A Game of Cat and Mouse // Fruits Basket Ep. 3 Review

Let’s Play Rich Man-Poor Man: Episode 3 Review

Otaku Voice Staff

Were gearing up for the cultural festival in Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo’s class. They have decided they want to do a rice ball stand. Everyone has their own idea of what fillings to give out, but we don’t have a final answer to that in Fruits Basket episode 2. Yuki’s comment about selling the occasional dud rice ball is a low-key savage burn on Kyo.

The conversations following the cultural festival decision are a great look into the classroom dynamic. Kyo can’t help but be the center of attention which he brings upon himself twice.

Perfectly Balanced as All Things Should Be

There is a beautiful synergy between Yuki and Kyo that extends beyond their game of cat and mouse. This episode really does a great job of developing their character and setting up the direction we will see them taken in. They are polar opposites in many ways.

Yuki is the more reserved of the pair. He isn’t unfriendly, but he is definitely guarded from years of being told to be. He tells Tohru that he wants to break free of the Soma family. It just happens that his attempts to be free are a failure. Even though he has left home he still lives in a Soma household with Shigure. He will never really be free of his rat spirit and the baggage that comes with it. Yuki wants to be more included and friendly, but he has a hard time coming out of his shell.

Kyo takes the opposite characteristics. He isn’t particularly guarded with his emotions which is attractive to most people. He draws them in without even trying. So much of his identity is wrapped up in not being a member of the Soma clan, that he has focused himself on beating Yuki. He sees Yuki as the barrier between him and acceptance. They have been compared to each other their whole lives and it is now their rivalry is playing out right in front of Tohru. Also, Kyon-Kyon is such a great little nickname for Kyo.

The German Foreigner

Outside of the character moments for Yuki and Kyo, there are some mysterious moments. Tohru meets a weird foreign girl who appears to be speaking German. I am just under the assumption she is a long lost member of the Soma family and we will get the full story in the next episode. If that’s the case it feels like the Soma clan is attracted to Tohru for some magical reason.

At the end of the episode Yuki and Tohru are caught in the rain heading back home. Shigure makes his only appearance of the episode, being noticeably absent for most of the episode. Yuki shows Tohru his little vegetable garden, and he opens up a little. It softens a lot of his guarded edge, moving his development in the right direction.

[Source and Further Reading]
[Images via Crunchyroll]
[Episode 2 Review]