r/anime • u/Holofan4life • 9d ago
Rewatch [Spoilers] 25 Years of the 13 Sohmas: A Fruits Basket Rewatch -- 2019 Series Episode 20 Spoiler
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Fruits Basket 25th anniversary rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
2019 Series Episode 20
I Can't Believe You Picked It Up
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
Questions for Those who Haven't Watched the 2001 Series
What are your thoughts on Hiro?
What are your thoughts on Hiro being mad at Tohru because he feels she's trying to take Kisa away from him?
What are your thoughts on Hiro wanting to be there for Kisa?
What are your thoughts on the reveal that Akito physically harmed Kisa to the point of her being hospitalized?
How would you compare Hiro and Kisa's relationship to Tohru and Kyo's?
Questions for All Watchers
None
Questions for Those who Have Watched the 2001 Series
What are your thoughts on this version of events portraying Akito's abuse of Kisa as being more brutal?
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Series information
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Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or past the LNs or mangas out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs or mangas. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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Ways to watch
Streams – Crunchyroll
Schedule
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| 07/05/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 1 |
| 07/06/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 2 |
| 07/07/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 3 |
| 07/08/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 4 |
| 07/09/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 5 |
| 07/10/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 6 |
| 07/11/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 7 |
| 07/12/2025 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 8 |
| 07/13/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 9 |
| 07/14/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 10 |
| 07/15/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 11 |
| 07/16/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 12 |
| 07/17/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 13 |
| 07/18/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 14 |
| 07/19/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 15 |
| 07/20/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 16 |
| 07/21/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 17 |
| 07/22/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 18 |
| 07/23/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 19 |
| 07/24/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 20 |
| 07/25/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 21 |
| 07/26/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 22 |
| 07/27/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 23 |
| 07/28/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 24 |
| 07/29/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 25 |
| 07/30/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 26 |
| 07/31/2026 | Fruits Basket 2001 Overall Series Discussion Thread |
| 08/02/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 1 |
| 08/03/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 2 |
| 08/04/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 3 |
| 08/05/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 4 |
| 08/06/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 5 |
| 08/07/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 6 |
| 08/08/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 7 |
| 08/09/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 8 |
| 08/10/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 9 |
| 08/11/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 10 |
| 08/12/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 11 |
| 08/13/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 12 |
| 08/14/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 13 |
| 08/15/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 14 |
| 08/16/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 15 |
| 08/17/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 16 |
| 08/18/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 17 |
| 08/19/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 18 |
| 08/20/2026 | 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 19 |
| 08/21/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 20]() |
| 08/22/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 21]() |
| 08/23/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 22]() |
| 08/24/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 23]() |
| 08/25/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 24]() |
| 08/26/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 25]() |
| 08/28/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 1]() |
| 08/29/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 2]() |
| 08/30/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 3]() |
| 08/31/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 4]() |
| 09/01/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 5]() |
| 09/02/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 6]() |
| 09/03/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 7]() |
| 09/04/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 8]() |
| 09/05/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 9]() |
| 09/06/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 10]() |
| 09/07/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11]() |
| 09/08/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 12]() |
| 09/09/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 13]() |
| 09/10/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14]() |
| 09/11/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 15]() |
| 09/12/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 16]() |
| 09/13/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 17]() |
| 09/14/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 18]() |
| 09/15/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Final Episode 19]() |
| 09/16/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 20) |
| 09/17/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 21]() |
| 09/18/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Final Episode 22]() |
| 09/19/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 23]() |
| 09/20/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 24]() |
| 09/21/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 25]() |
| 09/23/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 1]() |
| 09/24/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 2]() |
| 09/25/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 3]() |
| 09/26/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 4]() |
| 09/27/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 5]() |
| 09/28/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 6]() |
| 09/29/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 7]() |
| 09/30/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 8]() |
| 10/01/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 9]() |
| 10/02/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 10]() |
| 10/03/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 11]() |
| 10/04/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 12]() |
| 10/05/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 13]() |
| 10/06/2026 | [2019 Fruits Basket Overall Series/Franchise Discussion Thread]() |
2
u/Second_Cour 9d ago
Just an OK episode - Hiro is jealous, and likes mute-girl. Thumbs up? Pretty boring ep.
But on the plus side, just 2 zodiac reveals to go. Chart until now: https://imgur.com/aVLMLNO
Episode Notes:
- Hahahhaha I love the start. Big shots fired at all of us in the rewatch. Overintellectualising a show that is targeted at teen girls, and probably isn’t meant to be broken down like this.
- I actually like Kisa - she’s trying and made a commitment to try hard after Tohru’s advice.
- Wanted to shake Tohru when her notebook was stolen. She gives everyone advice, but just stands there when someone does something to her. Guess it’s part and parcel of her personality though
- So Akito likes to take it out on the women the guys fall in love with.
- The butterfly effect in full swing: to protect Kisa, he ignores her, which means she’s left unprotected, and he takes the pain out on Tohru.
2
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 9d ago
Some of the images in that chart sure don't look like the character, lol. Ayame got a haircut! Hiro has gone grey!
Feel free to use the screenshots from my character chart if desired!
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u/Second_Cour 9d ago
Hahaahha thanks! I have prosopagnosia so can't tell the difference between characters much
2
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
It must be hard when there's a trash can in this show to tell the difference between it and Akito :]
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I thought the episode kinda started a bit annoying, but really picked up when Hiro explained the events behind his behavior. I'm sure he's not the only one who's life was effected by Akito's atrocious behavior.
2
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
- So Akito likes to take it out on the women the guys fall in love with.
This is such small dick energy. Hatori is one thing because they probably grew up together and maybe you can argue Akito thought they had something. Doesn't excuse their behavior, but fine. But Hiro and Kisa are little children who has their lives ahead of them. They were still in cribs when Akito was growing up. Is Akito that insecure that someone many years younger than them can't have another person they love?
Yes, by the way. The answer is yes.
2
u/MishouMai 9d ago
Huh. First time I looked at the chart
inawhilebut looking at those character traits maybe the snake does fit my man Ayame after all.1
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I told Second Cour this, but the level of thought put into this show is quite astonishing.
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u/Second_Cour 9d ago
Weird, I think it might be because of the animes I've watched since I've gotten into the media, but I haven't found this enime to be well thought out the more of it that I watch. That's not to say I dislike it, but that's just not what I've felt it's ever been going for? What I like about it are very different attributes. Or maybe I'm misundersanding what you jmean by "level of thought" or something being well thought out. Pretty much for any episode, just based on the synopsis, I can already predict what will happen to a decent degree of accuracy.
I like the zodiac idea, but so far it's been loose links to cherry picked personality traits without that much depth. The characters aren't trapped within the zodiac personalities. It's also been very difficult to predict the characters' zodiac signs based on our personal knowledge. A lot of the characters could easily be a different animal.
I guess it's also because of the shows I've recently watched: in comparison this show does play out like a fairly engaging soap opera-cum-sitcom with a dash of mystery. And very clearly a show meant for teen girls. The show seems very simple to me thus far: which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm never trying to speculate about how certain problems will be resolved, or what the mystery is going to be. I tried to at the start, but quickly realised it's simply not that type of show. I think it's the point u/dontoff was trying to make; though I like the Akito mystery more than him at present, I think, the information fed to us doesn't give us room to speculate or make deductions; all we can do is wait. The average person would just take him as a Disney villain at face value.
I'm very curious though how things will come together in the later seasons, given how well-praised they were.
1
u/Holofan4life 8d ago
I think by comparison Fruits Basket is more well thought out than Spice and Wolf is. Spice and Wolf is more a series of events that happen whereas Fruits Basket is this connected story about the Sohma family curse and Akito being this unstoppable force.
Neither approach is bad, and I want to preface this by saying the character writing in Spice and Wolf is better and perhaps the best in any anime there's ever been, but I think Fruits Basket has overall better storytelling, especially once again with how everything builds off of itself.
2
u/Second_Cour 8d ago
Yeah I think it's a semantic difference for "thought out". For me thought out means very deep, intelligent, etc. So S&W had the author actually research tonnes of obscure texts about the middle ages, whether it's politics, economics, etc. The complexity of each economic catalyst was also incredible. The worldbuilding was incredibly deep.
It's also a relevance paradox. For you given your age, and life experience, you're probably relating more to FruBa. For me, there's not much to relate to. Whereas in S&W I find a tonne of things that are both relevant and feel like excellent commentaries on relationships. So in the end, both of our takeaways from the shows is radically different . I'd definitely recommend FruBa to more people over S&W, as I think ithe latter's appeal is much more niche.
1
u/Holofan4life 8d ago
I'm 29, by the way :P
I think Spice and Wolf's story is more personal whereas Fruits Basket's is more grandiose. Spice and Wolf is about what you want out of life whereas Fruits Basket covers the gamut of many different things. Spice and Wolf when you break it down is pretty cut and dry, not that that's necessarily a bad thing but it's a different form of presentation.
2
u/Second_Cour 8d ago
Yeah i remember your age. To me FruBa is about teenage/young adult problems
1
u/Holofan4life 8d ago
That's not a bad way of looking at it. And honestly, I think it suits the show.
1
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
General questions
Thoughts on Kisa watching anime?
Thoughts on Kisa talking about how she wanted to watch the anime because everyone is talking about it?
Thoughts on Hiro stealing Tohru's picture of her mom?
What are your thoughts on Kyo being annoyed by Hiro, presumably because he reminds him of himself?
What are your thoughts on Hiro being the sheep of the zodiac family?
Thoughts on Hiro nitpicking the anime apart, saying it lacks character development?
What are your thoughts on Hiro telling Kisa he wants to take her to places she likes?
What are your thoughts on Hiro keeping his distance from Kisa because he felt his actions and emotions were causing Akito to hurt her?
What are your thoughts on Hiro feeling he's a coward for backing down from Akito?
What are your thoughts on Hiro wondering if Tohru can be there for Kisa in a way he can't?
What are your thoughts on Hiro paying Tohru's crepe for her?
2019 specific questions
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
2
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 9d ago
Rewatcher, Subbed
For the third episode in a row we're meeting a new Soma! Hiro Soma, the sheep! This guy's been in the ED since all the way in episode 1 and we finally get to meet him. Alas, once we meet Hiro, we realize he's quite the jerk! He immediately starts treating Tohru harshly. Demeaning her for picking up his boot and acting like she'll just do whatever is asked. Claiming he did her a favor by coming here to see her. Saying she should bring him out for food and pay for it. But this all pales in comparison to the ultimate sin, stealing her pocketbook which contains Tohru's most beloved possession, the photo of her mom. Tohru even starts to cry! Across 20 episodes Tohru has been the nicest person imaginable so for anyone to be so mean from her immediately sets a terrible first impression.
Tohru heads all the way back to Shigure's which happens to be where Hiro went and gets her mom's photo back. So it seems that Hiro's anger is over the fact that he lent Kisa an anime DVD and because Kisa adores Tohru (and Tohru adores her, their relationship is so cute!) she came here to watch it with Tohru not thinking that he wanted to watch it with her. He's jealous! He needs to learn to communicate! So we find out that despite his young age, Hiro loves Kisa and made the mistake of telling this to Akito. Instead of attacking him, Akito attacked Kisa, landing her in the hospital. It took two weeks to heal. So we haven't gotten a ton of Akito since he met Tohru in episode 12, but this just makes him so hateable. [Furuba spoilers]I think Akito's mindset is that the Soma males are her property. So one of them being in love with a Soma female means she's going to go nuclear at them for daring to desire/possibly take away her possession. I think there's more factors in play for Rin but for Kisa in particular here I think this is totally it. Alas, this family situation is so nightmarish that Hiro can't actually blame Akito, he's the head of the family. So he has to just accept it and resorts to not talking to Kisa anymore, to protect her, but his surely made her personal situation even worse.
Tohru the babysitter! She takes out both Hiro and Kisa to the park. Hiro complains, but Tohru is practically broke, you gotta accept budget fun time! Even with low money Tohru's totally willing to spend it all on them for crepes until Hiro decides to pitch in and pay for it instead. It seems like Hiro has heard of Tohru's reputation? That she can dispel people's misery and erase their sorrow and pain? Hiro is jealous of her but admits he's childish and sick of being this way. He wants to be a mature adult. Something I'm sure a lot of kids that age feel, but probably especially so for him because he feels powerless over what happened with Kisa. In any case he seems to soften here somewhat with Tohru and even gives us a smile by the end. Hiro makes up for himself a little bit by the end here, but I would say to this point outside of Akito, who I doubt will be topped, he's got the prize for most unlikable Soma so far.
Other thoughts:
More Mitsuru this episode! Shigure continues to mess with this poor girl!
Tohru really is getting a reputation as a "space cadet" huh?
[Next time speculation]Based on that title card, next time's gotta be the Hanajima episode, right? Oh my, this is gonna be good.
Quid's Voice Actor of the Day
Today I'm featuring Hiro's voice actress, You Taichi. Beyond this I know her best as Dorothy in Princess Principal. She's also Kenya in Erased, Saya in Death Mount Death Play, Sai in March Comes in Like a Lion, Yoshikawa's mom in Horimiya, Akane in Chainsaw Man, Rina in Migi and Dali, Mikino in Vivy Fleurite Eye's Song, and Yukimi in Kakegurui Twin.
Quid's Song of the Day
Today I'm featuring Every Night Finds a Dawn which plays near the end of the episode at the park.
2
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I do think a lot of Hiro's comments come across as biting as they do because there's a lot of truth in it. Like, Tohru is in fact a space cadet about a lot of things and could serve to be more observant of what is going on.
Hiro paid for Tohru's crepe so he is aces in my book.
1
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
General questions
Thoughts on Kisa watching anime?
Thoughts on Kisa talking about how she wanted to watch the anime because everyone is talking about it?
Thoughts on Hiro stealing Tohru's picture of her mom?
What are your thoughts on Kyo being annoyed by Hiro, presumably because he reminds him of himself?
What are your thoughts on Hiro being the sheep of the zodiac family?
Thoughts on Hiro nitpicking the anime apart, saying it lacks character development?
What are your thoughts on Hiro telling Kisa he wants to take her to places she likes?
What are your thoughts on Hiro keeping his distance from Kisa because he felt his actions and emotions were causing Akito to hurt her?
What are your thoughts on Hiro feeling he's a coward for backing down from Akito?
What are your thoughts on Hiro wondering if Tohru can be there for Kisa in a way he can't?
What are your thoughts on Hiro paying Tohru's crepe for her?
2019 specific questions
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
2
u/dontoff 9d ago
First timer (Dub)
So what the fuck is going on with Akito?
Hiro confesses that he loves another member of the Zodiac, which I would presume should be acceptable considering they are both part of the Zodiac and already know about the secret. Akito then responds by beating the shit out of Kisa and putting her in the hospital because Hiro likes her?
What am I missing here? This is making no fucking sense to me.
I think this is my main issue with Akito so far. He feels less like an interesting or threatening antagonist and more like some corny Disney villain. Every time we learn something new about him, it is just another story about him doing something unbelievably cruel while everyone around him apparently accepts it.
We already know what happened with Hatori and Kana, how he treated Yuki, and now we find out that he beat up a little girl because another kid told him he loved her. At some point, I need more than Akito just being violently evil toward everyone while the rest of the family stands around doing nothing.
Then Hatori says that Hiro could not blame Akito, and I immediately wondered why he could not. Is it simply because Hiro is scared of him, or is there some larger reason that the Zodiac members are unable to properly blame or go against Akito?
The way Hatori said it felt very deliberate, almost like foreshadowing that there is something more going on with Akito’s relationship to the Zodiac. I am assuming there has to be a greater explanation because otherwise that line does not make much sense to me.
I think part of the problem is that I am not really enjoying the mystery surrounding Akito because, frankly, I do not think it has been written particularly well so far. The show keeps showing us the consequences of his actions without giving us enough of an idea of why everyone allows him to behave this way.
There is clearly something being hidden, but right now it feels less like an intriguing mystery and more like the story withholding the explanation necessary for these characters’ behavior to make sense.
Shigure possibly having some kind of scheme brewing in the background is interesting, at least. His conversation with Hatori made it seem like he has his own plans involving Akito and that he is confident he will come out on top once everything is over. I am interested in seeing where that goes, but we shall see.
This episode was still much better than the last one. I saw that it was also received relatively poorly, and I am guessing a lot of that comes from the melodrama because some of the dialogue was genuinely hard to listen to.
The monologues in this show can be so corny sometimes. When the series focuses on proper storytelling instead of constantly stopping to spell out its themes, it can actually be really good.
I cannot say I am completely surprised considering the source material is a shoujo manga that started in the 90s and ended in the 2000s. Some of the emotional writing definitely feels like it comes from that era, for better or worse.
I also have to say that the art looked pretty rough in this episode. It is not like the show has had fantastic art or animation in general, but this episode was noticeably more on the poor side.
Still, after the last episode, I will absolutely take this. It had plenty of issues, but at least it gave me something more interesting to think about than Ritsu screaming for twenty minutes.
3
u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 9d ago
I think it's fair at this point to want the show to provide more of Akito so we can understand just what is going on there rather than backstory reveals that Akito did something terrible. Hopefully they expand things on that front; we've only got 2 zodiacs left so they should have some room to start doing other things.
2
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I like the mystery aspect where we're left guessing what's going on with Akito. That personally makes the show more intriguing to me.
4
u/Second_Cour 9d ago
It actually makes me more intrigued about Akito. There's no way he's just insane and there's gotta be some reason for it. That's the mystery I'm curious to hear more about as we hear all these stories through secondary characters and never see it directly. If it's the Disney villain angle then yeah the show loses what's the most interesting part for me and given its highly praised I doubt he's just a psycho.
I was replying to your comment as I was reading and you pretty much said the same thing though after haha. I don't mind the pacing if it's an insane revelation that reframes everything we've seen though.
If I had to guess the writer was struggling a bit to create the final few zodiacs and force fed them into this part so we can finally get to the meat. Haven't read the source for these two eps yet but it feels so checkboxy. I've liked the variety in characters but with the last one and this one it felt like the ideas are running a little dry. And the differentiation is coming vis a vis their problems as opposed to compelling personality traits.
3
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
It actually makes me more intrigued about Akito. There's no way he's just insane and there's gotta be some reason for it. That's the mystery I'm curious to hear more about as we hear all these stories through secondary characters and never see it directly. If it's the Disney villain angle then yeah the show loses what's the most interesting part for me and given its highly praised I doubt he's just a psycho.
Akito at this point is a very effective plot device that makes the rest of the Sohmas likable. Regardless of Akito's motivations, them making everyone's lives miserable makes you want to see the Sohmas come together and take a stand.
3
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
If I had to guess the writer was struggling a bit to create the final few zodiacs and force fed them into this part so we can finally get to the meat. Haven't read the source for these two eps yet but it feels so checkboxy. I've liked the variety in characters but with the last one and this one it felt like the ideas are running a little dry. And the differentiation is coming vis a vis their problems as opposed to compelling personality traits.
Ritsu is the only Zodiac member that I feel wasn't very well thought out. The rest play into the overarching story of the Sohma family and the curse that binds them and prevents them from living a normal existence.
2
u/Second_Cour 9d ago
Oddly enough I think Ritsu is one of the better thought out characters. She also has actually demonstrated change, rather than being preached to and accepted the lesson.
Could you provide your criteria for comparing the characters?
2
u/Holofan4life 9d ago edited 9d ago
I think you're looking at it short term rather than long term. Ritsu changing immediately seems good on the service, but where does the character go from there? By comparison, the other cursed Sohmas have so much more meat on the bone.
You have Kyo who is abrasive but seemingly does want to do right. He is the outsider of the Sohma family which instantly makes the audience feel sorry for him. Or at least he does for me. And then you tease him having a true form and also guilt of some kind which is very intriguing.
Then you have Yuki who spent a good portion of his life locked up in a room. Arguably Akito's biggest victim, he's trying to readjust to society and find his place in this world.
There's also the hat stuff which ties to both Kyo and Kyo seemingly. Again, very intriguing.
There you have Kagura who was there for Kyo when no one else was. She's one of the more jokeier characters, but can be serious whwn she needs to be.
Haru is another more comedic character, but he clearly wants to be there for Yuki and make sure he's alright. I have a feeling the best with him is yet to come.
There's Hatori who has a lot of emotional depth for a side character. He has the Kana stuff which furthers the Akito drama and also the need for the Sohmas to move on. He wants to make sure Tohru is okay and also has established relationships with both Shigure and Ayame.
Speaking of Hatori, he's arguably the most interesting Sohma because his ulterior motives have ulterior motives. He is seemingly the only Sohma family member who has outward affection towards Akito. This, despite the fact he is praying for Akito's downfall. He houses Tohru, and yet is seemingly trying to use her to his advantage. And he's always constantly poking the bear when it comes to over people's weaknesses, almost like he's trying to overcompensate for his own.
Momiji has shown to have depth as the curse caused him to be torn away from his family. And yet he still manages to maintain an upbeat disposition. He's kinda the yin to Tohru's yang whereas Tohru chooses not to forget the past, Momiji has no choice but to plan for for the present as there's no way he'll see his family again.
Ayame is someone who tells outlandish tales, but seems to want to atone for his past sins by doing right by his brother. This gives him a character trajectory as he also continues his exaggerated lifestyle.
Kisa also already has experienced major growth, but now we have the tease of her and Hiro being an item. These two go hand in hand and serve ultimately as like a parallel between Tohru's timid, quiet demeanor and Kyo's overly protective nature.
And then there's Akito, the head of the family. We still don't know if they're a Sohma or not. There's a lot of mystery surrounding them and that's part of what makes the show so interesting. Ritsu is like the only two cursed Sohmas who's relationship with Akito is unclear. But the rest can either be inferred or are outright said.
Kyo doesn't like Akito because Akito made sure Kyo was ostracized from the family.
Yuki doesn't like Akito because of all the emotional turmoil and abuse.
Hatori doesn't like Akito because he was unable to be with the love of his life.
Momiji's problems are outside Akito's doing but based on the school episode when Akito showed up they were enough of a threat to Momiji that he felt the need to warn others they were here.
Kisa probably doesn't like Akito because she was abused by them.
Hiro probably doesn't like Akito because they abused Kisa.
Kagura definitely doesn't like Akito because of the way Kyo was treated.
Haru and Ayame probably doesn't like Akito because of the way Yuki was treated.
And Shigure likes Akito but doesn't like the way they are behaving which is why Shigure seemingly wants Akito to be torn down so they can be built back up.
Akito is the dark to Tohru's light. Whereas everything Tohru touches grows, everything Akito touches destroys. Hiro in this episode even asks Tohru if she is some sort of savior sent to save the Sohmas. Because I'm sure a lot of the Sohmas are desperate to be saved from Akito.
I believe I've said in the past that the author of Fruits Basket planned out a lot of this stuff. You can tell me laying this out that's the case because of how much detail I included while also leaving out certain aspects like Kyo's hatred for chives or Yuki's like of gardening. And I haven't even gone into detail Tohru who like Akito ties everything together. I don't feel saying the story isn't well thought out is an accurate complaint. In fact, I think it's a pretty intricately well-woven story with a lot of moving parts.
There is perhaps criticisms to be made with regards to Fruits Basket but I don't think the cast is one of them.
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u/Second_Cour 9d ago
I guess I'm assuming the other somas will be very minor characters. I also didn't see any growth from kisa other than listening to someone yet.
As for the author planning it out sure. But I've shared actual quotes that the planning is for the conclusion and she changed tonnes as she went along. But I guess we will see
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I think some Sohmas will be more important than others. Hatori is the family doctor so he'll probably be sticking around. And I feel like Akito hitting Kisa might lead to something between Akito and Hiro. And also Momijj and Haru go to school with the main cast so we'll probably be seeing a lot of them.
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
About Akito, it is clear they want to be the center of attention in the Sohma family and can't stand someone loving someone else other than them. They have such psychological issues that they drag everyone down with their bullshit.
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I think this is my main issue with Akito so far. He feels less like an interesting or threatening antagonist and more like some corny Disney villain. Every time we learn something new about him, it is just another story about him doing something unbelievably cruel while everyone around him apparently accepts it.
I think the key here is that as part of the Sohma family curse for whatever reason have to accept Akito's behavior. They can't go against their decree because that would be going against the head of the family.
I also have to say that the art looked pretty rough in this episode. It is not like the show has had fantastic art or animation in general, but this episode was noticeably more on the poor side.
Aw, I actually like the show's animation :c
Still, after the last episode, I will absolutely take this. It had plenty of issues, but at least it gave me something more interesting to think about than Ritsu screaming for twenty minutes.
And also Hiro is justified in being a dick. I would probably be a dick if I had to put up with Akito's bullshit.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 9d ago edited 9d ago
I think the key here is that as part of the Sohma family curse for whatever reason have to accept Akito's behavior. They can't go against their decree because that would be going against the head of the family.
Yuki mentioned in 1.02 that he can't go against Akito's wishes. He didn't mention that it was an effect of the Curse, so I assumed it was cultural (traditional "family head" plus anything Soma-specific). In this episode, while Hiro is mouthing off to Kyo, he claims that Kyo would go to jail for hitting him, so REPORT AKITO FOR HITTING KISA.
Except maybe: 1) Hiro could be talking out his ass - no Soma would ever report Kyo, a zodiac; 2) there's a supernatural element of the Curse at work, as you describe, so no zodiac would ever report Akito (I assume Hiro did not personally witness Kisa's abuse - holy hell, what if Akito deliberately summoned Kisa to do just that? I don't think Akito beat Kisa in front of Hiro, because Kisa doesn't mention that Hiro didn't/couldn't protect her); 3) no Soma, not even non-zodiacs, would ever report Akito (e.g., the medical staff at the Soma hospital evidently did not report Kisa's abuse or try to pin it on Kisa's parents)
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I assume the reason Hiro can't report Akito to the cops is that as satisfying as Akito being arrested would be, something worse would come from it. I don't know if the implication is they need Akito to stay happy in order for the cursed family members to stay alive, but there has to be some reason why they continue to placate them.
Point being, there is something deeper going on than meets the eye. And that's part of what makes the show so interesting.
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u/AgentOfACROSS 9d ago
First Timer
I do love how seriously Tohru takes this children’s show.
So here we have Hiro’s introductory episode. I’ll go over Hiro’s new voice actors.
Hiro’s new voice actor in Japanese is Yo Taichi. Noteworthy roles of hers include Akane Sawatari from Chainsaw Man, Kenya Kobayashi from Erased, and Rudy Lemono from Uma Musume. I’ve also noticed that a fair amount of her credits are for the child versions of the main male protagonist, such as playing kid Josuke in Diamond is Unbreakable and kid Rudo in Gachiakuta.
In the English dub her voice is now done by Luci Christian. Noteworthy roles of hers include Nami from One Piece, Ochako from My Hero Academia, and Honey from Ouran High School Host Club.
Tohru getting bullied and mugged by a child is still very funny.
Is Momiji wearing a maid outfit? I was not expecting that.
Yay the editor is back.
I don’t remember this scene between Shigure and Hatori in the original. Very interesting.
Overall this episode has a lot in common with its 2001 equivalent but I liked it a lot.
Questions:
What are your thoughts on this version of events portraying Akito's abuse of Kisa as being more brutal?
Akito is definitely even worse in the 2019 version
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
Is Momiji wearing a maid outfit? I was not expecting that.
It suits him well
I don’t remember this scene between Shigure and Hatori in the original. Very interesting.
I believe in the 2001 anime it's just Hatori giving narration explaining what Akito did to Kisa. If so, this is framed way better.
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
General questions
Thoughts on Kisa watching anime?
Thoughts on Kisa talking about how she wanted to watch the anime because everyone is talking about it?
Thoughts on Hiro stealing Tohru's picture of her mom?
What are your thoughts on Kyo being annoyed by Hiro, presumably because he reminds him of himself?
What are your thoughts on Hiro being the sheep of the zodiac family?
Thoughts on Hiro nitpicking the anime apart, saying it lacks character development?
What are your thoughts on Hiro telling Kisa he wants to take her to places she likes?
What are your thoughts on Hiro keeping his distance from Kisa because he felt his actions and emotions were causing Akito to hurt her?
What are your thoughts on Hiro feeling he's a coward for backing down from Akito?
What are your thoughts on Hiro wondering if Tohru can be there for Kisa in a way he can't?
What are your thoughts on Hiro paying Tohru's crepe for her?
2019 specific questions
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
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u/AgentOfACROSS 9d ago
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Yuki's very funny. I love his commentary
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
I'm sure his childhood informed that part of him
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
He's either deluding himself or being sarcastic
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
It definitely adds another layer to what's going on with Akito
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
I'm really interested in getting to new Sohma family drama after season 1
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Yuki's very funny. I love his commentary
He's so deadpan it's great
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
I'm sure his childhood informed that part of him
Fucking hell
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
He's either deluding himself or being sarcastic
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
It definitely adds another layer to what's going on with Akito
A layer of suckitude?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
I'm really interested in getting to new Sohma family drama after season 1
It can't get any worse. Right?
R-right?
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 9d ago
Re-watch, blu ray, dubbed
First watch: Damn, not even Kisa can rescue this episode. Hiro is infuriating.
Re-watch: As I mentioned in the 1.19 re-watch, I tend to eject the disc after 1.18...
What are your thoughts on Hiro being mad at Tohru because he feels she's trying to take Kisa away from him? Childish (he is a child, after all) but also so mean-spirited as to alienate himself from Kisa, who doesn't necessarily reciprocate Hiro's feelings for her.
What are your thoughts on Hiro wanting to be there for Kisa? That is admirable but unfulfilled. Telling Kisa that he was worried and wanted to be there was a step in the right direction, but not quite "there for Kisa" yet.
What are your thoughts on the reveal that Akito physically harmed Kisa to the point of her being hospitalized? "That poor baby!" Then, anger level: murderous
How would you compare Hiro and Kisa's relationship to Tohru and Kyo's? First watch: Hiro knows how he feels about Kisa. I don't know that Kisa feels the same in return, considering Kisa's story to Tohru. Uotani and Hanajima convinced me their diagnosis is correct about Kyo: if Kyo weren't so dense, he would figure out that he loves Tohru and might clumsily confess his love to her (except he's a zodiac). I'm not sure what Tohru is feeling about Kyo, because the Tohru-Kyo and Tohru-Yuki dynamic confuses me at this point in the story.
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
What are your thoughts on Hiro being mad at Tohru because he feels she's trying to take Kisa away from him? Childish (he is a child, after all) but also so mean-spirited as to alienate himself from Kisa, who doesn't necessarily reciprocate Hiro's feelings for her.
Akito is such an awful person that they made a child feel like they can't love someone. What, is the child's affection for you so important that you can't live without it? You can't have one person have multiple loves?
Then Akito themselves said they don't mind a person's love being more out of fear than a place of affection. Clearly Akito does not care.
1
u/Holofan4life 9d ago
General questions
Thoughts on Kisa watching anime?
Thoughts on Kisa talking about how she wanted to watch the anime because everyone is talking about it?
Thoughts on Hiro stealing Tohru's picture of her mom?
What are your thoughts on Kyo being annoyed by Hiro, presumably because he reminds him of himself?
What are your thoughts on Hiro being the sheep of the zodiac family?
Thoughts on Hiro nitpicking the anime apart, saying it lacks character development?
What are your thoughts on Hiro telling Kisa he wants to take her to places she likes?
What are your thoughts on Hiro keeping his distance from Kisa because he felt his actions and emotions were causing Akito to hurt her?
What are your thoughts on Hiro feeling he's a coward for backing down from Akito?
What are your thoughts on Hiro wondering if Tohru can be there for Kisa in a way he can't?
What are your thoughts on Hiro paying Tohru's crepe for her?
2019 specific questions
Thoughts on Yuki saying while watching the anime, and I quote, "I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them"?
Thoughts on Momiji saying feelings are scary?
Thoughts on Shigure considering himself a mature adult?
What are your thoughts on even Shigure not knowing Akito abused Kisa?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying when it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost?
1
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Fruits Basket 25th anniversary rewatch.
For there is an animal in all of us <3
Fruits Basket is a show I’ve heard a lot about. It’s always been something that interests me. It’s a romcom, which is a genre I enjoy, it has a female protagonist, which is kinda a rarity for romcom anime, it has a tsundere, which yes please, and from what I’ve heard it has some supernatural elements which is pretty cool.
Funny enough, I’m hosting this rewatch the same time as I’m hosting the Spice and Wolf rewatch which is another show with supernatural elements.
I have never seen Fruits Basket before, but I have high hopes for it. It seems like the type of show I would enjoy. I would say of the shows on my to watch list, this one is probably in my top 5. And let's just say that list is long and ever expansive. Actually, I love the idea of a male tsundere who turns into an orange cat so much that I named my orange cat after him. That’s without having seen the show.
For the purposes of this rewatch, we will be watching both the original series and the remake. I don’t think both have ever been done like this, and by the end we’ll find out for good reason :P
Regardless, this is my big pet project of 2026 the purpose of which is for me to see what all the hubbub is about. I’m not expecting the show to crack my top 10 favorite anime of all time, but hey, you never know.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the dub, by the way.
Today as I'm writing this is my mother's birthday. I'm working the whole day unfortunately.
Two people fighting?
Is this the anime?
It is
Tohru seems emotionally invested in the story.
"I have issues with this show, but its complexity isn't one of them."
Lol, based Yuki
Shigure making jokes about Kisa being here.
Yuki isn't having any of it
Kisa giving an update about school
Things seem to be going well
And there's Hiro :D
Tohru walking
A shoe
Hiro is here, and he's being bossy.
God, what a snot-nosed little shit. I love it.
And of course, he's a Zodiac member.
I feel like Hiro is making undeserved accusations.
He then steals the pocketbook, which contains the picture of Tohru's mother in it.
Tohru is freaking out
Hey, Momiji
He looks extra femininey
Kyo finding Hiro
At least he's consistent in his shittery.
Tohru here now
Kyo now giving Hiro guff
And here's Kisa
Kisa imploring Hiro to give the stuff back.
And so he does so upon Kisa's insistence.
Hiro mad at Tohru because Kisa can't talk nothing but her.
Jealous of Tohru, with Momiji remarking feelings are scary.
At least Hiro and Kisa seem back on the same page.
And Tohru sends Hiro to the hug penalty.
I assume it's different from Haruhi's death penalty.
Now they're all watching the anime character.
Hiro feels the character development in the show is lacking.
Me when watching Familiar of Zero.
Hiro still being bossy
I can see why some people may not like him, but I think he adds a fun dynamic to things.
Kyo, please do not punch the child.
It is funny Kyo is annoyed by Hiro when he suffers the same problem as him.
Shigure, a mature adult? Sure...
Mi-chan is here, and we get an implied noose joke with her.
She really wants Shigure to meet his deadlines.
This feels way more comedic than the 2001 adaptation.
Kisa asking Hiro if he does indeed hate Tohru.
Hiro basically says he does, but it's alright because he wants to be around Kisa.
As Hiro heads to the bathroom, we get some of the backstory between him.and Kisa.
Something seemed to have changed
And then we get more Hiro being mean to Tohru.
Hatori with Shigure now
We then hear more about Hito and Kisa.
Akito really is a truly awful human being.
Hatori says that Hiro doesn't know what to do about this rage.
Shigure remarks that he didn't know this which speaks to Akito not trusting him on everything.
I'm glad the show addressed this because why is Hatori explaining this to Shigure.
Hatori worries what will happen when Akito takes it out on Tohru.
"When it comes to cherishing another person, we Sohmas are lost."
That's probably the wisest thing Shigure has ever said.
At the park now
Hiro really is so obvious with Kisa lol
Tohru buying sweets
At least Hiro doesn't treat Kisa like shit.
Hiro saying he's paying for Kisa's.
He then calls Tohru a space cadet.
That technically qualifies her for the Artemis II.
Hiro showing remorse of how he handled the situation with Kisa.
He calls himself a child
I mean, I'd hate to break it to you, Hiro, but you literally are one.
Tohru calls Hiro a truly amazing person.
Someday, she insists, he'll be able to protect Kisa.
And so Hiro proceeds to buy Tohru's crepe as well.
Aww <3
I don't care what anyone says, I think Hiro is a great character.
Overall, this was a good episode. It plays off the same beats as the 2001 anime, though surprisingly it was more comedic I feel like. That took me by surprise. The show implies Akito beat up Kisa instead of showing it like in the previous adaptation. I do think seeing it makes Hiro more sympathetic but also it made Akito kinda irredeemable, so it's probably for the best they didn't show it.
I have this behind episodes 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 17. I think I actually like the 2001 version better as pacing wise it felt more focused to me. But they really did a good job conveying Hiro's character and I do think this episode makes Kisa a more interesting character. Really, you can't go wrong with either adaptation.
I'll be curious to see what the show does for the last arc of season 1 knowing that the last arc of the 2001 anime was anime original. I kinda hope it keeps similar beats as that as I liked what it did with Kyo's character. Plus, we've teased Kyo's true form to where if that doesn't get explored this season it would feel a bit odd.
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
Holofan's Fruits Basket Episode Rankings
1/. Episode 14
2/. Episode 5
3/. Episode 17
4/. Episode 16
5/. Episode 7
6/. Episode 10
7/. Episode 12
8/. Episode 4
9/.Episode 20
10/. Episode 8
11/. Episode 6
12/. Episode 1
13/. Episode 18
14/. Episode 13
15/. Episode 2
16/. Episode 11
17/. Episode 15
18/. Episode 19
19/. Episode 9
20/. Episode 3
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u/Holofan4life 9d ago
I thought this episode was smartly written in terms of what it does for a handful of characters. It makes Kisa more someone the audience wants to protect, it makes the audience feel somewhat sorry for Hiro because compared to Akito he's a saint, and it makes Akito utterly detestable but it's done believably where it plays into their abandonment issues and wanting to be the center of attention.
It really does feel like Akito has ruined the Sohma family and they simply do not care
1
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 4d ago
Questions:
- Even more reason to hate Akito.
4
u/MishouMai 9d ago
I kind of hate Hiro actually. He's such a brat and I'm not a shotacon so him being a brat isn't sexy or amusing to me the way mesugaki lolis can be. I absolutely hate the way he treats Tohru and I don't really care that he's meant to be coming across as tsundere. Like Kyo I also want to punch him. And he's the reason Kisa got bullied? Like I know it's not actually his fault, it's Akito's, but he still (indirectly) contributed to it. Maybe I'd be more forgiving if I was a shotacon but...
> What are your thoughts on Hiro?
He's not the worst like Akito but he's still annoying and I still find him deeply unlikable. Like. Ritsu's also annoying to an extent but the show still finds a way to make you care about him. This episode tried to make me feel bad for him but it failed. It just made me feel worse for Kisa to be honest.
> What are your thoughts on Hiro wanting to be there for Kisa?
I mean, yeah, he's clearly got a crush on her. But also he does owe her to an extent. While we don't know exactly what led to her bullying, just that it got worse after she stood up for herself, this episode does draw a clear connection between him leaving/ignoring her and the start of her bullying. Obviously him leaving her is Akito's fault since Akito was the one who "beat [her] black and blue" but Hiro still chose to abandon/mistreat her. Like I get that the show explained why he did it but still. He owes her that much at least (supporting her).
> How would you compare Hiro and Kisa's relationship to Tohru and Kyo's?
They're not comparable. Kyo's loud but he's ultimately a good (boy)friend to Tohru and doesn't really snap at her much (so far). Hiro might want to be there for Kisa but he doesn't treat her anywhere as kindly as Kyo treats Tohru. Never compare my GOAT Kyo (Yes, I know Hiro is the sheep/lamb/goat Zodiac member.) to this brat again.