Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11: Ayame a house sitter? Well, he sat...
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Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11 Best In Show Review

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Quick Summary of Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11

In Fruits Basket Season 2 episode 11, “All Mine,” Tohru Honda was still determined to break the Souma curse. But instead of mindlessly attacking Akito Souma (in particular) or the Souma curse (in general), she took a much more intelligent approach. She asked for help from someone she could trust: Kazuma “Shishou” Souma. What he had to say might surprise you (it surprised me!). Kagura Souma demanded that Kyou Souma take her on a date before she would let him tell her his big news. It’s clear that she has strong feelings for Kyou. Just how strong, and more importantly why they were so strong, required all of Kyou’s newfound maturity to accept. But how would he think of her afterward? And what did he want to tell her?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Best in Show Moment for Fruits Basket Season 2 Ep 11

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11: Tohru, just by being Tohru, is like a strategic weapon of goodness.

Tohru, just by being Tohru, is like a strategic weapon of goodness. The wound Akito gave her is proof she could survive the encounter. Now, it’s her turn to respond. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Tohru Wastes No Time Preparing for War

Dang it, Fruits Basket! One episode. Just give me one episode where choosing a favorite moment is easy. Is that too much to ask?

Yes, it is. And I’m joking. An embarrassment of riches in powerful moments form is a treasure. That one sentence perfectly describes Fruits Basket!

This week, I’m going with a Tohru moment. Please understand, if you prefer the Kagura moments towards the end of the episode, you have my full support! They were sublime. But my Best in Show moment started almost the instant Tohru walked back into Shigure Souma’s house. She just had to recover from the surprise of finding Ayame Souma “house sitting.” The multitude of empty beer cans and junk food wrapper were a good touch.

As soon as she recovered from Ayame shock, Tohru asked Shigure if she could use the phone. But why? Who would Tohru want to call? What did she want to talk about?

That became abundantly clear a few moments later.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11: Tohru had not been home even 10 minutes before she launched her campaign to break the Souma curse.

She had not been home even 10 minutes before she launched her campaign to break the Souma curse. Tohru doesn’t mess around! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

If this were a Shōnen series and the main character was going to challenge a god, we might get some training montages and some sparring matches. While those are inspiring and all, they’re not terribly realistic. I mean, Tohru’s going to fight a god. She’s going to take on a curse that’s been around for centuries. A few laps around the park aren’t going to help. So, what did she do? She visited Kazuma.

Delivery: Tohru Asks for Help!

As a dude, my default mode to resolve conflict used to be using more powerful conflict. I used to think in terms of Star Wars. Plot points built up until the final climatic battle. Boom! All is well. The good guys win.

Do you know how often I’ve seen that model play out in real life? Maybe once or twice. Cataclysmic violence almost never solves anything. I mean, let’s face it. The “war to end all wars” didn’t.

Tohru instinctively knows this, so she turned to Kazuma to ask about the curse. He didn’t know much. But he made an observation that both embarrassed her and gave voice to the hope for the Soumas’ salvation.

Kazuma had just told her that the curse might have something to do with the blood bonds that bind the Zodiac members to Akito. She lamented that “Bonds are supposed to be precious things” (06:20). She thought of her mom as she said it.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11: When Tohru thinks of emotional ties that bind, she thinks of her mom.

When Tohru thinks of emotional ties that bind, she thinks of her mom. What a wonderful world she lives in… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Her determination and strength impressed Kazuma. He told her that her smile made the world seem more gentle, which embarrassed her. Then he said something that, for me, is the key to this episode, and maybe the series. It’s the antithesis of the climatic battle.

Kazuma said (07:50), “…the time they spend with you will be their strength.”

Tohru, just by being Tohru, is the key to breaking the curse. Not by destroying it violently. By healing it with her warmth and love. She really is going to give Tanjirou a run for his money!

What did you think of Kagura’s confession? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

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3 thoughts on “Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 11 Best In Show Review

  1. ****As a dude, my default mode to resolve conflict used to be using more powerful conflict. I used to think in terms of Star Wars. Plot points built up until the final climatic battle. Boom! All is well. The good guys win.****

    I have to admit the idea of Tohru going to Shishou to learn martial arts and beat up Akito has comedy value. Tohru with a headband doing karate kid poses…

    Seriously, even as a kid, I hated that model. I’ve always been more drawn to villains, for example, in Hollywood movies. My favourites tended to be the shady side characters. (Imagine a western with Gary Cooper and Richard Widmark, and then try to guess which character child me would have preferred.) I’ve softened up a little in age.

    I expected the bond thing. It’s an anime staple. It’s generally a two-edged sword: on the one hand, I like the idea of pushing through things and resolving issues, but on the other hand there’s a danger to suggest that if you’re faced with unreasonable people (like, say, Akito) you should just take it until they say the light. And anime has a track record of really messing up in that respect (I’m looking towards Your Lie in April here).

    I’m fairly confident I’ll be fine with Fruits Basket, though I’m not sure I’m going to love the resolution as much as the rest of the show. It’s an incredibly delicate balance. Tohru thinking about how precious bonds are supposed to be is so like her. But what if the family had taken her in, given her a home, all to appease the god of gossip? How much would she have apologised to protect bonds? What sort of ideal is she protecting here? And how will the show frame this?

    I expect that the Souma’s have to solve their own problem, and if Tohru meddles too much she might trigger a backlash she can’t handle. Basically, last episode I worried that her resolution drives her to go too far, since she’s obviously already doing pretty well (or Akito would either have had her memory erased already, or wouldn’t have bothered meeting her).

    Also, Tohru might be the worst liar I’ve seen in fiction. I’m not sure she should be trying to do things in secret.

    1. “Tohru with a headband doing karate kid poses…”

      It’d be great if Kagura or someone found out that Tohru consulted Shishou and imagined that’s what she went for. That would be a funny fantasy sequence.

      “Basically, last episode I worried that her resolution drives her to go too far, since she’s obviously already doing pretty well (or Akito would either have had her memory erased already, or wouldn’t have bothered meeting her).”

      I hope that’s exactly what she realizes. I think she needs to focus her training on supporting her friends. On the other hand, I still don’t know strong Akito’s bond is with the rest of the Soumas. What if it’s so strong they just can’t opening oppose him? Though Momiji did take a stand…

      “Also, Tohru might be the worst liar I’ve seen in fiction.”

      I’m hard pressed to think of a worse one! She is pretty terrible at it…

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