Fruits Basket 19
July 20, 2008
I never really know what to say about this series. I’ve put off talking about this volume for about two weeks, and really, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t get this out of the way.
I think my problem is that it’s never quite what I expect, except not in the way where everything that happens is a pleasant surprise. I’m always sort of mildly disappointed with things that are going on, I realize. I don’t really like Machi, so I’m not really liking where things are going concerning her. On the other hand, the fact that there’s now more of a romance for Tohru was something I’ve been looking for the entire time I’ve been reading the series. But Tohru’s sort of been shoved into the background for the time being, and she’s also very nearly made into a bad guy at one point, which didn’t agree with me.
I don’t like Machi, and I don’t like her relative, Yuki’s friend, either. I guess I just don’t like any of the student council characters. I did appreciate the focus on Yuki, but it was at the expense of Tohru and Kyo… I don’t know. I think there’s just way too much going on right now, and way too many characters. For instance, there was some focus on Machi’s relatine’s girlfriend, which ties into Tohru’s past. As nice a story as that is, why was she introduced? Why wasn’t the time that nonsequitor story took up spent on advancing the plot? It’ll be tricky to wrap things up in three volumes, but we’ll see.
I’m sort of being unfair. There’s a whole chapter of Tohru/Kyo at the beginning, and it’s very cute. Shigure reveals why it’s important to keep the cat imprisoned at the main house, and Tohru’s grandfather has a talk with Kyo about the way Tohru talks. I approve heartily. There’s also a chapter with Ayame, which I approve of in theory since I love Ayame, but it’s another case of a story telling Ayame’s backstory and… not really advancing the plot. Why go into these things this late in the game.
Bah. I’m just being unfair. It’s a fine series, and the digressions are what it’s been doing the whole time. It does them well. It’s just not my thing.
July 20, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Are you sure this isn’t volume 19? The events you describe sound like it, and there’s tons of Tohru and Kyo in v20.
Also, I think Manabe is Machi’s half-brother. Didn’t they have the same dad, but she’s his legitimate heir (but a girl) and he’s from a mistress (but a boy), so there was some inheritance wrangle in the past?
July 21, 2008 at 3:25 pm
We all have our own biases and it’s OK to be unfair. I know they are just tying up romantic loose ends with the whole Machi thing, but since I’m mostly reading for the AkiGure and of course, I like Tohru/Kyo too, I tend not to like the whole Yuki/Machi thing much.
July 22, 2008 at 4:09 am
Yes, you’re right, it was 19! I think I did this with the last volume of Fruits Basket, too. I’m usually very careful to make sure I have the numbers right before I post, too. You’re probably right about Manabe as well, I couldn’t remember what the relationship was other than they were sort of closely related but in some sort of family struggle.
July 22, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I actually do like the Yuki/Machi storyline. Yuki and his quiet struggle really affect me for some reason, and whenever he’s continuing on with his goals and stuff, it makes me get all verklempt. Go Yuki!
July 22, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I add that I like Manabe, too, because he’s helping Yuki come out of his shell, “open the lid” and all that. The little random chapter about his girlfriend was not so crucial, but it had to be in there because early when he was introduced, Hanajima made some comment about him, so there’d been mystery about him. I think that probably came off more apparently if one were following the Japanese chapters as they were released—that feel’s a bit lost in the tankouban.
July 23, 2008 at 2:46 am
I think you’re right about that, I don’t remember Hanajima’s comment at all, but that makes a lot of sense.
Yuki was actually my favorite character until the student council characters were introduced. I’m not sure why the added depth of him having friends turned me off, but it may just be because I dislike all the student council characters so much. Manabe occasionally has his moments, but I still dislike him a lot, even when he’s being serious, which is sort of unusual for me. I couldn’t even really get into him when it was going through his girlfriend’s backstory and how he was trying to stick up for her in front of Tohru.
July 23, 2008 at 3:36 am
Heh. I had kind of the opposite reaction—I liked Yuki more once he started trying to become more of a normal person. :)
July 25, 2008 at 3:44 am
I’m going to have to say I agree with you. I know I’m behind on Fruits Basket, but after a while I just gave up. It really seemed like the story wasn’t going anywhere when it was – and all the characters and their backstories[etc. etc.] were really grating on my nerves. I actually think I prefer the anime to the manga. It isn’t as in depth, but at least I could stomach it.
July 25, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I ought to watch the anime. I imagine it ends with a bunch of stuff unresolved, but I can imagine it getting to the romance quicker and sort of stripping down the Soma curse, which I think I would enjoy a lot.
July 26, 2008 at 10:04 pm
The anime covers the first six volumes only, and as the story hadn’t got that far, obviously screws up with Akito, but I do believe that in and off itself it is one of the more perfect shoujo anime.
So much so I made an indepth analysis attempt here: http://furuba.bookish.net
July 27, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Yeah, I wasn’t really expecting the Akito stuff in the anime. I’ve heard a lot of praise about it, but I just haven’t checked it out past the first two or so episodes (whatever was on the demo DVD that came with the volume 6 and box set). I don’t watch that much anime, but this was always one I meant to pick up. Thanks for the link, too, I’ll check it out.