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!
25 comments:
I finished the complete series a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. I think the end of the series really was consistently good. For volumes 16 (I rated 3 stars), 17 (5 stars) & 18 (4 stars) I thought that there was good development.
It was good to have more background and I also liked the theme of motherhood in these volumes that Kate mentioned. Tohru really is a nurturer and you see her mothering/caring for all the other characters.
For the love triangle, after Yuki declared that he loved Tohru in such an intimate and close way (the art was amazing in those pages) I thought that they would be together. Then. . . nothing ever happened and it was never spoken of again (up to this point). I don’t know how I feel about Machi, I wish that could have been more developed. For me it seemed to come of out nowhere, but maybe if I read the series again looking for some deeper connection there I would have seen it. Forgive me here. . . but I thought that they ended up being put together because Yuki, as a main character, needed to end up with someone and she was nearby. (blasphemy I know. . . )
As for Akito, I do have more sympathy knowing more about her and think that her story is so important. I felt that she was a woman from the onset, perhaps it was the drawings or her manner. Someone else mentioned that they also thought she was a woman earlier.
At the very basic level I think these books are about relationships. I have loved the dynamics that have been explored. The exploration of feelings, commitments, negative experiences, abuse, love, longing, self-esteem. . . is amazing. This is such a complex series that does a great job of allowing the reader to delve into all these emotions and more.
Oops. . . I also LOVED how the art evolved. The characters have matured and look older and wiser.
Knowing who Kyoko really was, how she viewed both Tohru and Katsuya (I really like his name, for some reason, btw, I met a little boy named Katsuya in Japan who was a real fireball) and how Tohru helped her to come back to life after the loss of her husband, really speaks volumes about who Tohru is and why she thinks and feels the way she does about the boys under her care. Losing the people she loves has already affected her so heavily that she does everything in her power, even when she thinks she might be overstepping her boundaries, to keep her new family together. As for her relationship with Yuki vs Kyo...Yuki's declaration of love to her was different than a romantic one...she filled a need in his life and helped him to become a person he didn't loathe, and I think he saw her more as a mother than as a potential girlfriend. He loved, in other words, the person he had become through her influence, as much as he loved her for who she was, and recognized that who she was helped him to become who he wants to be. To be continued in the next post...
I'll address my thoughts separately just because I tend to overtype and get that stupid notice about my message being too long. Anyway, I feel the same pain as Kate about knowledge and pain that keeps Kyo from declaring his love to Tohru the way he wants to...even reading this, I can't bear the thought of him being locked up his whole life, cut off from human contact except for Akito. Knowing him, he might very well choose to commit suicide rather than face that kind of life after knowing the life he does now, with people who care about him and value his happiness and don't seek to blame him for anything. As for Tohru, I don't think she consciously recognizes yet that she loves Kyo the way she does, though she's definitely getting strong hints that he loves her...she knows she cares deeply for him, and she wants to be close to him, but that's enough for her to feel right now. She's got allies too, in Shishou and Kagura and Rin. Breaking the curse is a common goal for all of them, and I'm getting the feeling they'll stop at nothing between them.
Now on to the really big stuff...Kureno's curse is broken, which is proof that it can break, but he doesn't know how. Akito is female, has an absolute jealous psycho for a mother, and carries some jealousy of her own toward the female members of the juunishi...she recognizes, obviously, that if the men turn their attention to the women, their attention isn't on her, and she is very cruel about showing it. But there has to be some kind of insecurity hidden behind that cruelty, the fear of ultimately losing that bond, and she already knows it can happen thanks to Kureno. I'm also glad he kind of grew a spine to help Rin, just because I think it's kind of cowardly of him to stay with Akito the way he does out of pity. I never considered Akito's behavior excusable, but knowing what I do of children who are damaged emotionally the way she is, I can't say it's surprising. These children will basically hurt you as much as you can to test your feelings for them, at the same time almost screaming for your love and attention. Basically, it's the idea of "how much can I do before I drive you away? I'll try so that you'll leave, I won't get attached and therefore won't get hurt...but I'm so scared and all alone and I want you to love me and to notice me." Probably, given the parents she dealt with, a father who left her so young but obviously loved her, and a mother who's jealous and basically crazy and vindictive, Akito clings to the bond of the zodiac because it's all she has to believe in.
Last one, and this will be brief. Yuki and Michi...I kind of think he was drawn to her because he recognizes himself in her, the fear and insecurity, and wants to take the bold step of helping her the way Tohru helped him. He's still in the process of gradually proving to himself what he's capable of, and Michi is another test for himself, an awareness that he's a good enough person to be able to truly help someone else. And of course, in the process, an attachment is formed.
Haru going black...I'm honestly surprised he hasn't tried to deck Akito in his rages, I get the sense that he doesn't always recognize the situation in that mode, and if he got angry enough, he'd go after anyone. I really do love Haru...he's less afraid of the consequences than most of the others, and goes out of his way to take care of the people he cares about, namely Rin and Yuki.
Posting in parts, too. I am enjoying this discussion so much. Thanks for all the great comments so far.
A lot of people have felt the way you do about Yuki, Karla. As much as I preferred a romance between Tohru and Kyo, I also felt like Yuki kind of got shafted and thrown a love interest just because. But, the more I think about this part of the story, the more it makes sense to me the way it is. Yuki really loves Tohru. I believe that. And, I'm going to disagree with Angela here, but I think those feelings were romantic, especially that scene when he told Tohru that he loved her. It's just that Yuki's never had any exposure to real love - including parental love - and so as he started to develop and come outside of his shell, I think his feelings developed, too, and that he recognized that his feelings for Tohru are primarily those of loving her as a mother figure in his life. He tells Kakeru that he was attracted to Tohru as a woman, but as he tried to act out his feelings, he realized that they weren’t romantic as much as the love one has for a mother. It does kind of feel like a cop-out that he would suddenly be out of the picture like this, but I think that Tohru wouldn't be a good love interest for him. As much as Yuki has always treated her respectfully, he doesn't know how to help her on a deeper level that Kyo just instinctively knows how to do. But, like Angela has said, Yuki has found someone to help in Machi, and through doing that, has maybe found someone else to love and a more balanced, equal relationship.
I don’t think that Kyo would turn to suicide. It’s been all too present in his own young life that I think he recognizes the pain it causes to those all around. I think Kyo has matured a lot up to this point. In the early chapters, he was so angry, so quick to blame anyone (especially Yuki), but now, he’s moved into a resigned state about his fate. I think he feels that this is best for everyone, that he recognizes his role in the curse and is ready to do what he must to fulfill it. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s not the only one that will be hurt by his confinement, and this includes Tohru, who is already starting to feel his future loss acutely. Which brings me to how they feel about each other: I have to disagree with you Angela. I don’t think that either of them is aware of their feelings for each other, but I do think they are aware of how they individually feel, if that makes sense. So, for Tohru, I think she’s fully aware of how she feels about Kyo, but she’s conflicted for some reason at this point with the potential for Kyo’s confinement starting to upset her careful balance she’s maintained up to this point, and because she’s so self-absorbed with her own feelings, she hasn’t considered how Kyo feels about her. The same with Kyo…he is fully aware that he loves her (admitted it to himself during his confrontation with Akito), but he had some sort of connection with Tohru’s mother that he’s upset by, and I think that above all, he can’t imagine that anyone could ever care for him. The curse of the cat and the repulsion that the other juunishi feel for him is too ingrained for him to think that he could deserve love. Akito taunts him about this at the beach house, and that scene is probably one of many throughout his life such that a normal life is totally beyond his comprehension to ever enjoy. That’s why it’s got to be a slow torment for him to be around the girl he loves and yet know that he will disappear to his confinement and she’ll move on with her life.
Akito.
I think you're amazing that you picked up on Akito's true gender, Karla. I did not see that coming, although looking back, it makes a lot of sense with Akito's penchant for picking on the female juunishi and her slight figure, etc. So, bravo for being so astute that you had that figured out so early on. :)
I like your thoughts about Akito, Angela. And while reading them, it made me think of Kyo when he tried to hurt Tohru to push her away when he learned his true form. I too think that Akito acts out of fear. All she knows is this bond, and having Kureno free of it must make her feel very scared about her power over the rest of the juunishi. Will they stay bound to her or will she lose them in time, too? It is frightening and it is all that she can see. Her crazy mother doesn’t help any, either.
I'll be honest, Kate, since I finished reading a while ago, I'm going completely off memory, so things you disagree with me on may be due just to me not having read the section recently. I just couldn't help myself. But you make some very valid points too. As far as Kyo and Tohru's feelings, I had forgotten that Kyo had admitted to his feelings for Tohru, but I still think Tohru is a bit in the dark about her feelings as far as specifically how she feels. I know she feels very acutely how Kyo's confinement will affect her, but I don't know if she's really realized it's love yet, just that she doesn't want to have him absent from her life. I'm not at all sure how they interpret they other person's feelings for themselves...I agree with you that they are pretty self-involved, and Kyo does have his issues with not feeling he deserves happiness...his dad still makes me really mad, and I want to cheer for Shishou for sticking up for Kyo when no one else in his life has really done so. As for Yuki...I dunno, just because of his formality and how distant he was from Tohru compared to Kyo, I never saw him as truly feeling a sense of romantic love for Tohru.
Angela, you have an incredible memory to go off of the story so well without having to refer to any particular volume. For me, because I don't trust my memory to even remember what events happen in what volume (even after just reading them a few days earlier), I have to pull a stack of volumes whenever I comment in detail. :)
You've persuaded me with your argument about Tohru, and I agree, she's more concerned about Kyo leaving her than translating those feelings into anything like love just yet. She's been self-conscious around him from time to time for several chapters, and even little things he says have a big impact on her. One of my favorite interactions between them is on the class trip when they are separated from the crowd, and during this, Tohru says in her mind: "It's a mystery. Because of just a single sentence I get shaken or I get happy. Kyo-kun is mysterious indeed." So, can that translate to her just being dense about how she feels? Mystery indeed!.
Well, I think with Yuki, we agree...it just depends on how you explain it. You're saying he never felt any romantic love for him, right? I'm saying that he felt something for her, interpreted as romantic love, but as he tried to act on his feelings, realized that what he felt wasn't romantic, or at least not on the same level with how Kyo feels. Yuki is incredibly formal, and that's one of the things about him that makes him so isolated and what makes him so envious of Kyo, who is able to break down the barriers of formality and interact on a level that Yuki finds hard and painful. For all Yuki's popularity (Yuki Fan Club, anyone?), he has a hard time really getting to know anyone. That's why the student council chapters are so important. And because Tohru isn't involved in those, they are his first steps on his own outside of Tohru's influence in gaining self-confidence and finding happiness in being who he is. That's why Machi is so good for him. One of my favorite scenes is when he breaks the chalk for Machi without skipping a beat. Cute cute. :)
I've also read the series through multiple times, so while some details get blurred, I remember a lot about the story points and interactions. I've always been able to do that with books, I'm weird that way. A huge portion of my brain cells are devoted to remembering trivial information.
As for Yuki, I do think that at some point, like at the beginning when he gave her the hair ribbon for a White Day present, he thought he might feel some romantic love for her. I'm just not remembering him musing about it being romantic love when he tried to act on it, what I remember of that scene is him telling her that he loved her, but having his whole internal monologue happening about how strange it would seem to her but that he had to do it...I may go back and read that section again though, because I'll be honest, I get so caught up in Kyo and what's going on with him that I sometimes rush through Yuki's chapters...I still like Yuki, but not nearly as much as Kyo. I think Yuki may be so formal just because he never learned how to interact normally with people. We know as a child he was kept isolated, as well as emotionally tormented by Akito, and habits learned that young are hard to shake off easily. Also, I think Yuki is just generally a shy and withdrawing person, it's his personality working against him in the social scene as much as any of the factors in his life. But I agree that the scenes with him and Machi are very cute, as he finds ways to break his personal barriers and be who she needs. One of my favorite scenes, I don't remember when it comes up, so I hope I"m not spoiling, is when they walk in the snow together.
Tohru is, as we know well, concerned to a fault way more about everyone else than about her own feelings or even her own welfare, so I think it's natural for her to be really slow on the uptake to realize that she's actually in love with Kyo. She's thinking a lot more about how much pain it will cause him, how it will affect Shishou, and how much she wants to be close to him...but she rarely stops to think why she wants to be with him so much.
Whoa. So much to take in. But before I add my thoughts....
Every so often I get into this rut where I have very little desire to touch the computer or have anything to do with it. This includes reading and writing email, blogging, reading blogs, etc. If anything I'll pay bills, maybe buy something. It can last for a while, and in this case at least a month. And I'm still in this rut, but I don't want to fall out of participating in this blog, so I'm climbing out of my rut to come here, because I absolutely do NOT want lose touch with you guys or fall behind on the reading. I'm not meaning to imply that writing this is a chore. Not at all. I'm just trying to explain where I've been. Or not been - on the computer.
With that said...
I confess that I finished the series about a month ago. I tried so hard to hold out, but I just couldn't do it. I think I read to 18, paused for a week or so, then just gave in. I LOVE this series and I want to own it. I could definitely read it many more times, and can see my kids enjoying it as they get older. Well, daughters anyway. So, based on what everyone else has been discussing, I'm going to try to stick only to the volumes of this discussion without referring to the books.
As a first time reader, I think my focu was to make sure I could keep up with the story. And there's nothing wrong with that of course, but it does mean that I haven't really delved as deep into the story as some of you seasoned readers have. So I have loved reading what you have written, and will definitely keep your thoughts and comments in mind the next time I read it and can focus more on depth than storyline. Keep it up!
Hmm. Where to start? Oh, before I forget, I did leave a little comment on the last post. A very late one with much apology.
I was excited to finally meet Rin. My zodiac is the horse, so I could hardly wait to meet her and see what she was like. Do I see some of the horse traits in myself? Yes, though some of them much to my chagrin. I could say more about Rin, but I'll move on.
I'll follow everyone's example and continue in another box...
One thing I liked about Machi and Yuki's relationship is how slowly it developed. It would have been nice to follow it beyond the realms of the book, but all good things must come to an end. I liked how at first she didn't seem to like him at all, or that's how she came across. And I wonder if that's because, with the existence of the Prince Yuki fanclub, she had prejudged him as someone so very different what he really was. And it wasn't until she got to know him, or actually more like he reached out to her, that maybe she realized he's not the god that everyone sees him as. It totally reminds me of something I did as a teenager: judged a cute, popular guy as being snobby and someone that would never even think of speaking to me and full of himself, but when I ended up having a class with him and got to know him found out he was actually really nice.
As for Akito's gender, I remember wondering if Akito was gay because of the intimate ways she would act with the older men of the zodiac, and then when she said she hated women. Maybe I considered if she was truly a girl, I don't really remember. As for whether this makes her behavior excusable...that's a tough questions. The fact that she wasn't allowed to be who she really is gender-wise would probably make her feel that deep down something was inherently wrong with her. Her whole self is not right. Then, the fact that she's been coddled by most everyone except her awful mother doesn't lend itself to much character building. Then, she was told she was basically god. That's got to create a god-complex. So, I guess I would say she's got some good, though complicated, excuses for her behavior.
Kureno is not my favorite character either, but you gotta give him props for his dedication and loyalty, as well as being true to his word. As such he really can't be accused of being selfish, and yet he wasn't really helping Akito out. It was blind devotion. I'm so glad he grew a spine.
I'm totally with Karla about how amazing it is that the author drew so well the changes in the teenagers over the years. We first saw them in Kyo and Yuki, and I kept looking at Tohru and wondering how she was going to help her change from looking like a little girl. But she did it! I don't know how, and I've tried to figure it out, but she did it. I'm super impressed.
I think that's it right now. Hopefully I'll be back soon to add any other thoughts I may have forgotten.
Ruth, I'm glad you enjoyed the series. That you want to share it with your kids one day speaks volumes. :) I look forward to introducing it to my kids when they are old enough, and not just my daughter, but my boys, too. While the story is geared towards girls, the themes are universal and the message is a wonderful one for anyone. Besides, I know a few guys who have enjoyed this series - my husband is one, and another is the person who got me to read this story in the first place. :)
Ha ha...we delve deep into furuba because the first time reading it, we read it increments. You and Karla are fortunate in that you were able to read Fruits Basket in a very quick amount of time. Because manga is usually released in a serialized format in either a monthly or bimonthly publication, readers will be reading a series for years...sometimes decades for some extremely long series. Even when a series is first licensed here in the US, it is usually released on a three or four month release schedule. So, it's really nice when you come across a series that's all out and you can read it as you want and not have to wait. The downside is because you read it so quickly, you don't have the period of time in between releases to let the material sink in, analyze the story and the themes, etc. With some manga, as with other novels, that doesn't matter too much. But, I think with something like Fruits Basket, it improves upon reading, discussing, rereading, because there is so much you can glean from it, so much that you can identify with, learn from, etc. So, I think you really will enjoy reading this series again and again, and when you reread it, you won't be so caught up in what's going to happen that you can enjoy the development of the story more, I think. So, that's why when Angela and I go to town with our discussions, we have a lot of fun because we really enjoy discussing and pulling out meanings from Fruits Basket. We did the same when we watched Fullmetal Alchemist. Maybe it makes us nerds, but I think it makes the stories more enjoyable, the more you get out of them. :)
I thought the same about Akito when I first read the books. I think she is such an interesting character. For so long, we think Akito is so horrid and vindictive, but then we learn about how isolated and vulnerable she really is. Kureno wanted to help her, but I think he only perpetuated the problem by staying by her side all this time. He's like the constant reminder of her failure, the bonds falling a part that her mother says don't even exist. I think that's why when I read these chapters, I found myself really intrigued by Akito's story and really disliking Kureno. :D
The art is beautiful, and she does a great job of maturing her characters. My only complaint is that sometimes it's very hard to tell her characters apart.
I refuse to be called a nerd, they traditionally have no social skills. I'm a geek, thank you very much, and proud of it. Besides, I'm also an English major, analysis of literature is what I got my degree in.
I will agree with Kate, having given much more than my own two cents on all this already, that the amount of time it takes you to read this series will dictate how deep you go into it. Since we had to wait months at a time, we'd go over each new volume with a fine-tooth comb while we waited for the next one. I bet if you read it through again, slowly, you'll pull out so much more the second and third and so forth time.
Well, excuse me for the word choice, Angela! ha ha :D I always thought those word were one and the same (they connote the same meaning to me), but geek works just fine.
I'm just really glad that you guys who are new to manga were willing to give this experiment a try. I think if more of my friends were willing to suspend judgment before they gave something a try like this, they'd find that my tastes aren't so weird after all (I get eye rolling, but do you think Fruits Basket it eye rolling material? I think hardly). Because in the end, regardless of format, it's all about telling a good story that gets us to listen. It's a great story that gets us to care about the characters. Also, a great story to me doesn't leave me quickly - when I find a story that I find myself mulling over days afterwards, I know it's a keeper.
I kind of separated them myself when I was in college...to me, geeks were the kids like me who spent free time watching anime or playing Dungeons & Dragons, or video games, and could speak in Elvish and spent time arguing about LOTR when it wasn't for class. Nerds were the kids who spent their lives in the computer lab, almost never talked to anyone, and seemed to be allergic to sunlight.
Once again though, I'll agree with you that format is irrelevant when it comes to a good story. Whether it be a comic book, a novel, a movie, a painting, or whatever, you can still find a great deal of depth of meaning in it. Just because it's in a medium that we don't traditionally think of as "serious" doesn't mean it can't be taken that way. Ours is the only country in the world that doesn't take animation and comic books as anything except children's fare, and therefore not worthy of serious attention.
But I did spend my life in the computer lab. That's what happens when you major in an engineering degree...so what does that make me?
You still qualify as a geek, you stayed there out of necessity, not because you didn't know how to interact with people. I knew guys who practically hid in the computer labs to avoid talking to people.
I am actually done with these volumes so I'll add what I can.
If you watch much anime or read manga you know that it's not unusual to have male characters that look very feminine. Sometimes I have to remind myself that someone is really male, like Momiji for instance. So it never occurred to me that Akito might be female. I was totally shocked.
The first time I read these books I wasn't so wild about them, especially the one about Yuki taking over his student council duties. I wanted to know more about the curse and this just didn't seem relevant. Now I don't mind so much.
I was soooooo disappointed when Kureno couldn't say how he'd broken the curse. I'd been waiting to find out but there wasn't a word to help us.
Guess I better post this and start another one.
I loved it when Yuki broke the chalk for Machi. I'm not sure I got the significance of that the first time I read. That first time I had a real problem keeping the characters straight, which was why I wanted to do a character guide but then didn't have time to keep it up. Now that the books are all here and I can just go from one to the next, it's much easier to figure out who's who.
I think that our discussion so far is still just scratching the surface. We didn't talk at all yet about the vast difference between the mothers in all these relationships. We haven't really talked about the individual personalities. Does Haru's sort of split personality fit his zodiac animal? In their kindness and consideration for others Haru and Momiji are much alike. How are their zodiac characters alike?
What about Kureno? We really don't know much about him because he's been hidden with Akito. Does he feel safe there? Is he staying for himself and not so much for Akito?
And why have we not raked that bad boy Shigure over the coals?
So much to discuss still. This was why I did the FMA discussions. :-p
You're so right that we're just scratching the surface with this story, Debra. Hopefully we can talk more about these things in the final discussion post that you put up - thank you! - now that everyone's read the books and everything in them is fair game to bring up now and discuss now.
One of the reasons why Fruits Basket is one of my favorite stories is because it has so much depth and holds up well to inspection and critique. I find the multiple facets of the story so fascinating - how Takaya was able to weave such an intricate story with varied (and multiple!) characters and yet tie them altogether with universal themes.
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