Warning! This review on Fruits Basket 2 chapter fourteen contains spoilers. If you haven't watched the episode yet, I recommend you go check it out and then come back to read the review.
"I should just die ..."
Fruits Basket 2 Chapter Fourteen begins with a memory of Haru's visits to Yuki in his old room in the Souma state. Tutor visits to school are approaching, but Tooru's grandfather will not be able to participate due to a hip injury, instead it will be Shigure who will accompany her. At the same time Yuki realizes that he must talk to his mother about this, there is still a lot to face, but he is not the only one. On her visit to the state, Souma meets Kagura and she reveals that Kyou rejected her permanently. Yuki begins to reflect on Kyou's feelings. On his way home he runs into Rin and when confronting her she reveals what Haru has done for him. Haru's appearance stops the discussion, but serves to confirm that Haru still loves Rin.
Meanwhile, Tooru's visit to his grandfather awakens memories of the past. On his way home he runs into Kyou who seems more stable in his feelings. Haru questions Shigure about Rin's visits but Rin doesn't tell him anything, he is the one who must fight to find his answers.
"Is it really okay for you to prioritize me?"
This time we do not talk about the beginning, let's go to the climax directly, also the beginning is linked to the climax. A truth has come to the fore, it was not sympathy or any feeling of empathy that led Shigure to welcome Yuki, it's all about a desperate request made by Haru. The person to whom he owes the freedom he is enjoying is none other than Haru, the same one who at every opportunity is hitting him on the back to keep him moving forward. Even though Haru is also going through a bad time, he continues to be that foothold for Yuki.
We are facing a season of changes, new feelings are flourishing and old wounds are looking to be healed. Although everyone is at a delicate moment in his life, Yuki is the one who is within a true turning point. The changes that are looming are not easy to go through, it is quite a revolution of feelings, literally Yuki has begun to know himself. A good way to get to know yourself is to look at ourselves through the eyes of others. Ideally this is the best way for anyone, but not for Yuki. As we know, he carries the stigma of being "the prince", but that is not what everyone sees. Haru and Ayame have seen the core, they look at it as a weak and kind person and accept it as such.
That part of his personality is what is driving him to change, to really know himself, it is also what is holding him back. All the changes have made Yuki reflect on all the help he has received and that until now has not been able to return anything. His attempt to reconcile Haru with Rin did not end well, in fact Haru asks him to take care of himself before others. Although unsure of such a statement, Yuki decides to accept it, prioritizing his own change is also a way to return the support he has received. In fact, if he stagnates without being able to move forward, that would be a real way of being ungrateful to those who have supported him, because that is not what they want for him.
Young people's job is to fight
Reflecting on the same line, we can situate ourselves in Shigure's words. Life is full of ups and downs, we have to learn to live and deal with them, especially when you are young, when life seems so overwhelming. Although it is true that there are circumstances that surpass us, and that there is possibly nothing we can do to remedy them, it is also true that it is up to us to decide to surrender to it or to seek other options. The Souma, not just Yuki, live under the yoke of a curse, one that cannot simply disappear. But in addition to that, they also have to deal with their own heart problems, their own wounds and scars.
Until now a kind of antagonistic curtain has been raised over Shigure, constantly conspiring in the shadows and gloating in indifference. However, we cannot ignore that it is his actions that are slowly turning the wheels of everyone's destiny. Even if he doesn't engage directly, he continues to shove the rest out of his stagnation, just as his final conversation with Haru showed. It is up to the rest to change their situation, and while it is okay to lean on others, in the end it must be themselves who stand up for themselves.
The subtlety with which feelings come out
All the chapters of this anime are reviewed with endless emotions, the feelings are on the surface. But just as there are very obvious things there are also subtleties. Let's not talk about the subtleties of the script but about the behavior, those that are visible to the characters. Recall that two chapters ago, Kyou ended his ambiguous relationship with Kagura, a situation that did not go unnoticed by everyone. Although Yuki did not know about the situation, it was evident to him the change in Kyou's attitude. Without intending to, Yuki closely watches the changes of his rival, especially since they involve Tooru. There is something, beyond the obvious, that Yuki envies Kyou and that is his way of seeing Tooru, something that confirms when seeing the passion between Haru and Rin. Subtle, very subtle, the real feelings begin to clear up for Yuki.
Then we have Haru, who has been uneasy for Rin's words at the time of their separation. Haru certainly understands Rin better than anyone, but that doesn't mean he's exempt from doubt. Time is not only balm, it is also uncertainty. The separation was so abrupt and the words so cruel that they make you think that it is possible that everything is real. However a single sentence, a single reaction can change everything. It's a lie that Rin doesn't care about Haru anymore, she still does, maybe more than before. The longing is still alive, neither has stopped longing for the other. But there are still things to solve, there is something that is binding Rin, and Haru will have to discover it in order to free her.
It is discordant with the title of the section, but in the relationship of Haru and Rin there is no room for subtleties, there is simply a lack of communication.
We leave the best for last, the restlessness is not exclusive to Haru, after his separation with Kagura, Kyou is in an emotional limbo. It is not a mystery that he longs for Tooru, his whole being shouts it, even an objective observer can see him (Yuki). However he cannot ignore Kagura's feelings of loss and pain, he is not the kind of boy who runs to seek his happiness regardless of the damage it causes. The space he put in is nothing more than a show of consideration to whoever loved him for so long. Although in the end he decides to break with this space since he knows that time is not his ally and he cannot spend the time he has left. And yes, this is all subtle, no one tells us but we appreciate it in Yuki and Kagura's conversation and Kyou's attitude.
"I thought I had locked him up."
Continuing with each other's concerns, we once again glimpse a fragment of the greatest sorrow in Tooru's heart. It is not easy or pleasant for anyone to deal with death and loss, but there is something in this that arouses a dark feeling in the always happy Honda Tooru. Earlier I made the mini spoiler of the importance of Tooru's father in his "trauma", and with the flashbacks that gave us this it takes weight. Locked in a couple of words hides a deep fear and regret, "I want to go see them"What this phrase woke up in Tooru is something that she wants to bury and not let out. She is not yet ready to face her fears.
Finally, the one who manages to get Tooru out of his heaviness is none other than Kyou. Evading problems is not exactly the best way to deal with it, however it is valid, especially when we are not ready to face it. Although Kyou may have realized his situation, he chose not to press for answers, because he knows that now is not the time. Believe this, when the time comes he will be the first to support her and make her take out that which has tormented her so much. But for that moment to come, there is still a long way to go.
Final comment
Fruits Basket 2 Chapter fourteen has been a roller coaster episode, we have had moments of tension, strong revelations and iconic moments for the series. But best of all is the incredible change of opening and ending that they have given us. I do not have much to say about the opening, "HOME" by Asako Toki, it repeats the formula of the previous ones, it feels emotionally and visually warm, except for the use of CGI it does not stand out considerably. On the other hand, "Eden" by MONKEY MAJIK, immerses you in a sweet warmth, it almost makes me put it to the sentimental level that it woke up in my "For Fruits Basket" by Ritsuko Okazaki.
Although if I have to choose, the best thing about the ending is not the music exactly but the visual section. Those beautiful illustrations that adorn the closing sequence are worthy of becoming the wallpaper of more than one. Not to mention that the detail of basing the design on the Hanafuda cards is simply superb, and if you like to detail it further, the meaning of the flowers employed by each character is simply wonderful. It almost makes me want to just do an analysis of the ending.
Anyway, let's not close this without mentioning two details that I love about the episode. There were two moments, that although they are completely different, they have the same meaning. I'm talking about the moment Yuki ran into Machi, a moment that kind of parallels when Tooru meets Kyou. Both moments are surprising and well represented by Tooru's phrase: βI thought a heavenly being descended from above" As a reader of the manga I can see the parallelism and the intent of the first scene, but if you only watch the anime it can be overlooked, however it should not, because fate always puts before us what we need, do not forget it.
Anyway, this has been my impression of this chapter, tell me: what did you think of this episode? How do you think everyone's relationships progress from here? Did you like the first kiss scene from Fruits Basket? There was quite a passion there. The interviews with the tutors are approaching. What do you think this process will be like for zodiacs who cannot think of a normal future? What will this consultation of your future be like for Tooru?
