Warning! This review on Fruit basket 2 Chapter 23 contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, I recommend watching it and then going back to read the review.
“Something like Cinderella”
Fruit basket 2 Chapter 23 begins with Kisa and Hiro arriving at high school to witness the cultural festival. The first activity they will participate in is the Tohru group game. “Something Like Cinderella” is introduced and the story turns out to be a vastly altered version of the original story. At the end of the performance, Tohru meets up with Kisa and the others to tour the festival together. Meanwhile, Yuki encounters a scene of intimidation. The student council treasurer Machi is the victim of some classmates who disagree with her way of thinking. However, that thought manages to get Yuki’s attention. The festival continues its rhythm. KyΕ reunites with Tohru, despite their conflicting inner feelings, both choose to act normally.
The scene of personal catharsis
I’ll start by saying that I’m extremely happy with this episode. This chapter in particular was one of the chapters I longed for the most, and it has certainly met and exceeded my expectations. But let’s get to the content that this episode left us with. While the piece was quite a show from start to finish, it became the perfect setting for some of our characters to experience their own catharsis. The first was Uo-chan, who, thanks to Prince Kyo’s refusal to search for Cinderella, was able to express his own desire to see Kureno again.
This moment is very sweet because we realize the tremendous affection that is still rooted in Arisa’s heart. Although there were only two encounters in the summer, she still longs for a reunion. Despite his attempts to turn the page, she still hopes to see him again. His feelings are so transparent at this moment that everyone can see it and some did not hesitate to highlight it. The first to do this was the narrator, who made it even clearer that this scene was born by the interpreter. The second is Tohru, who worriedly cannot stop looking at her dear friend. And finally, Momiji discovers who was able to connect the dots and find out that Arisa is the one who wants to see Kureno, so Tohru insisted on finding him first.
The second catharsis was experienced by Tohru and Kyo when the truth of the heart came to light towards the end of the piece. The prince’s circumstances oddly resemble the future Kyo awaits, so it didn’t take too long for Tohru to bond and make it personal. Despite the fact that Kyo is practically resigned to his future life in detention, it does not mean that others think the same way. This time, Tohru was the one to prove it. Given the image of a lonely and narrow life for Kyo, Tohru couldn’t help but reveal her heart, this is not something she wishes for. Later he realized he was hurrying, he said exactly what he was careful not to let out. For Kyo, those hesitant words revealed a truth he doesn’t want to see.
Both have different burdens in their hearts, neither is ready to throw them away. His last sentence is the affirmation that nobody in their hearts is ready to face the future. Unfortunately we cannot silence the heart, it always finds a way out. Even if we close the door, he’ll find a window to scream. This is exactly what happened, the feeling in Tohru has grown so much that it has become impossible to completely suppress it, and she knows it, Kyo knows it too. However, both pretended not to see it because when they become aware they have to move forward and the past does not allow them to. I wish I could break this down further, but that would be a huge spoiler, so let’s wait a little longer.
She saidβ¦
But Tohru and Kyo weren’t the only ones making great discoveries, Yuki had his too.
In the previous chapter, Yuki had already shown the interest Machi aroused in him by removing the prince label, and this time he revealed more about it. Amid a scene of harassment from Yuki’s fans, Machi reveals that she doesn’t consider Yuki to be the perfect prince anyone sees. In his eyes, Yuki is nothing more than an airplane head and a very lonely boy. And while this infuriates Yuki’s fans, he’s too impressed by this picture. Mainly because it is the first time that someone has removed the prince label so casually and can actually see it. This is something that really strikes him because not even he is able to see himself for what he is, he can only see his most extenuating features.
During these two seasons of FurubaWe saw the fighting in Yuki. His greatest wish is to discover himself and to be able to find his own purpose in life. He is someone who is tired of the labels that have shaped him all his life. Yuki’s greatest source of loneliness is precisely that he had no one to look beyond the perfect prince label hanging on him. Gradually, however, people have appeared ready to see him as themselves. A new person joins this small group. Machi is someone who can see beyond a label.
Machi is a girl who has her own problems, something has already moved us forward with the story of Kakeru, but despite all of this, she is still ready not to pigeonhole others. Whatever the trigger, machi is someone who has paid attention to Yuki, not superficially based on his looks, but deep and real. She has managed to decipher the weight in the heart of the Student Council President, and although he is “popular” with someone, in reality he is alone.
Since Yuki lived with a label he doesn’t feel identified with, he became someone who hasn’t been able to build deep relationships with people as no one is willing to look beyond that label. Because of this, Yuki has started to value her time on the student council. Because you don’t have to be perfect there, because each of those who are there is your real self, then you can let yourself be with them. Machi is well aware of this, so he doesn’t hesitate to express his thoughts, Yuki is not a prince, he still has things to overcome and he is certainly not perfect. This girl is the first to see herself and that is just adorable for Yuki.
Final comment
Fruit basket 2 Chapter 23 was too good an episode as I mentioned earlier. This was one of the chapters I wanted most to see animated. In addition to the personal catharsis, “Something like Cinderella” is, in my opinion, one of the best adaptations of this classic story. I like the level of comedy and how progressive it was back then. Personally, I never liked the story of Cinderella because of the bad role the main girl plays. However, in this version we have a Cinderella, bright, strong and pretty cool. I have to say that I’m a fan of the way the piece ends. I totally adore that the ultimate moral is that she could live happily without a prince and open her own yakiniku restaurant.
Before I finish, I just want to say that this chapter, while subtle, has shown us great moments of fatherly love. I have always liked the unwavering love and support that Saki received from her family, and this chapter is the endorsement of that. Not only did we see his brother come to the festival with camera in hand, but during the play you could also see that his mother was there and didn’t stop getting excited every time Saki came on stage. It is certainly a nice thing to be praised. Additionally, we have the appearance of Kazuma, who thanks to Haru’s communication, was able to be there to see his adorable son. It is evident that Kazuma is a stupid father to his son and I swear to you I love that, especially since it is delightful to see him joyous when Kyo calls him his father.
However, that was my impression of this chapter. Tell me: what do you think of this episode? What is your opinion on work? How will the relationship between Tohru and Kyo develop from now on? The next chapter covers a student council excursion and the new year. In addition to the shock of the New Year in the company of Akito, a big moment comes for the ship Yuki x Machi.
