REVIEW: ‘Fruits Basket: The Final Season,’ Episode 7- “That’s Right, It’s Empty”

Fruits Basket: The Final Season, Episode 7, “That’s right, It’s Empty,” released on May 18th, 2021, on Crunchyroll and Funimation. This episode is by far one of the darkest and painfully emotional episodes of this series. Key characters Tohru  (Lauren Bailey), Kyo (Jerry Jewell), Akito (Colleen Clinkenbeard), and Kureno (Ian Sinclair) all face challenges as their emotional conflicts become too much to bear.

In an explosive episode, the storytelling is top-notch, with no time wasted bringing viewers into the center of an emotional whirlwind. Akito is given more backstory as she tells Kureno about the pain she faces as both heads of the Sohma clan as well as their Zodiac God. This episode focuses on death, and we hone in on how the death of Akito’s father, Akira Sohma, ruined her relationship with her mother, Ren. We learn that Akito feels nothing but immense pain and loneliness because her father’s death was blamed on her. As a viewer, it’s such an emotional rollercoaster ride to know that our main antagonist has very legitimate reasons for having such vitriol and hatred for other characters of the season, particularly Tohru. The examination of Akito’s loneliness makes so much sense, and it’s brilliant how the script was written to make us understand and feel sympathetic towards her struggles.

In the background of this episode, Kyo and Tohru’s relationship is starting to hang on by a thread. Kyo begins to have a nightmare about a woman dying right before his eyes and blaming the death on him. It brings him immense pain and these nightmare sequences are a juxtaposition of animation compared to the sunny, golden vibes that are classic Fruits Basket.  The scene is stark black with blurs of red for blood and Kyo’s eyes are deep, sunken, and stricken with distress. This violent scene showcases how Fruits Basket is not afraid to dip its toes into more extreme emotional depths. Kyo struggles, alongside Tohru to figure out his feelings for her. Fruits Basket Episode 7 culminates in a beautiful show of friendship as certain characters convince them that their struggles could be solved if only they communicated with one another. One thing about Fruits Basket that I have always loved is that despite having a lack of parental guidance to help our main characters deal with the issues life throws at them. The scriptwriting always accurately captures how friends can be the exact family you need. There is so much beauty in friendship and those small moments in an otherwise sad episode were the perfect seeds of hope to keep me satiated for another week.

Fruits Basket Episode 7 completely broke me and moved me in a way that I haven’t felt since I watched The End of Evangelion for the first time. Its brutally honest exploration of its characters in this episode felt so raw and powerful that it hurts to see on screen. Feelings can be ugly, distasteful, and overwhelming, and Fruits Basket Episode 7 captures the heartbreak of trauma, love, and rejection in excruciating detail. Its decision to end this episode without its signature moment of hope only makes this episode more impactful and important.

Fruits Basket: The Final Season is streaming now on Funimation.