Konnichiwa, Anime Rants ni youkouso! (Hello and welcome to Anime Rants!) I’ve got a lot of anime to catch up on, and as for this season of anime, I’m only writing episode reviews for Fruits Basket. At least, that’s true for now. Please enjoy my thoughts on these episodes of Fruits Basket’s second season!
Episode 4: I Got Dumped…
The mysterious girl in the hospital we saw briefly in season one is actually a Souma family member named Rin. The visuals in the opening song make it obvious that she’s the horse of the zodiac. She and Hatsuharu were secretly dating, until Rin abruptly dumped the boy. As a result, his dark side manifests and he goes on a rampage (much like an ox) at school. Haru was seriously out of control and even tried to expose the transformation power of the Souma family. Luckily, the reliable teacher stopped it all by pouring a bucket of water on him.
Once that’s over, Haru has a good talk with Yuki, telling him about his secret with Rin. He was suspended and didn’t come to school the next day. Yuki decides to visit Haru at the Souma estate. This is remarkable given Yuki’s fear and trauma related to his old home and Akito, the Souma family head. Surprisingly, the visit goes fine. Haru says he’s not giving up on Rin yet.
The characters in Fruits Basket frequently catch me off guard as I realize how easy it is to relate to them and how they are so fragile. Though I like all the characters, I believe my favorite is Yuki, and I was quite interested in what this episode showed about him. There are many feelings he’s keeping bottled up, including the trauma of his childhood, and attraction to Tohru. Though he’s improving, Yuki is still reluctant to admit anything about Tohru. He’s still too embarrassed to call her by her first name.
The nature of Yuki’s trauma is also of interest to me. From what I’ve gathered, he was forced into confinement and emotionally tormented by Akito. That’s a terrifying prospect if you ask me. Just a quick note: I liked the way Kyo is improving too, using the bracelet charm to help keep his anger a little more controlled.
On a random note, I do love Hatsuharu as well. I especially enjoy the comedy he brings. “Cleaning fairies exist. Mystery.”
Episode 5: Wait For Me, Tororo Soba!
I’m keeping this episode review brief not because of any lack of fascination, but because I’m short on time today. Please see my post with screenshots from episode 5.
Here we have a little love story, wherein Arisa Uotani meets and becomes interested in a strange man named Kureno. They met at the convenience store where Arisa works. By chance, they met again and decided to have a meal together (soba). Some of Kureno’s words upset Arisa, so she storms out of the diner, but the man catches up to her and clarifies that issue. But that’s the only thing he clarifies. He leaves Arisu wondering who he really is and what kind of job keeps him so tied down. Viewers see the answer at the end, as Kureno returns to the Souma Estate to be Akito’s full-time caretaker.
Also in episode 5, comedy unfolded when Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, Haru, and Momiji visited a haunted house. Haru makes me laugh with his completely random humor.
Episode 6: Are You Really This Stupid?
This was an eventful episode that stirred all sorts of emotions. Momiji invited Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Kisa, Hiro, Hatsuharu, Ayame, and Kagura to one of the Souma family’s beach houses. Kagura and Ayame have yet to show up, however. The rest of them proceed to the villa and have a lot of fun together at the beach. Even Kyo gets into it.
Meanwhile, strange things are happening with Shigure. First we see him inviting Rin inside, and beginning a scene with her that seems suggestive. Later, Shigure visits Akito, who feels ill and bad-tempered because of the summer heat. Saying that everyone has become deluded, Akito resolves to go the summer house himself. Shigure not only agrees, but also seems deviously pleased about it. And it’s not the first time, but Akito is very touchy-feely with Shigure.
Back at the villa, Hiro insensitively asks about Tohru’s dad, and tells her that all she ever talks about is her mom. Tohru cannot answer anything about her father and was deeply upset by Hiro’s words. Kisa and Hiro fought because of that, but were able to make up later. Hiro is sincere in his apology to Kisa. Though I’d never deny that he’s a brat, Hiro is still a character I really like. I was quite glad to see him learn some empathy and remorse this episode.
Yuki is running a fever that evening. When the two are alone, Yuki plays with Tohru’s hair and tells her that one day, he needs to let her know something important. But until then, he’s still keeping the lid shut on his emotions. It is also revealed that Yuki was the boy with the hat who helped Tohru when she was lost so long ago. It almost goes without saying that Yuki is definitely in love at this point.
This episode left me with a lot of questions and renewed interest. What happened with Tohru’s father? What’s going on with Rin? Why is Akito the way he is? What is he going to do to stir up trouble this time? How long will Yuki keep the lid on his emotions? There’s a lot happening in this season of Fruits Basket, and I can’t wait to see more!
Thanks for reading! Have a great day, all of you, and visit me again soon onegai!
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