or used to be) a mama’s boy which comes as no surprise since Tohru would be an amazing mother. How could her children not love her? This was too cute.

Based on what Mutsuki said, Hajime has siblings????? I heard Kyo and Tohru had three kids ouhuobuefbhjqbeh. I need deets!

It seems that Mutsuki and Hajime have a pretty close relationships whereas their fathers were rivals. They do bicker, but it’s clear there’s no animosity between them. That also indicates that Kyo and Yuki must have really patched up their relationship over the years if their kids have always hung out together. That’s a happy thought. I love the dynamic of their relationship so far.

Glad to see Aya is so involved in Mutsuki’s life hahahhahha.

Mutsuki and Hajime don’t even live with their parents? For some reason, Hajime moved to be closer to school, but why did he specifically have to go to Kaibara? Maybe he wanted to go to school with the family. I do know Kyo and Tohru moved out of town. Or did they move back so Kyo could take over Kazuma’s dojo? Idk anyway... I think Yuki and Machi did too which is probably why Mutsuki moved out. And Kinu is watching over them. It’s like Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo all over again.

IS HAJIME WEARING THE BEADS?????!! I saw somewhere that it was a gift. Or is it Kyo’s actual beads?!

The entire last chapter is my favorite in the volume. Seeing Sawa get so comfortable with the Sohmas was heartwarming. It’s sad how she says this is the happiest she’s felt in a long time, but also sweet. I’m interested to see what her home life is like. It doesn’t sound good.

As I suspected, the kids know about the curse. But I guess they weren’t told about it until they were a little older. It’s so sad how Kyo was nervous when everyone was saying how Hajime looked like him. Goes to show that Kyo still has his demons and he doesn’t want his son to go through any of that.Therefore, he doesn’t want Hajime to be like him at all. They had to be worried that the curse would come back. Thank goodness it didn’t.

I suppose what pushed Kyo and Tohru to tell him was when he was told that “I hope you’re not a monster.” (Is that Ren? It kind of looks like it.) Indicating that she thought he might be the cat since his dad was. That had to be so confusing. But after knowing the curse, everything makes sense. And I hope by knowing about it, they don’t face any hardships that the curse brought upon the family. But they seem to be doing fine.

To conclude, I’m really liking this. I’m sure I’ll love it since I’m biased in my love for Fruits Basket, but I think this series has the potential to stand on its own as something fantastic. 

I have noticed that the kids mention their parents A LOT, but that’s to be expected since the readers know of the original characters. I’m anticipating some great family moments and I’m looking forward to that. I REALLY HOPE THE OG CHARACTERS SHOW UP SOMETIME!!!

Thanks for reading~ I’m on to volume 2.

[softshouyous-archive]

fruits basket or mp100?

hello ezra!!!!! 

i’ll do furuba since i got asked mp100 in another ask!!! (possible spoilers ahead!) (just for the 01 anime though) 

haven’t heard of it | absolutely never watching | might watch | currently watching | dropped | hated it | meh | a positive okay | liked it | liked it a lot! | loved it | a favorite

don’t watch period | drop if not interested within 2-3 episodes | give it a go, could be your thing | 5 star recommendation

fav characters: oh boy here we go!!!! tohru, yuki, kyo, hana, arisa least fav characters: -i haven’t met him yet but tohru’s dad . a high school teacher dating a middle schooler?? electric chair -shigure (a bit mixed because i hear that there’s a lot more to shigure’s character so he’s on thin ice for now) -akito hhhh mixed on them because i know reasons are explained for her actions but her actions still weren’t….. great…. so for now i don’t like her ))):i think that’s it for now since i haven’t read the manga so i don’t really know much about the others ghjkdfghffav relationship: oh here we go babey (these are all platonic and in no order by the way!!)-tohru and yuki: oh my god . okay hello i’m going to start this by saying i initially shipped them a bit when i rewatched fruits basket back in december, but after seeing people talk about how miss honda helps yuki grow and that he realizes he doesn’t have romantic feelings for her and that they’re more of motherly feelings, i no longer ship them! i just really really love their relationship and i love that tohru was able to help yuki grow. yuki grew up being isolated, abused, and was told that he was strange and that no one will ever love him (?) or want to be near him. hello, that makes me so fucking sad babey 

when tohru found out that her memories might have to be erased and she told yuki that she still wanted to be friends, i wanted to CRY LADIES!!! oh fuck man like…. hello???? yuki went from being isolated, hurt, and did not have friends to . being told this, that someone wanted to be friends with him. i . the thing is it’s not like he was disliked throughout his whole life, a lot of the girls at school adored and admired Prince Yuki Sohma, but they didn’t know him for who he really was, so i feel like that caused him to feel even more isolated (perhaps in a different way than he was during his childhood) and lonely, as well as misunderstood. so when tohru genuinely said that she wanted to stay friends with him, it probably felt different from the girls who fawned over him and i think he felt that, which makes me so happy like i T______T 

and i just really love how nice yuki is to tohru ghdfjgh like we either get rude, ass kicking yuki (i love his rudeness, idk why) (maybe not the ass kicking part though, i feel so bad for kyo gjfkdgh) or nwice yuki, which i really love idk he’s really gentle and sweet when it comes to her and that warms my heart babey

but yeah i love how she helps him to open up and become closer to the truest version of himself. i love the lines she says to him and you can see that it has an impact on him. i really can’t wait to see more of his growth and their relationship like i’m soooooo excited oh my god

-tohru and kyo: i haven’t read the manga so i haven’t seen their growth but the small glimpses i’ve seen have been so cute, i’m so excited to see more!!! for now, what i have to say is something i actually talked about the other day!!!!! when kyo usually interacts with others, he comes off very angry and short tempered. during my rewatch, i didn’t think much of it, but i noticed it while watching the current anime. i don’t think he’s actually an Angry person, but rather those feelings are probably a result of the resentment he has towards things and it’s all pent up. also, i don’t believe he ever really got to properly deal with those feelings, so it makes it harder to control them, understandably! 

what i noticed is that when he interacts with tohru at first, he gets mad and lashes out at her, but he doesn’t actually mean to! what i love is how as the episodes progress, you see him get mad, but then he stops, gets embarrassed, and then explains what he means to say. i think that is so important. and i like to believe that he probably is able to do this because tohru has shown herself to be kind, patient, and as someone who isn’t dismissive, she’s someone who cares! so it’s possible that her welcoming personality has encouraged kyo to hm . what’s the word . like, explain himself more?? because i feel like with shigure and yuki, he probably doesn’t have a chance to do that because the established relationships he has with the both of them are not. great gjdfkd so!! yweah i hope that made sense jgkfhdgj i just really love how, like with yuki, tohru is able to help kyo open up more

-arisa and tohru: so i hear that there’s more about miss honda and miss arisa’s friendship in the manga and i’m soooo excited because i love them so much )))): miss uotani clearly cares about tohru so much and i love that a lot

also when she talks about how kyoko and tohru helped save and improve her life…. i felt that babey i’m so happy they became friends )))): 

-tohru and hana: hello. my fucking heart babey . whenever i think about hana and tohru i get so emo god i . first can i say that i love that she and uotani protect tohru from the fan club girls like gjfdkgh i love them ))):

okay okay these are the moments that absolutely killed me!!!!!!!!!! when they’re all visiting kyoko’s grave and she and uotani had just said bye to tohru, kyo, and yuki. she and uotani talk about how much tohru has healed and grown since her mother’s death and hana goes on to talk about how tohru has kept it all together and endured so much. she then says that had she been the one to lose someone, she wouldn’t be able to be the same as tohru. oh my god…. when she says that had she lost tohru, it would hurt so much that she would wish that she hadn’t met her……. hello, my heart fucking BROKE T____T the fact that she loves tohru so much that losing her would make her wish that…. my heart zude 

the next moment that makes me really emo gjkdflghdfg is when the fan club girls visit her house. it’s the scene towards the end where arisa and tohru show up at her door and as she’s watching them, she thinks about how it’s like to love someone and that with loving someone comes good and bad things. she then goes on to say that no matter what, her weakness will always be tohru T_______T 

i just….. really love how much she loves and cares for tohru….. her love for tohru just feels so tender and kind ))): it makes my heart so warm, i’m so glad that tohru has such loving friends who care about her and love her so deeply ))))): -kyo and arisa: omg edit how did i forget them i love their friendship so much and i hope we get to see more of it in future episodes!!! they’re so rowdy and funny i love them so much gjdfskgkfdjgfd

-i haven’t met kakeru yet but i really like!!! what i’ve seen of yuki and kakeru’s relationship!!! they seem so fun

fav moment:-hana during the endurance run gkjfdglh when she’s like ‘oh tohru i can’t go on anymore’ and is just v dramatic about it jdfkghf-when hana is seen playing cards with her classmates off to the side during the run gfjdkgfj-when tohru gets a bad score and hana is like ‘oh don’t worry tohru, i failed All my tests’ gjfdsghdfjgh-the secret base-yuki summoning his rats, i think that’s so funny hjfdgjfhg-when tohru told kyo that she loves cats -DJKGDFJG IN THE NEW ANIME WHEN YUKI KNOCKS ON TOHRU’S GRANDFATHER’S DOOR AND HE’S LIKE ‘no one’s answering??’ and kyo is just like ‘move it. EXCUSE ME!!!!!!’ gkldfsjgkfdjgkf-in the newest episode when yuki pushed his hair back a bit, that was so cute ))):-also in the newest episode, towards the end of the episode when shigure said yuki was ‘in pieces’, and yuki got so shy and cute hgjdfkghfkdjgf-jgkfdhjgdfh when shigure told tohru and yuki that kyo would be attending school with them, and yuki stood up and was just like ‘don’t eat get out die’-when kyo jumped out of the window in response to being too overwhelmed. first of all, dare i say, kin-when hana was curling tohru’s hair in class-omg when hana dramatically did the thing with the cards, i love her -the moment after the typhoon ended and yuki told tohru that he’d be up to play rich man poor man!!! i loved when he said that he would work on being bothered by others and that he’d slowly do better ))))): and then when he smiled a genuine smile, i cry-i mentioned this already but when kyo works on how he interacts with tohru, my heart ))):-OH when yuki flicked?? tohru’s asshole of a cousin so hard that his glasses fell off GJDFKLGJFKGSJDFGFDJ -omg omg that reminds me, in the recent episode!! when kyo and yuki were watching what was happening from outside of the window and kyo wanted to go in and help, yuki stopped him and said to listen and hear what tohru wanted because that was what was important-when kyo told tohru that it’s okay for her to be selfish and speak up about what she wants )))): i feel like that was something she really needed to hear and i love that he told her that-okay not a fave overall but. okay when momiji was telling tohru about his mother, that shit was HEARTBREAKING as shit, but what i liked ??? was when he said that even though the memories of her are painful in a way, he still wouldn’t erase them )))): -whenever arisa and kyo bicker, i love it jgkdfhgjsdhgfdjg they’re SO funny -yuki and the newspaper boy when kagura was about to transform gfkjdlghfkj-omg wait two more sorry gkjdfsgljdfksgjf when . fucking . in the 01 anime . when they were all playing badminton together and yuki talked about . how that was all he wanted, a warm childhood, a place where everyone had fun and smiled together, and parents that would embrace him )))))): FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!-okay last one i promise: when . they went to the vacation place??? oh the lake hgjfkdgh and yuki, tohru, and kyo were walking in the foresty area and tohru was apologizing for doing something wrong because kyo and yuki weren’t acting normal or something???? and yuki responded by saying that he’s gotten so used to tohru’s presence that he feels really comfortable and at ease with her ))))): my heart……………………………. demolished

headcanons/theories: -i’m going to try my best-au where kyo and yuki meet tohru while they’re kids and no sohma curse or anything, none of that!!!! she befriends them easily and they all get along and grow up together ))): -okay okay i don’t know anything about arisa’s family but hm. i’m thinking maybe she doesn’t have that great of a support system at home??? so after kyoko saves arisa from the yankee ?? girls??? she has arisa stay with her and tohru for a while and i think . that’s so cute ))): they go to school together, they go shopping, out to eat, to the park, to amusement parks, and all that together -this is probably canon but i’m going do it anyway i like to think that tohru helps yuki with his gardening and they bond a lot over that -oh oh since yuki has a garden, i like to think that this would be like. oh hm oh okay i feel like tohru suggests growing vegetables so they can be used to cook and one day!!!! tohru sort of teaches yuki how to cook and they bond over that hehe-oh remember when tohru checked out books on martial arts and gardening i think that after she reads the martial arts one, she talks to kyo about it and shows him the moves she’s learned and he helps her and teaches her more stuff on that!! oh my heart -if there’s a bug in the house, kyo or yuki summon their respective animals to see who can get it first. chaos -this is not related to anything at all but i like to think that yuki, tohru, kyo, hana, and arisa have monthly picnics-okay i think this is all i have jgkfdhgfkjgf

unpopular opinion: oh hm i don’t think i have any??? i think the only one is that i used to mildly ship tohru and yuki gjfdklsghfkjg oh and apparently kakeru and yuki is an unpopular ship??? how’d you find it: oh hm actually i really can’t remember?? i can’t even remember the year i found it…. i think i was in . 5th grade?? it was probably through one of my friends!!! random thoughts: ohhhh i am notttttttttt ready for the new year’s episode i’m really not okay i think h. okay i can’t remember much of it actually just the parts that made me sad GJDKLFGJ like when . kyo and yuki were uncertain about going to banquet (???) and they meet hana in the middle of the street and she’s like . eye emoji . you should go back . eye emoji . and i think she mentioned something about how she’s been alone on new year’s since her mother’s death?? i’m not sure if that’s right…. but when they run back to their home and it’s just SO INTENSE and when they open the doors to see her crying all by herself . hello . i legally give you the right to end my life . i’m so glad they went back like hhhhhhhhhhh godddddd and then when they just all are on the rooftop together . oh thank you so much babey 

oh and also not ready for momiji’s story please i will die, i will not be able to get through that without crying i know it i just knowwwww especially when tohru starts crying and just hugs momiji oh my goddddddddddddddddddddd no thank you sir 

i think this is all i have to say wow that was zo much i’m sorry but thank you for enabling me hgkjdfghjfghdfsjghdfjg

[okaloid]

So now that you finally finished reading Fruits Basket what's the verdict? Favorite characters and least favorite characters and why? What about ships? Which did you love which did you hate?

Ooooo do I have a LOT to say about Furuba, let me tell you anon. Mostly good. I really enjoyed the manga and how it depicted the characters. I loved how they all changed and progressed over time for the better, the fact the manga showed all of their personal struggles, how even the mostly positive and seemingly cheerful characters had major flaws they had to work on and had real reasoning behind their behavior and choices….I think one of my favorite things in the manga is that most of the side characters weren’t there simply to interact with the main characters and make the scenes play out more naturally, they were given back stories and even had short or somewhat sizable arcs that depicted them as people with wants and needs, it showed them struggling but also enjoying life and experiences too. They were given substance and it made them feel more real.

At this point Ill give a ~spoiler warning~ to anyone who would want to get into the series so nothing will be ruined for them since I know the pain for this oh too well.

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My favorite characters are definitely the main three, so Kyo, Tohru and Yuki. I also really liked Hana, Shigure, Momiji, Kakeru, and towards the final chapters I started to like Machi.

As far as characters I hate…I don’t think I have any? I suppose there were moments I was annoyed with characters, or didn’t care for them (mainly because the few that weren’t given backstory/just there for comic relief so I didn’t have much of a reason to care about them), but I would say I really hated Akito up to a certain point. This was really only up until we were shown why she acted the way she did, why she was so possessive of the members of the zodiac, and why she was so violent and mentally messed up. In the anime you don’t even find out what happens, you just see Akito as an evil and twisted…..well…man, haha. You don’t learn anything about her or have a chance to understand why the Sohma house is so messed up and why they have this nonsensical hierarchy with the “outside” members and the zodiac members. I’ve never been one who likes random action or vague, pointless themes or messages that anyone can loosely relate to in media. I really like being able to analyze people to their cores, or experience compelling storytelling that doesn’t rely on easy plot devices that catch people’s attention. Fruits Basket isn’t perfect, and it definitely has its cliches and silly, unnecessary things, but the good outweighs that in my opinion.

I GOT OFF TRACK THO, SORRY

But I started liking Akito after her first major arc and when her mother was introduced. Her anger was justified to me, her constant abuse to the other Sohmas was not in any way shape or form, but seeing how insecure in her own existence and importance to the family showed just how flawed and broken of a person she was. She wasn’t just an evil character thrown into the story to cause problems for the main characters. She wasn’t void of all human emotions for “””plot”””. She was shown to be an incredibly broken individual who wanted love and to feel needed so much that it drove her somewhat crazy. She was never given a chance to determine what she wanted to be, her birthright was to be “God” and was promised the love of the other zodiac members, forced to be something she was not based on her mother’s orders, father (who was really the only person who loved her for WHO she was not what) passing. I believe she could’ve been a very good person if given the chance…but suffering a lot from a young age really effects a person.

Now I liked the Sohmas for the reasons I mentioned above. For the main three, I’d say I loved Tohru’s unwavering enthusiasm. Even though in the final arc it was revealed she mainly started acting the way she did to seem more like her father, you could argue this was who she truly was at that point in time. I’d say this was who she always was, but since she started “acting” like her father when she was so young, she probably couldn’t remember or didn’t realize. Perhaps she couldn’t tell she was a good person, she often joked about it and refused praise from people being how humble she was. I think Tohru’s self worth was very low, though even so she wanted to make those around her happy any way she could. After seeing what her father’s death did to her mom, Tohru couldn’t stand seeing people she cared about be in any pain. It showed every time she learned something awful about another. She felt their pain in a way, the readers could see that. She was honest to goodness a pure hearted person who would do anything for anyone, even if that meant she would get harmed in the process of helping them (much like with Akito nearing the end of the manga and most definitely with Kyo when his true form was shown). 

I actually didn’t like Yuki at first, really. He kind of reminded of a Kuudere? He was very detached, cold, somewhat bland to me at first. Like a cardboard cutout character of the “prince” stereotype. He looked like the typical calm and collected cool guy in anime that I don’t really care for. Though as time went on and he started to come out of his shell, you were able to see what he was really like. He didn’t hide in fear of transforming anymore, he started to become more comfortable in himself and the thought of forming relationships with others. His fear and depression seemed to slowly fade the more he tried to “open the lid”. We saw him finally form a relationship with his brother (and towards the end of the manga it honestly warmed my heart to see), he became more tolerant of Kyo and seemed to care for his well-being, along with his and Tohru’s forming relationship. After he realized what he saw in Tohru and how he felt about her, he seemed to start learning more about himself with her help. From having that care and support on Tohru’s end, Yuki was able to find himself and really progress as a person. Seeing him in a healthier mindset made me very happy. I could see a little of Ayame in him towards the end too!

Now for Kyo, he’s easily my favorite character. I don’t know why I usually like Tsunderes (cause in real life they’d annoy the hell out of me) but with Kyo’s backstory and upbringing, his bad attitude made sense. I get being a sassy or rude teenager, but unnecessarily violent just because your parents are mean? Ehhhhh. But Kyo was literally damned at birth. He was the curse of the zodiac and his existence was literally to give the other members more comfort in their identities. Purely existing just so others will hate themselves less by comparing their situation to yours is horrible. By Akito’s own words and opinion, Kyo was worthless. A disgusting creature who’d rot in his cell when his time came. The cat was never given a fair chance like the others were. His isolation from people and constant abuse from his father and other Sohma’s tore him down, he saw no value in himself and only lived out of pure spite for Akito and Yuki. The “I’ll kill him and then myself” line always got to me. It’s shown his only purpose of living for a time was to get revenge for the cat. Not for himself, or for others, just for revenge. It was so sad to see. He grew on me instantly though, he was overly blunt, a little socially inept, bashful, and a bit violent, but he had a conscious. HE showed remorse when he’d really hurt Tohru’s feelings, and tried his best to make up for them in a way he could. Towards the end of the manga he most definitely grew up, matured, calmed down a lot, and became more tolerant of the things he once hated. He was able to heal, and I straight up C R I E D when his curse was lifted.

As for my shiiiiiips I obviously love Kyo/Tohru and Yuki/Machi are my main ones. though I definitely favor Kyo and Tohru over anyone else lol. 

I hope this isn’t too much to read? Lol/ Also sorry this took me forever anon, I’ve been busy. ; v ;

[nebulousneko]

Speaking of Fruits Basket Another since you mentioned it in that ask you answered, what do you think the characters are like as parents? Particularly the main 4? (Tohru, Kyo, Yuki and Shigure) Do you have any headcanons for what kind of parents they'd be like?

Some headcanons under the cut!

Kyo and Tohru (since they’d be parents together)

We’ve actually already seen part of them being parents (sort of). In one of the extras we see Hajime talking about his dad mediating some of his interaction with some other Sohmas that I think were talking shit about him because of the whole zodiac thing, and it’s sad but also nice that Kyo looks out for him

But I really think that Tohru would be a lot like her own mother with her kids where she dotes on them and almost passes out when they bleed

She’d always be spoiling them and I can see Kyo wanting to tell her that they should be a little more disciplined with them but then Kyo sees his happy family being so soft and sweet and perfect and he just melts

Tbh they’re both doting parents and Kyo teaches the kids karate and Tohru teaches them all about cooking and GOD can you imagine the family making riceballs together...

I don’t know if I have too many more headcanons for them than that mostly because I haven’t thought about them as much as parents whoops

Yuki  and Machi 

Unsurprisingly I’ve thought about them quite a bit (and we get quite a bit from Mutsuki about how his parents are)

I LOVE that everything is so messy because both of them just. Don’t do the clean thing well and I can see Kakeru and Komaki always going over to their place and just trying to make it moderately presentable

Oh I’m also a huge fan of all the shenanigans that Uncle Ayame and Uncle Kakeru wreak on Mutsuki, I mean he really seems to take after them and just rip Yuki he’ll never escape

I think that Yuki was probably a really hands on dad in that he wanted to know everything about the baby, help Machi and make sure she never felt overwhelmed, and also make sure both Machi and Mutsuki always knew that they were loved and needed and cherished in this world

He was probably so relieved when Mutsuki was born because it’s like “this baby was something that needed me, and still needs me, in the most basic way” like GOD Mutsuki is probably super important to Yuki and his life

Yuki also was probably a really laid back dad (and Machi a laid back mom) in that they gave Mutsuki a lot of freedom since they both grew up not having any choices

They would probably be blown away by how quickly he picked up being charismatic and also sarcastic and his finesse kind of overwhelms them but also they’re glad and proud and want him to be happy and help him grow

They’re probably just really loving supportive parents but Ayame/Mine and Kakeru/Komaki all combined to make this like giant family raising coalition because their families are just really close and I LOVE IT

Shigure and Akito 

God I don’t even know where I would start with these two

Shiki seems so distant and kind of spacey and I’m just...definitely takes after their mom

I think that it probably took Shigure and Akito some time to work out their own problems before they had a kid

But I think they’d be...cautious parents? Suprisingly

Shigure is rarely serious but having a baby is pretty serious and he loves Akito very very much despite all the ways they hurt each other

Maybe they would see parenthood as an opportunity to start over and do something good and right outside of all the messed up stuff that made up their relationship before

And it probably gave Akito the chance to love something more than herself, and to recognize what it meant to care for something unconditionally and be responsible for it and take care of it

Shigure probably also spoiled Shiki a bit and was a playful parent

I can see him still being ridiculously non-serious and goofy and playing with Shiki a lot as a baby

And ofc Ayame and Hatori would probably frequently visit and have some sort of influence on Shiki as well

I hope these were okay, I haven’t really thought super hard about parental headcanons for these characters but these are the basic vibes I get from what we’ve seen in the series.

[tardytothepardy]

Fruits Basket - Vol.14

Why is it a death sentence to your mental well-being to be a Juunishi? Or to be a part of the Sohma family, as a whole? None of these people are okay.

In this book, we're zeroing in on three people that are not okay, and two of them are Sohmas: Yuki, Izusu, and Tohru. All three people here need a hug, or something. Luckily enough for Izusu, she got one. She really needed one.

The beginning of this book serves as a backstory for Izusu, and her relationship with Haru. Her demeanor might suggest that she doesn't like him, but in actuality, she does. Wow. Mind blowing.

But thanks to her upbringing, which was fine apparently until one day during a meal, she asked her parents something akin to, "Are you guys really happy?" and holy fuck they both lost their shit. They completely dropped the "happy family" façade and swerved straight into the "I hate you I can't bring myself to love you you're a waste of space I wish I had never given birth to you don't ever come home you're not welcome here anymore" kinda thing, just so fucking fast. And, I'm not sure, but I feel like Izusu was prone to getting sick before all of this, but thanks to all the stress and anxiety and fear, it just made all of it so much worse.

In fact, the point specifically when her parents (her mom, in this case) said "I don't know how to love you, go home to someone else" thing, she was in the hospital because she had passed out. Haru found her lying on the ground and got help for her. When her mother said all that stuff, he said a lot of what has been bouncing around in my head this whole time: "Why are you blaming us kids for all of this? It isn't our fault!" He demanded that her mother apologize to Izusu, but she never did. After that, Izusu started living with Kagura and her family.

Focusing more specifically on Izusu's and Haru's relationship, they met as kids. She's two years older than him, and she thought his hair was neat. As time went on, she came to depend on him, and he was her sole source of happiness. She dislikes this, and says that people like her drag people like Haru down, that she'll be the reason why something bad will happen to Haru. This is also the reason why she pushes Tohru away repeatedly, and even went out of her way to not interact with Tohru, it's because Izusu knew that if they met, Tohru would become concerned for her, and Izusu would do something that would "drag" Tohru down.

Eventually when Haru and Izusu's relationship became more romantic, Akito stepped in and said that they couldn't be in a relationship, that she should distance herself from Haru, and how could she ever think that she was deserving of a happiness that comes with being in love, that by with Haru, she was a burden. (Another instance of Akito knowing exactly where to hit and exactly how devastating it would be, and I hate him so fucking much for it) This, I imagine, is why she broke off the relationship with Haru, because from her point of view, she is not "tired" of him, or however she previously phrased it. She desperately needs him, because even now, he's kinda the only thing that makes her happy.

When Tohru finds Izusu passed out in their house, she does not hesitate to get help for Izusu, and this is something that seems to genuinely confuse Izusu. Why would someone like Tohru bother to help someone like her? She's such a burden, and yet Tohru is nice enough to care about her? This doesn't make sense. It all kinda bundles into a climatic scene where Izusu runs outside, and starts crying, and Tohru is just there, and she holds Izusu and just lets her cry it out. Afterwards, Izusu is taken to a hospital and put under observation. One time Haru tried visiting her and she nearly threw her IV thingie at him, but she only does that to him <3 ~`,romance,`~

Izusu does confront Tohru about the curse, and how she has found out that Tohru is trying to find a way to break it. Izusu has been doing the same for a while, and has been trying to get information out of Shigure, but he won't say anything about it. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Shigure did know something about breaking the curse, but I don't really know what his motivations are. I'd like to think he's trying to help but I don't have a clue.

She reveals that she hasn't been able to find out anything about the curse, and that Tohru should give up trying to find out before anything bad happens to her. Tohru insists that she has her own personal deep determination to find out, that it is very important to her, but it's not said specifically what it could be but I'll just go out on a limb and say it's because she, at the very least, is concerned for and deeply cares about the members of the Sohma family that she has come across, and she sees how this curse has affected them, even beyond the Juunishi.

I have no way whatsoever to segue into Yuki's section, but it was a section to be sectioned.

With Yuki, we are back to the student council, and we find out a couple things: 1) Machi has a bit of a history of tearing up the room, 2) Machi and Kakeru are half-siblings, but they keep it on the downlow for,,,, reasons, 3) there's a play coming up, it's Cinderella, and for some reason Hanajima is going to be Cinderella and Kyo will be Prince Charming. Idk how people came to either conclusion, but okay. Yuki for some reason was chosen to be the Fairy Godmother, which I just find hilarious. He's gonna be the "bippity boppity boo" person. Absolutely hysterical.

What's less hysterical is when he gets locked in a storage closet. It didn't seem like it was for very long, but in that time in the dark closet, it sent him right back to shit that Akito said to him (he also knocked over a can of black paint, and the color further reminded him of Akito), to the point that even after Machi busted the door down using a chair, he still wasn't feeling great. By the end of the book, it's revealed that the specific thing that Akito was saying to Yuki, was that he knows what Yuki is looking for in Tohru: a motherly figure. And it kinda fits, given all the stuff that Tohru does. She sometimes does give off that soft, happy, soothe-you-when-you're-upset, maternal energy. And it's not really surprising for Yuki, either, just based on what we've seen of his relationship with his mother, who is literally nothing that could be described as maternal. The most that we've seen so far, is after she signs a paper that will allow for Yuki to get a phone, and she says, "Don't be wasteful with it," but that's it.

All in all, I will repeat what I said in the beginning: these people need a hug. I know I didn't really focus on Tohru in this, but she seems to be reaching a potential breaking point. After Izusu asked Tohru what her motivation was for trying to break the curse, Tohru ended up getting a nightmare about her mom. There seem to be more moments where Tohru seems kinda distant, or out of it, or however it's phrased, like things are starting to weigh down on her. Hopefully, when it becomes her time to have a huge breakdown, someone will be there for her, because it would be fucking awful if she has to go through that alone.