So I decided to do something different this time. I read a manga, which is a Japanese graphic novel, and it was called Fruits Basket.
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She remembers a time when her mother used to read that same story for her before she went to sleep. It was about the Chinese Zodiac, feturing the twelve animals. Her mother held her hand as she told her that this year, the cat was to be in the Zodiac instead of the rat, for the gods wanted to give the cat a chance, and the gods told the rat to tell the cat. Now the rat wasn't happy with its place being taken, especially by the cat he hated the most. So one day, the rat told the cat about the happy news of him being apointed as the part of the Zodiac. The cat was ecstatic and believed every word the rat said, including the oart when he said that the ceremony was tomorrow, when in fact it was that same day at night. The next day, the cat realized that the rat had tricked him and they had become enemies ever since.
Fruits Basket is about a girl named Tohru Honda. She is a sweet, innocent girl who thinks of this twisted wordl as a pure world, even though it took away her mother and father and left her an orphan. She smiles at everything and stands for the truth and what is right. So what does she do when she meets 12 people that turn into Zodiac animals? Each person holds within them their own miserable past. Especially the cat, who Tohru falls for, yet Kyo, the cat, doesn't want to hurt her because unbeknownst to Tohru, Kyo has a nasty monster inside of him, which keeps him from living his life. And the only one that can change him back is someone who won't be scared to look at him, someone who loves him for who he really is.
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Personal Reaction:
I love reading manga, especially Fruits Basket. Tohru Honda, though it sounds stupid, is my role model. She is kind to anyone and everyone, even people that ignored her in the past to the people who hate her inb the future. She works hard to make the people in her life smile, even if she has to sacrifice. She will do anything for the people she loves, she will take a bullet for those close to her. Without a doubt, she's a hero, even though she's a catoon character, I always think about her whenever situations come up. She's like the definition of peace, of a smile, of happiness, and I love that.
Author's Intent:
I believe the authors intent was to entertain us with a beautiful and tragic story of happiness and teach us profound lessons of life. The author, using Tohru, slips in what she thinks life is and how we should live life, happily, peacefully, without hate, and by loving everyone around us.
