Ethics Basket: A Fruits Basket Blog

I know a lot has been said about Akito recently, with the release of Fruits Basket Another Chapter 13, but something just really hit me when I was re-reading through it today. This bit right here:

The the two lines that really stuck out to me were “My mother said she thought she knew them at one time, but in reality, she didn’t know any of them.” and “So she learned them along with me.”

I think both of those sentences really highlight how much Akito was devoid of a childhood. It’s not hard to know and understand that Akito was brought up with a god complex, because she was viewed as a god. But this moment really shows how, growing up, she wasn’t even viewed as human. Like, we know how Akito being “god” and her getting treated as such really messed her up mentally, but I think this moment here does a good job of contextualizing just how neglected Akito was of an actual childhood due to that. She was never allowed to just exist as a child. She was so deprived. 

It also highlights how much of a non-mother Ren was. I mean, that isn’t really anything new, but the image of Tohru beside Akito, teaching her along with Shiki makes me wonder if Akito ended up finding Tohru to be a motherly figure in her life as well. Similar in a way to Yuki. Tohru is the one teaching her and Shiki these hand games, not Ren. In that image, where they are learning the hand game, it’s clear to see that Tohru is the one in teaching and that both Akito and Shiki are the ones learning and following along.

and because tohru doesn’t remember and still thinks that he rejected her, kyo is forced to do the necessary self-reflection and emotional growth that he might not have done if the kiss had “worked.” visiting his father, the confrontation with yuki, and finally deciding that he does want a future with tohru are all a result of him having to wait to see her. honestly, he has to earn his happy ending and learn to solve his problems like an adult, not just with an impulsive, panicked kiss.

also, because kyo is a character who struggles with words and relies primarily on his actions to communicate, i love how this arc causes him to actively own up to his mistakes (his actual mistakes, not just his self-inflicted blame). he apologizes to tohru in a purposeful and thoughtful way, not just with a rushed, unsaid apology in the heat of the moment. 

additionally, tohru also gets a chance to sit with her feelings about being rejected—if she really loves kyo, or if she could move on without him. she doesn’t just forgive him immediately because he kissed her, due to her abandonment issues or insecurities. she gets a good apology and a declaration of love from kyo when he’s clear-headed and really committed to her, which i think she really deserved.

that when Hiro took her mom's photo, Tohru referred to it as her mom being kidnapped

that when the landslide destroyed her tent, Tohru panicked because her mom wasn't able to breathe. THE PHOTO OF HER MOM WASN'T ABLE TO BREATHE

like, maybe in the beginning her "quirkiness" was cute and that's why people brushed it off as funny, not really taking it seriously, but it made it extremely obvious Tohru has been unable to process her grief since the beginning of the show and is still holding onto the memory of her mom as the most important thing in her life, trying to pretend that her mom is still around so that she won't be left behind

because Tohru was extremely traumatized by her father's death, not only because her father died, but because she thought her mom would "leave" too, and she'd be alone

that's why it was so difficult for her to admit to herself that she loved Kyo, because how would it not be a betrayal to her mom in her eyes? Tohru promised they'd be always together, that their bond would always be the most important thing to her

so it's just bugging me that people are brushing this off, basically saying Tohru is being irrational and that the love she had toward her mom and that the love she has toward Kyo are different, that her mom would never want her to cling to their relationship as hard as she is

well OF COURSE that's all true, but that's not the point. by brushing off her pain and hurt and saying it's silly for her to think that and for the story to make that a plot point, they're invalidating her loneliness and her fear, fear that real people experience. there are actual people in the world who still cling to the memories of their loved ones, unable to move on, unable to come to terms with their deaths

Fruits Basket Season 3 Opening ~ 💙

The parallels between Kyo and Yuki, they’re both looking up to the sky...Thinking about something

Meanwhile Tohru and Machi turn their backs around to maybe look at them?🥰