belated Furuba ch. 136 full reaction post (series finale)
It's been almost two months since this chapter came out, so I feel a little strange writing up my reaction to it now. But then, the build-up to it lasted so long that maybe it balances out somehow; either way, as I mentioned at the time, I was reluctant to respond before we had more detail to go on than just scans and a summary.
Before Furuba actually ended, I'd thought it might almost be a relief--not because I wanted it to end, or felt that it was dragging (there are some criticisms of the latter part of the series where I can at least see where the commenter is coming from, but that's not one of them), but because we spent so long not knowing if the next chapter would be the last. (And really, everyone who cares about this already knows that, so I'll leave it there.)
It wasn't a relief. The only thing I'll say about the ending itself before I spoiler cut is that I loved it, and I think Takaya-sensei wrapped things up in a way that support my belief that she's an absolutely incredible storyteller. That doesn't change the fact that I've been madly in love with the series for almost four years, and I miss it awfully. It was the kind of story that unfolded along characters'--intensely believable characters'--lives, and I don't think I would have tired of seeing where those characters went, any more than I tire of hearing about people I love.
When it was still running, I kept telling people I'd cry when it was over. (And I did, although I was expecting to just do it once, not to tear up unexpectedly in the middle of, say, listening to a musician at the market.) But it's a story, and stories end. When this chapter came out, there was a *lot* of complaining in the fandom, mostly about what did and didn't happen right at the end. Some of the things people wanted to see were implicit, while others are very open-ended. I've already talked a fair bit about what I wanted to see happen, and while all of that was going on I think I clarified my terms, but I want to do it again for emphasis: for me, that "I wanted to see _____" is divided into several meanings. There were things I would have enjoyed seeing, things I particularly wanted to see but whose lack didn't weaken the ending, and just one or two things which would have strengthened the ending (for me, and they probably won't surprise anyone at all).
(Spoilery from here on, with space to spare anyone who clicked on the first cut and doesn't want to go any further.)
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Overall, I'm incredibly happy with how things played out. I haven't actually read all that many shoujo manga start to finish, and I'd heard more experienced readers saying that it was possible or likely that the last chapter would involve a sudden time-shift--say, five years into the future. So I was prepared for it not to take place entirely in the present.
It was a good segue out of the timeframe we'd been in--ch. 135 continued from where we'd been (although I can't remember what time of year that all happened--has anyone broken it down? Tohru took her exams late because of her hospitalization, so I think it was still summer at the beginning of 135?), and then moved through the flashbacks to Kyoko's death, and from there outside of time entirely. I think that helped a lot with the transition to the final chapter, which mostly had its own unity of time but took place months later--and, of course, ended with just that glimpse of the far-off future.
I really don't mind the missing months, although of course I'm curious--every single character had intense transitioning to do, between being newly uncursed, or figuring out new and old relationships, or redefining their entire lives (I'd very much like to know how things played out in the Main House, as Akito attempts to make amends for her history and to actually claim her authority as head of the family, not as god). And just the array of ground the various romantic relationships would have had to cover is a bit staggering: Rin and Haru continuing to figure out how they actually fit together now, after everything; Shigure and Akito doing something similar on a much bigger scale; Yuki and Machi dealing with the beginning of a fairly normal relationship, although it wasn't something either of them ever expected to have; and Kyo and Tohru in some ways not having their lives change much, but suddenly finding themselves living with their significant other after denying their feelings for so long. (What fun Shigure must have had with that--depending on when he moved back to the Main House.)
Overall, we really can't underestimate the sheer scope we've been left for fanfic. ^_-
I also like the ordinariness of the day we're shown, going from character to character. Tohru and Kyo's departure is a huge thing, and its impact is shown, but at the same time . . . it's a day. They're all living their lives, and that departure is only part of it. No huge revelations, not even any sweeping emotional moments. Just a day, and at the end, just a hint of the future that that day eventually leads to, the end of the journey Tohru and Kyo are just beginning together.
The scene with Yuki and Machi was amusing and endearing, which is a nice balance. I also really enjoyed seeing Rin (sketching!Rin ^^) and Haru hanging out with Momiji (who we'd never seen Rin with before), because it emphasized that even characters we haven't often seen together are all connected, are all family, and aren't really likely to just stop seeing each other or feeling those relationships just because the curse broke. Seeing Ritsu and Kagura together gave me a similar vibe, although in their case we already knew that they were friends. (And, ok, how sad is it that I only just realized Ritsu had cut his hair? I was too busy looking at his clothes.)
I would have liked to see more of Yuki's final scenes with Kyo and Tohru, but I think the important things were conveyed: Kyo and Yuki presumably still aren't friends, but they've got an understanding, and Yuki's goodbye to Tohru was understated but emotional. That he finally addressed her by name--I do love that it was his last word in the series--made me happy on its own, but it also gave me the sense that he's really ready to meet her as an equal. Maybe he has been for a while, and maybe he's already acknowledged it to himself (again, missing months!), but I think that was very much his way of acknowledging it to her, even if she doesn't quite understand what it means to him. It would have been nice to see him hug her, maybe, to see more overt affection after so long . . . but in some ways he offered her that all along, especially when he was trying to convince himself he was in love with her. She's already seen his "prince" routine, and his vulnerability, and his attempts at physical contact with romantic overtones (as measured by 12shi). Being approached as an equal is something that hadn't explicitly happened, so I'm happy for it.
I'd comment somewhat on Akito and Shigure, but I haven’t made up my mind yet how I feel about them, individually or as a couple. Takaya-sensei redeemed Akito for me to an extent I would never have believed, but . . . I'm still angry. And as for Shigure, we'll never know whether my suspicions about him are correct or not. (In the absence of me having anything to say, I direct you to Demeter's post on the chapter.)
And I know I haven't mentioned everyone, but I don't have much to say about the others--although I enjoyed all of their scenes. ^^
I don't feel like going through all of the more common complaints people seemed to have, but there're a couple of thoughts: Momiji and Kagura came up often, with people being upset that they didn't wind up paired with anyone, and frankly I think that's just silly. They're about 17 and 20 years old, and yes, most of the other characters did wind up with someone, but that's still not the *point* of the story. I feel a bit more sympathy for people who would have liked to see Momiji having more resolution, but there's the simple fact that bringing his character arc to a more explicitly happy ending would have taken a lot of time--his history with his family isn't something that could be skimmed over if it was touched on at all. Ditto Ren and Akito: I'm curious to know what happened there, but a quick touch on it wouldn't have done the trick. I'd rather have that left to my imagination than be given a one-line reference.
I do sympathize with the grumbling about Saki and Kazuma--of the things we *were* shown, that's pretty much the only one that bothers me. *pets Ginny*
The one complaint I do want to really address is that SO many people took one look at the ending and decided it means that Kyo and Tohru move away and basically never come back, and that all the threads and relationships the series is *about* were broken or tossed aside. And I think that's nonsense. Having some time away in the wider world--the world Kyo grew up believing would never, never be in his reach--is almost certainly a good thing for them, especially since it makes sense that Kyo would need some other experience to inherit Kazuma's dojo. It doesn't mean they were gone forever, or even that long; Kyo himself might want to avoid the other Sohmas, but Tohru wouldn't (and I don't think they'd let her).
I don't know for sure that they moved home and took over the dojo, or whether I think they wind up eventually living in Kazuma's house (the house Kyo grew up in, for all intents and purposes), or Shigure's old house, or somewhere else entirely. But I think that's what we're meant to believe, and even if those details are wrong, I do believe, fundamentally, that what we're meant to come away from the series with is a sense that the relationships we've seen building do continue. They obviously change in ways we're not privy to--and were already changing before this chapter began. But for me it works, it really does, and I'm a hard person to sell endings to.
My list of things I would've liked to have seen would be predictable even if I hadn't already talked about (most of) them. ^_^ But I'm almost done, so bear with me.
I'm actually surprised that my biggest disappointment was not getting a bit more Rin/Haru interaction than we did. As I've mentioned before, I was fundamentally ok with where they were until ch. 133--at that point, I'd accepted that they wouldn't get any more significant time because their arc was resolved, and sure, I love them to pieces and would have been thrilled if they got a whole arc after that, but I'm realistic, too. I knew it wasn't happening, and they're not the main characters, and I was fine with it.
That chapter broke my heart into pieces, but it did basically satisfy my desire to see Rin and Akito deal with each other (more interaction between them is on my list of things I really wanted to see, but feel the series didn't wind up requiring). But I'm still upset, as I said to several people after ch. 133 and 136 came out, that Takaya showed just how badly insecure and afraid Rin still was about her relationship with Haru, and then didn't particularly touch on it again. For me, that's the one thing that I think I needed to be entirely satisfied with the ending--although the final image of them, with Rin so obviously content and peaceful with him, does go a long way. I do believe that they wound up happy, and I don't feel it needed a long scene to explain how they got there . . . but I also think Takaya's knack for fitting a lot of emotional development in even a single page could have been well-applied here, mainly because what I want to know is whether Rin got over it herself, or whether they worked through it together.
The other thing I really wanted to see, but am basically ok without (and again, which is something I've talked about frequently), is a final scene between Haru and Akito--when she summoned the 12shi after the curse broke, he told the other boys that she'd changed, and Rin's conversation with Tohru suggested that he was dealing with Akito's change of heart at least reasonably well. But I do want to know how he got to that point after ch. 105's murder/suicide threat, and whether he's actually ok with her now, or if he's just kind of adjusting because it's really what has to be done if he's going to get on with his life.
I think that's all I have, and it's probably more than enough. The only other thing I've noticed, now that the story's over, is that I miss Rin more than Haru; I love them both fiercely, but in the end, I imagine it's a mix of her ultimately being my favorite, and feeling less closure for her. But whatever it is, it makes my heart hurt.
And so. Goodbye, Furuba. It was an incredible ride.
Before Furuba actually ended, I'd thought it might almost be a relief--not because I wanted it to end, or felt that it was dragging (there are some criticisms of the latter part of the series where I can at least see where the commenter is coming from, but that's not one of them), but because we spent so long not knowing if the next chapter would be the last. (And really, everyone who cares about this already knows that, so I'll leave it there.)
It wasn't a relief. The only thing I'll say about the ending itself before I spoiler cut is that I loved it, and I think Takaya-sensei wrapped things up in a way that support my belief that she's an absolutely incredible storyteller. That doesn't change the fact that I've been madly in love with the series for almost four years, and I miss it awfully. It was the kind of story that unfolded along characters'--intensely believable characters'--lives, and I don't think I would have tired of seeing where those characters went, any more than I tire of hearing about people I love.
When it was still running, I kept telling people I'd cry when it was over. (And I did, although I was expecting to just do it once, not to tear up unexpectedly in the middle of, say, listening to a musician at the market.) But it's a story, and stories end. When this chapter came out, there was a *lot* of complaining in the fandom, mostly about what did and didn't happen right at the end. Some of the things people wanted to see were implicit, while others are very open-ended. I've already talked a fair bit about what I wanted to see happen, and while all of that was going on I think I clarified my terms, but I want to do it again for emphasis: for me, that "I wanted to see _____" is divided into several meanings. There were things I would have enjoyed seeing, things I particularly wanted to see but whose lack didn't weaken the ending, and just one or two things which would have strengthened the ending (for me, and they probably won't surprise anyone at all).
(Spoilery from here on, with space to spare anyone who clicked on the first cut and doesn't want to go any further.)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Overall, I'm incredibly happy with how things played out. I haven't actually read all that many shoujo manga start to finish, and I'd heard more experienced readers saying that it was possible or likely that the last chapter would involve a sudden time-shift--say, five years into the future. So I was prepared for it not to take place entirely in the present.
It was a good segue out of the timeframe we'd been in--ch. 135 continued from where we'd been (although I can't remember what time of year that all happened--has anyone broken it down? Tohru took her exams late because of her hospitalization, so I think it was still summer at the beginning of 135?), and then moved through the flashbacks to Kyoko's death, and from there outside of time entirely. I think that helped a lot with the transition to the final chapter, which mostly had its own unity of time but took place months later--and, of course, ended with just that glimpse of the far-off future.
I really don't mind the missing months, although of course I'm curious--every single character had intense transitioning to do, between being newly uncursed, or figuring out new and old relationships, or redefining their entire lives (I'd very much like to know how things played out in the Main House, as Akito attempts to make amends for her history and to actually claim her authority as head of the family, not as god). And just the array of ground the various romantic relationships would have had to cover is a bit staggering: Rin and Haru continuing to figure out how they actually fit together now, after everything; Shigure and Akito doing something similar on a much bigger scale; Yuki and Machi dealing with the beginning of a fairly normal relationship, although it wasn't something either of them ever expected to have; and Kyo and Tohru in some ways not having their lives change much, but suddenly finding themselves living with their significant other after denying their feelings for so long. (What fun Shigure must have had with that--depending on when he moved back to the Main House.)
Overall, we really can't underestimate the sheer scope we've been left for fanfic. ^_-
I also like the ordinariness of the day we're shown, going from character to character. Tohru and Kyo's departure is a huge thing, and its impact is shown, but at the same time . . . it's a day. They're all living their lives, and that departure is only part of it. No huge revelations, not even any sweeping emotional moments. Just a day, and at the end, just a hint of the future that that day eventually leads to, the end of the journey Tohru and Kyo are just beginning together.
The scene with Yuki and Machi was amusing and endearing, which is a nice balance. I also really enjoyed seeing Rin (sketching!Rin ^^) and Haru hanging out with Momiji (who we'd never seen Rin with before), because it emphasized that even characters we haven't often seen together are all connected, are all family, and aren't really likely to just stop seeing each other or feeling those relationships just because the curse broke. Seeing Ritsu and Kagura together gave me a similar vibe, although in their case we already knew that they were friends. (And, ok, how sad is it that I only just realized Ritsu had cut his hair? I was too busy looking at his clothes.)
I would have liked to see more of Yuki's final scenes with Kyo and Tohru, but I think the important things were conveyed: Kyo and Yuki presumably still aren't friends, but they've got an understanding, and Yuki's goodbye to Tohru was understated but emotional. That he finally addressed her by name--I do love that it was his last word in the series--made me happy on its own, but it also gave me the sense that he's really ready to meet her as an equal. Maybe he has been for a while, and maybe he's already acknowledged it to himself (again, missing months!), but I think that was very much his way of acknowledging it to her, even if she doesn't quite understand what it means to him. It would have been nice to see him hug her, maybe, to see more overt affection after so long . . . but in some ways he offered her that all along, especially when he was trying to convince himself he was in love with her. She's already seen his "prince" routine, and his vulnerability, and his attempts at physical contact with romantic overtones (as measured by 12shi). Being approached as an equal is something that hadn't explicitly happened, so I'm happy for it.
I'd comment somewhat on Akito and Shigure, but I haven’t made up my mind yet how I feel about them, individually or as a couple. Takaya-sensei redeemed Akito for me to an extent I would never have believed, but . . . I'm still angry. And as for Shigure, we'll never know whether my suspicions about him are correct or not. (In the absence of me having anything to say, I direct you to Demeter's post on the chapter.)
And I know I haven't mentioned everyone, but I don't have much to say about the others--although I enjoyed all of their scenes. ^^
I don't feel like going through all of the more common complaints people seemed to have, but there're a couple of thoughts: Momiji and Kagura came up often, with people being upset that they didn't wind up paired with anyone, and frankly I think that's just silly. They're about 17 and 20 years old, and yes, most of the other characters did wind up with someone, but that's still not the *point* of the story. I feel a bit more sympathy for people who would have liked to see Momiji having more resolution, but there's the simple fact that bringing his character arc to a more explicitly happy ending would have taken a lot of time--his history with his family isn't something that could be skimmed over if it was touched on at all. Ditto Ren and Akito: I'm curious to know what happened there, but a quick touch on it wouldn't have done the trick. I'd rather have that left to my imagination than be given a one-line reference.
I do sympathize with the grumbling about Saki and Kazuma--of the things we *were* shown, that's pretty much the only one that bothers me. *pets Ginny*
The one complaint I do want to really address is that SO many people took one look at the ending and decided it means that Kyo and Tohru move away and basically never come back, and that all the threads and relationships the series is *about* were broken or tossed aside. And I think that's nonsense. Having some time away in the wider world--the world Kyo grew up believing would never, never be in his reach--is almost certainly a good thing for them, especially since it makes sense that Kyo would need some other experience to inherit Kazuma's dojo. It doesn't mean they were gone forever, or even that long; Kyo himself might want to avoid the other Sohmas, but Tohru wouldn't (and I don't think they'd let her).
I don't know for sure that they moved home and took over the dojo, or whether I think they wind up eventually living in Kazuma's house (the house Kyo grew up in, for all intents and purposes), or Shigure's old house, or somewhere else entirely. But I think that's what we're meant to believe, and even if those details are wrong, I do believe, fundamentally, that what we're meant to come away from the series with is a sense that the relationships we've seen building do continue. They obviously change in ways we're not privy to--and were already changing before this chapter began. But for me it works, it really does, and I'm a hard person to sell endings to.
My list of things I would've liked to have seen would be predictable even if I hadn't already talked about (most of) them. ^_^ But I'm almost done, so bear with me.
I'm actually surprised that my biggest disappointment was not getting a bit more Rin/Haru interaction than we did. As I've mentioned before, I was fundamentally ok with where they were until ch. 133--at that point, I'd accepted that they wouldn't get any more significant time because their arc was resolved, and sure, I love them to pieces and would have been thrilled if they got a whole arc after that, but I'm realistic, too. I knew it wasn't happening, and they're not the main characters, and I was fine with it.
That chapter broke my heart into pieces, but it did basically satisfy my desire to see Rin and Akito deal with each other (more interaction between them is on my list of things I really wanted to see, but feel the series didn't wind up requiring). But I'm still upset, as I said to several people after ch. 133 and 136 came out, that Takaya showed just how badly insecure and afraid Rin still was about her relationship with Haru, and then didn't particularly touch on it again. For me, that's the one thing that I think I needed to be entirely satisfied with the ending--although the final image of them, with Rin so obviously content and peaceful with him, does go a long way. I do believe that they wound up happy, and I don't feel it needed a long scene to explain how they got there . . . but I also think Takaya's knack for fitting a lot of emotional development in even a single page could have been well-applied here, mainly because what I want to know is whether Rin got over it herself, or whether they worked through it together.
The other thing I really wanted to see, but am basically ok without (and again, which is something I've talked about frequently), is a final scene between Haru and Akito--when she summoned the 12shi after the curse broke, he told the other boys that she'd changed, and Rin's conversation with Tohru suggested that he was dealing with Akito's change of heart at least reasonably well. But I do want to know how he got to that point after ch. 105's murder/suicide threat, and whether he's actually ok with her now, or if he's just kind of adjusting because it's really what has to be done if he's going to get on with his life.
I think that's all I have, and it's probably more than enough. The only other thing I've noticed, now that the story's over, is that I miss Rin more than Haru; I love them both fiercely, but in the end, I imagine it's a mix of her ultimately being my favorite, and feeling less closure for her. But whatever it is, it makes my heart hurt.
And so. Goodbye, Furuba. It was an incredible ride.