Monday, March 7, 2011

Manga Mondays (40): Fruits Basket vol. 17 by Natsuki Takaya

Fruits Basket vol. 17 by Natsuki Takaya

Summary

Akito has more than skeletons hiding in the closet. The curse is not the only reason Kureno won't leave Akito. Who can make Arisa understand Kureno's devotion to Akito? Kureno must talk with Shigure if he ever wants to be free from Akito. Meanwhile, the dark shadow that hovers over the Sohma Estate has fallen on Tohru. Is there any cure for this curse? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review*

*My "reviews" of manga are a combination of a summary and a review. It's hard for me to really talk about a volume of manga without going in depth with the plot. So if you're really concerned about spoilers, beware.

Finally we get into Akito's head. I've spent the past 16 volumes hating Akito for his cruelty toward the rest of the Zodiac. I wondered if learning his story would make me like him any better. After reading volume 17, I still hate Akito. I pity him more. He's had a tough life and a horrific mother, but this seems to be par for the course for the Zodiac members. All have horrible childhoods and none of them are as mean as Akito. Despite his caustic personality, it's amazing the devotion the Zodiac members have towards him. It shows the power of the curse. We also learn Akito's deepest secret in this volume. Just what I thought.

The relationship that Kureno and Shigure have with Akito is, depending upon how you look at it, pretty twisted or admirably loyal. Kureno's curse was broken. He is no longer cursed by the Zodiac. It's not explained in this volume. I'm curious to know more. Even without the curse, he won't leave Akito. Shigure loves Akito. I don't know if it's a romantic relationship or more of a god-like love. I'm not sure if Shigure entirely knows either. I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Shigure. It's nice to see the class clown actually have some substance.

We didn't see much from Tohru, Yuki, or Kyo in this volume. Just a few scenes about their high school graduation. It was rather refreshing. I love the big three, but the secondary characters are so interesting that I like the time spent focused on them.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting that even though you get in his head in this one, it doesn't help him become any more likeable. I'm intrigued by his curse though and his deepest secret, I'm a nosy person when it comes to book secrets, so I want to know what it is:) Nice review Alison!

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