| Episode 20 introduces the 10th zodiac, a young boy of about 10 years with sheep animal form. He seems to be very intelligent and very angry and frustrated. The latter becomes a theme he discusses with Tooruh Freud later, how he feels powerless as a child. He loves Tiger and told Akito, who destroyed this relation just like Dragon's. Akito very obviously isn't a fan of zodiacs in relations and love. Tiger was physically injured by them pretty severely as a result, which like for Cat contributed to breaking the child Tiger (who in her way is a cat too!). Sheep has complex negative emotions about this incident. He feels powerless because he couldn't protect Tiger. He feels angry because he wants revenge, but he's just a child and no match for Akito' power. He feels frustrated because his love and honesty was punished. He feels like a traitor because he had to stay away from Tiger when she needed him most, during her ijime experience. And to make the emotional storm perfect, Sheep is intelligent enough to understand the situation in full. Sheep is extremely precocious and has substance at it, he's not playing a role he is that smart and mature. He sets up a trap for Tooru starting with a lost shoe, then takes her book and photo of Kyoko. Quite a sophisticated attack for a 10 year old. He makes it clear that he's a zodiac and hates Tooru who is oh-so wholesome, kind and helpful to his family members. In a showdown scene with Rabbit, Rat, Tiger, Sheep and Tooru the source of his negative feelings towards Tooru is analyzed: envy because Tiger likes her so much. Sheep after this first encounter replaces his open aggression with the toned down emotion of arrogance, he treats Tooru like his servant. He nitpicks and criticizes every little thing she does in a tea drinking scene. Tooru just stays calm and mindful, so all his attempts to provoke her are foiled. Finally Tooru, Tiger and Sheep spend a day together, going to the park and eating crêpes. Here his attack vector is her poverty, Sheep refuses her invitation and is even paying for Tiger's food. Then Tooru's moment comes, and she analyzes him correctly. He's impressed because he understands now she's also intelligent to see it all, emotionally intelligent and far less aggressive than he is. Despite seeing the same reality. He's impressed enough to pay for her food as well. Long story short, we see how the water technique of Tooru wears down the powerful attacks by Ram step by step. She hasn't won him over at the end, but a lot of anger is taken out of the loop. Sheep learns his emotional lesson by seeing he can't hurt somebody who doesn't permit him to hurt her. The birth of Mahatma Tooru if you will, beating the furious prodigy with love. Overall, I loved this episode for personal reasons. The simple truth is that of all zodiacs we met so far, I'm most similar to Sheep. So this hits close to home, and I can "feel along" with him a lot. Sheep is a keeper for me, hope to see more of him. Side note: The "official" zodiac animal for Hiro Souma would be the goat, but the anime shows a young sheep / ram. The Chinese symbol 羊 translates to caprid, e.g. sheep, goat, antelope. Used as a Kanji the meaning is narrower, just "sheep". It's easy to see the letter is the pictogram of a horned animal. So I guess all those translations are correct in their way. @23feanor we have this saying in German: Those who don't already have enough work create some for themselves. Seems moving the household and preparing for a baby is not bringing you into a sweat so you do some chemistry on the side. Kidding. I'm really glad no serious harm or damage was done - chemical fumes can be pretty dangerous.. For sure a story for the ages to tell your grandchildren. |
inimDec 28, 2021 4:06 PM
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| Hello, Everything is more relaxed today and apart from no hot water (plumber coming later) back to normal routine, which for me means back to anime, yay. Episodes 18, 19 & 20. So we meet Tiger and Tooru Freud works her magic. Then we meet a femininely Monkey, who constantly apologises. Maybe Miss Editor and Monkey may get closer. Finally we meet the Sheep, who can be a bit awkward and has a crush on Tiger. Something interesting in ep 20 that Dog said "let Akito scheme and by the end we'll see who loses, it won't be me". I wonder if Dog is playing the long game, being Akito's confidant but secretly plotting his downfall for hurting those he loves. He may appear non caring but deep down he despises Akito's treatment of the family. We'll see. Sheep is different and an engaging character, very pushy, not typically Japanese. Have a good day. |
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| Episode 21 woot woot, it's Wavegirl time! And (I've peeked) it's the first of two episodes for her backstory. Most striking is the art direction, with gothic and surreal themes, and some very unusual twists of the super-deformed style. The latter is used to visualize the fear and terror the Prince-Rat-Yuki girls are in mostly. The last scene with parts of one of the nightmares the girls had was, by the PG-13 shoujo standards, pretty explicit. Not quite Bible Black, but the director knows where Bible Black parks it's car. Near the downtrodden mansion by the graveyard, im a rainy night, next to Herman Munster's hearse. Story wise, the genre this time was gothic black comedy with a deadpan Wavegirl and her equally weird little brother. Both are clearly distant relatives of the Addams Family (1964). On the receiving end we have a trio of Prince Yuki fan girls, who feel envy towards Tooru for being so close to their idolized bishi. We have narrator style comedy where we learn about the thought process of the group, which is absurd and comical. They feel Tooru would be their main target, but they need to defeat Wavegirl and Thuggirl who would defend her. Wavegirl is considered the more powerful opponent, as she's "not human" whereas Thuggirl is strong but as a human can be defeated. Under the pretext of a school newspaper interview, an expeditionary trio visits Wavegirl at home. There's plenty of black sit-com and eventually the trio flees in panic. They are all haunted by the same nightmare that night, so is there real power at work? Lest we forget we are watching a show where people turn into animals, a little wave magic wouldn't be a big deal. Overall, dark comedy without much serious plot. A key insight is that behind her dark and deadpan facade, Wavegirl has a good twisted humor and is pretty smart. I'm looking forward to part 2. |
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| For all that it is about Wavegirl, Episode 21 is not exactly dramatic. If anything, this episode is one of the best for having some amazing lol moments. They included narration in this one where the narrator even gets emotional on behalf of the characters, something I always enjoy in my anime. The scene where the Prince Yuki fan girls open the closet and see Wavegirl's younger brother just standing there, then close it, was one of the funniest things I've seen in this show for a while. And it's just great that Wavegirl effectively invades their dreams... even if that's just their imaginations getting away from them... or is it? Hard to tell if it's a shared hallucination or black magic, but one can never be too sure. Anyway, definitely see these characters as evocative of The Addams Family, as @inim said, though there's somehow a real grounded nature to these characters, aside from the waves of the aforementioned Wavegirl and the curses of her brother. Wavegirl's brother spits osme mad truths about the Prince Yuki fan girls and how they're anger at Tooru is partly the result of not seeing things from Rat's perspective, as he's the one making the choice to spend time with Tooru and getting in the way of that dismisses his interests in this and supplants them with your own. Wavegirl learns something from that exchange because, though she has been less vocal about it, she's felt jealous of Rat/Cat/Dog for bogarting most of Tooru's time. She faces that side of her, even if it's always beneath a mask of minimal emotion. Still, no background on Wavegirl yet beyond some exposition in this episode. I'm sure we'll learn more about her and the power of waves soon enough. |
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| Hello, Back to the normal schedule finally. Episode 21. This has been mentioned already but the pacing and expanse of the characters in this show is noticeably more full. I can't think of another show that at ep 21 of 25 for the first season is still doing back stories for the secondary cast. They know they have S2 to build up the drama and S3 for the final arc/s, so we're getting a very rounded picture of everyone involved and I really like that about FB. I've also appreciated the additional comedy we've had in the last few eps, I'm sure the drama will ratchet up soon, but atm I'm enjoying the more leisurely flow. It's Wavegirl's episode. I love her room, very chique in purple and black. Some insightful comments from Wavegirl's little brother, essentially the author speaking here, same as when we hear Tooru repeat her mums wisdom. Have a good day. |
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| Episode 22 recounts part two of Wavegirl's (Saki) backstory, in contrast to the first part in a melancholic and serious tone. To address the elephant in the room first: are her powers real? It's not completely clear even now, but the odds are very high they are. The main reason is that starting at Kindergarten age she received the thoughts of people around her. Later in primary school there was that formative incident where a bully collapsed after she wished he would die. The paranormal is hard to tell from random, but in sum it seems to be more than just chuunibyou. Wavegirl's core conflict is that she is afraid to hurt others after the bully boy collapse incident. She's massively bullied by others, but suppresses her emotions (anger and fear to hurt others) silently. Years of this easily explain her stunted emotions and deadpan appearance. She cares for others to the point of giving herself up without the other party ever understanding what she does for them. Not as tragic as Dog's fate with his fiancé, but to me the runner up when it comes to tragedy in this show. Her confidante is her little brother, who shares her traits and maybe abilities - the latter remains unclear. After the bully incident and the ijime which followed, she changes to Tooru's school. We've seen the routine multiple times now, Tooru's kind and loving style cracks her shell and makes her trust people again. Tooru Freud's therapy is successful to the degree that the voices in Wavegirl's head stfu after a while. Soon the trio of Wavegirl, Thuggirl and Tooru has formed as we know it today. I've waited for this episode, and am a little bit disappointed how predictable it was. Last episode's black comedy did use the characters far better than this routine melodrama. This goes down to the point that the author (good catch, @23feanor !) once again speaks trough Kyoko and summarizes the wisdom of the week. People need people, well, ya. What remains is the trio in which both girls owe Tooru. Both have powers, Wavegirl psychic and Thuggirl physical. So Tooru's army is set up and waiting for orders or damnel in distress moments. Overall, average episode not using the character to the fullest. Wavegirl doesn't feel as well developed after Thuggirl after an equal amount of backstory time. |
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| Episode 22 is the Wavegirl episode we've been waiting for, giving us some much needed background on the third girl in the Tooru/Wavegirl/Thuggirl/ trio (I'll refer to them from here on as ToWTh). Unlike Thuggirl, Wavegirl's home life is a source of positivity and support, even from her melancholic brother. As we could have already guessed, Wavegirl doesn't act out at all - if anything, she's incredibly withdrawn and seems more intent on hurting herself (emotionally) than harming others. And here we find out why: Wavegirl blamed herself for an incident where her wave powers almost killed a classmate who was bullying her. A brief interlude here because @inim touched on this too. It's unclear that she actually has powers, but if she doesn't, then her negative thoughts are perfectly timed with invisible and unfortunate events that happen to others. The bully collapsed for several days just after she wished him dead. A young girl got a twinge of pain when she resurfaced all the incidences from Wavegirl's past that she wanted hidden in front of Tooru and Thuggirl. Those are only two instances so it hasn't been tested enough to establish anything as certain, but whether her powers are real or imagined, those children were actually harmed somehow. In any case, she believes them to be real and starts dressing in and painting her nails black to both push others away (because she doesn't want to hurt them) and as a form of self-imposed punishment for having caused these harms. She builds a reputation as a witch even after she moves schools, where she meets Tooru and Thuggirl who invite her to eat with them, both unaware of her powers and unconcerned about them when they learn of them. Soon enough, ToWTh become a steady group, despite Wavegirl attempting to push them away for their own safety. Thuggirl asks her if that's what she really wants, but Wavegirl can't say that it is. I will say that what I think is missing from this episode is the connection to Tooru's mother Kyoko. Thuggirl established a solid connection with Tooru partially via Kyoko, which makes a lot of sense given their shared histories. That being said, based on previous episodes, Wavegirl had a high opinion of Kyoko as well that isn't really established in this episode. I liked learning about Wavegirl's background, but this felt a little too simple. I expected more pushback from Wavegirl, more effort on the part of Thuggirl and Tooru to bring her in, and generally something more interesting as a wrap up than "having friends helps her control her powers" (honestly feels kinda similar to the message from Frozen...). A bit of a let down after the previous 2 episode work with Thuggirl, and this one seems pretty wrapped up, so we may not get much more. |
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| Hello, Episode 22. My guess, and it is a guess, is that Wavegirl has powers, I mean we have supernatural zodiac spirits that turn into animals. I think the author, or maybe the anime adaption just didn't convey it correctly. Still enjoyed learning more about Wavegirl. Wavegirl's parents were pretty nice and loving. Not quite as strong as Thug girls story, but still good to see more Wavegirl. Have a good day and New Year! |
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| Hey, Happy New Years Eve to everyone! My next post in this thread will be in 2022, so I'm wishing everyone a sweet new year and hoping that next year will far exceed this one in many ways. Anyway, onto the review of Episode 23. We're getting to the end of the season, but it doesn't really feel like anything is wrapping up here. Even now, the story plays the long game. This episode focuses on Tooru's struggles with school and a cold that she apparently got by worrying about school. Tooru is continually self-conscious, worried about how her failure in one class makes others (particularly Rat, who tutored her) look and whether she's living up to the promises she made to her mother before her death. Nothing new there, as the others tell her to chill and she passes anyway due to makeup exams. Pretty humdrum when it comes to this series. It is kind of funny that Wavegirl failed all of her classes (it's strongly suggested that she did this on purpose, maybe to make Tooru feel better or maybe just because she could - she never seems bothered by it), though she passes as well. There's a little bit here for Cat as well, with some frustrations with the rain (apparently water attacks are super effective against Cat - who would've guessed?) and runs into Boar. They have some of the usual antics with her flitting between doting and angry with him, and Cat having his hang-ups about showing affection in public and just generally being frustrated with the attention she pays him. Again, nothing new in this, just revisiting without seeing much, if any, growth from Cat. The end of the episode brings in Cat's and Rat's master, who was teased earlier, particularly when Cat was gushing about the experience on training under him early in the series. So far, he's not showing any substantial character quirks, and it's unclear as of yet if he is a Zodiac member (though odds are that he is). As their master, we would suspect that he's dangerous when he wants to be, and next episode should be fun getting to know him. Maybe we'll begin to understand why he trains our central cast and what role he continues to play for these characters. In any case, this was a pretty boring episode. It's nice to see that the schooling of these characters is actually playing an active role in the story, but this didn't do much for me. |
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| Episode 23 sees Tooru getting back some love, after misfortune strikes twice. First she fails her school's final exam, and immediately after this catches a fever. All the "under one roof" Soumas try to help in their way, from learning material to doing her chores and Doc Dragon treating her. Technically there isn't much story development in this, it's more like a showcase how naturally she's considered a member of the family meanwhile. In a comedic arc, Boar waits for Cat at their home, wanting a date and affection in general. Cat refuses but Dog forces them on a date by assigning them Tooru's shopping chores. During the shopping trip, two new revelations happen. Boar asks Cat when he'll revel his "true form" to Tooru, which makes him visibly uncomfortable. So what form that may be? Second, they meet male in his ~30s and are very surprised. Cat greets him with "master". Another character entered into mainly Cat's backstory it seems. Which is massively teased by the two new reveals.Third, we learn that Dragon is a sibling of Tiger's mom (she calls him uncle). Overall, a calm "poor Tooru" episode, very slice of life, sit-com and slapstick (Boar's 2nd name is slapstick). Plus 3 bits of new information for the family puzzle. |
inimDec 31, 2021 10:08 AM
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| Episode 24 reveals Cat's true form and by that a new and shocking facet of the zodiac curse. Kazuma Souma, the martial arts master introduced last episode, visits the steadily growing "under one roof" ensemble cast. He's introduced as the grand son of a former bearer of the cat curse, but himself free of a zodiac form. He owns a martial arts dojo and has trained Cat, Rat, Boar and Ox in it. He's Cat's foster parent, after a tragic incident which caused the death of his real parent(s?) as a young boy of at most 6 years. He's accused of being guilty of the death of his parents and outcast from their social network. Rat (or one of his predecessors?) seems to play a role in this as well, we see a male at the scene but no face. He's be too old to be Rat himself, though. This instantly gives Cat the darkest backstory of all Zodiacs, beating Rabbit. Not only his parents abandoned him (they did not) but he is a factor in their death. Kazuma tells Dog and Cat he is convinced Tooru is a positive influence if not cure for Cat's psychological problems and he should stay in Dog's house for more therapy. Which he refuses. There's mutual overhearing of related discussion by Dog, Cat, Rat and Kazuma. Then the latter puts all on one card and strips Cat of a talisman (rosary, prayer beads) and as a result he transforms into his true form. Which is a humanoid monster with nauseating smell and high physical strength. However, it seems his mind is not altered (only the voice) because what that form says sounds like genuine Cat. A monster form Cat flees the scene (at night, in the rain) and Tooru follows him. The test Kazuma wanted to happen now and not later has begun. First she vomits due to the nauseating stench, but then overcomes disgust, fear and horror and approaches Cat. He violently throws her away at first, but in a 2nd attempt allows her to touch him. Mahatma Tooru Freud has her uplifting speech moment about being together forever against all odds and problems. I was waiting for the narrator's "and now I declare you husband and wife", it was very close to a confession. Cat turns back into his human form, both cry, Tooru hugs him, he turns into the cute cat form and he carries him (titular) home. Where Kazuma is waiting for them with a smile, his exposure therapy has worked out. Fun fact: Unlike all other transformations, monster Cat -> human happened without the usual censorship colored mist cloud, and he wore trousers. No shirt of course, that much fan service must be allowed. Still funny that the director sacrificed continuity for a fan service scene where MC eventually can hug her bare chested love interest in a PG-13 compliant way. The price we all have to pay for the funding a PG-13 slot brings, I can live with it. Overall, the cat is out of the sack (rim-shot!). The curse's horrifying details and price tag becomes clearer and clearer. There's a lot of mystery left but Tooru's task is now clear: she's the harbinger of healing and destroyer of the curse. Big shoes. |
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| Episode 25 has the aftermath of the season's climax, Cat's dark backstory and secret, revealed last episode. The whole episode is a compilation of 1:1 talks of the ensemble. Cat <-> Kazuma, Tooru <-> Cat, Rat <-> Ox, Rat <-> Tooru, and so on. Kazuma silently leaves in the morning after the nightly incident, accompanied by Tooru. He's telling her his backstory. He feels guilty because his family kept their cat-cursed grandfather locked up and treated him inhumanely. As a child Kazuma was part of this, later on he understood this was wrong. Adopting Cat and offering him love and normality is his personal way to atone and pay back that guilt. Cat meanwhile noticed the leave and catches up to Tooru and Kazuma in time. They have a rough but heart felt father son moment. Kazuma notices changes in Cat's behavior he assigns to the fact Tooru is watching and Cat has feelings for her. Rat has a conversation with both Tooru and Ox. The mild homoerotic undercurrent Rat <-> Ox is teased in a few moments, e.g. when Ox casually puts his arm around Rat in a group scene. Rat feels insecure on how to act and behave now that Cat's true form is known. A common theme in all the talks, however, is the upcoming summer vacation, the classic summer fun tropes (beach, fireworks, festivals) and how everybody looks forward to that. It's like one big sigh of relief. The episode still ends on a darker tone, with two short scenes. One shows Sheep visiting an unknown woman in hospital and talking about her release. The other shows Dog talking to Aktito about the change that's gonna come over their family. We haven't seen two zodiacs in season one: Horse and Rooster. This may hint at a more prominent role for those two in season 2, where there's plenty of room to develop them. The hospitalized woman may be one of them. Overall, a relaxed and forward looking episode, a breezer after the drama of episode 24. The dark and dissonant last few scenes make clear that the carefree summer the zodiac's majority now hopes to experience may not come to pass. |
inimJan 2, 2022 4:07 AM
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| @inim That picture... true horror... Anyway, Episode 24. Chekhov's Gun is fired because we finally get Cat's true form. We start with some necessary background. It appears that the Cat form is more than just another member of the Zodiac, though we've been given strong hints that it's excluded for a reason. Cat's master's grandfather apparently had it before Kyo, which may partially explain why they formed a bond, though it definitely goes deeper than that history would impart by itself. After all, Kazuma is his adoptive parent, which occurred some time after his mother died (what happened to his father remains unclear). It's also unclear how his mother died, and though Cat seems very adamant at her funeral that he did not kill her, he clearly had a number of issues with her (I'll come back to those). Some of his issues with Rat also get partially explicated here, though whether that is personally Yuki's fault or a previous Rat Zodiac (he flashes back to an older man at his mother's funeral, so it's unclear why he's upset with Yuki, specifically, and it's not clear what role the Rat plays in his curse to boot, though it's stated that their deaths (of Rat and Cat) would coincide somehow... which doesn't make sense if that was a previous holder of the Rat. Maybe I missed something. In any case, Kazuma puts a lot of faith in Tooru for unclear reasons. I'm not sure what makes him so convinced of Tooru's good influence, though he clearly sees changes in Cat for the better upon arrival. To that end, he actively moves to show Tooru Cat's true form by removing a rosary on his wrist... which is kind of hard to describe. Like, I guess if you took the 9-tailed fox Kurama from Naruto, removed its tails and drained it of all its water? Big teeth, two big ears that look more fox-like than cat-like, deep orange eyes (I looked back at the original series and they were purple there for... some reason) and enlarged paws. There's a sinuous appearance to the form, and more important to initial impressions, it apparently smells terrible, causing Tooru to vomit shortly after witnessing the change. It also has incredible physical strength, so silver lining? So, she confronts him shortly afterward. Kazuma suggests that she might run away instead, but that's not Tooru. She approaches him, he attacks her quite savagely, putting a gash in her shoulder and sending her flying, demanding that she leave. This, of course, is very selfish - the aim being to ensure that she doesn't even think of him anymore out of fear and anger, which will allow him to generate the distance he claims to have always wanted. She starts walking away, but quickly turns around and embraces him. Though he tries to shake her, Tooru hangs on for dear life and tells him that she's afraid but will do anything to save him and keep him near her. There's a lot going on in Cat's mind throughout this. He remembers his mother and how her efforts to love him were, in fact, efforts to subdue this facet of who he is and ignore it. By all appearances, he's not wrong: she was loving, but desperate to keep this form under wraps. Tooru presents a different form of love, one that recognizes this horrific side of him as it is and loves him all the same. He doesn't understand that love, doesn't believe he's deserving of that love, but succumbs to it all the same. It remains to be seen how Tooru will be affected by this. It also remains to be seen how Boar will respond to all of this. She overheard Dog and Kazuma's conversation about revealing his true form and the trust that the latter placed in Tooru, specifically. She's bound to be affected deeply by that considering that a) she already knew about his true form, b) she already loved him deeply, and c) no one trusted her to help Cat previously. Clearly, her experience with this form was far different from Tooru's, and probably quite negative. In any case, it's certainly the most action-packed this series has gotten so far. It felt a little too simple for what it was, even though I know not everything is wrapped up neatly. Considering how much build up this received and how far Cat took this confrontation, I didn't expect things to mostly end positively this episode. Maybe I'm just looking at the surface level here and there's a lot more ramifications to address, but it all felt a bit too rosy at the end. |
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| Episode 25 I'll keep this one brief. Given the climax of the previous episode, I knew this one would be light, but I was also hoping for more with regards to the lingering effects of those choices. There's almost no clear effect on Tooru resulting from what occurred previously (though Cat seems all too aware that he injured her and seems just as wounded by it himself), and even Boar just kind of moves on from the incident despite knowing that she wasn't selected to help Cat - that Tooru was the more appropriate choice. How that makes her feel now is anyone's guess, though maybe that's something to be explored in S2. In any case, we get a bit of a wrap up on Cat and Kazuma's story with the rather sweet statement from Cat that he's hoping to eventually be confident enough in himself to call the latter his father in earnest. Kazuma must have felt that that lack was a reflection on him, while Cat views it as the result of his insecurities. There's a bit from Rat and Ox as well, though the latter isn't so much important to this episode as sort of a grounded, stable third party to work from. Rat talks to Tooru and says he's working very hard on himself in small ways and hopes to find ways to keep improving on himself, seeking to even enjoy the coming summer. Unlike Cat, he works in very small steps, more willing to accept that he needs to change, but still unwilling to face his biggest demons. As for that ending, that woman that Sheep visits is likely one of the two remaining Zodiacs, though it's tough to guess just what kind of role she'll play based on this season alone. Akito also gets a scene with Dog that portends dangerous things coming. In general, though there was one episode involving his inner world, we know very little about Dog from this season. I imagine the next season will change that substantially. The season ends teasing much greater drama in the second season and, given what I've heard about its quality, I think we have a lot to look forward to going forward. FYI, I'd probably put this season in the high 7's. Didn't quite get to the point where it's wowing me, but it does more than enough to set itself apart by avoiding trope pitfalls and truly fleshing out its characters. Delivering on the promises it has set up this season will likely be the real meat of the series, though for my money, this is still a worthy watch. |
whiteflame55Jan 2, 2022 5:35 PM
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| Hello, Happy New Year to you all. We finally had our family get together yesterday, delayed from Xmas day due to my brother and family, including baby nephew and niece getting covid. All well now and had a lovely lunch. Hope you all had a relaxing New Years Day. I was watching some anitubers talk about their favourite show of the year and FB S3 got the pick for many of them. Apparently it's a brilliant, satisfying ending, they couldn't stop gushing about it and it's score of over 9 bears that out. Looks like we're in for a treat. Onto eps 23 & 24. So ep 23 sees Tooru get ill and receive support from those around her and sets up the events that take place in ep 24. Episode 24 reveals Cat's true form. Not going to add much, first we learn Cat has a tragic backstory much like Bunny, and has withdrawn into himself believing himself unworthy of anyone's love, until he met Tooru. I wonder how this will change the dynamic between them, and Rat. A shared bond and trial tends to bring people closer, we'll have to wait for S2 to find out. We're starting to get to the meat of the supernatural story, essentially Tooru is being tasked with 'saving' Rat and Cat (and maybe the others) from the Zodiac curse, or at least making them happy. Really good episode. After ep 24 I couldn't help but go straight onto ep 25, and it looks like i wasn't alone, lol. Ep 25. A nice lighter to end the series on, seeing Cat connect with Kazuma, his adoptive dad. At the end of S1 i have no idea how the romance angle of this show will play out, it's clearly going to be some sort of love triangle with Cat, Rat and Tooru, but how will it be resolved, will Boar play a role, and how will the zodiac curse affect any romance. I'm not as sure as i was during the first portion of the show. Overall FB S1 met my expectations, it was as good and well written as people have said. Story, animation, music, characters, all very good. The pacing is the only issue but that makes sense when you look at it as the first part of a multi cour series. I scored FB S1 as solid 8/10. This has been a real blast so far, I've been a bit distracted with the flat move in between so looking forward to watching S2 now I'm more settled. Am happy to watch S2 ep 1 tomorrow or day after. Have a good day. |
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| I'm good with starting the new season tomorrow if everyone else is. I'd be willing to delay by a day or two if there are other people who are nearing the end of the season so that this one can be fully wrapped up. @filifjonkan, not sure where you're at with this. |
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whiteflame55 said: I'd say let's go as 3 of us already completed episode S01E25, @filifjonkan has his own pacing I think. It's not hard to catch up one day.I'm good with starting the new season tomorrow if everyone else is. I suggest to just keep using this thread for convenience and easy reference. It's one big story anyway. To visually separate this ...  Fruits Basket 2nd Season (anidb) below. Episode numbering resets to 1 again, read as S02E01. |
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| @inim @filifjonkan @23feanor Happy to just move into S2 anytime at this point. Glad we're all in for it, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this series develops. |
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| Episode 26 / 1 takes place a year after Tooru moved into Dog's house, in early summer. There's a mini-recap of S1's events first. The bulk of the episode is self-aware and intentionally over the top comedy. School comedy with Rat and his his new student council team. Chuunibyou comedy with Motoko Minagawa, the Prince Yui fan club leader. And the usual Souma household Rat vs. Cat vs. Dog vs. Boar sitcom. With the new OP and ED it's an easy guess who the girl in the hospital was in ep 25: Horse. She's is a raven haired, long legged, busty, mini skirt and garter wearing sexy young adult. Practical hint, her name is Isuzu but she's called Rin often, which caused some confusion when I looked her up. She hasn't said a word yet, let's wait and see. In any case she's predictably the resident male's fan service girl of S2, sorry Boar you are out. We see more comical hi-jinx of the Prince Yui Fan Club and their lead Motoko. She's built up as comic relief so far, but in this show you're never sure if that skips into drama. Something which really made me smile was a brief scene in which Thuggirl is visited by the three junior delinquents, who all proudly report how they are moving "back to normal" by e.g. no longer dying their hair. Queen Ex-Delinquent and her Kindergarden gang, really cute and funny. Two more new entries are Student Council President Rat's team mates (he accepted that position last season). A lazy, blabbermouth Vice President (Manabe) and a serious and laborious meganekko treasurer (Machi). There's some routine school and character comedy centered around Manabe, who's as lazy as self-important and never stops talking. There's a brief wtf-moment where he on the fly insults Rat, who notices it and is confused because he's not used to. I'm sure we'll see more from Manabe, clearly a story relevant character after this little extra. The episode closes with some small talk Rat x Tooru while washing dishes, with three scenes cut into it:
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inimJan 2, 2022 3:04 PM
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| I'll just start with the refreshed numbering scheme. Episode 1 No real time lag here: just straight back into it after the events of the last season. It's a light episode, mainly focusing on the Rat fan club and Rat himself, with several characters making mention of the changes they've seen in the young man. The episode has a good deal of comedy that occasionally hit for me, though I was more intrigued by how Motoko is clearly struggling with the knowledge that someone is changing Rat, and it's not her. Maybe this presages some important development from Boar as well. There's a few other minor elements, including an appearance by the three (former?) delinquents meeting with Thuggirl and Tooru, which is a sweet development that feels like it mostly happened off screen (and given that these characters are tertiary to the plot and barely involved up to this point, that feels right). Apart from that, there is some inclusion of Manabe and Machi, two characters who could play decently big roles in this season (particularly the former, who seems to be almost like Rat's kryptonite given the ease with which he got under this skin). It's the first episode of the season, so I was expecting this to stay low key and it was. @inim has sussed out the horse, so the Zodiac is almost filled out and, as such, we have our spate of characters practically laid out before us. This season promises to deliver on much of the minor development of the first, and I'm excited to see how things develop. |
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| Hello, I'm expecting the drama and romance to ramp up in this season ready for the final season to be one giant conclusion. Season 2, episode 1. As has already been noted this was a lighter start to the 2nd season, i liked the funny rom-com moments. Wonder how the incoming new VP and Treasurer of the student council will fit into the story. We saw them notice Rat last season, do they know about the Souma family secret, or maybe they live in the outside part of the Souma estate? Dog gives a big clue when he says "You 3 have gotten close, I can't wait to see the drama unfold over the summer break" and Cat fails to understand what he's talking about. I wonder whether Tooru is as oblivious to the potential for romance between her and Cat/Rat, and has she thought about it? Have a good day. |
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| Episode 2 shows us glimpses of the drama to come, bringing some of the events of the last season to bear. Most prominently, we see Cat’s biological father, who blames Cat for his wife’s (Cat’s mother’s) death and arrives to tell Kazuma that, like Kazuma’s own grandfather, Cat will soon be subject to confinement on orders from Akito due to his curse. Kazuma gives him the most polite “fuck off” I’ve seen a while that includes his doubling down on his role as a father figure for Cat. It’s particularly absurd of Cat’s biological father to approach Kazuma in this way, given the latter’s regrets over how his grandfather was treated. However, while this is the centerpiece of the episode, it embodies the main theme as well: namely, the future and how these characters are grappling with it. From Rabbit to Cat to Rat, it seems that the Zodiacs are all somehow restricted in terms of what they can do after graduation. I’m sure we’ll get similar peeks into Boar and Ox at least, with Tiger and Sheep being too young too be faced with this and many of the rest being old enough to have already gone through it. There’s been a ominous feeling of fatalism throughout much of this series when it comes to the Zodiacs, and though that is in part the result of their being born Zodiacs and thus having a role to play in that select group, it seems to run quite a bit deeper than that. These characters may have very little control over their futures, and seem largely resigned about it, though Cat’s prior rage/melancholy makes a lot more sense given where he believes he will end up. Tooru, meanwhile, has the opposite problem. With her mother gone, she feels rudderless on a huge ocean. She had decided how she wanted to move forward with Kyoko by getting a job and earning her keep, but now, the purpose of doing so is gone. Who will she be earning for, particularly after she leaves the Souma household? She grounds herself in others and determines what she wants to do based on the needs of those around her, and she clearly still hasn’t moved past her mother’s death (who can blame her?). Dog gives her some advice to help calm her, which helps in the moment, though it’s still pretty clear by the end that this is a bandaid over a wound that goes much too deep. Tooru doesn’t know what she wants for herself, and despite being as young as she is, she feels lost in not knowing. Maybe finding support in others (perhaps marrying them, as was suggested during a rather tense exchange earlier in the episode) can help with that, but there’s some self-discovery that needs to happen as well. A solid episode 2 that has me excited for what’s to come. |
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| Episode 27 / 2 is a ruminative one about the plans and perspectives for the future of multiple cast members. It's mainly dialog driven and calm. The theme setter is the "my career plan" document which students are tasked to write over the summer vacation. The first discussion take place during a picnic wit Tooru/Wave/Thug and Rat/Cat. Tooru's plan is to start working and become independent right after her graduation. Thuggirl in her straight way suggests she could just marry Rat or Cat instead. Herself would have an eye on an interesting co-worker in her part time job as well. The uproar over this is not as strong as it could be, it seems the thought isn't a complete non-option for the group. The next discussion is between Cat's foster parent Kazuma and his biological father. The latter blames him for the death of his wife, calls him a monster, and wants to see him locked up in a dark Souma main house room for life. Kazuma's grandfather as an example had precisely this fate. The reason Cat's biological father cites is the uncontrollable danger from the true form. Kazuma defends Cat, saying he already changed for the better and is making more progress by the day. He'll fight for his freedom and integration into society. It seems that the clock is ticking though, and a decision will be made when Cat graduates in a year. It's unclear to me why he would be more dangerous then than he is now. Tooru briefly talks with Rabbit and Rat about their plans. At home while cooking with Cat, her deepest and most angsty discussion takes place. Cat seems to be aware of his fate in a cell, and Tooru starts to understand why he's so fatalistic and angry. She suggests he could take over Kazuma's dojo. Rat replies that the Souma family will never approve that, he'll be lucky if he's not locked away like his predecessors. Then Tooru herself slips into a darker mood and remembers she's an orphan after all and has fears about making it on her own. Will I find a job, what happens when I have to leave the Soumas and so on. Dog comes to the rescue playing the clown and cheering the brooding couple up a bit. He tells a parable about an enormous pile of laundry and that when you start washing the piece nearest to you, everything will gradually be done if you focus on the present. Living in the now and here vs. brooding over the future, both matters but the former matters more. Confuzius Dog has spoken and given his borderline lazy and relaxed character, quite credibly. Overall a slow episode giving us some insight into the thought process of some main cast members, including Tooru. Her angst about the future is one of the first scenes in which she isn't just a hyper positive and kind Mary Jane but a real human. Bonus: In the last 10 seconds of the ED a picture is shown with the 13 animals and an old bearded man in wide robes. Rat and cat sit next to him, next to them are Ox and boar. I did a little research and found that this likely is showing the banquet the animals had with the Jade Emperor. He's one of the four highest gods in Chinese mythology, close to God Father. It was his invitation which created the race of the animals, lead to the creation of the 12 zodiacs and division of the year, and of course lead to the betrayal of Cat by Rat. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac#Great_Race In a nutshell, all animals had to cross a wild river to get to the Jade Emperor. Rat and Cat booked a ride on Oxen's back, but Rat tossed Cat off and it drowned. So in the ED, Rat and Ox sit next to each other, as winner and runner up of the divine race. Cat shouldn't be at the banquet at all. Next to Cat sits Boar, the last animal to arrive and by that sealing Cat's fate as 13th "you're out!" animal. So the Jade Emperor is an important part of the zodiac legend, and shown in the ED. I just wonder if he's in the anime. Akito and his mysterious power over the Soumas comes to mind. Also, seeing 13 animals at the banquet could be a hint on a change from the original legend where only 12 took part. It's all highly speculative, but I felt it's time to look into the actual legend. I also learnt that each animal is attributed character traits, which are of course the base of the anime characters as well. Westerners for sure miss a layer here, but the show is rich enough to compensate for that. |
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| Hello, Hope you're all well. After the unusually warm xmas and new year period winter has returned and it's cold today and even colder tomorrow. @inim thanks for the useful info on the zodiac. I only knew the story from Etotama anime but that didn't include details about the Jade emperor. Episode 2. Seeing Thuggirl (i love the name Arisa, am hunting for nice girls names) and Cat butt heads i wonder, will she be his backup and Rat and Tooru will be together at the end. I think Arisa and Cat would pair well together. Maybe. No sooner had i written that when Thuggirl tells the group she has someone she's interested in at work. I think the show is keeping us occupied with secondary romance and subplots until the main love triangle gets going, which may be a while yet. Not something I've seen before, the main romance only starting to be discussed in a second season. We're starting to get an additional layer of complexity to the characters and their worries that most shows never get around to within their run time. We finally see a chink in Tooru's happy facade as she explains to Cat that she can't examine her situation too closely or she'll never stop crying. A solid beginning to the second season so far. |
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| Episode 3 is a Snake episode, and as per usual with him, it’s a good time all around with a bit of melancholy to chew over. The episode begins with Snake’s arrival at the house where, as usual, he and Dog get along famously and Rat is put out. What is unusual is that Rat requests to visit Snake at work, something he definitely would not have done back in S1. It’s a bit of character growth from him that he sees his brother as doting rather than insufferable. Though the two are not mutually exclusive, it’s more that Rat has come to see more of the former through the latter. Tooru accompanies him while Cat keeps up his training regimen. The rest of the episode takes place at Snake’s work, which is initially off-putting to Rat (not that he comes to accept it wholly, but he does learn why Snake does it - the joy of creation and helping others be their best selves - and appears to accept that as akin to his own gardening pursuits). Tooru gets glammed up by Snake’s employee, who almost predictably dressed as a maid and seems rather in tuned to Snake’s needs. As the episode progresses, we learn more about what Snake is going through and why he’s working so hard on his relationship with Rat. Though he was still young himself at the time, he had an opportunity to be there for and protect his younger sibling from the machinations of his parents and he refused. At Rat’s most vulnerable moments, he shook him off and Snake feels terrible remorse for that. He’s sincere in his attempts to connect with Rat, but also recognizes that what he’s done can’t be fully mended. That being said, Rat is clearly trying to meet him halfway and understand where he’s coming from, so this is starting to look more like a full relationship than a one-sided one like it was in S1. Particularly funny to see Snake call Dragon at the end to gush about Rat and have the latter just appear uninterested the whole time. Apart from that, it was nice to see Tooru dressed up and to give Rat a moment to really see her as more than just the classmate living in his house. In many ways, he’s tried to juggle how he sees her platonically and romantically, and though we don’t get a chance to really sit with his feelings here (Snake injects comedy into it rather quickly), we do have a moment where the romance shines through. It was mentioned here as well that Rat’s and Snake’s parents may be coming into the picture soon. Given Rat’s rough history, he likely holds a lot of negative feelings for them, even if he’s loathe to express them. Future drama coming our way for sure. |
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| Episode 28 / 3 is all about Rat and Snake and their brotherhood. Snake's attempts to get closer to his younger brother bear fruit. Rat agrees to visit Snake in his shop, which specializes in female fetish clothing in male sizes. We meet Snake's assistant Mina in proper maid uniform. Under the pretense to dress Tooru up cutely Mina takes her to another room. This gives the brothers the room and privacy they need to talk and bond. The episode kicks off with Rat's dream about his abusive mother. During the Rat-Snake talk more details emerge, neither Rat nor Snake had a nice childhood - the Soma trauma. Rat accuses his parents to have sold him "like a tool". Snake admits he didn't help his brother to protect his own freedoms and interests. In one scene he not only ignores his brother seeking help after an abusive scene with their mom, he pushes away the hand he reaches out. While talking about their messy childhood both brothers open up a bit. Snake drops his over-exaggerated and flamboyant mask and talks very calm and serious in some passages. Rat forgets his defensive reflexes and listens to what his brother has to say far more mindful than before, and is putting himself into his shoes. Eventually they accept their differences and start to respect each other. For once a change Tooru had almost nothing to do with. Other than preparing Rat for it over the last 27 episodes maybe. I think Snake's remorse for putting his own freedom over helping his abused brother was real before they met Tooru. Overall another dialog heavy episode, almost a chamber play. I like Snake's "acting", how he switches effortlessly between his flamboyance and visions of grandeur and his (probably real) thoughtful and serious self. In that mode, he is pretty similar to Rat. As mentioned before, Rat and Sheep are the characters closest resembling myself. So I watched and learned, and liked what I saw. |
inimJan 5, 2022 5:43 AM
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| Hello, Episode 3. So this episode is showing the fruits of Tooru's influence on Rat over the first season and his relationship with his brother Snake. We learn that Snake has his own source of support, the maid girl, who is clearly smitten with him. I'm guessing they can't be formally together as Akito would never approve. I've wondered which zodiac I was most like when i was younger and I'm not sure. I think I'm a mix of them, although girls and who i was dating was a huge part of my identity when i was young, and I often played up for a girls sake so there's a part of Snake in me somewhere. Probably a watered down male version of Thuggirl before she was reformed is closest, although i was top set for academics in everything so study hard, play and date hard was my philosophy. Another dialogue full episode but I'm enjoying learning more about each of the Zodiac and Rat, Cat and Tooru especially. |
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| Onto episode 4 where we shift the focus to Ox and the mysterious Rin (the Horse, as @inim discovered). There’s actually not too much going on in this one. Rin verbally pushes Ox away as he’s visiting her (I think that’s in a hospital), which he interprets as her breaking up with him, so apparently they’re an item. He responds by being depressed and “going dark” at school, landing himself a suspension. There’s a confrontation with him after the incident, but it’s nothing a bucket of cold water can’t fix. He returns to the Souma estate, and Rat, who has been concerned for him, goes to visit him there. Rat flashes back to his prior experiences at the estate under Akito, several times faltering in his progress to get there, but manages to make it, showing that he’s slowly but surely working his way out from under his trauma. He runs into an elderly woman who chides him for not having returned sooner and intimates that he should just come back fully and placate Akito. Not sure who she is to him, but this strikes a nerve before he runs off to find Ox, who is actually fine having largely worked through his frustrations playing video games and is resolved to get Rin back. But Rin is already at the estate. Rat sees her on the way in and tries to follow her, but can’t keep track of her. The final scene, however, shows her seeing Rat from a distance, portending some interaction that is likely to come with dramatic impacts. It’s a bit of a place-setting episode, building up tension for the scenes to come. Still, intriguing. |
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| Episode 29 / 4 introduces Isuzu "Rin" Souma as zodiac member (ED -> Horse), who had a secret love affair with Ox. The episode starts with the break-up scene when Ox visits Horse in the hospital. We aren't given any information about the previous events, duration of the relation and so on. Neither we know why she's in the hospital, and what are her "injuries" mentioned by others. She can escape trough the window, so those may not be physical. As a result of being dumped Ox vandalizes a school room and is suspended over it. We get some more Rat development then, when he decides to visit Ox in the Souma's main house to give him support in the difficult situation. This is a first for him after a long time, probably since his release from Akito's solitary confinement. It's visually told when he hesitates to cross the estate's door sill. He finds Ox in a fairly relaxed and composed mood. Ox tells Rat he will not give up on Horse and still loves her very much. When Rat leaves the compound, there's a camera move and we see Horse has entered it. Overall, a new character and a new romance are introduced. I couldn't find out who was the episode director, but I've noticed it had above average visual story telling. Small details such as the door sill scene, the counter-cut montage of Rat, Ox and Cat at the same time (when Rat left the house). They are all happy in a toned down way, one doing martial arts, the next happy because he overcame a trauma and visited the main house, and Ox because he feels determination to fight for Horse. They all have a shy smile, and the montage shows precisely that without words. And of course the final camera move onto Horse. Not every cut at genius level, but small things sum up this episode. In a general node, there's massive and rapid character development so far in each S2 episode. Basically more per episode than many shows have per season.I really like that buildup, but like @whiteflame55 am ready and waiting for some heavy hitting melodrama. |
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| Hello, Episode 4. I wonder if Ox and Horse are a similar situation to Dragon or Sheep and Tiger, where Akito is standing in the way of them being together and some trauma led Horse to be hospitalised. So Akito and his tyranny (likely due to the curse) is preventing everyone in the Souma clan from being happy. Will Tooru Freud be able to help with this situation and restore happiness for the Souma clan and herself? We're witnessing more of Rat's growth, here exhibited in his trip to the Souma estate. Tooru is having an effect on those around her. |
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| Episode 5 amped up the comedy (guessing the next episode will be rather dramatic), and I am here for it. Some of the funniest moments in the show so far. Ox stoically making up a story of one of the zombies in a haunted house where the child he’s talking about just has an arrow sticking out of his head the entire time. Having a snake-like woman try to jump scare him and his literally tearing her head off and incorporating her into the story as though she’s the zombie’s mother. Then being chewed out by the owner over damages and reducing him to tears by telling him that the two belonged together despite the entire story being made up. Damn that was hilarious. Also funny (though less so because it’s more expected) was Tooru struggling to get through the haunted house (apparently just to show that she could) by trying to laugh or close her eyes while she’s still clearly afraid. The reactions of Rat and Cat were particularly priceless as the straight men. We also get a bit of melodrama from Thuggirl as she runs into the potential man of her dreams while working at a convenience store for her second job. She sort of cajoles him into taking her out to lunch, where she chews him out for plastering on a fake smile and generally treating their meeting flippantly. The man, Kureno (conveniently left out his family name - didn’t even have to look him up to know that he’s a Souma), chases her down and professes his affection with a real smile. A bit off-putting, given that he’s 26 and she’s 17… but hey, he didn’t try anything and this was largely just a meet cute, so I can’t fault him too much, and Thuggirl recognizes the age difference. Afterwards, their relationship is left mostly in the air and Thuggirl sits with Wavegirl and her brother to discuss it, saying that she’ll have to wait for him to find her. They both agree to stalk Tooru on her first actual date with another human being, which should be a good time. Overall, a lot of fun this episode. Much enjoyed, and giving Thuggirl a romantic subplot with obviously-not-a-Souma-and-definitely-not-into-anything-statutory Kureno is a nice direction to take her character. There’s a small mention of Wavegirl not having someone, but that doesn’t seem to bother her. Looking forward to the next one! |
whiteflame55Jan 6, 2022 11:44 AM
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| Hello, Episode 5. I want more Thuggirl romance, can't get enough of her, 17 and 26 that's not too big a difference and here in the UK you can legally have sex and get married at 16, and teenage ladies tend to be more mature than guys the same age. Ox's story was funny. So we meet Kureno Souma and a romantic subplot for Thuggirl/Arisa is developing. I just spoiled myself for something, but it's a question i had in my mind but hadn't written yet . Ok so by the end of the episode it's not so much of a spoiler. Kureno is Akito's lover, will Arisa/Thuggirl be able to prise him away from Akito, who he doesn't seem very happy with. Have a good day. |
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| @23feanor so apparently I somehow missed the last minute or so of the episode and missed the bombshell about Kureno and Akito being lovers. Dunno how that happened. I initially thought that Akito was female, was actually surprised when everyone started referring to her as male. A serious end to what looked like a light episode. |
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inim said: Haven't watched ep 5 yet, but if it's like you say then we now have seen 2 of 3 scenes which were teased as silent cut-ins in the last minute of ep 1. The two confirmed ones are relations, Ox x Horse and Akito x Kureno. By that logic, Rabbit may be in one as well?!Episode 26 / 1 [...] The episode closes with some small talk Rat x Tooru while washing dishes, with three scenes cut into it:
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| Episode 6. Lots going on in this one (had to take some notes), mostly setup for things coming soon that will most definitely amp up the drama. Rat is struggling with his past. Akito told him that he would always reside in darkness, and he’s starting to see a way out from it via Tooru’s influence. However, it’s unclear why he remains unable to tell Tooru about the blue baseball cap being his, about his being the boy who helped her all those years ago. This episode only hints at the reason, since he was wearing it when he left the Souma estate, presumably running away at some point in his childhood. It’s unclear why that would stop him from telling her, though this outing clearly links up to some of the trauma of his past, which he may just not wish to explain to Tooru at this point. He still hides his vulnerabilities, even as he’s slowly coming out of his shell. Early in the episode, Horse arrives at the house and… I’m guessing at least tried to seduce Dog, though something more may have happened given his lasciviousness, despite his calling her a fool. It’s unclear what is going on between them, but this isn’t the first time this has happened and she waited for everyone else to leave before approaching. It’s almost certain that Ox has no idea that this happened, so a confrontation is coming there. Akito plans to visit the house and clearly resents Tooru, mainly for her positive influence in the others, which results in Akito’s losing control over their psyches. Why Akito demands this kind of control is unclear, but given Dog’s willingness to facilitate it (it’s unclear what that smile means), things could get very rough in the next couple of episodes. Dog has generally appreciated the growth of the younger Souma members under Tooru’s influence, but he clearly has plans and a focus on Akito that may outweigh his desire to see them well. Finally, Tooru is roughly asked about her father by Sheep. This is a new development: we know scant little about Tooru’s father, though we know he wasn’t around much. This actually serves more to focus her on why she is so deeply connected to her mother, which results in a deep depression and concern that she is losing her as time progresses. Tooru, as usual, doubles down on her bubbly, happy attitude when she’s upset, and props to Cat for recognizing that - rare moment of insight from him. In general, Sheep seems to be starting to recognize the impact his words have, though it may be a while yet before he’s actively kind to Tooru in any meaningful way. So, yeah, a lot of melodrama in this episode. The tension is rising. What kind of role Kureno will play in this now that he has been introduced is unclear. I predict that Snake will soon be forced to defend his convictions and truly defend Rat from Akito in the near future. Kazuma may be forced to do the same for Cat. Tooru has a strong group of allies around her, but she’s easily the most vulnerable given that Akito can so effectively render Rat helpless. How well Thuggirl and Wavegirl can protect her from Akito’s machinations is unclear, particularly with Dog on Akito’s side. There‘s an emotional storm brewing, and my guess is that many of our characters won’t come out of it unscathed despite their growth. |
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| Episode 30 / 5 opens he summer vacation season and has three mini arcs. Tooru and the boys visit a haunted house amusement ride, for comedy and character development. Tooru is very chicken-hearted and tries to avoid more scares by losing her eyes, just for her clumsiness to take over and running into a wall. There's a weird story about two of the scary figures, mother and son and how they are individuals with a background story. I frankly didn't get that humor, or was it an allegory I missed? Rabbit is shown laughing all the time, he can't be scared at all. Which makes him a little bit weird, wrong emotional reaction ... The heart of the episode is romance, thug girl Arisa meets Souma boy Kureno. First scene is Kurono shopping junk food in the the convenience store Arisa works at. He's introduced as a bit quixotic and clumsy. Later Thuggirl spots him on the street and runs after him, resulting in a first date - an invitation to diner. It the course of the table talk she loses her temper, leaves and this time Kurono runs after her. This resolves into a scene with a long mutual look into the eyes and almost a kiss on the mouth. I think the mutual romantic interest comes over, they are both a bit awkward but intention counts. To me a couple to recon with. They are nice contrasts as well, a 26 year old big boy and a street wise 17 year old. In a third scene we have Thuggirl visiting Wavegirl at home. The question was raised in this thread if we'll see romance for her as well, but this was a bit of a weird bro-con situation. Wavegirl was in a dress with long evening gloves, and so was her little brother. Doesn't this violate the one-loli-shota rule of anime? Now we got two flavors of cross dressing shota, dark (Wavegirl's bro) and light (Rabbit). Anyway, Wavegirl exposition dumps that she will not be the one to take the next step towards Kurono. In the cliffhanger we see Kurono arrive back in Akito's room. Visually a stark contrast to the bright summer scenes before, the room is window-less and dark. Akito embraces his face with their hands and the scene fades into the ED. I've double checked and am confident that Kureno is the person Akito leans on in episode one, so they seem to be fairly intimate. Overall a new love triangle is set up and I agree that Thuggirl is a top tier character. I can see how @23feanor as a self-declared reformed delinquent has instantly fallen in love with her. I wonder about the name Arisa, is that genuinely Japanese or a J-mangled form of Eliza (with the r-l substitution)? She's blonde, after all. |
inimJan 7, 2022 10:43 AM
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| Episode 31 / 6 is back at moving many individual development arcs in very small steps, by 1:1 dialog most of the time. The episode opens with the news that most Soumas and Tooru will spend some time in the family's summer house at the beach. There's some of the standard character comedy driven mainly by Cat, Rat and Rabbit. Nothing special by now Let's look at the ecchi handling of this shoujo beach episode first, sort of a hobby of mine. There is an amazing counter-cut. It starts at Horse's cleavage while she is on hands and knees in front of Dog. Next is a cut straight to an ass shot of Tooru in swimsuit. Wtf?! No more such scenes follow, other than the well expected bare chested bishis, with Ox being the primary fan-service bad boy. There was that near-kiss scene between Kureno and Thuggirl last episode, and this episode later has Akito putting her thigh on Dog's lap. Sexuality clearly is turned up in S2. It's part of life and not fan service in this show, solid and mature handling of the them with real impact on the story. The cleavage/ass shot combo still makes me wonder, is this in the manga, too? or did the show runners learn how unexpectedly popular S1 was with males? Otoh, the ass shot clearly says: look, Tooru is an attractive woman and not only Freud's 2nd coming. Fuel for the Rat/Cat love triangle for sure. The cigar may be just a cigar. The first scene shows Horse entering Dog's house after everybody else has left. We see this the second time, she waited until Rat had ended his visit to Ox last episode. I really love her high heel knee boots, looks a lot like a hoof on her long legs - along with her mane one of the character designs very true to the zodiac animal. Despite Dog's request she keeps her shoes on, and almost instantly goes into the "on hands and knees" scene. It's not clear why she visits, but obviously Dog is not surprised by any of her actions. Next we have some focus on the relationship between Tiger and Sheep. They are too young to call it romance maybe, but it's done by Souma (forgot who). Sheep in his blunt and aggressive style pushes Tooru, this time using her mother complex and lack of a father as attack vector. Tooru brushes it off, but we see the echos of that scene for all three participants. Tiger speaks up and tells Sheep he can't know other people's feelings and must not make assumptions about them. Sheep understands that message a bit later. Tooru has a flashback scene on her (wow, luxury!) balcony with scenes of her mom. Obviously Sheep's remark has hit a nerve, she sits in a depressive pose and keeps telling "all will be good" to herself. As for her father, there was a mention he died of natural causes (disease) when Tooru was still very young, thus the single mom. I don't think he was a good or bad father, he was just dead. Then we have Dog visiting Akito, dressed in classic Japanese robes this time and bitching about how much she hates summer. I'll just start using "she", like @23feanor suggests - it's pain to use gender neutral pronouns in English. So she calls Tooru a scare crow, the zodiac members imbeciles, and announces it's time to hurt Tooru. A vile bitch indeed, but I expect she also has internal drivers and reasons. That's what makes a good character writing, good people do bad things because they have their reasons. As compared to "I woke up this morning and decided to hate Tooru because I can" silly one dimensional villain writing. Dog is not overly impressed by her rant, another obvious "not the first time" moment for him. The scene ends with her putting her leg on his lap, she really likes intimacy it seems. The cliffhanger is the revelation that the boy with the gray cap from Tooru's childhood memories was Rat. It has been hinted multiple times, but now we see the face. A feverish Rat decides he must open up to Tooru about that, but isn't yet ready for it. Overall, a very good episode with a lot of story and character development. At the 25% point the show is ready to start the drama, Akito's attack on Tooru will hit hard, she's not a joker. |
inimJan 7, 2022 1:19 PM
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| Hello, Hope you're all well today. It's pouring with rain so a good day for films and anime in our new flat. Episode 6. I loved Horse and her high heels and cleavage, what guy wouldn't. The show clearly is leading us to think something sexual may happen, or is going to happen between Horse and Dog, but I'm betting the truth behind their relationship is different. Is she offering him something (maybe sexual) in return for information, she and Ox were in a secret relationship that ended suddenly. My guess is that she wants to know how to escape or evade Akito's clutches. @inim an interesting point you make, sexuality is referenced both subtly and openly in this show, more so in the second season, but it's not done as fan service but as a core part of teenage/adult inter personal relations (sex can be many things; a sign of love, a bargaining chip, leverage, whimsy, lust, revenge and this show does better than most at this distinction). We revisit Tooru's dad, and the issue clearly upsets Tooru more than we've seen her show before. I thought he died (reading your comments yes he did) but it plays into a larger complex for Tooru, her identity and happiness was so tightly tied to her mum, and now she's passed away Tooru feels bereft. As a female, Akito reminds me of this character from Kyokou Spectre called Rikka, very thin willowy translucent skin, that sort of look, which is fashionable amongst many Japanese women apparently. No my type at all, i much prefer curves, but it's a look that is considered attractive to many Japanese men, so reports suggest. As mentioned above, we now know that Rat was the boy in the cap and it was a memorable moment for him on his first trip, or escape, away from the Souma estate. My main question from this episode was the relationship between Dog and Horse and how it may impact Ox, who i think is a nice guy. We can also see that there is some sort of relationship, or was a relationship, between Akito and Dog, whether sexual or more is unknown at this point. Good episode. |
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| Episode 7 was comparatively simple, and despite all the melodrama leading up to it, there's actually less drama than I was anticipating here. The lighter element of this story is the titular watermelon splitting, which becomes a small source of humor to lighten the mood. However, from the outset, Akito's presence is central to this episode's narrative. She comes into it rapidly, showing her two-faced nature in the kind mask she puts on with Ox, Rabbit, Tiger and Sheep while showing her scathing, seething nature with Dragon and Dog. Dog is clearly planning something that Dragon is aware of, and Akito is part of that plan, though it's unclear precisely what his aim is. In general, what separates this episode is not necessarily that Akito plays such a central role (though that is unique here), but rather how the others respond to it. Cat and Tooru are left out, the latter being a surprising omission given Akito's hostility toward her. Many of the others travel to see Akito, each with slightly different reactions. Ox appears apathetic about it, anticipating problems but not showing any nervousness for himself. Rabbit is more resigned, agreeing when he was told that Akito hates him but accepting that as part for the course and putting on a sad expression. Tiger is by far the most trepidatious, which comes from the knowledge of how terrible Akito can be and the knowledge that Tooru, who she treasures, is vulnerable to her schemes. Sheep appears somewhat pensive himself, though no one seems particularly concerned for themselves. Aside, of course, from Yuki, who runs into Akito on the beach by himself. If this was S1 Yuki, the same one who ran into Akito at school with a terrified expression after only one statement was made by Akito, this interaction might have left terrible wounds on him. It still might have shaken him quite a bit. However, as he puts it at the end, Tooru has become a source of strength for him. He says that she's like the sky, something that he couldn't imagine being without. Her support of him has certainly had a positive effect on his self-esteem and resilience, though that's part of the problem: he still relies on her, rather than having those things be inherent to him. Much as he says he's opened the lid, there's still a lot that he hasn't said, and the story of that baseball cap remains a mystery to Tooru. This episode sets the stage for how things will go with Akito in the future. No one is actively defying her yet, but it's gotten to the point where they're not kowtowing to her, either. Intriguing episode, if a bit slow. |
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| Episode 32 / 7 sees the arrival of the adult zodiacs and Akito at the summer house for a council meeting. Rat further opens up to Tooru about his past and ends up making her a de-facto confession during a romantic beach walk in the evening. The episode is of that type with many small events and 1:1 dialogs moving forward the story as a whole. The starter is a sequence of scenes where the subject matter are the parents of zodiac members. Sheep learns his mom is pregnant again, and everybody is relieved that the baby is not at risk of the zodiac curse, all seats are taken for that. Sheep is accepted in his family, and his mom loves him in animal form as well. Cat's father is alive but he lost contact, and his mother died in an accident. We know that Dog has contact to his father (lock him up discussion) and the accident is traumatic and of unclear nature. To me the way it's talked about and the euphemistic nature of Japanese idioms, it may well be suicide. Tooru broods about whether she made talk about her mom too prominently with the zodiacs. This all can be seen as aftermath of Sheep's verbal attack from last episode still. The main block sees the adults arrive one by one: First Dog, then Dragon, Kureno and Akito. Prominently missing is Horse, and in a later scene Dragon reminds Dog that name is taboo. Akito calls in a zodiac assembly and has a few 1:1 talks, a first insight into how her leadership is organized practically. Kureno appears to be kind of her private assistant. For some reason she keeps him away from the zodiacs, e.g. he has to leave the room before she talks to Dog and Dragon. Effectively this forms a triangle Dog, Akito, Kureno with increased intimacy, yet it's unclear if it's romantic as well. Akito alsoh as a 1:1 with Rat on the beach, who later praises her for that to Tooru. We don't learn about the content of this talk, though. What's unclear currently is Kureno's role. He's close to Akito and kept away from the world and even the zodiacs, as seen in his episode with Thuggirl and this one. He is taking any of her orders without asking questions. Also his last name is Souma and he is present at what can be considered an inner circle meeting. Akito when talking to zodiacs repeatedly has sought physical contact / proximity, and he's no different. Nobody based on her contact ever turned into animal form, so she may be a special case in the "embrace curse" - see my Jade Emperor theory. Kureno may just be a human in the extended Souma family, like Cat's foster parent. Or he may be a zodiac because we still miss a Rooster. Other than Horse and Kureno there are two more members of the zodiac missing in the meeting: Rat and Cat. For Cat it's pretty clear, he's #13 and out. Rat seems to be excused after a previous 1:1 with Akito and spends the evening at a romantic walk on the beach with Tooru. We have more flashbacks to the childhood scenes and the gray cap, which gets far more attention than it currently seems worth of. Rat then thanks Tooru for giving him self-esteem and strength do deal with his two traumata: Akito's solitary confinement and the cap event. Which on second thought may be related, maybe the imprisonment being a punishment for whatever happened that day with the cap? This gets very close to the point of Rat confessing his love to Tooru. Aware of the curse they touch but don't embrace, which looks a bit awkward and unsatisfied. Overall, this is Akito's episode and we learn about her relation to individual zodiac members. Dog is further set up as the leader of some conspiracy against her, well hidden below his lazy joker facade. Dragon is his friend and knows about it, yet doesn't seem to actively support the plan. Horse probably plays a role in it too, which would explain last episode's visit. A slow episode full of nuanced detail and more buildup. |
inimJan 8, 2022 1:58 PM
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| One thing I didn’t note in my analysis. Cat, when talking about his mother’s death, stops himself when he starts saying “My mother killed” and shifts to her being killed in a car accident, suggesting that she committed suicide. Perhaps the two aren’t mutually exclusive - she may have killed herself in what they are calling a car accident. In any case, this makes more sense for why his father blamed him for her death and why Cat was so upset that his mother was hiding her feelings from him. Was wondering when that would come back. |
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whiteflame55 said: That's clearer in the English version than in the German sub I'm watching. In that edition, around 9:15 min Cat says: "Meine Mutter ist bei einem Un.. <break and cut> ... bei einem Unfall gestorben." (My mother has died in a an acc.. <break> has died in an accident). The half-sentence is simply continued here, but I felt this is not very true to the Japanese. The dramatic visual story telling and music told me otherwise. Thanks for the update, it seems the Geman translation is a bit lazy.Cat, when talking about his mother’s death, stops himself when he starts saying “My mother killed” and shifts to her being killed in a car accident, suggesting that she committed suicide. Perhaps the two aren’t mutually exclusive EDIT: There's of course the possibility to continue the noun "Un..." in more than one way e.g. Unglück. Which translates to misfortune, disaster, in the sense of an accident with more than one victim. I can't think of a suicide related continuation, which in English is easy to see with "killed herself". |
inimJan 8, 2022 2:28 PM
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inim said: whiteflame55 said: That's clearer in the English version than in the German sub I'm watching. In that edition, around 9:15 min Cat says: "Meine Mutter ist bei einem Un.. <break and cut> ... bei einem Unfall gestorben." (My mother has died in a an acc.. <break> has died in an accident). The half-sentence is simply continued here, but I felt this is not very true to the Japanese. The dramatic visual story telling and music told me otherwise. Thanks for the update, it seems the Geman translation is a bit lazy.Cat, when talking about his mother’s death, stops himself when he starts saying “My mother killed” and shifts to her being killed in a car accident, suggesting that she committed suicide. Perhaps the two aren’t mutually exclusive EDIT: There's of course the possibility to continue the noun "Un..." in more than one way e.g. Unglück. Which translates to misfortune, disaster, in the sense of an accident with more than one victim. I can't think of a suicide related continuation, which in English is easy to see with "killed herself". Very interesting. The translations are definitely having some effect on how this is perceived. The exact quote from the English version is "My mom kill-" he cuts off and restarts "Uh, she was killed. In an accident when I was four or five years old." I checked, and the Japanese version is virtually identical, though the English subs may inaccurately portray it. |
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| Hello, Episode 7. So this episode is all baout introducing Aktio formally and demonstrating his level of control over the Souma clan and zodiac members especially. When i said this show uses sex skilfully, a better word would have been intimacy. Akito drapes herself over all the male members, and keeps a male lover, Kureno, as a comfort, but doesn't want any of the rest of the zodiac to experience love, warmth and happiness for themselves and goes out of her way to prevent them from being happy. On Cat's mothers accident, I remember that he felt guilty about Tooru's mother's death when they were at the graveyard and acted strangely, was that because it reminded him of his mothers passing, or was it because that accident also killed Tooru's mother, and he feels associated guilt that his mother killed Tooru's mother? @inim i hadn't noticed that point, even though Akito is female none of the zodiac males turn into their animal. I think the Jade emperor theory may be spot on. Is Kureno the Rooster maybe? There's some hostility/bad blood between Dog, Akito and Kureno, but not from Kureno, he seems apathetic to his situation. This might explain why Akito uses every opportunity to embrace and draper herself over the zodica males, reminding them maybe that she's the only female that they can embrace and be intimate with. |
23feanorJan 9, 2022 2:52 AM
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If Episode 33 / 8 used Higurashi's structure, I'd call it the answer arc to question arc 32. A lot of issues hinted at last episode were either answered or refined, in particular:
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inimJan 9, 2022 8:26 AM
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| Alright, onto Episode 8. It seems as though this time at the beach house will yield quite a few dramatic interactions. With Rin now having met Tooru, even if only by accident (still unclear precisely why she transformed), Tooru has now met all but one of the Zodiac (aside from any other member who is outside the central twelve as is the Cat, though it's hinted that he's a unique case). With Kureno confirmed as the Rooster, the episode teased us with Tooru meeting him as well alongside Akito, though alas, that did not happen in this episode. Only a matter of time. If anyone is the focus of this episode, it's Rat. Still unclear what Akito said to him, though he said that whatever it was, it's "the truth." He also seems pretty hostile to Dog, which indicates that he knows Dog is working behind the scenes and may be aware that Akito is there because of his prodding. Also, coming off of the last episode, his words to Tooru seem to weigh on both of them a lot this episode, even if she's happy that he's being more open. We also get some indication of how he and Rin get along, which seems like very little, though she seems particularly hostile considering she tried to kick Tooru as a full-grown horse, something that almost certainly would have done significant harm to her. Speaking of which, it's interesting to see what sizes each of their transformations are. Her horse form is quite a bit bigger than her human one, whereas the rest of the Zodiac that we've seen so far are significantly smaller in their animal forms (excluding Cat's true form). Maybe the Tiger will eventually grow to full size, but for now, this is an outlier. It's unclear why Horse arrived at all on the scene, particularly as she doesn't want it known that she's there, especially by Ox. She was living with Boar and, presumably, her mother, but it's unclear what circumstances led her to that arrangement. It's largely still unclear why Akito came, though that may just be to rile things up in her own special way. The fact that she's requiring Cat to visit her after seeing Cat happy with Tooru on the beach indicates that she's using this opportunity to get to him as well, though even she sets him very much aside from the others referring to him as a monster who has deluded himself. Perhaps she aims to remove that delusion. Cat himself seems to be grappling with his inner demons, telling Tooru about his wristband's origins and how at least one life was sacrificed to keep the Cat in check. He wonders whether he's deserving of that sacrifice, and is reminded of it all the time as he's forced to wear that wristband all the time. Apart from that, we get a short scene with Akito and Ox. I get the impression that Ox, despite being much more mellow in these scenes, is putting on a front. Like Tooru doubles down on her bubbly attitude when she's upset, Ox doubles down on his withdrawn nature (or turns into his dark form and just lets everything out, perhaps to balance out that withdrawn aspect). A complex episode with a lot to take in. More to come, I'm sure, in the next episode. |
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| Hello, Hope you're all well. Had a busy day at the hospital having baby scans and consultant appointments, so nice to come back and chill with FB. Episode 8 and it looks from your comments that things are starting to get interesting. From Tooru's opening inner monologue, it seems she is now aware of the depth of Rat's feeling,even though he didn't openly confess his feelings. So now both Cat and Rat have had deep and meaningful moments with Tooru and she doesn't seem to be oblivious to these intimate moments either. Slowly but soundly building the momentum for the main love triangle to come later on. I'm not going add anything to the detailed reports above. Good episode. I noticed there's been a tone shift in the OST to reflect the increase and drama in the content. So we've met all the zodiac members now. Note worthy that Akito calls Tooru "that ugly creature"and referred to Rooster as insignificant and unworthy of being called a zodiac member since she collared him/put him under the thumb. Have a good day. |
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| Episode 34 / 9 is all about Cat. It begins and ends with inner monologue montages about how deep and desperately he's in love with Tooru. The middle part is a 1:1 conversation with Akito. It amounts to psychological torture, and Cat seems to be completely defenseless in her presence. Dog is tasked to take Cat to Akito's room. She opens by calling him "poor Bakemono" and questioning about their "bet". It's about beating Rat in a competition before Cat graduates. If he can win, he'll be accepted into the zodiac, if can't he'll be locked up for life. This explains a lot of Cat's past competitive and aggressive behavior towards Rat. Next topic is "you killed your mother". The dark and angsty atmosphere is visualized with reds, purples, blacks, shadows and tentacle like worms. Eventually Rat begs to stop, he is completely helpless in the fact of this psychological torture. After this Akito bashes Tooru, whom she calls a monster and a perfect match for the monster Cat is himself. The scene interrupted by a flashback to their scene that rainy night he turned into a monster. Another small act of resistance, because unlike before he doesn't speak out loud what is going on in his head. Tooru is a shield he successfully uses against Akito's brutal psycho torture, probably the first time that he has such a tool at hand. When directly asked whether he loves her, Cat manages to deny. This is the moment of maximum resistance he can pull off in this psychological onslaught Akito exposes him to. Eventually Akito starts to slap him and victimizes as injustly accused each time she abuses him. She isn't the villain - a perfect reversal of facts. The scene ends with Akito promising she will visit Cat once he is locked up. After the scene she washes her hands, telling Rat how disgusting it is to touch Cat. Then we have a flashback with Cat and Kazuma (foster dad) with the theme hope and resilience. Kazuma reminds Cat not to trample on a dandelion flower, representing hope and resilience. He gets angry and intentionally destroys it, but Kazuma tell him it will just recover and bloom again soon. Nice little pep talk. Back in the present, Cat runs home and has flashbacks about Tooru as a child and her mom (!). He finds Tooru at the beach, takes her hand (much to her pleasant surprise). More inner monologue about how much he loves her, and that he'll enjoy even the short time left for him with her (before imprisonment). Overall, an intense and emotionally straining episode. Cat is wax in Akito's hands, naked in the storm of her psycho attacks. Yet, his newly found love to Tooru makes him stronger than before.. "I protect you from the hooded claw, keep the vampires from your door." (FgtH). |
inimJan 10, 2022 1:34 PM
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