Fruits Basket Episode 8 Review: See You When You Get Back

Fruits Basket aired its 8th episode some time back already and it was a New Year’s episode! New Year’s is a family holiday in Japan so you can bet that this will be an intense theme for our main characters. Tohru’s first new year without her mother, Yuki with a family he doesn’t want to spend time with, and Kyo with a family that treats him like an outsider… It is an exciting episode!

Japanese Title: 行ってらっしゃい (Itterasshai)

Episode 8–See You When You Get Back

It’s New Year’s and everybody is aware that Tohru doesn’t have a place to welcome the new year at because her grandfather and his family decided to celebrate at Hawaii without Tohru. Tohru herself is encouraging everybody to spend the holiday with their family, so she ends up alone in the house of the Soma’s, until Kyo and Yuki meet Hana-chan who makes it clear to them with only a few words that Tohru probably is endlessly sad no matter how happily she smiles. So the two of them rush back home instead of going to the banquet and greet the rising sun together with Tohru.

Highlights

Bless Tohru

Our precious girl is the most considerate person on earth if you haven’t noticed in the previous seven episodes. This time as well, she touches us by telling all her friends to ‘let your families spend time with you!’

Yuki and Kyo as one

For once Yuki and Kyo are perfectly in sync. They don’t want to go to the banquet. They don’t want to leave Tohru. They listen to Tohru and leave, anyway. They come back. They hardly fight. This was so touching to watch. I loved how they had their own thoughts that fit the thoughts of the other person and like that created a beautiful dialogue.

Haa-kun and Haa-san

Last episode I wondered why Shigure was called Shii-chan when Hatori was called Haa-san. I thought it was strange that they would use different formalities with each other. But this episode they showed Hatsuharu, who is called Haa-kun by Shigure. And there was the explanation I needed. What I loved most was that Haa-san was even complaining about the nickname being too easy to mix up. Of course, Shii-chan doesn’t care.

Shigure is bad?

That moment when Shigure stops being the kind, funny guy and says that he looks forward to Akito being in pain? Yep, that was a highlight. That’s why I love his character so much. He is exciting and deep and feels a bit dangerous if you get on his bad side. At the same time I think he is genuinely nice, even if he himself would probably say that he is not.

Momiji will dance

I want to see Momiji and his dance! He looked so so super cute! I really wanted to see more of him.

Comments

New Year

Most fans of anime probably already know this, but New Year’s is a family holiday and everybody is getting together to greet the new year, watch the first sunrise, and watch TV while eating delicious food. One of the famous foods is Mochi, which is a sticky kind of food that has elderly people die every year by suffocation if they don’t chew properly. That’s why they were so scared for Tohru. She is clumsy enough to just die like that. So when Tohru is alone in this first year of her mother’s death it pretty much is a big deal for her. Just imagine having to spend Christmas alone, or whatever other big family holiday you celebrate at home. That is what Tohru is trying to hide and why she tells everybody to spend the holidays with their own family. She probably also thinks that her friends should enjoy the time they have with their family, since one never knows what will happen.

Kohaku

This is a TV program that runs every year. Music groups and singers are put into two groups–red and white–to participate in some kind of battle and each year a team wins. The biggest names of the year will come and sing there and many people in Japan watch the show. It’s a very big deal.

Dokidoki Barometer

Since Kyo and Yuki are pretty much twins in this episode, this episode they should share a point. At the same time I said I would try to not have them both get a point again, so I will go with my own feelings and give the point to Yuki. He did make my heart squeeze tight more, because he was so cute how he looked at Tohru after he came running back into the house. I like how he tries not to show his agitation, while Kyo is obviously grabbing his hair. So this week Yuki is the winner!

COMING NEXT: Yuki Was My First Love