It was unexpected that seven episodes in, the first background story we get for a Soma isn’t Yuki’s or Kyo’s or even Shigure’s—it’s that for Hatori, the family doctor. Even more unexpected is that it focuses on a love for the ages, one so sweet and lovely and strong that it’s no wonder the Fruits… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 7: An Impossible Love
What is it exactly about Tohru Honda that makes her so special? Why is it that just by being herself, Tohru is able to change others for the better? I took a stab at this question when discussing episode five, but perhaps I should have just waited for episode six, which gives us the answer… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 6: Appreciating Others, Depreciating Self
Between school, work, and housekeeping, Tohru Honda is extremely busy. She’s also surrounded by friends and acquaintances that adore her, but even with so much filling her daily life, Tohru lacks intimate connections, those that are close enough to feel a part of her. The only person who knew her in and out, and the… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 5: Lonely and Unworthy
It’s that time of year everyone dreads — final exams. Everyone? Yes, including teachers. Not just because we have to write and grade exams, which would seem to be a just punishment for giving exams in the first place. But also because we don’t know what’s going to happen. Every class is different, every semester is different,… Read More Ask Sensei: End Of Term Edition
At this point of Fruits Basket, we don’t know much about the Soma family curse. It’s presented in both a funny way, with the Soma family members turning into their corresponding Zodiac animals when they’re hugged, and also as something that grips their family. For Kyo, he sees it as an honor, as a way… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 4: Letting Your Guard Down
The new anime season is off to quite a start, with old friends returning (One Punch Man, Bungou Stray Dogs, Fruits Basket), great directors leading new series (Sarazanmai, Carole & Tuesday), mashups, surprises, and everything else you can imagine. Peter, David, and Holly of Team FtK lead us through the new offerings for spring and… Read More TangleCast 55: Spring 2019 Anime First Impressions
Fruits Basket makes no qualms about it—a love triangle is in full swing from the beginning of the series. Tohru hasn’t demonstrated any sort of particular romantic interest in either Kyo or Yuki, as per the course for the main characters of romcoms and series featuring harems or reverse harems, but Kyo and Yuki are… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 3: A Boy for Tohru and the Rules of Spoilers
Leading up through Easter Sunday, Beneath the Tangles will be running a series of posts based on a theme with the hopes that it will lead our readers to consider the meaning of this week and especially of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our theme this year is loneliness. While so much… Read More Fruits Basket Episode 2: Nobody Wants to Be Lonely
Spring means Easter, flowers, cherry blossoms, allergies, and anime. LOTS of anime. It’s an exciting time for otaku with so many new series flooding our airwaves, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there are a lot of good series. So far this season, the reception has been mixed, but @stardf29, @mdmrn, and myself have found… Read More Staff First Impressions for Spring 2019 Anime
Tohru Honda is relentlessly kind and optimistic—so much so that one would never expect that she was practically homeless, working constantly and living on her own in a tent after the death of her mother. However, after her shelter is buried under a mudslide, a more permanent place is offered as a home, living with… Read More First Impression: Fruits Basket (Dub)