Fruits Basket: Vol. 18 (of 23)

[timepiececlock]

I just finished reading Vol. 18 (chapter 107), which brings me to nearly where I left off the scans. I am still confused about some chronology stuff-- when in the timeline Rin was pushed out the window, and when she was locked up. And when, in between those two (or before?) she was sent by Ren to find Akito's "treasure". Although I love this series to death (it's one of the few, few manga I regularly read and the only one I dump money into), I think the anime handled chronology of events a lot better, for its part. Usually I know what's going on emotionally (PAIN!), and emotional themes are what really count for FB, but I can't always track events linearly. Which makes me feel like I'm missing subtleties in conversation.

Chapter 107 made so much more sense now that I'm reading the official version. So much more! I love it when Shigure and Rin are talking about Ren, and Shigure says she was lying and using Rin, and he says (typing quote directly):

"You don't have to believe me. But I do know Ren-san better than you do. We're good friends. Really good friends. ...Really good friends."

Shigure does "the jerk" so well. And I like how they're handling him in the translation, inasmuch as I can tell. I've rapidly fallen in fan-love with the idea of Akito/Shigure as the never ending cycle of miserable love. It's my BadLoveOTP. I almost want them to be happy, but I don't see how they possibly could be without all of them being free from the curse including Akito, and at this point I think Akito will die before being set free. And they can't even be happy now, because Akito is crazy and additionally she'll never truly forgive Shigure for sleeping with Ren and Shigure will never forgive Akito for choosing Kureno over him...and then keeping Kureno around for the next couple years and throwing it in Shigure's face. Which of course makes Shigure want to be nasty back. ::claps excitedly:: It's so terrible! I love it. I remember back in the golden early volumes of FB when I was wondering who I could ship Shigure with. Then the manga gifted us with this twisted little incestuous clusterfuck of hearts and loyalties, which is way better than trying to imagine shipping Shigure with his editor.

I am hopeful that the final volumes of FB won't take too terribly long. At this rate they should be out by the end of the year. Which seems a criminally long time, but at least its happening. Onto volume 19, which has FIVE whole new chapters I've never even seen the scans for. Huzzah!

Comments

(replying to both comments)

[umadoshi.livejournal.com]

If it weren't for all the ways they pushed Akito into the anime ending (poorly), and the entire second half of the last episode, I'd be very happy with the way the anime closed. I know what you mean about that scene, and while I also really like the way it played out in the manga (slightly bitter that Kyo didn't claw her in the anime, since it upped the pathos a fair bit), I adored Yuki in it in the show. *happy shivers*

My issue with Shigure (and I don't mind at all if you completely fail to agree with me, esp. since my best friend is a Shigure redemptionist ^^) is that I believe a) that he really does love Rin in his own twisted-as-hell way, and b) knew that something was Very Wrong during her imprisonment, even if he didn't know the specifics, and did nothing to help her. I don't know how much I think he could have done, given how little information we're given, but I believe he did nothing. He said all along he'd sacrifice anyone to get what he wanted, and I'm far more upset about it because I believe he cares and sacrificed her anyway. Akito hates her and her parents never loved her even at their best, but the idea that someone could love her at all and still let her be hurt even more makes me ill. And I can't shake that belief.

*g* I know you don't read my journal, so you wouldn't know, but my adoration of her is both unreasonable and the single thing I'm best known for. ^_- I can go on about her for far too long.

Okay, other comment! Chapter 105 is my absolute favorite in the entire series (with vol. 18 being my favorite book). It makes me cry every time, and is directly responsible for two of the longest fics I've ever written, and...it's just brilliant. The dynamic between Haru and Akito fascinates me (along with the ones between Rin and Shigure and Rin and Yuki) to no end. I love that it's the chapter that shows just how horribly weak and completely human he was in the way he loved Rin, and that Akito understands that without understanding them at all, and that Haru is completely broken by it and still manages to pull himself back together enough to do what he has to without taking too much time to wallow in it.

Pure love, but again, I could go on forever, so I'll stop there. ^^ (Except that oh, poor Hiro. Hiro is on my list of characters who amaze me by how much I eventually came to love them.)

[And I will stop editing now. Oops.]