In Natsuki Takaya's beloved shojo series Fruits Basket, heroine Tohru Honda moves in with the mysterious Sohma family, and learns their big secret: they are bearing the spirits of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, from Rat to Dragon. Then there's Kyo Sohma, who carries the unofficial housecat of the zodiac.
Kyo is a dynamic & deep character who can't stand Yuki's seemingly pretentious & arrogant ways. He is an unfortunate person even by Sohma standards, but his life is beginning to turn around now that Tohru is here. In some ways, he's a wonderful character, but he falls short in other ways. How does he measure up?
10 Best: Enthusiasm
Even if his enthusiasm is sometimes misplaced or used for petty reasons, at least Kyo has it. He's not an apathetic or passive person at all; he's a spunky kid, and no matter what's going on, he'll have an active role to play.
Kyo has a few interests and projects of his own (more on that soon), and he pursues them with a great deal of enthusiasm and vigor. It's inspiring to see someone so motivated to pursue the things that they like.
9 Should Improve: Short Temper
At the same time, Kyo can get rather carried away, and he doesn't have much patience when it comes to Shigure, Momiji, Yuki, or even Kagura. It doesn't take much to set him off, and when the scene gets crazy, Kyo is the first person to erupt.
This can make him rather disruptive, and often other characters (including Arisa) are quick to fuss at him to shut up and settle down. That short temper leads Kyo to pick a number fights that he can't win, either against Yuki or any other challenger.
8 Best: Relationship With Kazuma Sohma
Fortunately, not everyone in the Sohma family hates and rejects the cat spirit that Kyo houses. In fact, Kazuma Sohma was outraged at Kyo's treatment at the family's hands, so he decided to take in Kyo for himself as a mentor and father figure.
This nurturing relationship was a bright spot in Kyo's difficult life, and he has almost reverent feelings toward Kazuma, who he calls "Shisho." Kazuma is someone who Kyo will selflessly defend at any cost, and it's wonderful to see Kyo stick up for someone besides himself.
7 Should Improve: Collateral Damage
Kyo often challenges Yuki to a fight, so he can prove that he is the strongest after all. The cat and rat of the zodiac have an intense feud, but in practice, it's mainly Kyo who does the attacking. And Shigure's house suffers for it.
More than once, Kyo has torn down walls or sliding doors in Shigure's house, much to Shigure's dismay. This often happened early in the series, and everyone had to help fix and clean up the house. Kyo really needs to take these fights outside.
6 Best: Cooking Skills
This is often something that Kyo does as a favor to Kazuma: cooking good food. Kazuma may be an expert martial artist and a great father figure, but he is a horrible chef, often setting his food on fire. So, Kyo has to take over.
Kyo has learned to navigate a kitchen with ease, and he has long since been in charge of cooking during his time with Kazuma. Even now, Kyo is quite handy in the kitchen and can make onigiri with ease. Tohru isn't the only young culinary master around here.
5 Should Improve: Treatment Of Tohru's Friends
Kyo has a thing or two in common with Tohru's good friend, Arisa Uotani, but more often than not, they end up butting heads to the dismay of Tohru and other onlookers. They're fairly similar; they should get along a little better.
But no, Kyo is quick to criticize Arisa and tease her for being rather tomboyish, and Arisa doesn't help when she gets in Kyo's face and plays the same game as Kyo. Instead, Kyo ought to realize what a deep, dynamic friend Tohru has in Arisa and try to become a real friend to her.
4 Best: Protective Of Tohru
This might be the single best aspect of Kyo's entire character. At first, he thought that Tohru was a goofy airhead who had no business hanging out with the Sohmas, but then he realized what a gift he had in her.
By the start of Season 2, Kyo isn't just Tohru's friend; he is fiercely protective of her, and he'll snap at anyone who hints that they mean Tohru any harm. Most significantly, he will stand up to Akito on Tohru's behalf, and he's done much more for Tohru than Tohru has realized so far.
3 Should Improve: Perception Of Self
Unfortunately, Kyo has endured a great deal of emotional and verbal abuse, since he is the carrier of the unwanted cat spirit. Worst yet, he has internalized a lot of it, and suffers the "I'm an unlovable" monster syndrome, so he pushes people away.
But as Tohru teaches him later on, everyone needs someone to love and support them, and Kyo is not exempt just because of his real form. He should define himself by his actions and his outlook, not on his monster spirit form.
2 Best: Stands Up To Akito
This was a long time coming. Inspired by Tohru's stubborn optimism, Kyo begins to realize that his relationship with Akito is based on verbal abuse and fear, rather than a true familial relationship. So, he decides to set things right, at any cost.
It's an uphill battle, but Kyo is ready to break free of Akito's mental prison, and prove that he is his own man who can forge his own future with his own two hands. He's not the only one; Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Momiji feel the same way.
1 Should Improve: School Performance
Kyo, Yuki, and the others are classmates of Tohru's, but some of them are taking school more seriously than others. Yuki is making a sincere effort, and even became president of the student council. Momiji enjoys school, too.
But Kyo doesn't. He barely even bothers to show up, and while there, he'd rather pick fights and brood than actually hit the books or make friends. If he's going to forge his own future and become independent, he could at least start with a proper diploma.