The world's best shojo manga opens a new chapter in the Sohma family's story. Tragedy continues to smother the family, and now it seems to be spreading to those connected to them as well.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Haunted Pasts,
By Kellyannl (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fruits Basket, Vol. 16 (Paperback)
This volume of Fruits Basket deals with the histories of several characters, both major and supporting.
First up, we get a long, four chapter summary of the romance between Tohru's parents - her juvenile delinquent mother Kyoko and eccentric but kind father Katsuya, who's eight years Kyoko's senior. Rescued from an abusive home life by Katsuya, Kyoko basks in her relationship until her pregnancy. Terrified that she'll be a horrible parent, she keeps her baby with the assurance that Katsuya will help her through any rough spots - but of course, as we already know, her worst nightmare sadly comes true... The real kicker here is that their story is told not by Tohru, but by Kyo. Although it's been hinted that he had met Kyoko, it now turns out that he knew her quite well. But why hasn't he told Tohru that he knew her mother when it would obviously thrill her, and why is he haunted by Kyoko's death? We don't find out in this volume, but it looks like we - and Tohru - are eventually in for a bombshell... Next is a chapter that seems to start taking Yuki out of the running for Tohru as he starts flirting with Machi. Although it's in her point of view and we get to know her mindset slightly better, the chapter's real significance is to show how very far Yuki has come with help from Tohru, Haru and Kakeru. Finally it's New Year's Eve again - which means another decision to be made by Yuki regarding whether or not to go to the Main House for the holiday. He goes with intentions of forgiving Akito for his child abuse, but gets rewarded for his pains with another irrational, violent episode on Akito's part. The effort is not wasted though, as it leads to a very touching scene in which Yuki frees Hatori from the guilt he's been suffering for years because of the incident with Yuki's childhood friends - and quite possibly also because he did no more to protect Yuki than Aya or Shigure did. As with the last volume, this entry largely sets up bigger things to come.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The story behind Kyoko,
This review is from: Fruits Basket, Vol. 16 (Paperback)
The stories behind Yuki's mysterious classmate and Tohru's idolized mother come to light in the sixteenth volume of "Fruits Basket." It's a rather sorrowful volume that shows off Natsuki Takaya's skills with messed-up people finding meaning in their lives, but she throws in some humor at the end.
Kyo looks back on his meeting some time ago with Tohru's mother, who told him her life story: her parents only cared for how she made them look, so she became a brutal, angry gang leader known as the Red Butterfly. But then she met a sweet, caring young student teacher named Katsuya Honda, and slowly fell in love with him. When she failed to get into high school because of a savage beating, her parents disowned her -- and Katsuya proposed. Their life was full of happiness and love, especially when their daughter was born -- until Katsuya died unexpectedly. Overcoming his loss, and finding something to live for, was the greatest challenge that Kyoko ever dealt with. On a school trip, the mysterious Machi shows another side of her personality to Yuki, and faces up to her growing feelings for the "Prince." And at the New Year's banquet, tensions are riding high when Hatori faces up to an old debt, and Yuki enrages Akito to violence. And finally, Momiji has an unusual New Year's present for Kureno... As with many of the "Fruits Basket" volumes, Takaya gets your tears pouring, only to cheer you up with some comedy and healed wounds by the end of the story -- and along the way, she tells of a true love story against all the ods, which ended far sooner than it should have. The first story is the darkest, especially since you know there can't be any happy ending for Katsuya and Kyoko, but the final one has a balance of darkness (Akito going berserk) and deliciously kooky moments; The scene where Ayame carries off Yuki, screaming that they vowed to die together by the Seine is priceless. And Takaya's artwork only emphasizes the strength of her writing -- she brings scenes like Kyoko's crying fit and violent past or Kyo's bloodstained nightmare to life, in more detail than ever before. But there are some charming scenes too, such as baby Tohru, or the sight of Haru kissing a sleeping Rin. Kyoko's not the only one whose past is revealed here -- we also get to see glimpses of how Machi became the quiet, introverted person she is, compared to her outgoing brother. But the regulars get some development as well: Yuki has obviously grown stronger and dmore confident, while Kyo's sense of guilt runs a lot deeper than anyone suspects. The sixteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" is unusually dark, but is a brilliant exploration of the characters' pasts -- and the grief, hope and love that come with them. And it promises to get better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fruits Basket 16,
By Nicole Fenner "Phineas" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fruits Basket, Vol. 16 (Paperback)
I totally cried as I read this, the story of Tohru's parents is devastatingly adorable and romantic, but the eventual ending is enough to rip your heart out. But as always, Natsuki Takaya-sensei has composed a new chapter in Tohru's story that keeps you turning the pages.
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