Warning! This rating on Fruit basket 2 Chapter 17 contains spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, I recommend you watch it and then come back to read the review.
“You will have it, I’m sure …”
Fruit basket 2 Chapter 17 begins with the thrill of finally being on a school trip to Kyoto. Because of the different situations Tohru had to deal with for a moment, he forgot the trip, but even if it was a little premature, he managed to be on time to enjoy it. During the trip, Tohru could learn more of the mysterious feelings that Kyo awakens in her. At the same time, Yuki had a lively conversation with Kakeru in which he could express his true feelings. On the way back we could see that everyone’s heart goes where they call it.
“Kyo-kun is a mystery”
Let’s start with a complaint, because one of the most popular idioms in the series may have really changed me. This was an important moment for the construction of the Kyoru. At this point, it is determined that Kyo is a more important existence to Tohru than the rest. But instead of leaving the magical and wonderful: “Kyo is SPECIAL“They decided to say that it’s a mystery, it can’t be. Anyway, whatever is done is done, let’s go ahead after this release.
In addition to the spoiled sentence, we have other details that help us understand how Tohru’s feelings have changed. Unlike Arisa and Hana, Tohru had no chance of seeing Kyo’s coldness in refusing an unwanted confession. But if she got a workaround from Kyo, she will be surprised by that workaround. It was not the first time that Kyo spoke so roughly, it was only that she was more aware of him now. When he told her that what happened was not her thing, it sounded like rejection and made her relive the pain she had experienced when he indirectly brought her together with an “imaginary future friend” . It is these details that made Tohru fear fear of rejection, not rejection, but Kyo rejection.
When they separate from the group and he approaches them alone, he sees again the ease with which Kyo seems to face the breakups. Although he is aware that Kyo knows that he will be locked up in the future and therefore does not connect with others, this does not prevent him from still wanting to be with him. She doesn’t want to be left behind and just want to be a memory for him. Therefore, she tries to stop him more unconsciously than consciously. This is a gesture that Kyo does not avoid because she is special, she is someone with whom she has an interest in being friendly. And it’s exactly that kind of warmth that Tohru loves, it’s these little contrasts that let you notice the influence he has on her. Well, just one sentence can make you sad or very happy.
You cannot name this feeling yet, but you know that it is completely different from what you feel about others.
“I could never forgive you for that.”
But Tohru isn’t the only one who has revealed her feelings to us, Yuki too. Yuki has slowly started taking off his perfect prince mask. Although this is of course not easy and generally occurs in people who have earned their trust, such as B. Kakeru. In front of him he can let go of his calm expression and let out his true thoughts. Kakeru is not easy to use, he usually jokes a lot, but at least one can assume that he is not a quack. Yuki may have faith in him, but that doesn’t stop him from raising his guard by noticing his interest in Tohru. As I said, Kakeru is not a charlatan, but he plays too much with his words.
Deep down, Yuki knows that Kakeru’s interest isn’t romantic because he saw that interest in someone else up close. Maybe that’s why he can’t help but project Kyo onto Kakeru, after all the words he says to her are not things that he can say to Kyo directly. Since traveling to the beach, Yuki has started to take on the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I’m sorry for the spoiler, but it’s necessary for what’s next. Yuki doesn’t love Tohru in a romantic way. He knows that and we can tell by the way he receives the information that Kakeru already has a girlfriend.
He experiences a feeling of jealousy and admiration because these kinds of feelings excite him because he currently doesn’t feel them for anyone. But that doesn’t stop me from believing that being able to convey your feelings so freely is a wonderful thing. It’s not romantic, but Yuki feels real concern and affection for Tohru and is certainly protective of her. After all, she gave him a lot of warmth and care, her words were his salvation more than once.
The subtleties of the script
I used to tell you that what Yuki feels is not romantic, and now I’m going to prove it with a parallel scene. Romantic love consists of something fundamental, an overflowing interest in the other person. Both Kyo and Yuki share a scene with Tohru in which the nature of their “overflowing interest” shines through. The context is the same for both, Tohru mentions the gift she wants to make for herself, and while what Kyoo is talking about is obvious, Yuki just can’t guess what it’s about.
Although we might say that Yuki is confused by the mention of the sound, he generally has no idea what kind of gift is being given. It’s not that Yuki isn’t interested in Tohru’s affairs, it just happens that he doesn’t notice them. One part that characterizes romantic love is the need to know the other person. We want to be closest to that person and feel an urge to know every detail about that person. A kind of overflowing interest that Yuki Tohru never revealed to. Yuki’s interest is passive, he is content to know what he is told, he does not try to ask any further, it is a kind of interest that everyone feels for friends and family, we take care of them, we listen and support them them, but we don’t feel that must know everything.
In the opposite position we have Kyo, whose overflowing interest is the guy who needs to understand the other person, who has the urge to know everything about him. In contrast to Yuki, Kyo has an active interest, he tries to be aware of Tohru’s changes, however small they are, which he does not express, he takes care of them because his greatest interest is that of Meet and Be someone you can turn to. The biggest difference between Yuki’s interest and Kyos is the feeling of victory. While Yuki can let go of what he doesn’t know, it is a sense of victory for Kyo to know what Tohru thinks, feels, or wants. The fact that this feeling exists is because there has been an effort.
Kyo is a demonstration of what overflowing interest in romantic love means. He longs for the person in front of him and worries about knowing him. He is not happy with the image that he projects, he tries to detach it from the roots because he wants to know everything about it, what he likes, what he does not do, what makes him happy, what causes his pain, everything this person is important and that’s why he always watches him.
Final comment
Fruit basket 2 Chapter 17 was a beautiful and very significant episode for the development of two future relationships. I used to complain about the change in the Tohru line, now I’m going to praise the take on the jealous kitten scene. I honestly didn’t think they would cheer her up, so I was very happy to see her in action, it’s a strange moment between so much tension. Speaking of comics: the interactions between Yuki and Kakeru are becoming more natural. This certainly contributes significantly to really measuring Yuki’s changes.
Before I finish, I just want to say that I really love the very subtle way of demonstrating the little big spoilers. The appearance of Machi at the end of Yuki’s monologue and the difference in the tones that print him make us sigh for more. Needless to say, I think it was the clearest way to show us that Kyo is special to Tohru, to the point that even if she has to do it herself, he is one of the twelve, now thirteen, of the zodiac heard.
Anyway, this was my impression of this chapter, tell me: what do you think about this episode? Did you like the school trip? What do you think is Kakerus interested in Tohru? Did you like the nice moment Kyo x Tohru? In the next chapter we will see Rin again and we will also be able to see something about her past and her relationship with Haru. I’m already looking forward to it.
