Manga Diaries – Fruits Basket Volume 10

If you don’t know what my diaries are, please go here. Spoilers ahoy!

Otherwise, let’s go!

• Cover: I’m a tiger like Kisa.
• Page 10: OK, come on now. If you only saw the face — no clothes, no ribbons — you would say that’s Hanajima. That does not look like Tohru. I mean, I feel bad Takaya had to have surgery on her hand, and I admire her dedication to her craft. But at the end of the day, part of a manga’s appeal is the art. And I wasn’t a big fan of her art to begin with, but even without comparing it to her heyday, Takaya’s art wasn’t extravagant. It’s images like this that shows Takaya just isn’t that good with diversifying her characters physically. They’re pretty simple, but good artists should at least make main characters look different from each other, even with a large cast like in Fruits Basket. I mean, I can see why people love the story, but I just can’t see how anybody could say this is one of the most beautiful manga art-wise they’ve ever read.
• 13: Did we ever find out what color Tohru’s swimsuit is?
• 14: Haru always looks good in sunglasses.
• 18: Well, at least she doesn’t sink.
• 20: I’d still rather go to a water park than the ocean.
• 22: More of Akito being mean.
• 23: Haru can read Yuki like a book. I still miss Haru’s funny come-ons/half-jokes to Yuki like taking his picture.
• 25: Surprised the Tohru Guard skipped out of this chapter.
• 26: AKA Sohma Family Reunion.
• 27: Simple-minded Kyo. I miss him getting beat up though.
• 28: Did Momiji mail those letters or what?
• 29: Kisa will never lose to Hiro.
• 31: More “wonderful” Akito moments.
• 33: Akito actually looks more like Yuki here.
• 34: Shigure would probably be a master chess or shogi player if he had the patience to play long games.
• 35: Tohru acting like it’s her fault again.
• 36: Would think Haru would wait and get in the bath with Yuki.
• 37: I bet this would be funnier if I knew what the heck a kunugi tree was.
• 40: “Open the lid.” Probably one of the series’ main themes.
• 45: Jilted! Jilted!
• 46: How shameful, Hiro!
• 47: Haru is making up for not getting to take a bath with Yuki last chapter.
• 53: Someone get Tohru a locket, stat!
• 55: Well, how come you never talk about your parents?
• 56: Dark Tohru or Ugly Tohru?
• 59: Brat!
• 64: I remember thinking this part was going to be interesting, but I was let down.
• 71: Kyo has become a Level 2 Tohru master.
• 76: Almost forgot about her. OK, I did until just now.
• 78: Love triangle!
• 79-80: Right now I feel like reading Kodocha which has a similar “rubbed off of me” scene.
• 85: Never trust Shigure when he looks like that.
• 86: I love Hatori’s and Kana’s reaction.
• 93: Shows how much Shigure really did trust Mayuko.
• 94-95: It’s one of those “what would you do?” situations where nobody wins.
• 98: Haa-kun’s girlfriend.
• 102: Speak of the devil!
• 109: It’s amazing how Mayuko can look both younger and older than Tohru and company.
• 117: Hatori looks plain awful here.
• 119: Mayu’s excellent customer service
• 124-125: Almost a confession.
• 126-127: Mom can go from tears to a smile. Mayu goes from anger to tears.
• 131: Shigure has become a Level 99 Troll Master.
• 136: In case that filler picture wasn’t enough of a spoiler, Mayu confirms it.
• 139: Well, at least Hiro-mama isn’t going to end up on I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant. The only reason I know this show exists (besides seeing it on guides) was when I was flipping through the channels one day and was like, “It’s Kakashi!”
• 140: The return of Satsuki.
• 141: Protective Hiro.
• 142: Tohru could be Satsuki’s apprentice.
• 143: Tohru’s Backup Bodyguards have arrived.
• 145: I’ve forgotten about the Uo-chan fan club. They need to return.
• 147: I think I’ve mentioned this before: it looks like so much fun!
• 149: Nice cover-up, Tohru. And again she thinks she’s done something wrong.
• 156: It’s a test. And not a multiple-choice one either.
• 159: You would think former-yankee Kyoko would have enough instincts to know a flower pot is not a watermelon.
• 160: …or her husband’s memorial.
• 163: Hatori arrives.
• 166: Everyone’s favorite antagonist arrives.
• 167-168: I don’t know why, but know I have the Fuji song from The Prince of Tennis “Black Rain” stuck in my head. His seiyuu has a Yuki-like voice, so it fits the scene well.
• 173: See, here Tohru looks older than Mayuko.
• 177: At least Momiji makes sense in looking more grown up. He’s the kind to mature late.
• 179: Name dropping.
• 183: Shigure wants to be punished.
• 189-190: Why do manga characters get to see shooting stars so easily? I want to see some shooting stars! It’s not fair!
• 192-196: I like this scene. Too bad it’s ruined later.
• 198: Let’s read about us tigers. Courageous, loving dynamic, aggressive, emotional, unpredictable… Well, I’m some of those. Definitely not suited to be a race car driver or explorer. Shout-out to all the horses, dogs, and dragons, and sorry to the monkeys. Wood is my sign, but I feel like water would be my sign. Corresponding Western sign would be Aquarius. Month-wise, I’m a Cancer. I’m not really physically active, but I like to multi-task, so that’s a different kind of active. But I’m definitely no life of the party. Tokyopop also lists celebrity dragons, but I assume that’s a typo.
• Back cover inside: Is that Kagura? She’s disappeared in the story. She also looks like Tohru’s twin.

Well, Yuki’s admitted his feelings to himself, but if you’ve read the story, you know where this is going. I’ll talk more about this later.

Rin-chan’s formal introduction has been delayed again, but we get to know a bit about Tohru’s secret pain. Her secret sounded really interesting, but it comes across as lame. Again, more on this later.

I can’t help but bring up the art throughout the story. It’s just really jarring to see characters age by 10 years just by flipping a page.

Anyways, a good portion of the volume is spent on Mayu’s love life. I frankly found this kind of boring. Personally, I think it would have been more interesting if she really saw Hatori as a good friend, but she doesn’t know how to be a good friend to him once her role as “best friend to his girlfriend” disappears. Even if Kana were to remark Mayuko and Hatori make a good pair, Mayuko can’t explain why she knows Hatori pretty well. Instead we get a friend secretly falls in love at first sight with her best friend’s boyfriend and is still interested in him after they break up.

Hiro learns another lesson about needing to grow up. Kagura, meanwhile, has stepped out of the manga while Kisa fills in the role of female Sohma. Plus Tohru’s friends can’t come along to risk the Sohma secret, but you would think they would be tempted to find their own way to the house. The comedy is extremely light this volume, and nobody kicks Kyo around. I miss those days… Kyo really doesn’t do much outside of always hanging around Tohru and noticing her expressions. There’s not a lot of blushing either. And then Akito just comes and add to the fun, making everyone long for Tohru.

Overall, this was a pretty boring volume. It’s not a lot of set ups for the future, just plots I don’t care about: (Mayu x Hatori and Akito).