Meeting Date: 5/11/2019
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, welcome to the Herald Anime Club! This week, I’m joined by L.B. Bryant.
L.B. Bryant: Hello!
Samantha Ferreira: Today, we’re talking up Fruits Basket Episode 6: “Yuki is best girl.”
L.B. Bryant: Tohru is too pure for this world. She’s the embodiment of what is good and for that reason shouldn’t exist because this world doesn’t deserve her.
Samantha Ferreira: No doubt! She’s the very definition of “precious cinnamon roll” at this point
(Also, I love her apron!)
L.B. Bryant: Much like the previous episodes, a lot happened and yet didn’t happen at the same time. How’s that for a paradox? :)
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. Like… were this any other series, it could be just hand-waved as a sleepover episode
But they do SO MUCH with that
I mean… you get real character growth between the Somas, Tohru, and her friends
You get these little hints at things to come
You get a yellow bun-bun!
L.B. Bryant: The whole second half of the episode with the sleepover at the Sohma’s was quite good with her friends getting to know Yuki and Kyo.
Samantha Ferreira: True that.
L.B. Bryant: Before we get to that though, festival and the real introduction of Momiji
Samantha Ferreira: Yes!
…First
That festival was messed up
Poor Yuki is going to be talking to a therapist for straight-up sexual harassment.
L.B. Bryant: lol truth
Samantha Ferreira: (Those kitty onigiri were adorable, though!)
L.B. Bryant: I thought it was interesting how they added in all the reasons why the other students wanted him to do it and one of them on the screen was ‘it can be your present to us’ and it’s like ‘why does he owe anyone a present?’
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed.
That was kind of hilariously awkward
Like… “OK, something is NOT right here”
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, that one just stood out to me as weird.
Samantha Ferreira: Definitely a relic from the manga’s 1990s roots
L.B. Bryant: BTW, how did Momiji sound in Japanese? His English voice was VERY heavily accented and difficult to understand at times.
Momiji was one of my favorite characters in the previous incarnation but his new English voice is going to take some getting used to.
I understand why his voice is so heavily accented since he speaks German in the manga but I had to really listen close when he was talking to understand him.
Samantha Ferreira: There’s definitely an accent, with lots of German mixed in
“Yuki, you look like a maedchen! =D”
On that note: I want to give a cookie to the translator who translated Momiji’s hug line to “You know our secret, right? That means I can glomp you!”
L.B. Bryant: lol
Samantha Ferreira: It was so perfectly delivered
Also, props to the writers – Hattori and Akito are being built as appropriately sinister
Though Hattori has his whimsical side, as we saw with his photo op
L.B. Bryant: Indeed. I love the slow burn of those character developments as well.
Samantha Ferreira: (He uses a Lumix!)
I’m also loving how, slowly, we’re seeing the three Somas that matter at the moment are going to bat for Tohru, with Yuki and Kyo praising her values to her friends, while Shigure uses her as a stark contrast to Akito at the exact same moment.
That was just beautifully done
L.B. Bryant: Indeed. So, the sleepover section of the episode was quite well done as we mentioned previously. Really liked the bit with her two friends being sad that they couldn’t help her when she needed them before realizing that because of that she’d found a good place to call home.
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed, likewise
I kind of love how they really cemented the friends as having taken up that role of “moral support center” that Tohru’s mom caused a void in after her passing. It was surprisingly uplifting, given the context.
L.B. Bryant: Truth. Also, on another note, I think the staff made the right decision to cut out Shigure’s ‘high school girls’ song. It was cute in 2001 but 2019’s audience probably wouldn’t see it that way.
Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah
That… would not go over well today
Context:
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, so while it was a funny moment in the original I’m glad that they cut it out here.
Samantha Ferreira: Though wait
Didn’t that come later in the show?
L.B. Bryant: I thought it came when Tohru asked Shigure for permission for her friends to spend the night in the original.
Samantha Ferreira: That was like… episode ten in the original, IIRC, because Hatsuharu was in the picture
L.B. Bryant: If I’m wrong we can cut all this out lol
Samantha Ferreira: Nah, we’ll keep it.
L.B. Bryant: lol ok.
But yeah, I could’ve sworn that the first instance was when the friends stayed the night and the second instance was when Shigure had to visit the high school for some reason.
Samantha Ferreira: I could be wrong, too.
It’s been a LONG time since I saw the original
That said… I do love that they kept his… seedier side intact, when he produced the light novel that he wrote “for fun”
L.B. Bryant: Anyone out there reading this: tell us who is right! lol
Samantha Ferreira: Haha
L.B. Bryant: Indeed. I so can’t wait for them to introduce his editor!
I loved those scenes in the original
Samantha Ferreira: Likewise!
L.B. Bryant: The one thing about the sleepover scene that I thought was interesting is that they condensed it greatly. In the original there was a whole bit about Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure accidentally being transformed while they were there that they skipped this time.
I don’t think the scene is going to continue next episode (though I could be wrong) so I guess they decided they wanted a more serious tone for that half of the episode?
Samantha Ferreira: Agreed. My guess is that it was also just kind of… not helping the plot? The original FruBa did have a lot of moments that just didn’t work in context
L.B. Bryant: That’s true.
Samantha Ferreira: So it might’ve been nixed for that sweet, extended personal moment with Arisa and Saki
L.B. Bryant: Makes sense to me.
Samantha Ferreira: Also, the creator, who is overseeing the new adaptation, was not happy with Akitaro Daichi’s loose handling of her material, if I remember right?
L.B. Bryant: I believe that’s correct so I imagine they are clamping down a bit harder this time around since they have more clout than they did 18 years ago heh
Samantha Ferreira: Indeed, with good reason. Her work got ran through the wringer in that later half
L.B. Bryant: Yeah, true.
Samantha Ferreira: Hrm… any other comments this week?
L.B. Bryant: No, I think I’m tapped out :)
Samantha Ferreira: Same! So ’til next time, remember: German bunnies are best bunnies. Have a great night!
L.B. Bryant: Night! :)
After the meeting…
Samantha Ferreira: …I do want that apron
L.B. Bryant: lol I didn’t even notice her apron
Samantha Ferreira: lol
it’s super cute
L.B. Bryant: hehe I’ll look for it in the future
Samantha Ferreira:
L.B. Bryant: Oh right. I noticed that apron but didn’t think anything of it.
Samantha Ferreira: Hehe
