Fruits Basket, Volume 23 by Natsuki Takaya

The curse on the Sohma family has been broken, but there are further revelations. First, Akhito summons the family who have been under the curse to a meeting, where she shows off her new self- in a female kimono, which completely shocks the family, as they thought Akhito was male.

Akhito was pretty shocked herself at the gift of the kimono, as she thought it meant that Shigure was leaving her, when he was merely bidding goodbye to her old life and welcoming her into a new one. He doesn't accompany her to her meeting with the others, but tells her that if she comes to him one more time, he'll hold onto her and won't let go- he's cruel and childish that way. And so she goes to him, because she does love him.

But she wants him to stay with her in the main Sohma compound, because she still is the head of the family. And he agrees, because he does love her.

Meanwhile, Tohru is taking a makeup exam because she missed the regular one while she was in the hospital, and Kyo waits for her outside of school. The two of them have come out about their relationship- well, at least Kyo has, to the disappointment of many of the girls. But Tohru doesn't have the scholarship to go on to college, so she'll be getting a job after High School ends.

Rin struggles with how to forgive Akhito after all she has done to everyone, Rin included. She doesn't hold a grudge exactly, or want to see Akhito grovel, but the hurt she's feeling hasn't gone away. She also wonders if it will turn Hatsuharu off from wanting to be with her, and Tohru comforts her with her presence, telling her that she knows Haru still wants to be with her.

Then, Tohru, Kyo, Hanajima and Arisa go to the zoo, where we recieve another sign that the curse is truly broken: Kyo isn't mobbed by the kittens they go to pet, and one of them actually turns away from him. But after their day in the park, the other two girls tell him that they like him, and they know he'll be taking Tohru away from them. They are saddened by it, but they have been expecting it.

By the time Tohru is finished in the restroom, the other girls have left, and Tohru thinks they left because she took a long time in the bathroom. But Kyo says it wasn't that, and takes her to her mother's grave, where he tells her that after High School, he wants to leave. Not leave her, but leave this place. He spent so long hiding from the world, he wants to learn from it. And he wants her to come with him. And she agrees to go.

We are taken back to the time of Tohru's mother's death, where we see why she told Kyo that she would never forgive him. She wanted someone to watch over Tohru and was trying to tell Kyo that if he didn't pay his debt to do so, she would never forgive him.

A year later, everyone has graduated, and the house that Kyo, Yuki, Tohru and Shigure lived in for so long is being abandoned, but Kyo and Tohru are cleaning up before they go. Meanwhile, Yuki is moving into a new place, and Shigure is living in the Sohma family compound and has given up writing novels. Yuki makes one last visit to Tohru to speak with her. But what will he say, and what will life ultimately bring for Kyo and Tohru?

I loved this entire series, and the ending here made me cry. Cry in a good way. It was so lovely and beautiful and hit all the right notes that I found myself getting misty-eyed all the way through, but when the end came, I actually sobbed- partly in grief that the series was over, of course, but the rest for the beauty of the ending.

Those who have been waiting for this book will be both happy and sad, probably for exactly the same reasons I was. If I had to pick one manga series that was absolutely, positively as close to perfect as anything could come, well, this would definitely be it. It's like a perfect diamond, beautiful and sparkling, but also warms and comforts you like hot soup, a pair of comfy jammies and a purring cat on a cold, stormy day in Winter.

I can't recommend this entire series enough. It's as close to perfect as any manga series will ever get, and the ending just adds the icing on the cake. Highly recommended.