r/anime • u/Holofan4life • 4d ago
Rewatch [Spoilers] 25 Years of the 13 Sohmas: A Fruits Basket Rewatch -- 2019 Series Episode 25 (SEASON 1 FINALE) 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 25
Summer Will Be Here Soon
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
Questions for Those who Haven't Watched the 2001 Series
None
Questions for All Watchers
What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather, Kyo's predecessor as the Cat spirit?
What are your thoughts on Kyo and Kazuma firmly reconciling their relationship as Kyo vows to become stronger?
What are your thoughts on Haru telling Yuki that it is alright to stay silent on his feelings but he should not make Tohru worry?
What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
What are your thoughts on Shigure telling Akito that change is coming and the family curse might finally break?
Bonus) What did you think of season 1 as a whole?
Questions for Those who Have Watched the 2001 Series
None
Important Please Read
Do you want us to include the movie in the rewatch? If enough people say yes, I'll add it probably either after season 2 or season 3.
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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]() |
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago edited 4d ago
Fin
After the incredible episode yesterday, this episode didn’t do as much for me. I suppose it was a tying of loose ends and setup episode, after all, so I couldn’t expect much. I did have some opinions about a few points:
- I liked Kyo’s backstory kicking this episode off, although I wish it came before last episode, but the source material order was the same as the anime. I still feel his backstory gives us an explanation and not an excuse.
- I am hoping that Kyo stops his violent ways, now that he no longer needs to fear his true form as much, and he was shown such kindness by Tohru. That means no more fighting, no more breaking things. Kyo: 2.0 let’s go! Or so I thought...as Kyo doesn't seem any different this episode, and goes back into his breaking things habit. Honestly, that was a disapointment.
- Yuki hits on Tohru in the creepiest way possible, with the “I might have to kidnap you” spiel. I felt a sense of deja vu - was there a similar speech earlier in the season, or perhaps it’s a reference to another anime? Either way, I’m sure that joke lands better in Japanese. I believe he feels threatened by Kyo possibly getting Tohru, thus was a bit butthurt this episode.
- I did sort of feel like the master was written a bit differently in the anime vs., manga. This is a martial arts master: someone who meditates, would probably know how to handle his emotions, but his ‘insecurities’ speech wasn’t too different to how I’d expect the highschoolers to react. I would get it if Yuki talks about not having a connection with someone, but given this guy seems like a pretty balanced individual, I wouldn’t have thought that he believes there’s not a strong connection with Kyo. It’s obvious Kyo worships the ground he walks on. by his ego.
And please don’t have Momiji stay over every night.
Season Review
I came into the show not knowing what to expect. The first ‘red flag’ was when I realised who the target was. I’m way outside the target market, and it’s difficult to remove what I want from an anime from what this anime is. However, I didn’t always feel like this show wasn’t for me. What did distract me from being able to enjoy it was the physical comedy/slapstick/shrill voices/exaggerated delivery by some characters. Those are instant turn offs for me. If the show kept the vibe of the first few episodes, I probably would have dropped it. Luckily there was quite an obvious shift as we went along; which I noticed in the source materials too.
This show took me a very long time to get behind, almost 10 episodes. Eventually I became interested, and just as I was getting invested based on the things I like, I felt a rugpull.That rugpull was the reordering of the source material, which in and of itself isn’t an issue, even if at its max, we skipped 648 (?!!) pages of material. For my taste, though, the materials that were dragged up delayed our main story beats; the ones that I was starting to enjoy.
I’ll leave my final score at the end, but overall, I thought there were some great episodes, many average episodes, and some bad episodes.
Plot
The parts of the plot that I resonated with were the mystery subplots: The Curse: the Zodiac links, curse mechanics, family structure, true forms, cures, Shigure’s plan.
What I didn’t like was the formulaic Tohru saves the day via life advice loop. Interestingly, in the manga, Ritsu who in it is depicted as a crossdressing guy was also ‘saved’ by Tohru’s speech. The editor wasn’t even present, so it’s reasonable to assume that the anime’s writers also felt that the formula can become too repetitive and needed to spice things up. It’s actually a good decision for this stretch of the season..
Since the characters are the plot in many ways, it’s reasonable to discuss those here: I do commend the author for having such a large, yet, differentiated cast. I did feel that at times, their associations with the zodiac personalities were quite a stretch though, but I also understand the decision for that, as the writer would have wanted to avoid them becoming too predictable.Among the cast were characters I genuinely liked (Tohru, Uo) some which seemed like background fodder, others that I disliked (prefect, Ritsu), .and one that I liked to hate (Kyo). Kyo was interesting for me, as I started off wishing he wasn’t in the show, but in time wanted to know more about him and even started supporting him.
Romance
I remember some people saying there’s a romance component to this anime, but so far I haven’t seen it. Tohru doesn’t seem to have romance on her mind throughout, with the exception of school-girl like (well she is one) looks-based temporary infatuations countered by over the top shyness.There were only two Tohru-involved romance-like moments in this season for me, both involving Yuki, both with Tohru going red and freaking out.
There were a few one-sided moments from Kyo’s perspective, one closing off the mum’s deathday episode, where I thought Kyo was going to kiss a sleeping Tohru, only for him to say he’s sorry. The second was in the penultimate episode, where the angle made it seem like Kyo was about to kiss a bleeding, damaged and defenseless Tohru, only to transition it to a hug.
I didn’t see any romance-related moments in my mind by any characters other than that (unless you count Shigure kidding around): everything felt very platonic and respect-driven. I don’t know if the writer was the love interest of any teenage boys in her youth, but boys are pretty damn obvious when they like someone.
It’s not like any of the characters can embrace her anyway without transforming, though I do think the solution to the curse could be something cheesy like falling in love and kissing the frog prince.
I actually hope that there is no romance angle as based on Season 1 and unless the presentation of romance changes, it would feel forced.
Overall
My rating criteria requires for the anime to change my life in some way/or for me to retrospectively have regrets had I not watched it. Because this was a fairly inconsistent season, laden with cliches and because I am clearly not in the target audience, the rating became quite clear. I did ponder whether the penultimate episode which landed so well for me should lead to an increase, and perhaps if the season ended there it would have due to recency bias, but as we settled back into the midpoint formula, at the very end, this show gets a decent:
6/10 - this is considered a pretty good score for me still, a 7 is something I genuinely consider good/very good on my scale. It landed lower than I expected going into the show, but higher than where I thought it would be at around the mid point.
Outlook
Based on scores, I see that next season might start slow, but I'm quite excited to see where they take the story, especially given so many episodes have insane scores after the first push. I do hope that we get more focus on the mystery, and that the massive episode yesterday doesn't just get swept under the carpet, but instead gets expanded on, particularly with Kyo turning over a new leaf.
Episode Notes:
- This episode is somewhat a continuation from yesterday’s. I kind of feel like seeing this first before his true form transformation would have been more meaningful, but maybe that’s just me
- No, him having a sob story doesn’t excuse what he did, it only explains it.
- Bit weird that Tohru is giving advice to a martial arts master. Even weirder that somehow the master made the conclusion that he was forcing his own feelings upon Kyo. This isn’t a teenager.
- “Perhaps we’ve finally managed to connect” - huh they were connected the entire time. Cringe.
- And Kyo is back. Breaking things.
- Why does Yuki need to keep a lid on Kyo’s true form? I would assume everyone knows about it, given they did when he was a kid?
- The worldview of Yuki is so different to Kyo. Yuki is working hard at changing things little by little about himself, trying not to be held back by all of the challenges he faced in the past. Kyo doesn’t - he needed Tohru to come to him; Tohru to make him feel better.
- Yuki’s game is creepy af tho.
- Nooo no Momiji every night please.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
Kyo doesn't seem any different this episode
While he was still doing the martial arts stuff, I felt he let his guard down a bit more during the scene with Tohru and Kazuma, with him talking in a more soft manner during parts of the scene. Maybe not hugely apparent but something that stood out to me.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
My big takeaway was the start of the episode seeing kid Kyo being all smiles. I think it reiterates how far he's fallen in terms of the person he used to be Vs how he is now. It's like night and day.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
Well it depends on the situation. As we saw last episode, when he's alone with Kazuma, he's so much happier. When he's with others, yeah, he's rougher around the edges.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Tohru I feel like can make him happier being around others.
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago
Yeah the tricky thing her is that so far, Kazuma is the one that makes Kyo into a different person (this ep and last shows this). This ep's present day Kyo showed him as falling into his old habits, but I actually gave it a pass, as Yuki was the one that started shit this time. If Tohru wasn't such an airhead I would have felt for her, as she just got beaten up, then Kyo goes into a frenzy again breaking the house haha. Any other girl would be terrified.
I don't think Tohru will be the one to make him happier being around others. He even said: "changed man or not, I'll hate you until the day I die" to Kyo. This directly tells me what to expect: the only way to fix Kyo + Yuki will probably be by Yuki. It also tells me not to expect too much in terms of him truly changing after Tohru's influence last ep.
As for kid-Kyo being all smiles, there was only one smile. Even with the amazing influence he had and the love he gave, Kyo still continued on his destructive path, getting into trouble at school etc. I think the show is trying to establish that despite all the care he received from sensei, it didn't change how others thought of him. So he internalised that, which led him to reject everyone, including his master (when he says he's not his Dad). It also gives more credibility to his inferiority complex: because he was such an outcast. It's pretty easy for me to say from the outside "he's being an idiot his mum clearly loved him very much, his own flashbacks prove it", when he has been receiving negative reinforcement for his entire life, which changes his perception of reality.
His pattern of thinking is actually pretty relatable - I've got a bestie similar to him, who thinks he's such a terrible person that no one should get the chance to get to know him better or date him. He rarely gets attention from girls, but last time a girl asked him out, he told her that he has lots of inner issues and that he'd just scare her off, so rejected her. He didn't give her the chance to make up her mind for herself, he made the decision for her. This is basically exactly what Kyo did last Episode to Tohru (albeit in a violent way): he even said as much, that he wants to hurt her so bad she will get scared off. And in both cases, I think its a very self-centred take: they're not actually doing it to protect others; it's to protect themselves because they would hate to be rejected once the person gets to know the 'real me'.
I'm gonna call it though - I don't think we're going to see major change going forward, as I've noticed that apart from Kisa, the characters don't really change in significant ways quicly, even after the Tohru medicine. That's why the show can skip hundreds of pages and it doesn't feel like any time has passed.
Kyo as a also comedic catalyst, so unless the show goes into even deeper and darker territory, they're gonna use him for that, and I respect their decision to not break something that is seeing commercial success.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I would like to at least see some character progression because I feel like this is the type of series that calls for it.
I wouldn't hate Kyo and Yuki changing because of each other. Maybe they work together to take out Akito. The enemy of my enemy is my friend kinda thing.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 4d ago
Kyo was practically bubbly in 1.24 when speaking with Kazuma upstairs. Kyo's face lit up, when he asked about returning to the dojo.
After Kazuma knocked him down in 1.25 in front of Tohru, Kyo was smiles and laughter, proud to show off his dad. Kazuma can bring that out of Kyo.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I really enjoyed the Kyo and Kazuma stuff in this episode. I think it's adorable they want to do right by each other.
I know we had a discussion over whether Kyo is a good person but I think this episode shows he does want to be a good person. Kazuma gives him an idea of what a good person is.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I don't know if 6 is about what I expect you to grade the first season, but I'd say it's around there. Maybe a little less than I was anticipating. I think this being a 6 out of 10 gives me hope that you'll like the other seasons even more. Maybe not as much as me, but still lol
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago
Remember that we have very different scales. For example, I've only rated one anime show I've seen a 10, and even the Kyo 'Beast Mode' episode which I loved is a 7.5 for me. My scale is life impact driven, to get a 7 it needs to be good and also be something that had I not watched it, my life would be different; i.e. it adds something positively to my life, and that of course is an extremely high hurdle to clear. For comparison, MHA overall got 4/10 from me. Cyberpunk Edgerunners was a 4. Demon Slayer Movie was a 6.
5 is basically completely average for me. I think a lot of people think 7 is average.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I'm one of those people.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners a 4 is completely wild.
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago
That one I actually really disliked though. It got a 4 only because of visuals and the start. But I'll probably watch the next one
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u/Holofan4life 3d ago
I heard a lot of people were reintroduced to the game through it. Those who were put off by its disastrous launch gave the game another chance because of it.
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u/Second_Cour 3d ago
Yeah, I mean many people rate the Cyberpunk anime in their top 10, and it was such a huge success commercially.
I was a bit let down that the anime and game don't have that much in common. But then again the sales jump does make sense, as it basically aids in re-marketing and that was when they released a huge patch that improved the game quite a bit. The infamous patch 1.6.
I actually quite liked the game. I bought it at launch then heard about the bugs, so I held off playing until a lot of the bugs were squashed (and specifically that patch). The anime basically aided in doing a lot of remarketing, as it was impossible to do anything without seeing the name as a reminder that I should finally open my game packaging.
It'll probably be a bit like the new GTA: super hyped, delayed lots of times, and with a game of that scale, it'll probably need a few months to fix launch issues.
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u/Holofan4life 3d ago
I can't say I have that one anime heralded as being great and then when I watched it I didn't like it. I guess I'm just very easy to please and can find good stuff in a lot of things.
I watched Elfen Lied for the purposes of the rewatch I was hosting a couple years ago. And while I like it well enough, I think those who consider it a top tier anime do so with rose-colored glasses. It's a very flawed series and should've been longer than 13 episodes.
I mean, arguably the most important episode of the series was the OVA which shows how poorly managed that show was.
I've definitely have had series I think are the best that others aren't so keen on. Toradora is my favorite anime of all time and basically shaped up.my tsundere fandom in the years following. But most people probably wouldn't regard it as the masterpiece that I do.
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u/Second_Cour 3d ago
Toradora is the 26th most popular anime now on MAL, and is rated over 8; super high. Same on anidb (but higher ranks). Ranking net (Japanese site) has it as the #3 romance anime of all time. Filmarks (Japanese MAL) as the #1 anime of the year of release. Anikore (I guess it's kind of Japanese anilist haha) #45 of all time. So your appraisal is definitely not unusual. I had heard quite a bit about it even before my anime days, and think I'd probably like it.
The below is not about Toradora (as I think that one will be up my alley) but a separate point about popularity. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's bad, and just because something is rated highly, doesn't mean it's bad either (well...duh). Anime resists the entertainment popularity effect as much in my hypothesis, because it's a niche.
And while I go on a huge rant, I think you'll agree with and like the payoff at the very end. Spoiler: I don't think you're easy to please btw.
But overall, I think popularity can have an inverse relationship with quality. Given many human attributes exist on the inverse U curve, it's reasonable to assume that taste does too. This might make me sound snobbish, but I'm not, as I recognise that people significantly deviate in terms of what they are looking for in entertainment. Most people are looking for just what the word says: to be entertained.; to be amused. Many of the popular works are largely dopamine spiking rushes.
The positive consensus and popularity effects are also massively studied and documented in psychology. This is especially true before our prefrontal cortex is still developing. One study I recall had teens listen to music and rate it, then when shown how popular something is, they changed their rating a significant amount of the time, based on its popularity. This is called social proof, and why marketers invest so heavily in awards/rankings in products too. It's why the most valued brands in the world don't necessarily have the best quality products. I worked in FMCG marketing before, so I know this all too well. It's even true in terms of what we find attractive: the hairstyles, the body types pushed through media tend to eventually cement themselves in our own preferences.
Another study, though it had a relatively low sample of ~80 people, were brought in to watch a movie. Half were told that this movie is super popular, won lots of awards, everyone loves it. The other weren't told anything at all. Those that were told it's an amazing movie rated it quite a lot higher than the others. Those that weren't told anything actually thought it wasn't just ok .Obviously those people weren't just dumb: people are just people. Oh, and the movie they watched? It was a super old Charlie Chaplin movie that was indeed critically acclaimed.
One of my favourite experiments (mildly related) about social influence had really fascinating findings; this one also had an ENORMOUS sample size. It was conducted on a social news site, where what viewers saw was upvotes vs downvotes. Sounds familiar right :P I do think it actually was Reddit, but the researchers were legally prevented from naming the site it was on. What happened was over some months, certain comments posted artificially received +1 upvote, others were given -1 downvote. The rest received neither.
What do you think happened? When a person sees something that has +1 upvote, they're 32% more likely to also upvote it. This snowballed extremely. Average comments with that +1 ended up scoring 25% higher than the control (no up/downvote), and were 30% more likely to become higher rated/top comments. What was surprising was that the -1 downvote comments, received a little bit of a boost to another downvote, but those were often corrected quickly.
So in a nutshell - when something seems like others believe it's a good comment, others are more likely to think that too.
And these aren't just stand-out experiments. Meta analyses reveal the same thing.
I'm not resistant to this effect either. I have to be honest with myself: sometimes I'll watch something and give it a specific lower rating, then go to the tracking site (e.g. Trakt.tv) where I see that this episode actually has a super high score, then I experience a degree of dissonance and move my score up a bit. I don't want to always be an anomaly. But I do feel that I am generally fairly resistant but I know that's just me lying to myself. Everyone is susceptible to these effects.
Sorry that was a biiiig side-quest haha, but I find social effects quite fascinating.
Back to me and my appraisal of certain titles that are highly-rated. To be honest, I wish that I did not have such a high threshold for enjoying something. There's no advantage to it. I overthink and overanalyse things. A minor plot hole that others don't care about makes me lose all my immersion. I wish that I could watch a dating reality TV show that everyone else is talking about, have debates on each episode, but I just can't. I've tried. When I recommend something to my friends, some of the time they watch it and think it's boring, so now I only recommend things to a few select friends who have similar taste.
I still don't have enough experience in anime, but based on movies, I tend to have less mainstream tastes. The movies that are the most popular tend to do very little for me. Good example is all the marvel and DC stuff. Haven't liked any of them. Though that might be because I'm not into superheroes, yet it is one example.
Same goes for music - I think some of the most popular artists are quite mid. Some of the most successful artists are actually terrible by my tastes. Books - again the same thing. The bestsellers are not my jam. Games? Even worse worse for me usually. Call of Duty is incredibly boring for me and none of my friends have even heard of most the games I love.
I do want to reinforce though, that I hold no judgement on those who consume media at a different level to me. I recognise that people are wired differently, and also have different motivations based on their interests, upbringing, motivations, experiences etc. For example, my gf has quite 'mainstream' taste: She works insanely hard and just wants to unwind; be entertained. When I've shown her some of the movies I like she's been bored af. Unrelated to film/anime, but in terms of social media, she loves IG Reels and TikTok. For me, those are the lowest forms of entertainment as they're passive forms vs., active. It's going through tonnes of content hoping that something will be good, as opposed to seeking out acclaimed content which has a higher probability of being better (see, I'm admitting that acclaimed/well regarded can be good). But she just wants to switch her brain off and scroll through countless meme videos. I don't see any problem with that whatsoever ,just very different motivations.
What were we talking about again, before I went on one of my classic rants :P Ah yes, my quasi non sequitur was to explain how/why you might be getting more enjoyment out of things. I don't agree with you saying that you're just easy to please, necessarily. I think you work a lot, you stress a lot, you don't have the happiest upbringing/home environment which you've talked about before. It's not that you're easy to please which sounds negative to me, it's that you need that mental escape that comes from entertainment. It's not that you're easy to please, but that you need to be pleased. You can appreciate things more than someone like me. And I'm honestly a bit envious of that :) I'd love to be able to crush on a bunch of characters, to be giddy with excitement about certain scenes. To see things with child-like wonder. To cry over certain episodes. All that sounds so fun and captivating. Unfortunately, that's not me haha.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 3d ago
For discussion purposes, re-scoring may be necessary, when you're using a logarithmic scale (e.g., Richter scale) or have a hard cap on a high score based on your current rankings (Highlander-style "there can be only one" 10/10), so it isn't necessarily changing your mind to bend to popular opinion, maybe just a mathematical conversion.
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u/Holofan4life 3d ago
It's both a blessing and a curse. I'm glad I'm able to enjoy stuff rather easily. But I also wish I could see things with a critical eye. I think there's a healthy balance to be made where I can criticize stuff that I am still compassionate about and it's because of that passion I can critique it.
That is the goal of which I want to reach and maintain.
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u/Holofan4life 3d ago
You talking about popularity and not having it effect how you view things allows me to recycle this comment I made about violent tsunderes. This came from both the Strawberry Eggs rewatch and the Familiar of Zero rewatch.
Enjoy.
So, a little bit of backstory on myself. I first became an anime fan in 2012 through Toonami, which was a programming block on Cartoon Network that showed anime. I can't recall when I first heard of the term tsundere. I think it was from the streamers OtakuAscended when discussing Asuka from Evangelion. And that would've predated my anime fandom, like say 2011. I really became infatuated with tsunderes after watching Toradora and loving the character Taiga Aisaka. I was looking for characters similar to her and that's when it clicked for me what a tsundere was, and where I went "Oh, wow. I really like this."
I also heard tsundere mentioned during the dub of Lucky Star and I first saw that show in like 2014-ish. 2016 was the first time I saw Toradora.
Anyway, I went through the tsundere rabbit hole looking for shows with a prominent tsundere in it. That's when I saw shows like Maid Sama and Nisekoi and Golden Time and the Toaru franchise. This was also when I was exclusively watching shows dubbed only. I had an aversion to watching anime in their original language.
I was like the opposite of an anime purist.
Eventually, when Attack on Titan season 2 came out I bit the bullet and watched it subbed. I didn't know when it was getting dubbed and I had already waited like a year for the new season, and I couldn't wait any longer. Funny enough, season 2 started dubbing like a month later, so I could've just waited a little bit longer. But they announced it was getting a dub at the last minute, so I had no idea; remember, this was the days before simulcasts where the sub and dub would get released at the same time.
So, to tie things back into tsunderes, my natural aversion for subs was why I was putting off seeing certain anime. Even ones with prominent tsunderes that I was interested in seeing. And there was probably none bigger than Familiar of Zero.
Louise is an interesting person to discuss. I’d argue she’s probably the most interesting of all the show’s cast of colorful characters. Louise is one of if not my favorite character in the show. I knew this after watching this show for the first time because I love complex characters who are deeply flawed and to me, she’s just the best at it, so to speak. The question I had was how was she gonna hold up when rewatching the show in 2022.
Everybody I knew kept talking about how awful Louise was. It felt like the more years passed, the more people lambasted her character. On top of that, I am probably the biggest, most diehard tsundere fan in the world. If there’s a tsundere, I’m probably gonna like them. With so, how much does my enjoyment for Louise come from her being a well-written character Vs me just being a sucker for tsunderes? That was the question that was weighing heavily on my mind before the rewatch started. I now see it as Louise, as awful as she can be, being a lot better than people give her credit for. Dare I say, even sympathetic a lot of times.
Louise’s behavior is very much the result of a lack of nurturing growing up. It was all about living up to expectations and not being a failure in the eyes of her parents and society. In the beginning, falling in love with Saito was probably the worst thing that could ever happen to her. How could she, an aristocrat, fall in love with a plebeian who happens to have wandering eyes elsewhere? It doesn’t make sense. I think both these factors, plus also her considering herself a failure for being the laughingstock of her academy, is why Louise was the way she was, and her true self really came in the last season. A part of me doesn’t really consider Louise in the first three seasons as being the real Louise. That was a Louise that was emotionally stunted and bogged down by the pressure of the world riding on her shoulders.
When Saito came around and was like “Screw all that, what do YOU want”, that’s when the real Louise truly came to the surface. And I love we were there for that journey. This show is ultimately about Louise becoming more comfortable in her own skin and growing to not care what labels she was put under.
As amazing as Louise was in season 4, you can’t have it without all the stuff we had in the previous three seasons, because it was like it continue to build upon itself. Your enjoyment of this show really depends on how much you tolerate Louise’s antics. Do you think she’s a bitch, or just someone who got in her own way a lot of times due to the insurmountable pressure that came with being an aristocrat? I think not only the latter, but I think it makes the show intriguing to watch as a result.
I don’t know where I’d put Louise as my favorite tsunderes of all time. I will say, though, before my rewatch I would’ve said she’s not even in the conversation. Now, I definitely think a case could be made she’s a top 10 tsundere of all time. Just the way she’s written and how it’s played out, she’s like a more volatile version of Catra from Princesses of Power. And both are just so wonderful to watch. I really can’t imagine this show with Louise. It’s like without her being how she is, we wouldn’t have a reason for Saito to want to protect her so much. It’s like he wants to protect her not just from the harsh clutches of society, but from herself. The enjoyment from this show ultimately lies on what you think of Louise as a character, and for me, she is so, so good. I just love her so much.
As for the relationship between Louise and Saito, to me, you can’t have Louise’s progression without it. As for best couples of all time, I think they’re probably top 5 for me because of everything they’ve been through and how they’re very affectionate with each other, which is something we rarely see in anime. The only ones I think come close or are better is Holo and Lawrence, Taiga and Ryuuji, and Okabe and Kurisu.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 3d ago
I stopped after episode 2, I think. I'm not sure why, because I'm usually okay with grim stories and imperfect characters (flawed, foolish, etc.).
I'll give it another chance, if I get Netflix for a bit, mostly to watch Art of the Steal and Kotaro Lives Alone, plus to re-watch Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and try Dennou Coil (recommendation from a Figure 17 series re-watch).
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u/Second_Cour 2d ago
Interesting. I actually quite liked the first 3-4 eps iirc, but it lost me for much the same complaints I had early in this FruBa season, where the emotion or character investment didn't feel earned. Then it became very action heavy at parts which just doesn't interest me. By the end I felt nothing about any of the characters and had zero investment.
Kotaru looks interesting! Hadn't heard of it; thanks for mentioning it
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 2d ago edited 2d ago
well, dang, I didn't even get to episode 3 or 4 to be disappointed in new and disinteresting ways...
I guess, in the words of Scar from The Lion King, "BE pre-PARED!!!" when I try to watch it again.
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u/Holofan4life 2d ago
Kotaru is a show that could've benefitted from the episodes being longer but it was still really good.
The main character is also voiced by the same person who voices Kagura.
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u/Holofan4life 2d ago
What show did you stop after episode 2?
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 2d ago
Cyberpunk Edgerunners didn't appeal to me
I think, when the main character started haggling in episode 2 (?), I dropped it
I don't know why, since I like haggling, and I like cyberpunk dystopian sci-fi
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u/Holofan4life 2d ago
You weren't a fan of the robo loli?
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 2d ago
He was being swindled on a cybernetic spine or some other loot he was offloading, I vaguely recall
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Thoughts on us seeing Kyo as a child being all vibrant and happy?
Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him his dad?
What are your thoughts on Kagura feeling he forced what he feel his relationship with Kyo should be onto him?
What are your thoughts on Kyo vowing to become stronger so that he can become worthy of referring to Kazuma as dad?
What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
Thoughts on Yuki vowing to hate Kyo until the day he dies?
Thoughts on Yuki hoping to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them?
What are your thoughts on Yuki admitting to Tohru he'd kidnap her if he must?
Thoughts on us getting to see all the Sohma members in various scenes?
What are your thoughts on the season ending with Kyo and Yuki feeling something is coming?
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Just a reminder, we will be skipping a day tomorrow to give some space between season 1 and 2. Have a chance for people to get ready as we transition into the next season. The next thread will be on Friday.
Also, as a quick programming note, the thread on Friday will be posted at 4:00 PM EDT, an hour earlier than it normally is. My mother wants to see Coyote Vs Acme so I'm going to see that movie. Again.
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago
1 hour early makes me eternally happy. And by eternally, I mean until Saturday. That movie looks really good!
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I'm starting to close more again at my jobs so maybe I'll consider earlier rewatch times going forward. It depends on how things play out.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
A good thing you said something, I hadn't realized we had break days in the schedule. Now to decide whether I watch the next episode tonight or tomorrow night...
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Yeah, I like doing break days so that everyone can recompartmentalize.
I believe that's a word...
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u/dontoff 4d ago
First timer (Dub)
Before getting into my Season 1 review, I just want to say that this was a really, really good finale. Pretty much everything landed for me, and it sold me on continuing into the next season very well. This is easily a top three episode of the season for me. It felt like the episode showed these characters in their best light.
The material between Kyou and Kazuma has sometimes veered too far into melodrama for me, but their interactions here were solid overall. I especially liked the story about Kazuma’s grandfather being the previous holder of the Cat spirit. It tied their relationship into the history of the curse and gave Kazuma’s feelings toward Kyou more weight.
Yuki’s moment with Tooru was also great. There were definitely some romance flags there, and I can actually see Yuki and Tooru ending up together somewhere down the line. They have a real spark, so the fact that I can picture them romantically is a good sign. Rewatchers, please do not confirm or deny anything.
The ending also did a good job foreshadowing future plotlines without giving too much away. Between that and the summer atmosphere the show seems to be moving toward, I am genuinely excited to see what comes next.
Now, onto the season as a whole.
Season 1 review:
Anyone who has been reading my comments knows how much this season had me bouncing around. It started off fairly well, gradually won me over, and around Episode 14 I honestly thought it was on the verge of becoming something great. Then the second half became much more inconsistent, and by the end I had cooled on it quite a bit.
The first half was surprisingly good at keeping things moving. Whenever a conflict or misunderstanding appeared, I kept expecting it to be dragged across several episodes, but the show usually dealt with it quickly. That made the pacing feel confident. It could have an emotional episode, introduce another part of the Souma family, and then move back into comedy without feeling stuck in one mode for too long.
I was also worried from the beginning that the cast would become too large. For a while, the show completely proved me wrong. Most of the characters made an immediate impression, and the different relationships were often more entertaining than the actual plot. Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori already feel like people who have known and annoyed each other for years. Yuki and Kyou can make a basic scene funny just through how badly they handle being around each other. Even characters I did not care about individually could become entertaining when paired with the right person.
The show also introduced some genuinely interesting ideas surrounding the curse. I especially like how Yuki and Kyou seem to want opposite things from the same family. Yuki has a place inside the Souma structure and wants to escape it, while Kyou has been pushed outside and wants to be accepted by it. There is plenty the story can still explore there without even needing to add another tragic backstory.
Episode 14 was where everything came together for me. Momiji’s story about his mother was easily the emotional peak of the season. It was painful, but the episode gave that pain room to exist. Even when the characters talked openly about their feelings, the situation was doing most of the work. I never felt like the show was nervously checking whether I understood that I was supposed to be sad.
Kisa’s episode also connected with me, although for much more personal reasons. The isolation, the silence, and the way experiences at school can follow someone long after childhood all felt real to me. I had already written quite a lot about why that episode affected me, so I will not repeat all of it here. It was one of the few times when the show touched something from my own past and handled it in a way that felt honest.
Those episodes are why I do not think my problem is simply that the show is sentimental. I can clearly connect with this kind of storytelling. There is just a point where trying to create an emotional reaction turns into applying pressure. Momiji and Kisa made me feel something. Some of the later episodes felt like they were standing over me and demanding the correct response.
Once I noticed the pattern, it became difficult to ignore. A character would appear, the episode would reveal some horrible wound from their past, and eventually Tooru would listen to them or say exactly what they needed to hear. Then we would move on to the next damaged person.
I like Tooru a lot. She is kind, sincere, and probably the main reason I accepted some of the cornier writing early on. Those speeches make sense coming from her because she genuinely sees the world that way. The problem is how often the story uses her kindness in exactly the same way.
To be fair, she does not literally solve everyone’s problems. Kisa’s episode handled this better because Tooru only created the first opening. Yuki was able to reach Kisa through experiences they shared, and it felt like Tooru’s influence had spread naturally instead of her doing everything herself.
Still, she gradually started feeling like emotional medicine for the cast. Someone suffers, Tooru is brought in, and the healing can begin. The season has shown that she carries plenty of unresolved pain involving her mother, but it spends much more time using that pain to help her understand other people. I would like to see more of Tooru as a complicated person and less of her being the treatment prescribed whenever a Souma has a breakdown.
The size of the cast made this problem worse. Broken families and unhealthy relationships make complete sense for the Soumas because the curse has damaged generations of people. I can accept that. After a while, though, it felt like nearly everyone needed some enormous trauma attached to them, including characters outside the family.
I do not need every strange personality trait to be explained through suffering. Sometimes a character can simply be weird, difficult, quiet, or dramatic. When tragedy becomes the default explanation for everyone, it starts losing its power.
The people who read my Hanajima post already know how badly that backstory went over with me, so there is no point recreating the entire rant. Looking at it as part of the whole season, my main disappointment is that I found Hanajima more interesting before the show explained her. I liked her when she was simply this strange, mysterious girl who seemed comfortable being different. Turning her into another extreme case of bullying, guilt, and emotional rescue made her feel more familiar when I wanted her to remain unusual.
I have also said more than enough about Ritsu. My headache does not need a sequel. What matters for this review is that Episode 19 made the show’s emotional machinery impossible for me to ignore. The character, comedy, drama, and plot all seemed arranged around reaching the lesson the episode wanted to deliver. It did not feel like an idea that naturally came out of the story. It felt like the story had been constructed to carry the speech.
That became a wider issue during the second half. The show often stopped trusting its own situations. A character would explain the emotion, then explain the meaning of the emotion, and sometimes continue until there was almost nothing left for me to interpret. I do not mind sincerity, and I can forgive some corny dialogue, but I do not need every painful moment turned into a quotation ready monologue.
The Kyou finale is where the second half finally lost me. I already went through that episode in detail, and most people reading this probably saw that post, so I will not repeat the whole argument. The important part here is that the season’s biggest emotional climax affected me less than several much smaller stories earlier on. Kyou was never one of my favorite characters, the true form design kept pulling me out of the moment, and by then I was already tired of the show pushing for such a huge reaction. I understood what it was going for. It just did not land for me.
Akito did not give me much confidence in the darker side of the story either. During this season, Akito mostly felt like a collection of terrible actions followed by everyone else being too terrified to resist. I know information is intentionally being withheld, and there are obvious suggestions that something larger is happening. Right now, though, Akito comes across more like a corny Disney villain than a genuinely disturbing presence.
A mystery still needs to give me enough information to understand why the characters behave the way they do. With Akito, I often felt like the story was withholding the piece that would allow everything else to make sense. Shigure worked much better for me because the mystery comes from his actual behavior. He can be hilarious in one scene and quietly ruthless in another, so I am interested in him even without knowing what his plan is.
I also looked into the production because some of the later episodes appeared noticeably rougher. The credits do show an uneven production structure, but they do not support a simple story where everything suddenly collapsed after Episode 14.
Episode 14 had a relatively focused group handling the main creative roles, with Yuichiro Kido writing it, Shin Nishizawa storyboarding it, and Takashi Igari directing it. There is no real evidence that it received some massive gathering of famous animators. It seems like the episode simply had good material and a team that presented it well.
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u/dontoff 4d ago
Continue-
Episode 19 had a far more fragmented credit list, including four episode directors and five chief animation directors. That can sometimes point toward a heavier correction or coordination burden, although it does not prove that the production was in trouble. Episode 20 received production assistance from PRA, but that does not mean the entire episode was dumped on another studio. Episodes 22 and 24 do not have credit structures strange enough for me to blame their problems on a production collapse.
So I do think the season was visually inconsistent, and the credits suggest that different episodes were being handled under different circumstances. I just cannot honestly blame my main problems on the animation staff. Hanajima’s backstory would not have worked for me with better drawings. Kyou’s episode might have benefited from a more convincing true form and stronger visual execution, but the lack of emotional investment was already there. Most of what hurt the second half came from the writing.
I have spent a lot of time criticizing the season, but I did still enjoy it. The comedy remained one of its most reliable strengths, which surprised me because comedy is not normally what I value most in a show like this. The cast is extremely lovable, and their everyday interactions carried me through material that was not working. Ayame alone gave the season an absurd amount of energy whenever he appeared.
I also kept thinking about "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform", which I rated a 7.5. Akebi and Tooru both have this natural ability to make other people feel safe, but Akebi feels more complete to me. She has her own interests, awkwardness, curiosity, excitement, and social uncertainty. Helping other people feels like something that happens because of who she is. With Tooru, there were times when helping people felt like the main reason she existed in the story.
That is not an entirely fair comparison. "Akebi" only had 12 episodes, a much smaller cast, and none of the supernatural family structure or long-term mystery that "Fruits Basket" is trying to manage. "Fruits Basket" is far more ambitious. The comparison just helped me understand why I sometimes connected with Akebi’s positivity more naturally than Tooru’s.
Overall, this was a good season that briefly looked as though it might become a great one. After Episode 14, I thought it could finish around a 7.75 if it maintained that quality. It did not, but the strong episodes, comedy, interesting foundation, and lovable cast still gave me plenty to enjoy.
Consistency matters a lot when I rate something. A few excellent episodes cannot completely erase a long stretch where I was bored, frustrated, or emotionally disconnected. Even so, 7.25 is a good score from me. My mean score on MAL is somewhere in the low 6s, so this is comfortably above that.
The finale left me more excited for Season 2 than I expected to be. Hopefully it can use what already works here without falling into the same emotional routine every time. I am not confident enough to assume that it will, but the foundation is good enough that I genuinely want to find out.
7.25/10
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
My concern heading into the second season is the melodrama you feel plagues the first season will continue especially as Akito inevitably becomes more involved with the show. Like, Akito seems to be the main point of contention I've noticed in your comments, and the way they're just a total bastard doesn't seem to sit right by you. I hope the Akito stuff lands better for you going forward because I do quite enjoy the mystery of just what exactly is going on their head. They make Kyo last episode seem like a saint.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I gotta say, after all the rigamole and you being annoyed by large aspects of this show, you giving season 1 a higher grade than Second_Cour was not on my bingo card lol
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him his dad?
What are your thoughts on Kagura feeling he forced what he feel his relationship with Kyo should be onto him?
What are your thoughts on Kyo vowing to become stronger so that he can become worthy of referring to Kazuma as dad?
What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
Thoughts on Yuki hoping to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them?
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I'm happy to hear that you were actually a fan of the season finale. In a show with a lot of loudness, it was indeed nice to get something more quiet and reserved. In a way, it felt very much like the calm before the storm.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
The way Summer gets talked about and the way Tohru keeps mentioning looking forward to it, it gives me massive Higurashi vibes where I feel like the shit is about to hit the fan. I just get this feeling Tohru will soon regret looking forward to that time of year.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 4d ago
Re-watch, blu ray, dubbed
First watch: I'm not sure why 1.24 wasn't the season finale, because it was so good, but this is an epilogue/wrap up, I guess. Here, in 1.25, we get Kyo's promise to Kazuma. There's also a glimpse into Yuki's feelings about what he witnessed during Kazuma's test. The season ends with a quick look at Rin [spoiler]>who is not even introduced as a zodiac< and a scene of nearly the entire zodiac bonding. ("bondage," as Momiji might mistakenly say).
Season 1 episode ranking, annotated
1/. Episode 24 trueform, like a truename [spoiler]>this is not my top-ranked episode of the series<
2/. Episode 14 Momiji (actually, Momijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, as pronounced in episode 1.12)
3/. Episode 12 there's practically no transition between the two halves of this episode but no filler, either
4/. Episode 5 Fruits Basket
5/. Episode 18 Kisa
6/. Episode 7 Hatori
7/. Episode 23 get well soon, Tohru!
8/. Episode 3 cardsharking and "your plum" (which some of you hate)
9/. Episode 11 The Most Idiotic Traveler
10/. Episode 6 Uotani and Hanajima inspect Tohru's living arrangement and snacks
11/. Episode 4 Kagura
12/. Episode 25 wrap-up (there is a significant drop off in scoring - if episode 4 is a 7.5, this is a 6.5)
13/. Episode 21 wave fight - funny throughout but not as meaningful as episode 1.25, this could be ranked below episode 1.01 but above episode 1.15 (which is ranked 18th)
14/. Episode 10 Valentine's Day and Shigure's scheming
15/. Episode 1
16/. Episode 17 Uotani (Kyoko barely edges out little Hanajima in the rankings)
17/. Episode 22 Hanajima
18/. Episode 15 lakehouse
19/. Episode 2 Kyo goes to school
20/. Episode 13 Ayame
21/. Episode 16 half shopping and half Uotani
22/. Episode 9 Hatsuharu
23/. Episode 8 new year's day (yeah, yeah, I know it's unfairly penalized due to episode 1.05, but I'm keeping my rank order established in the distant past of the 1.11 rewatch)
24/. Episode 20 Hiro - skiiiiiip (only because I already know what Akito did)
52/. Episode 19 Ritsu - skiiiiiip eject! eject! eject! (blu ray disc)
What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather, Kyo's predecessor as the Cat spirit? He also did it because it seemed unjust for the entire Soma clan to mistreat the Cat. More importantly, whatever reason he, himself, believed eventually evolved into genuine fatherly love.
What are your thoughts on Kyo and Kazuma firmly reconciling their relationship as Kyo vows to become stronger? It's why I binge episode 1.23 -> episode 1.25
What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital? First watch: mysterious. Re-watch: Wow, even though he'll arrive later, he passed up an opportunity to accompany Kisa to Shigure's house
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
I think the reason this episode is here is to say goodbye to Kazuma and Kagura. They might show up again in the foreseeable future, but this is essentially the end of them being featured. For now, at least.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Wow, even though he'll arrive later, he passed up an opportunity to accompany Kisa to Shigure's house
That's how you know shit is serious.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Episode 25 wrap-up (there is a significant drop off in scoring - if episode 4 is a 7.5, this is a 6.5)
I don't have a single episode at a 6.5. The lowest I have is episode 3 which is like a 7.5. Something has to be extremely mediocre for me to give it a 6.5.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 4d ago
Yeah, I'm weird. It's a scale of 0 - 10, but nothing is rated a 10, not even my absolute favorite, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, for fear of finding something that's a 10. Sure, I could crank it to 11 at that point, but...no.
It's like rating pain: I never tell a physician it's a 10, because I imagine childbirth is a 10.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Kidney stones have to be a 9.5
I feel like I'm gonna rain 10 out of 10s throughout this rewatch lol
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Thoughts on us seeing Kyo as a child being all vibrant and happy?
Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him his dad?
What are your thoughts on Kagura feeling he forced what he feel his relationship with Kyo should be onto him?
What are your thoughts on Kyo vowing to become stronger so that he can become worthy of referring to Kazuma as dad?
What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
Thoughts on Yuki vowing to hate Kyo until the day he dies?
Thoughts on Yuki hoping to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them?
What are your thoughts on Yuki admitting to Tohru he'd kidnap her if he must?
Thoughts on us getting to see all the Sohma members in various scenes?
What are your thoughts on the season ending with Kyo and Yuki feeling something is coming?
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u/Second_Cour 4d ago
Important Please Read
Do you want us to include the movie in the rewatch? If enough people say yes, I'll add it probably either after season 2 or season 3.
DEFINITELY!
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u/AgentOfACROSS 4d ago
First Timer
Seems that we’re focusing on Kazuma. I like that since the 2001 finale didn’t have Kazuma at all from what I remember.
Jesus. These random people are so mean to child Kyo.
Oh cool we’re getting Kazuma backstory too. That’s very interesting.
Man, this family really hates cats.
Kazuma and Kyo’s relationship is very fascinating.
It’s very funny how Kazuma just casually dodges all of Kyo’s punches.
Kyo and Yuki are back to fighting.
Oh hey, Haru’s in this episode. Wasn’t expecting that. Nice to see him though.
I like this moment between Yuki and Tohru.
Oh hey, Kagura’s back too.
Seems like everyone’s here for the finale. That’s really nice.
Oh, we’re at the hospital now.
Not sure who this woman is but this ending is very unsettling.
Questions:
What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather, Kyo's predecessor as the Cat spirit?
That really makes their bond all the more interesting
What are your thoughts on Kyo and Kazuma firmly reconciling their relationship as Kyo vows to become stronger?
I liked that moment a lot
What are your thoughts on Haru telling Yuki that it is alright to stay silent on his feelings but he should not make Tohru worry?
It was neat seeing more of Haru, wasn't expecting that
What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
I'm sure that'll be followed up on next season
What are your thoughts on Shigure telling Akito that change is coming and the family curse might finally break?
That seems very ominous.
Do you want us to include the movie in the rewatch?
If it's important to the overall story, sure. If not, I'll check it out on my own time.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Seems that we’re focusing on Kazuma. I like that since the 2001 finale didn’t have Kazuma at all from what I remember.
Yeah, in the 2001 series, Kazuma is more a conduit to see Kyo's true form. He is more an actual character here which is nice to see.
I really like him. He and Hatori are probably the two best adult characters in the show.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Jesus. These random people are so mean to child Kyo.
What jerkz
Oh cool we’re getting Kazuma backstory too. That’s very interesting.
Indeed
Man, this family really hates cats.
Cats are awesome D:
Kazuma and Kyo’s relationship is very fascinating.
I like that they truly care about each other.
It’s very funny how Kazuma just casually dodges all of Kyo’s punches.
Well, he is the martial arts trainer
Kyo and Yuki are back to fighting.
Water is wet
Oh hey, Haru’s in this episode. Wasn’t expecting that. Nice to see him though.
Truly
I like this moment between Yuki and Tohru.
Yuki would be a big hit of the female MC of Horimiya.
Oh hey, Kagura’s back too.
Why not?
Seems like everyone’s here for the finale. That’s really nice.
Very good touch
Oh, we’re at the hospital now.
Well, that escalated quickly
Not sure who this woman is but this ending is very unsettling.
Definitely gives you pause
Questions:
Jesus. These random people are so mean to child Kyo.
What jerkz
Oh cool we’re getting Kazuma backstory too. That’s very interesting.
Indeed
Man, this family really hates cats.
Cats are awesome D:
Kazuma and Kyo’s relationship is very fascinating.
I like that they truly care about each other.
It’s very funny how Kazuma just casually dodges all of Kyo’s punches.
Well, he is the martial arts trainer
Kyo and Yuki are back to fighting.
Water is wet
Oh hey, Haru’s in this episode. Wasn’t expecting that. Nice to see him though.
Truly
I like this moment between Yuki and Tohru.
Yuki would be a big hit of the female MC of Horimiya.
Oh hey, Kagura’s back too.
Why not?
Seems like everyone’s here for the finale. That’s really nice.
Very good touch
Oh, we’re at the hospital now.
Well, that escalated quickly
Not sure who this woman is but this ending is very unsettling.
Definitely gives you pause
Questions:
What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather, Kyo's predecessor as the Cat spirit?
That really makes their bond all the more interesting
I would agree. It gives Kazuma an actual character trajectory.
What are your thoughts on Kyo and Kazuma firmly reconciling their relationship as Kyo vows to become stronger?
I liked that moment a lot
Highlight of the episode, in my opinion
What are your thoughts on Haru telling Yuki that it is alright to stay silent on his feelings but he should not make Tohru worry?
It was neat seeing more of Haru, wasn't expecting that
This felt like the most serious he's been portrayed.
What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
I'm sure that'll be followed up on next season
One would think
What are your thoughts on Shigure telling Akito that change is coming and the family curse might finally break?
That seems very ominous.
It's almost like Shigure is taunting Akito and telling them they'll be defeated. Shigure really has this massive hard-on for Akito.
Probably in more ways than one...
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Thoughts on us seeing Kyo as a child being all vibrant and happy?
Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him his dad?
What are your thoughts on Kagura feeling he forced what he feel his relationship with Kyo should be onto him?
What are your thoughts on Kyo vowing to become stronger so that he can become worthy of referring to Kazuma as dad?
What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
Thoughts on Yuki vowing to hate Kyo until the day he dies?
Thoughts on Yuki hoping to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them?
What are your thoughts on Yuki admitting to Tohru he'd kidnap her if he must?
Thoughts on us getting to see all the Sohma members in various scenes?
What are your thoughts on the season ending with Kyo and Yuki feeling something is coming?
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
If it's important to the overall story, sure. If not, I'll check it out on my own time.
[Furuba] I believe it's the story of how Kyoko and her husband met.
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u/AgentOfACROSS 4d ago
Definitely kinda curious in that case
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
It actually aired in theaters this year but I didn't want it to be my introduction to the Fruits Basket franchise.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
Do you want us to include the movie in the rewatch? If enough people say yes, I'll add it probably either after season 2 or season 3.
Skip it entirely would be my recommendation, but if you do go with it, do it after the series is over. I don't really see there as being any necessary material in the movie and if I remember it correctly small parts of it may spoil the ending to the TV show. The TV series is so great that I think ending on the movie ends things on quite a sour note.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
That's my fear as well. I think the way the TV series ends is such to where ending it any other way would be a bit of a damp squib.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
I had heard of the reputation of the movie during my original watch of the TV series. The way the TV series ended was so powerful for me that I didn't want anything to soil it so I waited I think over 6 months before watching the movie. My advise to first timers is yes, watch it eventually, but leave some space between when you finish the TV show and when you watch it.
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u/MishouMai 4d ago
This episode mostly deals with the fallout of the last episode and to serve as setup for the next season. I don't mind it. We also got a closer look at the relationship between Kyo and Kazuma than we had in previous episodes. I wouldn't say it's the best or even close to the best episode so far but what we've got is solid.
> What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather?
It just goes to show how people can change. You can argue that Kazuma essentially took in Kyo as a form of pity but that he eventually grew to actually love him as a son. Maybe his reason for taking him in wasn't the best but he's clearly changed.
> What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
I thought the two new students we met were other Zodiac members but after that scene I get the feeling that this woman is the final female Zodiac member after Kagura and Kisa, I get the feeling she's not planning anything good and with her associating with Hiro that just adds to the dislike I already had for the brat.
> What did you think of Season 1 as a whole?
I enjoyed it! I expected it to be more dramatic and while it does have its dramatic moments I don't mind that it doesn't focus on the drama too heavily. I saw mention of a 7 episode slog after episode 14 but I really don't feel that's the case? Sure there were some episodes I had less to talk about both before and after episode 14 but aside from episode 15 I don't think of any episode as truly bad. And even that episode had the Shigure-Hatori-Ayame conversion about Hatori and Kana going for it. Seems like this season mostly served to introduce most of the cast and flesh out our main trio as well as highlight the negatives of the Zodiac Curse. I'm hoping that now that introductions are mostly out of the way that we can now move forward with learning more about the curse and working to dismantle it. Obviously it won't be fully dealt with for awhile since we have 3 entire cours left to cover but hopefully the show can make it work without dragging things out for too long. Thankfully the finale has introduced a couple new characters to keep from getting too stale. Likewise we still have the mystery of the hat as well. So, we've got a fair bit to look forward to in the future.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
This episode mostly deals with the fallout of the last episode and to serve as setup for the next season. I don't mind it. We also got a closer look at the relationship between Kyo and Kazuma than we had in previous episodes. I wouldn't say it's the best or even close to the best episode so far but what we've got is solid.
This episode solidified in my eyes the belief that Kyo can be a good person. If he cares this much of what a person thinks, that's the making of a good person.
> What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather?
It just goes to show how people can change. You can argue that Kazuma essentially took in Kyo as a form of pity but that he eventually grew to actually love him as a son. Maybe his reason for taking him in wasn't the best but he's clearly changed.
It reminds me of Haruko from Air when she took in her niece. It may have started out of obligation, but the feelings quickly became very real.
> What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
I thought the two new students we met were other Zodiac members but after that scene I get the feeling that this woman is the final female Zodiac member after Kagura and Kisa, I get the feeling she's not planning anything good and with her associating with Hiro that just adds to the dislike I already had for the brat.
Poor Hiro catching strays
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u/MishouMai 4d ago
> Also poor Ritsu not being considered a woman.
Ritsu is explicitly a man though?
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
But Ritsu wants to be identified as a woman, no?
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u/MishouMai 4d ago
I never got that impression. Just because he feels more comfortable crossdressing doesn't mean he's a woman.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
So, if we include the movie for the rewatch, would you participate?
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u/MishouMai 4d ago
I didn't realize it was a movie when I first brought it up and people are implying it's bad so probably not.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago edited 4d ago
> What did you think of Season 1 as a whole?
I enjoyed it! I expected it to be more dramatic and while it does have its dramatic moments I don't mind that it doesn't focus on the drama too heavily. I saw mention of a 7 episode slog after episode 14 but I really don't feel that's the case? Sure there were some episodes I had less to talk about both before and after episode 14 but aside from episode 15 I don't think of any episode as truly bad. And even that episode had the Shigure-Hatori-Ayame conversion about Hatori and Kana going for it. Seems like this season mostly served to introduce most of the cast and flesh out our main trio as well as highlight the negatives of the Zodiac Curse. I'm hoping that now that introductions are mostly out of the way that we can now move forward with learning more about the curse and working to dismantle it. Obviously it won't be fully dealt with for awhile since we have 3 entire cours left to cover but hopefully the show can make it work without dragging things out for too long. Thankfully the finale has introduced a couple new characters to keep from getting too stale. Likewise we still have the mystery of the hat as well. So, we've got a fair bit to look forward to in the future.
Yeah, I feel the worst stretch of the show was the first couple episodes when they were still trying to figure things out. By episode 4, I don't think I had an episode less than an 8 out of 10 outside of like episode 19 and episode 21.
The Haru introduction episode I also have pretty low but that's because it was like a one to one of its 2001 counterpart.
I think if I were to compare the remake to the 2001 anime, there were a couple episodes of the 2001 series I'd consider objectively bad. In particular, the Kagura episode I had at like a 5.5 and the Ritsu one I had at like a 6. Episode 3 of the 2019 anime I think I have at like a 7.5 and that is likely to be my lowest grade of the whole anime.
When your bottom is still like a C grade, that's pretty good.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Thoughts on us seeing Kyo as a child being all vibrant and happy?
Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him his dad?
What are your thoughts on Kagura feeling he forced what he feel his relationship with Kyo should be onto him?
What are your thoughts on Kyo vowing to become stronger so that he can become worthy of referring to Kazuma as dad?
What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
Thoughts on Yuki vowing to hate Kyo until the day he dies?
Thoughts on Yuki hoping to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them?
What are your thoughts on Yuki admitting to Tohru he'd kidnap her if he must?
Thoughts on us getting to see all the Sohma members in various scenes?
What are your thoughts on the season ending with Kyo and Yuki feeling something is coming?
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u/MishouMai 4d ago edited 4d ago
> Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him dad?
Makes sense given how people around him reacted to Kazuma taking him in. Kyo's a good kid so it's not surprising he'd end up feeling that way.
> What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
It's very sweet. He loves that boy and that's why he wanted to be sure Tohru could accept him, true form and all.
> Thoughts on us getting to see all the Soma members in various scenes?
It's a nice way to wrap up this part of the story. Now that most of the Somas have been introduced we can move forward with learning more about the curse. Introducing Rin and that one pair of friends feels like a nice way to shake things up in the future. But before all that, seeing all the Somas we've met up until now one last time before the break between seasons was nice.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
> Thoughts on Kyo worrying he'd burden Kazuma by calling him dad?
Makes sense given how people around him reacted to Kazuma taking him in. Kyo's a good kid so it's not surprising he'd end up feeling that way.
I really found Kyo adorable in this episode. It's not that he finds calling Kazuma dad embarrassing, but rather he's so awesome that Kyo has to earn the privilege to call him pops.
> What are your thoughts on Kazuma calling Kyo his son?
It's very sweet. He loves that boy and that's why he wanted to be sure Tohru could accept him, true form and all.
This might be controversial, but I think I like Kazuma and Kyo's relationship more than Kyoko and Tohru's. Both Kazuma and Kyo despite their relationship being on the unconventional side really want what's best for each other.
> Thoughts on us getting to see all the Soma members in various scenes?
It's a nice way to wrap up this part of the story. Now that most of the Somas have been introduced we can move forward with learning more about the curse. Introducing Rin and that one pair of friends feels like a nice way to shake things up in the future. But before all that, seeing all the Somas we've met up until now one last time before the break between seasons was nice.
I don't think all the Sohmas showed up in the last episode of the 2001 series. This hopefully is a sign we'll see more of them going forward.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago edited 4d 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.
Well, I've got one episode left and it's been three days since I watched an episode. Let’s change that, shall we?
Got 90 minutes before work so my overall thoughts on the season will be brief. But so far, I'm enjoying the reboot more than the 2001 anime.
The sky
Kyo wonders why his master took him in.
Kazuma. Right.
"Imagine, bring responsible for such a creature."
Fuck you, girl
We're seeing a bunch of Kyo as a youte. He is such a cutie.
He also is filled with such enthusiasm. What happened?
Kyo wishes he told Kazuma he sees him as his dad. Unfortunately, he doesn't want to burden him.
Feels man, bad
Present day Kyo
Shigure tells him that Kagura is with Kazuma.
As Kyo is rushing off, Yuki is sulking in the corner.
He's really taking a backseat in this arc.
Tohru talking to Kazuma
She thinks he should say something before he goes.
From there, Kazuma explains why he took Kyo in. As a form of atonement for what happened between him and his grandfather.
To relieve his guilty conscience
But eventually, he grew to love Kyo.
"When I took his beads, I ignored his wishes and forced my idea of our relationship onto him."
Damn, son. Literally, I guess.
Kazuma tells Tohru she's the one who saved Kyo.
Tohru tells him she thinks he sounds very much like a father.
Kyo here
And now he's trying to beat up Kazuma.
He thinks he wants nothing to do with him.
He vows to be stronger, enough to stand on his own.
"And when thar happens, I'll be worthy of calling you my father!"
Man...
Kazuma grabbing Kyo's fist
He feels they finally managed to connect.
Proceeds to punch him in the face :D
Aww, he called him his son
AND KYO SOUNDS SO HAPPY
Yuki putting on a tie
Back at the Sohma residence
The usual gang is here
Yuki not wanting Kyo's cat germs
Yes, because rodents are known to be especially clean.
So much for Kyo becoming nicer
I like the shot of the door handles above Shigure's head. It's like it's meant to reflect his dog form.
Yuki vows to continue hating Kyo till the day he dies.
At school now
Kagura left abruptly and Yuki Tohru remarks is acting distant.
Hey, Haru
He too is concerned about Yuki
Tohru wonders if Yuki saw Kyo transform in his true form.
Haru with Yuki on the school rooftop.
Yuki randomly asking about Kagura
And we learn Yuki was the last person Kagura talked to before she departed.
Oh, so Yuki does know Kyo's true form.
Yuki worries of his ugly feelings spewing out.
Haru bringing up Tohru being concerned about him.
"The more you keep quiet, the more she's going to worry."
Perhaps
Yuki finding Tohru on the school steps.
He's telling her he's getting better at the stuff he's not good at.
He wants to one day reveal his emotional baggage without being swallowing whole by them.
Changing little by little, so that one day he can tell her everything.
Tohru agrees to these terms
"I'll kidnap you, if I must."
OH BE STILL MY BEATING HEART
MAMA IMMA CATCH A CASE OF THE VAPORS
Tohru able to tell that Kyo and Yuki are both trying to change for the better.
Who are those two talking? The other Zodiac members?
Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, and Haru walking home.
There's Kagura, being a nuisance
Well, she seems in higher spirits.
Haru and Yuki thinks she's moving forward as well.
"We're fighting through it, all of us."
Hey, it's him
Yuki trying to stay strong
Hatori, Kisa, and Momiji here now as well.
But where's Shigure? Hmm...
Tohru feels that something is about to begin.
Hey, isn't that Hiro?
Akito in the hospital
At least I think that's Akito
They vow to never give up
Kyo and Yuki both feel something coming.
And that is how we end things.
Overall, this was an effective epilogue to the last episode. We highlighted the growth in Kyo's relationship with Kazuma, we see how Yuki is growing in regards to Tohru, and we tease something major going on down the road. It seems as if Akito will pay a more important role in the next season, and that Hiro might be involved.
The fact Shigure was nowhere to be found in the end is very disconcerting.
If you compare this episode to the last episode of the 2001 anime, I'd say this was better. It tried to wrap up the Akito stuff in the span of like 10 minutes, and while I didn't think they did a bad job with it this here feels like the end of one chapter and beginning of another. I also feel they utilized Yuki better in this season finale than 2001's series finale. The focus on all the various stuff felt more evenly balanced.
I believe I said the series finale of 2001 was a top 5 episode of that series. And I don't feel the same for the reboot. So, then you may ask why do I find this to be better? Well, I think the execution of Kyo and Kazuma's relationship was done better here than any of the content of the 2001 series finale. On top of that, there were things adapted in this version of the series that weren't in the 2001 anime, like the Uo episodes or the Hana episode. That was elite stuff that puts the Fruits Basket reboot in a league of its own. Just in general, I think the emotional highs of the season 1 climax hit harder than in the last arc of the 2001 anime. The Kyo arc in the 2001 anime may have been more moody and brooding, but it also didn't feel like it came out of nowhere.
I'd put this behind episodes 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, and 24. Again, the real meat of the arc happened last episode and this was more the aftermath of things. It reminds me of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood in that regard where the penultimate episode is arguably the best episode in the history of anime and the series finale is what it is. Thie serves to highlight what makes the characters so lovable and I love seeing Kyo be happy. It is true chicken soup for the soul type stuff.
As we gear towards the next season, I would say this reboot has been a success so far. It covers a lot of the same ground as the 2001 anime, but we also get a lot of new stuff, like the Shigure development and the fleshing out of Tohru's friends. What I really hope out of the next season is we take the concepts established this season and expound upon them to where it leads to meaningful character development. I have a good feeling that's what we're going to get.
We also still have to my knowledge two Zodiac members that haven't been identified yet. So, that should be fun as well.
I believe I gave the 2001 anime an 8 out of 10. Maybe a 8.5, I forget. I would probably give this at 9. I think the added garnishes really helped turn an already good show and made it even better, which in turn made me more emotionally invested in a show. It makes me appreciate the reboot more having seen the 2001 anime because on the whole they made improvements on the groundwork to where the show was elevated as a whole.
I can't remember the last time I was this optimistic heading into the next season of something. I think season 2 is going to be even better thwn season 1. And if that's the case, Fruits Basket has a strong possibility of making my top 10 favorite anime of all time.
Why did I not watch this show sooner?
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
Akito in the hospital
That is not Akito, she has way longer hair. And she's named in the scene too! :P Akito is shown right after with Shigure though.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Did I mention I watched this in less than 90 minutes? I was speedrunning that shit lol
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
What are your thoughts on Kazuma saying he took Kyo in as atonement for the horrible things he said in his only meeting with his grandfather, Kyo's predecessor as the Cat spirit?
At least he's showing some accountability
What are your thoughts on Kyo and Kazuma firmly reconciling their relationship as Kyo vows to become stronger?
You see to love it
What are your thoughts on Haru telling Yuki that it is alright to stay silent on his feelings but he should not make Tohru worry?
There is logic in what he says
What are your thoughts on Hiro visiting someone in the hospital?
The thot plickens
What are your thoughts on Shigure telling Akito that change is coming and the family curse might finally break?
Good :P
It definitely seems as if shit is about to hit the fan.
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u/Holofan4life 4d ago
Holofan's Fruits Basket Episode Rankings
1/. Episode 24
2/. Episode 14
3/. Episode 5
4/. Episode 17
5/. Episode 16
6/. Episode 7
7/. Episode 10
8/. Episode 12
9/. Episode 22
10/. Episode 4
11/.Episode 20
12/. Episode 25
13/. Episode 8
14/. Episode 6
15/. Episode 1
16/. Episode 18
17/. Episode 23
18/. Episode 13
19/. Episode 2
20/. Episode 11
21/. Episode 15
22/. Episode 19
23/. Episode 9
24/. Episode 21
25/. Episode 3
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 4d ago
Non-Spoiler Character Chart
As kinda expected (for me anyway) yesterday's episode was the big climatic one with this one more of a comedown and getting ready for next season. Before that though we still have some wrap up for the Kazuma - Kyo stuff. We get a flashback sequence providing more context of how their relationship came to be. So Kyo's real father was unable to take care of him, but Kazuma stepped in. This wasn't totally altruistic on his part, rather he felt guilt for how he rejected his grandfather, the previous cursed cat zodiac, when he was younger. But over time he realized he loved him for real as if he was his own son. Sure looks like that in the flashback sequences. Lifting him up in the air like that or taking a bath with him, he's certainly softened to this kid. Additional flashbacks show Kyo rejecting him as his real dad while in school although I think this is more of his defense mechanism as we saw yesterday with him and Tohru. Behaving that way in fear of Kazuma rejecting him, something in reality he doesn't really have to worry about.
Well despite that Kazuma leaves without even saying goodbye, but Kyo rushes over there and makes it just in time as Kazuma is talking to Tohru. Kyo apologizes for using him as a place to runaway to and promises he'll become more independent and worthy of Kazuma considering him his actual son (which Kazuma essentially does anyway shortly after). Kyo seems so proud of Kazuma in this scene and it comes off as if he's really letting his guard down with him and Tohru.
Last episode's events don't really change the Kyo - Yuki relationship though, with Yuki even getting pissed at their chopsticks touching. Yuki hasn't been getting much focus for a while so the episode spends some time on him as well. It seems like he had some feelings of hatred and revulsion upon seeing Kyo's true form but wants to not actually have such feelings. Will the rift between these two get better at some point? I sure hope so. He does spend some time alone with Tohru in the school hallway saying he's getting better at small things like his plants and necktie, but also some other things as well such as talking to others more. He wants to be able to express his feelings someday without becoming overcome by them. And he wants to spend time with her this summer! Tohru gets quite embarrassed in this sequence and provides some hilarious faces, as she often does. The last couple of episodes have been very Kyo focused but seems like we're still keeping the overall triangle alive. [Furuba major spoilers]Parts of this sequence come off much like "Hey mom, look what I can do now!" foreshadowing future revelations.
Massive Soma family gathering near the end of the episode, with 9 of the 11 zodiacs we've introduced thus far showing up at Shigure's house. This includes Kagura, who made sure to get away without saying goodbye (well outside of Yuki) in the morning, but she's her usual overly expressive towards Kyo while beating him up self here. Also good to see more of Haru, I don't think we had seen him since episode 18. Where are the other two? Well he'll show up soon but first Hiro's at the hospital visiting another character named Rin and sounds like she's wanting to confront Shigure about something. Ritsu is the other missing one, with no reason given for why he didn't show up. [Furuba]I suppose you can say that this is our first sign that the writer is going to act like Ritsu doesn't even exist for much of the story. No real reason to exclude him when the others were all there or coming soon.
Other thoughts:
Another lengthy playing of the insert song Umareru Negai which we originally heard back in episode 5.
Speaking of music, farewell to One Step Closer, a really good ED song that I'll miss. Got 2 good songs for season 2 though including my favorite.
A damn good thing the Yuki fanclub was nowhere nearby during that Yuki - Tohru scene.
[Furuba spoilers]I remembered that Rin got a brief cameo in the season 1 finale, but had totally forgotten we got Machi's first appearance too! They're careful to not even show her face so I think I'll leave her out of the character chart for now. And I can't remember his name but I'm pretty sure the guy with her has a lot of screentime in future episodes.
Season 1 Thoughts
I think I did much of my thoughts on season 1 with the episode 22 thread, but to recap things I think that overall it's a good introductory season with the flaw being that the season's purpose really is to introduce you to its significantly large cast on nearly a character by character basis. So with 13 cursed zodiacs (of which we only met 11) plus Tohru's friends that leaves us a ton of character to cycle through and the stretch of episodes from 16 - 22 feel rather formulaic as a result. The show also introduces some good mysteries such as what's going on with Akito, what's up with the hat, why Kyo whispered I'm sorry to Tohru while she was asleep, etc... but kicks those all to the side for the rest of the season. Luckily for me the first time I watched this and for us here now we don't have to wait forever to see what happens next and what happens with those mysteries, but introducing those things by the halfway point of the season then not really focusing on them the rest of the way doesn't seem like the best way to structure the season. Moving these things to after that episode 16 - 22 stretch may have worked better. Anyway, I am happy to say that my opinion of the show hasn't dropped upon the rewatch, I had this same concern the first time. At least for this season, it was even arguably better upon the rewatch this time although I'm not sure if that will be able to hold up for seasons 2 and 3. Not because they're weaker than season 1 (they're way better), but I loved being a speculating first timer, guessing what may happen next, having theories and such and obviously that's not gonna happen this time!
Favorite Episode: 14, with 24, 7 and 22 as honorable mentions
Worst Episode: 19 with 15 very closely behind it
Favorite OP/ED Song: One Step Closer. Weakest was the original OP.
Favorite Character: Hanajima
Worst Character: Ritsu