Manga Mondays (10) - Fruits Basket vol. 7 by Natsuki Takaya

Fruits Basket vol. 7 by Natsuki Takaya

This is going to be a really short Manga Mondays post. I'd planned on doing something more extensive - a detailed discussion of Tohru Honda, the protagonist of Fruits Basket. But alas, I had an awful day at work and all I really want to do is stick my head in the sand for the evening. I may come back in a day or two and edit the post to add in a few more details to the summary of Volume 7.

Summary/Review

I love how each volume lately has been an in depth character study. We really get to know Uo-chan, Tohru's "Yankee" friend and through her, Tohru's mother. The volume begins with an introduction to Hiro, the sheep. Hiro comes off as a thoroughly unpleasant boy. He's in love with Kisa and fiercely resents Tohru for her closeness to Kisa. Most of the story, though, is about Uo-chan. She spent much of her youth as a "Yankee," a slang term for a juvenile delinquent. She was active in a gang and fond of petty crimes. She idolized Kyoko-san, a legendary gang member. We see Uo-chan transform into transform from bitter Yankee to loyal friend as she meets Kyoko-san and discovers her secret.

Uo-Chan