Meeting Date: 5/4/2019

Disclaimer: The Herald Anime Club discusses shows as they’re airing. Naturally, there will be spoilers for a given episode. You have been warned!

Samantha Ferreira: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Herald Anime Club! I’m Samantha, and today, I’m here with L.B. Bryant.
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Samantha Ferreira: This week, we’re taking a short break from our Kickstarter shenanigans to talk up Fruits Basket episode 5: “So THAT’S what happened when Nabiki Tendo became an adult.”
L.B. Bryant: So when we last met, I mentioned wanting to talk about something but I didn’t want to spoil Anthony so I refrained. Now we can finally talk about this… Tohru’s family are assholes lol


Samantha Ferreira: That’s saying it lightly.
L.B. Bryant: Here’s the thing though; in the original they were bad but they weren’t nearly as bad as in this version.
I kind of suspected that the hostility towards Tohru was going to be dialed up (because everything in this adaptation has been dialed up) and I was right.
That said, I enjoyed the little changes from the original such as Tohru’s grandpa calling her Kyoko.
And the extra scene with Kyoko in the kitchen was a super sweet addition… ugh, I’m gushing.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. This version they were just… yikes
I mean, it worked super well, though
Like..
That made me cry
It was so perfectly paced


L.B. Bryant: I didn’t cry but I did think it was interesting how they really cut to the chase with that scene and instead spent a few minutes with the Sohma’s being angsty at home and getting lost looking for the house.
In the original they spent a few extra minutes in the Honda house establishing how big of assholes they are. In this version, they were able to establish that with minimal effort.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed.
In this version it began immediately
With the daughter being SOOOOO inconvenienced that she has to share a room
Then not giving a single fuck as her parents piled on Tohru
L.B. Bryant: Yeah totally plus their son… wow, that’s a whole conversation in itself.
Samantha Ferreira: Definitely
That’s like… yikes
From his gloating, to that straight-up fucked line when Yuki arrives


L.B. Bryant: Luckily in the dub, that scene is toned down.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeah
L.B. Bryant: The big joke in it is that the son keeps repeating “He’s a guy” when Yuki appears
Samantha Ferreira: Yep.
That’s the subs, too
But the Japanese uses the phrase “otokoro-ko”, which literally translates to “Little Boy”
L.B. Bryant: That must’ve been interesting for the translators heh
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeah
It’s definitely a more belittling term
And to their credit, they do translate the line to “you’re a boy?!” instead of “you’re a guy?!”
L.B. Bryant: That’s good at least


Samantha Ferreira: Indeed
But I loved how they handled it – it really added a layer of “asshole” to them
Because it just straight-up shows him disrespecting a total stranger
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, that nuance doesn’t come through nearly as well in the dub.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed.
Like… I can see why they went that way with the dub
It’s something that just can’t be conveyed as well
With 3 lip flaps they’d have to call him a “snotty kid” or something
So yeah. But yikes, that whole scene, playing out from two perspectives, no less, was brilliantly handled


L.B. Bryant: I like the last moment with Yuki flicking him in the forehead as well. lol
Samantha Ferreira: True that, lol
It’s kind of funny how even gramps knew
He basically said “don’t hate my kids, they’re fucking assholes” in kinder words
L.B. Bryant: hehe truth
I’m still not sure how much I liked the scenes in the Sohma house though. In the original, they seemed a lot more quickly determined to go bring Tohru back home. In this one, they were pretty wishy washy for quite a while.
Samantha Ferreira: I kind of like that
It’s a bit more realistic to have that ambivalence
Like “should we go?”


L.B. Bryant: Makes sense.
Samantha Ferreira: That said, I did like the whole urgency of the original, too
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, the new version is good and superior in many ways there was something about the original that makes it stand out still.
Samantha Ferreira: True that
They’re both interesting takes on the same situation
That said, I still like Shigure’s smug attitude through it all lol
L.B. Bryant: lol Shigure is awesome
Samantha Ferreira: That goes without saying!
lol
L.B. Bryant: Did you happen to catch what the title of the next episode is?
Samantha Ferreira: “Perhaps we should invite ourselves over” or something like that, right?


L.B. Bryant: Hm okies. I’m trying to recall what the next story event is but I’m failing. I think we’ll be getting to know a certain rabbit boy. :)
Samantha Ferreira: Hehe
I think I know but I won’t say
spoilers, and all that
L.B. Bryant: Yeah
Samantha Ferreira: But yeah. For all that happened this week…
Not much happened, if that makes sense? lol
L.B. Bryant: Yeah it does.
Samantha Ferreira: Any closing thoughts?
L.B. Bryant: Nopes, I think we covered it all.
Samantha Ferreira: OK, then. I guess that wraps this week up! Til next time, remember: Tohru’s family members are assholes.
Have a great night, everybody!
L.B. Bryant: Night :)