Forum - View topicFruits Basket (see 2nd post for thread info)
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Here's an upcoming preview of what will be happening once I finish my exams tomorrow:
1. Discussions of the three character popularity contests held throughout the series, who finished where, who won?! Did the story development affect how everybody moved up and down? 2. What can we hope to look for with Fruits Basket at Anime Expo? Will there be cosplayers, or are you planning on buying the manga/anime there? 3. Volume discussions. Don't know when I'll start it, but I'm planning on having a volume discussions time here in the thread. It was pretty much approved by users/posters of this thread, but only volume 16 is out, and we still have another couple months before 17 is out. Feedback on this would be appreciated. |
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Ningensei
 Posts: 333 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Those plans sound good, fighterholic. I'll be done with exams in exactly one week so I'll be able to contribute more!
As for the Volume discussions, I know I am one of the people only following the English releases, but don't feel like we have to delay the discussions because of that. I say, "Full speed ahead!" Hey, if it comes down to it maybe it will encourage me to read FB through others means and I will finally break. 
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5633 Location: Southern California |
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I like those ideas as well. Looking forward to doing them. The volume discussion certainly will make me read each volume a lot more thoroughly!
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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All right y'all, it's that time to move onto a new subject here in the Fruits Basket thread, and with finals all over for me, I will gladly usher it in. Our new topic covers the popularity contests that were held in Japan during the duration of the series. I will show you the top 15 finishers from all three contests, and then we can talk about how the outcome of the series may have affected how everybody placed. So, here goes:
()=number of votes for character []=place in last contest Contest held: 2000 issue number 8 1. Kyo Sohma (17218) 2. Tohru Honda (11922) 3. Yuki Sohma (11187) 4. Hatori Sohma (6885) 5. Shigure Sohma (5614) 6. Hatsuharu Sohma (5589) 7. Ayame Sohma (3684) 8. Momiji Sohma (1654) 9. Saki Hanajima (1581) 10. Kagura Sohma (1184) 11. Kisa Sohma (975) 12. Kazuma Sohma (613) 13. Akito Sohma (525) 14. Megumi Hanajima (301) 15. Kyoko Honda (267) Contest held: 2004 issue number 22 1. Kyo Sohma (7725) [1] 2. Tohru Honda (4680) [2] 3. Yuki Sohma (3134) [3] 4. Hatori Sohma (1498) [4] 5. Hatsuharu Sohma (1224) [6] 6. Momiji Sohma (1193) [8] 7. Kakeru Manabe (1025) [NR] 8. Ayame Sohma (928) [7] 9. Kureno Sohma (798) [NR] 10. Shigure Sohma (741) [5] 11. Isuzu Sohma (715) [NR] 12. Saki Hanajima (534) [9] 13. Ritsu Sohma (527) [NR] 14. Kisa Sohma (495) [11] 15. Machi Kuragi (358) [NR] Contest held: 2006 issue number 24 1. Kyo Sohma (5313) [1] 2. Tohru Honda (3322) [2] 3. Yuki Sohma (2497) [3] 4. Kisa Sohma (1288) [14] 5. Hatsuharu Sohma (1216) [5] 6. Hatori Sohma (1214) [4] 7. Momiji Sohma (1080) [6] 8. Shigure Sohma (773) [10] 9. Ayame Sohma (730) [8] 10. Kakeru Manabe (725) [7] 11. Akito Sohma (713) [NR] 12. Saki Hanajima (683) [12] 13. Hiro Sohma (559) [NR] 14. Isuzu Sohma (467) [11] 15. Machi Kuragi (458) [15] My opinion of the outcome of the three contests is that I am surprised that Kyo was able to win all three times. Usually from what I've seen of character popularity contests in Japan is that the main character of the series blows everybody else away, but that was not the case for this series. The top 3 never changed throughout the entire series, but there was obviously newcomers with the second half, because new people would come in. I think Kisa did a pretty good job finishing where she did. I thought for sure Akito might break into the top 10, but I guess not. |
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LydiaDianne
Posts: 5633 Location: Southern California |
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I'm not surprised with the top 3. At all.
I'm glad for Kisa. She obviously made the biggest jump upwards of all of the characters. Plus, she cute! I would say that Shigure had the biggest drop. He was #5 in 2000, #10 in 2004 and only made it back up to #8 in 2006. Obviously that was in response to readers seeing how much he spoiler[was manipulating things.] Not surprised about Akito. #13 in 2000, no show in 2004, but made #11 in 2006. I'm surprised about the last one but since I haven't see the volumes that would be from that time period, there may be something there that made voters chose Akito more. spoiler[Their votes are probably because those volumes may show how pathetic and small Akito really is. Just guessing.] I'm rather disappointed that Arisa never made it onto the charts while Saki did. Poor Arisa! Mmm, wait, Kureno had a big drop too, while he was in the 2004 listings at #9, he wasn't in the 2006 list at all. Kazuma and Kagura and Megumi disappeared after 2000 as well. It's not like Kazuma and Kagura were bad characters, it's just that other...more entertaining ones appeared after that. And Megumi really was a side character. I did notice that Hatori, Momiji, Hatsuhara and Ayame pretty much kept the same places throughout. Some fluctuation but about the same spots. Good for them! |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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If you notice in the 2006 contest, there were some really close calls for a lot of people, which means it could have gone either way for characters. Akito could have made the top 10 if she had 13 more votes, and Hatori lost to Hatsuharu by only a margin of 2.
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Ningensei
Posts: 333 Location: Seattle, WA |
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I am also really surprised that Kyo got first place in all three contests; though I think he deserves it!
Kyo is absolutely my favorite character, from when I watched the anime to reading the manga. I never really knew anyone in the fanbase or discussed it before coming here, so I never really had any idea on how popular all the different characters were. From my perception, especially with regards to the anime, I always assumed Yuki/Tohru were going to be the main characters, and even quite a bit into the manga as well. I guess Kyo has some secret power of attraction that hooks people like me and aya_honda! 
I am also happy to see that Kakeru made it into the top ten during the second contest, after he was introduced into the manga. Even though he dropped to number 10 in the third one, it is still a pretty good showing.
Yay for Kisa! She is so adorable and I love her dearly. I am also glad that she made it so high in the rankings! |
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aya_honda
 Posts: 920 Location: Around here |
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And guess who would get my vote too?  I am actually a bit surprised too at the fact that Kyo made it for such a long time on the number one spot, on the other hand is the one with the biggest transformation of all and his development is by far a very interesting one as well. (I'm so subjective in this matter )
I'm not suprised at Kisa's pupularity but on the other hand I would have expected a better place for Hatori or even Shigure because they are by far some of the most important characters in the manga. For me Shigure is the most interesting character in the manga and I feel that even now, after so much time of reading and re-reading Fruits Basket, I don't completely understand this character. By the way, fighterholic, don't you think that by explaining towards the ending of the manga the explainig of the curse of the cat weighed very much in increasing the sympathy towards Kyo? |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I think Shigure's falling down in the ranks had to do with at the time in the series his character didn't have a lot that stood out for him to get noticed by people. He was just a side character, with comic relief in store for the reader at the time. I think what brought him back up was how he was explaining his motives behind dealing with Akito, as well as trying to break the curse. The story behind the curse of the cat showed support for Kyo keeping his space, that definetly makes sense to me. I think though there was a lot more people voted for various other characters, because there was a lot less votes for our main characters than usual.
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Torhu_San
 Posts: 133 Location: Upstate Ny |
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I'm also surprised that Arisa didn't make the lists. I love her character. Although I don't know how well the whole 'Yankee' thing flies over there. She might have been just too rough for the audience. I was also surprised that Kyoko did make a stronger showing. Especially after volume 16. She wasn't alive for the entire series, yet I think she was one of the most influential characters in the series in terms of how she helped shaped the main characters in a positive way. Considering how evil most of the parents were in the series, I thought maybe more people would pull for one of the few good parents in the series. I would have liked to have seen Isuzu do better too. I guess I just have a soft spot for fiesty characters.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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If of all things Hiro didn't make the list until the last contest, placing only at 13. Perhaps his character was too naive and a bit on the irritating side, but as the series progressed he definetly made a change and matured to become this handsome young man who was going to take care of Kisa, and took a stand against Akito.
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aya_honda
Posts: 920 Location: Around here |
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It is very difficult to say which character I would vote on the first spot without having some remorces that I don't vote an other. Except for Kyo and Tohru, there are in the manga other characters who fascinate me.
I mean, yes, Shigure is very interesting and later on by discovering his undying love for Akito the readers might have felt closer to him. But there are also other characters which deserve a better spot. Like Tohru_San has mentioned, I would have liked a better place for Isuzu because she is definetly one of the characters who suffer the most and at the same time she has a really fascinating and tender love story.
On the other hand I'm not surprised about Hiro. A little brat who needs time to mature and to heal. Sometimes I think that Takaya-san took some time to show his trully nice and wonderful character and his beautiful love for Kisa. 
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Isuzu saw all the suffering yet Hatsuharu saw the spotlight, how ironic. Her story definetly was one of the more compelling within the series, so much happened to her, and in the end spoiler[she couldn't bring herself to forgive Akito for what she had done to her.] |
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aya_honda
Posts: 920 Location: Around here |
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I don't think I am surprised about Isuzu's problems with spoiler[forgiving Akito. I mean, Akito has tormented Isuzu in every possible way and I don't think it would be easy for any normal person to forget so easily. The climax was definetly ther moment in which she was closed in the cat's room. It could easily be called a nightmare.
 ] But nonetheless it was Haru got the spotlight, as you said, and I'm not surprised here too. Firstly because Haru appears in the story much more earlier than Rin and secondly he is definetly a less gloomy member of the Sohma family and he has many moments in which he shows his gentle side and if I'm allowed to say it, even a much more deeper and mature side of him.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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This coming Saturday Western US time I'm going to start the volume discussions about the series. Hopefully this will bring quite a few people into the thread, as the number seems to have diminished right now. I'm figuring a week per volume, like the character discussions. Now, should I go all the way to volume 23 or should I put a hold somewhere? I know that before we get to volume 16 (in 16 weeks) volume 17 will be out for sure. Feel free to give me some feedback on this.
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