I love how no two Sohma are alike. During last week’s episode, we met Ritsu Sohma, a young man with crippling anxiety and a fondness for women’s clothing. This week we met Hiro Sohma, a puffed-up little prince, who just so happens to be the sheep of the Sohma zodiac. I’ve always had a soft spot towards princely characters, and whilst Hiro has a sharper tongue than most, he’s no exception…
Before exchanging so much as a greeting, as soon as he spots Tohru approaching, Hiro immediately goes on the offensive: dropping his shoe, demanding that she pick it up for him, and hitting her with a slew of wordy insults. He rounds off their first encounter by stealing her pocketbook – for no other reason than he liked its colour! Ordinarily, I’d be inclined to despise anybody who dared to treat Tohru that badly, but I can’t help but be amused by Hiro’s antics for the following reasons… The first is that Tohru is completely immune to Hiro’s provocations. She’s so humble and eager to help that she sees no issue with picking up his lost shoe. Tohru doesn’t see it as beneath her, she’s just happy to help! And, as far as Hiro’s insults go, her relentless positivity and tendency to want to believe the best of other people act as a kind of buffer, preventing her from comprehending and feeling their sting. It’s like Tohru’s a bird pokemon (maybe something cute and fluffy, like a Swablu), whereas Hiro’s a ground pokemon doing his best to hit her with a devastating earthquake, to no effect! The second reason is that it’s just like Tohru to be mugged by a child, of all people…
It’s also fairly easy to forgive Hiro’s behaviour when you stop to consider where it’s all coming from… In keeping with his princely nature, Hiro reveals his love for Kisa to the head of the Sohma clan, Akito, seeking his approval. Akito, in a jealous rage, responds by beating Kisa black and blue. Hiro, unsurprisingly, blames himself for this. Not knowing how to handle his guilt, he ridicules and belittles others. Maybe if he can position other people as being lower than him, he can feel less lowly, less insignificant, himself? It’s no accident that the first time we catch a glimpse of Hiro, he’s perched atop a generator, literally positioned above his rival, Tohru. This behaviour isn’t particularly endearing and certainly isn’t the best way to handle his guilt, but, come on, Hiro’s just a kid! He can’t be more than 10 years old, at best. At 10 you’re still growing, still learning how to understand and process your emotions, so, no matter which way you look at it, you’re just not equipped to deal with something as painful as feeling responsible for the savage beating of the girl you love at the hands of somebody who ought to love and protect you both!
Though, while Hiro’s still just a kid, he’s also surprisingly mature, in some ways… His vocabulary far exceeds someone of his age, he happily treats Kisa and Tohru to crepes during their visit to the park (in a move that was very gentlemanly), he’s quick to take responsibility for Kisa’s safety moving forward, and he’s very insightful when it comes to other people’s and even his own weaknesses. As Tohru put it, it takes a lot of courage for somebody to admit to still being a child, to face up to their own helplessness, but, by the episode’s end, Hiro was able to do just that.
I’d venture that this was the first step Hiro needed to take in order to conquer his guilt and become a better, kinder young man. If you face up to your weaknesses, you can begin to overcome them. During this episode Hiro realised that he may not be the prince who protects the princess just yet, but, someday, he very well could be. This realisation gave him hope and prompted him to smile his first genuine smile since he first revealed himself. Hiro might not think much of Tohru, but, as with so many other Sohmas, the encouragement she gave him had a profound effect.
Let me finish by pointing out one last thing… It’s interesting that Takaya-sensei chose Hiro for the year of the sheep. Those born during the year of the sheep are (supposedly) shy, gentle, easy-going, peacekeepers. Doesn’t sound much like Hiro, huh? His cute, butter-wouldn’t-melt appearance belies the savage, roast-master within. I can’t help but wonder whether Takaya-sensei wanted Hiro to be the kind of character who surprised you by betraying all pre-conceived notions that you might have had of him. What do you think? As always, thanks for joining me again this week. Until next time!
Watashi Wa Bucho!! 