Fruits Basket (Episode 61) - Goodbye

Tohru instinctively ran the second she saw Kyo. She had planned on smiling, even practised doing so, but all she could do was to run. What would Kyo say to her when he caught up with her? How will this end?

What happened?

Tohru’s last memories of Kyo were her telling her off for liking him. He went to great lengths to explain why he didn’t deserve her love. She had no recollection of the fall or what happened next, so as far as she was concerned, it was over before it had begun. Just the sound of Kyo’s name was like a dagger through her heart.

So, when Tohru came out of the hospital and saw Kyo standing there, she couldn’t do anything else but run. She had wanted to smile and had spent many hours practising as she said his name, but it was all for nought. The reality was too much for her to handle. Kyo caught up with her and tried to talk to her, but she turned and raced off once more.

He eventually caught up with her once more and got close enough to place his hand on hers. There would be no more running. Kyo knelt down in front of her and apologised for what he said, for what he had put her through. He realised now that running away was the same as not knowing and he was tired of running.

Fruits Basket Episode 61 Kyo catches up with Tohru

Tohru was surprised. She thought he hated her or that he felt unworthy of love and pushed everyone away. That may have been the case, but not anymore. He told her straight up that he loved her and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. Then, they kissed.

Tohru was even more surprised to learn that it wasn’t their first kiss! Kyo asked if he could hug her. If she was to love him, the curse came with him. Tohru declared that her love was invincible and she didn’t fear the curse. They embraced, wrapping their arms around one another and waited. They continued to wait. There was no cloud of smoke. Kyo did not turn into a cat. The curse had been broken.

Akito had broken the remaining bonds, freeing all of the zodiac spirits. There would be no more banquets. Their lives had just begun.

Fruits Basket Episode 61 Kyo and Tohru kiss

What did you think?

Who held their breath when they hugged? Come on, you know you did. Admittedly, it was the moment we’d all been waiting for. Sure, they kissed again, but we’re here for the hugs. Seeing the relief and shock on their faces was amazing. I was delighted to see that the focus shifted to Ayame for a second as he revealed to Mine that he was free to love her as he had always believed he should.

I also loved the real story of the zodiacs, and damn it if those onion-chopping ninjas didn’t show up when the cat died. It was interesting to see how each of the zodiac Somas responded to the feeling of being free and alone. I guess that means we’ve got two more episodes to fully wrap things up. Yuki and Machi and Hatori and Mayuko need to happen.

I can’t believe we’re almost at the end. The most surprising moment for me was that I didn’t hate the way they let Akito break the curse. It doesn’t absolve her of her previous actions, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’m also fairly relieved to think that it happened because of Tohru’s influence on Akito.

What have you learnt?

I often talk about how important the strength of an ending is to a story. There have been too many times to count where my enjoyment of a story has changed significantly based on how it ends. I’ve loved some only to have the ending leave me infuriated and there have been others that I was fine with but the ending hit it out of the park. It’s the lasting impression you come away with that matters.

Sure, we’ve got two episodes left to tie up some loose ends, but the main story is done and it was handled amazingly. Seeing it happen through Kyo and Tohru was the perfect way to do it and the story of the zodiac spirits no doubt played on Akito’s mind. I’m curious whether she was told the story by Tohru or whether they just used her voice actor to do it. Either way, it was another great moment and perfectly complimented the previous story.

The best thing about wrapping up the main story with two episodes to go is that they can focus purely on uplifting and memorable moments. I’m preparing to be attacked by onion-chopping ninjas for both episodes. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost over…