After fifty episodes of build-up, Fruits Basket’s re-adaptation is coming to a close in this shorter final season. The central storyline of the zodiac curse is yet to be resolved, and on top of that, a substantial cast of characters with their own plot threads have to be addressed. Thanks to this, the season’s pacing has been swift: character arcs have already been wrapped up and the curse plot point is slowly being chipped at. While some viewers might find this quickly paced resolution unfulfilling, I find that this has served as much needed relief of tension and that this season seems to be on track for a good (potentially great) ending.
Story – 8/10
The story has reached a logical narrative peak as of the end of season two. We know the ins and outs of the curse, we’ve met all the characters bound up in it, and Tohru has decided that she must rid the Sohma family of it. Akito, in contrast, has the opposite goal of maintaining the curse at all costs. As Tohru serves as the series protagonist, this inevitably casted Akito into the antagonist role. But just because somebody is an antagonist does not necessarily mean they are the villain. This season’s story has so far dedicated itself to exploring Akito and characters close to her, changing her position as the series’ antagonist and casting other characters (namely, Shigure and Kureno) into more unsavoury lights. I’m a big enthusiast of stories that aren’t afraid to blur the lines, and I think anybody interested in stories that explore multiple perspectives will enjoy the way Furuba: Final is progressing.
Art – 7.5/10
The art and animation has been smooth and well animated all season, with smart cuts and visual metaphors used to convey a lot of meaning (or story!) very quickly. Furuba has been doing this quite well throughout its entire run, and this last season has gone the extra mile. Both subtle and dramatic facial expressions and body movements have told us a lot about the mental state of characters. For instance, Tohru’s trademark crying has been used at effective moments this season, and Akito’s trademark rampages have gained new meaning with her story development. So, while the art and animation is often plain looking and static, when it needs to move and evoke emotion it usually successfully achieves this.
Sound – 7/10
Similar to art and animation, the sound design has been very solid but nothing particularly spectacular. Dramatic music has been well used in moments when there’s drama unfolding, which has been often this season, and a cheerful track plays at moments of resolution. I can’t really fault any of this, though I do wish there was more variety in the soundtrack. Where sound design is at its best is in the voice acting: particularly with characters like Shigure and Momiji, whose character development has been wonderfully reflected in the seiyuus performances.
Character – 9/10
And now we come to the juicy part of character. Certain characters, their behaviour, and their actions have been passionately discussed amongst fans this season. In order to remain spoiler free, I won’t discuss them in detail, but what I will say is this: the character development of Shigure, Kureno, and even Akito aligns with the tone the story development has taken. Actually, the tone Furuba has always had. That is, nothing is black and white. There are only shades of grey. And I cannot emphasise this enough. While all three of these characters have made awful decisions, they’ve made them in reaction to trauma, stress, and dumbly thought out logic. Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki, the show’s protagonists, have displayed the same behaviour. Tohru had a harebrained idea to live in a tent at one point and has trouble feeling and sharing negative emotions, Kyo physically lashes out at people (akin to Akito, in fact), while Yuki emotionally distances himself from people. Yet, we’ve seen that there is more to them than their flaws. Furuba’s character development has always focused on people as myriad, complicated, possessing layers. This multidimensionality is what makes Furuba’s characters stand out, and probably why fans have so avidly discussed characters and character development this season.
Enjoyment – 9/10
The end of every Furuba episode in seasons one and two left me enamoured, wanting to learn more about Tohru and the Sohma’s, and see how the story would progress. Furuba: Final has so far quenched this urge by addressing long developed issues with dramatic flair. Thanks to this, I have been highly enjoying it. It feels as if my fifty episode long investment has been worthwhile and I am keenly anticipating how the last six episodes will play out and finish the tale.
Overall – 8.5/10
There is still a lot to resolve and only six episodes left. While this may seem troubling, I think the season’s pacing and direction will at least sufficiently resolve all remaining issues. I have much faith, as the show’s staff have given us just under sixty episodes of wonderfully complex shoujo storytelling so far.
