Fruits Basket is a shojo manga series that has become a shojo classic. Since the reboot anime series debuted in 2019, it has become a fan favorite among the general public, particularly among fans of the original manga. The first anime series deviated significantly from the manga, disappointing manga fans, whereas the reboot stayed truer to the source material's depiction of Tohru Honda's encounters with the cursed members of the Sohma family. The story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that ranges from bittersweet to downright depressing.
Relationships, friendships, and bonds of all kinds are the series' main themes. The only two characters in the series who share a strong familial bond without being blood relatives are Kazuma and Kyo. Kyo was raised by Kazuma as a foster child after his mother passed away. At first, Kazuma sees adopting Kyo as a way to atone for his mistakes, but as time goes on, he begins to understand how much he truly loves the youngster. The father and son continue to share a home, and they do a lot to aid in each other's wound healing.
Why Did Kazuma Take Kyo in?
Kyo was ostracized and looked down on his entire life as a result of being possessed by the cat spirit. Things only got worse after his mother committed suicide. Everyone blamed Kyo and pointed their fingers at him. It didn't help that Kyo's biological father left him alone at his mother's funeral. Even though the Sohma family was large, no one would want to adopt someone who was possessed by the cat spirit. Kazuma was the only one who extended his hand to Kyo.
He took Kyo to his dojo and raised him as if he were his own son. Initially, Kazuma saw this as a form of atonement. His grandfather was the previous owner of the cat spirit, and he was also shunned his entire life. Kazuma's grandfather had been imprisoned in the cat's room. His only encounter with his grandfather was as a child when he inadvertently came into his room. Kazuma's grandfather offered him a sweet, but he refused, claiming that accepting it would curse him.
His grandfather remained silent and only gave him a sad smile. Kazuma's grandfather died not long after, and the guilt lingered. After that, he observed how Kyo was treated by others in the same manner as his grandfather. It seemed absurd to Kazuma to be so cruel to a lonely and defenseless child. He took pity on Kyo and welcomed him into his home. One of the major plot lines is Kazuma's decision to adopt Kyo, but it's difficult not to believe that a large part of his decision was motivated by his shame for rejecting his grandfather years before, as well as pity for Kyo for having to inherit such a fate.
How His Adoption Helped Kyo
Kyo was the epitome of a troubled adolescent. He had a terrible temper and would blame others to avoid feeling guilty about himself. But, above all, he was lonely, and he put up an arrogant front to protect himself. He and Kazuma did not get along at first. The adults around Kyo had deeply hurt him, and he refused to let anyone in, including Kazuma. However, after witnessing Kazuma's unfailing love, Kyo began to accept Kazuma. Kyo gradually mellowed, becoming more and more like a typical child.
Kyo admired Kazuma's martial arts abilities and aspired to be like him. He began addressing Kazuma as "master" and studied martial arts under him. Despite his respect for Kazuma, Kyo refused to accept him as his father because he did not want to be a burden to Kazuma. In many ways, Kazuma's presence in Kyo's life saved him. If it hadn't been for Kazuma, Kyo would have grown up alone.
In addition, after Tohru's mother died and Kyo became depressed, Kazuma removed him from the city. Kazuma spent four months in the mountains with his son, teaching Kyo everything he knew about martial arts. Despite the fact that Kyo had missed all of his classes, Kazuma knew that the most important thing was to heal his heart. He could see Kyo's anguish after Kyoko's death, even if he didn't know why. Kyo returned from the mountains in much better condition than before. Although he carried that burden subconsciously, he was eventually able to live with it.
Kazuma's Adoption Benefits
Kazuma adored Kyo more than anyone else on the planet. He would go above and beyond what a father would do for his child. Despite being a respected Sohma family martial arts trainer, he was shunned by others for taking Kyo in. Kazuma, on the other hand, never once regretted adopting Kyo. It wasn't just Kyo who benefited from their relationship. Kazuma was finally able to let go of his lifelong guilt of rejecting his grandfather after taking Kyo in. Kazuma would frequently pay his respects to his grandfather's grave. He was able to face his grandfather because he had let go of his past grievances. Kazuma had no family of his own, so he poured all of his love into Kyo. His devotion to Kyo was unrivaled, and he even grew his hair in superstition to help Kyo accumulate some good luck.
Kazuma cut his hair after meeting Tohru and seeing their bond, believing that he had acquired enough good luck for Kyo. Kazuma's feelings for Kyo are so strong that he once stated that he doesn't care about his death because a happy future for Kyo has already been secured. It demonstrates that Kyo is Kazuma's entire world, and his greatest wish is for Kyo to be happy. In Fruits Basket 2, it is stated that Kyo will inherit Kazuma's dojo, and Hajime also states that Kazuma is his only grandfather, implying that father and son are as close as they have ever been.
