Thoughts On The Latest Episode of Fruits Basket?

[Ohayotaku]

 

10 minutes ago, RuthisianCodex said:

This episode...SMH! So many brilliant moments in this one.

At some point you have to ask yourself just how much grief, pain, trauma, etc. can a single person endure before it just shatters them completely? The entire situation between Rin & tohru has me simultaneously bawling my face off & cheering my heart out. Their emotions & chemistry are just so raw & in your face, it's unreal. 

This show has some of the BEST character development I have ever seen, hands down. 

Agree with all of this . Watched It as soon as I got home from work so I would have time to settle back down before bedtime. Initially I didn’t like Rin at all, but these past 2 eps rank right up there with last season’s dealing with Uo’s past as my favorites. Not mentioning Kyo’s yet because I have the distinct impression there’s a major bombshell about his past that hasn’t been addressed yet.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Ohiotaku

[RuthisianCodex]

When Tohru clutched Rin's hand & said, 'Let's team up!' I felt that. I'm telling you guys, this was the last piece of the puzzle to unite everyone I think. 

Also when Shigure was speaking of Rin & said, 'Now, will she let herself be cared for?' That hit me like a ton of bricks. 

This show should be required viewing for people looking to get into the mental health profession in regards to trauma survivors. Seriously. 

[Anime loveer]

The season isnt even done and i want season 3 already

[Ohayotaku]

This week didn’t feel as heavy as Rin’s episodes, but still had a lot of emotional & psychological content to analyze. 
We finally find out the connection between Kakeru & Machi and how the different ways they handle their family issues ties into their different personalities. Kakeru responds by “laughing it off” with over the top behavior. While Machi internalizes it until it comes out as outbursts of frustration. I fully anticipated the traumatic flashback Yuki had locked in the closet, but the fact that he didn’t have a full blown panic attack shows he’s gotten stronger. Maybe just me over reaching, but can’t help but see some foreshadowing in Machi being the one to break the door down. More & more think these two could wind up a couple. It’s also nice that he’s starting to lighten up more & there’s even some early signs of things improving with his mom.

The casting for the school play is hilarious, have to think their classmates are having some fun at their expense.  Tohru being cast as The Wicked Stepsister & her promising to be “more evil than the devil” made me laugh until I couldn’t see  I really hope we get to see it in it’s entirety, not just vignettes.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Ohiotaku

[EvaUnit69]

I know exactly how S2 is going to end, and I dont think anyone's kokoro will be ready. I get the impression that you guys havent read the manga so I can see why the character development these kids gets seems so outstanding. The source material is hecka hecka good, and yeah @Ohiotaku you are so right about kyo and what will happen soon with him.

Being born in the year of the rooster I feel for Kureno as you get so little of him in the overall story line but even so his character has so much depth too. Rin and Tohru being in good terms is definitely the turning point of this story.

As a wise man once said S*** gunna get real, son.

[RuthisianCodex]

They're doing a great job of balancing the light hearted episodes with the ones that make you just feel like throwing your hands up & saying to Hell with it or clenching your fists & saying let's go!

This school play is going to be nothing short of awesome & yeah, they are totally poking fun at them. Yuki is really growing into his own person & maturing & his line about his mom where he says, 'I hope we can both look back on this one day & laugh together' just made me want to hug him. I also think that him & Machi would be good together not just because I will flip out if Kyo & Tohru don't end up together but also because they have a really good chemistry. Like, when he approached her & asked her to help them understand why she lashes out, I think that was huge for her because he wasn't accusatory or aggressive. At the very least, those two will be become close friends, I think. 

And guys....why is no one talking about how awesome the opening song or the art work at the end are???? I mean, they're amazing!!!  

[Ohayotaku]

2 hours ago, EvaUnit69 said:

I get the impression that you guys havent read the manga so I can see why the character development these kids gets seems so outstanding

You are correct, in my case anyway. I’d watched the original anime adaption decades ago, but it honestly didn’t make much of an impression on me. Not sure how much the difference now is because this version is so much better or because I’m in a very different place in my life than I was back then.

1 hour ago, RuthisianCodex said:

And guys....why is no one talking about how awesome the opening song or the art work at the end are???? I mean, they're amazing!!!  

To me they actually felt quite a bit different (both the song & the video) from the previous OP/EDs, but I have come to appreciate them . In some way it really seems to signify that this cour is a turning point in what’s to come

[RuthisianCodex]

A full box of Kleenex later...

Yuki, my goodness....

It should be criminal for so much undeserved torment to dwell inside one person. This episode is so deep, it's ridiculous. There's almost too much to unpack here but let me touch on a few points:

I could go on about how much I'd like to drop kick Akito in the throat but I'll try to reign that in a little because there is something VERY important that happened between Yuki & Akito. When Yuki described how Akito's behavior just suddenly changed one day, the first thing that came to mind was some type of mental health situation like bi-polar, schizophrenia, a personality disorder, or something along those lines since in cases like that personality & behavioral changes can just happen at random & the person experiencing them has absolutely no control. Now, the following scenes that follow the ramping up of Akito's behavior lead me to think it's either something akin to being a sociopath, psychopath, just a flat out sadist, or some combination of those but the overall conclusion I draw is that clearly something is going on with Akito's mental health. 

Now, I want to stop here & clear something up. I am a very strong believer in breaking the stigma around mental health & have spent years advocating for mental health awareness. So I do not want my assessment of the situation to come off as demonizing people who live with any form of severe mental health issue. I have met countless people who have everything from eating disorders to clinical depression to schizophrenia to severe anxiety to personality disorders & to my knowledge, only an extremely small percentage of those people ever became violent or did any type of harm to themselves, so that type of behavior is not common no matter how much movies & media try to paint that image. For those who did cause harm to themselves or others, there was always some other contributing factor or several other contributing factors such as homelessness, substance abuse, domestic abuse, etc. There is nothing ok about trivializing the battles that real people fight with their mental health every day, so I try to discuss these topics as respectfully as possible. 

Along this same vein, due to Akito's family status & how much everyone wants to be favored by her, it would be reasonable to assume that Akito's mental stability has never been questioned for fear of falling out of favor thus incurring some type of loss in status or shaming by the rest of the family. So even if people saw things were wrong, they most likely just went with it until it spiraled out of control & Akito's mental health worsened until she became just downright dangerous. Liken this to celebrities being surrounded by 'yes men' while they partake in all sorts of unsafe activities. It is also quite likely that Akito was already dangerous from the start. The reason I think this is because of one of the family members' comment that even the older zodiac children cried when they met Akito. Leads me to think that Akito's instability was something they could all feel right off the bat. Plus Akito genuinely enjoys tormenting Yuki & hurting & controlling others so she's fully aware of what she's doing. Akito almost reminds me of Macaulay Culkin's character in The Good Son. Super creepy movie, if you haven't seen it, you need to.

Yuki embodies the battle that so many people fight with depression with such authenticity that it's very difficult to watch. Witnessing first hand how his physical health declines as his depression becomes more & more severe & then beings to manifest itself in fatigue, weakened immunity, panic attacks, & eventually suicidal thoughts due to the psychological abuse from Akito & the neglect from his parents. And the most heartbreaking of all is that every time he tried to break free of his depression, it seems like something awful would happen to validate all the negative things Akito told him & he would then spiral even deeper into despair. His thoughts about being useless so it would be better if he was not around sliced right through me. Unfortunately, there are people out there right now who are thinking those exact thoughts & they're going to make a permanent choice that will leave their loved ones heartbroken.

Even a simple joy like playing soccer with his friends turned into a total nightmare that made him withdraw & isolate himself from others. His reluctance to connect with others out of abject terror of being embarrassed or ridiculed is almost the textbook definition of social anxiety. When he clutches Kyo's hat & says 'A me that people won't distance themselves from' before breaking down, I broke down right along with him. That wasn't just a cry, that was a wail of gut wrenching agony. I just wanted to pick him up & hold him & make everything ok. This deep need to be loved & his own admission of why he is so drawn to Tohru seals a few things in place for me. I think Kyo is going to be the one to end up with Tohru romantically because we see now that Yuki views her as more of a mother figure. I also think that Yuki will make a good match for Machi. 

Ok, I need to finish my workout, take a nice hot shower, & just meditate for a bit, I think. 

[Ohayotaku]

Yes, I cried. More than once. Even though my own life experiences couldn’t be more different than Yuki’s, the feelings & truths this week really went into some personal territory for me. To be forgotten , to feel unneeded. That your life didn’t matter. At the risk of TMI, I’ll just say that Alzheimer's is a terrible disease & leave it at that. 
Thank god there were lighter moments as well. Seeing the younger versions of Kyo, Hatsuhara, Momiji & Kagura interact, some things never change  Though the funniest was seeing Tohru’s mom go from hysterical parent to hell-to-pay gang leader  Also the history behind the baseball cap. I always felt that it seemed out of character that Yuki gave it to Tohru, so no surprise that it actually belonged to Kyo.

Funny thing, I waited till morning to watch so it wouldn’t interfere with trying to go to sleep. But now I have to try to put on my public face & go to work. Smartest thing would be to wait until the weekend before watching this show, but don’t know if I can wait that long  

[Anime loveer]

This episode was great , The cinderella part was really funny , Its funny tring to see Tohru trying to be evil .

Yuki..... What he admit about Tohru is beautiful.

[Ohayotaku]

Guess that pretty much settles the question of who Tohru is meant to be with, as even Yuki admits that it’s Kyo that recognizes her as a woman & needs her romantically even if he doesn’t realize it yet.  For himself, it’s all about gratitude for finally being shown the unconditional & non-judgmental acceptance he was never given as a child . And how it’s given him the courage to finally search for his own identity & soulmate. His interactions with Kakeru have also helped him be more open about his feelings with others. The antagonism between them is somewhat similar to him & Kyo, but without the raw emotions at the core. It’s ironic how Tohru’s nurturing & self-sacrificing nature has made her something of a surrogate mother figure to so many of the Sohmas (Kisa, Rin, Yuki & probably Momiji) despite her own youth & the fact that she is very much still traumatized by her own mother’s death. 
 

Agree with Shigure that I have got to see this play  Especially with the script being reworked to suit the actor’s personalities and Ayame & his assistant providing the costumes. I hope they dedicate most of next week’s episode to it instead of just skimming over it.
 

Just 3 more episodes till the seasonal break. Anticipating & dreading it at the same time  

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by Ohiotaku

[RuthisianCodex]

This episode really touched my heart. Hearing Yuki pour out & sort through his feelings & trauma & fight to overcome the shadow that's been hanging over him his whole life is truly something special. I found it of particular interest when he explains why he chose to help her at first. That desire to stand out so badly even if it's at someone else's expense whether by putting them in direct harm's way or at the very least embarrassing them is a running theme with the Soma clan. And it's not just about standing out really, it's more about honestly being acknowledged. Ayame's personality is a great example of this. Some of the things he does are flat out inappropriate but he slithers all over the rules with reckless abandon not because he's a bad person but because his need for attention is that deep. I'm waiting for the episode that digs into his background a little more despite the fact that the harsh truth behind his attention seeking behavior is sure to leave me a sobbing mess. 

And that whole exchange between Yuki & Kyo had my stomach in knots. It's like they're different sides of the same coin. They both feel terrible about themselves despite both being good dudes who really do want to do the right thing, they've each got their own tragic super hero backstories that could make Batman himself reach for a Kleenex, & they both love Tohru in opposite ways. Mark my words guys, Yuki & Kyo getting over their differences & becoming friends is going to be the final shoe that needs to drop in order to break the Zodiac curse & hopefully kick Akito right in the face! 

And I'm sure some of you have caught onto this already but I believe that Tohru's motherly nature towards the Somas is not only her nature deep down, it's also her way of keeping her own mother's memory alive. 

Also, yes, this play is going to be hilarious!  

[RuthisianCodex]

This week's episode had a balance of everything I think. 

The play was hilarious as I expected it to be & also was brimming with emotions as I expected as well. I love how they spun the relationship between Cinderella & her step sister. I would really like to see Sake & Shiso get together & Momiji is such a little sweetheart for offering to deliver the DVD of the ply to Kureno. And my goodness, oh, little Kisa-chan's feelings are hurt because she thinks Hiro likes Rin. The whole Kisa & Hiro thing is just too cute because of how young they are. So adorable. 

I've got about 5 boxes of Kleenex on standby for when Tohru & Kyo do finally express how they feel for one another. Man, the tension & love between them is almost suffocating.

And Yuki & Machi are going to make a great match, I think. I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what it is that brings those two together & how they establish a romantic relationship. 

 

 

[Anime loveer]

I really loved and enjoyed the play , I somehow already guess that the play will turn out ike this :) . 

 

[Ohayotaku]

The play definitely didn’t disappoint  With the main cast just ad-libbing while the narrator & supporting characters continued to follow the script even when it didn’t match what was actually happening. And their performances reflected not only their personalities, but their current mindsets, especially Uo & Kyo. Hana’s pointed question about whether Kyo is really ok with being alone till the day he dies suggests her psychic powers offer her some insight into what he’s facing. So Tohru can’t help interjecting herself into the conversation &  making things sweet but awkward for both  of them 

In the aftermath there were lots of neat little moments. Can hardly blame Kyo for being so freaked out by the prospect of Hana getting into a relationship with his father figure as she would fit the wicked stepmother role perfectly  And as awkward as Kyo & Tohru get when they start thinking of each other romantically, when they just talk casually they relate perfectly. I think it would’ve been funny to see Hana’s little brother interact more with Hiro & maybe Kisa. Shigure appeared to be MIA, but as much snideness as he’s already provided, not a great loss. The conversation between Yuki & Kakeru concerning Machi’s dilemma was also insightful. While Yuki acknowledges that people need to learn to fight their own battles  his personal experiences have taught him the devastating affect it can have on someone’s psyche when their pleas for help are repeatedly ignored & even a small kindness can help someone find the courage to get strong enough to stand on their own. No, it’s not good to meddle in other people’s business but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for being dismissive of other people’s suffering either. To her credit, Machi never backed down & while her bluntness might’ve seemed insulting at first, it shows she sees Yuki as a person with his own flaws and is trying to work out his own psychological/emotional baggage which is essential for developing any sort of meaningful relationship.

I honestly wish that this was the season’s final episode so I could be confident we go into the break on a hopeful note. Even though next week’s title sounds like it will probably be a positive one, I still can’t shake the feeling of dread that the final one will drop a bombshell & we’ll have to wait until next year for the aftermath. The solution of course would be for me to stop now, but doubt I have the willpower  

Edited September 9, 2020 by Ohiotaku

[RuthisianCodex]

13 hours ago, Ohiotaku said:

Shigure appeared to be MIA, but as much snideness as he’s already provided, not a great loss.

Agreed! 

 

13 hours ago, Ohiotaku said:

The conversation between Yuki & Kakeru concerning Machi’s dilemma was also insightful. While Yuki acknowledges that people need to learn to fight their own battles  his personal experiences have taught him the devastating affect it can have on someone’s psyche when their pleas for help are repeatedly ignored & even a small kindness can help someone find the courage to get strong enough to stand on their own. No, it’s not good to meddle in other people’s business but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for being dismissive of other people’s suffering either.

Well said! 

[Anime loveer]

First , i would like to say that Yuki and Machi was really cute together , im starting to ship them more and more . Yuki had changed very much from the beginning of the show , and i find that really great. 

Something I just CAN NOT not talk about is Akito ! HOW could Akito do this , after Yuki just told him that he forgives her. Though i do realize that Akito's expression changed for that one second when she said " whats that in your eyes "  Theres no way that she wouldn't do anything after hearing that .

In this episode , in the end , Momiji gave a DVD of Cinderella-ish play to Kureno saying it was a present from Tohru , I think she's so sweet , doing this for her Uotani and Kureno , she really thinks of others and is way too kind .

[Ohayotaku]

Love how Yuki’s budding relationship with Machi demonstrates how a broken person who is still healing can still help another broken person begin the process of healing. I have more to say, but will have to wait till later as this is all I have time for right now.

[Ohayotaku]

So much packed into a single episode as we approach the season finale.

Have to say Machi’s approach to housekeeping is disturbingly familiar  That call from her mother was so cringey. Ostensibly to see how she’s doing when it’s clear she has no interest in anything she might say & spends the whole time criticizing her. Even though her school status is the opposite of Yuki’s (she’s ignored while he is the center of attention) she immediately recognizes the same loneliness inside him. And funny how her first step in coming out of her shell is to go full tsundere when Yuki notices she turned the leaf he gave her into a bookmark. I doubt his feelings towards her are romantic at this stage, but he does seem to recognize her as a kindred spirit & has become very interested in her wellbeing & wanting to learn more about her. 
It’s really sweet that Tohru is spending New Years holiday at Kyo & Shisho’s home and is a good opportunity for their relationship to progress. Unfortunately I still feel he’s hiding something from her about her mom. In retrospect it is possible that his emotional turmoil & apology at the end of that one episode last season was just an expression of shared grief since his mother died as well. But I still believe there is a more direct connection since the story has already established that Tohru, Kyo & Yuki were already connected by fate before she moved in with them.

The Soma’s New Years party started out surprisingly upbeat (what I wouldn’t give to see that interpretive dance Momiji & Hatori apparently did  But things quickly turn dark with Akito becoming violent when she realizes how much her hold over Yuki has eroded. I don’t even want to think how she would react if she found out about the dvd Tohru & Momiji  gave her Boytoy #2 (Kureno). Which brings us to the inescapable confrontation between her & Tohru once she realizes just how much control she’s lost over the zodiac members as a result of Tohru’s “meddling”. Her instinctive response is to become violent & after what she did to Rin, yes I do believe she is capable of trying to kill someone. And I’m afraid she’ll make sure no one else is around to interfere when the time comes. I will say though that in addition to her god complex that flashback she had before lashing out at Yuki seemed to indicate she’s also got sone deep rooted abandonment issues. Though I hope they put all this on hold till next season or I might not survive the hiatus  

Edited September 16, 2020 by Ohiotaku

[RuthisianCodex]

So, unashamedly I had to take a few days to calm down before giving my thoughts on this episode because the whole scene where Akito viciously attacked Yuki....let's just say that if this had happened in real life & I were there, I would have tackled her to the ground & pummeled the ever living snot out of her. I just, I'm almost at a loss for words at how disgusted I am over Akito's behavior. Will Akito have a traumatic backstory as well? You better believe it. Does that justify any of her actions or will lead to me feeling differently about her once her trauma is revealed? Not...a...bit! Why? Because of her conscious awareness of the grief & pain that she is causing to others. She knows full well what she's doing & CHOOSES to behave nastily & viciously towards others, therefore effectively depriving others of their peace. UGH.

I'm so ready for there to be some type of emotional, loving moment between Tohru & Kyo that I almost can't stand it. I just want to see them be free & truly happy with one another. And don't think I haven't noticed Kyo's efforts to be more lighthearted around her. So adorable. 

And I've said this before & I'll say it again, Machi & Yuki is a fantastic match. There is this really cool yin/yang energy between them that is so very well done. And the fact that Yuki is building a strong friendship with her brother is even better because I'm sure he has been adversely affected by their upbringing, so they will all help each other heal. 

I may wait & watch the finale on the weekend after it is released because I know that it is just going to leave me shattered beyond all comprehension & I simply can't try to get a good night's rest after something like that so if you don't hear from me until next Friday at least you know why. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by RuthisianCodex

[Ohayotaku]

Haven’t watched the season finale yet, but season 3 will apparently be the last & will begin sometime in 2021

 https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-09-21/fruits-basket-anime-gets-final-season-in-2021/.164299

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ohayotaku

[Anime loveer]

currently watching the last episode.

I ABsoultly hate how this ended   Such a cliffhanger..

There was finally a episode about Kureno and then found out that his curse is over , He is such a mysterious character , and i have never expected this. I haven't ever thought about Kureno's history was like this . There re still people who wish that the curse is over , and Kureno just broke the curse so easily and suddenly . When he hugged Tohru , I was expecting him to transform . but yea , he didn't.

When he said " i want to see her " that Uotani was the first person that he fell in love with after he broke the bond , I felt so bad for him . I m guessing this happened all before Akito changed ? Again this time to Kureno , she said " whats that in your eyes " the same thing she said to yuki after Yuki told her that he forgave her . She probably scared that Yuki might leave her too.

Yea , I have always knew that Akito was a woman . 

34 minutes ago, Ohayotaku said:

Haven’t watched the season finale yet, but season 3 will apparently be the last & will begin sometime in 2021

 https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-09-21/fruits-basket-anime-gets-final-season-in-2021/.164299

And if this is true we have to wait till next year to know more  

[RuthisianCodex]

Just watched it & I was expecting something absolutely terrible to happen but it wasn't as emotional as I feared it would be. I did tear up at Momiji & Tohru praying together though. There was such a fierce sincerity between them. And when Yuki said that he stood up to Akito with that pleased look on his face, that just made my day. I really wanted to hug him. And yeah, I've been calling Akito a girl the whole time so I wasn't shocked at all. She's a spiteful, mean, insecure, vindictive, whiny, weak, little girl. Ugh. And if you're wondering if I was moved by her break down with Kureno, no I wasn't. Look, none of us like feeling like we've been abandoned or not good enough or whatever but not everyone goes on destructive rampages where they're trying to gouge out people's eyes, claw at people's faces, throw people off rooftops, or smash glass objects over people's heads. Akito isn't just immature & codependent, she's dangerous. I'm not sure how this revelation is going to change the dynamic between Tohru & Akito but it would be awesome if Akito goes to do something so ridiculous that it snaps Tohru out of her overly delicate state, grabs Akito, & beats the hell out of her. I mean, it's unlikely but hey, I have a right to dream lol. 

[EnviousEnvy]

I'm a bit behind on the series (watching too many series at once).

I used to think Shigure was my absolute favorite but as of right now Haru and Rin are slowly taking his place (or at least will be another top favorite). I see so many people obsessing over Kyo but honestly I'm partial to Haru and his struggles too. He's so emotional and his personality is just *sigh*. Haru definitely deserves more love too.

[RuthisianCodex]

6 hours ago, EnviousEnvy said:

I'm a bit behind on the series (watching too many series at once).

I used to think Shigure was my absolute favorite but as of right now Haru and Rin are slowly taking his place (or at least will be another top favorite). I see so many people obsessing over Kyo but honestly I'm partial to Haru and his struggles too. He's so emotional and his personality is just *sigh*. Haru definitely deserves more love too.

Agreed. Haru is definitely a favorite of mine as well. And yeah, we absolutely need to delve deeper into his back story because I'm sure it's incredible.