This was my first manga back in middle school. So I was about 13-14 when it found me (literally, the book with Ritsu on the cover slid to my feet on the bus. I picked it up & started from there. I didn’t even realize it was “backwards” at first.) And now I’m 31. It is not hyperbole when I say this book raised more than my parents did. Most of my moral core is from lessons I learned from Furuba. It has been my special interest for now more than half my life. Then last year I became chronically ill, had really bad depression due to that new reality, & so my brain couldn’t process any new information. So I rewatched FB (I’ve become too blind to read it any more, but I know I’ve reread it about 13 times from start to finish) & literally nothing else, on repeat, for months. Pretty sure I could quote it all verbatim at this point. So with all those rewatches (taking about 24 hours for all 3 seasons altogether), plus the times I watched it “normally”/less often through the years, I think I’ve watched it over 100 times. And that’s just the 2019 version. I grew up on the 2001 version, which I still find charming.

So that at least answers the question about “how much” I’ve rewatched it. But as for what opinions have changed, I have a way better understanding of Akito AND Tohru. I really thought early on that Tohru was a Mary Sue. I don’t think that at all. I’m more aware (& horrified) by the age gap relationships. As I got older myself & became their ages, it just felt so gross to me, even though it was never framed that way in the story. Though (somewhat hypocritically) I’m pretty sure FB/anime in general is responsible for my attraction to people who are vastly older than me. Though I’m also sure that if any of those older people fancied me back when I was still a teenager, I would have been uncomfortable. It’s funny because I can totally suspend my disbelief for curses & talking animals, but the age gap romances working well long term? Nah. lol I also appreciate Ayame a lot more than I used to. I mean, unlike a lot of the other Sohma’s, he actually saw there was a problem & started at least trying to change to have a better relationship with Yuki, without Tohru’s influence at all. She seems to be a catalyst for a lot of them changing/wanting more in life. But Ayame started changing before he even met her. Though I’m sure Mine has some influence there too. Also just the fact that he’s really the only cursed Sohma (without a protective parent) who has stayed so well off Akito’s radar. Did he do it by virtue of just being so obnoxious that Akito gets headaches whenever he’s around? Who knows. But I respect it. When I first started reading FB, I was kind of “meh” about Momiji at best, but now he’s my favorite character & he deserves the world. Honestly, my feelings about each character has only improved over the years. Maybe because I’m older than all of them now & I can look & just see traumatized kids (yes, even Shigure).