From the back cover:
Kagura and Kazuma hotly discuss Tohru liking Kyou. With Kagura’s forceful encouragement, will Tohru be able to muster up the courage to tell Kyou how she feels? Meanwhile, Ren is determined to get her hands on Akito’s mystery box—even if it means killing for it!
Review:
I got a pleasant surprise on Wednesday when I discovered this had been released on the 1st! For some reason, I still had it on my Excel spreadsheet o’ releases (yes, I totally have one) for the 15th.
This volume started and ended with chapters about Tohru and Kyou—in the first she realized she loved him and in the last he began to tell her why he thinks she really shouldn’t. It was powerful stuff, and it was a little weird seeing Kyou look so very upset. I think I’d read the summaries for these chapters as they were originally released, but hadn’t seen the corresponding images until now.
The bulk of the volume, however, was devoted to Akito. Akito’s childhood was revealed, along with a lifelong fear of being left out, left behind. There are many subplots to Fruits Basket, and I guess the one about Akito’s family isn’t one I’m terribly interested in, because while these chapters were good, the best parts about them were when two members of the Zodiac were suddenly released from their curses! Their sudden loneliness at no longer being connected to the others was very affecting and I loved Momiji’s chapter. It felt like we’re starting to get closure for some of the secondary characters’ stories.
Akito kind of lost it near the end of the volume, leading to a fairly giant cliffhanger. I can’t tell if it doesn’t feel as menacing as past acts of violence (despite Akito being more unhinged than ever before) because I actually have sympathy for Akito or because I know how things are going to play out. Probably a little of both.
Anyway, I’m sure I’ve no need to tell anyone to read this series. It just so happens that in addition to being popular it’s also incredibly well-crafted.
I have to admit my favorite parts of fruits basket are all about the dark family secrets, although Tohru has some cute bits. I like that Tohru has developed some angst in the later volumes.
I like her angst, too, especially that it’s in character and has been there all along. Like… it’s not artificially-induced by the author just to prolong things, y’know?