Fruits Basket (2019) Episode 12 – the Boogeyman Appears

I’ve been eagerly awaiting this week’s episode since Fruits Basket (2019) first began! Why? Because during this week’s episode Tohru finally got to meet the head of the Sohma clan (and my absolute favourite Furuba character), Akito. The reason why this is so exciting is because, for all this time, it’s almost as if the show has done everything in its power to hide him from us. Up until now, we’ve only ever caught glimpses of him, with his back to us or half obscured by shadow. Not to mention that everything we know about him is second-hand knowledge passed down to us in the form of horror stories told by other characters. He’s like some urban legend – think the boogeyman or the chupacabra, only much scarier! But now, finally, he reveals himself. Below I go on to dissect this very exciting moment…

For all my excitement, this scene certainly lived up to expectations! I felt sooo tense as Akito approached Tohru… He’d managed to catch her completely off guard and corner her while alone (fittingly just minutes after Kyo warned her to be on her guard when alone). One of the first thoughts to pass through Tohru’s mind as Akito draws near is that this is the person who hurt Hatori, reminding you of the very real danger that he poses. This makes it all the more unnerving when he immediately launches a strong charm offensive. Akito is composed, friendly, and showers Tohru with compliments. The Grand Canyon-sized gap between what we’ve seen and heard of him up until now and how he initially presents himself is extremely unsettling. Suddenly, you’re not sure who to believe. Could the other Sohmas have blown Akito’s past behaviour completely out of proportion? Maybe he’s changed since then? You might find yourself thinking that… At least until you look into Akito’s eyes, which are cold, cruel, and calculating throughout this entire scene.

Akito’s like a predator staring down his prey. Looking at this scene through that lens colours things a bit differently. Akito calling Tohru “cute” (repeatedly, insistently) is no longer him complimenting her, but him patronising her, putting her in her place. Akito calling Tohru cute, in much the same way that you’d call something small and helpless, like a puppy or a kitten, cute can almost be interpreted like this: “Don’t forget who’s in charge here. You’re powerless against me, Tohru.” After all, Akito is all about asserting his power over other people, as you can see when Yuki arrives on scene…

Akito greets Yuki warmly, but that warmth quickly dissipates as Akito leans in uncomfortably close, cups Yuki’s face in one hand, and reminds him of the past. Were this scene taking place between two lovers, these gestures would seem sweet, but since it’s actually taking place between Akito and Yuki, it is anything but! It is during this moment, when Akito asserts his dominance over Yuki by whispering thinly veiled threats into his ear, that we grasp the full extent of his trauma, that he was locked away in a dark room and subjected to Akito’s psychological torture for days, weeks, or maybe even months on end…

When it seems as if Yuki can’t take any more, Tohru pushes Akito away from him. This act, which is completely out of character for a girl with absolutely impeccable manners, shocks everybody, including Tohru herself! Tohru must have, even not knowing exactly what was going on (the poor girl is terrible at picking up on social cues), reflexively wanted to protect Yuki. Akito then leaves, but not before inviting Yuki to pay him a visit sometime…

During the following scene, Akito tells Shigure what he actually thought about Tohru: that she’s “stupid” and “ugly”. You can’t help but despise him during this moment as he ruthlessly tears into the heroine we’ve come to know and love these past 12 weeks…

Thankfully, this episode finishes on a high note, with a friendly game of… badminton…? I actually fought back tears, watching Yuki’s fear melt away in the company of his friends (plus Kyo). During this scene, Yuki reflects on his traumatic past, primarily, the things that he always wanted back then, like a place to belong and people who would accept him. He realises that, in spite of the deep psychological wounds that Akito inflicted on him, he’s managed to find these things, and it’s all thanks to Tohru. She is the healing salve to Yuki’s wounds…

Thanks for joining me again this week! As always, I’d love to hear what you thought about this week’s episode! Did you catch the dirty joke told towards the beginning of the episode? I love that Furuba has such emotional range. Sure, let’s explore this character’s deep psychological trauma, but not before telling a joke about another one’s pubes! *dead*