Furuba ch. 127 full scans and translation reaction
Oddly appropriate music. ^^
. . . wow. Takaya's still impressing me with the way she's wrapping things up. I won't be *completely* certain of liking the ending until the last words are in front of me, but . . . it's so good to have this feeling of the storyteller having it under control. Do I think I'm going to see everything I want to? No. And no matter how much I love the ending, there're things that I'll cry over *not* seeing if they're missing. But that doesn't mean they're necessary to a clean ending--only one of my 'wants' is something I feel is vital. ( Flamika made a post yesterday listing the things she really wants to see, and I think she's got it nailed. ^^ I added my one item in comments. So there's no point in me making a list. *laughs*)
This chapter very much lays its cards out on the table--there's subtlety, but at this point Takaya doesn't seem to be trying to add more layers and diversions. The scenes with Akito, Saki, and Arisa did work for me, once I knew what they were saying . . . although I wonder if Arisa would have taken Akito's admission of having stabbed Kureno so well if she didn't already know that he was going to be ok. >.>
Akito's constant reiteration of her guilt at the beginning made it doubly refreshing when she snapped at Kyo at the end of the chapter--when a character changes so much, so fast, I find it reassuring to be reminded that they're still who they were before. And I like that she's not entirely paralyzed by her guilt (as well as being aware of it--yay growth, yay mentally stable Akito, and yet--I'm still perfectly ok with her being actively bothered by it for a while longer).
As everyone else has said, I like the dynamic between Kyo and Yuki. They've had enough of a constant low-level interaction in the last few chapters, without really taking focus from whatever the chapter's about, that it feels like a good follow-up to their confrontation a few chapters back. We can see their relationship resettling and reshaping itself without needing to devote pages to it.
I'm torn about the way Saki and Arisa are dealing with Kyo, though. All things considered, it's plausible for their characters, but . . . poor kitty. I do like Yuki's point about how the rest of them are cherishing their last moments of Tohru belonging to all of them *, and that everyone but Kyo is assuming it's a done deal with him and Tohru.
(* Poor Rin is probably not in on that--I wonder if she's been able to force herself inside a hospital, even to see Tohru?)
One thing that struck me is that, in refusing to see him (whether she's explicitly refused or is just too flustered and distressed for the others to allow it), Tohru's kind of acting on what Kyo's always told her: it's ok to want what you want, and to feel what you feel (to "be selfish"), instead of losing track of those things in order to make someone else feel better. Tohru's deliberately subsumed herself into the Sohmas' needs for so long, hiding from herself, that it's really good to see them taking care of her and being ok with her being herself, just as she was for them.
It does seem a little odd that Arisa may never know about the curse at all, despite being with Kureno. I wonder how much of his past he'll ever really reveal to her? With the curse breaking, it's a strange piece of history to have. And it reminds me that I tend to believe the 12shi will never be "normal", even if they're all uncursed sometime "soon" (whatever that means). The curse may pass into family legend, or all mention of it may die out, but they LIVED IT. They've still lived with all the rejection, and the abnormal social conditioning that has enabled them to function in society without touching others. Even the the bond broken, that's something that no one else is ever going to understand.
Her meeting with Kureno was handled well--it does seem to end with a bit of a too-easy "happily ever after" vibe, but I like her acknowledgement that he's had a whole life without her, that she hasn't been the center of his world, and that other people have holds on him. A lot of people aren't ever mature enough to fully respect that about their partners, and I like that Arisa's strong enough to do it.
Not so sure about this thing with Saki and Kazuma--it's being played for cuteness, esp. for Kyo's reaction, but . . . she's still seventeen.
And it occurs to me that if Saki's around all that much, Rin will probably be wandering off and finding somewhere else to live pretty fast. This is largely based on my mental image, of course, but after living so long in a house where she hid and didn't interact, I have this impression that Rin's probably taken over Kazuma's household pretty thoroughly. Kagura's house was never "home" to her, but I think she's territorial enough that she probably wouldn't share well. ^^
Again, I really love the scene with Kyo and Akito. ^_^
And then Kureno's gone, Arisa's presumably left school, and the 12shi circle has its first physical absence. It does feel weird that he's gone so far away, even if his reasoning is good. But then, I don't imagine he has the same limitations that the other 12shi would--his grasp on the workings of something aspects of life is a little weak (convenience stores, anyone?), but he's been free of the curse since childhood . . . which I guess also means that Hiro may adjust pretty well to being "normal". I wonder about the other teenagers?
I think that's it. ^_^
Next chapter, I won't be on the ball--if we start getting word a day or two early, I'll still be in Toronto. Must remember to take all the appropriate links with me. ^^
. . . wow. Takaya's still impressing me with the way she's wrapping things up. I won't be *completely* certain of liking the ending until the last words are in front of me, but . . . it's so good to have this feeling of the storyteller having it under control. Do I think I'm going to see everything I want to? No. And no matter how much I love the ending, there're things that I'll cry over *not* seeing if they're missing. But that doesn't mean they're necessary to a clean ending--only one of my 'wants' is something I feel is vital. ( Flamika made a post yesterday listing the things she really wants to see, and I think she's got it nailed. ^^ I added my one item in comments. So there's no point in me making a list. *laughs*)
This chapter very much lays its cards out on the table--there's subtlety, but at this point Takaya doesn't seem to be trying to add more layers and diversions. The scenes with Akito, Saki, and Arisa did work for me, once I knew what they were saying . . . although I wonder if Arisa would have taken Akito's admission of having stabbed Kureno so well if she didn't already know that he was going to be ok. >.>
Akito's constant reiteration of her guilt at the beginning made it doubly refreshing when she snapped at Kyo at the end of the chapter--when a character changes so much, so fast, I find it reassuring to be reminded that they're still who they were before. And I like that she's not entirely paralyzed by her guilt (as well as being aware of it--yay growth, yay mentally stable Akito, and yet--I'm still perfectly ok with her being actively bothered by it for a while longer).
As everyone else has said, I like the dynamic between Kyo and Yuki. They've had enough of a constant low-level interaction in the last few chapters, without really taking focus from whatever the chapter's about, that it feels like a good follow-up to their confrontation a few chapters back. We can see their relationship resettling and reshaping itself without needing to devote pages to it.
I'm torn about the way Saki and Arisa are dealing with Kyo, though. All things considered, it's plausible for their characters, but . . . poor kitty. I do like Yuki's point about how the rest of them are cherishing their last moments of Tohru belonging to all of them *, and that everyone but Kyo is assuming it's a done deal with him and Tohru.
(* Poor Rin is probably not in on that--I wonder if she's been able to force herself inside a hospital, even to see Tohru?)
One thing that struck me is that, in refusing to see him (whether she's explicitly refused or is just too flustered and distressed for the others to allow it), Tohru's kind of acting on what Kyo's always told her: it's ok to want what you want, and to feel what you feel (to "be selfish"), instead of losing track of those things in order to make someone else feel better. Tohru's deliberately subsumed herself into the Sohmas' needs for so long, hiding from herself, that it's really good to see them taking care of her and being ok with her being herself, just as she was for them.
It does seem a little odd that Arisa may never know about the curse at all, despite being with Kureno. I wonder how much of his past he'll ever really reveal to her? With the curse breaking, it's a strange piece of history to have. And it reminds me that I tend to believe the 12shi will never be "normal", even if they're all uncursed sometime "soon" (whatever that means). The curse may pass into family legend, or all mention of it may die out, but they LIVED IT. They've still lived with all the rejection, and the abnormal social conditioning that has enabled them to function in society without touching others. Even the the bond broken, that's something that no one else is ever going to understand.
Her meeting with Kureno was handled well--it does seem to end with a bit of a too-easy "happily ever after" vibe, but I like her acknowledgement that he's had a whole life without her, that she hasn't been the center of his world, and that other people have holds on him. A lot of people aren't ever mature enough to fully respect that about their partners, and I like that Arisa's strong enough to do it.
Not so sure about this thing with Saki and Kazuma--it's being played for cuteness, esp. for Kyo's reaction, but . . . she's still seventeen.
And it occurs to me that if Saki's around all that much, Rin will probably be wandering off and finding somewhere else to live pretty fast. This is largely based on my mental image, of course, but after living so long in a house where she hid and didn't interact, I have this impression that Rin's probably taken over Kazuma's household pretty thoroughly. Kagura's house was never "home" to her, but I think she's territorial enough that she probably wouldn't share well. ^^
Again, I really love the scene with Kyo and Akito. ^_^
And then Kureno's gone, Arisa's presumably left school, and the 12shi circle has its first physical absence. It does feel weird that he's gone so far away, even if his reasoning is good. But then, I don't imagine he has the same limitations that the other 12shi would--his grasp on the workings of something aspects of life is a little weak (convenience stores, anyone?), but he's been free of the curse since childhood . . . which I guess also means that Hiro may adjust pretty well to being "normal". I wonder about the other teenagers?
I think that's it. ^_^
Next chapter, I won't be on the ball--if we start getting word a day or two early, I'll still be in Toronto. Must remember to take all the appropriate links with me. ^^