Fruits Basket's Emotionally Broken Protagonist | Tohru Honda Character Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2024
- A character such as Tohru usually fails due to one note designs by their authors. However, Fruits Basket is a series that isn't shallow meaning someone like her shines very quickly into a stunning person overall with many issues to overcome.
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#FruitsBasket #Furuba #TohruHondaAnalysis
Fruits Basket is more of character study than romance
Yesss
Yesss
Yesss
honesty
Honestly tho
I dont think people understand that tohrus mom was everything to her. She is who she is because of her. Now that that's been taken from her, she doesn't know how to cope properly. I think she feels that if she helps other people and gives a piece of her mom to others with her advice it's like she's still alive. She hasn't been able to fully get that her mom is gone. Kind of like in denial.
Patricia Carteno
I don’t doubt that denial plays a role in the way she acts (I mean, it’s only been a little over a year since she passed as of ep 21 of the reboot). I think some of it is also, like... “I’m so fortunate to have had this person with so much wisdom in my life. I want to pass some of it along to others so that they can be helped as much as she helped me.” A kindness, but in doing so there’s the benefit of keeping her mom’s spirit around her. It’s kind of another testament to Tohru’s strength; she chooses to incorporate the memory of her mother into her life rather than avoiding anything that could remind her that her mother isn’t with her anymore.
my dog tends to leave little bits of food away from her food bowl and think she might see 2 previous late dogs of ours, also i can "feel" my older sister be there for me in spirit (she was a miscarriage), so it might be kinda slimier to that, idk
I don't know if it's denial, as much as an inner strength or coping mechanism. Now that I'm older, I realize that I've done a lot of what Tohru does. Sharing the good qualities, memories of my grandparents that raised me when I was young and as I result I keep their energy alive through myself linking to other people. I'm 32 now, and it's funny how people have actually said "you smile too much" but I think life/death trauma at a young age makes you more optimistically resilient
The story will go into this further. I'm not sure if denial is the right word honestly. Tohru holds on to her mother in fear that if she forgets her at all it's like she's forsaking her. She holds on to the idea that her mother should always be first in her heart no matter what.
@@Rosevieenla Yeah that’s also why she has trouble admitting to herself that she was in love with Kyo, because she felt guilty about putting someone before her mother.
Tohru’s character completely changed my life. She made me want to be a better person, someone more optimistic and kind. I’ve always struggled with not drowning in the darkness of depression. But ever since I read the manga a decade ago, she’s been one of my role models.
shes one of my role models aswell!
Same
YES SAME
Wow I'm not the only one😱
Same...
She's inspiring...😊😊
Great analysis!! I honestly can't handle it when people say that ''tohrus wayyyyy too nice, she always saves the day and she got over her trauma so easily that it's so unrealistic'' like..no. She understands what the members of the zodiac are going through because she is also experiencing her own trauma and is able to relate to them and help them change.
I'd also like to add that whenever tohru talks about her mother she refers to her as an actual person as if she's really still there. like "oh no moms been kidnapped", "mom can't breathe in there". That's not the behavior of someone who's gotten over their trauma. she's still suffering but just with a smile on her face to hide it.
a lot of people make that assumption because they haven't invested time into the manga and can't base it off of anything
We can clearly see that in the episode when they were celebrating Christmas she had to stay alone in the house because the boys needed to go to a family party and when they regret leaving her alone and change their mind they find her crying on her own. She struggles each and every day but doesn't want to be a burden to everyone around her.
extensivelover this made me cry
Seems like she is in the first stage of Grief.
I have a bestie who does the same thing she lost her mom too ( we are 17 btw ) she has told her feelings only to me cuz I lost my dad when I was 15 n we relate ...whenever she does things like showing the pic of her mom n asking me to say hi to her I see the pain in her eyes tho we fill the room with laughter....I'm fine with my dad being in heaven cuz he always suffered so I'm happy for him but for my bestie she just doesn't show her feelings... always laughing it off ....same as tohru ....so I can understand the character of tohru...even my mom does it as if my dad is still alive ...its just people compromising themselves dat their dear ones r still with them
I read a quote/tweet somewhere about how a lot of female characters get the kindness and innocence beat out of them by the author so that they can be "strong." I think this is why Tohru seems like a "Mary Sue" to some people (that aren't paying attention) because they expect a "flawed" character to be distant, unfriendly, and jaded. Life *did* beat Tohru down, over and over, and honestly it would be EASIER for a character to embrace the sorrow, loneliness, and anger from the unfairness of the hand they were dealt. Yet, somehow, Tohru continues to stay cheerful, care deeply about other people, and keep looking for a reason to live every day... because she IS on the edge of breaking. It boggles my mind that this would be considered weakness...
Imyreld I completely agree. I think she is a wonderful example of the ways in which we can tell different stories that lift people up, without automatically needing to have our character come from the worst place possible. Tohru has had terrible things happen to her, and somehow she still manages to be kind and good, which is really difficult. It’s easier to write characters who are angry, distant, or more visibly upset, because those are emotions and states of mind that an audience can immediately connect to. Finding someone who is smiling through their pain, and realizing that they aren’t being foolish, but they are actually doing their best to be strong and spread kindness in the world because they don’t want others to suffer, is a little bit trickier for some.
Ahhhh. I love her. It gives me the warm fuzzies when I find people who appreciate what she represents and just how good she is.
@@processesofbecoming2516 Absolutely. Fruits Basket is largely about a family that have all been traumatized and how each one of them processes it. Kyou runs away, Yuki pretends everything is perfect, Haru developed another personality, Momiji acts cute and cheerful, Hatori avoids connections, and so on and so on. Readers/watchers might not relate to all of the characters, but its an excellent display of why putting yourself in someone else's shoes is difficult and necessary for growth. Tohru doesn't have magical fixing powers, she's just actually listening and giving unconditional love.
Also just because Tohru smiles through all of her pain, that does not mean "Oh well she's dealing with the grief in the best way possible so she's perfect". That is NOT the healthiest way at all. At least not at the extent she does it. Since everyone is different, everyone has different "easy routes". For her it is easier to put others first and pretend her pain isn't there instead of admitting her feelings. It is a crutch. The idea of sharing her troubles with others is much harder and scarier of an obstacle to overcome than working herself to the point where she doesn't think about it. Which is strange considering she will listen to other people's troubles all day. To her, helping other people with their unrelated problems just makes it easier for her to think through her own. One of the main themes of the story is honesty, transparency, and communication I feel. Every character benefits from becoming more honest. Tohru included.
Predictable Enigma I agree with you, it isn’t perfect and it isn’t the healthiest but I still admire Tohru for being able to smile through all that grief without showing it through small gaps and cracks, to me it just sounds too exhausting and like you said it isn’t the most healthiest way dealing with grief, since, realistically speaking, most people would break down from doing that 24/7
Exactly! The rest of them have been beaten down by their sorrow, loneliness, and anger. They let it make them bitter. They need her.
As a manga reader, you really nailed it. There's so much more to Tohru than being "unrealistically nice."
I mean there was a whole chapter dedicated to her friends saying it her kindess is unhealthy and selfdestructive. Which is one of the self destructive behavior that rarely gets depicted as dangerous as it really is.
Rialtoir beautifully said 💖
where can you read it?
hiii I love Fruits Basket's so much and honestly I would love to be recommended Shōjo this good
For me one of her best moments comes in the episode “Eat Somen With Your Friends” when Kyo basically tells her she’s living for someone who is no longer there.
She breaks down crying and starts begging him to not make her look too closely at her situation because then she can’t pretend everything’s okay.
this is why i love fruits basket. the love isnt the main point if the story. the story revolves around how broken all of these characters actually are. the curse holds the zodiacs like tight chains and her mom holds her back from loving another person romantically. they all have trauma that they have to get over
There's nothing I hate more in a protagonist than "their flaw is they're TOO wonderful!!!"...which is exactly why I love Tohru. She's not "too nice, too sweet, too perfect," she's a teenage girl who's been through a lot of pain and tries to see the best in everyone but can't see it in herself. She's a great friend but can't open up to others. She's incredibly strong (you live in a tent and spend all your time between work and school and STILL manage to smile at everyone???) but can't ask for help even though she clearly needs it. She thinks _needing_ to ask for help is a problem. I don't stand for anyone calling my girl a Mary Sue, she's the exact opposite--she looks like the common archetype of the "Sweet Nice Shoujo Protagonist" but with actual _depth. Fruits Basket_ is old enough I don't know if it was meant to deconstruct that archetype or if it was written before the whole thing became a cliche (or if deconstruction was ever the intention anyway), but it's a perfect time to bring it back.
I think the same thing
I disagree
Honestly I don't like how the fandom gives her hate
srsly it gets on my nerves
maybe stfu and stop hating!
Pepole should give Fruits Basket a try because the characters are all great. I think there is someone everbody can relate to.
eWNGZ Edward Even better:)
yeah
I loved this anime as a child
and I always will
it's beautiful
Oh I did, and it was fucking worth it
I can relate to kyo from the earlier chapters of the manga when he was short tempered and shit but in the later chapters he becomes more like chill and humble
I absolutely hate people who invalidate Tohru’s trauma, while being okay with the Sohmas’ trauma taking up entire episodes. Double standards people
The moment when Tohru pushed Akito, that was when her maternal instinct kicked in. She didn't think at all and just acted. She does this several other times in the series too. But it was this moment that really brought it to light for me. Having both read the Manga and seen the anime. This is a fantastic analysis, as it points out that she's still dealing with her trauma and the loss of her mother and father. She wears a smile like a thick armor, doesn't let anyone inside her little bubble. But most people wouldn't notice that, and that is entirely the point of the smile. She's genuinely kind, but it's not to get anything in return. She helps the Sohma Family through their trauma however in doing so, she is healing her own wounds as well. She mirrors them in a way, each of them has something similar to her. She brings understanding and peace, and when it's time to face her own demons, it's usually when they too are facing theirs. Out of everyone in the series, I think Tohru is the one who has grown the most.
I think it shows how much she can’t except that her mom passed away by the fact that she talks to the photo of her mom and treats it like the photo is her mom. It is a way she is copping but it can be harmful. I love Tohru so much. I find myself relating to her since I was young. I have a hard time telling others I am hurt and I really want to be kind to people because my worse fear is to hurt others.
@@TheNerdyGirlie me too i too had that fear of hurting people while expressing how hurt you are and i totally understands people like you
Tohru is my fave character. I read the entire manga as a child and she made a huge impact on me growing up. I hate when people call her a mary sue, she is kind hearted and always ready to help out whenever someone needs it.
whats a mary sue
@@abbylucas2778 a female character who has no flaws can beat anything everyone more for the males worship her and shes viewed as the most beautiful in there universe gary sue is the male version
It's so nice to see anime-only reviewers like yourself totally get the show and see past the surface of like you said, what might seem like a tropey character. I'm so excited to see how you react to the rest of the series, I'm so pumped, I think you're going to absolutely adore it.
When I watched the original Fruits Basket as a kid my friends and I used to be highly critical of Tohru. We saw her as the perfect naïve girl that the Sohma’s cared for solely because of her ditzy nature. After having read the manga I grew to appreciate her character far more, and the new Fruits Basket does a wonderful job at highlighting her flaws.
Your video describes her complexity perfectly, it’s always so nice to see videos with this level of effort and care paid to such a deeply meaningful series. Thank you for this and I’ll definitely have to subscribe for more!
I love how you just *get* the characters in this show so well. Especially Tohru. Wonderful analysis. I really hope you do one for Yuki and Kyo after the season ends 🥰
They'll both get one someday but I doubt I'll get to both of them till the second season
Thank you so much for this! Tohru is really one of best shoujo protagonist. I hope you stick with us till the end of the series because i would really love a shigure character analysis.
In my opinion He's the most intriguing character of the manga and a lot of manga readers still can't completely understand him. They're so many debates going on in the community about his personality. So i would love to see a video when more about him is revealed.
Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, and Akito are the ones I'll get to as the show carries forward. The rest I don't have a strong desire to do videos for but never know.
yes! i don't think anyone new to this show have a full understanding of him quite yet, hell, i read the manga so many times and he still intrigues me. would love to see an in depth analysis on him since he is so strange!
I have a feeling that Shigure is possessed by the dog for a symbolic reason. I never finished reading the manga beyond this point, however the way it is stated in the anime that Shigure seems to be close to Akito (the head of the Sohma family who is unpossessed unlike the others). And dogs are known to be “man’s best friend”. Am I crazy? Has someone thought of this before? Probably. But Shigure is very intriguing indeed and I’m excited to see where my theory goes from here.
@@jordyn.24 You need to finish the manga. It is so good. And you will learn a lot more about Shigure, and Akito
Tohru is my fave female protagonist ever. Her kindness shows her strength and her weakness at the same time (and no, it's not bad to be weak some times). I read the manga many years ago and Tohru is an inspiration and a role model for me since then. I love her so much and I'm so happy for her being loved back! Thanks for the video
I love Tohru. She is without doubt my favourite character in currently airing anime. If anyone hurts her the internet better riot!
Same she is ma fav and was from ep 1 most people like the other characters more like rin.... cuz she is badass but i like tohru more because she is still hurt from her past but tries to put a smile on her face
Back in the 'ol anime days, it was common for many to call Tohru a mary-sue. Now, we know that's not true, especially looking back at this story with a new perspective and anime, as well as looking back at the manga and it's full story that's thankfully being animated after all this time.
I'm glad to see someone standing up for Tohru as a protagonist, she deserves it, and I've loved her since I was 14 years old.
Based on years of experience, those who "appears strongest", the person who is often the one who provides others light, often are the most broken, the one that has gone through the darkest past.
As someone who had read the manga, they WILL dive into how secretly broken Tohru really is.
And as someone who also uses smile as a defense mechanism to hide what I truly feel. Over time, it takes a toll on one's emotional well being.
Exactly, which is why I think they should have explored the emotional wellbeing more with Torhu.
It's honestly a bit scary, but so incredibly exciting, to see someone notice these things so early on. I have to admit, I was one of those who when first reading the manga/watching the original anime, wasnt too fond of Tohru in terms of being a complex or multi-layered character (always thought she was adorable and incredibly sweet, but "too perfect"). In my opinion, the fact that her brokeness is mostly sort of sprinkled in up until this point, I think it makes sense why those can think the way they do (and why I used to). But really, watching this new adaptation has made me realize how I missed the hints of her character, as well as videos like this point out, and makes me look forward to future commentary and analysis of Tohru. She ended up becoming one of my favorite female protagonists. What you've implied gets executed so well, from how broken she is to her growth as a person and character that we can learn and relate more than the already heartwarming advice she gives at this point. I wish I could say specific examples, but I'll hold on till then. haha
Welcome to the fruits basket family, it's only going to get sooo much better from here. Especially because this adaptation is supposed to stick very closely to that manga 😍
Don't get me wrong, I loved the original - that was a huge part of my childhood - but I'm sooo grateful they revisited the story and decided to represent the manga 😍😍😍
Wow what a great analysis!!! I am officially sending this to anyone who ever told me they thought Tohru was a mary su xD Tohru is such a special character to me, reading the Fruits Basket manga helped me to discover so many things about myself because of how much I related to her character. It makes me so happy to see you dive so deep into her character, because I feel like if someone interprets her actions as just being perfect, rather than the actions of someone emotionally broken, it completely changes the way the story is interpreted. Awesome video!! :)
Even with that deep character revealed, that still makes Tohru a genuinely kind-hearted and compassionate human being?
@@dhivaansalig6398 I’m sorry I’m not sure if I’m understanding your comment right, but yes I do agree that she is genuinely kind-hearted! When I said “perfect” I was referring to how some people find her to be unrealistically nice, they see her as just “too perfect” and therefore consider her to be shallowly written, and I feel like if you interpret her that way, you will interpret the story differently then it’s intended and miss out on the depth that comes with Tohru being emotionally broken and flawed herself, if that makes sense.
@@ladypandora8197 What I meant was Tohru's need to put others needs before her own to cope with the loss of her mother doesn't make her selfish? She's still a genuinely kind-hearted and compassionate human being?
I literally never thought tohru was a Mary sue ever. I'm offended that ppl think that
Tohru is . . . My god, her character is so tragic every time I remember her Arc in the manga I just cry
the more you know about her the more you'll want to crawl up in a ball when she smiles
This is a fantastic analysis of Tohru. I see comments all the time about how she’s too nice, or she’s dumb, or why does she get so worked up over a cold? & it always drives me crazy.
One of my favorite moments of hers is coming up soon, & while it has some ship implications as well, it really reminds me of the time when she finally says she wants to stay with the Sohmas. She gets this determination as the story goes on to hold on to the things she’s cares about most & to finally take some of what she wants in life as well.
personally I feel Tohru was in a sad state of denial for most the series, like how she talked about her mother as if she was still a living breathing person, I don't think she wanted to accept one of her only life lines was gone and she didn't know how to deal with that feeling, the feeling that something was missing.
I also feel that plays a big part into her romance with Kyo, the whole scene where she let's go of her mothers hand to grab Kyo's and keep walking forward I feel was supposed to mean that while she still doesn't have that missing feeling completely back, it's slowly growing anew with Kyo, and I think by the end of the series she's accepted that her mother was gone and grew out of her 'denial' like state, ready to finally realize that her mother was now only a picture and some memories.
Honestly Tohru was an amazing character, she didn't fix every scar the Sohma's had, she didn't take away all their trauma with Akito, she was just Tohru, and in the words of Rin Sohma, "We naturally gravitate to nice people like her and Haru."
And another thing, Tohru wasn't a Mary Sue, she never was, she just cared with her whole heart for the Sohma's, for her friends, anyone around her, so much so she forgot or felt she didn't need to care for her self, and people mistook that for the pretty, basic, ditzy girl with no thought behind her eyes kind of jig.
And all it took to write Tohru so amazing was to make sure the watchers knew she cared a little more for others, but feared losing them so much more at the same time.
I started watching/reading Fruits Basket when I was ten years old, and I remember just loving this nice, kind girl who genuinely wanted to help people, but I never truly appreciated her. Flashback to early this year, in celebration of the Fruits Basket reboot, I decided to reread the manga (up to this point I had never actually read it all in one go; I read it whenever I was able to afford the volume I needed) and man oh man it was a different experience. As a child, the trauma each character went through was bad, yes, but I didn't understand *how* bad it was, especially Tohru. To me, she had suddenly gone from a kind character who suffered from losing her parents to a broken character who put a smile on her face to hide her true feelings. She never once was kind out of selfishness, but I could now understand where and how her kindness came to be, and I was really shaken by that. It's amazing how upon closer inspection, her flaws really show through. I can't wait until we get to see this more in the anime (I also can't believe that's a sentence I can say oh man), especially since I can see the reactions people who are new to the series are gonna have.
Funny how none of the characters in fruitsbasket know. That tohru is the one who hides her darkest emotions deep down ,deep deep. And the latest episode the shell started to crack.
Thank you so much!
I've never been so protective of, or related to, a character as much as Tohru Honda.
Her flaws make her real and relatable. She shows trauma doesn't always mean shuttered and withdrawn.
As a teen the manga actually helped me realize that I didn't always have to put everyone else first and that it was okay to speak up and be selfish now and then. I was able to break toxic behaviors because of Fruits Basket.
Alright, I'm sold. I will watch Fruits Basket. Never planned to, but damn I'm interested now. Thank you for the great video!
How did you like it? :)
Aw this makes me so happy, I hope you went through with it and enjoyed it
I think people label her as perfect because her flaws seem endearing from the outside. Being so selfless is a trait that just makes her more "sweet, nice, and precious" so they see this as a plus to make people like her and not a flaw. But that's a very impartial way of viewing it. That's not thinking about how destructive it could become if she had not changed. Or about how frustrating it would actually be to be close to her and not ever know for sure if she is genuinely happy because she doesn't speak her mind. Her troubles are challenges to overcome and it is interesting to watch unfold. Tohru isn't a magic fairy that has the whole world figured out already and is just here to fix everyone else. She is learning and growing just as much as the rest of the cast.
i'm really glad you're doing more videos on fruits basket! i love seeing people in 2019 enjoying the show and really loving the characters :D
As a fan of the manga, thank you for this analysis. You hit he nail on the head about why this character is a flawed, complex character. I’m glad this remake has done such a great job adapting her character from the manga.
As someone who has owned the manga since middle school, your analysis of Tohru is beautiful. You say so many things that I can connect with plot elements later on and I’d love to see a follow up video when the series gets further/ends where you revisit this video and see how right you are. Wonderful!
Tohru Honda is a girl who smiles a lot, but on the inside is in pain. Yuki was on point when he said she's someone deserves the moon, but never asks for it. I want to give her a hug and cry with her.
The hardest thing a person can do is smile through their pain, the strongest people are those who put others well being before their own. Tohru embodies that strength. She's flawed, she's in pain, but she moves forward and keeps true to what she believes. That alone is why she is one of the best female characters I've ever seen in any anime.
I'm so glad I found this video! It is literally my exact thoughts on the show and Tohru. My ex once said he didn't like Tohru because she was "too perfect" and I was legitimately shocked that he didn't pick up on the amount of depth her character has. Granted he had watched the original anime but still, Tohru is such a lovable and wonderful character because she is flawed in the most humanistic and complex way. Emotions aren't always simple and neither is Tohru.
It's so great to have like, a guy review it, and talk about how great it is. It sort of feels like more people will take the writing more seriously and actually believe that it's good anime if it's coming from a dude. Growing up me and my friends used to make fun of how grateful Tohru was for everything, like we would eat peanuts and be grateful for each peanut. It was a lot more funnier than it sounds.
Thank you so much for this deep introspective on our girl Tohru. People gloss over her and her incredible strength and depth. She even put me off a little at the beginning before I learned how awesome she was. She deserves all the love and she still doesn’t get it enough❤❤❤❤
YEEEES, thank you, I loved this character analysis! I just love how she and the boys are so broken in different ways so they end up healing each other instead!
I was around for the manga. and first interation of the anime. It had struck me then how flawed and depressed our girl is. She is seemingly uneffected by the curse that hurts so many others, but that's not true. she is affected, just how it affects her, she puts aside with her need to make sure everyone is safe and cared for. She is fiercely protective of those she comes to care for, BECAUSE of what she herself has been though. Those whole smile brightest are the ones who hurt the most.
and now, as I've gotten older, as I've lost both my own parents, my brothers, and my child...
I understand her even more, and this precious wonderful girl is screaming on the inside, but she just smiles, because if she stops, she will fully break and there will be no putting back together the pieces
as another note, this show is more than just romantic love, there is tgat, but you see other kinds. Hopeless love, friendship, family, and just all the sorts of connections and rekationships tgere are. This is more of an exploration of love but not just romance. Its something that I deeply adore about this show. The care and depth of feelings.. From the care of an adult to a child (that is in no way creepy as so much media tends to go) between family, friends, even strangers.
How it is not just our little core cast but how everyone who comes into the story are affected by what is going on, and not just our main best girl. Hell! Ritsu making friends with that poor poor distraught editor!
this is a series that shows you the surface of a pool of what you expect, but dives you way deeper than anything you could have hoped for.
I've always told people that me and Tohru Honda are the same people. We're clumsy, we work hard, we get flustered over the smallest things, we try to help those around us the best we can, we put others well being before our own, we both hide our sadness with a smile, AND we're both the year of the dog.
As someone who has read the manga all the way through, thank you for such an insightful look at Tohru and Fruits Basket. I'm excited for you to see where this journey goes. So far I have absolutely loved the new anime adaptation, it has really captured what the manga was all about.
Great Video! Tohru is also my favorite female lead I've ever seen in anime.
I also see many people on the internet calling a perfect character, and it may annoy people like you who truly understand her character and major flaws. What I personally think is that most of the people who claim that Tohru is perfect actually don't look at it from Tohru's point of view, but let's from a friend/boyfriend point of view. Like, I definitely agree them that I would want a girlfriend who is so nice and always thinks about me and cheers me up like Tohru. So if you look at it from such a selfish point of view, then I understand why people are saying she is perfect. When you also look at her as a person that you want to be happy, then you understand her major flaw of undermining her own desires.
Thanks a lot for the continued support
Loved this. Thank you for highlighting how her character is so much more than people initially give her credit for.
I admit I viewed Tohru a Mary Sue for so many years but your video me totally see her in a new light
Her kindness and self-sacrificing nature and her total neglection of herself is actually shown as a negative trait rather than a positive one and it’s shown to be detrimental to her health and it’s the thing that makes her such a tragic character
And you made me see how broken she is as a character
Her talking with a photo is certainly not normal
Tohru is been putting such a strong front for so long but I think that she’s going to have an emotional collapse very soon and it’s going to be heartbreaking
I hope that Kyo and Yuki will be there to help her
But your analysis on Tohru is amazing and now I can totally see why Tohru is
so loved
and find myself loving her more and more
Your analysis almost made me cry. I love Tohru.
On the topic of being emotionally broken, I had gone a really long time without being able to find the motivation to do the things I once loved to do. Hobby related things that shouldn't take much effort like getting excited about an anime or another weekly thing.
Fruits basket just reminded me that I still have somewhere inside of me the capacity to get excited and feel really happy again even if it's just for 30 minutes a week.
The nostalgia this show has brought me has grounded me and continues to do so week by week.
This was such a great video. I'm really impressed with how in-depth it's possible to go into Tohru's character, even if it's only with about 25% of the total story's content. She's not a Mary Sue. She seems to be chock-full of so many tropes, but that's largely due to the fact that Fruits Basket was written in the late 1990s, and thus she helped cement those tropes in the shojo industry off of the sheer strength of her character writing. Love this video, I'd love to see other FB character studies in the future from you!
wow you analysed her character perfectly! most people think she's just too nice but theres a reason she acts the way she does. I really love this series ^^
This. Oh my word, THIS. I love you for making this, it's truly the best analysis of Tohru. Thank you for not taking her at face value like so many unfortunately do. I'm so happy, I can't even articulate. I love this video
This is a lovely analysis! I read the manga a while back and now that I'm watching the Fruits Basket reboot, I find that I'm appreciating Tohru Honda more! I love her, she's such a multi-dimensional character
I'm going to say it, this was a beautiful analysis of such a wonderful but looked over character. Everyone that has seen the anime with me has said that she's such a basic character and unrealistically happy. They fail to see development in such a complex character. When I was younger I also used to think of her as a Mary Sue but as I got older and watched the series again, I began to love her character. Thank you for analyzing with such depth and not just seeing surface level crap.
Thank you so much for making this video man. I love Tohru so much bc of how much her kindness and optimism really shines through despite all the life baggage that has happened to her
It's bc of Tohru that I'm glad to finally be able to find a female protagonist who is so emotionally strong and relatable without having to be a "badass who can kick butt"
Which is why it hurts when I see people claim she's a "Mary Sue" when honestly she's FAR from it
I love your Fruits Basket videos so I'm really happy that you're making these character analysis vids! This series has one of the best cast of characters and it's a shame that a lot of people misunderstand them. Tohru is one of my favourite protagonists and this vid perfectly sums up why. Keep up the good work and I can't wait for more Fruba content from you!
i never thought im going to like a shoujo series this much. i feel bad for jugding this series by its cover at first :D
Great analysis!! I've read the manga so many times now and thus know the characters and story so well at this point that it's difficult to tell just how effective the new adaptation has been in getting across that vital character development in these early episodes; it's so refreshing to listen to someone approach it critically with a fresh perspective!! so glad you're enjoying it and I'm excited for you to experience the rest of the story, seriously, it only gets better!
Wonderfully put together :) fruits basket is such a heartwarming bright spot each week
This analysis needs more attention, I absolutely love the attention to detail you gave to toru handa. I adore her character as someone like her is a rare female protagonist in todays age of anime. I'm excited for the next season and cannot wait to see how she'll grow as a character❤
Tohru is love, Tohru is life.
Since the original anime of Fruits Basket I’ve always LOVED Tohru the way she is; she’s that kind of character in which I’d protect with all of my might 😎! I’m only like 40 chapters into the manga but at some point I’ll have to finish this AMAZING story and honestly I don’t want to reach the end yet! Kyo of F$&KING course is my main bro along with the others and also I didn’t even start this video so LET’S DO THIS 😃!
THIS WAS SUCH A CUTE, IMPORTANT AF VID! I LOVE this! Thank you so much for this! SO sick of people calling her a Mary-Sue! Like, are we even watching the same show?! Can't wait for more!
This is a fantastic analysis into Tohru’s character! I am so thankful that the anime reboot is bringing so many new faces into the Fruits Basket family! It’s also reminding Furuba veterans like myself why we love Tohru and the entire series so dang much!
I simply cannot wait to see your reaction to the end of season 2 🤭👌🏻
This 👏 is 👏 where 👏 it's 👏 at! Thank you for putting this analysis out there. I always get annoyed when Tohru's depth is dismissed out of hand, it makes me want to shake people and yell "this is not what a stable, well-adjusted human being looks like! Respect her character writing!"
i enjoy fruits basket so much because of how much it allows me to analyse each character. Tohru is definitely my favourite of them all, she's a really rare character despite what others think.
This is beautifully written. It’s wonderful to see others appreciate Tohru for who she really is.
Honestly Fruits Baskets has one of the best character development in any anime’s I’ve seen. Like not only do I enjoy the show but the character development just makes everything 10 times better.
Finally! I thought I was alone in being completely blown away by Tohru's character and Fruits Basket as a whole. I remember I tried watching the old Fruits Basket anime many many years ago and eventually dropping it because I kind of wrote off Tohru as this typical, too-nice-for-her-own-good, one note shojo protagonist. I'm so glad they gave the series the 'Brotherhood' treatment because I don't think I would have ever realized how amazing Fruits Basket actually is. I too was floored at how incredibly realistic and well developed of a character Tohru was... every single episode manages to surprise me with how deep and complicated and nuanced the story and characters actually are. Thank you for making this video, I totally agree with your points. It really pisses me off how people immediately write her off without even taking the time to watch even just a few episodes. So hearing someone talk this much about Tohru and Fruits Basket is so refreshing!
This is so good!! I was excited for this and I loved hearing your thoughts about my girl tohru! Many people say this and I'll just add to it but tohru is such a fascinating and beautiful character. I've learned so much just by trying to understand her and her motives/behaviors and i think when a fictional character touches you and teaches you something and when the story telling and the character building has an impact on you... it's really something special👍🏼🥰
Thank you!!! You nailed her character so well I'm actually crying
I find it weird that some people dislike Tohru’s character because she is kind and optimistic despite her circumstances. I guess they think it’s unrealistic but I actually think it’s quite the opposite. I remember this one girl that attended the same elementary and middle school as me. She was very nice and consistently ranked at the top of our grade. Out of all the years we attended the same school, I’d only ever seen her upset once and I remember it being a very big shock to everybody because she always smiled and never seemed to have problems with anyone else. A few years later, I found out that she’d lost her mother when she was around 10 years old. It definitely came as a surprise as I never would’ve assumed and I think it made me appreciate Tohru’s character a lot because it made me realize that just because somebody is smiling doesn’t mean they aren’t hurting, it just means that they’re doing their best to not get consumed by the pain.
I LOVE HEARING ALL THE PRAISE FOR MY DAUGHTER TOHRO HONDA IM CRYING
Such a beautiful insight! Once again :’) you amaze me sir, i’m more than excited for you to see more of her layers later in the series ;-;
I'm excited to hear more from your prospective on the story/characters.
As a Psychologist, Fruits Basket is one of my favourite animes. I see it as an exploration of the many and varied ways people respond to trauma and experience grief, both as individuals and as families and communities. Tohru does not appear to me to be 'over' her grief about her parents to me. She continues to struggle with it, although most of the time she works hard to distract herself. Her grief makes itself known from time to time in how she responds to others, her conversations with her mother, and her ongoing attempts to be the person she feels her mother wanted her to be. Tohru is a beautiful, sad and delightful character and this is a lovely analysis of her so far in the anime.
Tohru has been a favorite character of mine since I was a little kid and I think her character type is one you don’t see a lot, but it’s a really important one. Too many people can’t find the balance between taking care of others and taking care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup forever
Tohru was one of my most favorite characters (other than Momiji, because ughhh his story was the most painful for me. How can he keep smiling after all he's been through?). Thank you for your analysis of Fruits Basket. I really do wish that more people would watch it because it's such a beautiful story with magnificent future plot along the way. I remember reading the manga in the internet cafe when I was about 13~14ish and crying there while nearing the last few chapters (home wifi modules wasn't as improved as a technology by that time yet). I didn't care that there was other people seeing me cry or I've spent 5 hours straight just reading the manga. Fruits basket is just so awesome!
So glad the fandom have people like you ! I remember way back when fruits basket came out it was full on dim wit fangirls calling tohru a mary sue :(
I definitely feel this is a way better representation of the characters and story as a whole than the 2001 version.
I think the remake is doing a great job in adding more subtle cues that demonstrate the 3D nature of Tohru's character, whereas the original was so light-hearted and bouncy that aside from a few key moments she mostly was a Mary Sue-type character
"No damnit appreciate her from episode one"
I love good character analysis a great video & also Akito analysis would be 👍
maybe when it's over
It's way too early for that. You'll understand (which doesn't mean forgive) Akito when you'll know his past near the end of the story. :)
Hi! If you haven’t watched Kimi Ni Todoke, I definitely recommend it! This isn’t a request for reviews or anything btw. Tohru is my #1 favorite fictional character, and since you like her so much I think you might like Kimi Ni Todoke’s heroine. That’s not to say that they’re the same, they’re definitey not, but they share quite a few similiar qualities. Kimi Ni Todoke is also a shoujo like Fruits Basket. I’d say while it isn’t exactly up to par to Fruits Basket, it’s not your typical shoujo either. Fair warning though: Kimi Ni Todoke’s anime doesn’t cover the whole manga. (Also, just read the description that comes up when you type it in on Google, and....Yeah it’s really not a good representation of what Kimi Ni Todoke is. The heroine isn’t magically saved by the male lead, she’s strong in subtle way like Tohru is. The improvements that happen in her life happen due to her own strength and willpower.)
I'm not a big manga person and I heard it didn't cover the full thing so that's why I never got around to it. A couple years back I was going to and then was like well I guess I'll watch something that is complete but maybe someday I will. Thanks.
My goodnes being someonw who has read the manga. You nailed it expesially for the informstion you have at the moment!
oh bless you for this analysis! i’ve been trying to tell people this for years. like no one truly understands how deep tohru’s trauma runs and how it’s shaped it her as a person. i’m seriously looking forward as the anime continues for everyone to be able to finally experience this all outside of the manga.
Reading all this stories in the comments is making me so emotional, i cant believe so many people had the same experience as me, this show and specifically this character is truly magical. I know im late to the party and my comment is probably gonna be buried but i need to get it out of my chest. When i watched fruit basket for the first time, my life had been falling apart for about two years. I was thirteen, and nothing went right around me. It came to a point where i had to decide what to do with all my emotions. I had repressed them for very long, but now i needed to decide (subconsciously, of course) what type of person i wanted to become. I could have easly become angry. But i didnt. And i really feel its mostly because of tohoru. She, like me, had lost everything. She didnt even have a place to live. She didnt feel like she could count on her most immediate family to care for her without feeling like she was just trouble for them. She was alone. saw myself on her so much.
And she chose to be kind. She chose to serve others. She chose to let herself be vulnerable, and trust others, and accept their help gladly and just trying to repay them at her own pace, by being herself first and foremost. She became a role model to me. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to thrive through the pain, by being kind and helpfull, and not letting the pain harden me. Its being almost ten years and im still striving to be like that.
There were two very important things this anime taught me, and i didnt remember in detail until i watched the remake. But the lessons had stuck with me through the years and im now thrilled to realice they come from this amazing anime:
First one is the story about the traveller who wants to help everybody, the one who keeps getting tricked to giving every single possesion he has, until he is naked, and then gets fooled by monsters until he is only a eyeless head, he has nothing left, and the last monster gives him a "gift" wich is a piece of paper with the word "fool" in it. He dies being mocked by everybody, but crying of happiness because he has received a gift. My way of telling it is terrible, but the point is its left such a big impression on me i didnt even remember the actual story, but ive being living by its principal almost ten years. I dont care if people think in foolins, i dont care if people take advantage of me (to a healthy degree of course), its not gonna make me stop being kind and trying to help people, its not gonna stop me from being trusting and seeing the best in people. Because thats what makes me happy. Even when the world is hard and cruel, if i adapt myself to it and become like it, i lose. The traveller died being seen by everybody as a fool, but he didnt even know. He died happy, so happy, and isnt it all we can all strive for? Sooner or later, the only thing we will want is to look back and be proud that we tried, we tried to be kind, we tried to help others, we tried to do good.Thats my way of seeing things.
The other one was the frase "what happens when snow melts?" "It turns into water." " No, spring comes". This i didnt remember its was from fruits basket either. But it stuck with me. It taught me how life events affect you is a matter of perspective, and almost every situation can have a bright or brighter side.
I just this this is one of the best pieces of material out there, and i wish my friends were more open to give it a try.
Fruits Basket was the first manga I ever read as a kid, and Tohru's character really stuck with me. I loved that she was principled, fair, and kind -- that she saw through people's masks and wanted to help no matter how ugly they could be inside. But I also loved that the author wasn't afraid to show that she had a mask too. That she was, as you say, broken. People laugh at a series like Fruits Basket, but it always held a nice place in my heart. It's a wonderful series with many wonderful characters
I started watching Fruits Basket because I’m a sucker for romance. But (at the point of writing this) after watching seasons 1 and 2. Holy shit, I was NOT prepared for the mental emotional rollercoaster this show took me on.
i think tohru is the type of girl who understands that if she gives up at one point, or break down because of something traumatic, everything will downcast. so she always tries to stay positive, even when both her parents died tragically she can keep smiling because thats the type of person she is.
Fruit basket was definitely one of the best anime that taught me real kindness, and not the fake type of kindness just to be nice. It really taught me to understand people and their actions, to figure out where they're coming from. To know that every single person in the world goes through their own lives, experiencing different thing whether they're positive/negative. That we all grew up to be who we are through what we've lived through. Kyoko (Tohru's mom) had lots of great quotes that helped me to be a more understanding person and I can't thank her enough, and Tohru for carrying on her legacy :') And Tohru herself is learning so much through the Soumas too. Watching every character grow together, through each other is such a delight to watch. Something the world needs more of.
I was a girl like Tohru. A girl who was given the one of the worst hands imaginable. I lost my baby brother and my father and was about to go down that same path that she did. Good this I watched this show early on because it taught me that it's ok to care for yourself every once in a while. It's ok to cherish your family. It's ok to love others and yourself. I'm honestly glad that they are making an anime adaptation of the whole original manga because of the life lessons that the manga gave me, too.
Fruits Basket is not a love story, its a story about healing. I hate when people boil it down to a romance. I like a good love story as much as the next girl, but Fruits Basket is far more than that. And, without going too much into manga territory, even the romance is used to heal in my opinion. The romance boils down to creating your own family of your own choice rather than allowing yourself to be saddled with the toxic family you're born into. I'm so glad that you get Tohru's character this early on, because she's so important and this is as much about her healing as it is the Sohmas.
I'm glad you picked up on these things from just the anime. Will definitely help your enjoyment of the series going forward.
As someone who read the whole manga, I am so glad that people like you are catching how flawed she is early on and clarifying it for others. Some things later on would feel different without noticing it now!
We stan a gentle and kind character pushing toxic people away from their friends.
Honestly its so refreshing to see a nice character able to make such rash decisions instead of being the one pushed around. We see tohru do this for momiji where she puts herself in between the two after akito is abusing momiji. Tohru doesnt run or cry she acts.
if you look at all characters in fruits basket, they are all extremely broken characters, i don't know any character who isn't broken. that's why i love this anime since it's realistic and it shows how hard life is
As a long-time Fruits Basket fan since the early 2000s, and who has read the manga, I’m super impressed you picked up on how flawed Tohru actually is, so quickly (of course your analysis and reviews are superb). I actually try to emulate Tohru a lot, and while I do enjoy being nice to others, it is a hard thing to do, to remain happy/bubbly 24/7. With all the trauma Tohru’s been dealt with, it’s even more apparent how strong Tohru is (to keep on smiling, despite her own fatigue and worries). Yet her selflessness in her kindness is certainly a weakness too, with the potential to backfire. But I think the Sohmas and her friends are helping her to see that she can and should speak her mind, and that she *does* deserve any amount of kindness from them. 😊 I’m glad you put it into words how Tohru is just as flawed as the cursed Zodiac members. I really enjoy your work, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the Fruits Basket story. 😁👍🏻
Thanks for sharing such great character analysis for her. She is truly a great character.