Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya is a manga that began serialization in 1999, and whose story has been adapted twice by two different anime studios. The first series was released in 2001 by Studio Deen, telling an incomplete tale that didn’t earn Takaya’s approval. The reboot was released in 2019, covering all of Takaya’s story over three seasons.
Fruits Basket follows Tohru Honda, a recently orphaned teen who winds up living with three members of the Sohma family. She learns a lot about the Sohmas, including their family secret. Certain members are possessed by spirits of the Chinese zodiac; when embraced by the opposite sex, these members will turn into their respective animals. Yuki Sohma, one of Tohru’s classmates and housemates, is possessed by the rat spirit. Because of the family secret and strict rules, Yuki never had the chance to explore who he was, but that all changes when he meets Tohru.
Yuki Sohma’s Past Struggles
Since birth, Yuki has had to live up to the standards that his family set on them. In the Chinese zodiac tale, the rat was the first to arrive at God’s banquet, making the rat seem loyal to God. This idea was enforced onto Yuki as his parents gave him up to Akito Sohma, the head of the family and the ‘God’ of the zodiacs. Even though Yuki was against this, he soon learned that no matter what he did to try and return home, his family wouldn’t listen to him. Yuki accepted his fate, dealing with the endless abuse of Akito and easing the issues for everyone else. It wasn’t until the ox of the zodiac, Hatsuharu Sohma, begged the dog, Shigure Sohma, to save him that Yuki was able to leave. Yuki moved into Shigure’s home, where he got his first taste of freedom and could attend a coed high school.
Yuki experiences a lot of growth throughout his time in high school. He is seen as untouchable by his peers due to his kind, princely behavior. However, while Yuki is indeed kind, a lot of his actions are due to the way trauma and abuse shaped him. People see him as the perfect man, but behind his façade, he is self-conscious and lonely. By being put on a pedestal, Yuki still experiences isolation, even if it’s not in the dark room of Akito. It isn’t until Yuki meets Tohru that things start to change for him.
How Yuki Finds Friendship in Tohru Honda.jpg)
In the second half of Yuki’s first year in high school, Tohru moves into his home with Shigure. After discovering that the girl is homeless and living in a tent on the Sohma family land, Yuki and Shigure invite her to stay in their spare room. At first, Yuki keeps his distance from Tohru, using his at-school persona at home. However, after Tohru discovers the family secret, Yuki is surprised to see that she is completely accepting and wants to continue developing their friendship. He sacrifices everything by opening up to Tohru and letting her in on his thoughts and feelings. He also goes out of his way to support her, thinking of ways to make her happy and protecting her even if it puts him in danger. The start of their friendship helps Yuki gain the courage to branch out and form bonds with others, such as the other Sohmas and some of his school peers.
Before meeting Tohru, most of Yuki’s interactions with the Sohma family were scant. While he did have a friendship with Hatsuharu, he wasn’t able to involve himself too deeply in the friendship, as he was considered a toy to Akito and never had the chance to leave the room. However, as many of the teenage and younger Sohma members under the curse, including Hatsuharu, feel a sense of comfort around Tohru, they visit Shigure’s home as often as they can. With so many people around, Yuki is given the chance to connect with them. One instance that is extremely important to Yuki’s growth is a conversation with Kisa Sohma, the tiger of the zodiac. After facing harsh bullying, Kisa refuses to attend school and is unable to speak. Although it is difficult for Yuki to speak of his past and mistreatment, he tells Kisa that he has had similar experiences and that the two can work together to open up.
Yuki Learns Who He Is
Yuki’s conversation with Kisa inspires him to continue to step out of his comfort zone, leading him to join the student council in his final year of high school and serve as its president. It is here that Yuki meets a few characters who end up changing his life. The first relationship that develops between Yuki and a student council member is with the vice president, Kakeru Manabe. While the two butt heads at first due to their differing personalities, they are soon able to connect and support each other when they need someone to talk to or just a friend to goof off with.
Yuki also meets Machi Kuragi, the treasurer and his future wife. The two form an immense interest in each other as they try to figure out who the two of them really are. Machi appears to be very lonely and strange, whereas the rumor of Yuki’s perfection shapes others’ immediate perception of him. As time goes on, they learn a lot about each other, and Yuki’s instinct to want to learn more about Machi helps her open up about her struggles that she never had the chance to speak about before.
Yuki struggles to establish relationships, as he is still impacted by the abuse that he faced as a kid. However, after meeting Tohru, who shows a true interest in the real him, Yuki takes the necessary steps to be there for others and make himself vulnerable. By exposing his true self and reaching out to others and assisting them, Yuki is able to grow too and get over his fears of being himself.
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