Customer Reviews
... and hold it in my heart - By: E. A Solinas, 17 Feb 2008 
Having introduced us to the rabbit, dragon (seahorse), rat, cat, dog, boar & cow of the zodiac, it's time to meet a few new people.
Specifically, it's time to meet the sinister head of the family, & the heretofore unknown snake of the zodiac. And while the fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" is extremely funny & kooky, Natsuki Takaya introduces us to some of the darker, more tragic dimensions of her characters.
Momiji & Haru have just entered high school with Tohru, Kyo & Yuki. The class president makes trouble for a gender-bending Momiji -- & almost gets throttled by "black" Haru -- but otherwise things are going well. Then Akito suddenly shows up, & while he initially seems friendly to Tohru ("You really are cute!"), his cruel streak is revealed when he sees Yuki.
Later on, Yuki & Tohru are gardening when a snake slithers into Tohru's clothes -- & it turns out to be Ayame, Yuki's flamboyant, flirtatious older brother. Problem is, Yuki can't stand the sight of him, & the more Ayame talks about himself the worse the rift between them grows.
When the anniversary of Tohru's mother's death rolls around, the Sohmas become involvedin the lighthearted ritual at her graveside -- even having a raucous meal on it. But Hana hints at a dark connection between Tohru's mother & Kyo. And when Tohru is hanging out with Momiji, she finds out the saddening story about his own mother, & why she doesn't remember her own son.
The fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" is when Natsuki Takaya really starts balancing out her comedy with angst, rather than more straightforward romantic comedy. She doesn't lay on the dark stuff too heavily just yet -- a scene here, a line there -- but you can tell that things are getting less fluffy.
Most of it is still very fun & light -- Haru showing the class president that the, um, carpet matches the drapes, as well as generally abusing him ("That's incredible! Say something, GOD!"), the grave visit, Yuki's woes with new girls, & virtually any scene with Ayame. The flashbacks to Ayame & Shigure's teen years are especially funny ("Now please, lust after me!").
But Takaya shows her darker dimensions, hinting at Yuki's abusive past, & Kyo's possible involvementin Kyoko Honda's death. These are no more than glimpses, but her elegant artwork makes them chilling. And she ups the tragedy exponentially with Momiji's backstory. Despite his chirpy, sunny personality, we find out that he has a story even sadder than Tohru's. Good luck not crying during that chapter.
This volume also introduces us to Akito (well, up close) & Ayame, & Akito is about as nasty & creepy as you'd expect. But Ayame steals whatever scenes he'sin -- flamboyant, flirtatious, socially inept, an astounding liar, & very arrogant ("Direct your passions at me!"). But we do get to see his more sedate side, & his real (though confused) desire to bond with his younger brother.
The fourth volume of "Fruits Basket" delves into darker territory without losing its comic edge, & introduces us to two important characters. And it only promises to get better.
Another excellent volume - By: Claire, 30 May 2006 
In this volume, we discover that Yuki has an older brother, Ayame, who is also an animal-spirit-cursed Soma. Ayame cluelessly tries to become friends with his estranged brother, but Yuki wants none of it - mainly because of Ayame's weird behaviour & big mouth. Shigure's encouragement of Ayame doesn't help ...
Momiji's character also takes on a new turn : up until now, he was mostly a cute but bothersome boy (well, at least to me he was). But here, he tells Tohru about his relationship with his mother.
As always, fun & endearing. And little by little, the plot thickens.
