Kagura Strikes Back // Fruits Basket Ep. 10 Review

It’s Valentine’s, After All: Fruits Basket Episode 10

Otaku Voice Staff

Love is in the air for Fruits Basket episode 10. Valentines Day is tomorrow and the halls of high school smell like cheap chocolate. The prince of the school Yuki should be up to his eyeballs in chocolate if the girls of their high school weren’t so petty. Kyo is in rare form in fear of his anti-crush Kagura. Tohru is feeling the vibe and doling out the sweets for all the boys she knows.

For all the talk of Valentines Day and a double date between Kyo x Kagura and Tohru x Yuki, this episode is very much about Shigure and his double dealings. Shigure has always been in the background of the show. He comes in to spread some wisdom as the oldest and most mature. Turns out he has been up to something this whole time.

Valentine’s Double Date

Its the return of Kyo’s absolutely favorite person in the world, Kagura. Its nice to see her character more subdued from her last appearance. While still obsessed with Kyo, Kagura isn’t beating us over the head with her future plans. She is focused on the here and now and a Valentines date with Kyo.

I was hoping for more time spent on the contents of the date. Tohru has a brief reaction to the suggestion of a double date with Yuki. The reaction could have easily been drawn out the whole episode. It does make the date feel more like casual fun with friends. I don’t expect too much to come out of this episode from the double date side of the plot.

Shigure’s Secret Plan

Shigure is up to something this episode. He has been incredibily fishy the whole series only admitting to it just now. Its pretty clear that most people surrounding the main three have their own agenda. While Akito’s plan hasn’t been detailed, its known that she is using Tohru for her own needs. This episode reveals that Shigure himself might be working against that plan for something else.

There isn’t a reveal as to his ultimate goal, though. All we know now is that he wants to see his dream come to fruition. It is a dream that at least his friend Hatori is familiar with, but not interested in furthering. Shigure’s dream must be intensely personal that he is convinced that he might come to physical harm at the end. He even says that one of Tohru, Yuki, or Kyo may strike him and Shigure could lose a tooth.

Whatever Shigure is up to must be incredibly sinister. The potential for Yuki or Kyo to strike Shigure at the end of his plan doesn’t sound outlandish. Yuki may not be violent, but he isn’t above defending himself. For Shigure to believe that Tohru would raise a hand against him, the sweetest and kindest of the bunch, must mean he is planning something incredibly cruel.

Final Thoughts

I like seeing how Tohru has brought everyone together this episode. Even though Kyo hates the idea of going out with Kagura, Tohru is able to bring him back from his place of anger. She continues to do an amazing job at calming the beasts inside of the Soma clan. I worry that Shigure specifically outlines that in his plan Tohru will potentially be hurt. It feels so incredibly selfish he is setting all of this up for failure in Fruits Basket episode 10.

[Source and Further Reading]
[Episode 9 Review]
[Image via Crunchyroll]