Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Fruits Basket
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crazieanimefan1
 Posts: 409 Location: Auburn, AL |
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I have to ask, was she diagnosed with focal dystonia? I actually have this condition and it is a nerve disorder that makes my wrist bend without control...it's very disabling, as I'm a righty and do art and such. I have to take Botox injections and had to train my left hand to do certain tasks because it's impossible now thanks to the condition. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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But does Ritsu at any point refute being referred to as a boy? He's instead apologetic that he's misled people into thinking that he isn't male. The Zodiac Curse certainly still consider him to be male, based on Tohru's hug triggering his transformation. (That does raise the interesting question of how the Zodiac Curse would interact with an actual sex change operation.) |
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Ggultra2764
 Subscriber Posts: 3872 Location: New York state. |
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In regards to Mitsuru's expanded role in the latest episode, I did read in some interviews years ago from Natsuki Takaya that she had regret over not devoting enough time to properly developing Ritsu and Mitsuru's relationship in the manga as she meant to incorporate it into the story, but couldn't find a good place to do so since enough plot threads were already in place within later volumes of Fruits Basket. Looks like Takaya-sensei is using the reboot as an opportunity to provide some natural progression for Ritsu and Mitsuru.
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15457 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Wouldn't that just be a byproduct of the environment they grew up in. A traditional family, that even has a magic curse for binary gender, and use that as proof for who they are, and probably have ridiculed them their entire life over 'crossdressing'? Ritsu apologizes over everything, including things no way responsible for, of course Ritsu would apologize for something that could be perceived as tricking.
Wouldn't that just be Ritsu's sex? The gender that they were assigned with at birth, a fact connected to chromosomes and genitals, not the gender Ritsu might feel more comfortable as. Why would one expect that that an ancient magic curse to be trans inclusive? Unless it has been shown otherwise that people who identify as the opposite gender they are assigned, then it is no more an indicator than any other superficial elements that people use against trans people. Ritsu being born into a family, where it would probably be well enough known that females set the transformation, it seems more clear that someone in Ritsu's position, with added anxiety, poor self esteem, and Japanese ideals of uniformity. Is it really no surprise that Ritsu would put up no fight? Yet still dressed as a girl? Really only recently where I realized as a boy, who would burst into tears as my fingernails were forcibly cut because "boys don't have long nails", that I am seeing that I might have been actually traumatized by the whole thing. That my current thoughts about my nails are a result of trauma, and there may have been nothing wrong with my thoughts at the time of liking them to be feminine. I wouldn't say that I was abused, but a father in the army that forced me to have very short hair, that my nails be kept short, and need to be tough, may have messed me up a bit, even if I didn't become full macho but also can like showing some masculine elements. In my case, I still think that I am male leaning some level of non-binary, but am feeling a little sensitive to just assuming gender things when evidence can conflict with the environment to not give a clear picture. |
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Alexis.Anagram
 Posts: 278 Location: Mishopshno |
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Oh hey, not a bad idea, I could definitely see that working. He gets to keep some of that cheek from his early days with the series, in that case, haha. Thanks for taking the time to read through my post. 
Sooo episode 9. I'm not sure I'll ever get a version of Ritsu's story that entirely satisfies me; I love the character to death but it's one of the few examples in Furuba where the metaphorical layers within the series' structure itself works to its detriment because the surface reading of who Ritsu is and what Ritsu symbolizes intersect in some unclear ways which can make it difficult to connect to and identify with the character. On the one hand, Ritsu represents the lasting pain and self-loathing a person experiences when they have been made to feel consistently that they don't measure up to others' expectations, and that they are a burden to the people around them; this is the part of Ritsu I feel I understand best. As a "cursed" individual within the framework of Fruits Basket, Ritsu already faced what one could call an inborn crisis of identity-- to add to that, Ritsu is made to feel that, unlike the other Zodiac members, there is nothing particularly "special" about the Monkey spirit which offsets the burden the curse places on Ritsu's family, both immediate and extended. The part that rings true most firmly for me in this is how Ritsu comes to internalize this perspective through messaging in early childhood that was not directed at Ritsu specifically: we've already seen from the Hot Springs episode that Ritsu's mother is actually very fond of her child, and when Ritsu is not around she sees herself as free to express that, but because of the pressures placed upon her as a parent Ritsu was subjected constantly to the image of her back, bowing on all fours to other people on Ritsu's behalf. Throughout this series, we've seen a number of parent-child dynamics which range from loving to avoidant to abusive, but this one seems especially acute: the idea that adults can do unintended harm to children through the things they say when they think their children are out of earshot, or when they make the mistake of assuming their kids won't read the implications behind their words and behaviors. The idea that adults can be made to feel just as vulnerable and compromised through the actions of their children as vice versa adds a pointed and very real kind of human balance to an equation that often appears weighted against imperfect people who nevertheless try their best. To me, Ritsu's story isn't just about Ritsu's individual struggle, but about how incredibly and unjustifiably hard normative social roles can be for anyone to live up to. The problem of being a "good" parent is that it's exactly one of the most pervasive normative social roles most people are expected to fulfill at some point; it's assumed that "good" children come from "good" parents, so what does it say to society when a parent's child strays from their socially condoned path? It makes me think back to a time when my mom asked me not to wear a dress, to my birthday dinner, because she didn't want someone to create a problem over it, and how inherently complex that exchange was for both of us: her for genuinely thinking about my safety and well-being while saying something that directly diminished my spirit and self-confidence. And so this is where the queer reading of Ritsu's role comes into play, and it's where I waver on how to best interpret and engage with the material. I think both Jacob's review and the discussion sparked in this thread so far are indicative of the kind of internal disparity between how Takaya portrays Ritsu's emotional condition and how she uses loaded gender markers to convey that quality of character. I've never had any problem with the notion that Ritsu might not be/doesn't presently identify as trans: I actually prefer that Takaya's original approach seemed to draw a dividing line between Ritsu's application of a gendered aesthetic and Ritsu's own gender identity-- it was still messy when placed under the critical lens of gender as a field of study, but at least it provided an introduction for Ritsu which spoke to the character's own self-directed goals at the time of that chapter, and had Takaya's larger plans for Ritsu come to fruition I think the picture would be even clearer for that. By contrast, the almost deliberately vague approach in this adaptation ostensibly leaves the door open for the viewer to read into Ritsu's gender identity, but at the same time it basically hands off responsibility for guiding our interpretation of this critical aspect of Ritsu's characterization to other characters. So when Shigure outs Ritsu (not once but twice), or the other Soma boys give implied if not directly voiced indications of their feelings, it's both doubly insensitive and feels even more insidious, because Ritsu never gets an opportunity to speak to or address this. Instead, Ritsu is effectively silenced in the face of repeated (mis?)genderings almost as a cynical way of avoiding the conversation entirely: a modern "update" without the courage of its convictions. Meanwhile, consider KitKat1721's meditation on the possible cultural factors at play in Ritsu's choice to present a gendered appearance that provides some relief from patriarchal social expectations, thus acting as a medium to communicate Ritsu's inner "nature," and that honestly feels more distinctly if incipiently trans-coded than putting the clothes and mannerisms themselves front and center. Add to that the total lack of tonal consistency and the over-dramatization of what was meant to be an intimate moment, and I actually have a fair number of disputes with the changes to this version of the story. Most significantly, reframing the scene so that Ritsu shares that conversation with Tohru mere moments after meeting her, while the other Somas are there to witness no less, subtracts the value of the process Ritsu goes through in the original in order to finally muster up enough courage to confide in Tohru when they have a moment alone, which in turn detracts from the catharsis of the conversation as a culmination of Ritsu's efforts. It makes the moment about Tohru in a way that feels misguided, literally putting her in danger just so that she'll seem that much more self-sacrificial and heroic, rather than highlighting the mutual merit of the exchange. Instead of developing Ritsu with an eye towards the character's agency, this version makes Ritsu's distress the focal element in a way that seems distinctly less empowering. Anxiety is no laughing matter, but Ritsu is never really given an opportunity to show the flipside to that, which is that the sensitivity and gentle frame of mind through which Ritsu interacts with the world can also lend a certain kind of strength to a person when they're given the time and space to find the right words for themselves. I did, however, love that they gave Mitsuru a meatier role and shifted around some of the material to focus on the budding relationship between her and Ritsu. I don't really like what it replaced (Ritsu ruining the manuscript feels like a much weaker reason to get upon the roof as opposed to causing a physical injury to Tohru) and, again, I think it distracted from the tone and trajectory that should have centered this chapter, but it's the kind of thing for which an adaptation like this can be very useful. It also gave me some hope that maybe some of those unfulfilled aspirations for Ritsu's story from the manga might find their way into this show, in one form or another: in that case, they might have the opportunity to contextualize some of the more troubling elements of Ritsu's introduction here. The fact that, as Jacob pointed out, Ritsu is never depicted wearing masculine clothing could be a positive indication, and there are so many other missed opportunities that could be developed: I would love to see more of Ritsu's friendship with Kagura, as well as see Ritsu get to spend some time with other characters who are more affirming and welcoming, like Hatsuharu and Momiji. It also seems to me that a scene with Ritsu and Ayame was destined to happen (Takaya doesn't just drop teases like that for no reason), so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Like I said, I love Ritsu, but it's painfully clear in the manga that there's a void where Ritsu's character should be; learning what I did from this review with regards to Takaya's experience working on the series, I can't blame her for not following through, but now's the perfect time to do some course correction. But also, these insights really are invaluable, all I ever heard as an explanation for Furuba's hiatus and style change was that Takaya's wrist was injured in an accident of some sort; old Internet forum rumors, basically. To think how much shit I've seen some people give her for the look of the series as it progressed when she's literally pulling through with the will and passion of a true artist warrior. Nobody has a right to @ her ever again AFAIC. |
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KitKat1721
 Posts: 953 |
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I think part of the reason for the disparity of discussion is simply because of how little Ritsu content there actually is in the source material, while still having a lot of untapped character depth, same as the rest of the Zodiac members. Definitely leads to some interesting discussions at least! |
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yuna49
 Posts: 3804 |
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As someone only watching this version of Fruits Basket, I have to say this was the worst episode so far, and the only one I could not finish. Such a disappointment after the last few weeks.
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Morry
Posts: 756 |
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I didn't particularly like the moral of the last two episodes, or at least how they handled it, so it was nice to see something simple and sweet for a change of pace. I am hoping the series breaks the formula of Tohru solving everyone's emotional problems after a sentimental chat, as it is wearing thin on me.
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Phrunicus
Posts: 34 |
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Late to the party on ep19, but I was thinking something similar - is Ritsu in fact trans/GQ/NB/somewhere on that spectrum, or does Ritsu feel more comfortable in women's clothing more because as KitKat1721 says, he* can be the soft-spoken, non-confident person he currently is, instead of male clothing, where Ritsu feels like he would HAVE to be A Man, with all the stereotypes that go with, that he just can't do... So in other words, it's a problem of how Ritsu internalized male/female stereotypes, and then applies them to his personality as represented by the clothing choices he makes... *I'm picking one, and since at least at this point, there's no confirmation that Ritsu is or identifies as trans, I'm going with "he". Sorry. |
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Alexis.Anagram
Posts: 278 Location: Mishopshno |
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I thought Hiro's introduction worked really well, and I'm consistently impressed by how this adaptation takes chapters that seem less like standouts and develops them to feel more impactful in terms of pacing and perspective. There are some gorgeous shots in this episode, especially towards the end with Hiro's introspective self-criticism followed by that image of Kisa sitting on the bench, showing her from Hiro's point of view for the first time as he finally pulls away from the blinding shame that's dogged him and allows himself to look at her again.
As Jacob pointed out in the review, I think the value of this chapter stems from how it portrays Hiro's characterization as a thematic companion to Kisa's: as the two youngest Zodiac members, residing at the threshold just before they enter adolescence and the ensuing struggle to actualize into adult members of society, Hiro and Kisa represent the nascent impact of the curse taking hold as they are just beginning to grasp the true personal and social costs associated with their roles. While they are each obviously their own people, just as there is a bit of Yuki in Kisa, there is a bit of Kyo in Hiro; Shigure comments upon this in typically mocking fashion, but the implication behind that rings truer than possibly intended. Hiro finds himself in an impossible situation where it doesn't seem to matter what choices he makes, because there is no emotional logic (or at least not one that he can easily parse) surrounding the consequences of his actions: just as Kyo is customarily maligned and ignored for being the cat regardless of his own best efforts to integrate, Hiro is taught an arbitrary, punishing lesson in learning his place by a familial system that doesn't and will not ever take his individual humanity into consideration. It's not just Akito, or the other Zodiacs: imagine how much complicity there must be throughout the Sohma household (which we've already been told numbers in the hundreds) for a young girl like Kisa to be brutally beaten to the point where she requires hospitalization and nobody says anything. Then imagine being Hiro in that situation, forced to reconcile his own efforts to take honest initiative with that outcome-- with the fact that such an outcome could even be possible. Both Kyo and Hiro respond to these contradictions by developing volatile temperaments and behaviors marked by typically masculine signifiers: Kyo learns both how to self-isolate, and how to use his fists to express his stifled, basic emotional needs, while Hiro buffers his interactions with blunt sarcasm and a hyper-intellectualization of everything around him, whether it's threatening or not-- explicitly turning things that aren't threats (like a piece of cake or a cup of tea) into problems that need to be solved, as a way of defining them so that he can assert his power over them. This is why I think Jacob isn't quite on the mark in concluding that Hiro's story represents a garden variety strain of "tween boy angst" or a lesser dramatic arc: while there is of course an underlying relatable quality to Hiro's struggles, as with all of the Zodiac characters, his internal conflict is nevertheless firmly grounded in the kind of abusive social dynamics that lead to feelings of total powerlessness and internalized shame, and which is central to the drama of Fruits Basket. Shigure may offer a reductionist take on Hiro's budding personality as part of a "rebellious phase," but as with everything Shigure says, it merits reading between the lines: what does a "rebellious phase" within the context of the Zodiac curse look like? Shigure himself offers the answer, in that it can look a lot like Kyo (which, as we're about to see, is no laughing matter), but he also is in many ways the answer, as he represents the culmination of the curse itself and what it can drive people to do to get what they think they deserve.
Well, in one sense, we've reached that point: the final two Zodiac members play very different roles with relation to Tohru than those who have been introduced thus far, and the series is heading in a direction where you will start to see more of the true complexity behind the interpersonal dynamics defining these characters such that simple re-teachings of basic social morality won't necessarily suffice to address the wounds they've kept buried. But also, that was never the case, and I'd (respectfully) quibble with the premise of your perspective. Tohru's role has never been one of "solving" the emotional problems of others: the series makes it very clear that is not a power that she (or anyone else) has-- she can not repair the kind of continuous emotional and psychological damage which has been inflicted upon these broken people, and it's unfair both to them and to her to expect that. What Tohru does is not "healing," but (in the language of the series itself) a kind of "soothing" or "tranquilization." Tohru, through genuine empathy and love, provides a respite from the immediacy of crisis which these characters face in constant recurrence: for many of them, it's the first time they've ever encountered someone who is willing to hold space for them as people and let them feel what they need to feel at their own pace. That's really all she does, but it shouldn't come as a surprise that such a seemingly small act can have such a profound impact when you consider the burden placed on these individuals from birth, and the real weight of their circumstances. As Jacob's review points out, even if you were to take into account just this past episode, Tohru doesn't merely offer Hiro a lesson on human emotional development poached from her late mother (it's worth nothing that this constant refrain of referencing her mom is, in and of itself, a signifier for Tohru's characterization, and there's a reason Hiro in particular is given insight into her attachment throughout this episode); Tohru provides Hiro with a non-confrontational, non-threatening space in which he can complain and criticize and intellectualize all he wants, basically allowing him to run through all of his defense mechanisms until all that's left is to examine his own vulnerability. Their conversation at the crepe stand is an opportunity that presents itself as a result of that lengthy process: Hiro becomes comfortable enough, if only for a moment, to shed his ego and address the inner critic that represents his true feelings. That's not something Tohru did, but it is something that Hiro was finally able to do because Tohru was willing to listen. It's not that Tohru represents or offers a solution to his or the other characters' problems, but through meeting her and having their intrinsic humanity validated, they are often able to start taking their first steps towards acknowledging their own wants and needs and, for some, pursuing them. For others, like Kyo, the wounds run so deep that remaining in emotional stasis is far preferable even when the option to move out of their pain is available to them. It's going to take additional motivation, and an especially loving model of emotional reinforcement, to help him open up and be vulnerable. |
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rizuchan
 Posts: 974 Location: Kansas |
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I've been waiting for this episode actually, because it's been a long time since I read the Fruits Basket manga, but I had this vague memory like Hiro's introduction was especially hard-hitting for some reason. And this episode definitely made me remember why.
To me, Hiro's story was really the one that made it sink in how deeply f'ed up the Sohmas are, and how normalized Akito's abuse is. When Kisa had her introduction, her issues were mostly framed as a result of bullying. Not to dismiss how terrible that bullying was, but wasn't going completely mute, even to her family and friends... a tiny bit much? Oh, maybe it's because she was also beaten to the point of hospitalization for, as far as she could tell, no reason at all. Why wasn't that incident alluded to by anyone in her story? Her mother doesn't even hint at it, as far as I can remember. Then you wonder why no one at the hospital reported the incident and then you realize that she was probably treated at the Sohma family hospital, by Hatori even, and holy crap, they raise their own doctors to systematically cover up abuse in the family. Like we've known for a while how terrible Akito is. But at least for me, this was when it really sunk in how complacent the rest of family is about it. So, maybe while Hiro's own story isn't anything terribly remarkable (outside of yet another anecdote of how horrible Akito is), it's the other implications his story brings that really got me. |
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Kuroi Ren
Posts: 143 |
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I honestly hated Hiro. Anime is still great but this character needs to go.
IDC that he's young and hurt, it doesn't give him any right or excuse to do what he did. Felt like I had to say it sorry |
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KitKat1721
Posts: 953 |
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Hiro, much like what we saw with Uotani’s backstory, actively rebels against Tohru’s good nature. He sees her as I think plenty of others can: a weak pushover. Someone to be taken advantage of because they deserve it by letting it happen. Hiro derides Tohru's good-hearted nature, her affability, and specifically mistakes Tohru’s reaching out and accepting people as her “saving them,” even directly confronting her about it. Something he feels he failed to do. Its frustrating, especially at a young age, when you want to help someone, be the one to say the right thing at the right time like an adult, but can't. And in turn, you feel guilty for projecting those problems and seemingly make it all about you. But even most of Tohru's advice comes from her late mother. Relating, understanding, accepting, and reaching out to people is not saving them. That’s something that can only be done by the characters themselves. Having a support system like Tohru, someone to share your burdens and be there, just makes everything a bit easier to tackle.
Two things I think I missed with Hiro's introduction before: One is just how normalized Akito's abuse was this early on. We've only really seen it played out with Yuki, and its treated with the utmost seriousness as a situation he needed to escape from. Its not even considered as a possible reason for Kisa's silence from weeks back. Secondly, the entire series has been saturated with how much Tohru loves her mom, but really hammered it home this week, more than I remembered. The show and almost every episode opens with her narrating the day’s events to her mom. She takes her personified picture with her everywhere, including to the hot spring. Her reaction to it being stolen was shaking both in her voice and physically, and she ignored work to chase it down. |
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Clematis
Posts: 66 |
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@Alexis.Anagram, that was one beautiful and wonderfully insightful post. It was a delight to read.
I would very much enjoy diving into your own full reviews of Fruits Basket, be it by episode or by theme, or both .
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18182 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Oh, you're not the only one who feels this way. Even with the further development to his situation which explains why he is the way he is, Hiro is still my least favorite of all of the Zodiac members. |
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