#fruits basket meta

[triptychgrip]

Especially when you consider how carefree Ayame seems, it's easy to forget just how horrible his/Yuki's parents are.

Upon my recent rewatch of the 2019 reboot, I was thinking about that scene from season 1, when Momiji gifts Tohru a visit to an onsen for White Day, and she and Yuki have a little heart-to-heart outside. This is right after he leaves the scene where Tohru makes an epic miss on that ping-pong shot from Kyo, and Yuki feels bad about laughing in front of her, so he goes outside to do it.

When she kindly says "you could have laughed in front of me", he replies by saying "I've never even laughed like this in front of my parents".

Just think about how devastating that is, and the level of emotional repression that that implies about Yuki...a teenager has never been able to laugh uninhibitedly and act carefree in front of his parents? To the extent that when he sees his friend make a hilarious miss in a game of ping pong, he feels the need to go and hide his true joy/light-heartedness (of course, I'm sure part of it was due to him not wanting to hurt Tohru's feelings, but I don't think that would have been the full story)?

At this point in the season, we've already seen how others perceive Yuki as closed-off, but it's too simplistic to blame this solely on the curse, because as we grow to understand, the curse is actually a vehicle for emotional isolation. And not just for Yuki but several others as well. It's not just that Yuki and the other Sohmas are closed off from members of the opposite sex...they're closed off from everyone, by way of Akito's manipulation and the understanding that if anyone got to know their true selves, that they'd be "sickened". When in reality, the sight of Yuki's true smile is one that makes Tohru so curious to learn more about the "hidden" sides of him.

It's just truly heartbreaking to think about.

[lamelinam]

There is only one, one thing that Ren did well in regards to Akito, and it was speaking the words that would make her daughter face reality for the first time in her life. (When in the past, she would always shrink and cover her ears to protect herself from the truths she didn't want to hear.)

It is that exclamation from the heart that Akito found herself agreeing on, when I believe that she would have, had rejected Shigure's telling her of the same.

And I wonder if it is because, as much as Akito hates Ren, she also cannot deny that Ren loves Akira and that they share the same grief and denial of his death. That Ren more than anyone else would have wanted to believe the box was not empty.

It is that surprise and pain, I believe, that allows for the first time mother and daughter to be united, here in shared grief and disappointment.

Ren destroyed that box, the recipient of Akito's delusions, and for the first and probably last time in her life, helped her daughter.

[cinderella-ish]

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

[celestialastronmy]

It seems like people are always saying that the main character, Tohru, is boring because she's just there for us to project ourselves onto, without any real personality of her own. But that's just not true.

Sure, she comes across as really kind and upbeat at first glance. But there's so much more to her than just being a "good girl". Her past taught her how to be resilient after going through struggles that would break most people her age. And her care for others comes from truly understanding what we all need - compassion in a world that can be so cruel.

The critics only see surface things and stereotypes instead of who Tohru really is as a person. She connects with each member of the Sohma family not by trying to save them, but by appreciating their humanity above all else. Tohru grows not through angst or ambition, but by finding her self-worth through the family she chose.

Saying she doesn't matter is like saying the heart of the story doesn't matter. These stories thrive not just on drama, but on showing us that love and acceptance can heal even the deepest wounds. Tohru shows us this by building such deep bonds and inspiring so much growth in everyone around her.

At first look she might seem plain, but Tohru offers a nuanced portrayal of finding purpose through caring for others. Her character resonates because it conveys such meaningful messages about family, forgiveness, and unconditional care for all people through kindness rather than dramatics alone.

[mrsmarymorstan]

YenPress are publishing the anime-inspired illustration books Takaya made in English, and on the one hand I already own all 3 in Japanese and so do not need it. On the other hand, I know with my whole soul that I am going to buy this anyway....

[ghostietea]

I waffle between thinking the fandom is misinterpreting things and thinking it's a writing fault but I find the way people talk about furubana Akito so so odd.

"Akito's family outside the zodiac would be mad at her because of the domestic abuse" WRONG Akito's family outside the zodiac got upset because she came out as a girl and said they couldn't lock a human person in kitty cat jail anymore. The idea that Akito is some poor baby who has suffered enough because the whole Sohma clan is being mean to her and her son because of the horrible shit she did in just Does Not line up with og Furuba. The family outside the zodiac did not unanimously hate Akito for being abusive she was actively encouraged and enabled to act that way and at the end of Furuba she receives pushback for trying to change things for the better! Outside the ex-cursed Akito would be a pariah for actively pushing back against tradition and bringing about the end of the curse and be accused of destroying the family or something NOT for the way she was literally conditioned from birth to behave by that very family. Take the old maid who, I feel like, should be treated not as a single evil advisor corrupting Akito (especially since she herself has been conditioned by the larger Sohma culture), but as a representative of the Sohma clan system and attitudes of its' more traditional members. With this angle, I think we can use the way she sees Akito as a good estimate of how Akito is widely seen and she, at the end, explicitly states displeasure in Akito changing for the better because she's going against the family's corrupt values.

Now, there's two ways to take Furubana Akito: 1. Akito's guilt is being weaponized against her by people that don't like the changes she made so they can hurt her without retaliation, something which lines up with the reading of the Sohma clan as cultish if not an outright cult, encouraging people to do horrible things and then using their guilt against them is a very common cult control tactic and one that has basis in the series as characters' guilt repeatedly factors into keeping them in line. We also have the fact that the faceless people who hate Akito are grouped together with Ren, and in og Furuba Ren's supporters were more critical of Akito so it lines up that they may be in league with her. You could potentially see this as an extension of Ren trying to render Akito unwilling to fight back against her abuser.

However, the reading that the fandom seems to take (and the ones I think was probably intended) is that Akito is legitimately being hurt as a response to her bad actions which... Doesn't sit right with me if that's the intention. In a way I can see why Takaya might have done it: creating stand ins for people in the audience that hate Akito being reformed, faceless people who were not her victims but still want her to be punished and suffer forever but I honestly think it cheapens Akito's original arc in favor of taking a shot at bad faith readers. Part of what is powerful about og endgame Akito is that she is defying the will of the system that used her as its weapon even though she knows she'll face disapproval and will not win back the zodiac as a reward. She is going against everything she's ever been taught because it's the right thing to do knowing it's going to be hard. She is pushing back against those who want her to be the horrible person she was before, switching the script to have her detractors all be people mad at her for that bad stuff doesn't hit. Portraying Akito as someone who's just so put down by people mad at her for the bad stuff she did and centering discussion on why she's good now on her being a good mom while ignoring a major facet of her reformation that helped show her character does her a disservice.

[someoneoffthestreet]

Musing on the title Fruits Basket:

The title itself seems to come from a story Tohru tells about when she was a young child, where her class was playing a game called “Fruit Basket”, and all the children were given fruit names, like apple, banana, and so on, but the boys in Tohru’s class liked to bully her and assigned her “rice ball”. Tohru then waited for “rice ball” to be called with the other fruits, so that she would be able to join in the fun with the other kids, but this obviously did not happen. Tohru then concludes that there was never any room for a rice ball in a fruit basket.

With this in mind, the title seems to touch on the “othering” that occurs consistently throughout the series. Every character in the main cast, to some degree, sees themselves as the odd-one-out or an outsider, and react to that in different ways. The idea of pushing an individual out of a circle, so that the rest of the circle can feel closer together at the individual’s expense, but deep down they all fear that they, too, could be pushed out at any moment, and all the ways that can mess with the group’s cohesion and stability. Scapegoating only leads to projection of one’s own insecurities, and eventually the whole thing falls apart.

So instead, the “rejects” form their own fruit basket: if there’s no room for a rice ball in it, then they make room. True healing only comes from true acceptance, and just as their reactions to exclusion are individual, so too is their road to acceptance and a better life. But as long as they can learn to cohabitate, no one has to be pushed out. No one has to be excluded or scapegoated. There’s room for the rice ball.

[drgeoduck]

Ao3 searching is stupid and bad

So, the way that fandoms work on ArchiveOfOurOwn is that if there are multiple different continuities of a particular fandom, each of those continuities is given a separate fandom tag. Which is useful for fandoms where there are significant differences between continuities. This is particularly useful in American comics, where the various incarnations of Batman can be wildly different from each other. For instance, someone looking for a fanfic about the gritty dystopian 1980s Frank Miller Batman might not be too keen about a fic based on the 1960s Adam West TV Batman. They are tonally very different creatures.

In the fandom I've posted in most, Fruits Basket, there are three tags: Fruits Basket (manga), Fruits Basket (2019 anime), and Fruits Basket (2001 anime). Now the thing about Fruits Basket is that, relatively speaking, the two anime adaptations don't really diverge much at all from the original manga. And in my 20+ years in the fandom, I've never heard anyone complain ever about a fanfic being based on the anime--whereas they were looking for one based on the manga.

But there are the three fandom tags. And because there are three fandom tags, it is literally impossible to do a search of all Fruits Basket stories on Ao3 without doing multiple search. "Or" searches are not a thing, it's "And" only. At time of writing, there are 4035 Fruits Basket stories: I figured that out by searching all "Fruits Basket (manga)", then searching all "Fruits Basket (2019 Anime)" but excluding "Fruits Basket (Manga)", then finally searching "Fruits Basket (2001 Anime)" but excluding both of the other tags. Using the main manga tag would bring back over 90% of the stories, but it would exclude 263 stories that lacked it.

Additionally, it makes the "exclude crossovers" practically useless: if I exclude crossovers on Fruits Basket manga, it excludes all of the Anime-tagged stories, even if they weren't crossed over with any non-FB fandoms.

So, if I try to improve the odds of people looking for FB stories to find mine by using all three tags, anyone who excludes crossovers (as I frequently do myself) will never find it.

By having three fandom tags, Ao3 has fixed a non-existent problem, but caused many others in its stead. I'd almost be tempted to run for the OTW board on a platform of tag reform--though in comparison to other things that the OTW does, tags being crappy is extremely small potatoes.

But tags are and remain crappy. And until there is some sort of reform, Ao3 searches will remain stupid and bad.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

About Archons;

*Be careful for the spoilers for Dendro and Electro Archon and Others*

I found the concept of archons such as wisdom, eternity etc and the way its presented in story, pretty interesting.

For example, you would think Sumeru is wisdom of city so their people would be full of wisdom but then, thats not case really. Actually, it looks opposite of wisdom, here.

Apperantly, adults in Sumeru cant dream because they believe dreams or false hope might ruin their ability to think logically. Even though;

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” (Albert Einstein.)

And people of Sumeru tend to not think by theirselves because they believes Akasha group will think for them anyway.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”  (Albert Einstein).

Even though, intelligence and wisdom is all about imagination and thinking things for yourself to the point not just questioning other people’s beliefs but also your own beliefs too.

So its not surprising that Dendro archon is associate with the power to make people dream things. Because imagination is important concept for wisdom. (Btw, i kinda feel sorry for Lesser Lord Kusanali, she deserves better.).

Also i like the legend about the man who looks for Dendro Archon, he looks for the wisdom and wants Archon to tell him to solve his problems but then, eventually he finds the answer by himself,

“I do not teach anyone. I only provide the environment in which they can learn”  (Albert Einstein)

With the effort of his journey. You dont need someone to tell you all answers, you can find the answer too in right environment. Because power of wisdom is always with you.

This also reminds me of Ei’s storyline. Ei is a character who really reminds me of Sohma Akito from Fruits Basket since their storyline seems similar but its presented better in here.

As Eternity Archon, her idea of eternity was things should always be the same, never change, eternity but later, we learn that thats not the case besides her Ei’s journey. First Electro Archon shows that eternity is ‘Eternity extends time into infinity. Dream illuminate each moment within’ that actually, eternity is not things never changing, things are always changing but all that change, every moment that happens is eternity by itself by its existence. Its just very ironic.

Just like the Cryo Archon who is kind,warm but also become cold like cryo/snow and who also symbolise peace and thats all she wants but she brings war to the world or maybe, she is fighting against the problem that already existed.

Anyway, i really enjoy especially those parts of stories and its really interesting to think about it.

[psy-ay-ay]

shigure talking to kazuma about him forcing kyo's true form and tohru to see that.

at first he thinks something like 'oh you too are leaving everything to her' thinking of his own plan with akito. this seems important with the following lines 'he might break for good this time. he may come to despise even you. he may never smile at you again. are you willing to bet on such long odds?'

i feel like some part of shigure is also talking about himself and his plan, like he is asking himself these questions or trying to get some vague validation of his plan from kazuma who i think he really respects

[velvetineblue]

things your muse will notice about mine. ( repost, don't reblog. )

what they look like : although his personal style tends toward a darkness ( sometimes even a slight-grungy, purposely disheveled aesthetic? ) , I'd say he's still notably, in contrast, pretty. elegant, 'princely'. catlike, feline... definite pretty boy vibes asjajj. he's lanky; long legs, pianists' hands, thin spindly fingers that can't hide the delicate skeletal structure that lies beneath our skins. slender and sleek rather than broad. but he's very physically active, so muscular definition is apparent, though carried on a lightweight frame. some other notable, distinctive features is he has a prominent nose & prominent dark eyebrows, very defined cheekbones, and sharp canine teefies. he's naturally smirky, with a dry/sardonic expression, sharp observant cat-like eyes, and tends to radiate a sort of devil-may-care casual confidence, with an undertone of mischief .

what they smell like : the shampoo/conditioner & soaps he uses tend to be tea tree, yuzu scented, a little minty, and very-lightly-citrus scents: clean, bright, white... natural, but I feel, almost, medicinal?? but like in a 'traditional medicine' sort of way. there's usually a little bit of product in his hair, so there may be a hint of that modern, polished smell when leaning in close. and he has a habit of chewing cinnamon flavored gum when bored/nervous/etc/all-the-time so there is a undertone of cinnamon & spice from the gum chewed & kept in his pockets . when he wears cologne, he likes sort of fresh scents; things that hearken back to wind-blown laundry left outside on the line to dry; the ocean breeze; an open meadow ... but, he will wear stronger, darker scents with a hint of sharp SPICE in the fragrance notes, for special occasions... like a date night, or something else where you want to leave a strong IMPRESSION .

what they taste like : cinnamon, a little sweet & a little spicy. ( see above~ ^ )

what they sound like : rich and deep and warm, like pouring thick velvety honey. less smooth and more hoarse/raspy when he raises his voice (or is otherwise emotionally affected) . but most of the time, his voice is calm, relaxed... i use his rl faceclaim as his voiceclaim, but i also really love haru from fruit's baskets TONE as an example of how he speaks; very chill and unbothered. quite frank and deadpan, but not ( usually ) unfriendly & cold?? i wish there were more clips i could share to exemplify it !! if there was, i would maybe even consider using dub haru as his voiceclaim bc HE'S SO TAI-CODED IS2FUCJAS. but yeah. there are not many clips out there, so you just gotta watch furuba ok. JUST DO IT !!

what they feel like : sharp. angular. he feels at best like the cool touch of silk on your skin or the cool side of the pillow. the comfort of ice soothing your dry throat on a hot day. he's not soft to the touch and he can't be your heavy weighted blanket of a lover, either. he's not soft like flower petals; and he's not pure muscle and sinew that signifies strength. he's human, warm pumping blood and bone; a lot of bones; angles and edges that you adjust around in the bed in order to cuddle comfortably. an imperfect creature, but when he holds you tight against him, you feel loved so deeply, to the core, the way that only something flawed and empathetic in their flaws can feel.

tagged by : no-one, i stole it, i am a criminal mastermind xoxo tagging : @yaoogui & @wingached & @ofgentleresolve ( for any muses you want !! ) and STEAL IT !!! i wanna read it for all the muses on my dash ... for science.

[red-elric]

The story introduces shigure As a smart person, aware of the zodiac trauma, but after the cliff incident, and Akito's mental breakdown, he appears meditating and tells Hattori that he's a little remorseful, I mean, do you think he's swept into his hatred and exaggerated his manipulation?

controversial take: i tend to view shigure as fundamentally a decent guy, or at least someone with good intentions. that doesn't necessarily mean i think he should get everything he wants or that he should like, be allowed near akito, but i have a hard time hating him like the modern fandom seems to. to me, shigure's biggest flaw is his refusal to listen to anyone else's advice. it also makes him super interesting, but i really get this air from him that he thinks he's always right, that he's smarter and more enlightened than everyone else (ESPECIALLY within the zodiac, but we see it in his interactions with mayu, tohru, and mitsuru too) and, as such, the advice of others is trivial or boring to him. that refusal to listen effectively means that he's creating a bit of an echo chamber of his own ideas; if he only listens to himself, he's going to snowball into some fucked up shit, basically. it also means that the only way he knows how to learn is from his own mistakes. while learning from your mistakes can be an effective teacher, it's also definitely a messy one that can be misinterpreted to hell and back without decent guidance.... and that's how we get shigure. i think it's very relevant that shigure's the oldest among the zodiac (older than akito, too); a lot of the zodiac have sort of a role model to look up to (and for a lot of them, that role model is shigure! especially those disatisfied with the curse, who see him as the one who defied akito and moved out of the main house, manipulating her into letting him take yuki with him...... for kids like haru, rin, and ofc yuki himself shigure is a very powerful and inspiring person to be around); shigure never had that sort of influence, and as such had to look put for himself. he's manipulative because that's the only way to survive interacting with akito, without someone at your side looking out for you. i wouldn't call him hateful, but spiteful--and he's spiteful because he knows he's had a rough lot in life as a zodiac, and he's disatisfied with it. i think he did love akito, in a way.... but to be honest, i'm not sure how much of it was true love and how much was him refusing to believe he could be controlled by the curse and rationalizing his compulsion towards her as his own love, rather than the dog's love for god. certainly, his relationship with her is warped beyond recognition in the thick of the manga, and not healthy from either end.

i'd like to think, though, that he does have a concience; there's even evidence to prove it, with how he interacts with the kids :,) there are so many sweet, genuine moments between him and tohru that i can't imagine he doesn't care about her, and i think when she got hurt he was a little devastated over it, and felt somewhat responsible. as much as he likes to shift blame, he sees himself as a puppetmaster manipulating akito and the zodiacs towards ending the curse; i think he would feel some level of responsibility over the actions that led to tohru getting hurt, and i think that's why he seems remorseful about it towards the end of the manga. i doubt he'd make different choices knowing what could happen if he had the chance to go back and do it again, but i think he feels a little guilty about it for sure. i think, though, that it would take akito leaving him for good for him to truly reflect on himself and change the way he treats people....... not canon in takaya's world, but in mine i think it is 😤 they're better off without each other in the long run :,)

[moobyweed]

At least as it's portrayed in the anime, Akito's season 3 arc reads much more like a trans guy being pressured back into the closet to earn people's approval than it does like someone who genuinely wishes to be a woman. In this essay, I will-

[cinderella-ish]

Yuki, Kakeru, and the boyhoods they never had

So, I was talking with my partner the other day about how Kakeru and Yuki are always touching each other (one of many reasons they're the most popular non-canonical furuba pairing on Ao3). Anyway, it got me thinking-- if we don't read all this physical contact as necessarily romantic, what are some other possible explanations? An examination:

When Yuki first meets Kakeru, he immediately gets up in his face talking about his favorite Super Sentai character, then walks him out of the student council office with an arm around his neck, despite Yuki's obvious discomfort.

When Kakeru puts a hand on his shoulder soon after, he teases Yuki about his feminine features. Yuki bats his hand away and decides he already hates Kakeru.

In Kakeru's next appearance, he puts a hand on Yuki's shoulder, removing it when Yuki gives him a death glare.

When Kakeru stays behind that day to needle Yuki about Tohru, Yuki is the one to initiate touch this time. This leads to the two of them sharing a moment of vulnerability and the true beginning of their friendship. Kakeru putting his thumbs up on Yuki's shoulder is also a change to the way he's touched Yuki before - it's perhaps a bit more comfortable for Yuki, who's reacted negatively to all touch from Kakeru before this. Kakeru's communicating in his own way that he'll try and consider Yuki's needs from now on.

Next, we have the Kyoto trip, in which Yuki is still not fully comfortable with Kakeru (shown by his embarrassment when he tells Kakeru they wouldn't be friends anymore), but is starting to consider him a friend and spend time with him intentionally. We also have some sweet moments like this exchange between Haru and Kakeru, which Kakeru takes very seriously.

After this, Yuki finally learns (some of) Kakeru's backstory when he goes to help Kakeru clean up after Machi destroyed the student council office again. Yuki gets context for why Kakeru is the way that he is, learns about the successorship conflict, and then tries out some Kakeru chaos for himself. We also see Yuki initiate touch for the third time. I think this episode is where the real shift in their relationship happened. Yuki sees that there's a wisdom to Kakeru that he wasn't seeing without that context of Kakeru's oppressive childhood-- something to which Yuki can relate all too well. In a way, Kakeru's impulsiveness and sense of fun is his own way of either reclaiming or living out the childhood he didn't get to have, along with other traits like his love of Super Sentai.

And now, a brief aside.

We see pretty clearly that the other three cursed Sohma boys around Yuki's age are all pretty comfortable interacting with each other physically. Kyo will roughhouse with Haru and give Momiji noogies, Momiji will hug or lean on both Kyo and Haru. These sorts of interactions began when they were young boys, and are pretty typical of boys through adolescence. Yuki, being shut in a room with Akito or alone, didn't get to have that experience of boyhood. All his physical interactions with Kyo are negative, and his physical interactions with Momiji are neutral-ish (Momiji jumps on him at the culture festival, Yuki dabs his tears in Kisa's first episode, and Yuki scolds Momiji a handful of times). (Aside within the aside: while Haru sometimes reciprocates the affection from Momiji or rough play from Kyo, he clearly has a special way of physically interacting with Yuki in the T-shape and shirt pinch, or the stroking of his chin, etc..., and he initiates touch with Yuki much more often than with the other two, likely because he noticed that as one more thing Yuki was missing out on and wanted to include him in a way that would be comfortable for him.)

So when Kakeru tells Yuki about his childhood, and Yuki gets stuck in the storage room later that episode and has a flashback to his own terrible childhood, he's already primed to open up to Kakeru about his own childhood and to start looking at the world more like Kakeru does.

So, after that day, their friendship becomes much more physical. Yuki no longer bats away Kakeru's hand and even initiates touch more often. They roughhouse and Kakeru often puts his arm around Yuki in a gesture of affection. To me, it's a way of reclaiming those experiences they didn't get to have in their childhood-- especially the type of friendships neither of them got to form when they were younger.

[squish-o-blair]

So I got bored and decided to compile all the lore revealed in the Sonic Twitter Takeovers.

I've highlighted in Green stuff that could be (or is) canon to the games (AKA stuff that's canon, isn't contradicted in canon, or isn't some meta joke), in red is stuff that definitely isn't canon, and the rest you can make your own decision on.

-This is just regular lore but "Ivo" in "Ivo Robotnik" is pronounced "Evo" it's supposed to sound like "evil"

-Eggman is a PC gamer

-Eggman might not be able to swim

-Eggman is in smash he's just super hard to unlock

-Eggman wants to take over the world because "It's Friday" (in other words it's implied that most Sonic games take place or at least START on a Friday.)

-Eggman can't get any bitches

-Eggman works out

-The Sega Saturn is Eggman's favorite Sega console

-Eggman's a fan of old show tunes and lullabies

-There's an Eggman empire lot in North Hollywood

-Eggman has a cat he calls "Biggy Wiggy"

-Eggman is fan of Tokyo Ghoul and Chainsaw Man

-Eggman is Youtuber Cobanermani456's father

-The Egg Pawns have names (one is named Fred)

-Eggman and Sonic hang out sometimes

-Sonic and Eggman are both streamers

-Roger Craig Smith is a fake alias used by Sonic

-Sonic shares a universe with Assassin's Creed and Sonic and Eggman once kidnapped Ezio

-Sonic's a shitty gamer

-Sega is Sonic's agent

-The Sega Genesis is Sonic's favorite Sega console

-Sonic's a fan of Mongolian throat singing

-Sonic is salty about reviewers who continue to bring up Sonic 06

-Sonic's favorite Sonic games are Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric and Sonic Frontiers

-Sonic's favorite movie is Chao in Space (even though he hasn't seen it)

-Tails hacked Eggman's Twitter account (which eggman stole from Sonic) via a "lonley robots in your area" virus

-Tails is a My Hero Academia fan

-Tails is fucking ripped

-Tails is a pro among us gamer

-All their gloves stay clean because of a special polymer that Tails made

-Tails is an Acapella fan

-it took Shadow until the aftermath of Forces to find the damn 4th Chaos emerald

-Shadow only uses Android phones

-Shadow is a Breaking Bad fan

-Shadow has killed a real life person and plans to kill more

-The Dreamcast is Shadow's favorite Sega Console

-Shadow's a fan of classic rock

-Shadow is a fan of anime (specifically Kill La Kill)

-Shadow eats coffee beans raw with a spoon

-Shadow is good friends with Big and Knuckles (more-so than Sonic)

-Shadow hates Capitalism

-Shadow donates his rings to charity

-Shadow shops at a convenience store named "Maria" and feels like if he can support some Maria out there, then he feels like he's making the world a better place

-Shadow has a soft spot for kittens and wants to open a cat orphanage

-Shadow's favorite movie is Chao in Space 3 (which he features in)

-Shadow is a fan of Infinite's theme

-Shadow writes poetry

-Shadow and Maria ordered pizza on the ARK that came from Earth

-Doom's eye is still alive, him and Shadow occasionally go out for dinner

-Shadow is the living embodiment of drip

-Shadow very heterosexually hypes up Knuckles a lot

-Shadow specifically tried to keep Sonic away from him during the final boss of SA2 because he knew Sonic would've fell to Earth too if he tried to rescue him

-Despite all the issues Shadow has with Sonic's methods and morals, he doesn't hate him

-Shadow is a bad cook

-Shadow is (or will be) legally married to @/RealShadowFan01 on Twitter

EDIT: the wedding's off :(

-Shadow is panromatic/pansexual

-Shadow volunteers at soup kitchens

-The Shadow Dark Chao seen in promo art and the IDW comics does in fact belong to Shadow

-Shadow and Amy are both huge Taylor Swift fans

-Amy's favorite Sonic game is Sonic Heroes

-Amy is a Fruits Basket fan

-Amy still visits Little Planet and makes jewelry out of gems found in Quartz Quadrant

-Knuckles collects rocks that look like animals

-Knuckles is a Lizzo fan

-Knuckles, Cream, and Vanilla are big One Punch Man fans

-Chaos Control is activated by literally just holding the emerald and shouting "chaos control" that's it, anyone can do it.

-On the Planet Wisp, Hide and Seek is called "Don't be seen or perish" and whoever gets found is tossed into the volcano on Planet Wisp

-Yaker died once

-They physically can't take their gloves off

-The Sonic OVA is canon

-Mean Beans are living beings

-Grounder is canon

-Metal Sonic is a series of multiple robots and not just one that gets repaired each time (this probably isn't canon anymore)

-Infinite is still alive

-Infinite occasionally sends Eggman gay Sonadow porn

-Charmy runs a thrift store

-The stone tablet in Frontiers translates to sonic version of the Bee Movie script

-Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Shadow, all work in an unknown office somewhere

Things that exist in Sonic Universe (all of these could be red. You decide man idk):

-Twitter

-All forms of Sonic media (including games, comics, and TV shows) (they're retellings of Sonic's stories)

-Summer of Sonic

-Sonic Stadium

-Sega

-Undertale the game (and specifically Sans as a fictional character) and Toby Fox

-Game Grumps (specifically Jontron era)

-Tootsie pops (big day for tootsie pop Sonic fans)

-The Macarena

-Twitch

-Sonic songs (Escape from the City, Live and Learn, E.G.G.M.A.N., Believe in Myself, Infinite, and Vandelize are mentioned by name or referenced.)

-Cobanermani456

-Hulu

-Tyson Hesse

-Super Smash Bros (both as an event AND an in universe video game)

-SiivaGunner and GilvaSunner

-Hyper Potions

-Crush 40

-San Diego

-Apple

-Sega HARDlight

-Breaking Bad

-Sonadow porn

-Spike Chunsoft

-The Danganronpa Games (or at least V3)

-Etika

-North Hollywood

-Kill la Kill

-regular ass cats (not like Blaze, just normal real life cats) (also regular dogs)

-Alpharad

-Jacksepticeye

-Patreon

-Youtube

-Xbox

-Playstation

-Nintendo Switch

-The Completionist

-Gushers

-The "you know I had to do it to em" meme

-Tokyo Ghoul

-My Hero Academia

-Global Giving

-St. Jude

-Extra Life

-Hot Topic

-What does the Fox say

-Tee Lopes

-Tyler Smyth

-Sam's Procastionation Station

-Elsie Fisher

-Barry Kramer

-RubberNinja

-Sonamy fans

-Caddicarus

-Mario

-Among Us

-Colleen O'Shaughnessy

-Youtube

-Fadel Gamescage

-Lizzo

-Taylor Swift

-Elon Musk (implied)

[mrsmarymorstan]

Was apparently having a Completely Normal One (TM) about Fruits Basket this year xD

(My favourite of the OPs/EDs is actually Eden? Which came in at #6?)