Tohru finally breaks through to Akito, but falls off a cliff in the process; it's revealed that Kureno survived Akito's attack; Kyo's able to more fully accept that Tohru loves him after her accident; Yuki and Machi finally get together. I really like that pair... Yuki has gone through a process of realizing that he was really looking for a mom in Tohru, and that in a woman he really needs someone for whom he can be strong, like Machi. ( )

So beautiful. Love, tragedy, tears. Standard Fruits Basket right there. I really wasn't expecting a lot of the Akito stuff to go down like this, but I find myself pleasantly surprised at how it's turning out.

BUT WILL IT CONTINUE??? Excited and nervous to be reaching the conclusion... ( )

Another great installment of Fruits Basket. I love the way the story is going. I do wish for more Momiji and for Kyo to stop being and idiot. Thought that is part of his charm. The characters are all really growing in this book, even Akito, which is a bit unexpected. Is it all part of Shigurie's plan? We don't know. Yuki is probably the most changed in the series so far, which makes since since he started to come around first. ( )

Vol. 21 picks up right where 20 left off, with Kyo confessing to knowing Tohru's mother and seeing her when she died. There's a lot that happens in 21 (doesn't there have to be with only 2 volumes left?), but it's not of the same magnitude as previous volumes. Perhaps 20 was so action/revelation-packed that this one almost feels anticlimactic in comparison. But there are still plenty of important moments here; we begin to see a change in Akito - or at least a desire to change - as Tohru breaks through her barriers. We see the impact that Tohru has made on the Sohma family when they have to deal with potentially losing her. Yuki (with Kakeru's help) clarifies his relationship with Tohru and he and Machi - well, you'll have to see! There are some weird moments where it feels like humor was inserted to lighten the tone - Yuki, Uotani, and Hanajima have their moments of pure evil and Haru gets to talk about Rin's "development." I wasn't really for these, except perhaps Hanajima and Uotani's protection of Tohru - those girls are wicked and I love them. Overall, this volume is continuing to pick up those storyline threads and finish them off; we see some characters who have changed enough with Tohru's kindness that they are now able to help themselves and others (even when that means kicking the crap out of another character).

Like always, I can't wait to see what's next. I need more Kyo! ( )