Herald Anime Club

The Herald Anime Club Meeting 113: Fruits Basket Episode 17


Meeting Date: 7/28/2019

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 I’m here with L.B. Bryant and Anthony Simpson

L.B. Bryant: Hello!

Anthony Simpson: Evening

Samantha Ferreira: This week, we’re talking up Fruits Basket episode 17: “Uo-chan 2: Best Mom Rises.”

L.B. Bryant: It’s hard to believe that we’re already up to episode 17. :)

Anthony Simpson: I enjoyed this episode. It helped show Uo-chan development from delinquent to best mom.

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

L.B. Bryant: This series has just flown by over the last few months.

Samantha Ferreira: True that. And it really feels like we get these weird mixes
Like… one week, it’s fluff, the next enough character development to fill a full arc in some longer shows

Anthony Simpson: That said the mixes work here. It doesn’t feel like it a jarring combination that just doesn’t splice.

Samantha Ferreira: True that.
It really feels organic in the way things are meted out

L.B. Bryant: That out of the way… Sam and I seem to disagree slightly on the tone of this episode. I actuallly found this episode quite hopeful and optimistic in tone with Uo learning that she could change and grow thanks to some kindness from Kyoko.

Anthony Simpson: I found it optimistic as well with Uo that she could be something better than just be in a street gang.

Samantha Ferreira: I thought it was bittersweet – Uo found her peace, but good god, the Kyoko moments made me cry

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

L.B. Bryant: I also need to say, possibly the best addition that this reboot has going for it over the original series is the inclusion of so many Kyoko moments. In the original, Kyoko was barely a character but here we are 17 weeks into this one and Kyoko has been a major player in the development of multiple characters.

Samantha Ferreira: Indeed. She’s been there the whole time, and it’s clear that her memories are important to everyone

L.B. Bryant: So, we just got a two episode Uo arc… Hanajima when?

Samantha Ferreira: Soon, I hope!

L.B. Bryant: My wife and I can’t wait to see her backstory!

Anthony Simpson: I’m hoping soon to hear about her backstory.

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

Samantha Ferreira: Same. I kind of want to see her life as a Wave User before meeting Tohru
That said, I really do love how this episode and the previous one played out. Uo’s story was complete, it was told beautifully… we got Kyoko being badass and best (real) mom, some adorable moments, internal strife… it worked so well as a whole

L.B. Bryant: I actually watched last week’s episode as soon as I got back into town and didn’t have many thoughts on it because it felt incomplete. Now that I’ve seen what I assume to be the conclusion to the arc, I can see the care that went into telling this story. I know that if I had to sum up Uo’s story in two episodes I probably wouldn’t be able to do it.

Samantha Ferreira: Indeed

Anthony Simpson: Uo’s arc would not been given justice if they did everything in one episode (unless it was a double length episode).

Samantha Ferreira: True that. There’s just so much growth and development, not just for Uo, but for Tohru, Kyoko, and even the spunky gang members

L.B. Bryant: They were so cute when they start imitating Uo lol

Anthony Simpson: So side note I want to see a spinoff with the spunky gang members.

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

Samantha Ferreira: …I would watch that in a heartbeat. I don’t care if the premise is paper thin – it’d be less disappointing than Your Mom Isekai

L.B. Bryant: Isekai lovers can send their hate mail to Sam’s Boss c/o Anime Herald :)

Samantha Ferreira: Haha

Anthony Simpson: I mean, it could be 30 minutes of the gang members doing Uo impressions, and I would be fine with that.

Samantha Ferreira: Same

Anthony Simpson: They can send the hate mail my way as well since I dropped the Mom Isekai show.

L.B. Bryant: I’m more than fairly certain I’ll be dropping that show as well but that’s besides the point, lol

Samantha Ferreira: Yeeeah. We’ll trash Your Mom in our own time. Any final thoughts this week?

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

Anthony Simpson: Nope looking forward to the next episode

Samantha Ferreira: Likewise!

So I guess that ends things for the week. ‘Til next time, remember: When in doubt, your adorkable friend’s badass biker mom can save the day.

Have a great night!

L.B. Bryant: Night!

[After the Meeting…]

Samantha Ferreira: …They really should have officially given “Do You Love Your Mom…” the short title of “Your Mom” – it’s way funnier than “Okaasan Online”

L.B. Bryant: heh yeah probably

Samantha Ferreira: …that one still makes me sad

Fruits Basket Episode 017 Still

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