#fruba

Fruits Basket: abusive systems perpetuate themselves, and they will continue to do so until conscious efforts are made by many to end the cycle of abuse

I’m not one of those people who finds Akito’s actions justifiable because of her trauma, but I really appreciate the parallels between her and Tohru. They both have a desire to keep their connections eternal and unchanged. For Tohru, this began after her father’s death. Kyoko was so focused on her grief that she neglected Tohru and nearly took her own life. In an attempt to give her mother something to live for, Tohru took on her father’s polite/formal speaking style and became the perfect daughter. The belief that she needs to act a specific way to maintain her relationships spread to the rest of her life. While Tohru’s kindness is genuine, her motivation isn’t completely selfless. She’s nice to people because she wants them to stay. The show portrays her extreme kindness as a strength, but her motive is cast in a negative light. When Kyoko passes, Tohru is scared to love anyone more than she loved her mom because that might weaken their connection. This fear stopped her from moving forward in life. Bonds are not meant to be eternal. Change leads to growth. (TOHRU IS NOT A MARY SUE BTW!!)