Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tragicomics, December 12, 2006
The fifteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" is one where little happens, yet the repercussions are absolutely staggering. Natsuki Takaya follows up the shocking revelation by giving readers a story that is half tragedy and half comedy -- specificially, Yuki's past and the Cinderella debacle.
The first half of this volume takes place in flashback: Yuki is recounting to Kakeru his lonely, unhappy past. He was only a little child when his parents virtually sold him to Akito, a seemingly pleasant child who suddenly became verbally abusive and vicious toward Yuki.
The poor "rat" boy wanders through his childhood, desperately wanting a friend, but alone because he believes that everyone hates him -- even the outcast "cat" boy. But a chance meeting with a lost little girl changes his life, as he tries to guide her back to her loving mother -- and now Yuki must finally sort out his feelings toward Tohru.
Meanwhile, the school is preparing for a hideously miscast version of "Cinderella," with actors who can't or won't do their parts right, and Ayame arriving to do some rapid costuming. After some hasty rewrites, the curtain rises on "Sorta Cinderella," a neurotic retelling of the fairy tale -- complete with a goth Cinderella, a surly prince, and Uotani taking out her romantic frustration on the audience.
Takaya has always been brilliant at balancing tragedy and comedy in "Fruits Basket," and the fifteenth volume is a good example. She loads down the plot with the story of a boy who is still emotionally stunted by a complete lack of love growing up, and then plops down the most absurd version of "Cinderella" imaginable.
Not much actually happens here, except for the play. But it feels like a lot is happening, though the biggest present drama is Tohru desperately trying to play "mean" with little success -- really, what kind of wicked stepsister bursts into tears when she's being nasty? Takaya's knack for offbeat dialogue comes in handy during the much-rewritten play (when the fairy godmother offers Hana a single wish, she replies, "Burn the palace down"), and her art is wonderfully polished.
Even though little happens in this volume, Yuki receives a lot of character development, obviously, including the introduction of a new love interest for him. But Kyo also gets some development, as he realizes that Yuki's life hasn't been the charmed existance he thought.
The fifteenth volume of "Fruits Basket" illuminates one character's past, hints at a future for him -- and then Takaya lightens the whole thing up with a lump of pure comedy.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yuki's Back Story, January 4, 2007
Finally poor Kyo gets to put his tragic back story on hold while we spend half of the manga learning about Yuki's back story. Again, this manga never stops making me teary eyed. I won't give anything away but be prepared to feel depressed for poor Yuki. On top of that we get comedy thrown in with the "Cinderella" production, or I guess I should say "Almost Cinderella" production. It may not appear to be that significant but something critical happens at the end of the manga for all those who are rooting for our favorite misunderstood bad boy kitty :) Loved this volume, but of course, I always do!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the first half of the book is great..., January 30, 2007
A Kid's Review
I love hearing the sad, horific history of yuki. Throughout the whole series you hear little slips about his life, and finally in the first half of book 15 it finally all comes out. From his relationship with his family to the link between him and tohru's mysterious hat, you will cry, cringe, and scream in anger. After that, though, the book was a little disapointing, but still deserves a solid 4 stars. I can't wait for book 16 to come out in april!
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