Kyo Sohma
Encyclopedia
is a character in the manga
and anime
series Fruits Basket
by Natsuki Takaya
. He transforms into an orange cat whenever he is hugged by the opposite gender or when his body comes under a great deal of stress. This animal is not in the Chinese zodiac
, but legend says would have been if it had not been tricked by the rat
into missing the induction feast. Also, this could and probably is why he and Yuki (the rat) do not get along very well. As part of his curse, Kyo transforms into a "monster", resembling a reptilian creature, whenever his Juzu beads bracelet are taken off.
Kyo is usually short-tempered, impulsive, and rude, but that is only one side to this complex character. He doesn't like to show his feelings and is very protective of those he cares for. He is also sometimes called "Kyon" (by classmates in episode three of the anime, which makes him angry) and "Kyonkichi", which means 'lucky Kyo', mainly by Shigure Sohma
and Ayame Sohma, who enjoy teasing him. He also appears to have a strong dislike for leeks
, the smell and taste make him feel sick.
When he turns into a cat, he's revealed to talk physically. Like real cats, he always lands on his feet.
, when she was developing the series, Kyo was one of the first three characters she developed and was "based on a real person who really transformed into a cat and had to wear a bracelet or would turn into a monster...without any hesitation." She has also stated she deliberately gave Yuki and Kyo different tastes in clothing to distinguish them. Kyo's clothes are always open-collared or loose because he hates having the tightness around his neck (like cats hate wearing collars). Kyo was made as a person with anger issues to give the story a little comedy. In mostly every episode he looses his temper, and always fights with Yuki, but always fails.
Although the author claimed no names in Fruits Basket other than the 12 canonical zodiac members have any significance, the Japanese
word kyō has several meanings that apply to Kyo Sohma. The kanji
used to write his name means "insert between"; other meanings of kyō, written with other kanji, include , reflecting the Sohma's attitudes toward the cat, , referring to his hair, and relating to his conflicts within himself and with others. However, Kyo is very popular with girls. In the 13th book, a girl asks him out. He is considered to be very attractive, however he is extremely reluctant to form any sort of relationship for fear of harming others. Kyo is also very mean but at sometimes he can be very nice to Tohru and control his temper. Kyo learns more about Tohru and discovers that he really loves her a lot and that Tohru's been the one who Kyo needs most. In episode 26 the very last thing Kyo asks is, "How are you the one who can be by my side crying for me? How could you give me the words I've been wanting?" Kyo is very kind in ways, except with Yuki, who he always fights, though they eventually come to a truce.
by walking in front of an oncoming train when he was a young child of possibly four to six years old, though in one of the later books Kyo discovers that it was his father who pushed his mother to commit suicide. His abusive father later abandoned him as well, blaming Kyo for his mother's death. Kazuma Sohma, whose grandfather was the previous cat, decided to take Kyo in as his own son and the two form a relationship that seems blood-related. People have criticized Kyo throughout his life for his differences, too frightened or never bothering to glance beyond the label of "The Cat" and regard Kyo as a true person. Like most of the Sohmas, throughout his school years, he begins to get picked on for the color of his hair but he would chase them around, threatening to kill them and beat them half to death, which was around the time his temper began.
Because of the Juunishi curse, Kyo must always wear a Juzu bead
bracelet. These beads were made from the bones of a priest and warrior, and so they are a powerful protective charm. The beads themselves are alternately pale and either red (in the manga) or dark purple (in the anime), with the dark ones supposedly stained by blood. Whenever these beads are taken off his wrist, Kyo transforms into the cat's "true form", which is a beast that resembles a mutated lizard-like form, which has a horribly foul stench that even caused Tohru to throw up. This form is a result of the Juunishi curse, and only the cat transforms into this form. The Juzu beads are handed down to the current cat of the Zodiac from the previous cat, and must always be worn. In episode 24 (or chapter 32-33 of the series) Kazuma Sohma takes the beads off Kyo's wrist and he turns into the cat's true form. He does this purposely in front of Tohru Honda
, trying to test what Tohru truly feels for Kyo. Kyo can often be very emotional at times but he is always struck by the angry side of him when someone distracts, annoys or does something to irritate him.
Early in the manga it is established that of all the Sohmas suffering from the Zodiac curse it is Kyo, as the cat, who is generally the most reviled (although he is frequently viewed with pity or disgust rather than outright hatred, and it is implied that Kyo may be hated by certain members of the Sohma clan more than others - Akito seems to despise Kyo more than any other of the zodiac). In chapter 108 of the manga, Shigure tells Tohru that the members of the Zodiac are "monsters...disgusting creatures," and that "the existence of the cat is our salvation...He's a monster even uglier than we are, inferior to everything." He adds that the cat has an obligation to accept the fact that he will be isolated from society (essentially imprisoned for the remainder of his life), "discriminated against and looked down upon," because seeing this allows the other members of the Zodiac to feel better about themselves, at least better off than the cat. He often hurts Momiji's feelings.
He also made a bet with Akito that he will beat Yuki before they graduate. But if Kyo doesn't beat Yuki before they graduate, Kyo will be locked in the Cat's Room for the rest of his life; if he does, then he will be accepted as a full member of the zodiac.
However,in the end Tohru and Kyo break the Sohma curse.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket
, sometimes abbreviated , is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro...
by Natsuki Takaya
Natsuki Takaya
is the penname of a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the series Fruits Basket, which at one time was the best selling manga in the world. She was born on July 7, 1973. Takaya is left-handed and once revealed that she wanted to be a manga artist since first grade, when her sister...
. He transforms into an orange cat whenever he is hugged by the opposite gender or when his body comes under a great deal of stress. This animal is not in the Chinese zodiac
Chinese zodiac
The Shēngxiào , better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year mathematical cycle...
, but legend says would have been if it had not been tricked by the rat
Rat (zodiac)
The Rat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol 子...
into missing the induction feast. Also, this could and probably is why he and Yuki (the rat) do not get along very well. As part of his curse, Kyo transforms into a "monster", resembling a reptilian creature, whenever his Juzu beads bracelet are taken off.
Kyo is usually short-tempered, impulsive, and rude, but that is only one side to this complex character. He doesn't like to show his feelings and is very protective of those he cares for. He is also sometimes called "Kyon" (by classmates in episode three of the anime, which makes him angry) and "Kyonkichi", which means 'lucky Kyo', mainly by Shigure Sohma
Shigure Sohma
is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. He transforms into the dog of the Chinese zodiac whenever he is hugged by the opposite gender or his body comes under a great deal of stress. Shigure is one of the oldest members of the zodiac.Shigure repeatedly...
and Ayame Sohma, who enjoy teasing him. He also appears to have a strong dislike for leeks
Garlic chives
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a vegetable related to onion. The plant has a distinctive growth habit with strap-shaped leaves unlike either onion or garlic, and straight thin white-flowering stalks that are much taller than the leaves. The flavor is more like garlic than chives. It grows in...
, the smell and taste make him feel sick.
When he turns into a cat, he's revealed to talk physically. Like real cats, he always lands on his feet.
Creation and conception
According to Natsuki TakayaNatsuki Takaya
is the penname of a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the series Fruits Basket, which at one time was the best selling manga in the world. She was born on July 7, 1973. Takaya is left-handed and once revealed that she wanted to be a manga artist since first grade, when her sister...
, when she was developing the series, Kyo was one of the first three characters she developed and was "based on a real person who really transformed into a cat and had to wear a bracelet or would turn into a monster...without any hesitation." She has also stated she deliberately gave Yuki and Kyo different tastes in clothing to distinguish them. Kyo's clothes are always open-collared or loose because he hates having the tightness around his neck (like cats hate wearing collars). Kyo was made as a person with anger issues to give the story a little comedy. In mostly every episode he looses his temper, and always fights with Yuki, but always fails.
Although the author claimed no names in Fruits Basket other than the 12 canonical zodiac members have any significance, the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
word kyō has several meanings that apply to Kyo Sohma. The kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
used to write his name means "insert between"; other meanings of kyō, written with other kanji, include , reflecting the Sohma's attitudes toward the cat, , referring to his hair, and relating to his conflicts within himself and with others. However, Kyo is very popular with girls. In the 13th book, a girl asks him out. He is considered to be very attractive, however he is extremely reluctant to form any sort of relationship for fear of harming others. Kyo is also very mean but at sometimes he can be very nice to Tohru and control his temper. Kyo learns more about Tohru and discovers that he really loves her a lot and that Tohru's been the one who Kyo needs most. In episode 26 the very last thing Kyo asks is, "How are you the one who can be by my side crying for me? How could you give me the words I've been wanting?" Kyo is very kind in ways, except with Yuki, who he always fights, though they eventually come to a truce.
Personality and background
Kyo's mother committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by walking in front of an oncoming train when he was a young child of possibly four to six years old, though in one of the later books Kyo discovers that it was his father who pushed his mother to commit suicide. His abusive father later abandoned him as well, blaming Kyo for his mother's death. Kazuma Sohma, whose grandfather was the previous cat, decided to take Kyo in as his own son and the two form a relationship that seems blood-related. People have criticized Kyo throughout his life for his differences, too frightened or never bothering to glance beyond the label of "The Cat" and regard Kyo as a true person. Like most of the Sohmas, throughout his school years, he begins to get picked on for the color of his hair but he would chase them around, threatening to kill them and beat them half to death, which was around the time his temper began.
Because of the Juunishi curse, Kyo must always wear a Juzu bead
Buddhist prayer beads
Buddhist prayer beads are a traditional tool used to count the number of times a mantra is recited whilst meditating. They are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions; thus some call this tool the Buddhist rosary.-Mala:...
bracelet. These beads were made from the bones of a priest and warrior, and so they are a powerful protective charm. The beads themselves are alternately pale and either red (in the manga) or dark purple (in the anime), with the dark ones supposedly stained by blood. Whenever these beads are taken off his wrist, Kyo transforms into the cat's "true form", which is a beast that resembles a mutated lizard-like form, which has a horribly foul stench that even caused Tohru to throw up. This form is a result of the Juunishi curse, and only the cat transforms into this form. The Juzu beads are handed down to the current cat of the Zodiac from the previous cat, and must always be worn. In episode 24 (or chapter 32-33 of the series) Kazuma Sohma takes the beads off Kyo's wrist and he turns into the cat's true form. He does this purposely in front of Tohru Honda
Tohru Honda
is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. She is the main protagonist, noted for her cheerful optimism, altruistic nature, and great sympathy for others...
, trying to test what Tohru truly feels for Kyo. Kyo can often be very emotional at times but he is always struck by the angry side of him when someone distracts, annoys or does something to irritate him.
Early in the manga it is established that of all the Sohmas suffering from the Zodiac curse it is Kyo, as the cat, who is generally the most reviled (although he is frequently viewed with pity or disgust rather than outright hatred, and it is implied that Kyo may be hated by certain members of the Sohma clan more than others - Akito seems to despise Kyo more than any other of the zodiac). In chapter 108 of the manga, Shigure tells Tohru that the members of the Zodiac are "monsters...disgusting creatures," and that "the existence of the cat is our salvation...He's a monster even uglier than we are, inferior to everything." He adds that the cat has an obligation to accept the fact that he will be isolated from society (essentially imprisoned for the remainder of his life), "discriminated against and looked down upon," because seeing this allows the other members of the Zodiac to feel better about themselves, at least better off than the cat. He often hurts Momiji's feelings.
He also made a bet with Akito that he will beat Yuki before they graduate. But if Kyo doesn't beat Yuki before they graduate, Kyo will be locked in the Cat's Room for the rest of his life; if he does, then he will be accepted as a full member of the zodiac.
However,in the end Tohru and Kyo break the Sohma curse.