You know how I said Yuki had a fan club? They’re finally mobilizing.  But they’re mobilizing against Hana-chan, so they’re doomed to failure.

Saki: If they throw down the gauntlet, I’ll pick it up with my waves…

The Prince Yuki Fan Club is fed up with “the witch” (Tohru) being so close to Yuki and want to do something about it.

Motoko:  However, she’s protected by a powerful demon queen, a demon queen who manipulates poisonous electric waves. […] We have to find the demon queen’s weakness at all costs, and then use it to seal away her poisonous electric waves! Remember, we’re doing this to protect Yuki’s innocent heart!

So they all go to Saki’s house, where they meet her amazing (terrifying) little brother, Megumi.

Motoko: Um, Megumi…kun? Can you send out those electric waves too?

Megumi: No, I can’t. All I can do is put curses on people.

Minami: C-curses, you say? How?

Megumi: Names. All I need is the person’s name to easily place any kind of curse upon them. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard your names yet.

That’s enough to convince them hurry up and get out, which in turn makes them more careless than they already were, so their plot is rapidly discovered.

Motoko: All right. If we’re revealed, there’s no need to beat around the bush. You’re right. We can’t stand the witch – I mean, Tohru Honda. So could you tell her to back off a bit from Yuki?

Saki: Well, that’s between the two of them, isn’t it?

Motoko: I…we adore Yuki. In fact, we love him. So can you fathom how Tohru Honda’s behavior has trampled on our feelings?

Megumi: You shouldn’t think you can get away with anything just because you “love” someone. Because if that is what you think, I suggest you do some soul-searching. Directing an ever-increasing amount of one-sided love at someone becomes burdensome to that person, and at some point, you’ll hurt them. Remember that. And remember to respect and consider that person’s feelings. Otherwise, they’ll come to hate you in the end…Minami-san, Mio-san, and Motoko-san.

Megumi is awesome. Just saying.

As awful as they are, I’ve actually come around to the Prince Yuki girls a bit.  They’re just so pathetic and ineffectual that it’s hard for me to hate them for what they’re trying to do.  In the end, all they’re doing is wasting their youths dedicating themselves to a boy who will never have any feelings for any of them.

Saki: Actually, I was a little jealous too. (internally) It seemed like the Sohmas had taken her away from me, which left me feeling a little lonely. (aloud) But like you said, that doesn’t give me the right to be selfish.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about a person, you don’t have a right to force those feelings onto them, and you certainly don’t have a right to determine what they can or can’t do with their lives.  Even if it is a mutual feeling (like with Tohru and Hana-chan), you can’t just assume you know what they “want” or “need” – that will just foster misunderstanding and resentment, even if the initial affection remains.

When someone is important to you, there can be times when it’s a little rough, and even lonely, but in the end they make you happy. As expected, my one weakness will always be Tohru-kun.

The anime version of this chapter is a little more experimental than normal, but ultimately that couldn’t hide the way the creators clearly felt it was mostly disposable filler.  Also, they left out the line that lets us know that Tohru’s still occupied with Kisa, making the story seem that much more episodic.

This little plot cul-de-sac provides an opportunity for reflection and commentary on the nature of love that there’s not really room for later on when the plot begins in earnest, but it’s crucial to understanding not just Takaya-sensei’s intended themes, but actually sorting out the mechanics of the curse.  So keep Megumi’s little speech in mind going forward.

Until next time…