Thoughts On The Latest Episode of Fruits Basket?

[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. 

[Anime loveer]

5 minutes ago, RuthisianCodex said:

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. 

Haru is also one of my favorite , but i definitly can't forget other characters like momiji ,  

[EnviousEnvy]

18 hours ago, RuthisianCodex said:

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. 

Would be cool if they did a spin-off series focusing on Haru.

[RuthisianCodex]

One of my favorite scenes from this season. My guy Hatori was NOT messing around!

 

[User 781]

On 9/25/2020 at 1:31 AM, EnviousEnvy said:

Would be cool if they did a spin-off series focusing on Haru.

You might find this ANN article from 2018 to be of interest, then.

Quote

Manga artist Natsuki Takaya announced on Twitter on Monday that her Fruits Basket Another manga will end with the next chapter. She acknowledged, however, that it is only "tentatively" the final chapter because she would still like to draw one-shots.

 

[Ohayotaku]

Sorry for the delay in posting, had some difficulty in putting down my thoughts on the season’s final episode & the series up to this point where I was happy with how it sounded when I read it. That I’m hopefully getting across what’s been rattling around in my head without sounding overly emo, cringey, or opinionated.  I’ll start by saying that this is pretty much a lock for my AOTY & will probably be in my alltime top 10 when it’s all over. In 40 years of watching anime, I can’t think of another series that has gotten me so emotionally invested in it’s characters. As I’ve stated before there isn’t any direct correlation between my own life experiences & those of the characters. But the psychological & emotional needs to feel accepted, loved & valued resonate very powerfully. In truth, I generally avoid overly dramatic or emotional series as I primarily watch anime as a way to de-stress & escape from some of my heavier thoughts. But as much emotional turmoil as this series stirs up, it always manages to still impart a sense of hope. That as painful & traumatic  as things have been in the past or even the present, there is still hope for a better future. Of course, there are more light hearted & even comedic moments scattered throughout, but it’s the emotional impact that really defines the series for me.

Switching to more specific thoughts on the final episodes, I was relieved that the season ended with what I view as it’s inescapable & climactic confrontations put off till next season instead of leaving the viewer to agonize for months during the hiatus. The reveal regarding Akito’s gender actually felt underwhelming.   While I had already heard that she was a woman, it actually seemed pretty obvious even without the foreknowledge. I seem to remember @wikkidgrace commenting earlier that this aspect seemed to be downplayed by the adaption & would probably affect how she was viewed. My current theory is taking into account the tirade she goes on before attacking Rin & her hysterical fear of abandonment is that her mother left her father for another man & he took his resentment out on her, raising her to believe women are deceitful & untrustworthy, basically hating & rejecting her own gender. She also seems to be in the unique position of being both spoiled AND neglected. Raised being told that she is special but still treated as a figurehead or tool by the clan’s elders. Supposedly honored, but not shown any genuine affection, given the zodiac members as “pets” to be treated as she sees fit. And essentially told that the only reason anyone would ever love her is out of obligation or being forced to. It seems highly likely that Kureno being mysteriously freed from the curse was the trigger for her going from arrogant/condescending to being openly abusive that Yuki alluded to a couple episodes back. Even though Kureno chose to stay with Akito, the fear that he could leave her if he wanted to & she wouldn’t be able to stop him clearly terrifies her. The biggest problem I have with the way she has been portrayed up to this point is that I can see her as a tragic figure, but not as a sympathetic one  & it will be extremely difficult to convincingly make her one. ALL the Soma’s have had heartachingly  painful backstories & it’s difficult to imagine that her’s is any worse. Moreover, she comes across as genuinely malicious, trying to intentionally breakdown others & at times even injure or maim them. Even when Kyo lashed out at Tohru in his cursed form, his intent was to frighten her badly enough that she would never come near him, not cause her any lasting harm. But I fear Akito is quite capable of trying to kill someone she sees as a threat. Which makes Tohru’s situation all the more dangerous, because my own feeling is that breaking the curse entirely will require helping Akito to face her own personal demons as she has done with the other Zodiac members. And beyond the physhcal danger, there is Tohru’s own psychological & emotional trauma that she’s keeping bottled up while helping others find some measure of healing. While I remain convinced that some measure of happiness awaits all the characters by journey’s end, I also believe the greatest challenges they have to overcome still lie ahead. Needless to say, while I’ll happily accept a brief emotional reprieve, I’m looking forward to see things come to their resolution next year.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the conversations up to this point as it had made the shared experience that much more meaningful 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Ohayotaku

[User 781]

On 10/6/2020 at 8:56 PM, Ohayotaku said:

My commenting earlier that this aspect seemed to be downplayed by the adaption & would probably affect how she was viewed. My current theory is taking into account the tirade she goes on before attacking Rin & her hysterical fear of abandonment is that her mother left her father for another man & he took his resentment out on her, raising her to believe women are deceitful & untrustworthy, basically hating & rejecting her own gender. She also seems to be in the unique position of being both spoiled AND neglected. Raised being told that she is special but still treated as a figurehead or tool by the clan’s elders. Supposedly honored, but not shown any genuine affection, given the zodiac members as “pets” to be treated as she sees fit. And essentially told that the only reason anyone would ever love her is out of obligation or being forced to.

I like this theory, it's not super far off from the truth. But it looks like we'll have to wait for season 3 to have that discussion.

I'm honestly surprised they cut it off where they did... but now I know the next season is going to come in with a strong YEE-HAW. Can't wait.

[Ohayotaku]

1 hour ago, wikkidgrace said:

we'll have to wait for season 3 to have that discussion.

Already looking forward to it 

[Brandonn]

i like it it 

im new to anime but i hear it is heavily based on the manga series?

 

anyway its the second anime i have watched and i think it is really good!

[Ohayotaku]

@Brandonn saw on your MAL that you watched season 1, but didn’t see season 2 listed. You should definitely watch if you haven’t already. I’m already looking forward to the conclusion next year.

[EnviousEnvy]

I'm a bit behind on the series. I generally watch subbed but since my fiance can't keep up with subbed I unfortunately have to watch it dubbed.

Anyway, I feel bad for Yuki with how his mom treats him and how Akito also treats him. I'm glad though that he never gives up in the end. 

 

Also (since I haven't read far in the manga either) in my opinion I think Akito, as much as I hate to feel kind of bad for him as well, has some sort of mental health issues after watching episode 21 and seeing him that night with Yuki as kids where he finally tells him he's nothing like him and he's useless. Now that I think of it, I wonder how Akito was raised? Was he raised in a cruel, unloving environment and/or did everything just eventually fall to him out of nowhere and all of the responsibilities made his sanity spiral out of control? I'm generally curious and I hope they dive further into his past as well or even make a spin off of the original series. I would love to know more about his past.

[EnviousEnvy]

I can't wait for season 3. I might binge watch season one and season two. I miss it already, lol.

[Ohayotaku]

Final season begins in April

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-29/fruits-basket-the-final-anime-reveals-april-premiere-teaser-visual/.168942

 

[EnviousEnvy]

20 hours ago, Ohayotaku said:

Final season begins in April

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-29/fruits-basket-the-final-anime-reveals-april-premiere-teaser-visual/.168942

 

I still can't believe it's the final season

[Brandonn]

cant believe its actually coming to a end this was probably the 3rd or 4th anime ive watched which i started watching anime in june anyway i cant believe its actually ending man..

[Ohayotaku]

I’m personally glad they’re looking to wrap things up, though I do hope the final season is another double couer (24 - 26 episodes). And am grateful they’ve managed to maintain the pace of 6 months on, 6 months off per year. Not surprised that the visual for the final season  puts the spotlight on Tohru & Akito as the 2 opposing influences. Despite the somber tone, still hoping for some happy endings for everyone when it’s all over.

[User 781]

Can't wait for y'all's reactions. If this is the last season, then they have a lot to cover so it's going to move fast I expect.

[EnviousEnvy]

I honestly thought it was hilarious seeing my fiance's reactions when more things about Akito came to light

[Ohayotaku]

Article contains a recap video & a few scenes from the upcoming final season

https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/02/19/revisit-fruits-basket-season-2-before-the-final-season-hits-with-digest-trailer-featuring-new-footage

[Ohayotaku]

The latest trailer

 

[Ohayotaku]

If you’re ok with the dub version, Funimation put up the first episode of season 3 early (I think you need to be a paid subscriber to watch, but not sure)

[Ohayotaku]

After watching the first ep of the final season, I can only say the emotional rollercoaster continues.  
To say Akito has a dysfunctional relationship with her mother is an understatement  

 

that had to be the scariest display of Akito’s mental instability yet & her mother actually seemed to be trying to goad Akito into killing her. And I hate to think how she’s planning to manipulate Isuzu[/spoiler]

Hanajima’s nightgown festival (pajama party) to try & cheer up Tohru was equal parts heartwarming & funny. And yes Megumi (Saki’s younger brother) you are a lucky boy indeed 

And thing ended on a humorous note with Shigure re-empathizing the importance of Tohru’s role in the household 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Ohayotaku

[Ohayotaku]

For those who didn’t watch the early dub version of the latest episode, the regular subtitled version is up now. A lot of the members who were posting in this thread don’t seem to be around much anymore, but hopefully they’ll return or we’ll get some new contributors as we head into the final season  

[Ohayotaku]

Excellent OP & ED again this season. The ED’s accompanying visuals seem kinda spoilery, but in a reassuring way.

This week touched on several of the relationships.

Kyo/Tohru

 

old Kyo would’ve never acted this apologetic. It really shows how his feelings for Tohru have changed him, probably more than he’s willing to admit

Yuki/Machi

 

very funny Machi chasing Yuki all over the school just to say hello to him & then getting mad over it 

 I think these two are good for each other

Shigure/Akito

not really surprised there is a love/hate aspect to their feelings for each other. Still shocking that he would go so far as to have sex with Akito’s mom to get back at her for having sex with Kureno. I’m very curious to learn more about Akito’s father & the circumstances surrounding his death. Can’t help but feel that it’s also key to the animosity between Akito & her mother

  

Edited April 14, 2021 by Ohayotaku

[Ohayotaku]

It’s probably more than a little cringey that I’m the only one still posting to this topic, but it continues to be one of the only series I’ve seen where every week there are thoughts/feelings. I need to “put out there”. Still hoping some of the members who posted previously will return or else offer their impressions when they get around to watching. I will use spoiler tags more often to avoid ruining the story. 

Season 3, episode 3 felt like it covered a lot of separate plot points, the first half being the part I enjoyed most. 

We’re given a bit more insight into Machi’s “relationship” with her parents it’s connection to her outbursts that tend to freak people out because they don’t understand the reason for them. Which makes Yuki’s empathy & support that much more important. As much as I fully expect the Tohru/Kyo romance to take center stage as we get closer to the finale, Yuki/Machi are just adorable

 right now. And her brother somehow managing to both help & hinder things along the way is too funny

The 2nd half has the president of Yuki’s fanclub officially confessing her feelings to Yuki while admitting she already knows it’s one-sided. But she needed closure on the subject as she graduates & she has no regrets or hard feelings about it. And then Nao confesses his own one-sided crush on her, which at least partially explains why he viewed Yuki as a rival. Even though they aren’t a big part of the story, it was still nice to see the story humanize them a bit more 
But I swear Kimi irritates me to no end  Then we get a sweet interlude with Hiro who’s now officially a big brother and a welcome reminder that not all the Sohmas are terrible parents. But then it has to ramp up the tension at the end by revealing that Isuzu didn’t attend her graduation. The official story is that she’s in the hospital again, but no one knows where or what  her condition is. Of course the audience knows she was last seen with Akito’s mom who apparently wants to use her as a pawn in their mother/daughter feud. And that last scene just seemed ominous

Gonna be tough waiting another week.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Ohayotaku