Quite frankly, this is the biggest plot in Fruits Basket; this plot twist shifted my thinking about FruBa’s genre in anime, and I began questioning who the hero/villain truly are. The beauty of this plot is that it is so human and relatable for an anime hinged on the Sohma curse (fantasy): here are two lovers and their messy adult relationship and mutual cheating. And this was so subtle and foreshadowed from the beginning.

• Two moments of Shigure to define him: 1) the dream of the zodiac god and how he took it, 2) being cheated on by Akito with Kureno—a revelation to himself how strong his selfish & possessive love is for Akito, greater than the zodiac love for the god
• Shigure’s take on the dream as more of an attachment to the zodiac god rather than a romantic one with Akito; chasing a “...

• I Will Protect You

• She doesn’t move, fully at his mercy, a fragile sort of trust having bloomed in her bones long ago. He’ll crush it one day, she knows, but he doesn’t now.
• They weren’t going out, per se. How could they be in any new relationship when all their lives they were already bound in a God–Zodiac relationship? They didn’t talk about it and perhaps that was Shigure’s first carelessness.
• Most of all he was angry at how his feeling for her didn’t recede in the slightest despite this new hurt and bitterness. How Shigure was pretty much still in the game, like a stupid boomerang who came back after being thrown away. Like a loyal dog he was cursed with despite the Spirit having nothing to do with it. Always thinking of her, always wanting her, always waiting. Unwaveringly. Foolishly, hopelessly in love. ... It was the worst kind of...

SPOILER WARNING

• Being born cursed and seeing the god born bringing gravitas to his curse
• Did not have prior issues with abuse and negligence and confinement as the younger zodiacs
• He is probably very close to Akito as a child; as he is younger than Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame, closer in age to Akito, they must have spent a lot of time together, with Kureno's pleasant personality; his curse breaking thus must have been particularly traumatising to Akito
• The tragedy that he can no longer fly
• “The life he’s learned to live in and make sense for 15-16 years suddenly doesn’t make sense anymore, and he’s free to live independently, and he’s still just a kid”
• Formative years staying with Akito and not interacting with others

• Chainsaw Man
• "I'm counting on you. I'll ask lots of questions." "Seriously? Now I'm nervous."
• "Sora saying they want to get their manga on Jump!
• Hikaru being made drunk on sake at the yakisoba place lol
• Being lured to the blood drive for milk coffee
• Hikaru and Sora sitting on the grass and killing time
• Checking if Sora wanted to be alone, and checking if Hikaru was busy
• Peeling banana in one go lol
• First time being hugged by a boy, like a weak grandma leaning on a utility pole
• "I'll answer in 3 rings." "I'll work hard to answer in half a ring!"
• Hikaru telling Sora not to ask to come over to random men's houses lol
• The manga cafe scene!!

• Working on a budget
• Tardiness
• Focus
• Discipline
• Procrastination
• Laziness
• Lying
• Articulation/expression
• Asserting myself
• Getting all the work
• Social skills
• Trust
• Too much drama
• Understand impulse and peer pressure
• Understand a product's return policy
• Impatience
• Thinking/rationalizing too much to the point of paranoia
• Self-assured
• Spontaneously laughing (for no reason & always during awkward moments)