Fruits Basket Analyzed: Hiro Sohma
a/n Not all experiences shared in here are mine
Hiro Sohma is one of the two youngest members of the zodiac, the other being Kisa [1]. Hiro is unusual in initially disliking Torhu rather than instantly loving her [2]. His first exchange with her leads to him insulting her, then stealing her notebook. Torhu chases after Hiro desperate to reclaim her mom’s picture. Momiji brings Kisa to talk Hiro into giving it back, which he does, admitting to his jealousy that Torhu and Kisa are so close. Throughout the series Hiro continues to order Torhu around and criticize her, something Torhu herself never complains about.
Hiro’s motive in being a jerk is pretty simple-control. Hiro has never been hit by Akito, but he has “caused” Kisa to be injured [3]. Guilt gives Hiro responsibility. He likes that because if he caused it to happen the first time he can stop it from happening a second time. The problem is that he wasn’t responsible-Akito was. Hiro is not in control of Akito in any way, shape, or form. He makes up for it be controlling whatever and whomever he can, and Torhu is an easy target.
I know when it was me, I tried to control my parents fighting, but most of the time I was just too scared. Sometimes they would do or say things to me or my brother and I couldn’t stop them, they never listened to me. I was just an 8 year old kid, so I did the only thing I could do, I tried to be good for my parents. When I was at school, I made the teacher and the other kids listen to me, I made them see things my way. I couldn’t stop bad things from happening at home, but I could at school and church. Hiro can’t control Akito, but at least he can control Torhu, to some extent.
Hiro is not the first person to try to blame himself for something out of his control. In this story alone, Torhu and blames herself for Kyoko’s death, Hatsaharu blames himself for failing to protect his failure to ensure another’s safety [4], and Hatori blames himself for Kana’s feelings [5]. As hard as it is to live with the lie that he allowed Kisa to get hurt, it is much harder for Hiro to live with the fear that the same thing could happen again in the future and he could be just as powerless.
[Spoiler: Don't do it]
Akito understands this fear and capitalizes on it. Throwing Rin out the window was done in part as a caution to Hiro about Kisa and he knows it [6]. For the abuse to continue the victims have got to be paralyzed by fear, or they would act. Notice that to intimidate Hiro it was Rin that Akito nearly killed, not Kisa. Hiding this secret from Hatsaharu was enough to keep Hiro quiet for most of the story-after all, he’s seen the consequences of speaking out [7].
Keeping Rin’s abuse a secret from Hatsaharu had to tear Hiro apart. Hatsaharu is one of the only people Hiro ever addresses with an honorific (Haru-nii or older brother) and here he was hiding things from him. I think if Hiro learned to protect from anyone, it would be Hatsaharu. He takes Haru’s advice regarding his treatment of Torhu [8] and yet still watching him suffer with not understanding Rin’s abrupt choice to break up.
When we were younger Greg [9] was my protector-he was the one that told me when to hide and made sure the bad guy wouldn’t find me. My life depended on Greg helping me, so I helped him when I could. I trusted Greg implicitly (still do) but I owed him too. The relationship between a victim and their protector is very special, intimate in ways I don’t think others can understand if they haven’t depended on another person that way. Now that Hiro doesn’t have a close relationship with his protector, who does he have?
[You'll be so much happier if you're surprised by this one]
Hiro’s protective, gentle nature shines through when his mother’s pregnancy is announced [10], and even more after his sister is born [11]. Though he can’t hold her, he stands watch over her constantly [12]. My personal hypothesis is that it was Hinata’s existence that caused Hiro to break the bonds of the curse.
The curse is the bond these cousins share with Akito, and their belief in Akito’s lies. All his life Hiro has believed himself powerless against Akito and bound to every word the God says. In chapter 102 we see Hiro defy Akito and tell both Kisa and Hatsaharu the truth about his actions and those that were hurt. In another breakthrough moment, we see him accepting forgiveness from both. Because Torhu forgave him at the beach house [13], he hopes both Kisa and Haru can forgive his even bigger mistakes, which they do [14]. Hiro was raised believing Akito was God, absolute authority of all, but now he realizes that even without ultimate control, he can still choose how he will respond to Akito’s choices.
The final straw in breaking the curse came as he watched his sister. I think it was love of her that finally trumped the tie to Akito. Not unlike some people find the power to leave an abusive spouse when a child is born, Hiro found a way to keep Akito’s bond far from his sister. Hiro tells his mother that he wants to be happy, but he feels sad, afraid, and lonely too. She reminds him that the curse caused him a lot of suffering, but it was a big part of his life. In Satsuki’s wise words “endings are always sad.”
Hiro does find the courage to go forward, but not he doesn’t have the same bond with Kisa he did before. They were both cursed together before, but now they are separate. Kisa still loves him, but things are different now. When they are both free they have a little more in common, but still lack the bond the curse once provided. I wish them all the good fortune in the world as they find their way through their challenges to each other.
I think from Hiro we learn the power of selfless love verses selfish love. When we take care of ourselves, we can offer our est to others and the world.
[1] Volume 7, Chapter 37
[2]Volume 7, Chapter 37
[3] Volume 7, Chapter 38
[4] Volume 18, Chapter 103
[5] Volume 2, Chapter 11
[6] Volume 18, Chapter 102
[7] Volume 8, Chapter 48
[8] Volume 10, Chapter 54
[9] Name obviously changed
[10] Volume 11, Chapter 65
[11] Volume 18, Chapter 102
[12] Volume 18, Chapter 103
[13] Volume 10, Chapter 56
[14] Volume 18, Chapter 102