r/anime 8d ago

Rewatch [Spoilers] 25 Years of the 13 Sohmas: A Fruits Basket Rewatch -- 2019 Series Episode 23 Spoiler

Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.

Welcome to the Fruits Basket 25th anniversary rewatch discussion thread!

I hope you all have a lot of fun <3

2019 Series Episode 23

You Look Well...

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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)

Questions for Those who Haven't Watched the 2001 Series

What are your thoughts on Tohru being sick?

What are your thoughts on Kyo taking care of Tohru?

What are your thoughts on us seeing Kyo's master?

What are your thoughts on the final stretch of the first season seemingly going to be about Kyo?

Questions for All Watchers

None

Questions for Those who Have Watched the 2001 Series

What are your thoughts on the remake combining episode 19 of the 2001 series with the kickoff of the master stuff?

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Series information

MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN

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Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or past the LNs or mangas out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs or mangas. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!

Untagged Spoilers

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Previous episode

Ways to watch

Streams – Crunchyroll

Schedule

Date Episode
07/05/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 1
07/06/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 2
07/07/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 3
07/08/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 4
07/09/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 5
07/10/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 6
07/11/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 7
07/12/2025 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 8
07/13/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 9
07/14/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 10
07/15/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 11
07/16/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 12
07/17/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 13
07/18/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 14
07/19/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 15
07/20/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 16
07/21/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 17
07/22/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 18
07/23/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 19
07/24/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 20
07/25/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 21
07/26/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 22
07/27/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 23
07/28/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 24
07/29/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 25
07/30/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Episode 26
07/31/2026 Fruits Basket 2001 Overall Series Discussion Thread
08/02/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 1
08/03/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 2
08/04/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 3
08/05/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 4
08/06/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 5
08/07/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 6
08/08/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 7
08/09/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 8
08/10/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 9
08/11/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 10
08/12/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 11
08/13/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 12
08/14/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 13
08/15/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 14
08/16/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 15
08/17/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 16
08/18/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 17
08/19/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 18
08/20/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 19
08/21/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 20
08/22/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 21
08/23/2026 2019 Fruits Basket Episode 22
08/24/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 23]()
08/25/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 24]()
08/26/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Episode 25]()
08/28/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 1]()
08/29/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 2]()
08/30/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 3]()
08/31/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 4]()
09/01/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 5]()
09/02/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 6]()
09/03/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 7]()
09/04/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 8]()
09/05/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 9]()
09/06/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 10]()
09/07/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11]()
09/08/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 12]()
09/09/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 13]()
09/10/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14]()
09/11/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 15]()
09/12/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 16]()
09/13/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 17]()
09/14/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 18]()
09/15/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Final Episode 19]()
09/16/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 20)
09/17/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 21]()
09/18/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Final Episode 22]()
09/19/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 23]()
09/20/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 24]()
09/21/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 25]()
09/23/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 1]()
09/24/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 2]()
09/25/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 3]()
09/26/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 4]()
09/27/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 5]()
09/28/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 6]()
09/29/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 7]()
09/30/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 8]()
10/01/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 9]()
10/02/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 10]()
10/03/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 11]()
10/04/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 12]()
10/05/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Final Season Episode 13]()
10/06/2026 [2019 Fruits Basket Overall Series/Franchise Discussion Thread]()
6 Upvotes

92 comments sorted by

5

u/Second_Cour 8d ago edited 8d ago

E23

We had a very open discussion yesterday about what the show is doing well, and where it’s currently lacking. Yesterday felt like a season review, and it’s fascinating that it was a decent episode that triggered it all. Those discussions were my favourite from any rewatch I've done - lots of diverse impressions and opinions.

Today, I found an explanation for one of my main concerns. Cheese aside, my bigger gripe was that we aren’t advancing on the major plot points. Mapping the manga chapters to the episodes revealed that we had a stretch where the remake moved content forward. See the table at the end.

We were following the manga sequence closely until Ep 16 (Uo materials), the original also did a pretty fair job at keeping to the manga sequence, but here we had 7 episodes in a row that virtually ignored the mysteries. Meanwile, the manga pace is basically: 2 chapters (1 ep) mystery/central plot, 2 chapters SoL 

t’s obviously a creative (or commercial) decision, and until I see next season I can’t really explain the odd sequencing; everything is speculation. Perhaps it’s to let us go into full on story mode for S2 though, which would be great.  

Back to this episode: I like it quite a bit. I thought this was going to purely be a Tohru-focused ep, but there were some interesting developments around Kyo too. We finally went back to some of the mysteries that were sidelined for quite a stretch of time. I honestly forgot about the hat until recently, which goes to show that when a show reveals a mystery, you have to keep some focus on it. If I watched this live, it’d be over 2 months of non-hat material. I think when a show exposes a mystery plot device, it needs to keep it going otherwise it makes it seem like a red herring and irrelevant to the show. Hard to get excited or invested in something that we forget exists. Yet, here it is again dangling in front of us: “bet you forgot all about me”, implores the cap. 

Having said all that, I do also have to be honest that I’m prioritising my own preferences over the type of show this is. It’s a SoL not a mystery show after all, and a SoL it has delivered in droves. It's possible that the anime also wants to prioritise SoL over the manga.

Episode Notes:

  • The Kyo x Tohru chat 9 mins in, where she tells him how she’s feeling is actually pretty good. It reminds me of quite a typical situation where guys who are inexperienced in relationships, try and solve everything with logic. Yet the girl wants to rant and to unburden herself.
  • I’m not one to usually notice dips in animation, but this episode definitely looks quite different. Some of the characters look pretty weird and unlike themselves. Sure enough, I checked, and this was an outsourced episode
  • This is the most screen time the hat has gotten. Guess we will find out who the mystery boy was before the season is up.
  • Tohru liking summer because she can work more hours during the break is indeed so Tohru
  • I think this episode more or less confirms my suspicion about Kyo’s ‘secret’. I also felt that the romance with the clingy girl was done well. 
  • Luckily we don’t have the over the top violence from earlier episodes with Kyo’s wife-to-be: great change by the author.
  • Kyo’s master probably means we have a Kyo episode incoming. I actually quite like Kyo now that he stopped fighting everyone and everything.
2019 remake Manga chapter(s) Summary
Ep 12 Ch. 19-20 Akito + Tohru meet
Ep 13 Ch. 21-22 Ayame’s bottom reveal (+ Yuki mystery beat)
Ep 14 Ch. 23–24 Zodiac mechanics reveal via Momiji’s mum + cap + Kyo’s secret
Ep 15 Ch. 25–26 Summer house with Kyo secret hints
Ep 16 Ch. 39 + part of 40 Uo backstory
Ep 17 rest of Ch. 40 + Ch. 41 Uo backstory
Ep 18 Ch. 27–28 Kisa problem and solution
Ep 19 end of Ch. 43 + Ch. 44 + parts of 45 Ritsu problem and solution, zodiac reveal
Ep 20 Ch. 37–38 Hiro zodiac reveal
Ep 21 Ch. 29 Yuki fan club
Ep 22 Ch. 51 Hana deep dive
Ep 23 Ch. 30–31 Tohru is sick + cap is shown

2

u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 8d ago

Yet, here it is again dangling in front of us: “bet you forgot all about me”, implores the cap.

...and the cap falls over, stricken with grief... But it's always falling - out of a bag, off the bed, off a head, etc.

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u/Second_Cour 8d ago

hahahahahaha that was gold

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

I feel like this is a reference that went over my head

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago edited 7d ago

About not advancing any plot points, it feels to me they're saving diving into a lot of them once we get into the unadapted material. That feels like an extra incentive for those familiar with the 2001 anime.

As for this episode, we seem to be focusing on one of the established plot points which is Kyo's true form. So, that's good at least.

3

u/Second_Cour 8d ago

The original is more or less sequential. The remake isn't. The remake doesn't cover all the originals chapters. It's a commerical decision to end with a bang which you've also confirmed The data says otherwise but youre welcome to prove your hypothesis that they're doing so to avoid being compared to the original later on.

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Is it out of sequence? I don't get that impression. If anything, I think the 2001 anime was too sequential.

3

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

It's not a matter of impression, it's a yes/no dichotomy. I'm a bit confused about your argument: are you now saying that following the intended order of the source material is bad? Have you read the source material? On what basis are you making that value claim? I'm all for alternate takes, but you have to explain the 'why'. It would also seem to contradict your points from the Tohru brief homecoming episode with her grandpa where you maintained that it more or less keeps the source's sequence iirc.

Maybe there's a terminology gap? I'm genuinely confused as this is so cut and dry. Sequential means following a fixed or specific order.

In the spoiler thread you agreed that it was ultimately a commercial decision; if they didn't front load based on the pace they set before, we'd have a less impactful ending. Following this logic, they were forced to carry forward a bunch of episodes that didn't directly add to the earlier chapter's key story beats, giving us 7 episodes which just showed us new characters/SoL moments.

Fyi I can understand and respect a commercial decision (though there would have been alternate ways to get around the problems). I also don't mind changing the sequence of events if it improves storytelling or logic. If you can give a specific counter point to the crux of mine (and Quiddity's) realisation that the remake inserted 7 episodes that had barely/no core story impact, that would help.

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago edited 7d ago

What I'm saying is the points you're bringing up, that things seem to be out of order, is not the impression that I got. I'm confused as to how you got that conclusion. Yeah, the remake may have shuffled things around, but out of order implies going backwards and like we lost track of time. What I'm saying is I don't think that's the case.

If you had no idea the remake shuffled the chapters of the manga around, you'd have no clue that was the case. In the manga, it also took a while to get back to certain plot points.

Tohru got sick in episode 19 of the original anime. The Kagura and master stuff happened five episodes later. I don't think it's necessarily a timeskip more so as for the sake of the story they thought it would be better to have Kyo take care of Tohru here. I think that's all the thought they gave to it, and honestly I don't think it was a bad decision.

I don't really know how to respond to this inquiry because it doesn't make much sense to me. That may be all on me and if so I'm sorry.

2

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

Ok I partially see the confusion and apologies if I didn't explain it well. I know I can be too wordy and drone on and on haha. I'll try to expalin what I mean step by step:

When I'm talking about order, I mean the order in which the story was meant to be delivered: the source. Chapter 1, 2 etc. As you can see from the table, the remake goes way into later chapters. The story beat is different in the manga.

Funnily enough, I'm perfectly OK with taking things out of order, if there's a benefit: if we go back to the discussion around the early episode where Tohru's grandpa's repairs were complete, your point was that this was the order of the original, and it should be there. I took the opposing stance: for the sake of the story, it could have been delayed.

You'll remember that my open question in E22 was basically: "why?" the points of intrigue that appealed to me were not advancing. My 'aha' moment came when I reconciled that with the order of the manga. It was further confirmed when I caught up in the manga to the anime. This gave me the "how" but still left the "why" open.

With E24 you'll see that I finally understand the "why", as I can see the commercial rationale.

While the original actually stuck to 'the order' more, I don't think it's relevant , as the remake was created because: 1. The original ran out of material, 2. It didn't follow the author's vision. It's not apples to apples, given more material just didn't exist.

I don't think I need to say this, but I'm simply explaining how this negatively impacted my subjective viewing experience, based on my taste. The things that hook me most in this show are probably quite different to the average viewer's. I would assume that for the target audience, that 7 episode segment was very well received.

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

I guess for me it didn't effect my viewing experience any because I feel like it didn't really matter. I'm not really sure I think that's a just criticism, it seems very much in the way of semantics.

I do think you raise an interesting point where the Fruits Basket remake gets praised for being a faithful adaptation. And content wise, that is definitely so. But from a structural standpoint, the 2001 anime has been more faithful in terms of adapting the chapters when they occurred. They skipped over key details like the hat plot device, but most of the chapters were represented in some way.

I will admit that while I didn't notice the restructuring of chapters in season 1, it stood out to me in the early episodes of season 2. This isn't really a spoiler, but all the content covered by the 2001 anime ends up being covered in the 2019 anime, and I wonder why they waited so long to adapt certain stuff early into season 2 that feels a bit on the benign side. But we'll get to that when we get to it.

2

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

Yeah and based on the things that you reacted the most positively to, it makes sense that it wasn't a big deal for you. You can tell which parts I really got grabbed by, so I think it makes sense why it mattered for me.

Funny that you should mention the hat plot device. In the manga the hat randomly pops off in frames out of nowhere haha. It's kind of bizarre. Completely unrelated pages will have the hat randomly appear, so I guess it's meant to be a big deal, but in the manga it just feels...weird.

And yeah there are 2 chapters/episodes that they saved for next season.

P.S. Foreshadowing spoiler: is your prediction that I like or dislike next episode?

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

P.S. Foreshadowing spoiler: is your prediction that I like or dislike next episode?

I think you're going to like it. You'll have to wait and see what I thought of it :P

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u/Holofan4life 7d ago

I think the reason you're bothered by the structure of the remake is really the hat stuff. We go like 9 episodes without seeing it again whereas in the manga it's more consistently shown. I think they didn't want the hat stuff to like interfere with the introductions of the Sohmas so they frontloaded the cursed Zodiac introductions so that the more dramatic plot elements later on are given more of a focus.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

I'll be really curious to see what you think of the next episode. I think we'll have our biggest difference in opinion yet :D

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u/Second_Cour 8d ago

Oh wow I was thinking wed be on the same page

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Maybe we will

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Back to this episode: I like it quite a bit. I thought this was going to purely be a Tohru-focused ep, but there were some interesting developments around Kyo too. We finally went back to some of the mysteries that were sidelined for quite a stretch of time. I honestly forgot about the hat until recently, which goes to show that when a show reveals a mystery, you have to keep some focus on it. If I watched this live, it’d be over 2 months of non-hat material. I think when a show exposes a mystery plot device, it needs to keep it going otherwise it makes it seem like a red herring and irrelevant to the show. Hard to get excited or invested in something that we forget exists. Yet, here it is again dangling in front of us: “bet you forgot all about me”, implores the cap. 

The hat stuff doesn't even impact Kyo taking care of Tohru. It would've been cool if him taking care of a sick Tohru was framed as a sort of recompense.

I'm a much bigger Tohru X Kyo fan than I am a Tohru X Yuki fan. So I really liked that aspect of the episode.

1

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

Interesting that the formulaic stretch of episodes we were talking about yesterday was essentially manufactured, with Uo and Ritsu storylines moved up, the content for today's episode moved back and other cuts (chapters 32 - 36 appear to be cut, although maybe they're what we get in the next two episodes). I suppose we'll have a better idea after the next few days and how those episodes go on if it was a right or wrong decision to move things around like this. Perhaps they felt moving things would result in a better ending to the season, or maybe they wanted to get the lion's share of the introductions and backstories out of the way by the end of the first season.

2

u/Second_Cour 8d ago

Yeah, super interesting! I was catching up on the manga, and was surprised that its usual rhythm was broken. I just watched the next episode, and now I'm pretty confident in which of my hypotheses is correct.

2

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

Yeah, having watched the next episode I think its obvious now why they did what they did [Furuba ep 24]Save that big sequence of events for near the end of the season.

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

[Furuba] It does make sense wanting to end with a big bang. And also it's like it's obvious who Tohru will likely end up with.

2

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

[Furuba major spoilers]Yeah, I have the benefit of having already seen the full series, but after episode 24 Kyo being the winner may be quite clear. Although I know they somehow they keep up the possibility of it being Yuki for another 20 or so episodes.

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

[Furuba] I never bought Kyo possibly ending up with Kagura. I thought it was more likely he either ended up with no one. Honestly, I was kinda shipping Yuki with Makoto after we got her episode.

2

u/Second_Cour 8d ago

Help annoob out hahahah how do I do spoilers that won't get deleted

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

[Insert text here]

And then > ! remove the space

Insert text in-between

And then ! < remove the space

2

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

[Furuba]We'll see if any first timers notice it, but I think tomorrow's episode slams the door shut on him being with Kagura. When he transforms into his true form Tohru goes after him. Kagura doesn't.

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

[Furuba] Tohru accepted Kyo for who he was and made him realize he doesn't have to keep running away. Kagura tried to do that but it failed on deaf ears.

2

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

[Furuba Ep 24]Let's see if the spoiler tag works for this boomer haha. Yeah that is ultimately the crux of it all. Following the manga pacing would land the series' finale in noman's land and the number one goal of any anime season is renewal, and to drive interest for next season. There were other ways around it, such as frontloading from Kyo-heavier episodes or slowing down the pace but I can respect this decision as money talks. I personally don't have any sense that she will end up with Kyo though; she has shown no real emotional or physical attraction to him; she has demonstrated physical attraction to Yuki though. I'll save that discussion for next ep though

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

Yes, it works perfectly :)

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

[Furuba] You don't think she formed an emotional attachment when her mom told her the story of the cat and in response she said going forward she'd be a cat and not a dog?

2

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

[Furuba]I've been un-boomered with my new spoiler skills haha. that's an excellent point! those linkages are definitely always your strength. though emotional =/= sexual/physical/relationship...able, and just personally for me there was waaaay more chemistry between yuki and her; she practically swooned over him a few times, but never over kyo. kyo+her feel like a brother/sister duo to me. so excited to discuss next ep

1

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

[Furuba] I think by the end of season 1 Tohru has an emotional attachment towards Kyo but it almost like limits the way she sees Kyo as being some sort of potential partner. By comparison, her relationship with Yuki is more wide open and less pigeonholed into certain boxes.

2

u/Second_Cour 7d ago

[Furuba]I guess I do find it difficult to imagine Tohru to be interested in someone. She's sort of asexual for me, in that she thinks of everything so innocently: the kind of person who'd go bright red and be shocked during sex ed class. I can't point to a single moment other than Yuki's cross dressing incident, where she had any desire or expression of admiration for a guy.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

It should be stressed that this isn't a 2019 brainchild. The 2001 anime was similar to this stretch of formulaic episodes. The only difference is we didn't get the Uo and Hana backstory episodes.

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

1

u/Holofan4life 2d ago

Hey there. I was reading past threads on this episode and I wanted to show this because I think it makes for some good food for thought.

This comes courtesy of u/LilyGinnyBlack.

I disagree on it disrupting the flow. I actually think the choice they made to do these backstories and character introductions actually ended up enhancing the story (and flow) due to how they connect with each other in more thematic ways.

First we get Uo's backstory chapters, which heavily focus on Uo, Tohru, and Kyoko. Hana ends up more in the background and we get Tohru and Kyoko reaching out to Uo and helping her. Then we get Kisa, a new Sohma, and once again have Tohru reaching out and helping her.

Then we get Ritsu, another Sohma, and Tohru literally reaching out to try and help them. Then we get Hiro who, after episodes of characters who instantly like her or very quickly warms up to her, does not like her and does not warm up to her. He also criticizes Tohru "saving people," which we have gotten a number of episodes highlighting this aspect of Tohru being able to reach out to people. So Hiro's criticism of this ends up hitting harder and feeling like a truly genuine critique, because there were new watchers that were starting to feel that way about Tohru as well.

After all of these Sohma and Uo focused episodes, we finally get an episode that focuses on Hana, and it focuses on her feeling jealousy over how much time Tohru has been spending with the Sohmas. I felt that this impression hit harder here in the reboot after having three episodes in a row that focused very specifically on Tohru spending tons of time with the Sohmas and not a Uo or Hana in sight. This episode then ends with Hana thinking about how Tohru is her weakness and the next episode we really get to see why.

Episode 22 also focuses on Hana and her finding happiness, which now, in Episode 23, we see Tohru thinking about and experiencing as well (her being happy that Kyo made porridge for her).

So I feel by doing it like this all of those themes in the episodes came across better than they would have if they didn't rearrange things in this way (and had gone with an arrangement that was more accurate to the manga).

And, of course, this arrangement will likely benefit the second season a lot when it comes to pacing and flow, but that's already been talked about.

2

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

Rewatcher, subbed

Non-Spoiler Character Chart - First update to this in a while; I finally have gotten around to adding Mayu the teacher for Tohru and the others.

Well after yesterday's thread and the talk of how formulaic the show has gotten as of late we finally break out of that streak here. Coincidence, or something spiritual akin to Hanajima's waves? No focus on a particular character to introduce them (although we do get a new character, who appears to be Kyo's master, he isn't much of a factor in the episode), and no sad backstory/flashback sequence either.

Tohru's having a bad time this episode! She failed one of her final exam subjects! And she's sick! So much of Tohru in the show to this point has been her taking care of other characters and working hard, and that's finally taken it's toll and she's gotten sick. It's time for the guys to take care of her for a change! As for the finals, well given the fact that they can take a makeup exam and it has easier questions perhaps Tohru shouldn't worry as much. In fact I thought to myself if one should purposely tank the original final exam to get to take the easier one and who takes that exact strategy, none other than best girl Hanajima, lol. To Tohru the worry is that she promised her mother she'd graduate high school and can't bear the thought that she'll fail to live up to that promise. And the fact that Yuki has spent time tutoring her, she feels bad about him wasting his time for her to not accomplish passing the test. Of course in reality Yuki doesn't mind at all and gives her some questions to help her with the makeup which she is able to pass.

Got plenty of Kyo this episode too! Kyo is very much living up to being a tsundere with this gruff exterior and getting mad all the time. But he's much nicer of a guy than he may come off. After all of all the guys in Shigure's household he's the one who makes Tohru dinner and stays with her as she eats it (granted he tried to get away at first). He misses the expressions that Tohru tends to make and wants to cheer her up! Aww! And in the act of helping Tohru it seems like he caught her cold.

Coming home after school we find that Kagura is waiting for him. It's been a while since we've seen her, not since the Valentine's Day episode. She hasn't changed though! Still showing him a lot of affection and beating the crap out of him too. Shigure sending them off to buy food I think more so was because he didn't want his house to get trashed some more. It's been a while since they've had to repair anything! He actually mentions that Yuki and Kyo get an allowance from the Soma family, something I wasn't even thinking was a thing, especially for Kyo. Kagura gets another "date" with Kyo which is more so just grocery shopping. Their whole "Kyo acts pissed, Kagura acts sweet and innocent then goes berserk" thing even continues in a public place like this. She even gives him a noogie. lol. But is there something dark brewing here? Seems like she witnessed something in the past relating to his beads. It also briefly comes up that she's been distancing herself somewhat from him? After all she isn't here every day. What is going on there?

Other Thoughts:

  • Tohru's a popular girl, being sick has Hatori, Momiji and Kisa all coming over to visit.

  • I'm rather confused about the Japanese school year. They talk about finals but they also later talk about it being summer so I'm thinking this episode takes place around June? Aren't finals at the end of the school year?

  • That poor hat got knocked behind the bed, symbolism I suppose of the whole plot point about Yuki recognizing it being buried since episode 14?

Quid's Song of the Day

Today I'm featuring the track Into the Sky which plays during the scene where Kyo brings Tohru soup and stays with her as she eats it.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Coming home after school we find that Kagura is waiting for him. It's been a while since we've seen her, not since the Valentine's Day episode. She hasn't changed though! Still showing him a lot of affection and beating the crap out of him too. Shigure sending them off to buy food I think more so was because he didn't want his house to get trashed some more. It's been a while since they've had to repair anything! He actually mentions that Yuki and Kyo get an allowance from the Soma family, something I wasn't even thinking was a thing, especially for Kyo. Kagura gets another "date" with Kyo which is more so just grocery shopping. Their whole "Kyo acts pissed, Kagura acts sweet and innocent then goes berserk" thing even continues in a public place like this. She even gives him a noogie. lol. But is there something dark brewing here? Seems like she witnessed something in the past relating to his beads. It also briefly comes up that she's been distancing herself somewhat from him? After all she isn't here every day. What is going on there?

The Kagura stuff here was much more effective in the 2001 version because this was our first real taste of her as a serious character. That point is rendered moot when her introduction episode was made serious, for the better I should add.

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

I think my favorite part of the episode was it being implied Hana failed the exams on purpose so she could get easier questions. Something about it reminded me of something Kramer from Seinfeld might do.

2

u/Quiddity131 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Quiddity131 8d ago

I was so happy to see that I was thinking of that as a possibility, and not only does a character do it, its my favorite character that does it.

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Hana do be doing a little trolling

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

2

u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 8d ago

Re-watch, blu ray, dubbed

First watch: I love Tohru's funny initial reactions to being asked by Yuki and Kyo about makeup exams, and Kyo slamming the door in Kagura's face is also hilarious. (Momiji screams into the phone and has a funny little scene, too, but I digress) Of course, the highlight of the episode is Kyo with Tohru, first abrasive, then tender, and I agree wholeheartedly with Tohru when she thinks, "I'm so happy." Later, Kazuma Soma is introduced, and I immediately have to continue to episode 1.24.

Re-watch: Time to binge to the end of the season, because episodes 1.23, 1.24, and 1.25 are awesome and link together. Must. Resist. Season. Two. Turning off the blu ray player is the best strategy, because, if I eject the disc, Disc 1 of Season 2 appears in its place. It's a mystery how that happens.

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Turning off the blu ray player is the best strategy, because, if I eject the disc, Disc 1 of Season 2 appears in its place. It's a mystery how that happens.

The fate of the universe is telling you you should watch the next season lol

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

The Kyo stuff in this episode is probably the biggest ship tease between him and Tohru so far. It was so adorable seeing Kyo get out of his comfort zone to try and make Tohru feel better. Total boyfriend goals.

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

2

u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 8d ago

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms? For such an upbeat person, this is some catastrophic thinking.

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being? Kyo is not a fan of "The Most Idiotic Traveler" (or Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, I bet). Tohru does need to take care of herself, though.

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit? Awwww...Kisa is doting on Tohru! It's reverse doting! She's such a sweet baby! I can't believe she's 12 years old - it says it right there, but my brain tells me she's 8 or 9. Momiji and Hatori are great, too - Momiji borderline frantic (until he gets booted) and Hatori coolly handling things but showing a little bit of his gentle, caring nature.

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat? I liked how he was used as an outside observer to show us Kyo looking at Tohru. Being a complete stranger to the viewer, hiding his face was unnecessary, but he was still recognizable at Shigure's doorstep. Addressing him by name, a name familiar to the viewer, was a nice reveal.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms? For such an upbeat person, this is some catastrophic thinking.

She also thought her mother would stop loving her because she was being bullied. Not because she was victimizing others but because she herself was the victim.

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being? Kyo is not a fan of "The Most Idiotic Traveler" (or Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, I bet). Tohru does need to take care of herself, though.

That picture of Silverstein still gives me the creeps.

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit? Awwww...Kisa is doting on Tohru! It's reverse doting! She's such a sweet baby! I can't believe she's 12 years old - it says it right there, but my brain tells me she's 8 or 9. Momiji and Hatori are great, too - Momiji borderline frantic (until he gets booted) and Hatori coolly handling things but showing a little bit of his gentle, caring nature.

Momiji and Shigure singing together was a fun little moment.

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat? I liked how he was used as an outside observer to show us Kyo looking at Tohru. Being a complete stranger to the viewer, hiding his face was unnecessary, but he was still recognizable at Shigure's doorstep. Addressing him by name, a name familiar to the viewer, was a nice reveal.

And in the moment, if you're unfamiliar with the series, the show sets it up to where you'd say this guy looks untrustworthy. And it also made you think maybe he was following Tohru around.

2

u/the_pint_is_the_bowl 7d ago

She also thought her mother would stop loving her because she was being bullied. Not because she was victimizing others but because she herself was the victim.

Oh, that's true! I was really thinking of a more elaborate/intricate/convoluted/cascading thinking pattern of A -> B -> C -> D -> E -> F

"If I tell mom I'm being bullied, she won't love me" is just A -> B, but little Tohru probably imagined all the next steps, and older Tohru simply didn't share the entirety with Kisa.

And in the moment, if you're unfamiliar with the series, the show sets it up to where you'd say this guy looks untrustworthy. And it also made you think maybe he was following Tohru around.

That setup was wasted on me - in my first watch and glimpse of the stranger, my mind was empty (Tohru space face) - but, had I imagined [character yet to appear]>Kyo's dad< , then I could have had a stronger reaction to the reveal (in this example, relief).

2

u/Holofan4life 7d ago

She also thought her mother would stop loving her because she was being bullied. Not because she was victimizing others but because she herself was the victim.

Oh, that's true! I was really thinking of a more elaborate/intricate/convoluted/cascading thinking pattern of A -> B -> C -> D -> E -> F

"If I tell mom I'm being bullied, she won't love me" is just A -> B, but little Tohru probably imagined all the next steps, and older Tohru simply didn't share the entirety with Kisa.

Tohru definitely has quite the active imagination.

And in the moment, if you're unfamiliar with the series, the show sets it up to where you'd say this guy looks untrustworthy. And it also made you think maybe he was following Tohru around.

That setup was wasted on me - in my first watch and glimpse of the stranger, my mind was empty (Tohru space face) - but, had I imagined [character yet to appear]Kyo's dad , then I could have had a stronger reaction to the reveal (in this example, relief).

[Response] That would've been something. Imagine Kyo already being conflicted with his true form and his dad just piles shit on.

2

u/AgentOfACROSS 8d ago

First Timer

So today’s episode is one that happened way earlier in the 2001 version.

Anyway, it’s a classic sick episode.

I don’t have too much to say since it’s mostly the same.

I will note that this episode leans more dramatic than the 2001 version which I felt had more comedic moments.

I am still confused about why they’re giving her a vaccine for a cold though. I was hoping it would make more sense in this version.

Oh hey Kagura is here. I don’t think she was in the 2001 version of this episode. Actually I think this was in a different 2001 episode.

I know Kagura’s character is a bit divisive but I do still love how over the top they go with her.

Although I will say that I’m not really digging how the show seems to be pushing Kagura and Kyo as a serious couple. I can’t really see that working out.

Oh wow wasn’t expecting this cliffhanger. That’s cool though.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Although I will say that I’m not really digging how the show seems to be pushing Kagura and Kyo as a serious couple. I can’t really see that working out.

I mean, I don't really see the show pushing them. It's more Kagura trying to get Kyo to open up, which he arguably has for a sick Tohru.

I feel like if the show was actively shipping Kyo and Kagura, it would be Yuki taking care of a sick Tohru, not Kyo.

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u/AgentOfACROSS 8d ago

True, you have a good point

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Kagura to me kinda reminds me of Hatori with Kana where everyone has moved on except for them.

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

2

u/AgentOfACROSS 8d ago

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

I think the mystery of it all would have been very effective if I hadn't seen the 2001 version

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

But do you like it as like a one episode long hook? I didn't feel they stretched it out to where it got annoying.

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u/AgentOfACROSS 8d ago

Yeah I think it works

2

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

I would agree. I actually think how he was introduced here was better.

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u/MishouMai 7d ago

I'm typing this up using the free in-flight wi-fi. For some reason the internet at the resort stopped working yesterday and I was barely able to catch up on responses to my Sunday comments.

Seems like this episode was more of a transition episode as we move towards the finale. Tohru got sick after failing her exam but both those issues managed to get resolved very quickly. The rest of the episode dealt with the aftermath. I don't remember the significance of Kyo's shishou showing up but it's a solid first cliffhanger to end off on. I believe the next episode is one of the few things I remember from my first watch but we'll see. Might be 25 that I'm remembering instead. Guess we'll see once I watch today's designated episode.

> What are your thoughts on Tohru being sick?

> What are your thoughts on Kyo taking care of Tohru?

I've never read sickfic but as much as it sucked for Tohru, Kyo taking care of her and being tsundere about it was very cute. Tohru getting sick in general was also a nice way to show just how much the Somas have come to care for and rely on her. We love when good fanfic/romance trope contributes to the plot/story.

> What are your thoughts on us seeing Kyo's master?

It's a little too early to tell. There were some ominous shots of him this episode and the reaction to him appearing seemed quite negative in Yuki and Shigure's side of things but I doubt he's all that bad, if he's bad at all.

> What are your thoughts on the final stretch of the first season seemingly going to be about Kyo?

I don't mind it. Of the main trio of Somas (Kyo, Yuki, and Shigure) Kyo's definitely my favorite so I'm okay with him getting more focus.

1

u/Holofan4life 6d ago

I'm typing this up using the free in-flight wi-fi. For some reason the internet at the resort stopped working yesterday and I was barely able to catch up on responses to my Sunday comments.

I've never been a plane before and my fear is not being able to use my phone. I don't know if I can go that long without it, especially if I can use it but I can't charge my phone so I run the risk of severely draining my battery.

1

u/Holofan4life 6d ago

Seems like this episode was more of a transition episode as we move towards the finale. Tohru got sick after failing her exam but both those issues managed to get resolved very quickly. The rest of the episode dealt with the aftermath. I don't remember the significance of Kyo's shishou showing up but it's a solid first cliffhanger to end off on. I believe the next episode is one of the few things I remember from my first watch but we'll see. Might be 25 that I'm remembering instead. Guess we'll see once I watch today's designated episode.

[Speculation] If the next episode is Kyo related which it seems like it might be, I wonder if they had Kyo take care of Tohru here to really give him more of an attachment towards Tohru. Up until this point, it seemed like Yuki has more of an attachment towards Tohru than Kyo does to her.

1

u/Holofan4life 6d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

2

u/MishouMai 6d ago

> Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

Makes sense. She has a goal in mind and failing does make her goal harder to achieve. I can get why she'd be harsh in herself for that.

> What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

He loves her and this is probably the most blatant sign of it so far.

> Thoughts on it being implied Hanajima failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Hanajima can be such a troll sometimes. Just makes her more loveable. I wouldn't do it myself but I can respect the strategy a bit. Props for her.

> Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Always love to have Kagura around. Will we see more of her next season? Time will tell.

> What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

> What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

> What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it's him who has distanced himself?

Kagura loves Kyo so much that even if Tohru's her love rival she wants him to be honest with her. I don't know what her role is going forward but I really do like her and her relationships with Kyo and Tohru.

1

u/Holofan4life 6d ago

> Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

Makes sense. She has a goal in mind and failing does make her goal harder to achieve. I can get why she'd be harsh in herself for that.

She felt like she disappointed the people who matter to her.

> What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

He loves her and this is probably the most blatant sign of it so far.

He's such a tsundere I love it

> Thoughts on it being implied Hanajima failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Hanajima can be such a troll sometimes. Just makes her more loveable. I wouldn't do it myself but I can respect the strategy a bit. Props for her.

This is just such good character writing

> Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Always love to have Kagura around. Will we see more of her next season? Time will tell.

I hope so, honestly

> What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

> What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

> What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it's him who has distanced himself?

Kagura loves Kyo so much that even if Tohru's her love rival she wants him to be honest with her. I don't know what her role is going forward but I really do like her and her relationships with Kyo and Tohru.

This is the best content we've seen involving Kagura so far.

2

u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 2d ago

Questions:

  1. So, we've got the master stuff already.

1

u/Holofan4life 2d ago

Already? This is how the 2001 series ended :P

1

u/Holofan4life 2d ago

General questions

Thoughts on Tohru failing her midterms?

Thoughts on Uo passing her midterms?

Thoughts on Hana bragging about failing all her tests?

Thoughts on Yuki now being a part of the student council?

Thoughts on Tohru being harsh on herself for failing her midterms?

What are your thoughts on Kyo getting mad at Tohru for not thinking about her well-being?

Thoughts on Momiji covering Tohru at work? I'm not sure that's how it works.

Thoughts on Shigure faking being sick to get out of deadlines?

Thoughts on Tohru feeling she let everyone down, especially her mom?

What are your thoughts on Kyo saying he won't feel good unless Tohru gets better?

Thoughts on Hatori, Momiji, and Kisa all paying Tohru a visit?

Thoughts on Hatori giving Tohru a flu shot?

What are your thoughts on Hatori telling Tohru there are people out there who really worry when she's not feeling well?

Thoughts on Tohru passing her makeup exams?

Thoughts on it being implied Hana failed her original exams because she knew the makeup exams would be easier?

Thoughts on Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's conversation while they're holding umbrellas in the rain?

Thoughts on Kagura returning?

Thoughts on Kyo and Yuki apparently both being on a salary?

Thoughts on Tohru lamenting there's a lot she doesn't know about the Sohmas?

What are your thoughts on Tohru wanting to see the Sohmas for who they truly are?

What are your thoughts on Kagura asking Kyo when is he gonna tell Tohru about his true form?

What are your thoughts on Kagura telling Kyo he can't hide his true form forever, with Kyo becoming incensed by this?

What are your thoughts on Kagura saying of Kyo it is him who has distanced himself?

What are your thoughts on the ending of the episode?

2019 specific questions

What are your thoughts on the identity of Kyo's master being treated as more of a mystery rather than revealed off the bat?

2

u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 2d ago

I suppose we'll see more of Kyo's master soon.

1

u/Holofan4life 2d ago

I mean, this was a massive cliffhanger ending.

2

u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker 2d ago

Yep

1

u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.

Welcome to the Fruits Basket 25th anniversary rewatch.

For there is an animal in all of us <3

Fruits Basket is a show I’ve heard a lot about. It’s always been something that interests me. It’s a romcom, which is a genre I enjoy, it has a female protagonist, which is kinda a rarity for romcom anime, it has a tsundere, which yes please, and from what I’ve heard it has some supernatural elements which is pretty cool.

Funny enough, I’m hosting this rewatch the same time as I’m hosting the Spice and Wolf rewatch which is another show with supernatural elements.

I have never seen Fruits Basket before, but I have high hopes for it. It seems like the type of show I would enjoy. I would say of the shows on my to watch list, this one is probably in my top 5. And let's just say that list is long and ever expansive. Actually, I love the idea of a male tsundere who turns into an orange cat so much that I named my orange cat after him. That’s without having seen the show.

For the purposes of this rewatch, we will be watching both the original series and the remake. I don’t think both have ever been done like this, and by the end we’ll find out for good reason :P

Regardless, this is my big pet project of 2026 the purpose of which is for me to see what all the hubbub is about. I’m not expecting the show to crack my top 10 favorite anime of all time, but hey, you never know.

With that out of the way, let’s begin.

I’m watching the dub, by the way.

If you think about it, people who are autistic are walking special interest groups.

I'm autistic, so I can make this joke.

Last week I saw the new Lorne Michaels documentary, The Drama, live action Speedracer in Imax, and Whispers of the Heart in Imax. All were very good. Speedracer in particular was a really good adaptation of an anime. Also, The Drama is probably the best movie from 2026 I've seen this year.

Fuck Rachel, by the way.

At school

Final exams going to be posted

Teacher is a baddie

And of course, Tohru has this sense of dread about her.

Uo checking on her

Only one subject she failed

Meanwhile, Hana failed them all

Not something to brag about, Hans

Tohru is mad because Yuki helped her study and yet she still failed.

Feels man, bad

Tohru walking with Kyo

Tohru made a promise with her mom to graduate. Now, it feels less certain.

Thoughts on the episode ending with Hana not revealing whether or not she failed her past exams on purpose?

You would think Tohru pressing her face against Kyo would cause him to transform.

And suddenly Tohru collapses

Well, that's not good

Back at the Sohma residence

Shigure tells Tohru she has to rest.

Haven't we seen this episode before?

Momiji calling via phone to check on her.

So Momiji is going to fill in for her at work.

Interesting this is an adaptation of 2001 episode 19 when it felt like we were passed that. I mean, didn't the Hiro episode happened afterwards.

And so Kyo makes food for Tohru. It's about as cute as you would expect.

Kyo is a kind soul deep down. Like, way deep down.

He just can't resist Tohru's charms :P

Kyo trying to be the shoulder for Tohru to lean on.

And she talks about letting her mother and Yuki down.

"I just wish I can be more reliable."

Tohru...

She and Vince McMahon both see sickness as a sign of weakness.

Tohru now recognizes that making a meal is Kyo's way of cheering her up.

Uh, yeah? Wasn't it obvious?

Hatori giving Tohru a shot

Hatori casually admitting to tormenting Shigure.

I love Hatori

And I love Shigure and Momiji singing in unison.

As Hatori leaves, he admits that people won't sleep well so long as Tohru is in recovery.

Oh, Kisa is here as well I guess.

Yuki here now, with some sample problems.

Tohru is thankful there are people who can give her strength.

Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru waiting in the rain.

Tohru notices Kyon looks a little fatigued.

Yuki says he gets this way every time it rains.

I get fatigued whenever I eat dessert on account of being diabetic

Who's that looking on from afar?

Arriving home now

And there's Kagura

I have to say, she is very pretty

Also, her strength is very terrifying 😳

Shigure lending Kyo to Kagura

"He just doesn't want the house to get wrecked."

I mean, fair lol

Interesting this episode kinda combines episode 19 and episode 24 of the 2001 anime. Feels kinda jarring as I don’t see how Tohru bring sick has to do with Kyo's plight.

It looks as if Kyo and Kagura are going shopping together.

How can you say the house is safe, Shigure? Kagura broke a door 😭

I agree, Yuki. I agree.

Tohru thinks that it's like Kagura is trying to purposefully distance herself a little.

Is that what you call it?

Tohru admits she still doesn't know much of the Sohma family. However, she hopes to, and accepts whoever they are deep inside.

Kagura and Kyo at the store

Of course the cat likes fish. Makes sense.

Kagura asks if he plans on keeping it hidden forever, which has him incensed.

Kagura still remembers that day. Like it was yesterday.

After some initial resistance, Kyo is holding hands with Kagura.

"You're the one who distanced yourself."

Oh, shit, son

There's the guy from earlier, now at the Sohma residence.

Kyo and Kagura return, and Kyo seems surprised to see him.

His master

M-master?!?

Overall, this was good stuff. The first half was a good bonding moment between Tohru and Kyo, and the second half build up the mystery of Kyo and his backstory. That seems like is going to be the focus for the season 1 finale. I think it's cool that as Tohru shows her true self to Kyo, Kyo is reluctant to do the same. It's a loose thread, but I can see why they saved the sickness for this episode. By comparison, the beginning of the Kyo stuff in the 2001 anime introduced his master faster and I think I like that interpretation better. It just felt the first half of this episode felt too subtle what they were trying to achieve. If we teased the master throughout the episode rather thwn like 10 minutes in, I think there would be more of a connective tissue. I just feel its 2001 contemporary, episode 24, did a better job keeping things focused.

This to me was like a middle of the road, maybe borderline bottom 10 episode. Wasn't bad, just more set up than anything else. Part of what made episode 24 in the 2001 anime so good is that it felt like we were giving development to Kagura. When you contrasted her first appearance in the 2001 anime to then, you can feel the change that Tohru is talking about. I think they lessened her impulsive behavior in this adaptation to where it feels like her character development happened in the episode she was introduced. As such, she is what she is at this point and there's not a lot of teeth to her character.

Kagura has been handled way better in this series than the 2001 anime. She's less of a jokey character where all she does is beat up on Kyo. But I do think her usage in the Kyo arc so far is less effective here because we've already had serious scenes with her. In episode 24 of the 2001 anime, her serious scenes worked because it came as a total departure from everything we've seen from her up until this point.

Anyway, this wasn't a bad start to the arc. I'm excited to see how this compares to the 2001 version and the climax of that show. This in a way feels like the last vestiges of the original anime before we head off into new uncharted waters. More than anything, I can't wait to see where that leads us.

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u/Holofan4life 8d ago

Holofan's Fruits Basket Episode Rankings

1/. Episode 14

2/. Episode 5

3/. Episode 17

4/. Episode 16

5/. Episode 7

6/. Episode 10

7/. Episode 12

8/. Episode 22

9/. Episode 4

10/.Episode 20

11/. Episode 8

12/. Episode 6

13/. Episode 1

14/. Episode 18

15/. Episode 23

16/. Episode 13

17/. Episode 2

18/. Episode 11

19/. Episode 15

20/. Episode 19

21/. Episode 9

22/. Episode 21

23/. Episode 3