Natsuki Takaya

Welcome to a review I never expected to have to write because who thought Furuba/Fruits Basket would get a continuation/sequel series?

I'm not gonna bother marking this as spoilers - if you read Furuba then nothing in this volume will spoil you for who got with who. If you didn't read Furuba, why are you reading this and second you won't likely understand the references that are spoilers so it doesn't matter.

Furubana is...confusing. At least if you try to connect the "new generation" to the old. It doesn't help that our main character is so... lacklustre. Tohru had the redeeming quality that despite her hardships she had two friends who genuinely CARED for her and a mother who loved her so so much when she was alive.

And destiny but don't trust that fickle bitch because you'll wind up thinking that Yuki and Tohru will wind up together and be heart broken when he Medea-complexes himself straight to the FRIEND ZONE.

I'm still bitter, bite me.

Mitoma is...just there. Like a shadow. She's brow beaten, depressed and timid. Her mother appears to be THE WORST and she has no friends at all since she's new to the school (yes the same one every single Sohma seems desperate to attend). She's rescued by Yuki's oldest son Mutsuki (who's practically Ayame) from Mr. Class Present Takei from the original series who is now a teacher and OMG he pervs on Mutsuki and is STILL PROFESSING LOVE AND WORSHIP OF YUKI.

Which seems fair since Hanajima's brother is also a teacher (love love love) and...I forget the Prince Yuki fan club president's name, anyhow her daughter runs the Sohma Clan Appreciation Cult.

History repeats itself.

We meet Yuki's son, Rin/Haru's twins, Tohru/Kyo's son, Hatori/??'s daughter (please be Hanajima's daughter), Yuki's other son who appears to possibly be unable to go outside for some reason and Yuki's niece (Manabe's brother's daughter). The vaguest of all references are made to the original cast, though in the asides they're more explicitly referenced. Other vague allusions to the now broken curse as well.

Overall I was underwhelmed. Mostly because I don't want to follow such a dreary girl - maybe if this was longer but it'll only be three Vols and I would have preferred three "slice of life" adventure Vols of how all the kids are then an introduction to a new unrelated completely gal.… (meer)

It kind of hurts to write this, until I remember that by the end of Furuba the series as a whole is more of a three star for me after it being so very good in the first half. I didn't have the same expectations of Furubana. My reviews for vols 1 and 2 show how...conflicted I feel over this sequel series set two decades (or so) after Furuba featuring the children of our original Sohmas.

Mitoma as is an uncharismatic main character to follow; she spends half the series as anxious as Ritsu. Constantly apologizing, constantly holding her tongue. Not the same way Tohru would, Mitoma was much more of a "I don't deserve to exist" sort of way. We learn this is largely her mother's fault and for a time Mitoma seems to come out of her shell, especially in regards to Shiki (Shigure and Akito's child who bears a lot of abuse from his grandmother and the older resentful Sohmas in general).

I think maybe because Takaya didn't mean for this to go on as long as it did, she didn't pace revelations vs. nostalgia story bites very well. The issues Mitoma faces in volume 3 would have been better served starting in volume 2 as this.volume's plot is bookended by a carefree opening at the Sohma beach house and a largrly carefree ending at a school festival. The issues Mitoma had to live with weren't truly resolved - merely having people in your life telling you that you can overcome something while dealing with that abuse isn't a resolution. Mitoma didn't come to a plan beyond "wait it out". It cheapened the fact she was urging Shiki out of his shell in a gentle way.

Plus I'll be honest I cared way more for the fact Shigure apparently still was THE WORST and somehow Hatori's daughter Kinu wound up being Ayame's daughter Hibiki's keeper (much like Hari was to Ayame).

Sadly the old crew doesn't make any real appearances so :shrug: in the end a mildly interesting if unfocused sequel.… (meer)