Product Description

Kyo finally makes the decision to stop running from his fears and confront his birth father. But how will he react to his father's pressure to accept an unwanted truth? Meanwhile, the curse continues to loosen its hold on the members of the Zodiac, but as Akito's control over the Sohma family slips away, will the last vestiges of her sanity and reason slip away, too? With Kureno injured and Tohru in peril, Akito has come to a crossroads...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3797 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 210 pages

Customer Reviews

The final farewell
The curse is broken, Kyo and Tohru have confessed their feelings at long last, and now it's time to say goodbye to them all.

"Fruits Basket Volume 23" is a deeply bittersweet end to a stunning fantasy/comedy/romance manga series, and Natsuki Takaya avoids the obvious maudlin overtones that the ending could have had. Instead she carefully wraps up the various plot threads as each character prepares to go their own way, pairs off most of the cast, and caps it off with a gorgeous ending that leaves some of the story up to the imagination.

The formerly cursed Sohmas are called to a meeting with a newly feminized Akito, who is painfully changing into a new person as she finally accepts her love for Shigure. In the meantime, the loss of the curse has had some other effects on people's lives -- some of the former cursed Sohmas are suddenly more relaxed in their freedom, while others are unable to let go of their olds wounds and grudges.

Meanwhile, the high school is abuzz with Tohru and Kyo's new relationship, and Yuki and Kyo have stopped fighting altogether -- and Kyo reveals that he wants Tohru to come with him on a long trip. Yuki and Shigure's paths diverge from that of their friends as they start new lives with their new loves, and the other Sohmas begin to learn what life is like without the curse. It's not so much an end as it is the end of the curse, and the beginning of their real lives.

"Fruits Basket Volume 23" is basically all about the united path of the cursed Sohmas splitting off into many different paths -- some are going to college, some are getting married, some are departing on journeys, and others are just continuing as-is but with greater freedom and happiness. The main message seems to be that people must go their own way and make their own path in life, but that they will never truly be apart from the people they love.

The first chapter is a bittersweet experience as a tortured Akito finally deals with the last of her issues, but the stories that follow are just to tie up the emotional loose ends. Loads of humor (just about any scene with Kyo, Saki and/or Uo is crammed with hilarity), a bit of sadness, and plenty of romance (including one for Saki that comes as a shock). It's also much lighter and more humorous than the last few volumes of "Fruits Basket," but there's still a bittersweet pang as you realize that the story of the Sohmas is about to finally end.

And the Sohmas have changed (Momiji's pranks), but in many ways are still the same (Ayame's over-the-top real estate plans), and some of them haven't forgiven Akito for what she's done. But it's also obvious that the main characters have grown up immensely -- Kyo has become a strong young man who wants to forge a new life with the girl he loves, and Tohru has grown past her ditzy anxiety. And a hauntingly lovely flashback to the day Kyoko died reveals what she meant to say to Kyo, and what happened after she died.

And just in case anyone wasn't totally satisfied, an epilogue shows what life is like for a few of the characters, about thirty years in the future. Takaya leaves most of their futures up to the imagination, but the continuing presence of the zodiac figures shows that they are never far from Tohru and Kyo.

The final volume of "Fruits Basket" is everything that made the series great -- overcoming the bitter past and seeking a brighter, happier future, with plenty of laughter and romance. A gorgeous must-read... then go back and read the series again.

And they all lived...
I can't believe it's over, I don't want it to be over, but this is the FINAL volume of Fruits Basket. The gang are graduating from high school, the curse has been lifted, and the future awaits. It's particularly gratifying to see how Yuki and Kyo blossom now the curse has been lifted (Kyo's statement about his and Tohru's relationship is hilarious), although some members of the Sohma family find it more difficult to adapt. Your heart might even melt for Akito! But what I loved most of all was the flashback to Kyoko's death, which was the catalyst for all of these events, and what she really meant when she spoke those words to Kyo. And you even get a little epilogue about the future.

Don't know how I'll manage without the knowledge that a new volume is coming out soon, but I'm so happy with the ending that I can't be sad.

Fruits Basket- the Final Volume!
The final Fruits Basket book had a lovely ending to the story. Akito dresses up in women's clothing, revealing her true gender to the other members of the zodiac, and says that she wants to perserve their happiness, so they are now all free. Almost all of the characters we've come to know and love are happily paired off, Ayame with Mine, Shigure with Akito, Kureno with Arisa, Ritsu with Mitsuru, Kisa with Hiro, Haru with Rin, Hatori with Mayuko, and, of course, Yuki with Machi and Tohru with Kyo. Sadly, it's not happily ever after for everyone as Kagura and Momiji don't get to be with the ones they love, and Ren is reportedly still unable to have a decent conversation with Akito. However, Momiji is determined to 'find the best girlfriend in the whole world' soon, and Kagura insists that her job is more interesting right now, anyway.

There were a few surprises in this volume, as it seems that even the bitchy servant lady of Akito's wants to change, but she simply walks away when Akito reaches out a hand to her. There's a few laughs,too, mostly coming from Kakeru and when Ritsu thinks Akito shares his hobby! The ending is very happy and sweet. I'm sure all Furuba fans will enjoy this last installment in the amazing series.