fruits basket, volume eight (reread)
Apr. 28th, 2010 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wingblossomWelcome to another edition of the Unofficial Fruits Basket Reread! Before you start reading, grab a snack, sit down, and relax. ♥
For those who aren't familiar with this project,bell and I are rereading the Furuba manga with clearer eyes -- writing down our impressions as we go through each volume again and scrutinize its content, talking about new things we may have noticed this time around. We alternate posts between each volume, and reply back to keep the discussion going. If anyone has any thoughts they'd like to add, feel free to weigh in at any time!
In this post, I'll be talking about volume eight. However, do beware of spoilers for the whole series below the cut.
General reactions:
Good, interesting volume on the whole! The first half focuses mainly on Ritsu -- and then he's (almost) never seen again, poor guy -- while the second half is a lot more twisty and complex, showing that something is truly amiss in the Sohma family. Other notable things in this volume include Haru wreaking bloody havoc in a classroom, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyou preparing for summer break while realizing their lives are at a crossroads, sibling bonding between Ayame and Yuki, and our INTRODUCTION TO RIN. She's only there for a few panels, but it counts! There's also foreshadowing for Kureno's introduction as one of the Jyunishi, something I forgot about the first time I read this volume.
.
These chapters fly by. After a rather rough effort last time, Takaya's writing here is much more on the mark. There are a number of different plot threads, but they're integrated well, instead of in scattershot fashion like volume seven. I also like her art here. To be honest, whenever I think about Furuba's art, I'm of the opinion that it's only somewhat above average. But there's something immersive about Takaya's clean lines and panel progression; it manages to pull the reader in, which is amazing even with the less complex visual design.
Also, the second half of volume eight is way more entertaining than the first. I have to admit, Ritsu is my least favorite of the Jyunishi. The chapters that focus on him are vaguely amusing, but grow dull quick. Yes, sometimes I feel bad for disliking him -- I mean, the dude has absolutely no self-confidence whatsoever. But his hysterics do get on my nerves, more than I think Takaya intended. There's no shortage of characters in Furuba with poor self-esteem, but Ritsu is the only one who makes me want to tear my hair out with his shrinking violet fits of apologizing. (Side note: Shigure, stop being a jerk and spurring Ritsu on to even more fits of apoplexy.)
That said, I think his feelings of being useless at sports/academics/etcetera are basically psychosomatic. He's not stupid or uncoordinated or anything, but he's convinced himself that's the case. And since this is constantly reinforced by his parents' behavior, he acts this way in public, which continues the vicious cycle. It's a trend we see with all the Sohma, really, and the effect of Tohru-as-catalyst is to see if any of them can break out of these long-held patterns, self-imposed or otherwise. Lastly, I often forget that Ritsu is introduced after Kyou's true form is revealed. When it comes to the early portions of the story, the anime chronology takes precedence in my mind sometimes.
.
I am excited to see Rin on the scene! RIIIIIIN. Such an engaging character! And with her long hair intact for now, which is a minor blessing in disguise. I like how this volume foreshadows her role later on in the series, all the while providing hints for the reader to take however it suits them. In fact, I was amused to see Tohru jump to the conclusion that both the Horse and the Rooster were male, since she had just met Ricchan and assumed he was one of the three female Jyunishi. XD
I'm pretty fond of Rin and Haru's dynamic in general: their relationship is only beginning to surface here (I'm sure a lot of people went, "huh!?" when Haru mentioned he had a girlfriend), so one of the few things we know about Rin right now is that she...seemingly dumped Haru for no reason. (Again, I'm sure a lot of people were quick to judge Rin because of this.) Of course, that's not actually the case, and so she remains the lone mysterious and enigmatic figure at the moment. Or not lone at all, perhaps, considering that Kureno hasn't been introduced yet and Shigure just gets creepier by the minute.
Haru gets some well-deserved attention in this volume, and this is where he starts to become truly interesting. I always liked him, but his insecurities and placid strength here -- as seen in the classroom scenes and his conversations with Yuki, which sort of bookend the chapters -- are what really catch my attention. That is, along with his deadpan sense of humor. It's interesting to see the emphasis on Haru and Yuki's friendship here as well. Haru's constantly encouraging Yuki to be a bit more expressive about his feelings regarding Tohru, which Yuki does not respond well to at all. (In contrast, Haru has no compulsions when it comes to talking about Rin.) Again we see the repeated "lid" on Yuki's feelings, and his conviction that he's utterly selfish.
As for Yuki, I love how his angsty backstory memories are interrupted by Ayame's exuberance. XD If exuberance is the right word, ahem. It's just so much fun to see them interact -- Ayame wants an ~Interesting Story~ out of everything, and Yuki wants him to get to the point quickly. And then amidst all the arguing, there are smaller details to remind the reader that Ayame really is making an effort to get along with Yuki better. Like the fact that he brought peaches and crabs to Shigure's because Yuki liked them as a child, or the fact that he wanted to be capable of making something with his own hands, which ended up being sewing instead of cooking or gardening. It's very sweet. And then you find out that Ayame stitched "older brother's property" on the back of Yuki's shirt and facepalm at that.
Lastly, there's some good-natured humor with the horror house and start of summer break, along with certain signs of uneasiness and anxiety regarding the future. With Tohru, it has to do with Kyoko's death, and with Kyou, it has to do with, well, everything concerning his cursed state as the cat. But the last few pages are certainly ominous, hinting at signs of yet more plot developments to come.
.
Stuff I enjoyed:
*Seeing Ritsu borrow his first dress from Kagura. It's also a good reminder that Kagura's much older than she looks!
*Kazuma's haircut, and his explanation that he only kept his hair long in the past to improve Kyou's luck.
*Realizing that Yuki fails at bandaging people's arms.
*Shigure actually offering helpful advice! Not the advice he gives to Ritsu (although bizarrely, he is sort of right about that too, it just comes across as rather mean-spirited), but in terms of dealing with a lot of burdens and starting "with the laundry right at your feet." Really, it IS sensible advice, and offsets much of the other dialogue we're used to hearing from Shigure.
*This exchange. Haru's thought processes are so "???" inducing sometimes. XD
*I also loved these panels when I first saw them in tankouban format.
Stuff I wasn't too fond of:
Like I've explained, Ritsu tends to grate on my nerves. I admit to skimming through his sections a bit, but since Ritsu isn't a major player in the storyline, I don't feel terribly guilty about this.
Silly fanart idea:
AHAHA, AAYA EATS EVEN HIS SOBA WITH CONFIDENCE. I think I may have to sketch a 4koma for that, with Ayame explaining how to eat soba ~the right way~. As a king would, when facing his subjects!
Overall:
Enjoyable volume, and I know that even better chapters are yet to come! I'm looking forward to them. I know that summer break is a turning point for all the characters, so in a way, this is very much the calm before the storm.
Links to previous volumes:
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Volume Seven
For those who aren't familiar with this project,
bell and I are rereading the Furuba manga with clearer eyes -- writing down our impressions as we go through each volume again and scrutinize its content, talking about new things we may have noticed this time around. We alternate posts between each volume, and reply back to keep the discussion going. If anyone has any thoughts they'd like to add, feel free to weigh in at any time! In this post, I'll be talking about volume eight. However, do beware of spoilers for the whole series below the cut.
General reactions:
Good, interesting volume on the whole! The first half focuses mainly on Ritsu -- and then he's (almost) never seen again, poor guy -- while the second half is a lot more twisty and complex, showing that something is truly amiss in the Sohma family. Other notable things in this volume include Haru wreaking bloody havoc in a classroom, Tohru, Yuki, and Kyou preparing for summer break while realizing their lives are at a crossroads, sibling bonding between Ayame and Yuki, and our INTRODUCTION TO RIN. She's only there for a few panels, but it counts! There's also foreshadowing for Kureno's introduction as one of the Jyunishi, something I forgot about the first time I read this volume.
. These chapters fly by. After a rather rough effort last time, Takaya's writing here is much more on the mark. There are a number of different plot threads, but they're integrated well, instead of in scattershot fashion like volume seven. I also like her art here. To be honest, whenever I think about Furuba's art, I'm of the opinion that it's only somewhat above average. But there's something immersive about Takaya's clean lines and panel progression; it manages to pull the reader in, which is amazing even with the less complex visual design.
Also, the second half of volume eight is way more entertaining than the first. I have to admit, Ritsu is my least favorite of the Jyunishi. The chapters that focus on him are vaguely amusing, but grow dull quick. Yes, sometimes I feel bad for disliking him -- I mean, the dude has absolutely no self-confidence whatsoever. But his hysterics do get on my nerves, more than I think Takaya intended. There's no shortage of characters in Furuba with poor self-esteem, but Ritsu is the only one who makes me want to tear my hair out with his shrinking violet fits of apologizing. (Side note: Shigure, stop being a jerk and spurring Ritsu on to even more fits of apoplexy.)
That said, I think his feelings of being useless at sports/academics/etcetera are basically psychosomatic. He's not stupid or uncoordinated or anything, but he's convinced himself that's the case. And since this is constantly reinforced by his parents' behavior, he acts this way in public, which continues the vicious cycle. It's a trend we see with all the Sohma, really, and the effect of Tohru-as-catalyst is to see if any of them can break out of these long-held patterns, self-imposed or otherwise. Lastly, I often forget that Ritsu is introduced after Kyou's true form is revealed. When it comes to the early portions of the story, the anime chronology takes precedence in my mind sometimes.
. I am excited to see Rin on the scene! RIIIIIIN. Such an engaging character! And with her long hair intact for now, which is a minor blessing in disguise. I like how this volume foreshadows her role later on in the series, all the while providing hints for the reader to take however it suits them. In fact, I was amused to see Tohru jump to the conclusion that both the Horse and the Rooster were male, since she had just met Ricchan and assumed he was one of the three female Jyunishi. XD
I'm pretty fond of Rin and Haru's dynamic in general: their relationship is only beginning to surface here (I'm sure a lot of people went, "huh!?" when Haru mentioned he had a girlfriend), so one of the few things we know about Rin right now is that she...seemingly dumped Haru for no reason. (Again, I'm sure a lot of people were quick to judge Rin because of this.) Of course, that's not actually the case, and so she remains the lone mysterious and enigmatic figure at the moment. Or not lone at all, perhaps, considering that Kureno hasn't been introduced yet and Shigure just gets creepier by the minute.
Haru gets some well-deserved attention in this volume, and this is where he starts to become truly interesting. I always liked him, but his insecurities and placid strength here -- as seen in the classroom scenes and his conversations with Yuki, which sort of bookend the chapters -- are what really catch my attention. That is, along with his deadpan sense of humor. It's interesting to see the emphasis on Haru and Yuki's friendship here as well. Haru's constantly encouraging Yuki to be a bit more expressive about his feelings regarding Tohru, which Yuki does not respond well to at all. (In contrast, Haru has no compulsions when it comes to talking about Rin.) Again we see the repeated "lid" on Yuki's feelings, and his conviction that he's utterly selfish.
As for Yuki, I love how his angsty backstory memories are interrupted by Ayame's exuberance. XD If exuberance is the right word, ahem. It's just so much fun to see them interact -- Ayame wants an ~Interesting Story~ out of everything, and Yuki wants him to get to the point quickly. And then amidst all the arguing, there are smaller details to remind the reader that Ayame really is making an effort to get along with Yuki better. Like the fact that he brought peaches and crabs to Shigure's because Yuki liked them as a child, or the fact that he wanted to be capable of making something with his own hands, which ended up being sewing instead of cooking or gardening. It's very sweet. And then you find out that Ayame stitched "older brother's property" on the back of Yuki's shirt and facepalm at that.
Lastly, there's some good-natured humor with the horror house and start of summer break, along with certain signs of uneasiness and anxiety regarding the future. With Tohru, it has to do with Kyoko's death, and with Kyou, it has to do with, well, everything concerning his cursed state as the cat. But the last few pages are certainly ominous, hinting at signs of yet more plot developments to come.
. Stuff I enjoyed:
*Seeing Ritsu borrow his first dress from Kagura. It's also a good reminder that Kagura's much older than she looks!
*Kazuma's haircut, and his explanation that he only kept his hair long in the past to improve Kyou's luck.
*Realizing that Yuki fails at bandaging people's arms.
*Shigure actually offering helpful advice! Not the advice he gives to Ritsu (although bizarrely, he is sort of right about that too, it just comes across as rather mean-spirited), but in terms of dealing with a lot of burdens and starting "with the laundry right at your feet." Really, it IS sensible advice, and offsets much of the other dialogue we're used to hearing from Shigure.
*This exchange. Haru's thought processes are so "???" inducing sometimes. XD
*I also loved these panels when I first saw them in tankouban format.
Stuff I wasn't too fond of:
Like I've explained, Ritsu tends to grate on my nerves. I admit to skimming through his sections a bit, but since Ritsu isn't a major player in the storyline, I don't feel terribly guilty about this.
Silly fanart idea:
AHAHA, AAYA EATS EVEN HIS SOBA WITH CONFIDENCE. I think I may have to sketch a 4koma for that, with Ayame explaining how to eat soba ~the right way~. As a king would, when facing his subjects!
Overall:
Enjoyable volume, and I know that even better chapters are yet to come! I'm looking forward to them. I know that summer break is a turning point for all the characters, so in a way, this is very much the calm before the storm.
Links to previous volumes:
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Volume Seven
no subject
on 2010-06-06 06:00 pm (UTC):O And her suits! More and more interesting, ufufufu~ And yes your point about whom we're talking about stands. I wonder if they'd even kiss before their wedding...? .__.
Shigure totally planned everything from the start. *g*
But how can you plan Girls Meets Boy, Girl Loves Boy? *boggles*
Instead? She ends up locked away in a cage. And with a haircut. God damn it. (And yes, I do mean that both literally and figuratively.)
...Now I'm all depressed. RIIIIN.
ho would be into that, I wonder (oh great, now I'm gutterminding too)
:D :DDD Maybe Ayame? I don't know! He seems to like different costumes -> trying on different identities? And he has a lot of guilt that could be relieved through S&M? And Mine seems like she'd enjoy being a dom... Shigure too comes to mind-- he fell in love with the great master of the whole family, no?
no subject
on 2010-06-07 12:53 am (UTC)Eheh, now I kind of want to read fic about that! How do two characters like Ritsu and Mit-chan work up the courage to be in a relationship, anyway?
But how can you plan Girls Meets Boy, Girl Loves Boy? *boggles*
You can't. XD I was joking about the "Shigure totes planned everything" comment, because no matter how good he may be at manipulation, there's no way he'd be able to plan entirely for details like that.
Maybe Ayame? I don't know! He seems to like different costumes -> trying on different identities?
I don't know if I've ever seen Ayame as the bondage type, despite the fact that he is a snake. XD Then again, the fact that he and Mine are ever! so! slightly! kinky (without pushing things too far by HtY standards, of course) does give me the impression that could be the case.
Shigure too comes to mind-- he fell in love with the great master of the whole family, no?
Yeah, he was actually the first one who came to mind after I finished writing that comment. *g* I wonder how Akito'd feel about that, though...(For that matter, I wondered about Kureno for a bit, but I can't shake the impression that he's pretty vanilla.)