Fruits Basket volumes 19-23

At first I was surprised that I was going to be discussing FIVE volumes but it actually takes five volumes to tell the end. It needs to take that long because these people are becoming human. We didn't really think of them as monsters but Shigure points out that they really are. How long does it take a monster to become human? Takaya lingers on the details as she unravels the threads of the story. Yet even as the story unfolds we find knots in some of the threads. There are previously unknown connections. Komaki's father died in the same accident as Kyoko, for instance. And who knew that Kyo knew Kyoko, had a pretty close bond with her in fact? We see parallels in Tohru and Kyo's childhood trauma as stupid adults make stupid assumptions about the abilities of children to understand things said about them. All of these things play out in the background of Kyo and Tohru's stumbling courtship.

It's a reasonable but childish thing to promise that your mother will always be the one you care most about. Tohru is seriously conflicted. She knows that she loves Kyo but does that mean she will lose her closeness with her mother? Yet Tohru knows there's no denying her love for Kyo and so she mourns once again the loss of her mother. She takes the courageous step of telling Kyo only to be crushed by his unthinking response. He in turn doesn't think it's fair to subject her to the life he will have to live. Both Momiji and Yuki (one with gentle, important words and the other with his fists) show Kyo the error of his ways.

One of the things that I was most interested in when reading the series was the curse. I was so surprised when Kureno didn't really know how he had broken it, especially when Rin and Tohru were so desperate to find out how to break it. Momiji was surprised to find himself truly alone and lonely. You could argue that he had always been alone since his family had basically abandoned him but he had always had the members of the Zodiac to lean on. Akito realized it and in her cruel way didn't fail to point it out. Hiro could suddenly hug his little sister but thought that Kisa wouldn't like him anymore. Shigure, having realized that all the Zodiac are alive at the same time, seems to best understand what's happening and assumes that this is the last banquet. However, he doesn't mind being cursed. Each person is surprised at the powerful emotions that sweep through them when finally released and most weep, both in sorrow and for joy. Finally we find out why the cat was ostracized. Tohru was shocked to think that the others, these people that she loved, could accept Kyo's banishment. He was the betrayer and the scapegoat. He was the one that knew that eternity was too long.

And finally we see in print what we already knew in our heads, everyone loved Tohru. They want her to be happy and ultimately are delighted to see her united with the cat. The old views are crumbling and are surprising to some. Kyo, for instance, can't believe it when Kisa gives him her hankie. In the final volume all the threads are untangled and we see each member of the Zodiac taking tentative steps into the world. Ironically Akito, the one who would be god, was the most frail of all, relying heavily on the support of Shigure, who is relieved to finally have her to himself. Of course, the most touching was the eternal love of Tohru and Kyo as evidenced by their closeness even in their old age.

This is essentially a many-layered love story and we loved it all.

Fruits Basket volumes 16, 17 & 18

Okay! Time to get back into the discussion of Fruits Basket. For this discussion, we'll focus on volumes 16, 17, and 18. There are several very pivotal revelations in these volumes, so if you have not read these chapters yet and do not want to be spoiled, please do not read any further until you do. These revelations will be addressed because of their significant role in the development of the story.

In volume 16 we learn more about Tohru's parents. We've had hints about Kyoko's past before, but we get the details in these chapters and not everything is pretty. Katsuya proved to be the influence she needed in her life as her relationship with her parents was strained and she was so isolated. I think their story is so sweet and romantic. It soon turns to heartache, though, when Katsuya falls ill and passes away. Kyoko completely falls apart, and I think the depiction of this in many ways is absolutely believable. Even for a person who is solidly on their feet and doesn't have the kind of baggage that Kyoko is burdened with, to lose the love of your life must be devastating. It's also disturbing, though, at the neglect that Tohru suffers during this time, and this plays a role in the person that Tohru is today.

Some questions about these chapters -

*We've seen examples throughout the story of mothers. One of the most important mother figures is Tohru's mother, so it's appropriate that we see her role as a mother to Tohru. Kyoko felt insecure when she learns she's going to become a mother, but I think most mothers feel very inadequate! We all make mistakes, and hopefully we learn from them and do better next time. What mistakes did Kyoko make? What kind of affect do those have on Tohru? What do you think about her role as a mother to Tohru?

Throughout the chapters in these three volumes, the relationship between Yuki and Machi continues to develop. For much of the first half of the series there appeared to be a romantic love triangle between Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, but that's changed now. How do you feel about Machi? What do you think of her pigsty apartment? How could Yuki ever fall for such an odd girl?

With Yuki out of the picture (not that Yuki and Kyo ever came to blows over winning Tohru's affection, or even mentioned it for that matter), you'd think it was clear sailing for Kyo. Tohru's feelings for him are obvious, and it's obvious that he cares for her. But something is keeping them apart and it really hurts to see it (this is the kind of angst I love, though, btw! ^^). I love all the small tender things that Kyo does for Tohru. So cute.

Okay, now to the revelations. There is so much revealed in these few chapters, but it sets us up perfectly for final handful of volumes. First major revelation: Kureno's curse has broken. Second major revelation: Akito is a woman. This explains so much - Akito's jealousy (especially her treatment of the female juunishi), why Kureno is unable to return Uo's feelings, and why everyone is so extremely messed up. And, we meet the most messed up person of all - Akito's mother, Ren. With just a few exchanges, we get the full picture of their mother-daughter relationship (which would make an interesting compare/contrast to Tohru's and Kyoko's relationship), and we understand why Akito is so possessive of her juunishi. Ren doesn't believe the bonds are real. Akito is set out to prove that they are. Meanwhile, Shigure is insanely jealous of Kureno's position and uses Ren to spite Akito (such sordid drama, ha ha), but we finally understand a little about Shigure's motives in all of this. Which brings in Rin and her fervent desire to break the curse, which leads to her being used by Ren, being locked up by Akito, and Haru goes black. I was so relieved when Kureno got some backbone and stepped in to rescue Rin.

Questions about the reveals and the bonds of the juunishi -

*First, I'm curious about everyone's reactions when they first read these chapters. Were you surprised? Did you have an idea of what was going on? There were allusions to the curse breaking in earlier chapters, were there allusions to Akito's gender as well?

*Knowing more about Akito, has that changed how you feel about her? Her behavior has been awful, but is it inexcusable?

As always, don't confine yourself to the discussion points above, but add your own thoughts as you read these chapters. Finally, let's plan on discussing the next two volumes (19 and 20) next week, resuming our original schedule. Hopefully a little more regular posting will keep us on track as we finish up the series. There's a lot to discuss, so thanks to everyone who's been participating!