Fruits Basket, volumes 7 & 8

Since this is my first graphic novel, I’m not exactly sure how to go about this discussion, so I’m just going to go and we’ll see how it ends up. How’s that for an introduction?

First we meet Hiro, the Ram of the zodiac. Twerp on the outside, softie on the inside. He’s got a thing for Kisa, easily get jealous of whom she spends her time with, but deep down wants to be a better person and the man that Kisa deserves. I’m very interested to find out more about him…why he’s so rude, manipulative, and well, just is the way he is…and if/how he’ll change. Plus, what is his relationship with Rin? Oh the suspense!

We also meet Ritchan, Monkey of the zodiac. Quite the character. From his cross-dressing to having a on/off switch. From being super apologetic to wanting so badly to change and to find out why he was born. Am I mistaken in thinking that he and Mitsuru, Shigure’s editor, may have made a connection? As Kate asked concerning Kisa, is Ritchan’s mother the overly protective type, or the rejecting type? How has it affected Ritchan?

We find out more about Arisa Uotani and Kyoko, Tohru’s mother. I personally loved these chapters. Arisa and Hana intrigue me because they are so different, and getting to know Arisa more was very satisfying.

Hatsuharu reveals that he had a girlfriend named Rin, who has recently broken up with him. (I have an embarrassing confession to make. When I first plowed through this volume, the conversation between Hari and Yuki gave me the impression that Akito was Hari’s girlfriend and I was so confused. I wondered, "Is Akito a girl or a boy?!" Good thing I reviewed it, because now I’m on the right track.) Once again, Akito leaves chaos in his wake, injuring innocent significant-others. What is with this guy!?! Any speculations about why he acts the way he does? I have some thoughts I’ll put in the comments area, but I really don’t like him. Not one bit.

We catch a glimpse of how Yuki’s parents treated him when he was younger, and see a slowly strengthening relationship develop between him and Ayame. From the small snippet we got of his mother, what can we suspect about her relationship with Yuki? What similarities is Yuki discovering that he and his brother have in common?

And then there’s the president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, Motoko, to give us some light-hearted entertainment and adolescent amour. I personally hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of her.

Thankfully these chapters have the satisfying smattering of philosophy and introspection that, for me, deepens the reading and provide balance to the overall story. Feel free to share any thought on these:

-Having the courage to admit our childishness/flaws (from a conversation between Tohru and Hiro).
-The importance of family and acceptance, a sense of true belonging (Uotani’s acceptance of the Hondas’ love).
-Searching for our reason to be born (Ritchan’s conversation with Tohru).

Now it’s on to volumes 9 and 10! Happy reading!

Fruits Basket, volumes 5 & 6

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!

Fruits Basket Character Guide and Discussion

Tohru Honda
The protagonist of the story is a young girl who
has been forced by the circumstances of her life to take care of herself. She is energetic and resourceful, striving not to be a burden to anyone. She needs to grow up fast yet remains surprisingly innocent and naive. In order to support herself she becomes a housekeeper to a remarkable group of characters and finds herself in the middle of a family curse.


Facts:
Zodiac -- born in the year of the dog but would join the year of the cat fan club if there was one
Nicknames --
Love interest --

Juunishi

Yuki Sohma
Tohru knows Yuki as a popular student at the school she attends. He's very attractive an popular with the other girls at the school but generally holds himself aloof from others, giving himself an air of mystery. He lives with Shigure and does not like going to the main house. We are lead to believe that he suffered there when younger.



Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Rat
Nicknames -- The Prince
Love interest -- None






Kyo Sohma
Seeming to be perpetually angry, Kyo strives to beat up Yuki. Invariably Yuki wins these battles. Kyo is also popular at school, even with his prickly nature. Kyo and Yuki are the same age.




Facts
Zodiac animal -- Cat
Nicknames --Kyon-Kyon
Love interest -- None









Kagura Sohma
Kagura charges in, heedless of the consequences. She's painfully in love with Kyo and forces herself on him. Kagura is actually older than Kyo.


Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Boar
Nicknames --
Love interest -- Kyo Sohma











Momiji Sohma
Half German and half Japanese, Tohru first met Momiji in the building where she works. He is a middle student who looks like an elementary student and he lives in the Sohma compound. Momiji and Hatsuharu are the same age.





Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Rabbit
Nicknames --
Love interest --









Hatsuharu Sohma
In general kind and laid back but when he loses his temper he becomes Black Haru and cannot be reasoned with. He is the same age as Momiji.





Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Ox
Nicknames -- Haru
Love interest -- Yuki







Mabudachi Trio

Shigure Sohma
Shigure is the apparent adult in the house. He is a writer of what we are lead to believe are somewhat questionable novels. He's an enigmatic character who seems to be able to communicate comfortably with Akito when others are nervous about it. Typically wears tradition Japanese kimono.


Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Dog
Nicknames --Shii-Chan
Also called Sensei because of his profession
Love interest-- high school girls







Hatori Sohma
Cigarette smoking doctor to the Sohma family, Hatori is nearly blind in his left eye as a result of a disagreement with Akito. Hatori is the one who erases the memories of those who find out the family secret. He and Shigure have know each other since childhood.


Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Dragon
Nicknames -- Haa-San, Tori-nii
Also called Sensei because of his profession
Love interests -- Engaged to Kana until ordered by Akito to break up




Ayame Sohma
Yuki's older brother, Ayame runs a shop that sells very interesting clothing.


Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Snake
Nicknames -- Aaya
Love interests -- None










Akito Sohma

The head of the Sohma family, Akito is a mysterious figure that is sometimes seen in the background, flashback, or a single panel. The other members of the Zodiac seem to be quite afraid him.

Facts:
Zodiac animal --
Nicknames --

Love interest --

Kisa Sohma
Kisa has just entered middle school and is being mercilessly teased because of the way she looks. Not knowing what else to do she stops talking completely. Tohru is able to explain to Kisa's mother why Kisa didn't tell her about the teasing. In response Kisa follows Tohru around and eventually starts speaking again.


Facts:
Zodiac animal -- Tiger
Nicknames --
Love interests -- None

Other Sohma Characters

Kazuma Sohma
A martial arts instructor who taught Yuki, Kyo, Kagura, Hatsuharu, and others. He is Kyo's father figure.

Facts:
Nicknames -- Shishou
Love interest --

Friends

Arisa Uotani
Arisa enjoys fighting with Kyo whenever they have any sort of friendly competition. He calls her a Yankee thug. She is a very close friend of Tohru's and is always deeply concerned about her well-being.


Facts:
Nicknames -- Uo-Chan
Love interest --

Saki Hanajima
Apparently a psychic, Hana-chan senses the electric vibes from people around her. She's also able to throw out some powerful electric waves herself. Hana-san is very close to Tohru.

Facts:
Nicknames -- Hana-Chan
Love interest --




Mine Kuramae
An employee of Ayame's she is able to sew the dresses he creates in his fantastical shop.


Facts:
Nicknames --
Love interest --

Fruits Basket, vol. 3 & 4

I am just starting volume # 7 and so I am going to pose some question from that vantage point of reading beyond volume 3 & 4. There were lots of characters introduced in 3 & 4, I know we will have time to talk about them and why we like/don’t like them (Yeah. . . I am talking about Hiro) in another thread.

I must admit I really like the first two volumes, this being my first manga, it took some time to adjust to the format but I like it. Overall I love stories that are driven by relationships and I could see some good relationships set up in 1 & 2. However, when I read 3 & 4 it seemed that those relationships didn’t advance. It just seemed more people are throne into the mix. . . . But looking back now from # 6 I can see that this needs to happen to attain some higher levels of angst and complicated relationship dynamics.

I think one relationship that we could talk about is Kyo, Yuki & Tohru. This is like a reverse love-triangle. Kyo and Yuki both love Tohru and want to protect her. Kyo and Yuki are brought together closer because of the relationship they have with Tohru, when typically a literary “love triangle” would drive drive two characters apart, I find that very interesting.

A Few Questions:

What type of conflicts do you think make these relationships so dynamic?

This book is very physical and emotional, what do you think motivates each character to find balance/self-awareness in these realms?

One more question about the art (since this is a graphic novel). . . Do you think the art and images convey emotion (or a depth of the story) that text cannot? Would this story be as good as a prose?

Fruits Basket Vol. 1 & 2

I'm glad everyone is excited to get started. There's so much to discuss.

I think the place to start is by taking a look at the manga format. The illustrations are an integral part of the story. Sometimes it helps to just look at the pictures before starting to read. I used to read everything in a panel and then move on to the next. Now I try to follow a conversation or thought through to a logical stopping place and then go back and pick up whatever I didn't read yet. The hardest part for me is the teeny tiny writing. I don't think it's generally central to the story line but often this is where the comedy resides. Reading manga may be slightly faster than reading a book but I find that you can spend just as long on a manga page as you would if you were reading a page of text. I'm not real sure how manga compares to comic books. Maybe someone more experienced with the comic format can speak to the differences.

Fruits Basket is a mixture of genres but I think the one that stands out most to me is mystery. Maybe others will disagree because it is a very different kind of mystery story. Some of the mysteries are solved very quickly. For instance, you get some hints from the dialogue that it's dangerous for a girl to be living in a Sohma house. When Tohru turns Kyo into a cat you have your answer to that mystery. The answer suddenly turns the mystery into a fantasy but the mystery never goes away. In fact, the fantasy aspect deepens the mystery. There are many layers of mystery within mystery to be pulled apart.

What is this curse? How and when did it get started? Can the curse be broken? How much of a hold does it really have on them? These are just a few of the mysterious plot elements. The characters themselves are also mysterious. Akito, the practically cloistered head of the family, seems to epitomize the mysterious character element. Shigure knows far more than he tells and is rather enigmatic. I think we could really take the story apart, if anyone is interested in doing that. I would love to discuss each character in depth.

On the topic of characters...how about Tohru? She's quite the good little housewife. What does this say about women in Japanese society? We could include Tohru's friends in that discussion. Don't get me wrong. I really, really like Tohru. She's incredibly strong and yet surprisingly innocent. At first glance it seems that she doesn't have as many layers to examine but I'm not so sure.

Finally, is that not the cutest rat you have ever seen?? Reading this a second time I'm seeing so many things that I missed the first time I read it. You really couldn't have seen those things unless you had read it through, knew the situation and the characters and started over again. I'm more impressed with Takaya's work and all the layers she adds to the story.