Customer Reviews

Don't go - By: E. A Solinas, 25 Mar 2008
Recently Natsuki Takaya has dealt with the relationships of some of the supporting characters... & now it's back to the main trio.

And the nineteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" focuses on Tohru's growing feelings for Kyo, even as she struggles to free him from his curse -- & the scorn of the other zodiac members. Though there are some funny moments (mostly from the wonderfully wacky Ayame) growing romantic feelings & past regrets are littered all through these chapters.

Heartfelt talks take up a lot of space -- when Shigure tells Tohru about the approaching "last banquet" & the cat's place, she is left struggling with her torn feelings. Kyo has a chat with her kindly grandfather about Tohru, & remembers his own talk with her dead mother. And Shigure has a soul-baring talk with Hatori about the increasingly reclusive Akito, & just what he wants from her.

But the romantic tension growing between Kyo & Tohru are stifling Yuki, so he goes shopping out on the town, & eventually ends up visiting his brother. While the brothers talk, Yuki stirs up memories of the first time Ayame realized that his careless words could hurt people. But he isn't the only one -- amid the usual school council hijinks, Yuki finds out about a past conflict between Kakeru & Tohru...

In the grand scheme of things, not much actually happensin this volume -- it's mostly about the characters & their feelings.

Don't worry. It's not boring, especially since Takaya continues to weavein some darker threads about Kyo's bleak past & future, & his half-hidden regrets about Kyoko. And she lets readers have a look at how the characters are changing as they approach adulthood (Momiji has become the new "prince"). There's a bittersweet flavour even to the lighter chapters, since everything around them is changing so quickly.

But don't worry -- despite the darker moments, we still get lots of comic relief like Kyo bashing his head against the wallin exaggerated shame. And there are some deeply romantic moments, like a beautiful flashback to the start of Ayame's relationship with Mine. These moments are exquisitely beautiful without having to be too obvious, & Takaya's delicate artwork only adds to the feeling.

But the biggest romantic moments come for Tohru & Kyo. Tohru's inner struggles are further revealed, since she turns out to have some conflicting feelings about her parents & Kyo. And Kyo shows that he's grown out of the angry, self-loathing cat-boy he used to be, while Yuki has become more patient with his brother, & very sweet & loving toward his new girlfriend.

And Takaya doesn't neglect the other characters -- Kakeru turns out to be a romantic, Ayame definitely isn't gay, & Momiji has some secret romantic feelings. And Shigure's darker side casts a shadow over the first half of this manga.

The nineteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" explores the changing feelings of the characters, even as it inches toward the end. A really stellar, polished little manga.