I think this is my favourite of the series thus far, though I admit I'm still finding it a bit of a slog. Still, it's got such a following that I'm going to persevere with it, and maybe I'll come to understand what all the fuss is about. I still find the fighting between the two boys deeply annoying - though thankfully it's pretty much confined to the beginning here - and Tohru's still thick as a brick, but that doesn't worry me. Her total lack of self-confidence is getting harder and harder to cope with, though. She doesn't need cold medication, she needs anxiety drugs and therapy. It's painful to read, and not in a good way. I did like the little tiger-girl, though, and how her preferred method of communication is biting people. If I were surrounded by these idiots, I'd be biting too. Honestly, she and Momiji are the two characters I most feel for. They're both very young, and are clearly being hit the hardest by their animal/zodiac identities, what with one's mother and the other's school bullying.

I have far less sympathy for the older characters.