Zoe and I talked a lot during last week’s episode about how it was really cool to see the original forms of the Zodiac animals. We’re told, canonically, that the curse has been degrading over time. It’s why Kureno is a sparrow instead of a rooster and Hatori is a seahorse instead of a dragon.
In 3x11, we can see that in more subtle ways too. Take a look at Kagura, Haru, and Shigure, for example:
Their animal forms are softer, more rounded, more humanized. For lack of a better word, they’re domesticated.
And I think that’s an interesting commentary on not only how the curse has degraded over time, but how the human aspects are winning out. Shigure might share his body with the dog, but the dog shares its form with Shigure. It’s a blurring of boundaries, which I think is also how a lot of people within the Sohma family view the curse, especially Akito.
Throughout most of the story, Akito views the members of the Zodiac as just that and nothing else. She sees them the way they are in the original story; beyond their animal spirits, they don’t really have a place in her life otherwise.
And while I don’t necessarily agree with all of the choices made in this particular sequence, I do like that we get this shot when Yuki’s curse breaks:
Because as God, Akito has decided to let the members of the Zodiac go, and we see them here in the forms that we have come to recognize. Which means that Akito, too, has grown to recognize their humanity and free will and, in doing so, sees her own as well.
annaxmalina
dailybridgerton
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
theartofmadeline
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
