There is a wide range of events in these two volumes - relationships continue to develop and we gain greater insight into existing ones, we meet another member of the zodiac, and we learn more about the curse.
I really enjoy the relationship between Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame. They are known as the Mabudachi Trio, and from my limited understanding of the language, "mabudachi" means "close friend", making their nickname fitting as these three have literally grown up together. The focus of the interactions between this group in this section of the reading is over concern for Hatori as Kana is recently married.
Kisa is the next member of the zodiac that Tohru meets. The Sohma family curse has not been easy for her as she has been teased because of her appearance. There are some interesting thoughts about personal validation in this section of the volume and I'd be interested in expounding on it. Teasing isn't something that is singular to the Sohmas - everyone has experienced it. So, I think it's something we can each identify with on some level. What are your thoughts about Kisa's situation? Also, is Kisa's mother the overly protective type or the rejecting type?
One of the things I love about Fruits Basket is that even in the more "filler" chapters of the story, we can still discover little nuggets of insight about relationships or about characters. In the story with the Prince Yuki Fan Club presidency trying to find Hana's weakness, we learn a lot about Hana in just a few words. It's natural for friendships to be tested and to evolve, and I like that we see that happening here. Hana has felt a little lonely as Tohru has started spending more of her time with the Sohmas, but she demonstrates true friendship in finding happiness in Tohru's happiness.
Another character we are introduced to is Kazuma Sohma, or Shishou, as Kyo addresses him. We learn about why he took Kyo in and is serving as a father figure in Kyo's life.The first really climactic moment of the series revolves around Kyo's transformation. I'm not really sure where you all want the discussion to go with this part as there is so much that can be talked about. I have a few thoughts to mention here and then I hope you'll add what your thoughts are regarding this section of the story.
The first thought I had is about foreshadowing. How was Kyo's transformation foreshadowed? Did anyone pick up on the beads? I will admit right here that I missed everything, and I never questioned why Kyo wore beads. I watched the anime before I read the manga, and I think the presentation is superior in the manga, but regardless, I missed the boat. And kind of an aside, but what other foreshadowing are you seeing in the story? One of the things I enjoyed so much with reading this manga the first time was speculating about future events, so I'd love to see any speculation for first-time reads of this story.
The other thought I had about Kyo's transformation is the symbolism behind it. What does the true form symbolize? Why does the cat have an alternate form? What kind of effect does this have on the story and on the other members of the zodiac?
Finally, one little thing that I love about this part of the story is that it's the first time Kyo ever addresses Tohru by her name (in any form). It's just like Kyo to bypass any formality and call her by her given name straight out. We've mentioned before how changing the way one addresses someone in Japanese culture signifies a change in the relationship. How was Tohru different from Kyo's mother in reaction to his true form? What changes have occurred in this brief interaction?
After all the heavy angst, there's some light-hearted fun at Ayame's dress shop, and we meet Mine, who I really like. She and Ayame kind of speak a different language all together when they are talking to each other. She certainly can keep up with Ayame's personality!
6 comments:
Ok, lots to discuss...about Kisa, to start with. In a culture like Japan, where the majority of people look very similar in terms of hair and eye color, wouldn't they just assume Kisa is a foreigner like they seem to take for granted with Momiji? The other boys seem to deal with their bullying by others with violence (we hear about how Haru and Kyo would get into fights about it, and Yuki is so admired that no one seems to comment much) and the only other girl we've met so far, Kagura, seems like a person who would be hard to bully, though she probably didn't have to worry about it, having similar hair and eyes to the others, but Kisa is so quiet and timid to begin with, or at least that's how we see her, that I don't think she has the personality to react the way the others do. Strange, maybe the Japanese see tigers differently, but I wouldn't take it for a timid animal. She probably also fears being rejected by her mother, aware that other zodiac members have troubles with their families. Kisa's response may not have been the best, but she got the support she needed, and started to make things work again.
Shishou...I like him, and just like the other Sohma men, he's very good looking. I like that he's so honest about his reasons for choosing to be Kyo's foster parent, and how that evolves into a true relationship. Him being the grandson of the previous cat makes me think that despite the cat being isolated, he must've had a companion of some sort, otherwise how could he have a grandson? That Shishou loves Kyo enough to hurt him in the hopes of healing him speaks volumes of his wisdom. He understands somehow that years of wrong can be made right if people are willing to trust and take risks.
Can't say I picked up on the beads the first time, but I think Kate may have tipped me off that they were important, since I watched, then read Fruits Basket on her recommendation. I think the cat's other form symbolizes some deeper burden of the curse. I won't say much more about the curse at this point, since I've finished the manga and don't want to spoil, but I will say to remember who has told the story and where their biases lie.
Kyo tells us flat out how Tohru is different from his mother: she was willing to look at him, really see him, and accept him for what he was honestly. He wouldn't blame her for being frightened of him in that form, but he wanted her to not pretend, and really look at him. I'll be honest, if it weren't for reference to the smell he gives off in that form, I'd think he looks pretty cool, and almost like those weird monster things in that first live-action Scooby Doo movie. I'm kinda glad that the manga doesn't make Kyo's transformation out to be that big a deal with reference to Tohru and her reaction to it. I felt like in the anime, for those who have watched it, that several people acted way out of character.
I think it takes a lot for Kyo to feel comfortable calling anyone by name...he calls most people by nicknames most of the time, or just speaks bluntly and directly to them. Probably a lot to do with trust, and how many people he's had hurt him over the years. Even Shishou doesn't get called by a name, but by a title of respect, Yuki is usually the "damn rat", and so on. Tohru is probably one of the only people he's ever opened his heart to, and therefore he feels safe knowing she won't reject him, and calls her by name.
I'll stop for now, blanking on what else I wanted to say, but more later when I remember.
Okay, so I sat down last night to watch the last few episodes of the anime, which would cover volume 6, and I'm surprised that everything is so unfamiliar. I get so completely caught up in it that I finish the DVD. Guess what?! In my breezing through the first 10 volumes (supposedly), I accidentally skipped number 6. I couldn't believe it! How could I have skipped such an intense, pivotal volume?! I should have suspected it a few weeks ago when the friend loaning me the books asked what I thought about Kyo's true form. I knew it had been hinted at, but couldn't remember reading that it had been revealed. She said it was in book 6, but I had no idea what she was talking about.
Anyway, even though I've watched it, I want to read it before joining in on the discussion, since I wouldn't be surprised that the manga has more in it than the anime. I didn't read you post, Kate, and I haven't read your response, Angela. Just wanted to let you know where I am, and that I hope to jump in pretty soon here.
That's kind of a funny story. I'm glad you caught that you missed that volume, Ruth. It's pretty pivotal in the story.
As much as I love the anime - and it really is well done - I think it missed the boat on the finale. It's obvious that they wanted to heighten the tension and emotion of the story, but I feel that it can stand on its own just fine with the way the manga portrays it. And, as Angela said, so many act out of character - it's kind of uncomfortable for me to watch those scenes now that I have the manga perspective.
Anyway, it's fairly common for a popular manga to be adapted into an anime before the manga is even complete. For Fruits Basket, I think that the best part of the story is yet to come that the anime didn't show, so I feel kind of frustrated that it was adapted so early on. I would love to see later chapters animated. I can hold out hope that it might one day happen (afterall, if FMA can get two different anime adaptions, why can't my beloved furuba??), but it's a long one.
I don't know if anyone will actually read my comments, since I'm so late, but here I am at last. I'll try to get the character guide updated today or later this week. At first I wasn't going to read the comments, like Ruth has done but I changed my mind and read everything. I think that Kate raised some really good questions and I'd like to discuss those and maybe raise some of my own.
The first time I read it the name, Mabudachi Trio, slipped by me so when I saw it in discussions I had no idea what people were talking about. I didn't know that it means close friend but that's really cool. They really are extremely close. The friendship is extraordinary in that they seem to know EVERYTHING about each other and yet they accept each other. It was touching to see how Ayame tried to care for Hatori with tea and the pictures. Although I don't think of Ayame as wise, he left the pictures for Hatori to view at his discretion. Usually Hatori takes care of Ayame but now we see the roles reversed. Shigure is still an unknown quantity. We get the idea that he likes the girls but may not always be exactly the gentleman we would like to see. On the other hand his hope that Hatori would someday find a woman that he could get close to is very touching.
What should I say about Kisa? Teasing will either make you stronger or break you. I wondered why she didn't tell her mother about it. It seems that she doesn't know whether her mother is the kind that overprotects or rejects. Actually neither one is a good situation. Kisa may even be trying to protect her mother. Hatsuhara is such a kind and giving person. The difference between his black nature and what we see here is even more noticeable.
The first time I read the series I didn't have much patience with the "filler" type chapters. Now that I know the story I have a little more tolerance for these sections. The Prince Yuki Fan Club is just too silly to me. The trip to Hanajima's shows us the depth of the friendship her friends feel for Tohru. It is the counterpoint to the Mabudachi Trio. However, in this case they don't know everything about each other and since they're younger, we don't know how long the relationship will last.
It was so good to see Kyo smiling and happy around Kazuma Sohma. It's clear that this is a father son relationship, whether they want to admit it or not. Kazuma is really a better parent for a child of the curse than any we've seen so far. He's loving and accepting but doesn't try to smother, in fact he's willing to make Kyo take huge risks.
I was totally unprepared for the transformation, had no idea that the beads held any significance. The only foreshadowing I can think off was pretty obvious. That was when Kagura wondered if Tohru knew about it. I can't remember what book that was in. It was only very brief and I'm not sure I even noticed it the first time I read it. Did Kagura want Tohru to accept Kyo's true form or not? It was shocking to see Tohru puking her guts out and admitting that this form scared her. I think her honesty was extremely important. Kyo could understand her fear and revulsion. The fact that she accepted him despite that was what he was hoping for, something his mother was not able to give. How much of a burden must her suicide be? I can't compare the anime to the manga because it's been a very long time since I watched it.
I still struggle with the alternate form of the cat. Why was it necessary to burden the cat with this? Do the other zodiac members hate the cat because of this or for some other deep-seated reason? Was it really necessary to lock up the cat as we see happened to Kazuma's grandfather? How could his grandfather remain so accepting, just the opposite of Kyo? It's as if the entire family thought it was ok to torture cats. I am brought to tears every time I read this section and see Kyo hug Tohru, turning himself into a cat.
I'm not sure if my comments will appear or not since I got a notice that they were too large. I see it here so hopefully it will show up. Here's the last part of my comments that I had to cut because I knew it was too large.
I never even noticed that this was the first time Kyo called Tohru by her name. I had to look at it again to find that. I understand Kyo's unhappiness with his own mother but I also feel so bad for her. She tried very hard to be accepting. She was overprotective and fought her urge to reject him and the strain was too much for her. It's no wonder that Kyo is so messed up.
Yuki's surprise Ayame's shop was very funny but it was cute seeing how much he likes Tohru in her fancy dress. I need to add Mine to the character guide too.
Looks like I need to add Mine to the character guide too. Sorry that I'm so late.
I enjoyed your comments, Debra. I also get that error message. I've learned (from past experience), to cut and paste my comments, so I don't know if that's what triggers the error message or what, but I get it every time I do that...and yet, they still show up.
I really really love the relationship between Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame. They laugh and have fun and tease, but they also genuinely care and want what's best for each other. Even Ayame can be serious when he really wants to be. :D
That's a good question about Kagura and whether she wanted Tohru to know or not. I think that part of her wanted Tohru to know and parted of her was relieved that she didn't yet. Kagura's kind of in a tight place right now in that she loves Kyo, but she also admires and loves Tohru, and maybe she's not ready to share something so personal about Kyo to anyone even if Kyo isn't her own personal private property even if at times she seems to think he is.
The true form of the cat and why there is one has always thrown me for a loop. I know that at this point in the story, it changed things, learning this about Kyo. It took away the cuteness of transformations and turned it into something scary and serious. Your heart aches for Kyo. It makes you want to know more about the curse and what is the fate of each of the juunishi, particularly that of Kyo. After the transformation scene in the anime, I knew I had to read the manga to find out what was going to happen.
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