REVIEW: ‘Fruits Basket: The Final Season,’ Episode 2- “That’s an Unwavering Truth” 

Fruits Basket: The Final Season Episode 2 aired April 12th, 2021 on Funimation and Crunchyroll. After the emotional heavy hitter of the premiere, “I’ll Hold Another Basket,” Fruits Basket Episode 2 falls back on from its serious tone for a more lighthearted approach to the ensuing drama. 

Our main focus on this episode can be divided into two sections: the exploration of Shigure and Akito’s relationship, and Tohru navigating her newfound knowledge about it during the graduation ceremony at her school. Tohru continues to have immense strides in her growth as a character. Never has the weight of her struggles seem so large as she bears burdens she is not allowed to explicitly discuss. Tohru attempts to ask questions about Akito and the reality of Akito’s gender but cannot decide whether it’s even her place to discuss these issues with Shigure. I find this internal struggle to be very fascinating as, earlier on in the series, Tohru would be quick to question and press until she could figure out how to solve everyone else’s problems, but she can’t and it’s killing her. 

Throughout Fruits Basket Episode 2, the script shines from well-written character interactions as the overall conflict hangs over the air. However, there is definitely more comedic relief throughout the episode that balances the intensely serious tone. The comedic breaks viewers get are from following Tohru and Kyou’s interactions as they navigate their relationship at school. There is a graduation ceremony occurring at their high school, and they have to make paper flowers for the decorations. A bunch of young girls steal Kyou’s flowers in hopes that they can steal his affection, however, it doesn’t work.

This little stunt does segue into Tohru and Kyou continuing their subtle romantic interactions that most fans are desperate to see come to fruition. Tohru tries to talk to Kyou about all of the information she has discovered about Akito, Shigure, and the Soma Zodiac curses, but it’s obviously a tough subject on Kyou’s part. The script is nuanced enough that, for a split second, it feels like there wasn’t even a comedic subplot involved that brought them together to have this discussion. 

The scene is light and airy as Kyou feels pained and anguished. Tohru feels deep shame and knows that she will cry looking at him so upset at her line of questioning about the Soma curses. What happens during this exchange is so beautiful. Kyou doesn’t understand the extent of Tohru’s emotional pain at the situation that is unfolding and reads her as just being upset and offers her one of his pre-made flowers. The camera sits on them for a  3-second shot that captures her yearning for Kyou. He doesn’t know how to console her, and he cannot touch her without activating his curse. He stares, and she knows he’s trying his best, and with that TMS Entertainment has animated one of the best shots that encompass a whole relationship and its complexities. 

Balancing the pureness of Tohru and Kyou, Shigure, Kureno, and Akito are written with such toxic intensity. Fruits Basket Episode 2 continues on with the season’s theme of light vs dark and love vs. hate. Shigure and Kureno have a stark conversation about how Shigure and Akito cannot be together because of Kureno’s obligation to Akito. It is dramatic and cold how they discuss the place of one woman in both of their lives and how they’ve struggled to appease her and the will of the Zodiac house. However, writers key viewers into the challenging and complex relationship between Akito and Shigure from their toxicity to their steamy moments. Again, some of the best voice acting work comes from Colleen Clinkenbeard as she fights with Shigure about her jealousy towards his interactions with other women. 

From great character moments to balancing tone, Fruits Basket Episode 2 continues to astound this long-time fan for not only delivering animation that dramatically puts the previous series to shame but also feels refreshed and new. The writing, voice work, and animation are being thrown to 100% to deliver an impactful means to an end. Fruits Basket Episode 2 is as tantalizing as it is complicated, with the only distracting bits being the comedic relief moments. Despite this,  I cannot wait for next week’s episode. 

Fruits Basket: The Final Season airs on Funimation.