▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		NATSUKI TAKAYA
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		216
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		08/07/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		09/19/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Fruits Basket has been a manga series about a heart overflowing with kindness despite the cruelties of fate pressing down upon Tohru again and again. The loss of her mother could have undone her, but she soldiered on and offers overwhelming compassion to those around her. But now, her tackling of the terrible Zodiac Curse suffered by the Sohmas may be what crushes her. She approaches Kureno in order to reach his heart and hopefully have the quiet young man accept her close friend Uo-chan’s feelings. His answer to her query however shocks her. It in fact devastates her as she learns the greatest secret the Zodiac Curse holds. Crushed beneath the despair of it all, will Tohru become another one of the victims to the loneliness and futility the Sohmas suffer from?

This story has been one of astonishing depth of feeling. The characters have been so deftly developed that they seem like real people. Therefore each hurt they suffer, each hope they lose, every triumph, every tear, becomes a truly heartfelt one for the reader. This has never been truer than in this pivotal volume that fans cannot miss. It reveals the startling truths that no one could have guessed. The largest secret yet of the Sohmas and their curse is at last reveled here and it is as surprising as it is disturbing. The repercussions of it will be felt throughout the rest of the series to come. It provides some unexpected character revelations about not only Kureno, but Akito and Shigure. Although there is a subplot regarding Yuki and Machi and their growing relationship, the main story overwhelms anything else with the devastating revelations it holds. The cycle of sadness that connects all these characters is an intricate web that may finally have trapped Tohru. Now with Rin having gone missing and Tohru at a loss of what to do next, the next volume will undoubtedly be awaited on with baited breath by readers yearning to find out what happens next.  This set of chapters in Fruits Basket is world shaking. This is the volume readers cannot afford to miss.

IN SUMMARY:
Fruits Basket is the most captivating story you’ll ever read. It is a revelation of emotion that moves the heart like few, if any, others. The latest volume is a crucial cannot miss for fans.