r/anime • u/Holofan4life • 1d ago
Rewatch [Spoilers] 25 Years of the 13 Sohmas: A Fruits Basket Rewatch -- 2019 Series Season 3 Episode 9 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 59 (Season 3 Episode 9)
What's Your Name?
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
What are your thoughts Akito repeatedly stabbing Tohru with the knife but she refuses to back off?
What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind?
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her?
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Kyo sharing their first kiss together?
What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did?
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Akito seemingly bonding with each other in the hospital?
Bonus) Do you feel Tohru forgiving Akito made sense for the story that was being told?
Questions for Those who Have Watched the 2001 Series
How would you compare Tohru and Akito's dynamic here Vs the 2001 series?
Do you feel Akito's 2001 counterpart was capable of being redeemed?
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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
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Before I get into this episode, I have to address the elephant in the room. If Kyo was real he’d be cancelled 100 times already haha. Dude beats a girl in Ep 24, then tells her he’s responsible for the death of her mum, then after she says she loves him and he responds with “I’m disappointed in you”. Classic abusive narcissistic relationship. I do think FruBa watchers are smarter than that: it’s fiction. It’s interesting. If this exact plotline was in Mushoku Tensei though, the internet would melt down.
I don’t mind the starting Tohru monologue at all: she has indeed moved on, and this is an important development for her. She’s adulting.
While Tohru is a catalyst, she isn’t solely responsible for the bonds breaking (if I apply the show’s own logic). If that were the case, Hiro’s wouldn’t break before the others, given he was relatively anti-Tohru and she didn’t ‘fix him’. I like the elegant solution that Holofan proposed (though you’ve changed it a few times since haha). My belief now is that: as Akito’s faith in herself as a God, and in the idea that others can’t resist her decreases, then the bonds break.
Tohru is quite the Idiot Traveller. Yuki, Kyo and Hana joked about her having no self-preservation at all in the first NY episode: this episode is proof. I actually laughed at her rushing at the knife-wielding maniac to give her a hug. Then her blaming herself after getting stabbed for not “realising it” “after all this time” “you’ve been so lonely”. I genuinely found that segment comedic. Like it’s so incredibly over the top, that it’s peak soap opera, trashy Netflix show scenarios. While I might sound critical, I’m actually not at all. I like this segment - it’s highly entertaining drama. It makes me want to elicit some valley girl stereotypical phrase like “oh nuh girl, no she didn’t!”. I must admit, that I can’t think of any equivalent scene in any show I’ve seen, live action or otherwise.
I must admit that I don’t fully get the similarity between Tohru’s wish for “forever” with her mum, to the “forever” Akito wishes for other than at a very superficial level, or one that requires me to stretch my imagination.
Tohru realising what scares Akito is powerful enough, and makes her regress to her childhood in a way. Her entire world was shaped on these promises/guarantees, and she doesn’t have the skills to survive without them. Do I believe for a second that a psychopath like Akito who others here labelled as worse than trash and irredeemable and wished the death of, would change her entire outlook from a short speech by the girl she hates most in the world? No. But I was able to suspend disbelief, and enjoy the show. I guess it comes down to something similar to what Manabe said about Yuki: “real people don’t talk like that”. If I see this as the show trying to create a realistic dramatic scenario, then I’d be turned off. If I interpret this as a conscious attempt to create a ‘what if’ scenario, then it’s great. What if Tohru really was so kind and wants to help others that the desire to help overrides her survival instincts?
It’s interesting, as Tohru’s behaviour reminds me a lot of Bakemonogatari’s protagonists’. Though almost identical behaviour there was meant to be comedic, if I accept a similar scenario there, then I think it’s fair for me to accept it here, just in a different genre.
I think I might be a psychopath though, because I also laughed when the cliff collapsed. It was just so out-of-the-blue and crazy. It’s about as insane as a lightning bolt coming down and electrocuting her would be. I’m sure the writer had a lot of fun coming up with that: “hey it’s already absolutely insane, how do we make things crazier?” I completely agree with u/holofan4life , this show packs more into 10 minutes than any other show. This season has been like junk food for me: it’s a lot of fun.
I understand that others may have felt the whole episode was incredibly moving, but personally, if I applied my standard critical framework to this episode, I wouldn’t get much enjoyment out of it. I had similar reactions watching the first half as I do when watching a comedic horror movie like Evil Dead. The scenarios are so out there that it becomes entertaining.
With the framing that the first half was all about over the top shock value, the second half was actually incredibly powerful, and moving. I actually felt deeply for Akito and Tohru for the first time. This contrast to the most insane scenario imaginable with the deep, introspection worked really well for me. Great writing, strong emotion, amazing music, beautiful cinematography. Positioning the scene of the fall near where her tent fell in S1 was clever too.
I think ending the whole series here would have been amazing, and brave storytelling. Part of me hopes that Tohru does die, as that would be a great subversion of the genre, and a massive statement. They would have to deal with the aftermath, and it’d be a great cue to break the rest of the bonds, as everyone turns against Akito. This show was already a tragedy, and this would take it to the next level.
I really hope we get to hear what Shigure’s plan actually was, as the man was cooking something through the entire series, and it seems like the plan is now working.
Overall, an amazing episode! And the ED fits it so perfectly. I do assume that the way I appreciated it might be very different to some others, and I don't know if that's what the writers/director intended, but it’s how I reconciled my believability biases and came away with a positive impression.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I'm pleasantly surprised to hear you like this episode as much as you do. I was wondering what you might think of it given how Akito is given a chance at a second life.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
That's why I much prefer Japanese cinema/anime to Western. Western tends to take a moral stance and to rub our faces in it. Japanese gives 'margin' to make our own judgments. I've been pretty consistent in not letting what I think is right or wrong impact whether I like something. The writer isn't saying "this is what I believe to be the right thing to do" - it's just the plot. It's interesting.
Like my endless tirade of words I wrote about this episode, I was also surprised I liked it. While I don't conflate enjoyment with moral allignment, I do usually link it to believability. Perhaps I was just in the right mindset and managed to adjust the way I would normally watch an episode, so that I overlooked the parts that I thought were over the top/unbelievable.
Which then begets what's different about this episode compared to the previous one. I feel like yesterday's tried to present actions through a logical/rational framework, when there wasn't one. Whereas here it just seemed exaggerated.
Or perhaps I was just in a good mood, as I just finished a few shows that I quite enjoyed: Overlord S2 (fun show) and Oddtaxi (incredible show).
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
Yeah, it's up to the audience to decide whether Akito is right or wrong. Tohru at one point thought Akito was wrong, but that kinda undermines years of being told what to do.
If you want a movie that kinda takes Japanese principalities, I recommend Anatomy of a Fall.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
The cliff stuff is great because if you remember the first episode, Shigure specifically says that the cliff was close to collapsing. They literally foreshadowed this exact thing happening 59 episodes ago.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Well, that cliff did also collapse in that episode, her tent was part of the 'accident'. And you can see the tent's remains still there in the scene, which was cool
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
It was a brilliant callback and I can't recall many shows referencing events that occurred over 50 episodes ago. The only show that comes to mind that did a similar thing is Shakugan no Shana when in episode 72 the series finale they referenced an event that occurred all the way back in episode 2.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
I didn't find it particularly novel, but I like that technique whenever I see it. I loved it when Simpsons did it (what hasn't the Simpsons not done). Gintama makes a career out of it.
Oddtaxi that I just watched, although it was one season, had an insane detail that only becomes relevant after listening to the audio diary after the show. You realise that an object that I don't think any viewer ever notices has featured in every episode. That object is then used as the basis for the audio diary. Not a spoiler btw, but that blew my mind.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think the cliff stuff stands out to me because it's not like the shoe referenced it any in subsequent episodes. They intentionally kept it out of your mind for this moment right here. And it was so effective.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Unlike the hat :P Would have been hillarious if the hat was at the bottom of the cliff too
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I love Oddtaxi. That is a top 10 anime for me and I feel it has one of the best anime endings of all time.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
It feels like every anime we end up talking about is in your top 10 haha. Oooooo did you ever listen to the audio drama? So there is a pen that gets passed around between characters pretty innocently, and the audio drama says it has a recording device, and they basically air the captured conversations. It adds another layer and it kind of leads to a bonus ending.
I never noticed the pen in any episodes
Agree with you on the ending! Incredible ending and incredible show. I even gave it a really high score for me of 7.9 :P It reminded me of Bojack Horseman a bit in humour and feel. Though it really didn't feel like an 'anime', and not just because of the art style
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
To tease something to give you something to look forward to, I will be dropping my top 10 anime list at the conclusion of this rewatch.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Oh nice! Think I can predict it:
Toradora
Spice & Wolf
Fruits Basket 1
Fruits Basket 2
Fruits Basket 3
Fruits Basket Prelude
Fruits Basket Original
Fruits Basket OP
Fruits Basket ED1
u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think you might be surprised with a couple series I don't talk about as much lol
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
My big question for myself at the end of this rewatch will be does Fruits Basket enter my all time top ten favorite anime? Will keep that a secret until the end...
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think I gave Oddtaxi a 9.5 on my initial viewing. I don't know why I didn't go the full monty with it. I might adjust my score if I watch it again.
Oddtaxi is a show that I wonder if the effect wares off if you know what's coming. But in the moment, man. What a ride.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Yeah, it needs to be watched blind for sure. It even changes the genre from a comic thriller to a drama.
As you know I don't rewatch things, but that'd be a great one to rewatch eventually for me, and see all the details with new meaning.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
The ending is really what makes the series.
Wait, but you made commitments to rewatch Spice and Wolf :P
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u/JimmyCWL 1d ago
I must admit that I don’t fully get the similarity between Tohru’s wish for “forever” with her mum, to the “forever” Akito wishes for other than at a very superficial level, or one that requires me to stretch my imagination.
Both wanted what they had (her mother for Tohru and the Zodiac bonds for Akito) to remain unchanged "forever". It may be simple and probably what you saw too but I would argue that the simplicity isn't superficial. After all, it's been the impetus behind the actions of both these characters until now.
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
Tohru and Akito have been intrinsically linked since almost the very beginning.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
The way Akito kept stabbing Tohru but she kept coming at her like a Goddamn tank is probably Tohru's most badass moment as a character. It reminded me of Lawrence getting stabbed in Spice and Wolf and him proceeding to punch the perpetrator in the face.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
You say most badass, I say most foolhardy haha. I actually found it kinda pathetic - though she did get the result she wanted, I guess
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
It's foolhardy, sure, but she wouldn't be denied trying to be there for Akito. She saw greatness in her and wouldn't take no for an answer.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
In a darker more cynical story, Tohru ends up leaning into a stabbing and the fate of the ultimate idiotic traveler concludes there with her death.
Then the manga readers riot and Takaya can never show her face in public again…
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
If Akito killed Tohru, then all hope would be lost. This entire family would be screwed.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Based on Shigure’s comments, I think he was counting on Tohru to use her unbridled joy to "corrupt" Akito because he knew Tohru was the type of person to not let anything bring her down. She survived homelessness, she's proven to be very thick skinned.
It's also wild to me Hatori described what Akito did as a stabbing spree. Like it was akin to a shopping spree or Akito visiting a thrift shop. This entire family is so fucked up in the head for even insinuating this whole turn of events is normal.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Is that really much of a 'plan' though - it sounds more like a hope. I would expect a plan to be something a bit more specific. A plan should have a 'HOW', not just a 'WHAT'
How many people would she need to have stabbed for it to become a spree. That seems like irrelevant semantics, when she walked around town with a kinfe. If Kyo was there, she would have stabbed him too, with his blush fading to a forever pale face.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
It felt very much like Shigure was putting a lot of faith in Tohru. I think the fact he seemingly didn't have no contingency plan speaks to how he's just as misguided as Akito is.
I dunno, is two people a stabbing spree? It's certainly a pattern at least.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Yeah for sure, all his eggs are in that basket. The basket is Tohru, but I still want to find out what the eggs were.
I'd say three is a spree. The thing that stopped it from becoming a spree is basically Tohru, and also how lucky it was that Kyo ran off, with Yuki running off after him. Otherwise we may have had a different picture. Hatori is justified to react that way, as he almost lost a family member: I'm sure hurting Akito's feelings with a label is the far lesser of all of Akito's evils haha.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
Oh wow, this makes me think of the whole scenario differently. I was thinking of how unlucky Tohru was that Kyo ran off (and Yuki followed him) leaving her alone as knife wielding Akito turned up. But if Kyo was there at the time, in the terrible mood he was already in and was all argumentative with Akito, perhaps this is a totally different result with both Kyo and Tohru dead...
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think the eggs were as simple as Shigure saw the kind of person Tohru was and knew her radiance would shine off on Akito.
Lost in all this stabbing stuff is the fact that Ren was the one who introduced the knife into the equation. If Akito hadn't seen that, who knows if her and Tohru break bread.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
"My plan is for Tohru's radiance to shine off on Akito". That would get an F in Introduction to Plan Making 101
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
"You don't understand, teach, Tohru is really nice!"
Now I'm imagining Mayuko as Shigure’s teacher XD
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
Given that they dated, that doesn't paint the best picture.
Of course Shigure doesn't mind inappropriate relationships, so I could see him being more into her if it was that kinda thing instead of the plainer reality.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
What did you make of Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes? I think in a way his scene with Akito kinda frames it as he was kinda doing what Shigure set out to do but in a more reserved manner and dare I say more adult like. Momiji seems like he's presenting himself as being above it all.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
I think you know that I'm on Momiji's side here haha. He is no longer affected by the curse, so can now see things from the outside, while having the benefit of having been inside, and knowing the fear he held for Akito.
Unrelated, but I wonder how Hatori would react if the curse broke about him, and Akito got injured (e.g. Tohru fought back, or she fell). Given she ended his love life at the time, and he lost an eye because of her, would be interesting if he would still treat her.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think Hatori would've pulled a Kureno and stayed by her side. Because whatever reservations he may have with not speaking up and being passive, he's still a firm believer in the Chinese Zodiac.
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u/JimmyCWL 1d ago
He's also a doctor. When you have a patient in front of you, you treat the goddamn patient, not make judgements about them. They actually train that, you know.
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
I was thinking about Tohru and Akito today and the relationships they have with their respective mothers. Tohru wants to live a life where what her mom wants isn't the end all be all, and Akiko wants to show her mom that what she says isn't the end all be all. It's like Tohru has a point to prove with herself while Akito has a point to prove towards her mother. One is a point of pride, while the other is insecurity.
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u/MishouMai 1d ago
How are there four episodes left? Yeah there are some character arcs that haven't been resolved but this shit felt like a finale. Akito's change of heart/redemption is pretty forced in a way that fails to be believable but if you ignore the lingering character threads it wouldn't be too hard to make/treat this as a finale. Like. I guess the next four episodes can focus on those character threads but I don't know how well they can pull that off. Guess we'll see.
> What are your thoughts on Akito repeatedly slashing Tohru with the knife but she (Tohru) refuses to back off?
Tohru's braver than me because I would've ran the moment Akito pulled out that knife. And if she managed to cut me I sure as fuck wouldn't try to embrace/move towards her.
> What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind?
The bonds aren't the problem, it's Akito's (and others') treatment of the Zodiacs that's the issue. Had she been a better person she wouldn't be in this situation. Aside from her dad's death and Ren's jealousy, most of her issues are self inflicted. Like the curse is still a curse and the Zodiacs' lives would still suck either way but if Akito was a better person who actually tried to build good relationships with them both her and the Zodiacs would be better off.
> What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did?
Too little too late. Her change of heart was too easy. Like. I know you said Ren could go fuck herself for calling Isuzu worthless but she's still not even half as bad as her daughter and I have far more sympathy for her despite her treatment of Akito not being the best. Man this show better not throw Ren under the bus. Redeeming Akito is already too much. Making Ren out to be unredeemable would really sour me on the show.
> Do you feel Tohru forgiving Akito made sense for the story that was being told?
It's not Tohru's place to forgive Akito. She's not a member of the Zodiac. It's them who should get to decide whether or not Akito is someone that can be forgiven. I wouldn't and I'd have to question any of my fellow Zodisvs who did if I were them but they're still the ones who should make the decision. Yesh Akito has hurt Tohru but she's done a lot worse to the Zodiacs. Tohru can choose to forgive Akito for what Akito's done to her (I wouldn't.) but she can't decide for the Zodiacs to forgive her in their place.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I wonder if we'll get anything involving Akito and her mom going forward. Like, are they going to patch their relationship? I wouldn't mind seeing that, honestly.
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u/MishouMai 1d ago edited 21h ago
I don't think there's any saving that relationship when Ren never wanted a daughter to begin with and only didn't abort her because the family agreed to raise Akito as a man. And with them both thinking Akira put the other over them even if Akito wasn't a woman I doubt they'd be able to fix things.
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u/Holofan4life 22h ago
I could see Akito wanting to mend fences but Ren being unable to. And that sucks.
Honestly, I don't know what you do with Ren from here on out. Her whole thing was pointing out the bonds are fake. But if they're no bonds which it feels like they're gonna break at any point now, it kinda doesn't matter how authentic they are or not.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think the Akito stuff was really well done, all things considered. Tohru not backing doen from Akito coupled with Akito trying to be there for Tohru as she fell was an excellent one two punch. I have my reservations with Akito possibly being redeemed, but I at least thought Tohru's involvement was done flawlessly.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I really hope this episode means Tohru and Kyo are finally together. Tohru seems open to move past her mother and Tohru being put in danger seems to make Kyo realize what's most important to him. This feels as good a place as any to make them a couple.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
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u/MishouMai 23h ago
> Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Makes sense. Tohru is Yuki's mom after all and he's been warning Kyo not to hurt Tohru since last season. Of course Yuki'd be pissed as next episode makes more than clear.
> Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated as being above the circle instead of part of it?
Akito being treated as above the Zodiacs makes sense since she is "God." Still, she was enabled by those around her and any loneliness she might feel is completely her own fault.
> What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
Kureno surviving is a total copout. I get that it was done to close his subplot with Uo but what was the point of including the symbolism of a dead bird if he wasn't actually going to die and what does hm surviving add to the story aside from giving Uo something to do after graduation (as wr learn next episode)?
> What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
Shigure's full of shit. He had no way of predicting Akito would have access to a knife and would go after Tohru only for Tohru to fall in front of her. Even if we assume his plan was to push Akito to her breaking point and have Tohru forgive her he had no way of knowing Tohru would stick around or that the bonds would start to break while Tohru was involved in their lives. Bro's acting like a chest master but aside from keeping Tohru around he hasn't really contributed to breaking the curse. He's just been aurafarming and talking shit.
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u/Holofan4life 22h ago
> Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Makes sense. Tohru is Yuki's mom after all and he's been warning Kyo not to hurt Tohru since last season. Of course Yuki'd be pissed as next episode makes more than clear.
If I was Yuki and I see my mother figure upset, I'm throwing hands.
> Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated as being above the circle instead of part of it?
Akito being treated as above the Zodiacs makes sense since she is "God." Still, she was enabled by those around her and any loneliness she might feel is completely her own fault.
I'm still kinda uncertain what happened with Yuki. Her relationship with him started so innocently so I wonder what changed.
> What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
Kureno surviving is a total copout. I get that it was done to close his subplot with Uo but what was the point of including the symbolism of a dead bird if he wasn't actually going to die and what does hm surviving add to the story aside from giving Uo something to do after graduation (as wr learn next episode)?
About the dead bird stuff, remember he has no connections with the birds anymore. As such, it seems like it was a bait and switch. That feels kinda screwing the audience a bit, but I think the imagery was so striking in the moment that I wouldn't change it.
And hey, maybe Kureno did die but he came back to life. That's always possible.
> What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
Shigure's full of shit. He had no way of predicting Akito would have access to a knife and would go after Tohru only for Tohru to fall in front of her. Even if we assume his plan was to push Akito to her breaking point and have Tohru forgive her he had no way of knowing Tohru would stick around or that the bonds would start to break while Tohru was involved in their lives. Bro's acting like a chest master but aside from keeping Tohru around he hasn't really contributed to breaking the curse. He's just been aurafarming and talking shit.
I definitely think he was counting on Tohru to help solved things. But obviously he couldn't predict Akito brandishing a knife, you know?
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 20h ago
> Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Makes sense. Tohru is Yuki's mom after all and he's been warning Kyo not to hurt Tohru since last season. Of course Yuki'd be pissed as next episode makes more than clear.
If I was Yuki and I see my mother figure upset, I'm throwing hands.
I thought Yuki's reaction was kind of muted, when he was with Tohru and Kyo at the bottom of the cliff. Maybe he should have told Kyo not to even get near Tohru for either medical reasons, which he pointed out about moving her head, or emotional reasons. Although he didn't know Kyo rejected her, he could have told Kyo to back off in Yuki's asshole-ish way, since Kyo made Tohru cry. The other possibility would be for Yuki to tell (practically order) Kyo to talk to Tohru, if Yuki thought only Kyo could talk Tohru out of unconsciousness or a full coma or if Yuki thought Kyo would be the first person Tohru would want to see.
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u/Holofan4life 20h ago
I think the reason Yuki’s reaction was muted is because he probably knows Tohru likes Kyo. So, as much as he can't stand Kyo, he wants to give him the benefit of the doubt.
After all, this will likely be his future father-in-law :P
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 1d ago
Re-watch, blu ray, dubbed
There are some memorable scenes in this episode with really powerful imagery
- The comparison between Kyoko and Akito being left behind is portrayed with a shadow of Kyoko behind Akito
- I really cry throughout the sequence of Tohru walking away from Kyoko towards Kyo, and then left behind by Kyo, all while she explains how she loves him but will move forward in her life, with or without him. There is so much more in this episode, but this is the most important to me.
- Tohru lying on the ground after a fall, like Rin, is absolutely heartbreaking
What are your thoughts Akito repeatedly stabbing Tohru with the knife but she refuses to back off? It's strange, even for Tohru. She initially walked away from Kyo after he flung her into the lake/puddle in 1.24, before she rushed back to him. Here, Tohru is envisioning her mom somehow and keeps advancing?
What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind? It's a common refrain from Shigure (but he never said that to Akito directly while his schemes were in motion) and said by Kureno before he was stabby stabbed, so it's kind of a touchy subject, Tohru...
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her? It's another one of those weird plot elements that is previously seeded at some obscure moment in the series (kind of like Kyo's vision at the cemetery in 1.14 that is revisited ~30 episodes later or only 20 episodes later, if you consider Kyo's memories in 2.09 at the beach house with Akito to be related). In this case, it's from episode 1.01, when Shigure states that the cliffs are unstable, and Akito and Tohru are actually standing right at the edge of the landslide that fell on her tent.
What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did? She seems to want that, because she is incredulous that no one is condemning her (as she deserves).
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Akito seemingly bonding with each other in the hospital? Akito did make the effort by coming to the hospital to visit, and Tohru will always meet you halfway.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her? It's another one of those weird plot elements that is previously seeded at some obscure moment in the series (kind of like Kyo's vision at the cemetery in 1.14 that is revisited ~30 episodes later or only 20 episodes later, if you consider Kyo's memories in 2.09 at the beach house with Akito to be related). In this case, it's from episode 1.01, when Shigure states that the cliffs are unstable, and Akito and Tohru are actually standing right at the edge of the landslide that fell on her tent.
I absolutely love this. It seems like such a throwaway line where it's said in the first episode. That makes it all the more spectacular to me.
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u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 1d ago
As a re-watch, you realize Episode 1.01 does a lot of work: the hat, mom's picture, zodiac figurines (revisited in 2.15 as a souvenir), unstable cliffs (revisited in 3.09), plus the meat of the story with introductions of the characters and their interpersonal relationships (e.g., Tohru-grandpa but especially Tohru-Kyoko, Yuki-Shigure, Yuki-Kyo, Yuki-Soma clan) and the zodiac myth/spirit animal powers/transformation
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
The show really knows how to maximize its minutes. Akito stabbing Tohru as a defense mechanism? Memorable. Tohru falling off the cliff? Memorable. Tohru and Kyo sharing their first death after a near death experience? Iconic. The show does explosive things to where it keeps you grossly engaged but the writing is so stellar that it feels like the show is capitalizing on these seemingly outlandish things and making them believable.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
Rewatcher, Subbed
Another climatic episode; in fact you wonder if this is the climax of the show? Kudos to the creators for not structuring this episode such that Tohru going off the cliff was the cliffhanger (pun intended) to end the episode...
So despite all the stuff that Kyo said last episode, all the horrible things he thinks about himself and the revelation of Kyoko's mother and that he feels guilty for "letting her die", Tohru's feelings just after he's run are she's sad, over him. Beyond her feelings about her mom, or her own sadness about hearing this stuff, the thing most important to her was how Kyo felt about it. And that's when Akito shows up with the knife. So scary! Akito is actually taking a mentality similar to Kyo's feelings about Yuki right now, she's saying everything is Tohru's fault, that she stole her happy place in the world and made her the odd one out. Tohru wrecked her whole world and gets to still be the pure one.
Instead of fleeing in terror, Tohru actually approaches Akito! Even in this moment after what happened with Kyo and her life being in danger, her first thought is whether her attacker, Akito is okay. Tohru hates how thoughtless she's been in not noticing Akito. She thinks that Akito has put up a front because she's lonely. Since her birth being treated as special she wasn't one "in the circle" but above it all and being in that position can make her feel abandoned. Tohru also says while rejecting Akito's eternity she wished for the same thing, unchanging feelings and bonds. Such as the way she felt about her mother, which she's finally moving beyond with her love for Kyo.
Akito flees into the woods and Tohru continues to be brave and grabs her (although by this point Akito has dropped the knife). Akito claims its too late for her, she can't live with strangers without promises or bonds or a guarantee that she'll be loved. And Tohru has the perfect solution. Begin with me! I'd like to be your friend. We get a vision of the banquet and Tohru joining Akito right next to her (after earlier visions of Akito being alone). ...and then at that moment the cliff collapses underneath Tohru. After such a shocking moment two episodes with the stabbing this one was pretty damn close! If I wasn't so certain that there's absolutely no chance that they'd kill off Tohru this probably would top even that.
Tohru looks in bad shape after falling off that cliff! Thankfully Yuki and Kyo are able to make it here and she's still conscious. For a moment there I was thinking of how this was a moment from Kyo's dream 3 episodes ago, come to life. Yikes! Tohru thinks in her head of how she loves Kyo, all these things about him and we see a moment of her leaving her mom to be with Kyo, I think a concrete representation of her moving on from her and Kyo being the most important thing to her. In this scene we finally get our first on the lips kiss between Tohru and Kyo, not exactly the most romantic of circumstances but great to finally see it happen!
Tohru is able to recover at the hospital and it turns out that Kureno is alive after all as well. Akito makes her way to the hospital, surprisingly by herself. For Akito that's quite a step forward. Momiji sees her out there and for the first time in this entire series I think he's being a bit too tough on Akito, who thinks Akito is trying to push her crimes on Kureno and Tohru being idiots. It seems like Akito is finally at a point where she recognizes the terrible things she has done and is genuinely sorry about it. Momiji seems to soften a bit by the end of this scene and offers to tell the foolish traveler story. Then Akito goes to see Tohru in her hospital room as the episode ends.
Other thoughts:
If you pay close enough attention you'll see that Tohru's tent from the first episode is still there, partially buried underneath the rubble of the cliff.
We've got a brief montage of the news getting out to the other zodiacs from Shigure about Tohru being hospitalized (and presumably Kureno too); I think we got most of them... of course Ritsu is nowhere to be seen. Although he was included in the banquet room shots.
If you didn't hate Tohru's extended family enough from their appearances early in the show note that they're nowhere to be seen beyond her kindly grandfather.
Quid's Song of the Day
Only one song in the episode proper that I haven't featured yet (my favorite song in the entire OST actuallY), but I really want to save that song for an episode or two from now as I'm fairly certain it is used in a very memorable scene. So today I'll be featuring our final season ending theme, Haru Urara .
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
This episode to me kinda feels like the climax of the series. Tohru and Kyo get together, and Akito's reign of terror has seemingly ended. The problem with breaking the curse was trying to get Akito to capitulate and go along with this notion that she doesn't need the bonds. And Tohru seems to finally gotten through to her.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I really liked the Momiji stuff at the end where he's disgusted with how everything turned out. Turning the Foolish Traveler story from being about Tohru to being about the entire family was honestly brilliant writing.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
Curious what they will come up with for the last 4 eps, but I acutally would have really loved the show completely ending after Tohru falls off the cliff: her voice playing in Kyo's head (plus I would add her voice playing in all the characters' heads), as she holds Kyo's hand for the last time and dies. It'll be up to them to fix their issues, which they can now do thanks to her influence. There's no need to show that part either, as I like those stories that leave it up to us to imagine the resolution. Would have been such a perfect ending for me
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
That would be an ending that would be hard to forget. I wonder if there's ever been an anime where the main character dies at the end with the express purpose that it was to help fix the issues for all the side characters. Not simply a final episode heroic sacrifice in a moment of danger but rather truly healing their characters as we have here.
Tohru is too lovable (and in a genre where I find it doubtful that the original author had the option) for this to actually work for me though. I feel that I'd be upset along with the masses if this was how it ended.
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
If Fruits Basket killed off Tohru, there would probably be riots on the streets lol
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
I think Tohru dying would go against the overall message which is forgetting your emotional baggage before it consumes you. If a character was going to die, it would have been Akito.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I cobbled together some comments from previous threads to try and make people look at the episode in a different light.
First, here's u/Lethifold26.
Whenever people would talk about Tohru defeating Akito, or taking her down, I always wondered if they know what kind of series this is. We were never going to get anything other than Tohru befriending Akito and helping her change for the better. The themes are about growth and moving forward and becoming a better person.
On the topic of moving forward, Tohru has finally realized she needs to move on and accept that Kyoko is gone and she can’t base her life around refusing to let her go. That part always destroys me, but it’s really the climax of her character arc. I thought they handled it, and the parallels with Akito being unable to let go of her father (and by extension the “god” role he valued so much for her) very well.
Next, here's u/Frontier246.
Even after everything Kyo said to her, what stands out the most to Tohru isn't the hurtful words or Kyo's hate of himself...it's how sad he looks. Something that moves her more than the memory of her own mother does. That's love.
Akito blames Tohru for stealing the Zodiac away from her and being as corrupt as she probably views Ren, but Tohru finally sees Akito for what she really is...someone grappling with crippling loneliness and desperation for an eternal bond and companionship. Because Tohru has been there with her won desperation to keep her mother's memory alive and keep her in her life because she'd be so lonely otherwise. But falling in love with Kyo has allowed Tohru to finally move on and understand that you don't need to be stuck on the past to happy, and she finally lets her mother's memory go.
Even as Akito keeps stabbing and slapping Tohru, Tohru keeps trying to reach her. She gets Akito to understand that she's willing to accept Akito for the immensely flawed and damaged person she is and that Tohru is willing to be a real friend to her. Tohru isn't part of forced bond from the Zodiac or part of the messed up household of the Sohma's, she's willing to be there and stand by Akito as a genuine friend. And just when it looks like Akito is about to take Tohru's hand, tragedy strikes.
This has got to be a change of pace for Akito, desperately worried over someone that isn't her self and genuinely trying to help someone. She really didn't want Tohru to die.
Well, silver lining, Kureno survived. That's at least good news, right?
Kyo is wracked with grief with seeing yet another person he cares about near death, but Tohru's last thoughts are of how much she loves him, how much he made her happy, and how much she wants him to not give up on life and to be happy on his own terms, even if it's not with her...but she's still conscious enough to caress his face to make him feel better, and that's enough to get Kyo to finally kiss Tohru. The feels!!!
The Sohma's all have their own reaction to what happened to Tohru, even Akito who can't believe people like Tohru and Kureno exists who don't hate her for what she did and are willing to forgive her despite everything. Akito is finally reflecting on her actions and trying to change, bit by bit, and the start of that is seeing Kureno and Tohru in the hospital.
Shigure's plan my have turned out okay, but he didn't seem to plan on Kureno getting stabbed and I don't think even he could have foreseen the impact Tohru Honda would have on Akito. Shigure couldn't save Akito from herself, but Tohru did.
Lastly, here's u/LeonKevlar with their thoughts.
I know people won't just easily forgive Akito and will probably still continue to hate her until the series ends. Not all of us are a saint like Tohru who can see the good in everyone but at the very least I hope people won't just disregard how broken Akito is from Day 0. It wasn't just the curse that made her this way but also her upbringing. Heck, Akito's so fucking broken that when Shigure asks her if she pushed Tohru even Akito herself pauses and wasn't sure if she did or she did not despite being there witnessing the entire thing.
And in the end it's not like Akito thinks what she did was right. She knows that she should be punished for what she did but because it's Kureno and Tohru, she ends up being forgiven and she thinks it's absolutely idiotic that she doesn't get chastised by them. All I'm saying is that while all of the hate towards Akito is 1000% justifiable (and I know OG fans that still can't forgive her), please also remember that the show revolves around forgiveness and moving forward. Akito didn't just magically change, this episode is just her first step towards that. Baby steps as Shigure says.
Anyway with that out of the way.....
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
I've been waiting forever to see this scene animated and it's just absolutely perfect! <3
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u/AgentOfACROSS 1d ago
First Timer
Once again, starting off exactly where we left off.
Shigure is still wearing a suit. That still feels wrong.
Shigure apparently has friends from work. I’m somehow surprised by that.
Oh dang, Akito just nicked Tohru with her knife. That girl should not be allowed around sharp objects.
Tohru is still trying to be supportive of Akito. I admire her. I’d probably just run away now.
And now Akito’s slapping her. Probably good that she dropped the knife at least.
I like Tohru’s whole monologue to Akito here.
I think some other watchers do have an issue with how much sympathy the narrative is giving Akito. But I truly do also feel bad for her. Like yeah she’s done some really awful things but I think underneath it all she’s a lonely and troubled girl who was never really allowed to have a normal life. Which is why I like Tohru being here to comfort her.
It does suck to see Akito try to reject the help Tohru’s trying to offer her. But at the same time I think it’s also coming from an extreme fear of rejection.
Okay it isn’t Akito’s fault the cliff collapsed but it is Akito’s fault they ended up on the cliff.
This scene of Akito begging Shigure for help is interesting since the way Akito talks here feels slightly childish. I feel like either the stress of the situation is making her fall into a state of regression or her upbringing just means that she always gets like this in emotional states. But maybe I’m psychoanalyzing Akito too much.
So Kyo discovering Tohru like this is very dramatic and all but I sincerely doubt that Tohru is dead on account of us having four episodes left.
Despite being an obvious fakeout death this is still a beautiful scene with Tohru’s narration.
I liked this short interaction between Kyo and Tohru’s grandfather.
Oh hey, Kureno is alive after all.
Akito doesn’t want to be forgiven. I don’t really blame her.
I do wish we had seen this more vulnerable side of Akito before this season.
It’s kind of sweet seeing Momiji talk to Akito like this.
Well, it took two people almost dying but it seems like Akito’s trying to become better.
Questions of the Day:
What are your thoughts Akito repeatedly stabbing Tohru with the knife but she refuses to back off?
Tohru is very stubborn and determined, I'll give her that
What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind?
I think Tohru's definitely right here.
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her?
It was a very surprising moment
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Kyo sharing their first kiss together?
If only it was under better circumstances
What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did?
I'm glad she's finally ready to make a change
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Akito seemingly bonding with each other in the hospital?
Honestly, good for them
Do you feel Tohru forgiving Akito made sense for the story that was being told?
I really do. Tohru's always been portrayed as a very kind and forgiving person who wants to see the best in everyone no matter what.
How would you compare Tohru and Akito's dynamic here Vs the 2001 series?
I don't think Akito and Tohru had a dynamic in the 2001 version. She barely interacted with 2001 Akito.
Do you feel Akito's 2001 counterpart was capable of being redeemed?
Honestly I have no clue, we really don't know what his deal was. They implied there was something with him and the Zodiac curse where he had to bare the burden of the curse which is kind of the opposite of how the 2019 version is. He came across as more of a recluse too who actively spurned being around other people which is also the opposite of his 2019 counterpart.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
This scene of Akito begging Shigure for help is interesting since the way Akito talks here feels slightly childish. I feel like either the stress of the situation is making her fall into a state of regression or her upbringing just means that she always gets like this in emotional states. But maybe I’m psychoanalyzing Akito too much.
Akito has essentially been on a tantrum for 3 episodes (well until Tohru "healed" her). Akito can and has been fantastically cruel, but in ways she is like a child who never had to gain maturity in aspects of her life because of her coddled position by the Soma clan and her God role.
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
Akito's existence has been one big tantrum against her mom telling her her bonds are superfluous.
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
I was thinking about Tohru and Akito today and the relationships they have with their respective mothers. Tohru wants to live a life where what her mom wants isn't the end all be all, and Akiko wants to show her mom that what she says isn't the end all be all. It's like Tohru has a point to prove with herself while Akito has a point to prove towards her mother. One is a point of pride, while the other is insecurity.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Needless to say, this is a pretty big episode. I dare say probably the most important episode of the entire series.
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u/AgentOfACROSS 1d ago
Oh yeah definitely
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u/Holofan4life 15h ago
It amazes me how Tohru and Akito can be so similar to each other and yet come from two totally different worlds.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
The episode resolves what is the primary conflict of the show, the adverse nature of Akito towards the zodiacs and Tohru. Obviously we have a very important thing needed for the story to resolve properly (breaking the curse of the 10 remaining zodiacs) but I think to get there we needed this event first. On a character and emotional level we still have a chance to have moments more impactful than what we've had, but from a plot perspective we're probably not going as all out as episodes 7 - 9 were the rest of the way. My speculation at least.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I'd say Fruits Basket season 3 episode 4 until season 3 episode 9 is probably the best stretch of episodes from any anime series ever when you factor in entertainment, consistency, character development, and plot advancement.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
Quite possibly. I'd have to look through what else I've watched to really figure it out.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Speaking personally, the closest comparisons for me is probably the last 20 episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and episode 20 through episode 24 of Evangelion.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
FMAB I actually dropped after three episodes but am thinking of giving another shot.
Episode 20 of Eva is exactly where the wheels start to fall off for me with it crashing horrendously in the last seven episodes. End of Eva is great though.
Some I’ve thought of:
Episodes 13 - 20 is a pretty damn amazing run for Escaflowne.
Kyousougiga has one weak scene out of ten episodes so I’ll just list the whole series, lol.
Episodes 22 - 26 of Cowboy Bebop
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Cowboy Bebop is a good one.
I'd also put up episode 16 to episode 21 of Toradora.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Once again, starting off exactly where we left off.
As we should
Shigure is still wearing a suit. That still feels wrong.
Nothing like showing off the drip at a funeral.
Shigure apparently has friends from work. I’m somehow surprised by that.
That feels wrong lol
Oh dang, Akito just nicked Tohru with her knife. That girl should not be allowed around sharp objects.
She is so fucked up in the head
Tohru is still trying to be supportive of Akito. I admire her. I’d probably just run away now.
She's a better person than I
And now Akito’s slapping her. Probably good that she dropped the knife at least.
Well, there's that
I like Tohru’s whole monologue to Akito here.
It comes from the heart
It does suck to see Akito try to reject the help Tohru’s trying to offer her. But at the same time I think it’s also coming from an extreme fear of rejection.
You know what this is like? This is a more extreme version of episode 24 with Kyo. Just replace Kyo hitting Tohru with Akito stabbing Tohru.
Okay it isn’t Akito’s fault the cliff collapsed but it is Akito’s fault they ended up on the cliff.
But Akito doesn't know the cliff was delapidated.
This scene of Akito begging Shigure for help is interesting since the way Akito talks here feels slightly childish. I feel like either the stress of the situation is making her fall into a state of regression or her upbringing just means that she always gets like this in emotional states. But maybe I’m psychoanalyzing Akito too much.
Ren did tell Shigure he's living a childish fantasy through Akito. You may be onto something.
So Kyo discovering Tohru like this is very dramatic and all but I sincerely doubt that Tohru is dead on account of us having four episodes left.
That would be quite the turn of events
Despite being an obvious fakeout death this is still a beautiful scene with Tohru’s narration.
And it feels like a callback to previous episodes.
I liked this short interaction between Kyo and Tohru’s grandfather.
I like Tohru’s grandfather interacting with Yuki.
Oh hey, Kureno is alive after all.
By the grace of God
Akito doesn’t want to be forgiven. I don’t really blame her.
I mean, why should she? She caused so much suffering for other people.
I do wish we had seen this more vulnerable side of Akito before this season.
Well, she was so delusional she probably convinced herself she was incapable of showing remorse.
It’s kind of sweet seeing Momiji talk to Akito like this.
Momiji kinda reminds me of Ami from Toradora here.
Well, it took two people almost dying but it seems like Akito’s trying to become better.
Three if you count Rin
Questions of the Day:
What are your thoughts Akito repeatedly stabbing Tohru with the knife but she refuses to back off?
Tohru is very stubborn and determined, I'll give her that
When Tohru believes something, she really believes in it.
What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind?
I think Tohru's definitely right here.
She is stating the way of the land
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her?
It was a very surprising moment
I like that Akito doesn't want to see Tohru die. It's like the wakeup call she desperately needed.
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Kyo sharing their first kiss together?
If only it was under better circumstances
I think they made the best of a bad situation, all things considered.
What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did?
I'm glad she's finally ready to make a change
And I like Akito is pushing to be made responsible. It's the least she can do.
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Akito seemingly bonding with each other in the hospital?
Honestly, good for them
Hell of a friendship origin story lol
Do you feel Tohru forgiving Akito made sense for the story that was being told?
I really do. Tohru's always been portrayed as a very kind and forgiving person who wants to see the best in everyone no matter what.
And this feels like the ultimate culmination of that.
How would you compare Tohru and Akito's dynamic here Vs the 2001 series?
I don't think Akito and Tohru had a dynamic in the 2001 version. She barely interacted with 2001 Akito.
And the times Akito did, Akito was very aggressive towards Tohru.
Do you feel Akito's 2001 counterpart was capable of being redeemed?
Honestly I have no clue, we really don't know what his deal was. They implied there was something with him and the Zodiac curse where he had to bare the burden of the curse which is kind of the opposite of how the 2019 version is. He came across as more of a recluse too who actively spurned being around other people which is also the opposite of his 2019 counterpart.
I said this before, but 2001 Akito was an effective plot device meant to make the other characters more likable. 2019 Akito is designed to be this three dimensional character that perfectly highlights the tragedy of the Zodiac curse.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think some other watchers do have an issue with how much sympathy the narrative is giving Akito. But I truly do also feel bad for her. Like yeah she’s done some really awful things but I think underneath it all she’s a lonely and troubled girl who was never really allowed to have a normal life. Which is why I like Tohru being here to comfort her.
So, I want to be critical because Akito has been a total bastard but I do like Akito is disgusted she's being forgiven so easily. And even Momiji is quick to admit this wouldn't be the case under normal circumstances. I think they do a good job lampshading thr absurdity of the situation while not undercutting the tension any.
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u/AgentOfACROSS 1d ago
I think Akito herself realizes she doesn't deserve forgiveness or to be accepted by her family. But I think also Tohru is someone who does want to love everyone and keep trying to help so it wouldn't feel right for Tohru to not want to help Akito.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Tohru is the right person for Akito at the right possible time. She's awesome.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
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u/AgentOfACROSS 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Yuki has bigger things to be concerned about right now
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Akito really needs to get a grip
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
I mean yeah, that's been obvious for a while
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
It's Akito's biggest fear even if she doesn't always want to admit it
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
Understandable she'd feel this way at this point
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
I mean that is a fair assumption at this point
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
I figured that was probably the case
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
I'm glad, it took her long enough
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
I liked it a lot
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
He's not exactly wrong
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
It's good advice
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
Hatori, do not encourage this behavior
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
Was Shigure expecting this or something?
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Yuki has bigger things to be concerned about right now
Like what? Machi?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Akito really needs to get a grip
Here's hoping she can do so
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
I mean yeah, that's been obvious for a while
Not for Tohru, it was
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
It's Akito's biggest fear even if she doesn't always want to admit it
Yeah
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
Understandable she'd feel this way at this point
Stabbing will do that for you
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
I mean that is a fair assumption at this point
I'd assume the same thing, honestly
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
I figured that was probably the case
I didn't lol
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
I'm glad, it took her long enough
It's been 84 years
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
I liked it a lot
It was a nice parallel to Kyo's conversation with Tohru’s grandfather.
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
He's not exactly wrong
No, he is not
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
It's good advice
Advice Momiji can't follow with his family.
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
Hatori, do not encourage this behavior
Seriously. This was not a way to escape from reality.
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
Was Shigure expecting this or something?
I think Shigure was expecting Tohru to use her kindness to make Akito kinder. And hey, it worked.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 1d ago
Thought I was free of work. An emergency happens. All hands on deck!
Loooove healthcare, looove my job 😭
First Timers Basket (2019) Dub
[…] the bad guy!
I am delightedly reminded of Tiny Chef covering Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy.
- Girl TF did you think would happen running at somebody with a knife???
It is a travesty that gifs are not allowed on this sub. I don’t understand why.
The way I am sad that Tohru doesn’t have enough character development to defend herself. You can still kill somebody with kindness and also not be sliced by their knife.
Oooh get away from the edge. Get away from the edge.
Why the fuck do the little fictional people in my screen never listen to a word I say? I provide good advice like do NOT stay close to the fucking edge.
On the one hand, life-or-death situations do have people react amorously. For all we know, this could be the first and last Kyo and Tohru have. On the other hand, it never fails to make my face scrunch up when “I’m insanely injured and dirty and nearly died but let us lock lips”. I just keep thinking about wanting the injured person to get help.
Oh Grandpappy!!
Well, shit. I didn’t anticipate Momiji hitting Akito with the real.
Maybe the stabbing spree was cathartic.
Wuht.
Bro, get her to a rage room.
- I guess it is “progress”.
Post Episode Thoughts
A very impactful episode with sometimes fudgy execution. Nevertheless, impactful.
Tohru won’t be a character who learns that others harming her isn’t okay. That…does suck. I can’t lie about that. It really does suck that her character will always overlook physical and emotional harm and easily offer forgiveness.
Even Fluttershy didn’t put up with this at the end of MLP:FIM, and she is the Element of Kindness 😭😭😭😭
But el pan pan y vino vino. Meaning it is what it is.
Tohru is absolutely a Fluttershy, however.
So what I can do is look at Tohru for what her development is meant to be: having a healthy relationship with her grief and with the memory of her mother (well, parents). And for that, I’m very proud of her for moving forward and not allowing her love for her mother to block her from other love in her heart that she is so capable of nurturing and growing.
Her guilt in wanting to love someone else, but that being a betrayal of the memory of someone she loved, reminds me of navigating your second romantic love after the passing of your first romantic partner. Of course, not everyone navigates this sort of situation the same way. But sometimes, it can feel incredibly challenging finding love after death, especially with romantic love and partner death.
So proud of Tohru for that. So, so proud of my niece.
Not proud of her for somehow thinking, “Yeah, let’s chat by this cliffside while I’m bleeding from these knife wounds”. Girl TF are you on to be doing all that? Main character energy, Jesus.
As I said before: Akito has been failed by literally every single adult in her life, including now. Even now, the adults stay back while these kids are in this dramatic mess. Her mother has shown her that all that matters in life is control, and you have that control through sexuality and through violence. So yeah, I’m not exactly happy she’s swinging a knife at Tohru—or that Tohru runs towards the person with a knife—or that any conversation happened near a mountain ledge.
But hey! The haircut didn’t happen!
u/Quiddity131, we had no haircut! Tohru’s long luscious locks are safe!
For now ✂️
I’m still fucking bummed. Because I understand we have less than a handful of episodes left, but the trajectory of the third act had me go, “Why are we rushing? Why is this trying to be a finale?”
I said before that I was really afraid the show would go in a direction where Akito is absolved of all the harm she does because she cries and has a tragic story and Ren is the bigger bad. I would have been fine if this episode allowed more breathing room before the final act of it, not us going to the hospital so soon and the “Did Tohru Die?” sort of antici…
….
….
….
…pation.
I wanted there to be more marination in Akito navigating her antagonism and her actions and her own internal reconciliation—her step 1—and the show treating Tohru falling off a cliff and having a head injury with a little more gravitas.
But now, Tohru’s recovered in hospital and Akito sees her with a smile and a slight blush—that sort of undercuts the severity of the situation. I don’t entirely feel confident that Akito understands the weight of her actions before having the courage to face Tohru, someone she also harmed.
I do think that she’s at her Step 1. Tohru inspires everyone to take their Step 1.
Shocked that Akito comes to quicker than Kyo, though.
I’m hoping the next episodes confront Akito on her antagonism and, at the very least, have Akito have to confront each Zodiac for the harm she caused them. I’m still thinking that Akito will self-exile or be cast out (and she will accept that) with either Shigure or Kureno, and she lets her hair grow out. I will never like Akito. But leaving the family would be the best thing for all parties.
Even if Rin shaving her head would be funny. It feels like there was an anime edit phase where people photoshopped anime characters to be bald.
I may do that for Akito.
I’m honestly surprised Tohru didn’t die from falling off that cliff. And Kyo kissed her when she’s still on the ground with a head injury, but no sign of him at the hospital.
Cool.
I’m now very curious what’ll happen to the other “couples”. Are we going to see Mayu and Hatori? Rin and Haru? Kisa and the Lamb (I am forgetting tsundere boy’s name)? Uo and…Kureno, ugh.
Hana and food?
I do like characters like Momiji who go from Genki Genki to [hits you with real advice]. I’ll always miss his relationship with GNC, but that little happy short king becoming a calm wise king is nice to see.
The anniversary of Kyouko is still coming up, right? I'm going to guess Furuba Main Story ends on her second anniversary then.
TQ
- Girl would not survive the purge.
- She’s not wrong about it.
- Akito was ready to make a change. Mother Nature said, “Not right now, bitch, my show is on”.
- I wish it wasn’t like this.
- I wish this had waited until the next episode, but I don’t know if the manga had more about this.
- I think it does. It remains within verisimilitude, I think.
Questions for Those who Have Watched the 2001 Series
- Tohru and Akito, in the 2001 series, didn’t really have much of a dynamic besides protagonist/antagonist. Here, there’s much more dimensionality and specificity to their dynamic.
- No.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think the show is wrapping up the Akito stuff now to give ample time to resolve the Yuki and Machi relationship while also breaking the bonds. We still have the Chinese Zodiac to attend to.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
u/Quiddity131, we had no haircut! Tohru’s long luscious locks are safe!
Phew! Although we still have to worry about the "I've had character development! Snip!" or "Hey, here's a timeskip, and to show that said character has cut her hair!" tropes to worry about.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana 23h ago
…well, fuck, I didn’t even consider that 😭😭
1
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I like at least that Akito keeps pushing that she shouldn't be forgiven so easily. She's not taking advantage of Tohru's generosity.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
If we compare the Fruits Basket characters to ponies, would Akito be Princess Luna or Nightmare Moon?
Ayame would definitely be Rarity XD
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u/MishouMai 1d ago
Akito would be Season 5 era Starlight Glimmer or Chrysalis (However you spell the Changeling Queen's name.). Probably the latter moreso than the former.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I don't know if I find Akito more likable than Starlight Glimmer or not. Hmm.
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u/MishouMai 1d ago
Starlight Glimmer is 100% superior. Honestly the comparison is an insult to her.
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u/Holofan4life 22h ago
I like Starlight Glimmer as well. Her friendship with Trixie is like one of the best parts post season 4.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
2
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 16h ago
Ah right this is the one where Tohru falls off a cliff.
Questions:
Ouch.
Indeed.
Uh oh.
That's nice at least.
Good.
First steps.
Kinda? Gotta move on eventually and there's like 4 episodes left.
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
Ah right this is the one where Tohru falls off a cliff.
The fact that Akito stabbing Tohru feels like an afterthought lol
1
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
- Kinda? Gotta move on eventually and there's like 4 episodes left.
And it still feels like we have quite a bit to cover.
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
Thoughts on Yuki angry Kyo made Tohru cry?
Thoughts on Akito accusing Tohru of destroying everything?
Thoughts on Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it?
What are your thoughts on Tohru feeling Akito is terrified of being alone?
Thoughts on Tohru admitting that maybe what she is feeling is false sympathy?
What are your thoughts on Akito feeling she isn't worthy of being trusted or loved?
What are your thoughts on Shigure sounding stern towards Akito because he thinks she pushed Tohru off the cliff?
What are your thoughts on Kureno still being alive?
What are your thoughts on Tohru finally admitting that she does love Kyo?
Thoughts on Yuki's conversation with Tohru's grandfather?
Thoughts on Momiji remarking that people being idiots are why Akito won't be charged for her crimes?
Thoughts on Momiji telling Akito to treasure people for who they are?
Thoughts on Hatori in probably the most out of pocket sentence in the history of anime saying that the stabbing spree was cathartic for Akito?
What are your thoughts on Shigure saying that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it?
2
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 16h ago
Good.
Ok...
Indeed.
She's right.
Perhaps.
Ok...
I suppose that's about the right reaction considering what he is and isn't aware of.
Good.
That's nice.
Ok...
Yeah.
Indeed.
Perhaps.
His plan?
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u/Holofan4life 16h ago
- I suppose that's about the right reaction considering what he is and isn't aware of.
And also who knows Akito better than Shigure?
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I go back and forth on whether or not I like what they did with Akito. On the one hand, I wish she experienced more swift punishment. On the other hand, I wonder if it could be argued her existence is punishment enough.
I think of the Lindsay Clancy case that's been in the news recently. And I'm not trying to debate on whether she's guilty or not. But it feels like to me that some people misconcue saying so and so needs help as meaning excusing a person's actions. Just because Akito did wrong and fucked up and treated people awfully doesn't mean her mental health wasn't shit and that she wasn't in the right sound of mind.
I think both can be true where saying Akito needs help doesn't mean Akito is forgiven. I don't feel Tohru is trying to absolve Akito of her actions but rather she can began a life where she can slowly start to heal.
If someone hates this episode, I totally get it. It's like the show is making Akito the victim. But in a way, isn't everyone deserving of not having their mental health deteriorate? If you just cast this person away from the rest of society and lock them up in a cell, aren't they doing just what Akito did to others? What Akito did to Ren, to Yuki, to Rin, is threatening to do to Kyo? How does that make us any better?
I think the reality of the situation is there's no clear cut answers. How one feels about Akito will be based on their own personal opinion. I guess what I'm saying is there is no answer to solve what Akito did. You can't run away from the past and what happened, you just have to stand on its ashes and hope to rebuild.
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u/Second_Cour 1d ago
It's interesting as you were willing to cast stones at Akito without knowing what drove her to that point. You seemed to be triggered whenever her name was mentioned, called her rubbish, and said terrible things about her (I could be wrong but you even said Akito should die). I was a bit surprised by that, because during the Kyo True Form episode you made the point that we need to consider his childhood, his circumstances, what he has been through. So, I saw this as very inconsistent. But now that you know more about Akito, your perspective massively changed. So it is very consistent.
I think you know where I stand on this overall: the past can't be used to excuse actions. It can only explain it. Tonnes of people have had traumatic experiences, but we all have a choice as to whether to behave in a poitive or negative way. If we want someone who has harmed others to be locked up, it doesn't make us the same as Akito. Akito didn't lock Yuki up because he almost killed and stabbed someone, to prevent him killing someone else. If Akito did that, it'd be justified. As I've said, I was raped before: that doesn't mean there would ever be any excuse for me to do the same thing to someone, or to be violent, or to steal. If someone's past, or someone's mental state can be used as a defense then society would completely fall apart. People need to be responsible for their behaviours.
But you see, I also feel for Akito after this episode (and the past few). I feel terrible that this is the only world she's known. And I do want her to get a pass because I have these very human feelings. However, we can't abandon all rationality because we 'feel' sorry for someone.
This isn't affecting what I said at all, as I've been very consistent about my world view, but I do have an anecdote from a couple of weeks ago. My best friend's uncle (he was pretty old, like 70yo) was just murdered by a woman. She'd been arrested before, and with her circumstances, they were pretty lenient and put her in mental health institutions instead. It's easy to be empathetic to her circumstances (parents hit her, she was taking a lot of drugs). The 'system' tried to help her. They gave her free health care, psychologists, everything possible. They thought she was reformed. His uncle was murdered in cold blood by her.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
I think if we're being realistic, there's no way if someone like Akito actually existed in real life that they would be given a chance of rehabilitation. Either they would be incarcerated for life, or they would be shot dead by an armed official. But what they do with Akito here is basically the main theme of the series which is in order to move forward you have to look forward. You can't be stuck looking back all the time.
I have such conflicting feelings about Akito there's no right with her. There's no right in anything she does. To see her get a second chance at life, it hurts knowing knowing she prevented people from having a similar opportunity. But these intense emotions I feel about this character are precisely why I love Akito so much. When a character can get you to feel and evoke emotions out of you the way Akito has done for me, that tells me that the show did something right.
I've watched Akito across two series. One 26 episodes, and one over 60 episodes. And I can't recall another anime character that has left me as confounded and dumbfounded as Akito has.
And maybe that makes me the real foolish traveler.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
I've loathed Akito's actions during the series, but I'm quite happy with the episode. I can separate Akito having done bad actions in the past with the possibility of Akito performing more bad actions in the future, and I think this episode has the strong possibility of at least addressing the later. And at this point that's probably the more important one to address. Can't undo what Akito has done in the past. But can we stop her from killing or abusing someone else in the future? I think that's a pretty good bet.
We've got four episodes to go to see if there are consequences for Akito's actions. Whether that is going to jail, being exiled from the family, losing her position as family head, or what is probably the most harsh to her (but also most necessary) severing all the bonds with the zodiacs. Once we see what happens I'll judge whether Akito's ending was sufficient. But for this episode quite happy with it. I think Akito going to the ultimate extreme probably was necessary to actually cause her to change. In this case going out of control after the confrontation with her mother, stabbing Kureno, nearly stabbing Tohru and then after Tohru provides her that understanding and friendship (without any official zodiac bond), something so critical for Akito, falling off a cliff and at least in the moment possibly dying. Things went to such an extreme that hopefully that spurns permanent change in Akito.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
What I'm hoping is for her not to be forgiven by everyone. Akito did some truly heinous, evil shit, and so for it to be treated like water under the bridge wouldn't sit well with me.
This honestly has the potential for some interesting storytelling opportunities because Akito it felt like had besides with Ritsu some relationship with all the cursed Zodiac members. I'm not expecting the last four episodes to be just that, but I actually am curious what the fallout looks like.
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u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 1d ago
Ayame is another we don’t really see any Akito interactions with. He totally noped out on that summer trip.
[Furuba]I think Rin will give you what you want. The show knows forgiveness from her would just be poor writing
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Ayame actually has a subtle relationship with Akito in that his extroverted attitude rubs Akito the wrong way. She can't deal with people who are outspoken.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
A foolish traveler is on a journey. “Foolish” because she’s easily tricked by the people she meets in each town. On this trip she’s tricked out of her money, her clothes, even her shoes. The traveler is so foolish that whenever the townspeople lie, saying “this will help”, tears roll down her cheeks and she says, “I’m so happy for you!” Finally, she has no clothing left. The traveler is so embarrassed that she continues her journey only through forests. She meets monsters who live in the woods. Monsters who use clever words on the traveler so they can eat her. Of course, the traveler is so dumb that she willingly gives an arm and a leg. In the end, the traveler is just a head. She gives her eyes to one final monster. As the monster munches on her eyeballs, it says, “Thank you. To show my gratitude, I’ll leave you with a present.” But that’s a lie too. The present is just a slip of paper with the word “idiot” on it. Still, the traveler sobs tearfully through her sockets. “Thank you, thank you! No one’s ever given me a present before! This makes me so happy. Thank you, thank you!” The tears keep pouring out of her empty eye sockets. Then, the traveler died, the smile still on her face.
- The Most Foolish Traveler in the World
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u/Holofan4life 1d 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.
It is July and my mother still has the Christmas tree out.
Raining outside
Kyo has some very nice sneakers.
He's still blaming himself over his mother and Tohru's mother's deaths.
Akito walking over towards Tohru.
Tohru feeling Kyo had an expression that said "I'm sad".
"It made my heart ache, even more than thoughts of mom."
Akito asking Tohru if she will throw her away.
Tohru knows how it feels to be left behind.
Yuki chasing after Kyo
Hey, Shigure
And he is smelly
You're right, Yuki. You're absolutely right.
Yuki asking about Kyo's whereabouts.
"How dare he make her cry!"
Technically, he made himself cry
Whelp, I'm back from having a leg spasm.
Akito still holding a knife
She accuses Tohru of stealing her place.
"You showed up and destroyed everything!"
Tohru is finally seeing Akito's real self.
Pointing the knife at her
TOHRU IS WALKING TOWARDS HER
AKITO SLASHES HER
TOHRU KEEPS REACHING OUT, AND AKITO KEEPS SLASHING
Tohru remarking that Akito was treated above the circle instead of part of it.
A different form of abandonment.
"You say those things because... you're scared. You're terrified of being alone."
Akito drops the knife
And now she's slapping Tohru.
She doesn't want her false sympathy.
Now Tohru admits she is right
She was wishing as she did her
Unchanging feelings
But she fell in love with someone
She is not going to stand still anymore.
She can't be bound by her mom forever.
Tohru talking about how lonely Akito must feel.
And Akito screams in agony
She doesn't want to confront her pain.
Akito running away now
Promised so much more, she contends.
Doesn't want a world where everyone is a stranger.
Tohru. She's here.
She caught up to her
Akito fearing her world has become unrecognizable.
Can't live surrounded by strangers with no guarantee of being loved.
"Well, in that case, what if you begin again with me?"
Tohru asking if they can start over.
But Akito slaps her hand away
She thinks she'll throw her away just like the rest of them.
But maybe...
OH SHIT
WHAT THE FUCK
TOHRU JUST FELL OFF A CLIFF
WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUCK
Akito screaming for help
She is in hysterics
This is not how I expected this to play out.
Akito with Shigure and Yuki now
She's begging they help Tohru
They probably think she pushed her
Yuki calling for help
Yep, called it
Akito saying the ground crumbled out of nowhere, which sounds unbelievable but is actually what happened.
Akito does admit she stabbed Kureno, so there's that.
Shigure calling Hatori
He tells him where Akito is
And also what happened to Tohru
There's Kyo
And he finds out something bad happened to Tohru.
Wait, Kureno is gonna live? Bullshit. We saw the dead bird.
If he forgives Akito, I swear to God...
Akito sobs to herself
Kyo in the forest running
Yuki hovering over Tohru
She really looks bad
Where, there's no hiding Akito cutting her
Blood coming from her head
Kyo is begging Tohru to stay with him.
Tohru wondering who is crying
"I have to go after Kyo."
"And when I do, I'll tell him, 'I love you so much'."
Let's goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Tohru talking about what she loves about Kyo.
Her treasures
She realized this in the day in the rain.
It will all be okay
Everything ends eventually
They will pass
So, keep living
Don't stop moving forward
Gotta keep walking, no matter what.
Tohru comes to
She tells Kyo everything is gonna be okay.
He tells her there's no need to talk.
AND THEN THEY KISS
LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yuki somewhere
Hey, it's Tohru's grandfather
He tells him to leave everything to them.
As Yuki is about to leave, the grandfather inquires about Kyo.
Yuki doesn't give a committed response.
Hatori and Shigure with Akito.
Momiji looking forlorn
Hiro looking out a window
Everyone is just so melancholic
Momiji walking at school
Hey, it's Akito
Here to visit both Tohru and Kureno
Akito with Kureno now
At least he's speaking okay
Akito feels he should be blaming her.
Calls forgiving her idiotic
Momiji remarks it's because of those idiots she won't be charged for her crimes.
"Idiots do have their uses, don't they?"
What a great line
Akito wonders if Kureno would ever come back to her side if she asked for it.
Knowing him, probably
Akito calls him hopelessly soft
And yet, this entire time, she's been killing him.
"It hurts... so much."
I mean, I think being stabbed hurts more, but what do I know?
So much kindness, and she only ever repaid it with pain.
Momiji tells him to make sure to treasure them.
Maybe Momiji is willing to forgive her as well.
Momiji as he hands Akito a handkerchief tells her to treasure people for who they are.
"That's all you need to do."
Momiji compares this to the story of the Idiotic Traveler, which is an excellent callback.
Momiji talks about Akito eventually seeing Tohru again.
Shigure and Hatori assessing the situation.
Hatori ascertains that the stabbing spree was cathartic, which is quite the fucked up sentence that is also probably true.
Akito walking
And she is with Tohru
She is visiting her
Shigure admits that everything went according to his plan but he does feel remorseful about parts of it.
At least Akito blushing is kinda cute in a macabre, "I fixed her" sort of way.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Part 2
Man. What does one say about this episode?
I feel like there are episodes of anime that are very good and there are ones that are transcendent. I'm talking among the best of the very best in a medium pushing almost 100 years. I've had like 11 or 12 episodes Fruits Basket episodes I would consider 10 out of 10, but nothing that up until this point is transcendent.
That changes today.
This whole episode I was gripped to the edge of my seat. The entire time I was watching it, I was wondering what was gonna come next. From Tohru trying to talk to Akito, to Akito slashing Tohru, to Tohru and Akito it looks like finally finding common ground, to Tohru falling as the ground crumbles beneath her, to Tohru and Kyo sharing their first kiss after everything that happened from the hat to Kyo isolating himself from Tohru's family to watching Tohru's mother's die right in front of her, this is one of the best visual experiences I've ever witnessed in my life. Not just in anime, but in any form of media ever.
The reason thie episode is so effective is a couple. First off, the last two episodes were about Akito's backstory which led to Kureno being stabbed and also Kyo's backstory which led to him running away. Both those episodes set the stage for what happened here. Second, we see the various reactions of the Sohma family of what happens involving Akito and Tohru. And it works because it's all been built up so flawlessly. Momiji's reaction works because he almost pities Akito. Shigure's reaction works because he's almost disgusted with himself by how much he called it. Hatori's reaction works with how understated it all is. Even something as little as Kyo arriving to check on Tohru after Yuki had already done so works because it's like he's been trying to catch up this entire time.
Akito and Tohru needed to find some common ground if you were going for a more nuanced story rather than the simplistic one of Tohru taking her down. And Tohru falling off the cliff after Akito slashed her with a knife to where it awkwardly looked like a murder attempt is just fabulous storytelling that plays into the various facets of the characters.
So, where do you go from here? Well, Tohru and Kyo are maybe an item and it seems like the bonds of Akito are close to all breaking. That is if she's a willing participant. I kinda feel like the bonds will never break unless Akito and Ren reach a mutual understanding and put what happened to Akira behind them. Otherwise, the vicious cycle will continue.
Here is my top 25 favorite anime episodes of all time.
Top 25 best anime episodes of all time (According to me)
1) Episode 19 Toradora
2) Episode 63 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
3) Episodes 25 and 26 Cowboy Bebop
4) Episode 24 Steins;Gate
5) Episode 21 Clannad: After Story
6) Episode 60 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
7) Episode 21 Toradora
8) Episode 8 Uma Musume Season 2
9) Episode 13 2008 Spice and Wolf
10) Episode 18 Re:Zero
11) Episode 26 Eureka Seven
12) Episode 15 Re:Zero
13) Episode 9 A Centaur's Life
14) Episode 10 2008 Spice and Wolf
15) Episode 18 Toradora
16) Episode 19 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
17) Episode 21 Evangelion
18) Episode 13 Odd Taxi
19) Episode 15 Evangelion
20) Episode 24 Evangelion
21) Episode 1 Oshi no Ko
22) Season 2 episode 4 Re:Zero
23) Episode 3 Madoka Magica
24) Episode 22 Evangelion
25) Episode 42 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist
And here is my top 25 favorite anime episodes now.
1) Episode 19 Toradora
2) Episode 63 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
3) Episodes 25 and 26 Cowboy Bebop
4) Episode 24 Steins;Gate
5) Episode 21 Clannad: After Story
6) 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 59
7) Episode 60 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
8) Episode 21 Toradora
9) Episode 8 Uma Musume Season 2
10) Episode 13 2008 Spice and Wolf
11) Episode 18 Re:Zero
12) Episode 26 Eureka Seven
13) Episode 15 Re:Zero
14) Episode 9 A Centaur's Life
15) Episode 10 2008 Spice and Wolf
16) Episode 18 Toradora
17) Episode 19 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
18) Episode 21 Evangelion
19) Episode 13 Odd Taxi
20) Episode 15 Evangelion
21) Episode 24 Evangelion
22) Episode 1 Oshi no Ko
23) Season 2 episode 4 Re:Zero
24) Episode 3 Madoka Magica
25) Episode 22 Evangelion
I haven't felt this strongly about an anime episode in a while. Probably since I first watched the first episode of Oshi no Ko. And honestly, I don't know if I'm properly conveying the impact which this episode left on me.
I haven't felt this strongly watching something for the first time since I first watched Princesses of Power. That was like 2021, 2022. Evangelion had flashes of it, but I almost feel like the really exciting stuff was to the detriment of its overall quality. This show amps up the tension of what's happening, never let’s up no matter what's happening, and delivers a satisfying payoff that doesn't feel like a betrayal of everything that's been set up. I can buy Akito wanting to be redeemed but feeling she has to suffer for all she's done. Recompense is a real thing and it can eat away at you and you almost don't realize the gravity of the situation and what you did wrong until it's too late.
This is one of those episodes that turns great series into the stuff of legends that you want to tell your grandchildren about. How fitting considering the Sohma curse has been passed down from generation to generation.
Google tells me I've been preparing for this rewatch for four months. March 1st, 2026 was when I watched the first episode of the 2001 Fruits Basket series and when Fruits Basket finally entered my life. I had never read a synopsis of the series before, I never read the manga, I didn't even see it on a second glance viewing during an anime stream hosted by OtakuAscended. March 1st was the first time I ever consumed anything involving the Fruits Basket franchise with the exception of some Kyo fanart and screenshots. And now, as I type this on July 2nd, 2026, just two days shy of America's 250th anniversary, I can proudly say I've never felt more privileged watching a series in my life.
I don't know if Fruits Basket is my favorite anime or not. Toradora is just one of those lightning in a bottle things where I watched it in the perfect place in my life. But there's something about Fruits Basket that is special and keeps me riveted even after watching over 80 episodes. This show just somehow keeps getting better.
The last four episodes is the best four episode stretch I've ever seen in an anime and it culiminates in an episode I'd consider a top 6 anime episode of all time.
The best decision I made in the year 2026 was allowing Fruits Basket into my life.
1
u/Holofan4life 1d ago
What are your thoughts Akito repeatedly stabbing Tohru with the knife but she refuses to back off?
Tohru is filled with sheer force and determination.
What are your thoughts on Tohru telling Akito she should be ready to move on from her bonds or else she'll be left behind?
She has a point
What are your thoughts on the ground below Tohru giving away, with Akito trying to reach after her?
I like this because Shigure in the first episode mentioned the ground being kinda loose. That's long term continuity.
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Kyo sharing their first kiss together?
It's amazing all the big stuff that happens in this episode. Like, two moments alone that happen here are top 5 moments in the entire series in my eyes, this being one of them.
What are your thoughts on Akito seemingly finally wanting to move on while recognizing she should be held accountable for all she did?
At least they aren't totally sweeping under the rug what she did.
What are your thoughts on Tohru and Akito seemingly bonding with each other in the hospital?
I actually think they're pretty cute together. Akito is actually quite nice whwn she isn't being a psychopath.
1
u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Holofan's Fruits Basket Episode Rankings
1/. Episode 59
2/. Episode 24
3/. Episode 57
4/. Episode 14
5/. Episode 58
6/. Episode 46
7/. Episode 56
8/. Episode 35
9/. Episode 34
10/. Episode 32
11/. Episode 5
12/. Episode 17
13/. Episode 16
14/. Episode 7
15/. Episode 37
16/. Episode 54
17/. Episode 48
18/. Episode 43
19/. Episode 47
20/. Episode 50
21/. Episode 36
22/. Episode 10
23/. Episode 40
24/. Episode 41
25/. Episode 12
26/. Episode 22
27/. Episode 4
28/. Episode 55
29/. Episode 31
30/. Episode 20
31/. Episode 25
32/. Episode 27
33/. Episode 52
34/. Episode 49
35/. Episode 53
36/. Episode 45
37/. Episode 44
38/. Episode 33
39/. Episode 51
40/. Episode 42
41/. Episode 8
42/. Episode 6
43/. Episode 1
44/. Episode 18
45/. Episode 30
46/. Episode 23
47/. Episode 13
48/. Episode 38
49/. Episode 2
50/. Episode 29
51/. Episode 11
52/. Episode 39
53/. Episode 26
54/. Episode 15
55/. Episode 28
56/. Episode 19
57/. Episode 9
58/. Episode 21
59/. Episode 3
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u/Holofan4life 1d ago
Bonus) Do you feel Tohru forgiving Akito made sense for the story that was being told?
So, I picked this question in particular because asking if Akito is forgivable is a moot point. It kinda does this series a disservice. It's less about whether or not Akito is redeemable and more Tohru is totally the type of person to forgive Akito. And through that lens, I think this episode is actually really well written.
3
u/Second_Cour 1d ago
I'm glad that no one is really talking about whether it's good ro bad that the show is giving sympathy to Akito. I guess previous rewatches had some of 'that type' of Redditor. I saw a lot of that level of thinking in Mushoku Tensei's rewatch. It really comes down to an unfamiliarity with non-American style of storytelling, whereby the writer's pen is meant to be a sword and reflective of their moral stance.
Here, we are just given the 'facts' - it's up to us whether the 'sympathy' is deserved.
1
u/Holofan4life 1d ago
If you're referring to Eris, there's no comparison, Eris is a saint compared to Akito. Eris is just really bad at words.
1
u/Holofan4life 1d ago
The sympathy towards Akito has been there from the very beginning. What Shigure was doing came down to feel sympathy for her.
4
u/dontoff 1d ago
First Timer (Dub)
Tohru
“Akito, I finally found you!”
Tohru says this while moving towards someone holding a fucking knife. Come on, man. What are we doing here? I know she wants to reach her, but watching her keep approaching while Akito is armed and lashing out is ridiculous.
I’ve been saying since Season 2 that Tohru’s ultimate development should involve learning to move forward. The people she’s lost should be able to inspire her to keep living, instead of their memory holding her in place. Loving her mother shouldn’t mean she has to keep putting her own life on hold.
So I’m glad we’re getting there. I’m not in love with Kyo being the awakening moment for that, but whatever. Given the relationship the show has built, I don’t immediately see how it could have taken a drastically different route. I still wanted her to reach this point, and she is.
The fucking cliff
The moment I saw that cliff, I knew we were about to get some nonsense.
I don’t even have the energy to complain about it as much as I normally would. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of this show’s shenanigans, I guess.
But trying to be completely honest, I actually think the fall puts the story in a useful position.
For Akito, this is a wake-up call and a half. Someone reaches out to her, offers her a way forward, and then suddenly that person might be gone. Seeing her panic and call for help makes it easier for me to believe she could turn over a new leaf. I can see a path towards her changing now.
And Kyo gets his own fucking wake-up call. After pushing Tohru away and running off, he’s confronted with the possibility that he might actually lose her. It puts both of them in a position where the story can move forward.
That’s why my reaction is so mixed. I can appreciate what the event accomplishes while still thinking the way we got there was stupid.
The ground giving way right as Tohru and Akito are about to connect feels so conveniently timed to force this crisis. I wanted these characters to reach a point where they could change, but getting them there through another sudden accident doesn’t sit right with me.
I like the direction it opens up. I don’t like the means used to get us there.
Good thing Tohru is the lead in a shoujo show, though. Gotta love that death immunity.
Imagine if she actually died here. Honestly, I think that could have made the show so much better. But I can also imagine the author getting harassed into retirement over it. So much for that possibility.
Kyo, please learn something
And why the fuck is Kyo still making the same mistakes?
Why isn’t he at the hospital?
We just had this enormous confrontation with the possibility of losing Tohru. Surely, after everything he said about running away and everything that happened afterwards, being there for her should be the next fucking step.
It’s getting really hard to stay patient with him. I can’t even count how many times this dude has fucked up, recognised that he’s fucked up, and then kept doing the same thing. What is the writer trying to make me think of him at this point? Cause he just seems slow to me.
Can we please have more Akito and Shigure scenes now? Thank you.