5.0 out of 5 stars
Je t'aime! Mon amour! Bon voyage!, August 27, 2008
This review is from: Fruits Basket - Vol. 3 - Puddles of Memories (DVD)
The second volume of the "Fruits Basket" anime ended with the revelation that Hatsuharu and Momiji would soon be attending high school with the others.
So it's not surprising that the high school hijinks ensue once these weird teenagers join the student body. And though there's plenty of goofiness from Yuki's fangirls and his long-estranged brother in "Fruits Baske Vol. 3 - Puddles of Memories," it has some very bittersweet themes in many of the episodes. For a series with such a sparkly happy heroine, it's remarkably dark.
The first day of school gets off to a rocky start, with Momiji dressing like a girl and Haru getting into a "black" bustup with the pompous class president. But then the news arrives that Akito is about to visit the school -- and Tohru bumps into the mysterious head of the Sohma family. And though he's pleasant and warm toward her, she catches a glimpse of the true, malevolent personality behind the mask.
And more members of the zodiac pop out of the woodwork -- a snake slithers up Tohru's dress, and is revealed to be the flamboyant, eccentric Ayame Sohma, Yuki's estranged big brother, who is now trying to make amends for his past behavior. And then Haru introduces Tohru to a very bitey little tiger cub, Kisa Sohma. Kisa has been ignored and tormented by her peers until she stopped talking, and now only Tohru's love and Yuki's understanding can draw her out of her shell.
And in other news: Tohru contracts the flu right before a big test, Shigure sweeps his friends off to a weekend at a lake house, the gang visits the grave of Tohru's mother, and Tohru learns of the cheerful Momiji's tragic past. And in one hilarious episode, Yuki's fangirls scheme to infiltrate Hanajima's house so they can take out the "witch" Tohru. But Hana and her little brother have some surprises in store...
"Fruits Basket" has always been a series that is rather bright and sunny in its overall outlook, but the short-term stories always have some darker, sadder dimensions. In particular, the third volume delves into Yuki's past abuse at Akito's hands, a parent who abandoned their cursed child, and some closure to Hatori's story of his tragic lost love. And there are hints of a dark connection between Tohru's late mother and Kyo.
And the writers successfully transport Natsuki Takaya's bittersweet scenes into anime, such as an adorable scene where Tohru hugs Momiji after he proclaims that he wants to believe that every memory is important, even the painful ones. Even Ayame -- crazy, flamboyant, and utterly self-absorbed -- gets a few poignant moments as he reflects on his own past selfishness.
But fear not -- these episodes are still saturated in silliness, ranging from Kyo and Yuki's inevitable fights ("You didn't even know that Jason isn't really a bear. He's a character in a horror film." "Yeah? So what if I didn't? Like I'd waste my time watching some movie about a bear!") to Shigure's constant torture of his editor. And there are some truly adorable scenes, such as Kisa following Tohru around the house, resulting in Tohru shrieking, "I love you" and hugging the little girl. Aww.
These episodes also introduce us to the most priceless character in all of "Fruits Basket" -- Ayame the crazy, flamboyant, self-absorbed, lecherous, hyperdramatic seamster. Not only is it completely surreal whenever he's onscreen ("They may direct their desire towards ME!"), but he has his own brand of poignancy -- he tries so hard to connect with Yuki, but fails so hilariously. Kisa is a little sweetie, but she's understandably overshadowed by her older cousin.
Yuki and Kyo also experience some growth in these episodes -- Yuki freezes when confronted by his former tormentor, and struggles just to be in the same room as his brother. Yet we also see him trying to be stronger despite his flaws. And Kyo's klutzy attempts to help Tohru -- including making the hated leek soup -- show his growing feelings. And poor Momiji, a character even sunnier than Tohru, is revealed to have a past even more horrible than hers.
The third volume of the "Fruits Basket" anime is fun and sometimes outright loopy, but laced with tragedy and old scars for all the characters. Definitely a must-see.
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