Lost in Austen: Episode 4

Lost in Austen: Episode 4
ITV
24 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

In the conclusion, Lydia runs off with Bingley, but platonically.  Nonetheless, Mr. Bennet challenges Bingley to a duel and ends up giving himself a concussion.  Amanda is able to return to modern-day London, where she's followed by a confused Darcy.  She brings Lizzy back with her and tries to matchmake Lizzy with Darcy, but eventually realises that she is herself meant to be with Darcy.  Lady Catherine annuls the Collinses' marriage, and Jane and Bingley get married and move to America.  While I found this series entertaining, I don't think it lived up to its potential.  Still better than the recent Mansfield Park TV version of course.

Lost in Austen: Episode 3

Lost in Austen: Episode 3
ITV
17 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance,
DVD
B-

This episode introduces Lady Catherine de Bourgh, played by Lindsay Duncan, who was Lady Bellaston in the '97 version of Tom Jones.  It has some meta moments, like when, after Darcy proposes to Amanda, she asks him to reenact Colin Firth's wet shirt scene.  But I find it a bit hard to swallow that Darcy would invite not only Amanda, but Mr. and Mrs. Collins, and Lydia and Mrs. Bennet, to Pemberley.  Note that the romantic entanglements are getting even more entangled, including a pay-off to Amanda in the first episode telling Bingley she's a lesbian in order to speed up the transference of his affections to Jane.  And in case you're worried that Darcy won't end up with Lizzy, he has to dump when Amanda when he finds out she's not a virgin, although he does admire her honesty and bravery in telling him.

Lost in Austen: Episode 2

Lost in Austen: Episode 2
ITV
10 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

This episode introduces Tom Riley as Mr. Wickham and Guy Henry (who was John Knightley in the 1996 Emma TV-movie) as Mr. Collins.  Both men produce complications for the Bennets and "Miss Price," but not the ones of the original novel.  Amanda dislikes both men the moment she meets them, and not just because she's read the book.  However, they're both drawn to her, Collins proposing and Wickham propositioning.  She reluctantly accepts Mr. Collins, hoping to get out of it somehow and trying to prevent Jane marrying Mr. C out of duty.  However, after she rejects Wickham, he spreads a rumor that she's the daughter of a fishmonger.  Collins breaks the engagement, which is good, but then he proposes to Jane, who accepts, which is very bad.  Amanda is very angry at Mr. Darcy, who has discouraged Bingley from pursuing Jane, but mostly Amanda is mad at herself for the mess she's made.  (Charlotte despairs of ever marrying and so decides to become a missionary in Africa.)  I went with a slightly lower grade this time, since it felt odd for Amanda to pretty much confess to an indifferent Darcy that she's been a fan of his love story with Elizabeth for the past fourteen years.  Still, I am curious to see how all this is going to be untangled, since the episode ends soon after Collins and Jane's wedding.

Lost in Austen: Episode 1

Beware of strangers you meet in your
bathroom, even if you feel like you know them.

Lost in Austen: Episode 1
ITV
3 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B

Those who would be in at least one more episode:

• Gemma Arteron as Elizabeth Bennet
• Ruby Bentall as Mary Bennet
• Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Bennet
• Morven Christie as Jane Bennet
• Christina Cole as Caroline Bingley
• Elliot Cowan as Mr. Darcy
• Florence Hoath as Kitty Bennet
• Alex Kingston as Mrs. Bennet
• Michelle Duncan as Charlotte Lucas
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Piranha
• Tom Mison as Mr. Bingley
• Daniel Percival as Michael
• Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price
• and Perdita Weeks as Lydia Bennet

Guy Andrews wrote all four episodes of what is so far a funny and charming program.  I'm not technically re-viewing it, although I'd heard of it of course and had intended to watch it after my ex-husband burned it for me.  I will admit that I tend to be wary of things like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, which sound like they don't understand the true spirit of Jane Austen.  This mini-series, however, while it does mock the Austenian world, specifically of P & P, does so lovingly and intelligently.

The premise is that Lizzy Bennet is able to enter a modern London flat through one of the walls near the tub.  The owner of the flat, Austen-superfan Amanda Price, gets curious and goes through the wall, only to find that Lizzy has locked the door behind her, yes, hence the title.  Now it's up to Amanda to not muck things up too much.  (That she knows the story of P & P by heart turns out to not necessarily be an advantage.)  This episode takes us from the set-up, shortly after Mr. Bennet has secretly visited Mr. Bingley, to Jane's visit to Netherfield, on Amanda's urging, partly to get Mr. Bingley off his infatuation on Amanda, who did admittedly kiss him while she was drunk.  It looks as if the rest of the series stays specifically in P & P, although it would've been interesting if this had run six years and Amanda could've gone into all the novels.

Dan Zeff directed all four episodes.

Fruits Basket: Let's Go Home

Fruits Basket: Let's Go Home
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B-

Tohru accepts Kyo's secret form (sort of reptilian), despite her fears.  He hugs her in gratitude.  But Tohru feels the need to talk to Akito, so she goes to see him the next day, accompanied by Yuki and Shigure, with Hatori in the room.  (Kyo waits outside.)  Akito grabs her by the hair and yells at her.  Shigure and Yuki try to restrain him.  Tohru offers pity and sympathy to Akito because he's doomed to a short lifespan.  And, yeah, OK, I can see why that, and carrying the burden of the family curse, would make him bitter, but that doesn't excuse his abusive behavior to so many characters.  So I marked this down from a B.  Still, the episode ends on an up note and it's not a bad stopping place for the series.

Fruits Basket ranges from C- to B+, with half of those as B's, averaging out to a low B.  It's generally a successful blending of different genres and different moods.  It's at its best when it focuses on the four main characters, although there are supporting characters I like, such as Hana and Uo.  As for shipping, it's about evenly Kyo/Tohru and Yuki/Tohru.  It would've been interesting to see where it would've gone romantically and otherwise had it had more seasons.

Fruits Basket: True Form

Fruits Basket: True Form
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B+

Rain.  Pain.  Darkness.  Fear.  Courage.  Confusion.  Memories.  Cruelty.  Kindness.  Friendship.

Fruits Basket: The Curse of the Cat

Fruits Basket: The Curse of the Cat
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B-

The downward trend of recent episodes is dramatically reversed with the dramatic final arc of the series.  Kyo's master and trainer, Kazuma (voiced by Dameon Clarke), arrives and, after consulting Akito and then Shigure, decides that he must reveal Kyo's true form to Tohru, although Shigure worries that it could shatter her.  I would've gone with a B, but there was too much of Kagura's histrionics at first.

Fruits Basket: Is the Rumored Ri That Mother's Daughter?

Fruits Basket: Is the Rumored Ri That Mother's Daughter?
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
C-

Tohru meets Ritsu the monkey, the child of the hot springs hostess.  But Ritsu is not that mother's daughter.  He is a young man who dresses like a girl, not because he looks cuter that way, like Momiji, or for fun and fantasy, like Ayame, but to, unsuccessfully, deal with his anxieties and insecurities.  He is like his mother in that he constantly apologizes, but he's even more annoying because he says he should never have been born.  I don't mean to sound heartless about trans issues or about suicidal tendencies, but the way these issues are handled, and the way Ritsu is presented, does not at all work here.  This is the worst episode of the series, which means I've seen worse anime.

Fruits Basket: Prince Yuki Fan Club

The closest this episode approaches to
humor, with Motoko's mother nagging her.

Fruits Basket: Prince Yuki Fan Club
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
C

This episode focuses on Motoko, the president of the title club.  We see some of Yuki and a bit of Tohru, but it's basically about this girl's obsession.  At the end, it almost looks like she's developed some self-awareness, and then it turns out that she's just as blind as ever.

Fruits Basket: Sophist Boy Has Captured the Prince

Fruits Basket: Sophist Boy Has Captured the Prince
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
C+

Hiro the sheep shows up and is obnoxious and not just because he's a 12-year-old boy.  He loves Kisa but when he told Akito, Akito knocked her to the ground.  Hiro not only didn't stand up to Akito (which to be fair, Hatori didn't do for his girlfriend), but he didn't protect her from the mocking kids at school.  Now Kisa thinks of Tohru as a big sister, calling her "Sissy," and Hiro is jealous of the time they spend together, so he's rude to Tohru.  It's at least nice to see Kyo and the others stick up for Tohru.  And, no, I'm not going to explain the title.  Note that the made-up anime/manga series that a random little boy was a fan of appears in a couple clips.

Fruits Basket: Ayame's Secret Life

Fruits Basket: Ayame's Secret Life
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B-

Yuki and Tohru visit Ayame's costume shop and discover him in a wedding dress.  Nonetheless, Yuki does come closer to communicating with Ayame.  There's definitely some Yuki/Tohru shipping going on here, especially by Ayame, when Ayame's assistant dresses up Tohru.  Yuki calls Tohru "adorable" but is embarrassed when Ayame says that Yuki is experiencing "romance."

Fruits Basket: The Source of Cheer Can Be Affected by Colds Too

Fruits Basket: The Source of Cheer Can Be Affected by Colds Too
TV Tokyo
May 27, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B

Tohru, the title character here, gets sick when she's under stress after failing a midterm.  The way that the Sohmas rally around her is sweet and at times funny.  It is arguably Kyo/Tohru shippy when he cooks leek soup for her (and he hates leeks), although that's not romantic per se.

This is the 100th of my shows based on a book, unless you count Gidget and maybe some other stuff.

Fruits Basket: The Strongest Tag - The Cursed Electric Wave Brother and Sister

Fruits Basket: The Strongest Tag - The Cursed Electric Wave Brother and Sister
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B-

While there are definitely things I like about this episode, including the Pokemon-like manga a little boy reads, the more experimental look of the animation (from replicating videocam lines to a bit of live-action), and of course the tag team of Hana and her little brother Megumi, it's harder to get into a story about the schemes of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, where Tohru appears mostly at a distance and the Sohmas, even Yuki, aren't in it much.  I stopped reading the manga because of too much with extraneous characters, although here at least it is in the end tied back to the main characters.  And I am fond of Hana, but even she isn't the focus here.

Fruits Basket: It's Because I've Been Loved That I've Become Stronger

Fruits Basket: It's Because I've Been Loved That I've Become Stronger
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B

Tohru meets her first female member of the zodiac since Kagura: Kisa the tiger.  Kisa has stopped speaking because of kids making fun of her hair color at school.  (When she does speak, the English voice actress is Kate Bristol.)  I like how the question of self-esteem is handled here.  As the title suggests, rather than the teacher's platitude that no one can like you unless you like yourself, genuine acceptance by others can contribute to self-confidence.  And Tohru not only treats Kisa like an adorable kid sister, but she has given Yuki the confidence to become the new student council president.  But it's not just about Tohru; Kisa's relatives (with the exception of testy Kyo) offer her support, too.

Fruits Basket: If We've Three Then We Don't Need to Fear Jason

Fruits Basket: If We've Three Then We Don't Need to Fear Jason
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B

The title refers to Shigure teasing that Jason is in the woods and then convincing Kyo and Tohru that Jason is a bear (rather than the main character in the Friday the 13th series).  He earlier convinced both of them, plus Yuki and Hatori, to go to a cabin in the woods for a few days.  His ulterior motive, and he must have one, being Shigure, turns out to be the rather benign one of getting Hatori out of town during the wedding of Hatori's ex-girlfriend.  Ayame shows up and there is of course heavy, maybe serious, maybe not, flirting with him and Shigure.  The picture I've chosen shows Yuki and Kyo about to simultaneously hug Tohru to save her when she falls.

Fruits Basket: There Are No Memories It's OK to Forget

Fruits Basket: There Are No Memories It's OK to Forget
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B

This episode draws parallels between Tohru and Momiji, on the first anniversary of her mother's death.  He has also lost his mother, in the sense that she was so traumatized by giving birth to a member of the zodiac (an apparently common reaction), she had Hatori erase her memory.  Momiji, however, wants to keep all his memories good and bad.  Tohru tearfully hugs him and resolves to do the same.  And of course they have somewhat similar personalities: cheerful and accepting and energetic, despite the tragedies they've gone through.

One thing I wonder about, and I don't recall if this is explained in the manga, Shigure is shown sketching a woman who looks like a younger version of Momiji's mother (see above).  What is the connection?  Or is it just an odd detail?

Fruits Basket: The Adult's Episode - Ayame's a Messed Up Snake

Fruits Basket: The Adult's Episode - Ayame's a Messed Up Snake
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
C+

As the unwieldy title suggests, Yuki's older-by-a-decade brother is a messed-up man who transforms into a snake.  On the one hand, he's handsome and charming (voiced flamboyantly by Christopher Sabat).  On the other, he has no boundaries, not only telling embarrassing stories but crawling into Tohru's clothes to keep warm when he's in his snake form.  (The first time without warning her!)  Ayame mostly ignored Yuki when they were growing up, so he now wants to make amends, but his personality grates on Yuki.  Note that there's plenty of Ayame/Shigure fodder here, as well as Ayame/Hatori, now and in their high school days.  But I wouldn't exactly call this "the adult's [or adults'] episode."

Fruits Basket: A New School Term Starts!

Fruits Basket: A New School Term Starts!
TV Tokyo
March 25, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B

Momiji and Hatsuharu start at the high school, causing chaos and merriment, including Momiji wearing a girls' uniform, and Hatsuharu (offscreen) proving to the student council president that his white-with-black-roots hair is natural.  On a darker note, Akito shows up and finally meets Tohru in person.  Yuki has flashbacks to Akito's physical and mental abuse but Tohru cheers him up by inviting him to play badminton.  (If only it'd been that simple for Arima on His and Her Circumstances.)  It's sort of Kyo/Tohru shippy that he wants to protect her from a guy who's attracted to her cluelessness, although I guess that could be seen as more big-brotherly.

Fruits Basket: White Day

Fruits Basket: White Day
TV Tokyo
January 20, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
B-

Well, maybe the previous episode ended on White Day Eve, or this is White Day Observed.  In any case, Tohru goes to the hot springs and feels like a princess with three princes: Yuki, Kyo, and Momiji.  This episode is pretty Yuki/Tohru shippy, with him buying her hair ribbons and then chivalrously kissing the tips of them.  It's Momiji that Tohru literally shares a bed with, but she thinks of him as little and innocent, only finding out at the end that he's a year younger than Yuki and Kyo and will be starting high school next week.  (As we saw on His and Her Circumstances, the Japanese school year starts in the Spring.)  I would've gone with a B, but the shrieking of the hots springs hostess and her cook got old.

Fruits Basket: Everybody Loves Chocolate

Fruits Basket: Everybody Loves Chocolate
TV Tokyo
January 20, 2003
Anime, Fantasy
DVD
C+

This starts out on Valentine's Day and then jumps ahead a month so that Momiji can thank Tohru for her gift of chocolates by inviting her to a weekend at the Sohma-owned hot springs.  I marked this down not only for the return of Kagura but for Momiji's bizarre "funny" story about a "fool" who gives to everyone who tricks him with a sob story, until he's consumed by goblins.  The visuals make a clear equation with Tohru, but I'd like to think that she could distinguish between generosity and being a victim of cannibals.  Hot springs episode coming up next....