Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14 Review: Kagura wondered where Rin was.
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Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14 Review – Best In Show

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Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14 Review – Quick Summary

In Fruits Basket Season 2 episode 14, “I Should Just Die…,” Tohru Honda’s grandfather hurt his back, and the rest of her family really didn’t want to to go Tohru’s parent-teacher conference. Making a show of his magnanimity, Shigure Shouma offered to go, much to Tohru and Yuki Shouma’s shock. Was Shigure being genuine? Or did he have an ulterior motive? Later, Yuki came upon Isuzu “Rin” Shouma, who tried to avoid him. She dropped a major revelation on him, and he didn’t have time to recover before Hatsuharu “Haru” Shouma found them. The meeting was tense. Why did Rin dump Haru? Does he still want her back? And what did Rin’s revelation have to do with Haru?

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

Best in Show Moment for Fruits Basket Season 2 Ep 14

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14: Haru and Rin share a passionate kiss.

Rin clearly said she didn’t want him to touch her. At the same time, she just as clearly leaned into the kiss. A beautiful moment, intriguing in its complexity… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Haru and Rin, Partners in Crime

After he chased Rin down, Yuki learned something at the same time we did. Namely, that back when Akito Shouma had basically imprisoned Yuki, Haru and Rin would visit Yuki. While Haru tried to lift Yuki’s spirits, Haru would keep watch under the guise of not being interested. When she heard someone approaching, she’d announce that she was tired and was going home. Haru would leave with her.

Not only that, but Haru had begged Shigure to rescue Yuki from Akito’s clutches. That’s why Yuki is living with Shigure now. And Yuki had no idea. Their kindness, despite Rin’s abrasive demeanor, overwhelmed him.

He was still processing that when Haru arrived. He’d seen the book bag Yuki had dropped and was looking to return it. Yuki was surprised to see him. Rin was terrified, and I soon learned why. I think.

I put it that way because as powerful an impact as the scene had on me, I’m not sure I get it.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14 Review: Rin was not expecting to see Haru.

Rin was not expecting to see Haru. It takes a lot to rattle her, and boy was she rattled. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Delivery: A Resolve-Melting Embrace

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen as powerful a look of longing as Haru gave Rin. He approached her and reached out to touch her face. She recoiled, saying “Don’t touch me” (13:36). Musing that maybe she really didn’t need him anymore, he lowered his hand.

Haru said (13:46), “I see. I don’t care anymore, then. I should just die…”

This is the first thing I don’t understand. How serious was he? Have you ever been near someone who had suicidal or borderline suicidal thoughts? Could you tell the difference between their attempt at a tasteless joke and a real crisis? Because I never could. Everything has to be treated as a crisis. Haru doesn’t seem to exhibit signs of those tendencies. How serious was he?

Because judging from Rin’s expression, she thought he was serious (13:53). His statement cut right through her tough exterior. She was terrified. Seeing her reaction, he stepped forward, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 14 Review: Rin was terrified when Haru talked about suicide.

There’s something about Haru that made it through Rin’s defenses. The suggestion that he might kill himself seemed to terrify her. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

For an instant, she resisted, even trying to pull his hands away. Then she gave up trying to maintain the facade, and she leaned into him.

That’s the second thing I don’t get. Shouldn’t her no have meant no? Did their previous relationship give him an insight that he could act against her apparent will, knowing her heart really did say yes? In a world where there are all too many despicable assertions that “Hey, she really meant yes,” is there room for a moment like this that’s actually tender and warm?

It was a beautiful moment. And its ambiguities just made it more interesting.

What did you think of Tohru’s reaction to her grandfather, just before he fell asleep? 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 14 Review – Best In Show

  1. I’ve been on both sides of suicide deviding line, and the only thing I can say is that “it’s not that simple”. Sometimes it’s obvious, but sometimes it’s not even clear to the person in question whether it’s a joke or not.

    In that scene? It’s entirely possible that Haru is at odds with himself; a premature statement that’s easy to pass off as a joke, even to himself, if need be. Haru is very much a family guy, but he’s also not really showing his feelings a lot, and every so often he explodes into Black Haru. There’s something interesting going on between Rin and Haru here: for proud Rin calling Shigure “sensei” must seem like an ongoing humiliation, but for easy-going, family guy Haru it’s possibly not even an imposition. So for me as a viewer here’s a question: is there something about Haru that Rin knows but I don’t, or is there a clash of personalities between them that keeps triggering conflict?

    It’s quite obvious that Rin knows she’s hurting Haru by distancing herself, and I have the impression that it’s been a pattern in their relationship for a while, so that only now Rin has found the determination to do what she thinks she needs to (whatever that is). So a sudden “then I might as well die,” is going to trigger a “am I going to far?” moment. And the kiss goes right into that gap. I wouldn’t put it past Haru for that to have been calcuted move (whether it’s his true feelings, a perceived possibility, or an outright strategic lie). That kiss was most definitely a sort of test, as well: should I give up or not? Note that she only really got mad when Haru started talking about Rin, and that Haru quite deliberately didn’t chase after her (after, I’m almost sure, deliberately saying something that made her run away).

    Both Haru and Rin are hard to read, but we’ve seen way more of Haru. I’m pretty confident that for Haru the kiss and Rin’s reaction was a sign not to give up just yet. The line about wanting to die was, I think, neither a joke nor a declaration of real desire, but an expression some sort of half understood lack of purpose.

    For Haru this may have been a moment of reconfirmation, so he can give her space again – but it’s all on his terms, and I’m not sure how far he understands that. And for Rin that must be some sort of confusing power game. Hot and cold, and now what?

    Really, that was quite a scene. These folks have a lot to work out. I also wonder how closely they are related. All of the Soumas we’ve seen so far seem to have their own parents. So just how big is the clan, and how far can they be removed on the family tree for the curse still to trigger?

    1. “but sometimes it’s not even clear to the person in question whether it’s a joke or not.”

      Amid all the terrible things, that might be the worst thing about it. Terrifying stuff. It’s one of the reasons that scene hit me so hard.

      “a premature statement that’s easy to pass off as a joke, even to himself, if need be.”

      That’s how I saw it, too.

      “That kiss was most definitely a sort of test, as well: should I give up or not? ”

      The moment was alive with real-life-level ambiguities. Without feeling contrived or artificial!

      “I’m pretty confident that for Haru the kiss and Rin’s reaction was a sign not to give up just yet. ”

      I mean, seriously: What’s up with this family? They have to mount a moon-shot level of complexity even to date because of Akito! It’s almost like _that’s_ the curse!

      “And for Rin that must be some sort of confusing power game. Hot and cold, and now what?”

      I am wildly curious to know what’s going on with her. My instincts are telling me she’s a natural ally of Tohru, but I look at how she interacts not only with Tohru but with everyone else, and I wonder why I think that? If this were real life, it’d be my instincts at reading people (which don’t have the percentage of accuracy I’d like!), but here? It’s just good plotting and characterization.

      I say, as if that were easy to pull off!

      “So just how big is the clan, and how far can they be removed on the family tree for the curse still to trigger?”

      That’s a great question! I’d like to know the answer, too.

Please let me know what you think!

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