Fruits Basket Vol 20
WARNING!!! This post influenced by my tendency to get irritated when angst takes precedence over all else in shoujo.
No, really, Takaya, what’s going on? I’ve always praised you for being able to slip seamlessly between incredible angst and great humor, sometimes in the same panel. Now we’re just doing the non-stop angst bit, with a few 2-second breaks for humor. Really, I don’t do well with this much unadulterated angst if there isn’t serious crack and/or swords at the same time.
This volume focused a lot on Akito and Ren, and while their background and relationship is important to the story, I find it difficult to care about or be interested in either one (and Shigure’s role in all this is…affecting my opinion of him) even though I know I’m supposed to at least feel sympathy for them at this point. I’m sorry, but when you devote yourself that much to hurting others because of your own issues, I can’t feel sympathy for you.
And then there’s the curse being broken for some. Hiro finally getting to hold his sister made me sniffle, and I was well on my way to doing the same with Momiji…until that was suddenly all about how Momiji loved Tohru too, and was losing her to Kyo. Uhm, what? What happened to that lovely BFF friendship Tohru and Momiji have always had? Why must Momiji’s feelings be romantic? We already half way went through that with Yuki! I know Takaya is borderline obsessed with pairing people off, and normally I don’t mind, but really, there’s a limit.
I did like Kagura finally moving on from Kyo (even if it did mean destroying a wall…) and that Rin has no problems wearing clothes that show her scars, and Kyo and Kyoko’s relationship was fun (and cute) but why add the complication of Kyo blaming himself for Kyoko’s death? (I’m pretty sure we already knew he was there.) We already know Tohru will forgive him. It isn’t really an issue beyond…more angst for Kyo and Tohru. And they already have more than most can handle.
But it’s still one of my favorites.
Meanwhile, I know it’s been around for a while that Tokyopop has licensed Takaya’s Tsubasa wo Motsu Mono, but did I miss that they’d also licensed Phantom Dream?
No, really, Takaya, what’s going on? I’ve always praised you for being able to slip seamlessly between incredible angst and great humor, sometimes in the same panel. Now we’re just doing the non-stop angst bit, with a few 2-second breaks for humor. Really, I don’t do well with this much unadulterated angst if there isn’t serious crack and/or swords at the same time.
This volume focused a lot on Akito and Ren, and while their background and relationship is important to the story, I find it difficult to care about or be interested in either one (and Shigure’s role in all this is…affecting my opinion of him) even though I know I’m supposed to at least feel sympathy for them at this point. I’m sorry, but when you devote yourself that much to hurting others because of your own issues, I can’t feel sympathy for you.
And then there’s the curse being broken for some. Hiro finally getting to hold his sister made me sniffle, and I was well on my way to doing the same with Momiji…until that was suddenly all about how Momiji loved Tohru too, and was losing her to Kyo. Uhm, what? What happened to that lovely BFF friendship Tohru and Momiji have always had? Why must Momiji’s feelings be romantic? We already half way went through that with Yuki! I know Takaya is borderline obsessed with pairing people off, and normally I don’t mind, but really, there’s a limit.
I did like Kagura finally moving on from Kyo (even if it did mean destroying a wall…) and that Rin has no problems wearing clothes that show her scars, and Kyo and Kyoko’s relationship was fun (and cute) but why add the complication of Kyo blaming himself for Kyoko’s death? (I’m pretty sure we already knew he was there.) We already know Tohru will forgive him. It isn’t really an issue beyond…more angst for Kyo and Tohru. And they already have more than most can handle.
But it’s still one of my favorites.
Meanwhile, I know it’s been around for a while that Tokyopop has licensed Takaya’s Tsubasa wo Motsu Mono, but did I miss that they’d also licensed Phantom Dream?