Fruits Basket, Vol. 15

フルーツバスケット [Fruits Basket] #15

by Natsuki Takaya

Yuki's past finally is revealed! But is it all too much to bear? His sickness takes a turn for the worse, and after Akito reminds Yuki how loathed he is, his will to live might finally be drained... Meanwhile, as Tohru is getting ready to perform in Cinderella, the class decides that they have to rewrite the play. But no amount of revision will prevent Tohru from improvising her loving feelings for a certain someone. Just who is the mystery man? A little bird tells us that the answer is right inside this next volume of the super-popular Fruits Basket, the world's #1 shojo manga!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fiction, Comics

196 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2004

About the author

Name (in native language) : 高屋奈月

Natsuki Takaya (高屋 奈月 Takaya Natsuki, real name Naka Hatake) is the penname of a Japanese manga artist best-known for creating the series Fruits Basket. She was born on July 7, 1973; (Tanabata). Takaya is left-handed and once revealed that she wanted to be a mangaka since first grade, when her sister started drawing.

She was born in Shizuoka, Japan, but was raised in Tokyo, where she made her debut in 1992. She enjoys video games such as the Final Fantasy series or Sakura Wars, or working on her different manga series, such as Fruits Basket, which is the second best-selling shōjo manga ever in Japan, and the top selling shōjo manga in North America. Fruits Basket has also been adapted into a twenty-six-episode anime series.

In 2001, Takaya received a Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga for Fruits Basket.

According to Takaya (in a sidebar of a Fruits Basket manga volume), she enjoys drawing girls (girly ones) more than she does boys. Takaya also enjoys electronics and music, but dislikes talking about herself. Also revealed in a sidebar of Fruits Basket, Takaya broke her drawing arm (left) after Fruits Basket volume six was published. She had to go into surgery, and as a result, had put Fruits Basket on a brief hiatus. Takaya made a full recovery, but complains that her handwriting had gotten uglier, due to the surgery. During her hospital stay, she gained an interest in baseball.

Reviews

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first volume I had to read in German because for some crazy reason my library only has Vol. 1 – 14 in English. If I’m entirely honest it was kind of weird to read “Fruits Basket” in German but oh well, I’ll hopefully get used to it because there are at least 8 volumes left. XD
I guess I better be grateful they even have the entire series, right? *lol*

Thoughts to the highlights of this volume:

- Can I say how much I dislike Akito! He makes me so angry! Is there even one zodiac member he hasn’t physically or mentally abused? It seems like they all fear him, but poor Yuki and Kyo certainly had to suffer the most. My heart ached for Yuki so much… T_T Poor boy!

- Plus I think after reading this volume it’s safe to say that Yuki isn’t in love with Tohru but that he loves her instead. Yes, there is a difference. Their relationship is more like a big sister and her little brother so I doubt there’ll ever be any romance between them. XD Which would make Kyo the final love interest and I’d be so happy about this! *lol*

- I. STILL. LIVE. AND. BREATHE. FOR. THOSE. TINY. LITTLE. TOHRU. AND. KYO. MOMENTS! <333 I swear whenever Kyo gets closer to her I’m like: AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *hearty eyes* <333

- Their version of Cinderella was hilarious!!! *LOL* I had to laugh so hard. Hana-chan was such a funny Cinderella. Always thinking about food instead of her prince. XD

- I think there might be a growing romance between Yuki and Machi? I mean in contrast to all the other girls and boys at their school she’s completely unimpressed by Yuki, yet she seems to know him better than anyone else. Machi sees right through his façade and she knows that he’s lonely. So I’d definitely be on board of this ship! He’d so deserve a person that loves him for who he is and not for who people believe him to be! <333

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sorta Cinderella” is a gift to the foes of Mordor

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was the most amazing Cinderella ever.

[Saraí Elvir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Por fin los secretos de Yuki empiezan a salir a la luz y mi ship esta triunfando, mas feliz imposible.
Además la obra escolar de Cenicienta fue muy graciosa.

[Rain Misoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tee-Hee-Hee! This volume was adorable. Well, towards the end it was. The beginning made me want to cry. However, it's because of this sadness, I think, that made me understand a little bit better. That's right... I actually understand Yuki a little better now. Took me long enough, ne? Well, I'm sorry but arrogance makes me dislike people. In any case, I really appreciate what this volume does for the reader. It makes things so much more clearer and also brings the reader to a place where you think things are going haywire but is also going towards peace at the same time. That's not to say things aren't going to go crazy again. It just wouldn't be Fruits Basket without all them insane plot twists!

What can I say? I think Takaya-sensei did a fabulous job in creating this story. What she made Yuki go through and how she made him feel... that was the most brilliant thing I have ever seen happen in any manga I've read (and I've read quite a few). Reading this particular volume made me understand Yuki a lot more. I'm glad she did that for people, like me, who might have thought that Yuki was just being selfish. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I never hated Yuki. I did like him. I was just confused as to why he was acting the way he acted. Sensei did amazing in helping me, and perhaps many others, see who he truly was. *Happy sigh* So glad! Another thing is I approve of her version of Cinderella a whole lot more than the real one. XD It just suits me a lot more. X3 What can I say? I'm a women who believes you can do whatever you want! But that's all I'll say about that. This is definitely something you should read for yourself. Especially if you don't normally agree with the norm! ^_^

Yuki, Yuki, Yuki. This volume mostly centered around Yuki. And I'm glad for it! We get to see more about his past. Him being alone for most of his childhood... how he was revered highly yet not known for his suffering... it was very heart-breaking indeed. I had no clue this poor boy went through all that. I mean, I knew it couldn't have been fun being locked up in a dark room but... my ignorance didn't help me understand completely. Now I do and I love Yuki all the more for it! (Yes. It is official. Stop bothering me.) You want to know what I find more amazing? The fact that Yuki is growing so much as a person. He said he wanted to change and, my God, is he changing! He's trying his best to reach out to Kyo and make peace with him. It's so... lovely. He surprised me a lot of the time whenever he tried to do something he normally wouldn't do. As for Kyo... he needs more time. Yes, he's improving as well but because of all the negativity he received as a child, his relationship is still rocky when it comes to Yuki. But I do get the feeling he is warming up to him. It's not as heavy... not as strained... I think for now he's trying to focus on what's going on between him and Tohru... which brings me to my next question: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON THERE!? I'm so confused! He knows something and he's just not saying it! He better say it soon because it's driving me insane!!! >_< And Akito is a prick. *Still has no pity for the asswipe*

Tohru is another character still growing. In a lot of ways, she's still herself from when the series first started out. However, she's able now to talk to people when things are bothering her without seeming like a nuisance. She still worries about her friends and... *Smirks* ...we are beginning to see what it's like to be in love~ Yay!!! She's so keen to other's feelings. She sees that Uo still misses Kureno, that Yuki is growing, and that Kyo is acting strangely. I demand to know what's wrong with him! Anyway, I love her and I have a feeling things are going to get a bit more complicated for her... oh joy... Machi is another weird character. She's not impressed with Yuki which makes me happy, yes, because it's different but I would still like to know her reasons for it. I'm just curious. Such an enigma, that one. Manabe... I love how he teases Yuki. He makes me giggle. Haru, Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro are just cute as hell. Their relationship with each other is very strong. As it should be! Haru... you were a genius to tell Shishou about the play! Very worth it! >:3 As for Hanajima, I couldn't imagine a much better Cinderella. Oh, my... her and Shishou! That's just so cute! Too bad Kyo doesn't approve... OH WELL! WE SHALL MAKE HIM!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! >:3

I am losing it... let me wrap this up before any more of my brain cells die. This book is filled with a lot of Yuki's history that helps the reader a lot when it comes to getting the full picture. It's hilarious and getting a lot more romantic as well! I cannot wait to see more of the smexy! EEEE!!! I'm excited! So yeah! If you like romance, hilarity to the extreme, and AWESOME characters and plot twists, then you really should invest into this type of manga. It really is amazing and I'm sure you will not regret getting into this series. I know I am dying to find out why Kyo is acting so weird and whether the other characters will get their happy ending. I must know, damn it! *Ahem* Well, I've babbled for long enough. I'm going to get ready and journey into the 16th volume of Furuba! Hurry up and meet me there! *Winks*

[Avani ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite volume so far. The Cinderella aspect and play along with Yuki's past is so greatly put.

[megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my goodness the element of the cinderella play in this volume was amazing. I think this may have been one of my favorite volumes! It was interesting to see Yuki's perspective on Tohru and I think it's pointing towards Kyo being the main love interest which is what I've been hoping for!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favourite Character: Shigure

While recovering from his panic attack, Yuki tells Kakeru about his relationship with Tohru. In a flashback, Yuki remembers his childhood under Akito's control, believing he was despised by the rest of the zodiac. When Yuki sought out Kyo, as the similarly despised cat, Kyo scorned him as the rat that tricked the original cat. In the depth of his despair, he ran away; while outside, he helped a lost girl, Tohru, return home (giving her the treasured cap as he did so), which gave him proof that he was not as useless as Akito claimed. In the present, Yuki admits to Kakeru that what he wants from Tohru is the unconditional, nurturing love of "a mother," not the love of a woman, and yet despite this he is jealous of the growing attraction of Tohru and Kyo. Meanwhile, during rehearsals for Cinderella, their class realizes that their leads are miscast, with Kyo incapable of being charming as a prince, nor Tohru wicked as a stepsister, nor Hanajima a downtrodden Cinderella. The play is rewritten as Sorta Cinderella and the performance is successful, despite personal, out-of-character outbursts by Tohru, Kyo, and Uotani. At Tohru's request, Momiji makes a copy of the play's video for Kureno, so that he can see Uotani's outcry that he come see her. Meanwhile, Yuki sees some girls bullying Machi for saying that Yuki is not a prince, which she counters by saying she believes that Yuki is lonely in spite of being surrounded by others. Before anything else can happen, Kakeru comes to save her. Meanwhile, Kyo begins to wonder if Tohru is starting to like him, but he brushes off that thought.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume we get a lot more backstory on Yuki's childhood, and the emotional and verbal abuse that he underwent from his parents and from Akito. Poor Yuki! Through all the memories that Yuki is fighting through, he realizes the nature of his true feelings for Tohru, and it was not quite what I expected!

We also see a flashback to when Kyo and Yuki first met as children, so that was especially heart-wrenching since they've almost been tolerating each other lately. Kyo is mostly sulking and brooding, and the only thing that will bring him out of his shell is Tohru.

I was interested to find out more about the strange power that Akito has over all the Sohma family, why he is head of the family, and why no matter how much he abuses them, the zodiac members never blame Akito or fight back. It's all mystical curses, and creepy history going back hundreds of years.

Tohru and her classmates are putting on a play, Cinderella, for the school festival, but no one gets parts that match their personalities, so they rewrite the play into something that is easier for them to act. It's hilarious and wonderful and I was laughing my head off!

This series addresses some issues like abandonment and feelings of loneliness, of not belonging or not being needed, and it really touched a lot of deep emotions in me and made me connect with the characters. I’m so emotional about it, but I love the journey the characters go on to find healing and happiness!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in Japanese!!! There were a lot of words I had to look up but I did it!!! Yaaaa!!!

[Kassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think as the series goes on, the characters tend to open up more to their true feelings and thoughts, and lets jut say there not exactly what you call happy.

I really thought the cinderella play was hilarious.

[AK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuki, my heart. My poor baby. Still a little weird about his stance, but reading this all consecutively it makes a lot more sense now than it did before.

Oh my, I forgot about the play. That was so funny - Sorta Cinderella indeed.

TW: emotional abuse, bullying, gaslighting, suicidal thoughts, chronic illness (bronchitis), injury, abandonment

[living1000lives · Rating 3 out of 5]

ugh.. just get on with the story already.. stupid cinderella play

[chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

sorta cinderella

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume actually provided me with several laugh out loud moments. Yay! The epic play, "Sorta Cinderella," was certainly one for the ages. Heh, at this point in my life I found the closing lines of the play particularly delightful, "And so Cinderella chose a path with no princes. And her yakiniku shop was blessed with good business. After proving that a woman can live a full life without marriage, she most certainly lived happily ever after." Hee!

This volume also makes me really sad that the word angstrom is a measure of distance. I'd like to repurpose it as a measurement of angst. LOL, as in, Yuki's backstory in this volume had an angstrom of 11 (on a scale of 10). Poor lil' abused guy.

Finally, I read a first printing hot off the presses from Tokyopop back in 2006. And what a terrible print job it was. The whole transfer was done with a very violent hand. Ugh. Very sloppy and quite distracting. I'm hoping the rest of the volumes aren't so ugly.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.

[Nathan Meier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good! It is nice to see Yuki’s complete backstory, but it seems like a lot of it was already implied. In addition to Yuki it also gives some perspective as to Akito, especially the part where Akito calls Yuki worthless. I can’t help but wonder if that’s what Akito fears for themselves. It’s impressive how quickly Yuki and Kakeru can go from having a deep conversation to fighting, that is to say their dynamics are great. The Cinderella play is one of the best parts in the series! All around the cast, feelings are coming closer to the surface. Also, I don’t think it’s at all Machi’s fault for not back talking.

[J | Silver Spines · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Yuki. I honestly don't get why Akito is so cruel to him? I'm glad he's out of that situation, anyway. The play was kind of entertaining, although it was also kind of a mess...

[Alison (AlisonCanRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another Yuki-heavy volume. As much as I love Yun-Yun, I'm really missing Kyo. We learn more about Yuki's childhood in this volume. He was placed with Akito at an early age. Akito must not be much older than Yuki, because they were both children together. Even as a child, Akito was selfish, needy, and cruel. He made sure that Yuki understood "his place." He was worthless. No one wanted him. The one time Yuki tried to make friends in school, he accidentally turned into a rat, and all his new friends' memories had to be modified. This only served to reinforce Yuki's isolation and feelings of worthlessness. Tohru managed to unknowingly boost Yuki's self-esteem before she even knew him. When they were both small, Tohru wandered away from her mother; Yuki helped her find her way. In that moment, he felt needed.

Yuki finally realizes his feelings for Tohru. This is super-weird to me. He thinks of her as his mother. The only person who ever cared for him. I find this a little hard to believe. How many 18 year old guys decide that a pretty girl whom they adore is the functional equivalent of their mother?

The rest of the volume as another attempt at levity. Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, Uo-chan, and Hana-chan are starring in the class production of Cinderella. This was the best Cinderella production I've ever seen. It's specifically called "Sorta Cinderella." They had to change the story since Tohru is incapable of being an evil stepsister, Kyo isn't exactly prince charming, and goth Hana-chan is far from sweet Cinderella. My favorite part was when Yuki, the fairy godmother asked Cinderella if he could grant her a wish and she requested to "burn the palace down." Cinderella was more interested in eating dinner than dancing with the prince. A lot of Fruits Basket funny moments fall flat for me, but this was fantastic.

[Jessica-Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume has two very different moods to it.

The first part is very sad as we go more into Yuki's history, how he ended up under Akito's control, and some of what that entailed. This was a great follow up to what ended off the last volume. The more I learn about Yuki the more I'm starting to love him. After everything everyone in this series has experienced all you want is for them to be happy in the future. This new information also brings a lot more weight to Tohru's presence and how by just being around the Sohma's she really has exposed them to an acceptance that few of them have ever experienced. Although that is a running theme, her interactions with Yuki shows that acceptance in the one of the most poignant ways.

The second half of this volume has a very major change in tone. From the dark to the light, the group is set to act out a revised Cinderella play "Sorta Cinderella" for the school culture festival. Through this half I could not stop laughing, as always Takaya gets me with her hilarious blunt dialog and then brings it home by throwing in something meaningful to the characters. A cultural festival play is a common thing to see in a romance manga for obvious reasons (normally used as some sort of filler piece), but this time around "Sorta Cinderella" was full of some of the biggest laughs I've had in the entire series so far.

[B.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

...Where ALL the secrets are revealed!
It was Yuki, the boy in the hat who led Tohru to her mom. For some reason, I was thinking it was Kyo. But probably just because it's his hat. It flew away from him and then Yuki was going to give it back, but Kyo with his little boy anger didn't want it anymore. And why he's telling all this to Manabe is beyond me. "He's nice." I guess so...
And what do you know! Yuki doesn't like Tohru like a girlfriend! He likes her as a mom. Which is PERFECT, because Kyo likes Tohru as a girlfriend, and Tohru really likes Kyo, so, tada. I found it a bit odd that that's how he thinks of her, but it's how it has to be.
Their school play is pretty funny. Kyo as Prince Charming, that's great. And then Hanajima is Cinderella and all she wants to do is eat. But what a touching moment when Tohru bursts out her TRUE (we all know they're true) feelings for Kyo, and he liiiikes her for it. Or he's upset, I'm not sure. That last bit is kind of confusing.

[Nicole (Reading Books With Coffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be one of my favorite volumes of Fruits Basket. We learn more about Yuki's childhood and his connection to Tohru. You really do understand why Yuki acts the way he does. I really liked seeing the class play they put on, and some of the trouble they had with it. Tohru's really changing: she's still herself, and in a lot of ways, she's still the same Tohru we met at the beginning of the series. But she's also speaking up for herself a little more, which is great to see.

I, of course, loved the artwork. And the fan art is amazing too. I really do like seeing what the fans come up with.

I give it a 5 out of 5.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like with the previous volume in the series, I really enjoyed the first half but the second half just fell flat for me. I must just not be interested in silly fan-service anymore, and that's really all that half of the book felt to me. The first half was quite interesting to get a better history on Yuki and why he's turned out the way he is.

[TheBookishHobbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume we learn about Yuki and his family dynamic. Not only that but his childhood and why he sees Tohru as a mother figure to him. I thought this was well executed and a wonderful installment to the series. Also the Cinderella okay was cute and fun at the end as well.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The school play was absolutely adorable. I loved it. =)

Reread review.. The play is still sterling the second time through. Absolutely glorious story. =)

[Kat (Lost in Neverland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this volume!

[Vyou · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st 3 stars
2nd 4.5 stars

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Blythe Penland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this volume was very eye-opening. We finally see that Yuki never had romantic feelings for Tohru, just that he needed the kind of maternal love that she provided. I like the way that Yuki views how a parent should be. That even as he's just talking about his day or ranting or going on about meaningless things, she just listens. She bears it and she doesn't complain. She welcomes him in and lets him be vulnerable without judgement. She just accepts him as he is with no expectation of anything in return. Yuki's right, that's what real parents do, that's how they should be.

It is, nevertheless, such a shock to me because I'd started my Fruits Basket journey over half a decade ago and I would have never guessed. The love triangle of Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki defined some of my perception of the franchise, and now I find that there was no love triangle at all. Though, perhaps Yuki couldn't admit it to himself as he's also not yet ready to tell Tohru. It's interesting that maybe he hadn't come to terms with it himself, so he sometimes disguised his platonic love to Tohru by flirting with her or treating her the way he thought a guy should act toward a girl.

I suppose that this newfound development does solve my dilemma of not feeling a particular way about who to ship Tohru with between the boys. Even if you'd asked me before this volume, I would have said I still wasn't sure. But I think this also explains how much of the fandom wants Tohru to be with the redhead.

It's wild how every review I write, it's almost become mandatory that there's a section on my distaste for Akito. I hate that Yuki's parents sold out their child for status and money within the family. I hope that Yuki can eventually somewhat reconcile with his parents, just as he's started to do so with Ayame. Akito was awful for clinging so tightly to the rat child, but also abusing him every step of the way. I'm glad that Yuki realized the world isn't all darkness, even if it's not all light. It's enough to try to keep on going.

The supremacist that Akito is never fails to make him feel unforgivable to me. I can't believe we're so close to Natsuki's end of it that she knows she won't have time to discuss the backgrounds of so many of our main characters' lives so she has to write synopses in the notes. But I suppose I'm grateful that she is choosing to share that information anyway. It's awfully strange to me that Hatori's parents both died of illnesses, one while he was a boy and the other as a teenager. Even more so considering his father was also a doctor.

I always thought maybe the memory-suppressing thing had to be magic since turning into animals is itself entirely magical, but sure, let's go with some sort of hypnosis technique. Sorta Cinderella was a crazy play for their class to put on, but it was funny. It still would have made more sense to me if they would have just redone the casting. But perhaps the obvious casting choices of Tohru as Cinderella and Yuki as the prince would have made Yuki's confession of not romantic love (to himself anyway) more awkward.

I feel so much of Uo-chan's pain and yet I also understand Tohru's view as her friend. Kureno is absent these days, and I get what Uotani is going through. I wish that he would have gone to see the play with Haru, Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro. I love that Momiji finds himself being an amateur detective. I recommend this novel to those left in what feels like only darkness.