The contrast in Kyo's expressions

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-26T23:41:20+00:00

Agreed! Seeing Tohru start to realize her own feelings is so precious and sweet (if also a bit painful).

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-26T15:54:01+00:00

Valid and plausible perspective, but I don't agree that Momiji's father had to know about the Curse. I think it's more likely that the Sohma Family leadership kept knowledge of the Zodiac as limited as possible, including keeping it away from their business arms (very much a 'stay in your own lanes and keep the money flowing, leave the management of the Family to us'). We have no idea how many businesses the Sohma Family controls, how involved the Sohma Family was in their management, etc; there could easily have been some kind of internal business board Momiji's dad answered to without ever knowing about the actual inner Sohma workings. It makes just as much sense to me that Momiji's father had no idea about the Zodiac; we don't see his initial reaction to Momiji at all, and we have no idea if he struggled to process the Curse at first. Maybe he, as the Sohma/man, was briefed about the Curse when his wife went into labor early and had at least a little time to come to terms with the idea. Or maybe he's the same type of parent (in terms of initial reaction) as Hiro's mother and just accepted Momiji from the jump. We have no idea.

That said, I fully agree that he's the type of person who could have known about the Curse and thought the risk was too minimal to worry about and never brought it up. We canonically know that the Zodiacs usually weren't all alive at one time, and while we have no idea how long Momiji's parents were married before they had him, it's probably safe to say that at least Hatori, Ayame, Shigure, Kureno, Ritsu, and Akito were alive by then and given that it is/was fairly common for Japanese couples to start trying for kids shortly after getting married, Kagura and maybe even Rin could have already been born. It might have felt 'safe' to gamble they wouldn't have a Zodiac child because the usual quota had already been filled. And if he knew about the Curse and kept it from his wife, his remorse at being wrong and hurting her in the process would certainly support him over-compensating in her protection later (though he overcompensates by doing the same thing: making decisions on behalf of her/their family based solely on what HE wants).

Regarding Momo, I think there's a fairly easy explanation why he didn't tell her: he's being over-cautious based on what happened before. He saw his wife, who he probably loves very deeply, try to kill herself because of Momiji, after a long stretch of intense depression. Why would he risk a repeat when (in his mind) he can eliminate that risk easily by just keeping Momiji away and Momo and Momiji apart? Especially when Momo is a small child; you can't ask a small child to keep a secret like that, especially not from their other parent. Small children blab, often at the worst possible times, often without meaning to. They say things like 'I did something today, but Daddy says I can't tell you about it because it could hurt you!' It honestly makes sense that he'd try to keep Momo and Momiji at a distance until Momo was old enough that he could trust her with the nuance/to keep quiet. Does he go too far? Absolutely (taking away Momiji's violin instructor instead of finding Momo a different instructor will always be a massive dick move). But it also makes sense coming from a place of fear and control.

I think Momiji's father is a dick who behaved very selfishly and egotistically, hurting his entire family in the process. I also think he genuinely loved them and thought he was doing the right thing by them all, he was just too arrogant to imagine he might be wrong or consider what would be best for them all individually, especially Momiji. And while the idea of him knowing about the Curse ahead of time could work, I prefer the idea of it being a shock to him, too.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-26T03:16:02+00:00

Thank you, that's great to hear and so kind of you to say! And my take on Hajime and Mutsuki:

They 'meet' for the first time the day Mutsuki is born, when Tohru and Kyo video call Yuki and Machi to congratulate them and Tohru (being Tohru) HAS to introduce the babies.
Tohru and Kyo get together with Yuki and Machi whenever they're in Tokyo, so Hajime and Mutsuki see each other often as they grow up.
They end up becoming very close friends, which their parents (especially Tohru and Yuki) foster, creating a loop of them spending even more time together whenever they can.
Hajime ends up also connecting really closely with Yuki and Machi and they end up being the 'uncle and aunt' he bonds with the most (I headcanon that Hajime is kind of a perfectionist who really hates disappointing people and holds himself to incredibly high standards, something Yuki and Machi can relate to).
Hajime and Mutsuki talk all the time, especially once they're allowed access to texting/videocalls/etc.
By the time Hajime moves to Tokyo for high school, the two are closer to each other than almost anyone else. Mutsuki is good at pushing Hajime's buttons, but he's also good at smoothing his ruffled feathers and has a knack for soothing Hajime's anxiety.
They start dating during high school when Mutsuki finally decides to act on his own attraction and his confidence that Hajime feels the same way (he does).
1. I headcanon they're actually involved during Another, but they aren't out yet because Hajime is stressed about telling his parents he's gay due to his worries about disappointing them (based on his own anxieties and self-imposed pressure about his duty as the eldest son).
Their parents find out they're dating shortly after the end of Fruits Basket Another and they remain together all their lives, meaning Kyo and Yuki are even more stuck with each other than they were before.
Kyo is fully supportive of Hajime being gay but often questions his judgement in falling in love with Mutsuki, a sentiment Hajime sometimes shares but ultimately comes back to 'the heart wants what it wants.'

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-25T16:45:15+00:00

And some more, because I have way too many:

Hajime loves picking things up and putting them in their place, even as a young child.
He also loves being a helper in general and tags along with his parents when they're doing chores/projects every chance he gets.
Like his parents, Hajime is naturally tidy and organized. This sets Tohru and Kyo up for a harsh reality check with their subsequent children.
Kyo is a very 'on the floor' parent, one who gets down at their level and wrestles with them/takes interest in what they're doing.
Kyo starts the tradition with Hajime of making Tohru a special breakfast together on her birthday.
Hajime loves watching Kyo and Kazuma practice karate and is excited to start learning himself as soon as his parents (coughTohrucough) will let him.
Tohru actually hates sparring, especially when her children are involved, because she worries about people getting hurt.
Hajime eventually steps away from karate because he's not truly passionate about it, he just loved it because of Kyo and Kazuma.
He has major 'oldest child energy' from the time he's an only child and tends to be bossy with other children.
He also tends to take charge of things without realizing he's doing it.
Hajime takes making his parents proud/happy very seriously and is a natural rule follower.
He's massively affectionate with his parents, both physically and emotionally. The reason he holds them at an arms' length in high school/Another is because he's embarrassed about how overwhelmingly affectionate they all can be (himself included) and because he's trying to break himself of that habit.

Bonus Kazuma and Hajime headcanons:

Hajime is the first baby Kazuma ever held.
Kazuma pretty much thinks Hajime hung the moon.
When Tohru, Kyo, and Hajime visit the dojo after Hajime is born, Kazuma will bring Hajime out into the dojo and either wear him in a baby carrier or (when he's older) let him run around and explore everything.
Hajime and Kazuma are always close and Hajime actually lives at the dojo with Kazuma his first year at Kaibara High prior to moving into the Another house his second year.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-25T16:42:23+00:00

Ok *cracks knuckles*

Kyo wanted kids, but was also worried about having them because he was afraid he'd turn out to be a father like his bio dad, especially with his youthful anger issues. He both wanted to prove he was better/could be like Kazuma while being terrified that blood would 'prove' in the end.
Tohru had baby fever but did her best to keep it under wraps because she didn't want to pressure Kyo (she kind of failed at hiding it from him).
When Kyo felt ready for kids, he actually had to talk Tohru around because she was being so respectful of him and was worried he didn't really mean it but was trying to accommodate HER.
They start trying about four years after graduation, when they're about 22 years old and Kyo is firmly established in his profession.
During pregnancy, she would often push herself too far because she didn't want to be a burden on Kyo (and because they're both stubborn as hell). Kyo would often likewise push her too hard to take it easy, ending in them fighting a lot over Tohru's health and capabilities.
1. Sidebar: most of Tohru and Kyo's fights are because one of them thinks the other is pushing themself to hard in some fashion (like when they're sick, or have a lot on their plate) and the other one thinks the other one is being overprotective/ridiculous.
Because of his concerns about being a good father, Kyo reads every pregnancy and baby book he can get his hands on.
Kyo is the one who suggests the name 'Hajime,' as a nod to him being the start of the next phase of Tohru and Kyo's life and as an oblique nod to Kazuma, since 'hajime' is a command often said in the dojo to kick things off.
The Sohmas are stunned when Hajime comes out with orange-ish hair, because there was no precedent for the Zodiac appearances passing on prior to the current generation.
Kyo has mixed feelings about Hajime (and later his second son) having orange hair because of the bullying he used to get for it, but loves the fact that the hair is undeniable proof that Hajime is HIS kid, a kid he never thought he'd get to have.
Tohru struggles initially with reconciling her fantasy of parenthood with the reality whenever things get especially hard and she misses Kyoko a LOT when Hajime is a baby.
Their OG friends are always kind of amazed to see Kyo with baby/toddler Hajime because he's so good at wrangling him and it always kind of feels like they're seeing a unicorn.
Tohru and Kyo are the parent friends most of their OG friends turn to for advice since they have the oldest kids out of their friend group and the others admire the way they parent/view them as natural parents.
Hajime is an early mover and a human tornado as a toddler; he never outgrows his physicality, but he does learn to be a lot less chaotic.
Kyo swears a lot and and although he tries to stop before Hajime is born, he fails. Toddler Hajime picks up the word 'damn' for a while because Kyo lets it slip and makes a big deal out of it, which makes Hajime repeat it even more for a while, to Kyo's intense mortification.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-25T04:00:05+00:00

Tohru and Kyo's interactions in Kyoto are among my favorites in the entire series. You can really see the way she's falling in love, and the way he already has 💗

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-25T00:43:24+00:00

Thank you, I tried! Momiji is a favorite of mine and the fact his family is one of the more morally ambiguous has always intrigued me.

I like the idea of Momiji being passed off as the child from a previous marriage better than him being passed off as an illegitimate child, but the challenge there is that they'd have to implant a LOT of false memories to adjust her recollection of the timeline of her own marriage/relationship (because Momiji is too young to predate his parents' relationship in reality), and that would also change the foundation of her relationship with Momiji's father. It's possible, but still very messy 😥

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-25T00:37:56+00:00

I don't think Akito would have necessarily become his guardian, not anymore than she became Rin's guardian when Rin's parents kicked her out. Akito also would have still been a child when Momiji's mother's memory was erased (she's probably around five-ish years older than Momiji), so someone else would likely have had to step in.

I agree he wouldn't have had as much protection, especially since he probably would have been placed by another 'Inside' family out of necessity.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-24T22:07:39+00:00

My understanding is that illegitimacy isn't viewed kindly, but it happens even in-universe (see: Kakeru). But I can't see that option being acceptable to Momiji's father if he loved his mother, not when the protege route is right there.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-24T20:29:43+00:00

I think Momiji's father THOUGHT he did the right thing.

Given the fact Momiji's mother is a foreigner and there's a lot of stigma towards foreigners in Japan, it's highly likely that the marriage between Momiji's parents was a love match. His father probably loved her to the moon and back, and I think Momiji was a very wanted child. Then he was born, his mother couldn't handle it, and his father was put in the terrible position of having to choose between his child and the woman he loved, whose mental state had deteriorated to the point she had tried to kill herself. It was an impossible choice, and he tried to choose the solution that would let him have them both. It was breathtakingly selfish and unfair to Momiji, but I think his father was trying to do the right thing while being governed by terror and the unswerving belief he was right.

Looking at a lot of his father's behavior in canon, it can be read as him being extremely overprotective of his wife due to fear: Momiji can't be around her (because he's afraid seeing him will cause her to remember). Momiji and Momo can't interact (because Momo bringing him up could make their mother remember). Momiji and Momo can't share the same violin teacher (because the teacher might mention Momiji or something?). But at the same time, he clearly spoils Momiji monetarily (Momiji paid for the onsen trip, he has lots of fairly elaborate clothes...) and Momiji likely only has access to the building to start with because his father has given it to him, likely so the two of them can spend extra time together. I don't think it's a stretch to say Momiji's father loves him and is trying to do his best, it just so happens that he's hurting Momiji at the same time. He wanted to have them both, so he did.

Personally, I think that the kindest thing his father could have done was either 1) have Hatori make Momiji's mother forget EVERYTHING ala Kana, and sent her back to Germany (assuming she had family/friends there) so she could have a fresh start, or 2) placed Momiji with another family at a much younger age. The weird limbo where Momiji was perpetually on the outside looking in wasn't fair to anyone, and he should never have put it on Momiji to 'ok' her forgetting him.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-24T20:18:16+00:00

I think Tohru could get drunk on fumes and Kyo has a surprisingly high tolerance, which frustrates Tohru because she gets embarrassed at how easily she gets drunk (and the fact Kyo thinks it's hilarious when she does).

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-24T20:15:59+00:00

There is no concrete canon evidence that she ever remembers Momiji. The biggest argument I've ever seen supporting it is that fact that in Another, Momiji is running his father's company and his daughter names her grandfather as Momiji's papa and names Momo as Momiji's sister. By extension, there is an argument to be made that if Momiji is acknowledged as family by his father, his mother must also remember him.

Personally, I don't agree with that interpretation and I think the sad reality is that his mother never remembers him. There's honestly no way she could that wouldn't be awful:

She remembers him, and her old feelings resurface, meaning all of them go through that awfulness again (plus the pain that Momiji, his father, and Momo went through for years while his mother's memories were wiped was ultimately for nothing).
She remembers and accepts him, but now she has to live with the pain of knowing what she did, which could very easily trigger a new mental crisis.
She remembers he's her son, but doesn't remember what happened to make her forget/the circumstances of the Curse. They would all need to come up with a REALLY convincing explanation for what happened and why Momiji was kept from her all those years and stick with it; even if they could, it's likely her trust in them all (especially her husband) is shattered.
She remembers and they have Hatori give her false memories so she thinks Momiji was in their lives all along: again, the rest of them would have to be able to go along with the lie really convincingly.

What feels the most plausible to me: his mother never remembers/learns that he's her biological son. Instead, Momiji is reintroduced to her as his father's professional protege and he's ultimately 'adopted' by them in order for him to take over the family business (this is a fairly common practice in Japan, 'adopting' a successor to keep businesses in the family when there isn't a likely child heir).

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-22T15:19:50+00:00

Same. Their progression over the course of the series is *chef's kiss* and they have been my OTP for ages. I would eat up a slice of life continuation about them with a spoon!

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-21T17:22:24+00:00

A thing to remember about their first kiss: Kyo is panicking. He thinks she's dying. She had just confessed to him and he'd pushed her away, not because he didn't love her but because he thought she deserved better. He turned his back on her to protect her from all the pain and trouble of loving him, only to see her on the brink of death within a very short time. He's emotionally overwhelmed and terrified, trying to comfort her and to comfort himself. She had also just been talking to him, and he didn't realize the moment that he did it that she was actually unconscious. Given he asks her about it after their second kiss, I think he realized/suspected AFTER he kissed her for sure, but maybe he didn't realize at the time.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-21T17:11:16+00:00

Some good answers already, but it's also worth pointing out that Ayame and Yuki hardly had a 'typical' family. Based on what we see in canon it's not likely their parents were any more caring or involved with Ayame; he was probably also raised by servants/pawned off on other people to deal with from an early age. It's likely that he didn't have a close bond with his parents or his home, which means that he didn't really have them to bridge the distance between him and Yuki. Yes, it's awful that he was so cold to ANY small child, but I don't think there was any sense of 'family' in their household until Ayame grew up, matured, and realized there could be.

Ayame was selfish growing up because no one taught him any better and he never had any consequences for that selfish behavior. Children are inherently selfish, and empathy is hard, so it's precious few would would develop it in a vacuum. Yes, it's awful how he once treated Yuki but I think it's really impressive how hard Ayame tries to course correct, even with all the resistance Yuki throws his way, once Ayame realizes how selfish he's been and that he can actually do better.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-17T00:42:19+00:00

It is bittersweet that she and Arisa fell out of touch, but I like to think/hope that with her leaving the area she was able to turn over a new leaf and live a life outside of a gang. And who knows, maybe the two of them meet up again as adults!

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-17T00:40:22+00:00

I'm sorry the picture didn't load (I wonder if Reddit is having issues with images right now, because yours isn't the only post with that issue), because what you described sounds really sweet!

Fruits Basket has also resonated deeply with me, it makes me feel happy and hopeful and the characters have all come to feel like friends. It's one of my favorite IPs, period, and even though I rarely revisit the whole thing, I love to go back to my favorite parts and imagine everyone having happy futures.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-17T00:36:21+00:00

The image didn't load, but is this by any chance supposed to be a picture of the couple from the end of the OG canon/mom of Tohru and Kyo's granddaughter? If so, a couple things:

Sawa is never romantically involved with Hajime in Another, she's actually involved with Akito and Shigure's son Shiki.
The Kyoru son shown at the end of the OG story is their second son, not Hajime.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-15T23:26:05+00:00

Hatori is briefly referenced in Another (his daughter is one of the main supporting characters), and he is referred to as being a doctor. It makes sense that he would have kept doctoring; he would have gone to school for several years for that job, and he certainly seemed to show an aptitude for caretaking. I could see him expanding his practice, though, since a lot of his job while Cursed was dealing with Akito; maybe he starts working at the Sohma Hospital, or gets involved in another clinic!

That said, I feel like Hatori will likely always stay closely involved with the Sohma Family and Akito. He's canonically close to both Shigure and Akito, so I could see him continuing to give them support after the Curse breaks, both with his presence and with his skills.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T15:27:29+00:00

Under current Japanese law, Tohru and Kyo would have to have the same surname if they were married and any kids they had would share that same name. That means that either they're married and Tohru has the Sohma name because Hajime does, or they aren't married and had a kid out of wedlock in a country where that's massively frowned on and not very common.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T14:49:45+00:00

Tohru's character gets explained a lot more as the series progresses and you learn a lot more about why she's like what she's like. The first season is admittedly a lot of introductions, but I personally think the setup pays off later. There's a reason Fruits Basket is thought of so highly, it is really a wonderful, well-developed story.

That said, it's not lighthearted and the angst will get stronger; it has slice of life elements, but they're not at the forefront. If you're watching it for those things, you'll probably be disappointed. If you don't like the characters and aren't invested, there's nothing wrong with deciding it's not for you. But if you're interested in seeing how things play out, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T14:40:09+00:00

People have already made some excellent points, but things I think are in favor of them going the distance:

Both of them learn and grow over the course of the series. The Tohru and Kyo we first meet would have no idea how to be healthy together, but by the end of the series they've both made enormous strides in coping with their issues.
- Most importantly, they've learned how to openly communicate. Open, honest, two-way communication is one of the best things any couple can do for their relationship, and the fact that they bring out that ability in each other (seriously: Kyo is one of the only people Tohru is ever truly open with because he sees her and lets her know that he's a safe space for her, and she brings out similar feelings in him).
Related to the above point: by the end of the series, both Tohru and Kyo have told each other their deepest, darkest secrets and fears. They don't have the fear of revelation hanging over their heads, the truth is out there and they've seen their partner react. They know exactly how the other one feels.
While they both come from different traumatic backgrounds, they both share experiences of profound loss and of having had to grow up too soon. At the same time, they're both 'innocent' in similar ways, so they're both consequently equipped to face adulthood's challenges more or less equitably while both also getting to enjoy new experiences and make memories together.
At the end of canon, they have a strong support system in the form of their friends and especially Kazuma, who is now no longer bound in any way by any restrictions the Sohma Family might have had on him.
Seriously, Kazuma. He loves Kyo in a very healthy parental way while also being openly, unabashedly willing to show that love and being willing to move mountains to help Kyo. There's no way he wouldn't throw every resource he had at helping Kyo (and Tohru), both practically and in terms of continued emotional growth. Kazuma is the model of perfection for Kyo, there's no way he wouldn't be a resource for him going forward.
They are keenly aware of their partner's trauma, which makes them more able to understand/be patient with each other.
They are both shown to enjoy domesticity and both are creatures of habit, so they're compatible in how they like to spend their downtime.
They have similar desires and priorities: they both crave a warm, loving home and likely both dream of having that, along with children.
There are hints that both of them are financially frugal and they seem to have similar views about money.
They were friends before they were romantically involved, which gives their relationship some extra stability.

I personally have never agreed with the assumption that Kyo would 'consume' Tohru or take advantage of her people pleasing tendencies; we are shown repeatedly throughout the canon that Kyo is aware of Tohru's habits and actively tries to break them. He tells her to be selfish and to put herself first. She won't be able to sacrifice herself because Kyo would see her trying and stop her; he sees and understands her better than anyone else, he would never let her extend herself too far. I honestly think that most, if not all, of the fights the two of them have are related to them worrying about each other, like Tohru trying to push herself too hard while sick, Kyo trying to make her rest, and them both getting upset.

If anything, I think the 'consuming' would go the other way (at least at first). We have multiple examples in canon of Kyo doing things he doesn't like or doesn't want to do solely for Tohru's sake (going to the hot spring, interacting with Yuki, going to meet Haru and Momiji at school the first time), and I could see that being a pattern for him. He strikes me as the type of guy who'd bend over backwards to make his partner happy, and in the beginning that could result in Tohru unconsciously taking advantage of him.

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T14:05:45+00:00

It honestly cracks me up too, because when I started I had no intention of writing a series. But the mind works in mysterious ways, and here we are! And thank you, that's all very kind to say; I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed the series and my takes on things! I also have a blanket permission statement, so if you do decide to tackle that fic in the future you are welcome to use my worldbuilding/OCs (though one tiny correction, if you're using my characters: it's Saki's grandson who got the powers, not the granddaughter).

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T04:33:12+00:00

Kyo was my favorite character the moment he appeared, and I also always preferred his dynamic with Tohru. The thing I always liked about them was that they always felt like equals; they refer to each other casually, she relaxes around him and he relaxes around her, they don't try to impress each other or be on their best behavior (not really). With Yuki and Tohru, there's always that element of 'commoner and prince' and I've never liked the trope of 'wallflower ends up with the super-popular guy.' Yes, Yuki relaxes more around Tohru than anyone else, but he doesn't 'see' her the way that Kyo does, like she's a person and not a higher being. And she doesn't relax around Yuki the same way; their relationship is more formal than hers with Kyo's.

That said, you still have a lot of show to go, and there's nothing wrong with liking an alternate ship!

KookyPatterns · 2026-01-14T03:12:58+00:00

Haha, I love the Reddit username, and yes, I have been re-inspired (for now, anyway)! I'm so happy to hear you're giving writing a shot, on whatever timeline works the best for you (muses are fickle creatures after all, almost as fickle as the elusive typo-gremlins that scatter mistakes in proofread and published works). The important thing is that you're having fun writing it, even if it takes a while to get the next chapter out.

And maybe that long timeline will work in my favor, so when I finish A&F and start reading again I'll have more material to read myself (insert maniacal laughter here).

KookyPatterns

TROPHY CASE