Fruits Basket Analyzed: Ritsu Sohma
Note: If it's in the anime it's not considered a spoiler
Going in no particular order, I’ve decided to start with Ritsu Sohma, a universal un-favorite. He’s the cross dressing monkey of the family, pretty much an embarrassment [1]. He’s very sorry about that, but it’s a little hard to feel sympathy for someone who apologizes as often and as violently as he does [2]. Just being around him puts all the others on edge because of how much trouble his hysterics cause, and well Ritsu knows it [3].
Referring to Ritsu as “he” is almost a joke, he is so effeminate. A large part of the appearance is his dress and hair, kept to feminine beauty standards [4]. Ritsu explains to Torhu that he just feels better in women’s clothes, more relaxed [5]. He was so upset about his parents apologizing for him all the time [6], he decided to wear what his female cousins did. This attitude makes perfect sense when viewed through the lens of the central lie of abuse-you cannot be loved because of who you are. Ritsu decided to pretend to be someone else, someone who could be loved. When dressed as a woman, Ritsu was no longer the same Ritsu, and therefore seemingly a better person in his own eyes.
The ever timid Ritsu left his home and went to see arguably the meanest of his cousins, Shigure, so he could meet Torhu Honda. It seems plausible to me that he shared the older cousins hopes that Torhu would break the curse [9]. Meeting her would be worth conquering fears, if she was really to do what the others hoped. Even if he had no idea that she might one day break the Zodiac bonds, she was still the outsider that had accepted the cursed family. She was the salvation from the curse because, as discussed here, the curse is abuse. When Torhu accepts and loves them unconditionally, the Zodiac become much less bound to traditions perpetuated in the fear of not being loved. When Torhu is seen in that light, it makes sense that offending and alienating her would be a mortal sin.
Ritsu tries to make up for his existence by begging forgiveness almost more often than he draws breath, a habit he learned from his parents [10]. His apologies are so hysterical that others just tell him what he wants to hear so that Ritsu will SHUT UP!!!!!!! In fact Akito himself can’t stand to be around Ritsu (or Ayame [11].
Let’s think about this for a minute. Ritsu is so annoying that the abuser of the family wants nothing to do with him. Ritsu’s parents taught him to be that annoying. Honestly, I still don’t like the guy, but I can respect that his counter-productive apologies have kept him far from Yuki’s fate as “Akito’s favorite [12].” Ristu lives on the outside from the Sohma estate and maintains no close connection, which also keeps him safe from Hiro’s fate of having the life of a loved one used against him [13]. In a way, being unlikable saved his life.
Even the apologies make sense to me, though perhaps not the drama. Just think about who the Sohmas must answer to. If Akito is offended, the price to Ritsu will be very high, possibly even causing hospitalization [14]. In that case, his family was probably smart to treat every perceived injustice as a mortal injury. Knowing what the rest of his family suffers, it’s no wonder that Ritsu panics as he does. By apologizing for everything, if he is right and the Sohma head was offended, amends have been made, if he is wrong, he is placed out of Akito’s sight. Either way, Ritsu ends up safe from Akito
In my family there is a long history of abuse. I escaped, but being around the victims was hard for me. My cousin can’t stand mention of a certain television show, because it’s a trigger. My mother can’t stand the sound of a door slamming, because it is one of her triggers. The name of the abuser was even a mystery until I brought it up by accident and caused panic and discord in the family.
I think poor Ritsu is much the same. So many of his comments feel innocuous when he says them (like saying how much Yuki looks like Ayame [15]), and yet end up being triggers for major conflicts. I’m sure Ritsu has often made comments about things not realizing the extent of his ignorance. When he speaks and people look unhappy, they may be annoyed or they may be relapsing from past abuse. In those cases, Ristu always assumes the worst. Before you criticize, remember that Akito hasn’t hurt him.
I don’t think it’s an accident that the only two men to wear dresses in the Zodiac are the ones that Akito doesn’t bother. It’s even possible that Ritsu began wearing women’s clothing to emulate Ayame [16]. Most would not consider the other most annoying member of the Zodiac a figure of admiration, but when one considers his freedom from Akito and seeming fearlessness, it’s easy to see why Ritsu would want to be like him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Ritsu was blessed with Ayame’s ignorance concerning the dynamics of the Sohma family, neither does he have Ayame’s callousness and narcissism.
I suspect Ritsu’s main problem is an abundance of empathy. While he doesn’t share traumatic memories his cousins have, he seems to respond to their trauma. It is interesting to note that his apologetic behavior lessens around Mii-chan, Shigure’s editor [17]. When faced with abuse victims, Ritsu seems at wits end and unable to cope. When faced with a healthy(ish) person, he seems fine. The exception to this is Torhu, who also bears the brunt of his apologies.
[Spoilers-Not worth it]
As we see in the end, Ritsu ended up with a woman who compliments his personality [20]. The breaking of the curse did not make Ritsu more confident, or even more careful, but it did make Ritsu willing to try. His conversation with Kagura [21] hows that Ritsu still has much to learn, but he seems to want to become better. Hopefully I can follow Ristu’s example
In short, for someone whose very existence is a crisis to his family (Akito wouldn’t have any interest in Ritsu’s parents otherwise [18]) and someone who has spent his entire life being protected from the semi-homicidal head of the house [19], I think Ritsu turned out okay.
[1] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[2] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[3] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[4] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[5] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[6] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[7] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[8] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[9] Volume 3, Chapter 16
[10] Volume 3, Chapter 18
[11] http://fruitsbasket.wikia.com/wiki/Ayame_Sohma nbsp;reference please!
[12] Volume 22, Chapter 131
[13] Volume 7, Chapter 38
[14] Volume 8, Chapter 43
[15] Volume 8, Chapter 44
[16] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[17] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[18] Volume 8, Chapter 45
[19] Volume 20, Chapter 119
[20] Volume 23, Chapter 136
[21] Volume 23, Chapter 136