Natsuki Takaya

Without a doubt my most favorite read of this year. This book means a whole lot to me. I lost my dad this year and he was my big protector, a gruff Marine with an attitude and pride who was a literal teddy bear when it came to his family so the father/daughter aspects of this story with Gabe/Rose and Clay/Tally just tugged at my soul. Really didn't expect to crack open this book and find echoes of my dad in its pages but I did and that was comforting to me. I cried about 5 times and laughed show more a whole lot. Loved all the campy Fantasy and RPG tropes and references. Chef's fucking kiss. Cannot wait to read Bloody Rose! show less

Fruits Basket, or Furuba as I knew it back in the days when I read the hodgepodge translations in a dedicated yahoogroup (RIP RosettaStoneCafe), on paper sounds so...inane that I can understand how some people would question its popularity. Lasting over 20 books, spawning a vastly popular anime and have the distinct infamy of having worse OTP wars then almost ANY other series (with a resolution that was straight up WRONG whether you were Team Kyo or Team Yuki or just Team Tohru), Furuba show more turns even the most jaded hearts of shoujo manga to puddles of water.

Don't let the pastel colors, cheerful faces and sparkling quotes fool you--Furuba chapters often do heel turns in narrative tone with no warning (the anime at least the MUSIC changes to ominous) that involve dark themes. I have friends today who STILL can not hear "When snow melts, what does it become?" (or any variation of that) without BAWLING (don't worry you find out why in the next volume). I personally can't think of Momiji without getting sniffly and watery-eyed.

The basic premise is this: Tohru Honda (who has the blandest name ever, its like Jane Smith in English) is a perky, sheerful, 1st year high school (10th grade American) student who's hardworking, has two very close friends and in general looks on the bright side of life. Despite being abandoned by her only living relatives after her mother (who raised her single-handedly for over a decade) died in a sudden brutal accident. Having to live in a tent while working every night to afford to go to school. One day, by accident, she finds out that she camping on the "Prince" of the school's family property and through a series of vaguely believable (if you've already bought into the premise of a 15 year old girl living in a tent because her relations are jackasses) circumstances winds up living at that Prince's home (that he shares with his cousin Shigure, a novelist).

Thus begins Tohru's life as she's swept up into the drama of the Sohma family's curse.

Its important to note that even though this first volume doesn't do much to persuade the reader of Tohru's Mary-Sueness being acceptable, there's a lot of smaller details here that later becomes important. Shigure in particular as this guy is SHADY AS HELL. And I'm not talking about his inappropriate need to comment on High School girls constantly (this kind of makes sense in a twisted way later on).

If you've come from the anime into this then be aware that the anime covers roughly the first five volumes of the manga. A few character/situations are excluded in the anime, as they're not important/expanded on until later volumes, but overall the anime did a faithful reproduction of these volumes. In some cases a BETTER then faithful reproduction. for instance Tohru's paternal side (her grandpa, Aunt and 2 older cousins) as well as that whole situation has a bit more emotional weight to it in the anime because it comes a smidge later then in the manga. We're given more time in the anime to see how (and why) Tohru unintentionally leads herself into forgetting that living with the Sohmas is temporary. It was more impactful when her own family treats her worse then a trio of complete strangers.

Especialy that one jackass son of the aunt's who wants to be a police officer so Tohru choosing to accept the hospitality of a classmate SO SHE WOULDN'T LIVE IN THE WOODS IN A TENT BY HERSELF was a "stain" on the "family's reputation". His smug insinuations that she was engaging in tawdry activities made my skin crawl and her female cousin's insistence that she keep her meager possessions in a corner is ridiculous.

I really hate her paternal family (even her grandfather, who though he stands up to his family doesn't seem to understand WHY Tohru, if she really had no other option, would have put up with that crap. She's distressingly desperate to belong somewhere, to have a family again. To have someone tell her she's wanted and needed.).

But this my friends is the only volume without any real OMG THE ANGST IT KILLS ME angst. Yuki, primarily, has some darker introspection moments (but that doesn't bare fruit until later) and we get glimpses of the true pain Tohru is hiding behind her cheerful smile, but by in large this is a fluffy, light-hearted volume.

From here on out get ready for abuse (verbal, mental, physical), quasi-incest (other then a few direct connections the Sohma's all call each other cousins so who the hell knows who is closely tied to who), intolerance, racism, classism, prejudice, social stratification, a level of emotional manipulation the world has rarely seen, bullying, gender identity shaming, mental illness shaming/slandering and of course AKITO.

If you're coming from the anime that Akito is only a tenth of how vicious this character gets. Actually not even a tenth. More like a drop in the pail of how vicious this little jerk is. Granted the problems Akito faced growing up are tenfold worse as well, but that also means Akito brings the hell. show less

ALL THE SOBBING. :hugs Momiji: my poor poor rabbit. (in case you can't guess this is when we learn about Momiji's mom...)



In this fourth volume of the manga we delves deeper not only into Tohru's mother (happily she says her mother was in a gang), but we also meet Ayame (Aaya), Yuki's older brother, learn about Momiji's difficult family past and oh yeah Akito shows up to be a downer on everything (very early on in the book though, so folk get over it).

The volume starts off with the first day show more of the new school year. Tohru, Yuki and Kyo are all starting their second year (11th grade) of High school while Momiji (sporting a girls' school uniform because dawwww he's so freaking cute!) and Hatsuharu (sporting the boys' uniform but looking hot...crap he's 15 I shouldn't say that) are starting their first year (10th). All's fun and games with Haru scarring the Student Council President (who has an inappropriate fantasy of Yuki in a girls' uniform, urged on by Black Haru) until OH GOD WHY IS AKITO HERE? Being uber creepy. And malicious. And creepy.

Moving on Aaya creeps on Tohru...though here's the thing. He's not perverted exactly? Not like Shigure. Aaya reserves most of his flirting for Shigure, and while he makes suggestive comments towards Tohru they're sexual and more "this is what I would do so you should to!".

From there we watch as Tohru, Hanajima and Uotani celebrate the first anniversary of Kyoko's death. Kyo and Yuki come along, shocked by a) Tohru's mom was in a gang (no seriously), b) they're having a picnic at her grave site and c) how much she has to mourn but still remains cheerful (makes them look like pansies). We also get hints of a deeper secret (which they don't go into in the anime since its not really resolved until another dozen or so books) involving the hat, Kyo creeps on Tohru sleeping (she does fall asleep in the hall so its less weird then it sounds) and Yuki remembers when the news must have been told to Tohru because at the time he was a dick and idly wondered if it was a death in the family (having no idea who Tohru is, not an excuse).

OH AND LET'S TALK ABOUT MOMIJI OKAY?

Look none of the Zodiac gets away with a cheerful life. None of them. Maybe the closest is Ayame, but even then its less because nothing happens to him and more because he learned really quick that as long as he didn't antagonize Akito he would be ignored (one has to wonder if, as a teen since he didn't care about Yuki at all--barely remembered he existed--he was relieved that Akito took such an interest in him since that left him with more freedom then any other Zodiac member outside of possibly Shigure...who's trap is of his own making). But Momiji, who's a hyper version of Tohru in so many ways, keeps up his delusions as a way to stay sane.

So he watches his mother and his sister from afar, so proud of his little sister Momo for how cute and smart she is, hopes his mother is happy and finds small ways to kind of have her in his life. Because the alternative, as he so plainly states to Tohru, is to forget he has a mother and forgetting doesn't beget happiness.

I'M CRYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. And what's worse is that you can't even judge his mother, any more then we could judge Kana after what happened to Hatori. The woman had a complete psychotic break that was understandable. Its her son, the product of her love, but touching him turns him into an animal. Being confronted by the curse like that...well. I don't blame her. show less

As I think many fans of Fruits Basket can tell you, this is far and away one of the most important, heartwrenching, beautiful volumes of the manga. It is undoubtedly a turning point in many ways.

Many times over the course of the series, Fruits Basket caused a lump to come to my throat. But as I read this one, I found myself actually shedding tears. The combination of art, dialogue, and scene setup came together to create an amazingly moving scenario. Even now, Tohru's outburst (I almost want show more to call it a soliloquy) to Kyo remains one of my favorite parts from the entire series. The flashbacks to Kyo's childhood were heart-tearing, but that only made Tohru's assertion that much more striking. And honestly, I can't see how someone could keep from crying when Tohru carries cat-Kyo home in her arms...that single panel made me stop, close the volume, and take deep breaths for about a minute, composing my emotions. Kazuma-sensei kneeling was just the crowning touch.

This is also, by the way, the volume that made me certain that, no matter what, Tohru and Kyo were meant to be together. :) show less