Fruits Basket’s Treatment of Abusers:
Fruits Basket is a story that focuses on the abused children more than their abusers. The abusers are only used to explain the trauma & tragic character of those children as a means of writing their growth. It has a message to the viewers of victory against the painful past & living again. While the message of moving on from one’s harsh past is hopeful, it will fall flat if no attention is giving towards the falling status of abusers. You can’t just cleanse yourself of the past without looking at who caused the scars. This post will explore furuba’s treatment of the abusers:
1. Yuki’s mom: (the abuser who was allowed to function in tiny doses~)
Yuki;s mom is a woman of beauty & lust for status & money. She abused her son by neglecting him & turning a blind eye towards his abuse. Without her agreement, yuki wouldn’t have been abused by akito at all. Yuki stood up to her & gently but firmly refused her control over him. Hence, yuki became free. Furuba treated this abuser by giving her a slight room of co-existence in yuki’s life. She was shown shocked at his growth, silent & deciding not to stop him, she was allowed to perform shallow motherly activities. Giving permission on certain things & saying: take care. She isn’t completely involved in yuki’s future life but she doesn’t need to. She thinks raised a successful boy, even if his success isnt how she pictured, but none the less, his success is part of her as it satisfied her lust for status. Yuki allowed her to co-exist in peace.
2. Akito: ( the abuser with atonement)~
Akito is the abuser that will be allowed to atone & get redemption. Why? cuz akito is not a parent, but a child abused herself. The author uses akito to say, hey~ even if you were a bully, or a bad person, you can still change. Powerful message that does not alienate those who were once in the wrong side of the road. You can stop abusing ppl & ask for forgiveness. ( I have issues with how akito’s change was done but that’s for my eps review, it doesn’t contradict that I’m here for the it is not too late to stop wronging ppl & change for the netter message. I love that).
3. Isuzu’s parents: ( the abusers who got away~ )
Physically & emotionally abused their daughter. However, since they weren’t given faces or names, they wont be part of Isuzu’s journey after she’s taken by Kagura’s mom. Isuzu’s next abuse is done by akito. The writer only used them to write isuzu’s initial story & ditched them. Also, since there’re two of them, it cancels writing any confrontation possibility from a writing perspective. They out-number isuzu. Moreover, isuzu’s own role in furuba is a combination of her romantic love with haru & her friendship with tohru. So, Isuzu can have the past behind her if she focused on these two alone. She was shown healing in kazuma’s house with her two fave ppl visiting her: haru & tohru.
4. Akito’s mom: ( the abuser who was mentally unstable~)
Kureno introduced her as a woman who’s mentally unstable, she was easily manipulated by shigure, she held a knife & was allowed to stay in the sohma estate. She abused akito by not loving her & constantly challenging her. She is portrayed as this pathetic mentally & emotionally ill person. A grown woman attached to an empty box is no normal woman. Her demeanor & the way she walks & dressed invites pity just like shigure said. She’s allowed to be as she is, cuz she’s ill in the head. Perhaps punishing her in anyway, might invited unwanted attention of treating mentally ill ppl. So, I dont think anything bad or good will happen to her.
5. Kyo’s biological dad: ( the abuser who MUST be stopped).
Kyo’s bio dad is furuba’s poster picture for abuse. Kyo can be the cat zodiac or have a true form , it wouldn’t have destroyed him if his dad didn’t actively accuse him of murder. Kyo’s mom is shown as this broken woman who tried & tried to love her son & do her best, but was scared, tried & alone. Ultimately her decision to kill herself in front of her son ruined him, but if the father took another stance than accusing a 4 year old, things would have been different with kyo. I firmly believe that kazuma’s character was created so kyo wont go kill yuki & kill himself as he said he would in his mom’s funeral after his dad’s accusation. Kazuma’s love is powerful but couldn’t erase the scars that this dad engraved in his son. Kyo’s dad is the only furuba’s character that is drawn with so much ugliness & hate all the time. Despicable attitude, wide eyes, small pupils, freaky grin, explosive emotions. He is the only parent that is shown with strength & power in all his scenes. Even in front of kazuma, he stood & shouted unafraid of him, uncaring of what he might think, I want “ it” locked till death. Refusing to even humanizing a child. The most despicable man! In kyo’s flashback, kyo’s mom was broken in tears, kyo’s dad wasnt shown fully, but his fists were clenched & he was standing up instead of bending & hugging her. Heck, momiji’s dad loved his son & wife & sought out to preserve both as much as he can. Erase the mom’s memory & exist in his son’s life from time to time, not the best solution but he tried! he really tried! kyo’s dad just wanted DEATH.
I’m an anime only, I duno what will happen next. but I’ve never hated a character as much as this guy. He represents all the disgusting abuser parents! those who drink & hit, those who suck the life out of their kids, those breath hate! I want furuba to win for all those children with such parents & stop this man! you can’t just brush him off. I dont want kyo to hit him, no more blood in kyo’s hands. I want him to be so small/weak & powerless in front of kyo. To watch as kyo becomes free from his toxic grasp on his life! To listen as kyo tell him off!
All furuba’s lovely messages & powerful stories will crumble down if not a single filthy abuser is stopped & cancelled. The story calls for. No, it demands it. Make kyo’s dad the abuser who is stopped! Show me the face of abuse defeated & helpless. I’ll ask for nothing more.
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