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cinderella-ish · 25 days

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Kyo, Momiji, and the beach trip that changed everything (part 4 of 5)

So, the beach arc is one of the best parts of the beautiful story that is Fruits Basket. Functionally, it's the midpoint, occurring from chapters 54-65 (out of 136) of the manga, and episodes 31-35 (out of 63) of the anime.

What is the midpoint in story structure? From author K.M. Weiland's site Helping Writers Become Authors:

As the centerpiece of the story, the Midpoint in many ways encapsulates the entire point of the story. Plot, character arc, and theme all coincide here (more obviously even than usual) to provide the protagonist with at least the opportunity to see the world in a different and potentially more functional way than previously. Depending on what the character realizes and accepts at the Midpoint, he should be able to use this new knowledge to move onward more effectively toward the plot goal.

In the article I linked above, Weiland talks about the two halves of the story's midpoint: first is the plot revelation, where something key about the external plot is revealed to the protagonist; and second is the moment of truth, where the protagonist uses that new information to change their perspective on the story.

For Tohru, the main protagonist, the plot revelation is when Akito reveals that the cursed Sohmas will all return to her and Kyo will be confined after graduation. The moment of truth is when she decides she wants to break the curse.

For Yuki, second protagonist, the plot revelation is that Tohru was the little girl he saved all those years ago, and the moment of truth is that it's time for him to "open the lid" and accept his feelings for what they are.

Even Hiro experiences his own midpoint shift. His plot revelation is that Tohru, like him, has her own feelings hidden deep in her heart, and that she covers up her pain with a smile. His moment of truth is that he wants to stop taking out his frustration on Tohru.

So, let's look at the beach arc as it pertains to Momiji and Kyo and their character arcs.

First, we have this cute little moment where Momiji comes to let Kyo know about the trip.

Momiji: Kyo! Hey, Kyo. You sick? Kyo: I'm tired. I don't have the energy to talk to you. Get out. Momiji: Got it. *inhales* We're going to the vacation house tomorrow, so get packed! Kyo: (angrily) You don't get it! (calmly) Wait, tomorrow? To the vacation house? Momiji: Yep! Kyo: Don't 'Yep' me! Momiji: Wah! Kyo hit me! But you'll come, right? You won't say no, right? Right? Kyo: Stop bugging me. Momiji: Tohru will be sad if you don't come. We'll play together! We'll swim together! Kyo: I said to stop bugging me! I never said I wouldn't go. Sheesh. I'm so tired. Momiji: You've gotten nicer. Kyo: Huh? Momiji: Nothing! Oh yeah, I'm gonna catch stag beetles! And Hercules beetles! Kyo: You're being serious?

I love that Momiji is consistently the one to invite Kyo to do things. While Yuki is helping Tohru finish her homework, Momiji tells Kyo about the trip in the most obnoxious way possible. Kyo gets annoyed, naturally, and gives Momiji a bonk on the head. Momiji pretends to cry (as usual), but then asks Kyo if he'll come.

Momiji seems genuinely worried that Kyo won't come, and goes right for Kyo's weak spot to manipulate him, saying, "Tohru will be sad if you don't come."

I also love the soft look on Momiji's face when he says to Kyo, "You've gotten nicer." Cuuuuuute.

After they arrive, there are a few cute moments in the first day or so at the beach. When Momiji points out Tohru's swimming and Kyo goes to rescue her (because he knows she's holding her breath), he asks Momiji to teach her how to breathe while swimming. Here, Kyo demonstrates a great deal of trust in Momiji. Tohru's safety is the most important thing to him, and he's trusting Momiji to look out for her safety, too.

I also love Momiji's comment when Yuki baits Kyo into staying in the water to race. "They should just swim like normal people. How childish." Yeah, okay Momiji.

Later (and this may be a change for the anime, as I couldn't find it in the manga), when they're all looking at the beetles, Momiji says Kyo is the person who taught him the sugar water trick.

But soon, Akito arrives, and everything changes.

This is a great scene for understanding how Akito operates as an abuser, but to keep the focus on Kyo, it's when Akito brings up Tohru that Kyo's entire demeanor changes. He'd been crying, begging Akito to stop, at his lowest point both literally and figuratively, when Akito shifts the conversation from Kyo's mother (and, in his mind, Kyoko) to Tohru, and her reaction to his True Form.

He immediately shifts from self-pity to fear and then anger, yelling back at Akito, defending Tohru from Akito's accusations, even when Akito is yelling at him to shut up. Suddenly, he falls quiet, and we hear his internal monologue:

She knew that if she let go of my hand, I would never return. That I might never return to anybody. She didn't take up all my pain. She didn't fill in all the brokenness. But those... those weren't important. The most important thing was that she stayed with me. Finding joy in the smallest things, being happy and smiling so cheerfully... Why? She should think of herself more. Why? Doesn't she think she's getting the short end of the stick? She thinks that she's stupid, or that there's nothing good about her.

And then we see Momiji and hear his voice.

It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff. Even if other people think that makes her an idiot, I just don't. That's all. Yuki, Kyo, What about you? What do you think when you close your eyes?

We then see Kyo with his hands over his eyes, interspersed with images of Tohru and the sound of her saying his name, as he lowers his hands and looks directly at the camera, articulating exactly how he feels about Tohru.

I love you. I love you so much. Just as you are.

It's a great callback to The Foolish Traveler, and the way Momiji closed his eyes when he was reflecting on how he interpreted the story, opening them when he realized he saw it differently than his classmates.

The sequence where Kyo finally realizes his feelings for Tohru is beautiful, possibly one of the best-done sequences in the anime. It's painful and moving and both Yuma Uchida and Jerry Jewell deliver gorgeous performances as Kyo. This is Kyo's plot revelation.

But most importantly (for the purposes of this series of posts, at least), it's Momiji whose voice Kyo hears at this crucial moment. It's Momiji whose words lead Kyo to realize he's in love with Tohru.

There's a lot that happens between Kyo's revelation that he loves Tohru and when he finds her on the beach that evening, but it's less important to the relationship between Kyo and Momiji, so I won't include it in this post.

What is important, though, is Kyo's moment of truth. The thing he decides is to spend as much time with Tohru as possible while he's still free.

I love you. I don't want to take anything else from you. I don't want to trample you ever again. At some point, I hoped we could always be together somewhere far off, but I won't hope that anymore. I won't hope that I could make you my own anymore. I won't hope that, so please, at least... at least be by my side for the time I have left. I want to be with you. Until we're separated far apart.. until the last moment.

I wonder who put that idea in his head?

In the next episode, we get this conversation between Kyo and Momiji.

Momiji: Kyo, Akito didn't call you in tomorrow, right? Kyo: Nope. Momiji: Really? If I thought, 'Good for you,' would you get mad? Kyo: I wondered why you all abandoned Tohru as you were told like good little kids. But I see. If you prioritized Tohru over Akito, Akito would get mad, huh? That would just make Tohru look bad. You guys, including Yuki, were protecting Tohru from Akito, huh? Momiji: You make it sound like we were doing such a good thing. But that's not it. We've- I've been doing it all wrong. I'm selfish for wanting to make memories with Tohru, despite everything. I'm selfish for loving Tohru so much. Kyo: I'm selfish, too. Momiji: Hmm? Kyo: Never mind. Anyway, weren't you going on about watching something on TV earlier? Tohru: Momiji-kun! Kyo-kun! Momiji: I was so scared! Kyo was trying to mug me! Tohru: What? Kyo: Seriously, you think I'm some delinquent?!

They both display a vulnerability and honesty here that they've really only shown before to Tohru. Kyo's reflecting on his anger at Yuki, and Momiji's being much more straightforward than he usually is, stating his realizations as they're coming to him, rather than using them to manipulate. I also love the detail of Momiji correcting from "We've" to "I've." It really shows the change in his maturity that occurred during this arc.

I see this as Momiji's plot revelation, that fun isn't the most important thing when you love someone.

This is also the first time Kyo verbalizes his feelings for Tohru out loud, if obliquely. When he smiles to himself and says, "I'm selfish, too," he's referencing what Momiji just said, that he's selfish for loving Tohru so much. It's notable that the first time he does this is in front of Momiji, even if he doesn't repeat it when it's clear Momiji didn't hear what he said.

I think, from this point on, Momiji and Kyo are trusted confidants for each other. This will come up more in part 5, but I really just love the way their relationship matures here.

And then, Akito returns.

This is one of the most harrowing sequences in the anime. We know Akito's already in a bad mood, we know she blames Tohru for taking away her Zodiac, and we've seen exactly how she abuses those she serves as god.

Momiji: Akito. What are you doing here so late? Akito: I came to see Honda Tohru-san. I have to return home suddenly, you see. But I haven't seen Honda Tohru-san yet. Momiji: Right now? But Tohru's most likely sleeping. Akito: Wake her. Momiji: No. Akito, you're mad right now, right? You'll take out your anger on her, huh? Akito, what's wrong? Why are you so mad? Did something happen? Akito: Something happen? What? Why do you need to know? You want to get to know me? To understand me? Why? [Akito punches Momiji] Akito: You make me sick! Understand? Understand me? You just want to belittle me! You just want to define me by your twisted logic, to paint me as a villain! Tohru: Stop, please! Momiji: T- Tohru: Sto- stop, please! Akito: Stop? You're giving me an order. Terrible. Terrible. You're not a very nice person. Momiji: Akito! Akito: But Tohru. Honda Tohru, I was kind enough to come see you. I don't care how disrespectful you are to me. There's... there's something I came to tell you. Don't be so full of it, scum. You might think you saved Yuki and Kyo. Better take that arrogance down a notch right now. Let me tell you something. I'll tell you. Kyo, you see, after high school, will be confined. Just like the previous cat, confined for life.

It's here that we see Momiji is no longer there. In the manga, we see Momiji run away. Akito and Tohru's conflict continues, but I want to focus on Momiji's actions here.

When he understands the situation, he starts gently, reasoning that Tohru is probably sleeping. When that doesn't work, he moves to defy his god in order to protect her.

When Tohru shows up and puts herself between Momiji and Akito, Momiji is clearly upset. He'd only wanted to keep her from getting hurt, and now she's trying to protect him. He feels like he's failed, but the danger is still happening. When Akito takes Tohru by the head and starts telling her about Kyo's impending confinement, he runs for help.

Momiji likely blames himself for Tohru getting hurt. It was his idea to go to the beach house, and he angered Akito before Tohru arrived. His moment of truth is that he needs to focus on protecting Tohru and consider her safety in the future.

I wonder where he got that idea.

It's worth noting that this scene happens the same night as his hallway conversation with Kyo. While Kyo was beginning to understand that fighting isn't the only way to protect someone, and that sometimes you need to keep your head down and play the role in which you've been cast in order to protect someone, Momiji was learning the opposite lesson, that sometimes, you need to acknowledge the hard truths about a situation, that fun and pleasure don't erase pain, and that some things are worth fighting for.

Akito and Tohru's conflict ends when Kureno arrives and takes Akito back to the estate. Next, Shigure and Hatori arrive, and when Tohru asks why they're there, Shigure reveals where Momiji ran off to.

Shigure: Momicchi ran to me in terror. I didn't know what was wrong. Tohru: Is Momiji-kun hurt!? Where's Momiji-kun!? Hatori: Don't worry. He's right there. Tohru: Momiji-kun! Momiji-kun, are you all right?

Momiji tries to smile, but he can't, and he breaks down instead.

We've seen Momiji fake cry dozens of times before now. We've seen real tears from him only twice: once when he told Tohru about his mother (and even then, it was only after he transformed that he let himself cry), and once on Kisa's behalf, when he was telling the others about her bullying, and that he imagined how he'd feel if people laughed every time he spoke.

But this is the first time we've seen him break down.

Again, Momiji is blaming himself for what happened. He sees the mark on Tohru's face, and he knows she got hurt even worse after he left. He's upset that she ended up protecting him instead. He believes he's failed in every way. It's a feeling Kyo's incredibly familiar with.

But even though Momiji thinks he's responsible for Tohru getting hurt, everyone acknowledges he did something very difficult and brave.

Shigure: Well, Momicchi really hung in there. Compared to him, look at the other young folk. Hatori: Compared to him, look at us... right?

It's then revealed that Yuki, Kyo, and Haru were watching from just inside, and Haru was physically holding Kyo back from intervening.

Haru: See, Akito left. I told you Momiji would get the older ones. Kyo: I'm so pathetic I could puke.

Kyo is ashamed that he didn't act, even though he knows it wouldn't have helped, and might have gotten Tohru hurt worse.

Momiji and Kyo both feel responsible, but by thinking themselves responsible, they belie the fact that they don't hold the other person responsible. Kyo sees that Momiji actually did something, that he stood up to Akito, while he stood back and let Tohru get hurt. Momiji isn't upset that no one else stood up to Akito beside him. He's not even sure that was the right thing to have done.

But they're both wrong, of course. The only person who's actually responsible for Tohru getting hurt is Akito.

Thankfully, the arc ends with a nice moment of everyone enjoying fireworks together. They've all changed, but some things will always be the same.

Momiji: Let's do some sparklers together! Tohru: Okay! Momiji: Kyo! Come do them with us, Kyo! Kyo: So annoying. Just do them without me!

Yuki then baits Kyo into joining them, and the four sit together and do fireworks.

Even after everything that's happened, Momiji's still the one who invites Kyo to join in the fun.

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

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cinderella-ish · 26 days

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Momiji, Kyo, and the things they each do for love (part 2 of 5)

So, the next time we see Momiji appear with Kyo, we get nearly an entire episode of them together! And it's a hugely significant episode in setting up the way Momiji impact's Kyo's character arc.

Momiji walks home with Tohru after her job. Kyo reacts with his usual annoyance, giving Momiji a noogie. (I love that this is Kyo's go-to whenever Momiji shows up. It's adorable.)

Momiji then announces he's taking Tohru to a Sohma-owned onsen for White Day, but Tohru doesn't seem happy.

Tohru: A hot spring is so expensive... and I'd be going without Mom! Shigure: Whoah, Tohru-kun. It's just a hot spring, okay? It's not Paris or anything! Tohru: B-but... Momiji: He's right! And if you're happy, your Mutti will be happy for you! Or... do you not want to...? Tohru: I do. I'm happy. Momiji: Yuki and Kyo will come, too! Kyo: Where do you get off just deciding that, you brat? Momiji: Aw, don't say that! Let's go! What about you, Yuki? Are you against it, too? Yuki: I'll go. Why not? Momiji: Yuki says he's coming! Kyo: That makes me want to go even less!

Here, Momiji is manipulating Tohru into going with him. When Momiji asks her, "Or... do you not want to...?" we fill in the end of the sentence for him, assuming he's saying, "Do you not want to go?"

But what Tohru hears is "Do you not want to make your mom happy?"

We know not to trust Tohru when she tells us she's happy; we know she's hiding so much pain behind her constant smile. She's even crying when she tells Momiji she's happy. (And I'm sure Kyo feels horribly guilty here when she mentions her mother.)

Momiji may be manipulative, but he's still kind. Wanting to see Tohru smile, he announces that Yuki and Kyo will come, too, to try and make her happy, but Kyo pushes back.

There is so much richness in this single conversation, but what I love most is how it encapsulates the differences between what Kyo and Momiji value most, both for themselves and in their relationship to Tohru.

Momiji uses pleasure to distract from his own pain. In his view, having as much fun as possible is the secret to life, and pain is to be avoided at all costs. When it comes to Tohru, Momiji wants to spend as much time with her as possible and make as many happy memories together as they can. He wants her to smile, even if he has to manipulate people (including Tohru) for it to happen.

Kyo, on the other hand, cherishes agency. He knows he faces a future behind bars, so of course he bristles when other people try to make decisions for him (including relatively innocuous ones, like Momiji saying he'll come to the hot spring). Kyo still believes Tohru needs to be protected (especially from him), so his approach is generally to give her space and scold her when he thinks she's not being cautious enough. He's also extremely aware of the pain Tohru feels over the death of her mother, even if he's suppressing that. Anything that could bring that pain into sharper relief is a huge red flag for him. He wants her to be safe, even if that means he can't enjoy her company.

It's at this point that Shigure mentions Tohru is a month behind on her payments toward her school trip. (Also, look how Momiji is still hugging Kyo! So cute!)

When everyone (except Momiji) figures out it was because of the Valentine's Day chocolates, Kyo barely stops himself from flying into a rage, telling Tohru to go take a bath, now.

She leaves, and when Yuki asks why they didn't catch on, Kyo snaps that it's because she hides her feelings with a smile.

This shows us how well Kyo already understands Tohru. I also suspect his anger is not really at Tohru, but at himself for failing to protect her.

Next, Kyo starts venting about how stupid she is, how she'll end up deep in the hole one day, etc... which is when Momiji calmly speaks up and tells them about a book one of his classmates brought in to school, and we're treated to one of the most memorable sequences in the whole series: The Foolish Traveler.

Momiji's choice to tell that particular story in response to Kyo's complaints shows just how well he understands both Tohru and Kyo, and that his own cheerfulness is a conscious choice. We see that he's someone who believes looking past loss and seeing the good in a situation is a virtue, and he admires the foolish traveler (and Tohru) for it.

I really love the way this sequence was drawn. As Momiji is telling the story, Kyo and Yuki are shown with their eyes obscured, so Momiji's are the only eyes we see, except when he's taking time to reflect on how he interprets the story.

Everyone in class laughed. They called it a dumb story. But I closed my eyes and thought about it. I thought about the traveler who was swindled out of everything but her head, and still cried and said, "Thank you." And what I decided was... what a lovely person. It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff. Even if other people think that makes her an idiot, I just don't. That's all. Even if other people think it's worth tricking her, I just won't. I'll just want to make her happy for real. Yuki, Kyo, what about you? Do you think she was an idiot after all? What do you think when you close your eyes?

It's telling that the very next scene is Kyo agreeing to go to the onsen with Tohru after all. (This is honestly one of my favorite Kyoru moments and I think of it as the first sheet scene.)

Kyo tries to give himself an out, ("Though maybe you're fine with me not going...") but Tohru is ecstatic. Look how happy she is! And when she smiles and tears up, it's genuine this time.

Kyo naturally melts into a puddle of goo at Tohru's reaction (is this the first time we get the shojo bubbles with them?), and Momiji's the one to call him out on it, loudly pointing out Kyo's "heart eyes" to everyone. This is now the second time Momiji has verbalized Kyo's feelings for Tohru- and I believe he's the only character to have done so at all by this point. (Also, peep Momiji still hugging Kyo after Yuki wakes up! Cuuuuute!)

They arrive at the onsen, and Okami (Ritsu's mother, the proprietress) shows them their rooms.

Kyo: So this means I've gotta share a room with damn Yuki? Okami: I see you two still don't get along. I'll put up screens to partition the room. Please rest easy. Kyo: That's not the issue! Why do I even have to be here with him at- Momiji: I bet you're just saying that 'cause you wanna sleep in Tohru's room! Kyo: Huh!?

Momiji knows exactly how to press Kyo's buttons. But, more importantly, he's stopping Kyo from saying something he'd regret, something that might hurt Tohru's feelings.

After Okami loses her shit at Kyo, Momiji asks to bathe with Tohru, and Kyo immediately tells him off. After Yuki successfully scolds Momiji, he asks to share a room with Tohru, thereby doing exactly the thing he was teasing Kyo about just moments earlier.

I think, to Momiji, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Tohru is just the most obvious thing in the world, so naturally, it must be what Kyo wants, too!

After the baths, when Kyo is about to destroy the ping pong table after failing to score against Yuki, Tohru asks him to battle (probably to defuse the tension between them). Momiji encourages Kyo to play, and right after he does, we cut to Kyo playing with Tohru.

I think this is a small example of how Momiji gets Kyo to spend more time with Tohru. The onsen trip itself is a bigger example, of course, but even little things like encouraging Kyo to play ping pong with her help push them together.

Kyo and Momiji start playing each other while Tohru leaves to check on Yuki, and just look how happy they are! Cuuute!

I also love the chaos of this ending. Okami is using Kyo as a crutch. He complains, but doesn't stop her from doing so. Tohru asks Momiji if he'll be starting middle school and is shocked to learn he's only a year younger than them. Kyo is grouchy when Momiji reveals he and Haru will both be coming to Kaibara, but Kyo softens pretty much immediately, merely expressing surprise that Haru was allowed in with his unique hair.

Kyo almost seems to express affection - to both Momiji AND Tohru - by acting irritated on the surface. (What's extra cute is that Hajime kind of does this, too, always seeming somewhat exasperated at Mutsuki despite the fact that they're obviously in love.)

Anyway, this is among my very favorite episodes of Fruits Basket, and I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

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