Hello and welcome to all she’s, he’s and them’s! Today’s post is a review of Fruits Basket (2019) episode 17. Ready? Let’s Rant!!

Like last time, the story focused on Uo-chan, or Arisa Uotani. From this episode, we learned how she started being friends with Tooru and looking up to Kyoko, spending time with them at their place, and eventually leaving her gang. She was in danger of being seriously hurt, but Kyoko came to her rescue. Uo-chan became best friends with Tooru, and their bonding moments were seriously too cute.

Tooru, imo, is an ENFJ in the MBTI personality typology. This is the type sometimes called “givers,” because they give all of themselves to the people around them, with too much kindness and grace for their own good. They have a way of teaching and leading others without realizing it or wanting to be in the spotlight. So you could say Fruits Basket is a giant character study about the ENFJ type and their legendary positive influence on others. This type is highly difficult for me to understand, as an INTP, but I appreciate them and their service to others. It might be impossible to actually dislike Tooru.

The writing (and translation) for Kyoko’s lines are amazing. Kyoko is like a walking book of quotable life advice. The talent of her seiyuu, Sawashiro Miyuki, helps immensely with the depiction of her character. My favorite parts of the episode were 1) when Kyoko told Uo-chan that all people are selfish, 2) when Kyoko assured the Uo-chan that her pain and experiences were not meaningless. Here are those quotes plus one other I liked.

“No matter how old people get, they never stop being selfish. Everybody. Me included.”
~Kyoko Honda, Fruits Basket episode 17

“You need gentleness to feel pain. You need sunlight before you notice darkness.
You can’t underestimate either. And neither are a waste. So, even if you screw up sometimes,
it wasn’t for nothing. As long as you make sure to think you won’t let this be for nothing,
it’s bound to become nourishment for you to grow in life. That’s my theory on life.”
~Kyoko Honda, Fruits Basket episode 17

“There are feelings that you can’t understand until you get hurt and make trouble.
There are feelings you start to understand only when you’ve hit rock bottom.”
~Kyoko Honda, Fruits Basket episode 17

It was great to see how, in the present, Uo-chan is setting a good example for girls who behave the same way she once did. And I laughed out loud at the part after the credits where those girl delinquents were copying Uo-chan’s lines and appearance. That’s about it for today’s Anime Rant! Thank you for reading my work today. I genuinely appreciate it. Now, off you go. Be safe and healthy, and come back soon! Ja, ne!

Click here to see my previous posts about Fruits Basket 2019

PATREON

(Images From: Fruits Basket. Dir. Y Ibata. TMS Entertainment. 2019.)