#ok ok we can send this one around again
I wanna talk for a sec about how Actual Queen Natsuki Takaya gave us a perfect foil for each shitty parent-child dynamic in Fruits Basket, lest we suspect that the parents’ actions were justifiable given their circumstances.
1. Kyoko vs. Uotani. Uo and Kyoko got involved in very similar activities in their teens, but only Kyoko was disowned. Uo’s dad was FAR from a model parent, but he stayed. And when Uotani started to get her life on track with help from Kyoko, her dad did too. They helped each other grow and heal.
2. Hana vs. Machi. Both Hana and Machi were found in tricky situations where their parents could choose to trust and support them… or not. Machi’s chose distrust and abandonment. Hana’s parents, although her situation was (IMO) more damning than Machi’s, chose to support and love and encourage her no matter what.
3. Momiji vs. Hiro. Momiji’s mom completely rejected Momiji because of the Zodiac curse, and Momiji did not get to be a part of his little sister’s life. On the other hand, Hiro’s mom raised him with love and encouraged him to be a good big brother. Hiro was emotionally close to his mother and doted on his little sister, and the fact that he couldn’t physically hold her was treated as nothing more than a mild obstacle.
4. Kisa vs. Yuki. Kisa’s mom is a good foil for Yuki’s mom - Kisa was traumatized to the point of not speaking just like Yuki, but instead of treating her like a nuisance, Kisa’s mom first got the support she needed (by having Kisa stay at Shigure’s for a few days) and then leaned in to be a good mom and support Kisa.
Basically, Fruits Basket is a masterpiece and I love it forever.
