Bullying Behaviour of Akito in Fruit Basket Season 2

 

During this pandemic, there are no many things I can do. However, I do several things such as applying a job ((as a fresh graduate!)), reading, writing and watching. Lately, I am interested in watching anime especially One Piece (starting from episode 1!!) and Fruit Basket. Both of them are still going on, but Fruit Basket Season 2 ended this week. While watching Fruit Basket, I made a plan to write about one character named Akito. Thus, here I am. 

Since I found Akito is interesting character, and she relates to something I like ((I like to study someone’s behaviour)), so I want to know deeper about her character and decide to write on this page (lol).

First of all, Fruit Basket is Japanese manga series published in 1998 until 2006. Further, the anime of FB released in 2001 (1st season) and 2020 (2nd season). Honestly, I do not read the manga but I am up to date for its anime. Hence, I talk about FB which based on the anime (only). FB talks about Tohru Honda, an orphan girl who met and knew family of Sohma. She lived with Yuki, Kyo and Shigure Sohma as she had no place to stay. After finding out the secret of Sohma family, Tohru, who naturally had loving and caring trait was involved in anything relate to the Sohma family, especially Yuki and Kyo as they were attending the same school. One by one, Tohru met other members of Sohma family who represented animals of Chinese Zodiac. Yuki as a mouse, Kyo as a cat, Shigure as dog, Momoji, Kagura, Ayame and others.

The first season of FB was light and fresh as it showed teen story with lovely characters. Nevertheless, the 2nd season of FB is more deeper and problematic than the 1st season as in the 2nd season, it highlights and expands characters’  misery by recalling their unpleasant past. Further, in the 2nd season, it talks and shows a lot about Akito, a young girl who acts as the centre of all Sohma family for the story-line pictures her as  God of Sohma family.

In the anime, Akito is pictured as powerful person who has big impact to Sohma family members. Akito is someone who should be respected by them.  Not only that, almost member of Sohma family are scared of Akito; they are afraid of what Akito can do to them. When I think about it, I find that Akito has bullying behaviour towards other members.

The term of bullying is not something new since bullying can happen every day. Shortly, bullying is a form of aggressive behaviour which designed to hurt people (Peter K Smith, 2016); either physically or mentally. In the anime, Akito shows many harmful and abusive actions such as cursing, and hitting. She always threatens others as they all know exactly the power she has. The story does not reveal the whole story yet. However, from the first until the second season, the anime indicated Akito is someone who never can be fight as she positioned head of the family.

Akito bullies her ‘family’ both verbally (which later it affects victims' mental) and physically. It can be shown by how Yuki recalled his past where Akito said hurtful things to him and it rooted in him for a long time (for he unconsciously accepted her words). Akito is manipulative, based on www.cosmopolitan.co.id, manipulative person can make an individual feel guilty, manipulative person does not listen or consider someone’s thought; Also, manipulative person is able to decrease or even kill someone’s confidence. In fact, Akito magically could control someone’s feeling and thought by what she said. She makes they (victims) believe in what she said by pressing their weakness and grief. She makes the victim feels small and has no value by her cruel words such as “You are weak. There is no one can save you from the dark” to Yuki. “You are far from the standard” to Kureno. “You are monster” to Kyo. “Ugly” to Tohru and so on. Further, she declared that nobody can win against her. Not only that, Akito often hit and injured people. She slapped Tohru, she threw Yuki a vase, and even pushed Rin until fell down.

There are many cruel things Akito does which make you, as audience, feel helpless upset. Nevertheless, there is always a reason for what people do including Akito. Despite Akito has  powerful power, yet she experiences something that the anime does not tell yet. Actually, from what I see, Akito is weak and fragile person. She is afraid of being alone, so she tries to keep people around her by intimidating them until they feel they need Akito’s presence. Akito wants people realize her power and position, so she makes people scared of her. Consequently, Akito is nervous if someone takes what she has ((she hates Tohru because she is close with her family members)). Not only that, Akito is having a problem with herself. She is experiencing self-centered. She needs an attention; she needs a full attention and she does not want to share. She hates if people around her find their happiness or peace. Akito’s self-centered is built since she knows how fragile she is, and she cannot handle and bear her loneliness so she chooses to torture her victims in order to be seen as powerful human being.

For me, Fruit Basket has very interesting story where it has romance, daily problem. Besides, it shows an issue which some children face. Fruit Basket is fascinating yet frustrating, and I cannot wait to know why or what kind of past Akito has which drives her to act badly toward others. I know, I know there must be something bigger behind Akito’s bad action. Despite it all, I cannot wait to see Tohru’s future love-life ((I am wondering, between Yuki and Kyo, who will she choose?))