::: Kyo's 411 :::

WARNING!!!

Read this information with a grain of salt since there are spoilers abound from the anime and various chapters of the manga. This includes relationships and why they may be the way they are. Also, there have been many great things I’ve read about the carrot top off of the FruityGroup mailing list. If you got the time (and inbox space) definitely give them a try ^_~.

Character Basics

Name: Kyo Sohma
Age: 16 - 17
Hair: Baroque Orange
Eyes: Brick Red
Height: 6ft 3in (171.3cm)
Weight: 100lb (56kg)
Blood Type: A
Astrological Sign: Capricorn
Character Symbol: The cat

In-depth Information

Kyo Sohma was one of the unfortunate Sohmas to be born with the Sohma family curse. He is especially cursed since he was born as the cat. How is that such a horrible thing, you ask? Well, the cat had been the misfortunate creature to be tricked by the rat out of going to a banquet where he would have been one of the chosen animals inducted into the Zodiac, and so, he was shafted. Much like how the cat was shafted by the other animals, Kyo is the black sheep of the Sohma family.

Due to the cruelness he has endured by his family, Kyo has become an angry and slightly bitter person. He's loud and quick to temper and won't hesistate to lash out--- physically or verbally. Yet, underneith all that there is a teenage boy who really does care, waits to be accepted, and wants to be loved. Surprisingly, Kyo is a studious person and gets good grades. He is also a pretty good cook, having been forced into the hobby as his legal gaurdian couldn't. His hobbies are martial arts, reading, and sleeping. Despite the impression of anti-socialism people seem to be drawn to him, but Kyo needs time to adapt to the unfamiliar... Much like a cat.

Kyo is rather like a cat; he doesn't get along with 'rats and dogs' by nature and he will be weary of 'strangers' until further inspection. Dogs are the exception as cats can adjust to them if forced. However, they will always chase the rat and contradict the dog. Give the cat time to adjust to strangers and they'll accept them, but act too soon and be prepared to get clawed. This is a lot like Kyo's interactions with his cousins, Yuki and Shigure (who are respectfully the rat and dog of the cursed), and the orphan girl who came to live amongst the Sohmas, Tohru Honda.

Kyo was adopted by Kazuma Sohma (a young man lucky enough not to share in the zodiac curse) after the death of his mother and the disownment of his father. The reason for his father disowning Kyo at the age of six (give or take a few years) is due to the belief that Kyo caused his mother's suicide. Kazuma, his grandfather having been the last cursed cat, understood the hardships Kyo endured from an older and wiser perspective than the one he had when his grandfather was still alive. This is why he opted to adopt Kyo. He wanted Kyo to lead a better life than the one his grandfather led.

Ever noticed the bracelet that Kyo always wears? There is a reason why he never takes it off... Sadly, there is another part of the Chinese Zodiac curse that only Kyo bears, and that is changing into another form, in essence, Kyo's true form. The beads, a buddhist rosary made up of red/orange and white beads (black and white in the anime) keeps Kyo from transforming into this horrifying cat/lizard looking thing that smells as if its dead and rotting. The rosary is actually made up of blood and bones; it took a human sacrifice to keep the cat's vengeful spirit under control.

Relationships

Kazuma Sohma is Kyo's adoptive father. The relationship between Kazuma and Kyo is very strong. Kyo looks upon Kazuma as his father and Kazuma looks upon Kyo as a son. Even so, Kyo can't call him 'dad.' He doesn't feel like he has the right to call him that; he doesn't want the family to scorn Kazuma because of him. However, Kyo does have a special name for Kazuma. He calls him Shishou, or Master (as that is the English translation). Kazuma is the one who taught Kyo martial arts, as well as Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Kagura.

Kazuma is the one who decided to to reveal Kyo's true form to Tohru and the others even though he knew the risk that Kyo might have never smiled again and that he could have come to hate even Kazuma himself. Even with all that pain weighing on Kazuma's shoulders he wanted to take the chance. He knew if Kyo could fully be accepted by someone else he could come to accept himself. Also, he decided that Kyo should continue living at Shigure's house even though Kazuma had returned from his training. He figures he should spend the rest of his freedom (read his relationship with Akito for details) there, with Tohru...

Tohru Honda is the orphan girl who came to live among the Sohmas as well as the girl that Kyo (and Yuki) fell in love with. She is a simplistic, but very caring girl who often knows just what to say without even knowing it. She is the only person (besides Kazuma perhaps) that Kyo truly cares about. He has a very hard time saying no to Tohru. He will often snap at her, but regret it later and will try to appologize. Alas, the boy has to work on his tact.

Kyo holds Tohru very dear as she was the only person to fully accept him (his true form included) and to voice the truth that she was indeed scared of his true form. Yet she wanted to continue confiding in him and eating together and laughing together. She wanted him to confide in her too. In fact, Kyo holds her so dear to him that he told her that he would support her when she found that special someone, so long as it wasn't Yuki. Yet, in recent chapters of the manga it seems that Tohru is indeed in love with him and Kyo is coming to realize that.

However, it seems that Kyo is denying the fact to himself. He tells himself that he has no right and it is foolish to think that... It was after a nightmare involving his mother and Kyoko, Tohru's mother, that he thought about this. There is a connection between Kyo and Kyoko that still hasn't come to light, but it is rumored that Kyo may have had something to do with Kyoko's death. If that's true what will become of Tohru and her feelings for Kyo?

Yuki Sohma is cursed with the spirit of the rat, and so, Kyo sees him being the root of all his problems. The two are equally envious of each other and what the other has. It is because of this that the two can't and won't take the time to understand each other. However, the two do have a common ground, and that is Tohru Honda. Due to this the two are forced to spend a lot of time together and I think Kyo is realizing that Yuki isn't such a bad guy. Yet, when you're determined to hate someone realizing this could be a bigger problem...

There are other reasons besides envy and jealousy that Kyo has such a deep-seeded hatred for the rat. One is the fact that Akito, the head of the family, struck a bargain with Kyo that if he could defeat Yuki then he would win his freedom. It would be a lot harder to defeat someone if you're friendly with them, right? There's one reason why Kyo must view Yuki as his eternal rival.

The other is a bit more hurtful... When Kyo was young his mother left something like a suicide note saying "It has become hard to be by him (Kyo). At least if he had been born the rat we could have been a little happy." At the funeral Kyo told his dad, "I'll kill Yuki and then I'll kill myself!" Kyo didn't even know Yuki, but blamed him for the pain that the rat from the old folktale caused the cat, in which now inhabited Kyo's very being.

Akito Sohma is the head of the Sohma family, presumed to be the 'God' of of the cursed. His relationship with Kyo is of deepest loathing. The fate of those cursed with the vengeful spirit of the cat are that once they've graduated from High School they are to be locked away from society until they die. Kyo made a bet with Akito that if he could beat Yuki in a fight then he would win his freedom from the hell he'd be sentenced to. Akito agreed, but it is rumored that Akito told Yuki if Kyo beats him then Yuki will have to return to the main house. Such an evil, wicked person Akito is...

Stay tuned for relationship updates!

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