Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I have done a character analysis post. But some opinions regarding this character tested my patience, so I had to write.
Note that these are my personal opinions, and I don’t want you to get affected by it at all. What people think varies, so it’s alright.
Yui is a 17 year old highschooler who goes to live with the Sakamaki brothers after being told by her father. Now, her father is a priest in the church, so growing with him, she is kind, gentle and shy type of person.
I saw many people saying that she has no character, is boring and all. Well, what do you expect if you recently got to know that the person you trusted the most, is actually not related to you? She discovers the fact that she is not the biological child of the priest. On top of it, she has to now live with vampires.
(Ah, that’s their normal version.)
(This is the actual them.)
I think her reaction was right. Struggling against them is of no use, as Reiji says. Fight back and run away, be dead in the next second. Many of you might think it’s better to die than to live in such conditions, but we all know, we treasure our life more than anything. Saying and taking action is a lot different. But again, she proves that she is a benevolent character in episode 12 of S1, when she stabs herself for Ayato’s sake. Now, she could have used this chance to escape, but she stays for them.
What’s more, she even tries to help the Mukami brothers despite all her difficulties. This shows her compassionate nature, and there are a few characters only I have seen this trait in. That makes me admire her a lot.
Many viewers also say that she could have been a little agressive, and that’s why she is a bad character. Well, what about the Sakamaki brothers? They are bad in themselves at first! Think of it this way. You have been instructed to live with some vampires. You somehow fight back your fear. So there must be rules and regulations you need to know about first, for example, attending school at night. Now you can’t expect to know everything and be the torchbearer. No. And the fear of being prey, drives her to be silent.
But these brothers, they just play around with her, and more than that, accuse her of knowing nothing. How are we supposed to know about something if we don’t have any encounter with it at first?!
Don’t worry, I like the Sakamaki and Mukami brothers a lot, but some are just straight jerks. Using the words, disciplining us, livestock is straight rude. But still Yui manages to breakthrough that and help them in any way she can. If that’s not kindness, I don’t know how to define it else way.
Anyways, the guys change a little in the progressing episodes, which is good to see. (I was impressed by Ayato’s development, I have to say!)
(Yes, protect her! XD)
Lastly, since this is an animation of the original game, there are a whole lot of plot holes which I don’t want to open in this post. I obviously disliked how the plot didn’t develop properly, but since this was a promotion for the game, I ignored it.
The game’s Yui has a lot more of character, so check it out if you want to! Everyone has flaws, and it’s this trait that makes us different from others.
So, I realized that I had never shared the heart of Kasumi’s story, i.e. the symbolism behind snowdrop flowers. And while I am at it, let’s figure out the complete meaning behind Kalmia’s name too ^^
Shall we start?
Kalmia
As the story mentioned, Kasumi named Kalmia. Penguin station is the name of the cafe, which has penguin as a mascot. Now, why the name Kalmia to this cute furball?
Better known as Mountain Laurel due to the plant’s habit of growing in rocky, inaccessible, steep, and high elevation areas, Kalmia is named to a group of 7 flowers primitive to North America.
They are the state flower of Pennsylvania, and are admired for its beauty, and its serene colors. What I think is, Kasumi might have understood this common initial lettering. Penguin Station, Penguin, Pennsylvania...
That’s why he might have chosen Pennsylvania to pick out one name from it.
Based on the colors, they symbolise different things.
White, which symbolizes purity, recovery, loss, memory, and healing.
Pink, which symbolizes warmth, affection, friendship, the early stages of love, and youth.
It’s a great way to show a person you’re proud of them for succeeding despite difficult circumstances. Besides, penguins also symbolise resilience, for being able to survive in adverse climate. Which makes perfect sense, since each of the EICU member had gone through difficult pasts, and made it to where they are now. Kalmia is a perfect source to remind them of their brave steps in adversities.
Despite such beautiful meanings, these flowers are toxic. One can only admire its beauty from afar, or with safety measures.
So basically, it’s two birds with one stone. Just like this flower is the life of Pennsylvania, Kal is the heart of the Penguin Station. Along with that, she likes to waddle with anyone from EICU, except for Kasumi, hence the irony, unapproachable to others. :’)
I admire how every little thing surrounding them has a symbol of their perseverance, and bravery to fight any situation that is tossed to them.
Snowdrop
Moving on to the flower that has a direct connection to Kasumi, Snowdrop.
Beloved for its delicate beauty, the snowdrop flower has long been a sign that winter is almost over.
They are also named the birthflower of January. (which is again a great thing, as both Kasumi’s and my birthday fall on January.)
Snowdrop flowers hold deep meaning. Usually, as a spring flower, it is seen as a symbol of rebirth and the ability to overcome challenges in life. It can serve as a delicate reminder that we can all do great things in life – if only we set our minds to it. There is nothing that can make you fail if you have the drive to succeed! And Kasumi proves this too. Desperate to save lives, and protect the one he loves with all his heart, he stands at the top and is the example that nothing is impossible.
These tender white bulbs also symbolise modesty, purity, which is just another way to describe Kasumi.
Again, these flowers look really hardy, but they need extreme care to grow. Just like the man who appears to be cold, but has the most fragile heart.
~
That’s it. I am so happy to be able to decipher the meaning behind these hidden puzzles. Medical Science and Literature sure is amazing!
Bonus:
Yui: Kal, we found the meaning behind your beautiful name!
Hey everyone! I hope you are all well. Now that the series of Fruits Basket has ended, it’s really difficult for many of the anime viewers to say goodbye to this masterpiece of work by Natsuki Takaya. But somehow, we have to get over it. Remember, this will always remain as a special work in your heart.
Although this is a character analysis, I have included my thanks for the Furaba team now that it has ended.
Read Part 1
[Spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk. Also a disclaimer, I am a Yukiru fan, love Kyoru and Yuchi and I don’t want to hurt anyone. If you have different theories, let me know. ^^]
(Look at this guy from this...
to this! He looks so mature here... T^T)
Moving on to the topic in hand, I was sobbing at the last Yukiru conversation in the anime. That short scene was the most important scene from the episode. Ah, I didn’t watch the whole season 3, just some snippets but I was compelled by my curiosity to watch the last episode at least to say them goodbye. I don’t have much to write now, as I had mentioned many scenes in the first part, so just grab a cup of coffee or tea while listening to my thoughts.
Let’s start today from something different from the anime. I was reading about Yuki’s character from the fandom website, and here are some screenshots which piqued my interest-
1. Comparing 2001 and 2019 Yuki (Kyo’s revealation of his True form)
So 2001 airing of Fruits Basket had a little bit different plot from the 2019 one(which followed the manga). As you can see, when Kyo runs from Tohru after being transformed into his true form, Yuki chases after them in order to help them. In my opinion this was really a good thinking, but not the best. We can figure out by now how much Yuki was confused about his feelings regarding Tohru in reboot series. Since there was not much content in the former series, so the action taken by Yuki was appropriate. Otherwise, fans would have felt that he didn’t care about all this, which is not true. On the contrary, in the reboot, Yuki stays in the house and just watches Tohru running after Kyo. And in this version, he was also not convinced by Kagura to chase after them, because both of them were uncertain about their feelings. The result of staying silents ends up in Yuki starting to distant himself from Tohru in the next episode.
Sometimes I don’t understand why viewers say that Yuki just flirts with Tohru. You can see how much care he harbors for her, and that’s not in a romantic way, but as a good friend. He is consistent with his behaviour towards her from the start to end(that is how dear she is to him).
2. Former Conclusions which are excluded in the reboot
In 2001 anime, since not much plot was there, it was easy to imply that Yuki also had somehow developed romantic feelings towards Tohru. (When I first read this, I couldn’t believe it as I am just an anime viewer who has not read the manga nor watched the 2001 anime T^T). So, it’s general for some viewers to imply the same thing by the end of season 1 reboot (which was my case). It’s easy to shape this relationship as love at first, but after thorough thinking, like Yuki did, it is to be concluded that their bond is not love at all, but something much more pure.
3. Author’s information on their relationship
The last point is regarding the ribbon that Yuki gave Tohru on White Day. One can see how much both care for each other. Yuki started to distance himself from her for both of their sakes, and so does Tohru when she realises how much Yuki has changed gradually as the time has passed. I can consider Yuki as a small child leaving his nest (his home) and finally becoming a full fledged responsible guy.
4. Why Yuki didn’t call Tohru by her first name (Season 2 episode 4)
This is really a short scene but has its own importance. When Haru turns into his dark form and is about to attack Tohru, both Yuki and Kyo along with Momiji get shocked, but Kyo is the first one to punch him and save her. At that time, Yuki’s face is overshadowed with his bangs, and in my opinion, I guess he was about to extend his hand before Kyo came.
Fruits Basket has amazing imagery throughout the series. Here you can see Haru asking Yuki to call Tohru by her first name, to which Yuki first gets shocked, then seems tensed about it. Haru is looking out of the window through broken glass which represents the confusion of Yuki’s feelings, now gradually breaking apart. And the multiple images shown refer to the multiple possibilities he thought about his relationship with Tohru, but that all got compiled to a single answer; his one and only true answer to the problem.
Yuki realises how selfish he has been about this thing, while there were much more problems going on in their house. He learns to be like Tohru and Haru, worrying for everyone and helping everyone out. So he takes a bold step afterward to visit Haru in the Sohma estate as the later had been suspended. When Tohru asks to accompany him, he firmly says no and proceeds to go by himself. In other words, he didn’t want to lose what he learnt from Tohru, that is; caring for others.
But, in the last episode, he has gathered enough courage and feelings that he can now return to her. Tohru as well as Haru cared so much about him, and now that he has reached the finish line to happiness, he wants to thank the ones who made him feel that he was also important; that he was needed by them. Shimazaki Nobunaga-san, you are really fantastic! The way Yuki says her first name is so heartwarming. And one can see Tohru smiling in the end. Even though he was slower than Kyo for this, still he did it. (So proud of you Yuki!)
We can also see how Yuki transforms with the help of Tohru. And this can also be seen by the change of his dressing style at the end of graduation. Earlier, he used to wear collared buttoned up shirts with dark hues, like blue, white, which represented how much tied down he was to the Sohma clan and the curse. But with the help of Tohru, he was able to change. This can be seen by the way he dresses, with loose fitting clothes and little bit vibrant color added to it by the time the curse breaks.
(I loved the transformation he went through... Aww.)
5. Yuki’s ‘Confession’ in the Beach Arc (Season 2 episode 7)
I knew that I couldn’t cool myself off till I get to know about the true meaning behind this scene. And so I did.
Yuki and Tohru are great as friends, their dynamics are so pure, enjoyable, but one can actually figure out that they are not meant to be for each other. One instance is in season 2 episode 7. Tohru was in inner conflict about her dad but didn’t let it show on her face. No one actually pointed out her gloom either, except for Kyo. And we can’t blame Yuki for not noticing this, because he was suffering internally at that time too.
In a particular scene where Tohru was covering sleeping Momiji, Kisa and Hiro with a blanket, a smile blossoms on Yuki’s face. But upon seeing Kyo being with Tohru, he gets a little jealous and makes an excuse to Haru to leave the spot. But this is not defined as him being ‘romantically’ jealous. He was confused about his actual feeling for Tohru, and just to not get any misunderstanding, he takes this step. The reason being, Kyo had more interactions with Tohru because he genuinely understood her. And after Tohru running after Kyo, which Yuki considered more of a womanly step, he couldn’t stand seeing him getting more distanced from someone he cared about.
There’s a great imagery when Yuki returns from the Sohma meeting. Tohru was waiting for him by the beach, and she sees him coming from far in pitch dark night. This sky covered with clouds is his past traumas that he has been dealing with. But when Yuki sees Tohru, the clouds slowly start to dissipate and moonlight shines, which implies the way Tohru helped him out in his hard times.
Remember when he said about the closed lid to his feelings? Let me tell you what do I think of that concept. Yuki didn’t actually know what he wanted or what were his exact feelings for Tohru. He had a little bit hint about the ‘motherly’ feeling, because she always listened to him, worried for him and cared for him. (Although in my point of view, this is more like a close friend helping another, not motherly affection). But he didn’t want this possibility to be the answer to his confusion. That’s why he kept distancing himself from her, trying to see her in a romantic light, but he couldn’t see the affection that she had for Kyo, for others. By this episode, he has already come to the conclusion about his true relationship with Tohru. Even though he didn’t want to accept it, but he couldn’t refuse it either. That’s why he said that he was sad. She was like a vast expanse of sky, and that meant that Yuki couldn’t have her all to himself. Thinking of this situation as goodbye to his former feelings and the beginning of a new feeling, he cries on her shoulder. (And thinking about he strong he must have been at that scene makes my tears well up too T~T).
About all the things he said in that scene, be it comparing her to the sky or how she was dear to him, I think that he didn’t say it out loud. That’s because he just silently kisses her forehead and leans on her shoulder. If he had tried to say all that, then Tohru must have been confused. (and she was even confused when he didn’t say anything.) So, in that prospect also, Yuki took the decision perfectly. And that change in him which he accepts is seen when he shares such a warm relationship with Kakeru and student council, and his developing feelings for Machi.
6. Why their ending up together would have been difficult to understand.
I was thinking at some point that how similar Tohru and Yuki are to each other. Which is another reason why they didn’t end up together, and it’s for the best.
Tohru was raised by Kyoko to such a sweet girl. Similarly, Yuki was changed by Tohru and was able to find his true self.
Both their partners, i.e. Kyo and Machi were helped by both of them to get over their traumas and to grab to the joy that they were both providing.
Both wish for the happiness of others.
Both are selfless.
That’s why one can see that their dynamics are so good, yet they are unable to complete each other, because they are similar. Both are nice to others, but have lot of pent up emotions inside. These hidden emotions can only be seen by Kyo in case of Tohru and Machi in case of Yuki. So I loved how it turned out.
(Both Kyo’s and Yuki’s expressions are so soft!)
7. The essence of the last conversation of Yuki and Tohru
Ah, so we have reached the end, huh? Anyway, at some point we had to say goodbye to this, and now is the time.
I absolutely loved how this made it end in a complete circle. The series started with Yuki and Shigure discovering Tohru in the woods, giving her shelter in their house, and Yuki taking care of her fever with Tohru thanking him the next day. And the series ends with Yuki now thanking Tohru for being a part of their family, and helping every Sohma member. The change that she brought to them is something which makes her irreplaceable in their hearts. Even though she will leave with Kyo, but everyone will remember her everyday, if she has been doing well and whether she is happy or not.
Yuki further says that he will be sad, now that no one will be there to say him ‘welcome home’. But he will also be happy because he was able to meet her, who had the vital role in making him realize his importance. Yuki’s dialogues with Shimazaki-san’s voice will bring anyone to tears. Yuki also reveals that she is like a mother to him.
Now I know that many readers might ask me why I am not accepting the fact that she was like a mother to him, even though he himself said that. The reason is, I just don’t know how to digest this. After all the beautiful moments that they shared, him helping her with every little chore, their conversations, I just can’t. It feels more as what a close friend would do for him/her. And I never found any scene which truly depicted that they are related just like a mother and child. In fact, this relationship they have is something more.
Tell me, if he saw her as a mother, then why did he profusely blush when she called him by his first name (he didn’t even blush that much when Machi said it), or Shigure asking him about his rushing along with Kyo to bring her back from her relatives? Or many other short moments? You can see the same deep blush of Tohru when she is with Kyo. Yuki’s this cute side changes by the second half of the second season, with his blush now accompanied by a happy face, which makes us understand how much he values her as a friend. Honestly, some bonds have no words to define them. They are just bonds, but they will always be special to the ones who have it. It will reflect selflessness, care, worry and each one wishing happiness to the other.
(Tohru helping him with his tie.)
(When Shigure asks Yuki about his unusual behavior.)
(His eyes were shining with joy... HNGH, so beautiful!)
The last part when he extends his hand to her for a handshake has again such a pretty touch to it. In the manga, it is seen that Yuki and Tohru handshake with their right hands, but the same scene here is with their left hands. Actually, left hand is close to the heart right? Handshaking with left hand symbolises the deep friendship that both the sides have, which will always remain close to their heart.
(Darn you Furaba team, you really want me to sob, don’t you... Also, look how beautiful they look! Yuki and Tohru look so much more mature and their blushing is like a cherry on the cake ^^)
And this series is brought to an end with our female protagonist saying “I will see you again” which again implies that they are just getting separated from the family due to change in their environment and situation, but they will make sure to see each other once again.
(Team, you won... *sobs*)
One thing I want to add is how Kyo and Yuki became friends too... It’s so precious! I really liked how Yuki helped Kyo to move on and leave negative thoughts behind when he was not visiting Tohru in the hospital. That scene portrayed how much both idolise and adore each other. The last conversation that they share is Yuki addressing him as stupid cat and Kyo addressing him as stupid rat, which is so sweet in itself.
(I wish all of you happiness.)
Also, I felt so bad for Momiji and Kagura with their unrequited love... Please let them have a great significant other!
All in all, I enjoyed the moments and the values that the anime inculcated in me, and this will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the creators, team, and of course, all the characters. Good bye, Fruits Basket,
and thank you for giving me such a great time.
~Lys
P.S. Dear Yuki, thank you so much for letting us know about such a sweet and kind character, that’s you. You deserve all the happiness in the world.
[RMD] Munechika Takado Main Story 2 (Part 1) : Eng Translation and Thoughts
🍀I roughly translated it. So it may change a little when this lands in EN server. Till then, please bare with me! >.< 🍀
Spoilers for a story which has not been released in the EN server yet! Please avoid going undercut if you don't want to be spoiled!
"Well... What does Dr. Takado see?"
Even if you can't see the blue, you can now look up at the blue sky. You now fly in the sky and became a life-saving doctor. (I think she is referring to how she and Takado become air medevac, flying to the accident area with chopper and providing treatment.) As student-preceptor or lovers, Takado and you seem to know each other very well. But the dark clouds that await you will expose the 'invisible' darkness.
--Now, it's his turn to save you.
Romance MD: Always on Call, Main story 2, start!
[It can be exchanged with coins.]
Thoughts:
I am scared. SUPER SCARED. The description itself says some serious things. It's totally clear that MC helped Takado to overcome his trauma, but at the same time, she was also in pain. Although she doesn't make it seem visible to others, something will happen now which will reveal it clearly.
If I try to join the dots, then my mind travels back to the 2nd prelude story's last part. Remember how an old lady and her friend met the EICU guys in Hokkaido and mentioned that her daughter is coming to the Seimei Hospital for interview? From what it described, they seemed... pretty reserved. I don't know, but my instincts tell me, somehow, somehow they are connected to MC.
What if they pay a visit to her? What if they have to go there with MC this time, and meet them again?
Just the thought of it, sets my heart rate high, and makes me difficult to breathe. But this is just a hypothesis, so no need to panic.
Good information is, this story can be purchased with coins, and hence won't be a LC. But again, I don't think this is actually going to be season 2, as it's not a LC and is only including Takado, just like the Stay with You story of Kasumi.
Since they are going to reveal the backstory with Takado, I don't think others will have a same theme of story. And the choice also seems right, because even though Takado faced problems in S1, he is still able to figure out all the aspects of MC. Others, like Kasumi, were in way too deep water, from where MC saved them. So it's general to think that they were saved, and may overlook that she needs to be saved. I am not trying to be biased here, but somehow, for saving MC, Takado as the savior seems to be the best option.
But again, I will be elated if they show us how others solve her problem too.
What exactly happened... I am in a daze right now.
First, the scenes compelled me to write my thoughts and hypotheses of what is about to happen in the story next.
Thank goodness, thank god Gavin is safe. Otherwise it would have been another night of endless crying for me.
How come Gavin escape unscathed after the high school collapse incident?
The basic idea that first comes to mind is that he already had escaped earlier before the major collapse happened. Because, we see that a nurse mentions to MC about Gavin visiting her when she was unconscious. And he had no bruises either when MC sees him from the truck. In the CG though, he was injured. That makes only the sense of this point.
But there are yet many other possibilities. Maybe the STF agents helped him to get out of the rubble, because only Eli knew about his identity as an ‘evol criminal’. Least one which I think of is that maybe Shaw would have arrived afterwards, or NW agents. This is because, Shaw was already busy with Eli during the collapse. And Gavin was doing the investigation alone, so it’s likely that NW have arrived at the spot after getting to know about the incident.
~
Victor... I thought my crying was intense when Gavin was injured. But no. The way he appeared like an angel, saved her, believed in her, and got unconscious, left me sobbing so hard T^T.
What’s more, even if he was hurt, he still tries to make her laugh.
What happened to Victor? How come he ended up in coma after saving her from the gunshots?
What I am thinking here is, somehow it is related to the time observer and Zero, who showed up later at the riverside. We see that they are talking about Victor paying a dear price for rejecting their offer and how he was the most suitable candidate. For what? Victor’s evol is time control. And in the earlier chapters, there are many instances of approach of time observer to Victor to join them. So, maybe, the incident that happened there was inevitable, and since Victor changed it (by saving MC and likely all the other evolvers), he reached his extreme point of evol and got unconscious, gradually going into a coma.
"And just like I can’t hold you back, you also can’t change this decision I have made.”
This is really a line with many meanings. Let’s stroll back to earlier chapters. In chapter 18, Victor had already seen that MC had to die in that world. No matter how he tried to change it, it remained the same. He had to give up to MC’s decisions. The same thing happens in ch 30 when he gets angry over her for visiting Agio street. He already had warned her many times not to get involved in these things all by herself. But somehow, MC, who is always in search of truth, appears to defy this. All these incidents actually make Victor realize that he is unable to make her stop from her decisions. So, basically he says that he will also stick to his decisions this time, even if it hurts him, or take his life.
The decision part he is talking about is the risk he took, going against the time observer and Zero, and ultimately seeing the consequences. But he is not afraid. All in a nutshell, he could do anything to protect her.
~
The last scene. When I first saw it, I almost jumped off my seat. They all in one place? This is the biggest cliffhanger I have ever seen. I was eagerly waiting for today to get the actual gist of their conversation, but well, we were given only the picture.
What is exactly going on in the picture?
Actually, anyone might have thought that they were going for a face-off. An obvious symbol of this are the black crows in the background. In general, they are a symbol of bad omen. The weather was also in favor of that. But when Victor says, “Begin.”, it becomes obvious that they are going to work on something together. Maybe saving the city, or maybe saving MC.
This concludes my assumptions of the mysterious scenes from Chapter 32. Let me ask you a question, because I want to know your opinions on this-
[How come Victor recover so fast? MC mentions that he was lying unconscious for 7 days and still recovery rate was unstable. So, how did he heal and all in his normal state here?]
One disclaimer. These are just my analysis based thinkings after reading chapter 32. I may be proved wrong in the later chapters, as I haven’t been in the CN server yet ^^; But, I am curious to see how this turns out.
My favorite scenes from this set of chapters-
Even if he was injured on the other side of the door, still he is thinking of her. And this is not insignificant at all! You, this is just--- T^T
That smile of yours is a weakness of me, you know that?
That beautiful thing he says, and, just how, how much he trusts- *sobs*
I remember getting this anime as a recommendation in summer almost 2 years ago. Right, when the reboot season 1 started. I was so engrossed in this that I can’t tell you. The theme of the series always made me keep at the edge of my seat. And yeah, as the title suggests, I got to admire him the most-
I know, many of you might think that I fell in love with his beauty after seeing him in the anime for the first time, but unfortunately, it’s a big no. I love the characters who care about others so much. And he is the perfect example.
Now, the point is, what makes him steal the top rank for me while most of the fandom is basically about Kyo and Tohru? Let me put down the points. But before that, grab your earphones or headphones, and play this song as you read about the things he has been through.
1. His selfless attitude
His kind nature shines throughout the series. We see in the beginning that it was he who discovers Tohru living in a tent. He welcomes her to stay in Shigure’s home, even after knowing that their curse is being put at risk and takes care of her fever. After she sleeps, he ventures out in the night to dig up her belongings. Even though he mentions that he had selfishly taken her just to rebel against the family curse, still this is replaced by his benevolent and sweet nature towards Tohru. As a result, their relationship is beautiful.
He also has helped her countless times, whether it’s taking her back from her relatives, or lending her hand to carry the grocery bags. These all moments define how pure their bond is and how both trust and care each other.
2. His willingness to sacrifice everything
This point actually reminds of Kasumi Toshiki from Romance MD: Always on Call. Even though he appears plain on the surface, he can go to any extent just for the sake of her happiness. One instance of this can be from season 2 episode 22. Kyo and Tohru seem to be in the hallway, with Tohru trying to grab the script from his hands. Just then, Yuki says whether they would give him way to go upstairs. It is obvious that Yuki would have seen the whole thing, but for her sake, he doesn’t interrupt. The line he says here is-
“You are precious. I look up to you. I cherish you because you provided for me what I desperately longed for.”
Now what did he yearn for? It was Tohru’s love and affection for him, which he didn’t get from anyone else, not even his mother when he was a child.
3. The heart-fluttering sweet moments and his character development
Ah! Thanks to the production for such sweet moments of Yuki and Tohru. Even if the ship is not canon, they will still remain my favorite.
In my opinion, this story actually portrays Yuki’s development in character more than any other thing. This is amazing. The boy, who was unable to let go of his dark past, the truth that he was after was covered with a lid, all are slowly untangled with Tohru’s compassionate nature towards Yuki. Unlike the fan club who adored him only for his looks, she sees him in a different, more friendly light, which mellows him up. What’s more, the once timid boy builds up so much courage within himself that he doesn’t get afraid of Akito anymore and confronts her face to face. The warmth he searched for, finally reaches him just like a soft feather, landing on his palm, giving a soft and soothing touch of happiness.
Let’s look at this background here. Yuki is surrounded by chinese bellflowers, which symbolize honesty, unchanging love and obedience. In his hand lays a white rose, which means, devotion, and innocence. The color white itself and his name are a symbol of peace and silence. This actually is an imagery for his character, and it resembles it truly.
Yuki had no intentions of getting on bad terms with Kyo. But it’s seen in episode 20, that Kyo shouts at him outside the banquet saying it was all his fault. Although he was small, but those words were like a heavy blow to him. What’s more, even when he comes back crying hoping for his mom to console him, she slaps him and warns him not to disappear again. (Noo... T^T)
(Kyo shouts this to him outside the hall.)
There is some fault with Kyo as well for this point. All Yuki wanted was to become friends with him. He yearned for the parental love and friendship which Kyo had since his childhood. But, the latter has the misunderstanding that Yuki had everything.
Yuki says this when he remembers that Kyo didn’t take the hat from his hand when he gives him. This makes him cry so hard, cause he was just a little child going through these painful things, all at once.
“There was something I wanted. Parents who would embrace me. A home I wanted to return to.”
(Yuki cries after being ignored by Kyo.)
Even though Kyo’s behavior initially compelled him to be like that, even though he knew that there is a lot Kyo was internally suffering from, but in episode 22, he just couldn’t take it anymore. Instead of debating, he stays silent and shows his most vulnerable and hurt face to Kyo, because he didn’t want things to end up like that between them. He didn’t want the person he admired to lash out at him every time, when he was at no fault at all, and still is the prey of Kyo’s anger and apathy. This only leaves Kyo speechless, making him break the window out of frustration. This part pains me a lot, because Kyo had at least someone he can throw out his anger and put the blame. But Yuki didn’t even had that.
There is again this pretty imagery here. Yuki, when looking at Kyo, is bathed with the sunlight. This symbolizes the change he has gone through and accepted it, which is really stunning to notice.
[The rest are in paragraph form from here]
Now that I have talked much about his positive points, let’s explore a hot topic which is often a reason of disagreement between Yuki’s fans and Kyo’s fans.
What are Yuki’s actual feelings towards Tohru?
I know that almost all the fandom here will say these feelings which he talks about is what a mother would give to his child. And this point strengthens a lot more as it was confirmed by the author. If that’s the case, then let me state my thoughts on this, which are opposite to the author’s.
Let’s again move back to episode 22 of season 2. In the first half, Yuki talks to Kakeru about his first meet with Tohru when he was a child. At that time, he was tortured so much by Akito, both physically and mentally, that he thinks that there is no purpose of his life, and he is not needed by anyone at all. With this thought in mind, he disguises himself with a baseball hat and runs away from the Sohma estate. After some time, he discovers Tohru’s mother, Kyoko, crying because she was missing. He suddenly remembers to have seen her earlier, crying in the street, and helps her to reach her mother. At last, he places the hat on her head and disappears. It is later seen that he has converted to his rat form, and cries on realizing that at least at that point, he was needed by Tohru, and his thoughts were proved wrong.
He mentions that he almost forgot to ask her name at that time. And when he again was hitting the bottom, Tohru approaches him in the high school, slowly building courage and giving love to him. He also discovers later that the girl, whom he once his hat was none other than Tohru. With things unravelling, their bond becomes stronger.
But, although he mentions that he had only motherly affection towards her and couldn’t see her in a romantic light, I still doubt the line itself.
“But she appeared before the hopeless me once again. To be with me, close to me. She even listened to what someone like me had to say. Time after time, she accepted me time and again. She’s beloved to me. Like how the sky feels so close, yet so far.”
This line, although somehow shows that Yuki is saved by Tohru every time he is in need of it, but it feels weird to say that he only thinks of her as a mother here. I mean, one can also feel like this if he/she is helped by a good friend, or a dear one. And Yuki also mentions that she is beloved to him. But, what about the last line? Doesn’t it sound like, he can’t reach her even if she was close to reach? Because this is the exact meaning. If we analyze word by word, then this makes sense, as Yuki had already realized by that time that Kyo and Tohru had mutual feelings towards each other. In fact, he says it himself that it dawned on him in the last episode of season 1 when Tohru chases after Kyo into the forest, the latter being converted to his monster form. And how could he not? This guy is mature enough to figure out anything. Then this would have been nothing.
One instance of this realization could be the beach arc episode 7 , where he says-
“I probably actually knew, in the back of my mind. What would happen if I opened the lid. What I must do. Thanks for always being willing to lend an ear. Thanks for always accepting my weaknesses.... You probably don’t know that you are the one who’s always saving me. You always shared your kindness, warmth, and joy with me. That’s why, I won’t lose. I will keep going forward, and keep believing.”
Tohru asks the exact thing which was going on my mind listening to that voice acting. Why did he look so sad there? And Yuki replies that she is just like the sky, very dear to him. Doesn’t it sound exactly like a confession to a person about what she did for you till now? Yuki already had realized that, and this is just a proof. He sounds sad, and he also compares her to the sky. The metaphor which comes to mind is that he is basically symbolizing that her vast expanse of kindness is just like the sky, which is so close, yet so far. Even if he wanted, he can’t keep her all to himself. That’s why he just says that she is dear to him. The way it is portrayed here, is just like saying goodbye before parting ways. Huh... I didn’t continue the season afterwards because of this scene. T~T
(Why, why did he cry after saying that she was dear to him....? Isn’t it right in front of your eyes? *sobs*)
And, if he only sees her as a mother, then what does this mean-
“I was so confused, not to mention incredibly embarrassed. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it, so I didn’t. I shut it away immediately. I stuffed those feelings down, teased and flirted like a normal guy with the girl he likes. But still, it felt wrong.”
It’s clear here. He had somehow developed romantic feelings for her, earlier. But when he realized it was not what he meant, and saw the gradual progression of Tohru and Kyo liking each other, he changes his mind, thinking that he might have been wrong the whole time. That the feelings he harbored for her weren’t correct. But when he thinks of her as a mother, he feels embarrassed. And it’s no different. Why wouldn’t anyone feel like that if it’s someone of your age? This implies that their relationship wasn’t a romantic one, but not a motherly one either.
Kakeru asks the same thing next. He says that maybe he has twisted his thoughts and feelings just after knowing that he had lost her to Kyo. But Yuki denies it saying-
“It’s not true why I feel like this. But, he properly sees her as a woman. He loves her. You can see it in his eyes. Her too. The way she looks at him... But I... I don’t want that! That isn’t what I want! I’d feel... so lonely. I am not willing to give up. I don’t know when to give up.”
(Such a pure boy... Just cried after saying that... )
Definitely as said above. He is obviously jealous of Kyo here. Not in a romantic way, but because he didn’t want Tohru’s kindness and hope she gave him to recede away. Even if it was like a good friend, he wanted to stay by her side. He is mature enough to see the bonds that she and he shared. And he is not the type to fret over getting rejected or anything like that. Moreover, you can already get a hint from the line that he approved of Kyo and Tohru. This always impresses me. The bond that these two have is so beautiful and unspoken, that it transcends romance itself.
Although this is probably half of my reasonings, I will stop here. Although I covered the most important ones here, but I wanted to discuss many other scenes too. Let’s keep it for next time!
(Can you see they are completely surrounded by fire? And instead of thinking of anything else and saving themselves, they are trying to save a small flower...)
Even if the guys are cheerful, funny and can throw ridiculous jokes at you, but when it comes to work, they all become the elite ICU team that has got 100% success rate. Focussed on their work everytime. Believe it or not, I am loving the way the inspiration and motivation this story is giving us... That's why they're Always on Call.
Sentaro Kyogoku: Main Story and Through Kasumi’s Eyes Review
I read Sen’s main story today, and this made me want to read this from the perspective of our dark prince. This is going to be long, so buckle up!
Contains heavy spoilers! So proceed only if you want to.
Main Story-
Regarding Sen’s story, it was great. I enjoyed every chapter. If you haven’t read anything about Kasumi, then MARK MY WORDS. His behavior will give you a misunderstanding about his personality. But if you have read his MS, then you know what’s going on in that genius brain of his. As I mentioned earlier, MC and Sen both have a friendly nature towards each other in the story. And we can say that one reason for this is their least age gap. Sen, with the prodigy he is, efficiently manages MC as well as his works.
The main problem that we get about Sen is, he has put a lid to his feelings, since his brother Mitsuharu died. He never disagrees to any decision put on by Kasumi, even though it means to suppress his own emotions. But, Kasumi is not at all like that. MC misunderstands that Kasumi is being harsh on Sen, because of course, she doesn’t know what pain he has had been through. Even though it proceeds that way, Kasumi is ready to do anything for Sen to be open with his emotions someday, and till when he will be able to let go of the hand of him. With MCs help, Sen discovers his inner feelings. And it becomes so interesting afterwards to see how Sen goes to much extent for her sake. Sen’s mom! OMG, I love her personality! I was amazed by the way she manages both the Kyogoku hospital and her motherhood relationship with Sen. I had read earlier in Kasumi’s story that she was a kind woman, but getting to read the actual thing got my blood pumping. She doesn’t even blame Kasumi for Mitsuharu’s death, rather than that, consoles him saying that it was not his fault at all. So far, I liked the concept. SEN IS A CUTE AND COOL CHARACTER! With that, he is SO SO SOFT. One instance of his caring nature is when Sho(a patient) gets in an emergency operation and both Sen and MC manage to save him at last. He clings to the ER bed, with his head burrowed, relieved.>.< And I was not wrong in this post to list him among my top 5 favorite Voltage characters.
Through Kasumi’s Eyes-
Now, finally I can talk about our dark prince!! Oh right! Let me tell you why I call him dark prince. It’s not because of the stupid rumors about him or whatsoever. I think he looks so fine with his jet black hair and eyes along with his porcelain and smooth stratum corneum. So that’s why. I apologize beforehand, but instead of developing feelings for Sen here, I fell for Kasumi more. It’s non describable in words how much I admire him. Through his eyes, we can see how he has killed his heart for protecting his loved ones. He is indeed, so strong, yet so weak. He wants Sen to pursue his career and just to let him being kept in the light, he always puts himself first when anything about Mitsuharu comes. For Sen and Mitsuharu, he goes through such extents of politics, pain and struggle, that even if he was suspended at a point, still continues his work outside. Even though Sen’s father always considered him to be responsible for Mitsuharu’s death, he never fought against it, and even though it was uncomfortable, he just listened to whatever anyone lashed out to him.
(This is when Director Kyogoku shouts at him that he is an angel of death.)
More to it, he even takes care of MC in the meanwhile, calling her from time to time when she was in Kyogoku hospital. (Umm, one more reason why he is the canon character. Yes.). This guy even listens and waits on the staircase of terrace, when Sen was crying laying his head on MC’s lap. Even though in the MS, he says that it was disturbing his meeting, but from his own point of view, he actually smiles and gets relieved at how Sen was able to be more open and that he could now let go of his hand, without any guilt left. And I love how he talks to Mitsuharu often about the well being of Sen, him celebrating alone while thinking of him about the Pediatric surgery ward. HNGH.
Ok fine. I will save my blabbering for the next review post. Because my hands will not be able to stop if I continue more. And then this post will turn from Sen’s review post to Kasumi’s appreciation post. But one thing. I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH. Gahh, stop.
[Noted one thing? Both of their dresses are the similar ones that they wore in childhood! Ok, maybe the design is the same... But I love that the dark prince is wearing sneakers!]
