The votes are all in... and despite some tough competition along the way, I'm now fully decided upon my favourite Fruits Basket character.

I was quite fond of Yuki for awhile, but Hatori came along and completely drew me in. And then there's Akito, who you only come to understand a bit better at the very end of the Fruits Basket anime. I like all of them quite a lot (especially Hatori), but I must say that without a shred of doubt, my favourite is Shigure.

Why? Because Shigure Sohma is much more then he seems. All joking aside, he's quite a dog. (Warning: Major personality spoilers to follow.)

I've never read the manga, so what I know about the way Shigure's full personality starts to reveal itself in the later issues is from what I've picked up around the internet. But I do know that in the anime, Shigure maintains quite a low profile. In comparison to the others, he almost seems one-sided. He's the happy-go-lucky, que sera sera, playful guardian figure. He doesn't particularly seem to have any problems of his own except perhaps for his perverted streak or the fact that he finds so much amusement in whats going on. So maybe he's goes too far at times, but that's easily brushed aside. And at times he does act seriously and is sensitive to the problems of others, so in reality, he is well meaning pervert. Just Shigure being Shigure. Right?

Yet even in the anime, you can see it if you know what to look for. He has something up his sleeve. Who is always watching? Always listening? Noting every little thing that happens without the others even realizing he's there? Who always seems to understand the larger picture? Who knows exactly how to get his way and inevitably always does? He is by far a much darker character then anyone realizes, perhaps with the exception of Hatori. (Which may be one of the reasons Hatori puts up with him!)

To put it quite bluntly, Shigure is a conniving, selfish bastard who manipulates everyone around him. He works it so that he can have everything the way he wants it without ever getting his hands dirty. And for the most part, he does this unflinchingly. And I love him for it. I love Shigure! From what I understand, while Shigure is quite content to string along everyone else, he never lies to himself and he accepts the fact that he is the "dirtiest" of the Sohmas. But whereas the rest of the family bemoans their fate, at least he is trying to do something about it, no matter how immoral his methods may be. He's quite a naughty boy, but at least he remains honest with himself. I suppose there is something to be said for that. Still, that doesn't change the fact that there's something not quite right with him. There are some scenes involving him in the anime that just seem ominous.

The more I come to learn about Shigure, the more I like him. He is a brilliant character, both in his intelligence and the character design itself. Everyone runs around thinking Akito is the mastermind of the Sohma family, but I'm starting to believe more and more that it's actually Shigure. No one ever suspects him. Smooth, very smooth. And he is subtle, I'll give him that. He also gets away with being the most secretive of the Sohmas without seeming like he is. Everyone else in the anime ends up spilling out their guts one way or another and in the end even Akito reveals quite a lot about himself. But never Shigure. I can see why some people might come away from the show not caring much for him one way or another, but I think that just means he's fooled them too.

Despite the way he is stacking up to be such a dark person, I'm not sure Shigure can be considered evil. Selfish without a doubt, but evil? I don't think the aspects of his personality that we see are fake at all. They are only a part of a whole that he chooses to show. I think he does care quite a lot for those around him and that he does try to protect them. But I also think that for the time being, it's going along with his ulterior motives. Whatever they may be. But then, that's the question, isn't it? What does Shigure want?

I could probably go on and on, nitpicking out tiny nuances, but until I read the manga, it's just speculation built on what I've been able to find out from other sources. But when I learned that he has a darker side, a lot of things in the anime sort of fell into place and I was able to see things I hadn't before. I liked him a lot from the very start, but now I'm truly hooked. I am hopelessly enthralled by Shigure and I am looking very forward to getting to know him better. Just call me Tohru.

.