Fruits Basket (Episode 23) – You Look Well…

Stress is known to hamper your immune system and exams are known to increase stress. It’s no wonder Tohru got a cold then and she’d better take care because in anime a cold can be life-threatening!
What did you watch?
Two episodes focused on Saki was not nearly enough, but it has come to an end. In episode 23 of Fruits Basket, it’s back to school for exam season. After this one, there are only two episodes left. Surely, we’ve got to get into something good before the season end. Last week, you needed to come prepared with a box of tissues, this week I would recommend a warm blanket and a cup of tea. You can expect spoilers any second now…

What happened?
It’s the end of the school exams and anyone that has failed an exam will have to go in on the weekend to retake it. Tohru is distraught, not only did she take up a load of Yuki’s time to help her study, but she failed. Even though Saki failed all of her exams, it’s not enough to make Tohru feel any less distraught. She doesn’t like to be a burden and worse yet, disappoint anyone. It’s not the end of the world though… well, it wasn’t but then Tohru caught a cold!!!
Quick, someone, call the doctor! There is no greater affliction to an anime character than the common cold. I’ve seen characters fight on after suffering multiple fatal wounds, but the cold will stop anyone dead in their tracks. Well, it looks like the rest of the Somas are just going to have to pull their weight for a little while as Tohru recovers. Oh, I hope she recovers, especially as she has an exam to take and another two seasons in the reports are to be believed!

What did you think?
I worry that Japanese doctors are constantly overrun with patients with the common cold. Are there entire wards of hospitals dedicated to these poor people? I have mixed feelings about this episode. Firstly, there is the issue with Tohru catching a cold and the following overreactions of everyone. It had some funny moments, but I wouldn’t call it enough to centre an entire episode. Secondly, there were some teases at some potential reveals, but then nothing came of them. Come on, you’re running out of episodes. Don’t keep bringing up these little reminders that you haven’t told us about something and don’t plan on telling us anytime soon.

What was your favourite moment?
I know not everyone enjoys Kagura, but I think she’s hilarious, Completely over the top, but hilarious. The contrast between her slight frame and gentle appearance and then the rage-induced monster that emerges when Kyo is around, makes me laugh every time. I also liked that Kagura brought up something about Kyo’s past that she thought Tohru should know, but then he clammed up and that was the end of that for now!
What was your least favourite moment?
This goes hand in hand with the history that Kyo has with Tohru. My theory that I put forward several episodes ago was that Kyo and Tohru are related and that Kyoko is Kyo’s mother and had her memories of him erased. The other thing that they’ve been dangling in front of our faces for almost the entire season is the baseball cap that Tohru got from another child when she was lost. She was looking at it and then, just before Kyo could come it, it slid off the bed and out of sight. Are these two things connected? Who knows, but I wish they’d hurry up and tell us rather than tease us every couple of episodes.

Who was your favourite character?
Most of this episode was fairly humdrum and passed without anything of real note. So, I’m going to give this to Saki, but not because of her two previous episodes which were excellent. Nope! It’s because of her devious plan to fail all of her exams because she believed the catch-up exams would be easier. They were and she probably got a much higher grade for it. That’s how you “evil genius” your school life!

Who was your least favourite character?
I know Kyo has his issues and a lot of that stems from Yuki and his belief in the zodiac rat cheating the cat out of its place at the table, but come on. Can you stop yelling at everyone and everything because you don’t know how to behave like a normal person? Tohru bumps into you and promptly passes out. Yell, yell, yell! Tohru feels unwell. Yell, yell, yell! Tohru is upset that you had to cook something yourself. Yell, yell, yell! Put another record on, I think this one has a scratch on it.

Would you like some more?
So, I think I’ve been fairly dismissive and sarcastic about this episode, but it feels good and frankly, I think it was warranted. This was not Fruits Basket at its finest or even close to it. Of course, I’m going to see out the remaining two episodes of the season and, without a doubt, I’ll be back for season two. I do, however, hope that we get some answers before they leave us for the season. Just throw us a bone here, we’re starving for answers!

Other posts in the series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – See You After School
- Episode 2 – They’re All Animals!
- Episode 3 – Let’s Play Rich Man, Poor Man!
- Episode 4 – What Year Is She?
- Episode 5 – I’ve Been Fooling Myself
- Episode 6 – Perhaps We Should Invite Ourselves Over
- Episode 7 – Spring Comes
- Episode 8 – See You When You Get Back
- Episode 9 – Yuki Was My First Love
- Episode 10 – It’s Valentine’s, After All
- Episode 11 – This is a Wonderful Inn
- Episode 12 – You Look Like You’re Having Fun
- Episode 13 – How Have You Been, My Brother?
- Episode 14 – That’s a Secret
- Episode 15 – I Wouldn’t Say That
- Episode 16 – She Said Don’t Step on Them!
- Episode 17 – This Is for Uo-chan!
- Episode 18 – What’s Important Is…
- Episode 19 – I’m So Sorry!
- Episode 20 – I Can’t Believe You Picked It Up
- Episode 21 – I Never Back Down from a Wave Fight
- Episode 22 – Because I Was Happy
- Episode 23 – You Look Well…
- Episode 24 – Let’s Go Home
- Episode 25 – Summer Will Be Here Soon
- Season Two
- Episode 26 – Hello Again
- Episode 27 – Eat Somen with Your Friends
- Episode 28 – Shall We Go and Get You Changed?
- Episode 29 – I Got Dumped…
- Episode 30 – Wait for me, tororo soba!
- Episode 31 – Are you really this stupid?
- Episode 32 – Let’s Start the Watermelon Splitting Contest!
- Episode 33 – Well, It’s True
- Episode 34 – My Precious…
- Episode 35 – Who Are You?
- Episode 36 – All Mine
- Episode 37 – You Cried for Me
- Episode 38 – Sure Thing
- Episode 39 – I Should Just Die…
- Episode 40 – See You Later
- Episode 41 – Ask Him For Me
- Episode 42 – You Will, I’m Sure of It
- Episode 43 – Do You Wanna Kiss?
- Episode 44 – There’s Just No Way!
- Episode 45 – Are You Okay?
- Episode 46 – There Was, Definitely
- Episode 47 – That Isn’t What I Want
- Episode 48 – It’s Cinderella-ish
- Episode 49 – Here You Are
- Episode 50 – I’m Different Now
- Season Three
- Episode 51 – I’ll Hold Another Banquet
- Episode 52 – That’s an Unwavering Truth
- Episode 53 – I Hope It Snows Soon
- Episode 54 – I’m… Home.
- Episode 55 – I Mean… You Know, Right?
- Episode 56 – It Was So Foolish
- Episode 57 – That’s Right, It’s Empty
- Episode 58 – I’m Disappointed in You
- Episode 59 – What’s Your Name?
- Episode 60 – I Just Love Her
- Episode 61 – Goodbye
- Episode 62 – You Fought Well
- Episode 63 – See You Again Soon
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Your sarcasm was pretty greatb here. 😁
Thanks. After so many great episodes, it was crazy to hit us with Tohru gets a cold…
[…] The Otaku Author: Fruits Basket (Episode 23) – You Look Well… […]
I also always thought it was weird that common colds would leave people bed ridden in anime and manga, but then a friend of mine, who worked in Japan for a time, told me that anytime she caught a cold while she was there it did seem to effect her way more then normal. Her theory is that everyone in Japan is so over worked and stressed out all the time that even minor illnesses end up making them very sick. Not sure how true that actually is, but thought I’d pass on her theory 😉
That’s a pretty interesting theory and I could see it working that way. They certainly have a very different idea of work-life balance in Japan.
I’ve been lucky enough to work in several countries and it always surprises me how different the approaches to vacation, sick pay, and working hours are.