Fruits Basket (Episode 45) - Are You Okay?

Yuki’s got a lot on his plate at the moment what with juggling the needs of the student council and his own class who are eagerly waiting to see who will get which role in their class production of Cinderella!

What happened?

Much to Arisa’s disdain, the class is putting on a production of Cinderella, but it’s too late to get upset as the vote has been made. The next step in the process will be deciding the lead roles and while Yuki would, obviously, be perfect for the role of Prince Charming, he’s excused himself so that he can focus his time on being student president. It’s a role that needs a lot of attention, especially with Machi causing all sorts of mess. Kakeru asks that the others ignore Machi’s breakdown so that he can deal with it. Naohito seems determined not to let it go, which forces Yuki to lay down the law, much to Kimi’s delight.

When Yuki returns to the council room he finds Kakeru alone. He then tells Yuki that he and Machi are brother and sister, although they have different mothers. They are both potential heirs to a vast estate and have been involved in an ongoing power struggle. That was until Kakeru got tired of it and made a scene. He was removed from the struggle, although Machi was not. He doesn’t know for sure, but he thinks that may be why she has her episodes of rage.

Yuki hurried back to his class in time to reveal the lead roles. Tohru got the role of a wicked step-sister, while Kyo is to be the Prince and Saki Cinderella. It’s starting to look like this will be an interesting version of Cinderella. Later on, Yuki gets trapped in a room and has a flashback to being Akito’s toy which leads him to open up to Kakeru.

Fruits Basket Episode 45 Young Kakeru Flipping Out

What did you think?

I still enjoy Kakeru and Kimi calling Yuki Yun-yun even if Yuki has started to ignore it. Kakeru is quickly becoming one of the most entertaining characters in the series and his delight at their possibly being a villain for the student council to face off against was hilarious. Unfortunately, it was Machi and not a villain, but it opened up an incredible exchange between Kakeru and Yuki. Kakeru has really brought Yuki out of his shell. Other than that, there were lots of great reactions to outrageous situations, but the highlight for me has to be Kyo and Saki getting the lead roles in the play. I can’t wait for this gothic, kung-fu version of Cinderella with Tohru attempting to be wicked. It’s going to be amazing!

Fruits Basket Episode 45 Kyo finding out he's going to be Prince Charming

What have you learnt?

I love the way the introduction of Kakeru has affected the characters. He’s definitely shaken things up with his approach to life. It’s interesting to see how adding a fairly minor character to an established cast can do just enough to push some other characters out of their comfort zone. He’s also been a great addition to the more comedic elements of the show. His greatest achievement, however, has been bringing Yuki out of his shell. It’s given Yuki a friend to be able to talk to about stuff that he would never bring up with another Soma.