I just finished watching the last episodes of the anime Fruits Basket, which I found myself addicted to. I haven’t been able to figure out if this is because of, or in spite of, its relative sweetness and optimism, yet I watched all 26 episodes (and own the DVDs, too!), so there must be something there.
In fact, the sweetness I feel actually dulled my senses, so that the relative violence of the ending seems even more shocking than it otherwise would be. Imagine yourself in a room devoid of sound for so long you forget what noise is, and then have someone speak to you in a normal voice. Kind of like that.
I can’t help but compare it to Brother, Dear Brother, which is the only, well, anything, I have ever found that left me wishing I was more desensitized to violence. If you haven’t seen it, it is a series definately worth watching…though I’ll warn you, I have yet to watch the last seven episodes because I’m honestly too afraid.