The first season of Fruits Basket wove a tale of high school romance that had a few sad elements but was largely lighthearted and uplifting. While it included some of the darker material that was previously manga-only (such as Shigure’s insidious scheming), it didn’t stray too far from the standard fluffy slice-of-life format that the first anime went for. Now that we’re past that, however, the gloves have come off and it’s time to delve into some real character drama.

We get to see how growing up in the Souma family traumatized all of the Zodiac members, whether they were strictly controlled like Yuki or tossed aside like Kyo. New character Rin has been gaslighted and abused for so long that she lashes out at anyone who tries to help her, even the pure-hearted Tooru. Her story (as well as that of the other new Zodiac member, Kureno) shows that kind words and warmth can’t solve everything and that the Soumas will need to take time to work through their own issues before they can make real change in their lives. Even the characters Tooru “healed” last season still have mountains of issues that stand in their way, although they tend to be less cagey than Rin and Kureno. Get the tissues ready – this is a tearjerker season for sure.

Even though the suffer train is at full capacity this season, there’s still plenty of room for triumphant moments as well. Kyo gradually warms up to Tooru and Uo gets her own romantic subplot, but the award for biggest character development definitely goes to Yuki this time. He joins the student council to force himself out of his comfort zone, and the experiences he goes through as the president really help him grow. Vice president/purposefully obnoxious jokester Kakeru gives Yuki a chance to loosen up and becomes his first real friend outside of the Souma situation, while treasurer Machi sees through Yuki’s “prince” façade and wants to know who he really is. In their presence, he gets to explore his personality and see the world in ways that Akito would never let him do. See? Yuki isn’t just a sad pretty boy – he’s a complex, sad pretty boy!