It shouldn't come as a surprise that the re-adaptation of Fruits Basket under mangaka Natsuki Takaya's supervision aims to go far and beyond her own work, and now into Season 2, we're two-thirds of the way through of the complete manga adaptation, with the imminent finale of the soon-to-be Season 3, which will conclude the remainder as a whole.
As is what is known in Season 1, it was mostly a set-up between Tohru and the eventual reveals of the Soma family members according to their zodiacs. And if you'd think that Season 1 was already very emotionally mixed in happiness and some solemn moments, wait till Season 2 here blows the predecessor out of proportion, and definitely out of whatever we're thinking of how crude can Tohru's relationship with the Somas be manifested in such a way that the Soma Curse is pretty much a leading cause of enigma, and the fight for change is set in stone. Without further ado, let's dissect on what Season 2 here continues where Season 1 left off.
The Soma Family Holiday:
If you'd know the head god of the family Akito by now, she is more than just the figure of lashing hurts and defciencies, and there's a reason why even as a big family together, just her presence alone makes the family members shudder at their feet (except Hatori and Shigure). Furthermore, Tohru's first meeting with the zodiacs that we haven't seen and yet revealed in Season 1 only drives the exacerbation of the problem that is Akito. ANYTHING and everything is connected to her, and each member has severe consequences for disobeying the traditions of the family. And need I say that Tohru is NO exception to the rule?
Inter-Family Romance:
Anyone who've watched Fruits Basket by now should know that the romance/relationship part is pretty much taboo in the Soma Family, and that at least we saw the many scars that drive the intention of a god that wants to "command and conquer" the family, and let no one control it from the outside. One example this season showed is the complex relationship between Hatsuharu and Isuzu "Rin", and if you'd thought that what Akito conflicted and wrestled control of Hatori concerning his failed-and-broken relationship in Season 1, you ain't seen nothing just yet. The only way to best experience the sheer horror of Akito is to watch it yourself, because that's how we can relate with the travesty of a control freak that's desiring to have more control over the family until what's left of them are empty husks of emotionless hearts. That is easily a summed up personalition of character development for everyone concerned.
The centre Trio: Kyo, Tohru and Yuki
Fruits Basket, for its entirety, focuses mainly on the centre trio that we've come to expect from the beginning, but what is shown in Season 2 here, really can't be drawn in comparison to how Season 1 has very uniquely set-up a give-or-take function between the two chads and one girl. Think with me on this: a family to love, and a family to care about. While Tohru has been with the both of them every step of the way, this season expands upon their character development and directs them to a new path of light, wherever they chose to shine, like it or not. The biggest revelation is how both chads see Tohru each in their individual light, and that is easily one of the game-changers of the entire Fruits Basket manga. What do I really mean from all of these, you'd have to watch to find out, because this is a very spoiler-heavy section that I won't divulge!
School Life - Student Council:
Without a doubt the singularity of the season itself, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki brace through school, but in a totally different mindset. Kyo is the same as always, but Yuki being the popular figure in school and landing himself into the Student Council, things start to change amidst the drab atmosphere. Nothing is full of bed and roses for similar characters, and there'll be outcasts in the process (just like how we've seen Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima fuse together with Tohru, becoming BFFs in Season 1). One such character is the mysterious Machi Kuragi, and this is where Yuki, in a nutshell, manages to find his solace within her for being similar in their parental upbringings. All I can say is, there is truth in wine, and for the valiant efforts to reach out and save someone from despair, Yuki is one character that has outpaced his character growth and begun to change his life from the inside out.
That's all for pretty much what Season 2 had in content, and Season 1's set-up was magnificently done for a wonderful follow-up for the issues and situations left in store to build up to the finale season that's coming very soon.
In other aspects of the show, Fruits Basket sure knows how to have good songs that are approporiate for the measures that this re-adaptation run has dealt with. Great double set of OP/EDs for this seasonal run, though I'd much prefer the mellow EDs more in contrast to the OP pairings. The art style has basically been the same for the most part with TMS Entertainment and subsidiary 8Pan's bright and lush environment that is still gorgeous to look at, no shit Sherlock here.
If I have to commend anything about Season 2, is it character development truly takes up a notch as compared to when Tohru and Co. first started out being strangers-turned-friends. The amount of vibrancy of each and every one of the characters has improved, and hopefully they can be reconciled by the end of Season 3.
An exemplary follow-up to Season 1, and I honestly can't wait for Season 3 to drop soon in the future to wrap up the entire series to close the entire Fruits Basket conjecture for satisfaction.
