Fruits Basket Season 2 Ep 9 UNCUT REACTION

To put it simply the reason why they stay is because of tradition. He has the high power and it’s not just magic but if everyone know that he Is like a god figure, even if he’s a dick, bc of tradition and how it’s been for years and years, they have to put up with it.

Kiki Varas

So pretty much Akito has been in Kyo’s head from probably some of his first-ever memories. Kyo has been told literally his entire life by everyone that he is disgusting, a monster, an outcast, someone who doesn’t belong and shouldn’t exist. He, and all of the other Zodiacs, have also been told that Akito is the head of the family and they have to obey him for their entire lives as well, and when you’ve been told something repeatedly by pretty much all of the adults in your life, you start to believe it. That’s why he can’t escape, that’s why he can’t disobey Akito.

David Butt

This episode is one of my favorites, ngl. I liked how they show the progress in Kyo finally confronting his emotions and feelings towards Tohru even though that came from something bad and forced by manipulation. Also, sprinkles new information about his past and connection with Kyoko and Tohru as a child. Although he realizes, it is very sad since he accepts that being with her will never be possible, he accepts his fate in a way because of the control that Akito holds over the members and their inability to confrontation that comes from not only the constant abuse and lack of social maturity but also of the family pressure and other things also related. I understand the frustration in a way but I disagree with the 'lack of information". Although it is not fully explained yet, every time that Akito is present in the story thus far, you have a new angle and piece of what is going on. We know he is terrible and abusive, but not only that, he actually has control, that behavior is not the same towards everyone from the zodiac and it is more prominent in some situations. Those points may not give you a clear understanding of why or the full picture but it is building the terrain and giving you the pieces so the drop will not be out of nowhere. Also, this story is very driven by character development and growth, so you will experience the plot and get the answers of everything but those will be given following the pace and realization of themselves as well. I like the discussion and the point of view in this episode, keep them coming :)

Liuzetz

i relate to growing up with an abusive family member so to me the question "why are they all obeying akito?" or "why are they letting him control them and letting him abuse them?" never bothered me because that's pretty much how abuse happens in real life. even if you take away the magical reason for them obeying akito, it's an accurate depiction of abuse and manipulation. i have been on both sides and i know how it feels questioning that because when you don't know how it feels being abused by your family it just seems odd to stay in an abusive family when you could simply not listen and leave right? however the reality is far more complex than that and there's a lot of psychology behind it. i can get why someone watching this would be like " this doesn't make sense, they could just not let akito abuse them" especially when you have not experienced these types of situations but for someone who has experienced abuse it makes total sense and it's relatable. all experiences are different, but it's still a realistic way to portray abuse and manipulation. i think that's also why i gravitated so much toward the show and i related so much to it.

bea

i appreciate Carson for always crafting up theories and questioning a lot of things but I think sometimes you just have to let the story roll. the author is dropping little hints of mystery to keep you engaged and those mysteries will eventually get revealed, you just have to take it as it is and trust the process. this is not like a 5 season show where the mystery is just dragged on and on, there's the rest of this season and then season 3 is the finale that has like 13 eps so I personally never felt like the mystery was being dragged out. also, keep in mind that this is a character-driven story, the plot is tied in with the characters but this is essentially mostly about the journey the characters are embarking on so if you care more about the plot than the characters it probably wouldn't be the type of show i'd recommend to you. I get your complaints and it's interesting to get a different perspective but to me, it kind of sounds like you want all the answers to your questions right away so I kind of fail to see it as an issue with the show or how it's written but more like a personal preference. it's like watching a mystery show and being annoyed that all the mysteries are not being solved immediately. I understand why it can get annoying trust me but your questions will be answered eventually. this ep is big for kyo's character, and I agree with Linday's perspective on both relationships. as always, great discussion guys. even if I don't always agree with all of your takes I like the fact that both of you bring a different perspective to the show. :)

bea

Carson seems really annoyed with anything akito related xD

Majo

i'd say the reason people stay is because they're born into it. when you're born into an oppressive family or power structure it's very hard to leave. if you're raised from birth to think that the abuse you're facing is justified in some way, then you'll believe it. like a child born into a cult would have such a hard time leaving. even the Sohmas who are older than Akito were born into the Sohma family and thus were groomed into the customs of the family. also as someone who's faced abuse, i find the comments like "why doesn't he just leave?" to be kind of weird. i'm sure you didn't mean it in an offensive way but it does feel kind of victim blame-y.

Francesca White

I'm confused why you're confused but hey maybe the story is not conveying it properly and I've seen this so many times so I've got it all figured out

bondbond53

@BOLDcast the thing is though, it's not really meant to be an allegory for abusive relationships in general but abusive FAMILY dynamics. I know they're similar but they're actually two different things. Family is something someone is born into, and it's very hard to leave a family because 1. It's all you've ever known and 2. All messaging you receive from society from birth is that family is what's most important and even if your family isn't perfect they're still your family and you need to stick by them.

Francesca White

Oh no I was really excited for these episode reactions but the comments are making me think they didn't like the episode 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Francesca White

There is a magical reason why they can’t obey Akito, but imo it’s not about that. I have a lot of terrible examples irl, where people were living since birth in an abusive families and we (mentally stable, healthy people, who had the luck not to experience that or not to that extent at least) have a very hard time understanding why these cycles go on forever (generationally), and why victims let certain things happen to them. When groomed and abused since very early age, the abuser can hold very great power of the other. I’m sure you know about that and you said that you don’t want the magic in the story to be just a metaphor for that and it’s completely fine:) This is how I feel about the show: It does a really good job of portraying the thoughts of people caught in such cycles, and their process to overcome them and move on. For me it’s even better that the story is not heavily relying on literal binding things and explores the psychological aspects of where the characters are at the moment. It feels like a therapy session, and I agree that it might not hit the same way when you have never experienced it or just don’t relate to it at the moment of watching. So I think that exposing the viewer to a more mechanical understanding of what’s happening in the Sohma family may be a good way of structuring it, but it takes away from the impact of what real people go through. It’s like when you have a depression and someone tells you the exact reasons you are depressed (even the therapist) or you may know them yourself, but just that doesn’t help you feel good. I also think that the feeling of being lost and the mystery aspect dragging out is a good way to reflect the characters’ feeling of being lost in their current situation. So for me the show’s providing a very accurate depiction of a character growing and evolving as a person. I have a friend who has made such nonsensical, wild life choices because of her relationship with her mother, that she describes it now as if she was under drugs or hypnosis during that time. She almost ruined her whole life because of 1 person who scared her to death (she now realises it was absurd). Seeing my friend’s growth made me understand fruits basket and appreciate it for exposing viewers to these situations and how manipulation works and scars people. There are a lot of other themes in the show as well, but I’m just mentioning this bc of the topic. Anyway, I’m really liking the reactions, different opinions and discussions, it’s bringing in another perspective and I’m all here for it!

Reina

*Carson. Ok then her outlook is more aligned with what the story is portraying.

april 🍏

With abusive relationships, usually there is at least some reason to stay, or there was some positive connection to begin with. Speaking on Akito’s relationship with Kyo, from what I understand, there was never any positive relationship with any of the characters from what we know and what we’ve seen. Akito seems to have power in name only and no real power beyond emotional manipulation. But I think the story has gone so far to paint Akito as the ultimate worst person ever, that I don’t see what about any of these relationships that he can manipulate? From what I can see, he just has always been a dickhead, and he just hold over them their “status” in this community. Which in reality doesn’t really seem to mean anything, because if Akito can’t force people to like him, then Akito can’t force every other Soma to like Kyo in spite of the cat spirit anyway. I understand fully what the show is saying about abusive relationships, I get the commentary and the allegory taking place here. There are just things about it that don’t track with me up to this point I know this will likely pass, but that’s the point of a reaction, I’m giving my thoughts as we go

BOLDcast

Killikat

who's carter? 💀 Also Lindsay and I have the same understanding, we just have different outlooks on things

BOLDcast

*the romance is romancing* Carter: Someone's dying. 😂 I'm not gonna confirm or deny anything for the sake of spoilers lol. But I will say that Lindsay has a really good grasp on the story hehe

april 🍏

Not gonna say what, but there IS somewhat of a spiritual(?)/magical(?)/supernatural reason why everyone (not just Kyo) listens to/obeys Akito. I can definitely see why it’s so jarring to watch them just take Akito’s insults/abuse collectively without saying though. It definitely helps a bit when you have a general idea why (that I believe you’ll get the answers to in the next episode(?) or the one after).

SylverDrawer